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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
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***
On October 8, 2001, due to the high buildings collapse last month, most entertainment programs had not yet resumed.
Turning on the TV, mainstream channels were all discussing the recent attack, and at the same time, New York fans, who had lost their sense of security, strongly supported the coming of war.
Random street interviews during the program also revealed the thoughts of many ordinary people, most of whom were worried about whether similar incidents would happen again.
Several financial companies had already shown their stance by moving out of Manhattan to New Jersey or Connecticut.
Under these circumstances, Lee's personal documentary, training camp plan, and new sneaker launch were all postponed until around Christmas.
The NBA was also affected.
Preseason games could only be held domestically, and most stars strongly opposed playing internationally.
During this sensitive period, many people tried their best to avoid flying.
David Stern was also very helpless about this.
According to the original plan, several teams were supposed to play in Spain, Russia, and Mexico, but all plans fell through.
At this time, no one cared about team gossip anymore.
ESPN no longer reported internal news from the Lakers, as no one wanted to read it.
In contrast, Michael Jordan's comeback received a lot of praise.
Michael Jordan seemed to have become a hero again at this time.
The New York Knicks training camp officially began on October 1.
For the past few days, Jeff Van Gundy had been in a bad mood.
Achieving four consecutive championships did not earn him much respect within the team.
General Manager Grunfeld still only informed him about trades, and the curly-haired owner was busy boosting New York's favorability, frequently appearing at charity events.
The team's locker room was firmly controlled by Lee.
Most Rookie players were trying to adapt to Lee, and the coaching staff remained the original coaching staff, unable to gain more power.
Although unhappy, Jeff Van Gundy mostly showed his demeanor as a famous coach when facing media interviews:
"Although the training camp started late, I think the team is in excellent shape!"
"Pau Gasol is a young player who has experienced professional leagues. Age is not an issue, and I feel very excited to coach such a big man."
"…"
Facing questions from the New York Media, Jeff Van Gundy mostly praised Pau Gasol.
Everyone had high expectations for the "next Ewing."
The Bald Young Coach spoke kindly, but he was not satisfied.
Pau Gasol had long arms, coupled with his height, his static talent was very good.
However, compared to most "black and tough" big men in the NBA, Pau Gasol's shortcomings were also obvious:
"Thin body, insufficient physicality, soft."
Playing at the 5th position, Pau Gasol showed many problems in training, but this is a common Rookie problem.
It has never been easy for a big man to gain a foothold in the NBA.
Of course, what made Jeff Van Gundy even more uncomfortable was that Lee's tactical approach for the team was always completely opposite to what he had envisioned.
The Bald Young Coach hoped that Pau Gasol would increase more low-post offense after entering the NBA and try to gain muscle.
However, Lee doesn't play low-post offense at all.
With the defensive three-second rule, everyone has to make way for him, and there will be more finishes at the rim this season.
Pass in and out?
One-on-four and watch?
This situation simply doesn't exist for the New York Knicks.
The center's role is to facilitate and play limited mismatches; the rest is pick-and-rolls.
Kurt Thomas had long been accustomed to this style of play.
In his contract year, he diligently practiced jump shots near the free-throw line during the offseason, just to get easy points!
As for the Head Coach's opinions, he listened with one ear and let them out the other, not taking them seriously at all.
As for Pau Gasol, his frame was still a bit thin, and he didn't expect much from low-post strong attacks.
Simply getting easy points and striving for more playing time was his goal for the first season.
A week after the training camp started, Jeff Van Gundy, who had thought he could re-inject his tactical ideas after the team's renewal, was depressed to find that going AFK was still his best option.
After the afternoon training session on the 8th, the players honestly went home and didn't go out to have fun.
Manhattan was still in a state of grief.
The excavation work of the collapsed high-rise was still ongoing.
Turning on the TV, one could see some family members crying uncontrollably.
In such an environment, everyone naturally had no mood to party.
Learning empathy is a required course for NBA players.
If they don't want to be criticized, going home and entertaining themselves behind closed doors is the best choice during this special period.
Lee greeted every staff member with a hug, and the equipment manager Old Mike smiled and invited him:
"Lee, come to my house for a few drinks. I've recently fallen in love with white wine."
"Definitely next time, Mike. There's a preseason game tomorrow, and I need to prepare well. My training time has been a bit short this year, and my physical condition hasn't reached its best."
Lee put his arm around Old Mike, teasing him about how he had been bricking shots in recent practices.
The latter didn't mind and still had great confidence in him:
"It's okay, Lee! You've already won four championships. It's time to learn to enjoy life. You can adjust your physical condition during the regular season."
"…"
Jeff Van Gundy heard this conversation and watched the two leave, feeling a pang in his heart.
After four consecutive championships, he was still in the same role.
Assistant Coach Thibodeau, however, did not understand the Bald Young Coach's thoughts and subtly suggested regarding the team's Defense:
"This season we might concede more points in the low post, but this is all expected. Pau Gasol is still very good, at least not worse than those high schoolers."
Perhaps thinking about not being able to renew his contract with the team, Jeff Van Gundy suddenly felt a bit disheartened upon hearing this and finally just waved his hand, saying helplessly:
"Don't worry about these things. The interior Defense has always been an issue. With Kurt Thomas in the starting lineup, he can play a bigger role on the defensive end."
"…"
Seemingly noticing the Bald Young Coach's low spirits, Thibodeau said no more.
He also understood some of the internal situation of the New York Knicks.
He had wanted to persuade Jeff Van Gundy to focus on Defense and stay AFK, but seeing him wave his hand and leave, Thibodeau could only sigh helplessly:
"Isn't giving the offensive rights to the players a very good choice?"
On the evening of October 9th, the New York Knicks will host their first preseason game at Madison Square Garden.
The NBA specifically arranged for the Washington Wizards to play in New York, also allowing Michael Jordan to greet the devasted New York fans.
In the afternoon, the two teams jointly held a charity event, visiting many affected families.
Michael Jordan, who had sold his shares and put on his jersey again, was still very popular.
Before the game started at 7 PM that evening, Michael Jordan, when interviewed, not only extended his greetings to New York but also expressed his feelings about returning to the court:
"I am very excited. I feel as if I have returned to my youth when I first entered the NBA."
"Oakley and Doug Collins are both here. Everything seems to have returned to the past. I once again feel the joy that basketball brings me!"
Wearing the Washington Wizards' practice uniform, Michael Jordan spoke eloquently to the media, and his happiness was indeed heartfelt.
In the locker room, media reporters were all surrounding Michael Jordan, while on the other side, Kwame Brown was like a small transparent, with few people paying attention to him.
Unable to get along with the old guys on the team, and Head Coach Doug Collins would just flatter him, no one told him how to work hard, nor how to integrate into the team.
Agent Mark Bartelstein had given him a long list of instructions, but Kwame Brown felt they were useless.
He truly had nothing in common with those old guys.
Hamilton was also in a bad mood.
Michael Jordan was not a good teammate, and the so-called "high-pressure management" was outdated with the times.
Those exasperated encouragements did not ignite the fighting spirit of rational players.
Instead, they made people feel a lack of respect.
The old-school player approach was not suitable for the Washington Wizards.
Everyone was circling around Michael Jordan, while in the home team's locker room, Clay Lee was smiling and introducing his new teammates to the New York Media.
Aside from Pau Gasol, none of the new players who joined this year had a press conference.
The reason was simply that the players lacked fame and impressive stats.
Stephen Jackson's experience was indeed tough, but most bottom-tier players are like that, so such an experience isn't rare.
As for the big man centers from the 1996 top 10 draft picks turning into role players, everyone already knew about it.
These players couldn't attract the attention of the New York Media.
"Stephen is a good guy, tough on the court, and I think New York fans will definitely like him!"
"Knight doesn't talk much, but don't underestimate him. He always fulfills the coaching staff's tactical requirements."
"…"
Hearing Lee's words, Stephen Jackson cheerfully greeted the sports reporters, and Brevin Knight also spoke seriously.
Madison Square Garden's attendance tonight was unaffected, and a large portion of the fans came to watch Michael Jordan play.
Before the game, at the MSG broadcast booth, Mike Breen was introducing the Washington Wizards' starting lineup:
"It's great to see Michael Jordan on the court. It's said that he showed excellent physical condition in training camp!"
"Tonight, the Washington Wizards' starting backcourt is Courtney Alexander and Hamilton, and the frontcourt consists of Michael Jordan, Charles Oakley, and Christian Laettner."
Walt Frazier didn't comment on the Washington Wizards' lineup.
As a team legend, he didn't care about this opponent and was more concerned about the New York Knicks' status:
"This year's training camp started very late, so perhaps the team will be a bit slow to warm up."
"However, I still have great confidence in the New York Knicks. Clay Lee always makes games easier."
"Michael Jordan's return is good, but the Washington Wizards won't cause us too much trouble this season. Perhaps the Nets next door can achieve good results."
"They have already accumulated enough talent, and Jason Kidd is also an excellent leader."
The two chatted a lot in the broadcast booth, while on the court, James Dolan, on behalf of the New York Knicks, donated another sum of money to the victims.
The New York celebrities present tonight were also there to donate.
Rather than a preseason game, it was more fitting to call it an exhibition game.
After the game began, both sides played politely, and with low intensity, there were many missed shots.
Michael Jordan, however, was in good form.
Before the end of the first half, facing Grant Hill's Defense, he executed a signature fadeaway jumper from a post-up position on the right block, turning towards the baseline.
"Swish!"
The mid-range jumper smoothly went in.
Anyone could see that Michael Jordan was very happy after the basket, and with the cheers from the crowd, he couldn't stop smiling.
Lee only played 6 minutes in the first quarter and then 5 minutes in the first half of the second quarter.
During this time, he was sitting on the bench waving a towel.
In the first half, the main focus was on letting Grant Hill and Pau Gasol adapt to the game.
With 12 seconds left in the first half, Grant Hill had the ball at the top of the arc.
After a pick-and-roll with Pau Gasol, he couldn't shake off Michael Jordan's trailing Defense.
As he moved to the left wing, Michael Jordan had already lowered his center of gravity and was interfering with his hands.
Grant Hill, holding the ball in his left hand, just slightly turned, pulled the ball back to fake, and then quickly twisted forward.
Perhaps overly confident in his physical condition, Michael Jordan engaged in physical contact while quickly sliding backward to his right.
However, Grant Hill suddenly dipped his shoulder and accelerated, leaning into Michael Jordan, adjusting his stride, and after two strong dribbles, gained half a step.
Losing his defensive position, Michael Jordan still tried to jump for a block, but Grant Hill didn't force a layup.
After attracting the opposing center Laettner's Defense, he jumped near the lower left of the basket and passed the ball.
Pau Gasol, who had cut at the opportune moment, received the ball, used his long arms to grab it with his right hand, and easily swung his arm for a dunk!
"Wow!"
The New York fans cheered loudly.
The timing was perfect.
The Washington Wizards only had 1.2 seconds left on the shot clock.
Seemingly displeased with his teammate's Defense, Michael Jordan shouted a few times.
Hamilton casually tossed the ball to midcourt, and the first half officially ended.
43:46, the New York Knicks only led by 3 points.
Grant Hill, who made the assist, smiled and high-fived Pau Gasol in celebration.
Clay Lee also bumped fists with his teammates walking to the sideline.
Although they shot poorly in the first half, handling the Washington Wizards was still easy.
Michael Jordan scored a team-high 12 points in the first half, shooting 5-for-13 from the field and 2-for-4 from the free-throw line.
The lively atmosphere at Madison Square Garden seemed to have fully activated Michael Jordan.
He was exceptionally serious at this point, and as he walked towards the player tunnel, he didn't forget to give some instructions to his teammates.
Doug Collins, who was also just observing, showed an excited expression.
He hadn't expected Michael Jordan to be in such good form, so he simply clapped as he walked.
Not much could be gathered from the first half of the game, as Lee played very little and was just messing around during the game.
In the broadcast booth, Walt Frazier didn't comment much on the game, but instead stroked his chin and sighed:
"We still need to add a shooting guard; the bench needs a strong scorer!"
Mike Breen also noticed some issues, but as the home announcer, he only spoke positively at this moment:
"The big man Laettner played well. Several finishes at the rim were beautiful."
"…"
When the second half began, the New York Knicks brought back their starting lineup.
The backcourt became Clay Lee and Grant Hill, and the frontcourt consisted of Ron Artest, Kurt Thomas, and Pau Gasol.
The Washington Wizards started on offense, and the Madison Square Garden once again erupted with chants of Defense:
"Defense!…"
In the first possession, the Washington Wizards ran a curl cut play for Michael Jordan.
Near the right baseline, Ron Artest was tightly guarding Michael Jordan.
As Michael Jordan started to move, Ron Artest immediately accelerated to trail him.
At the right elbow, Oakley set a screen.
Michael Jordan quickly popped out, using the screen to receive the ball near the free-throw line.
Courtney Alexander's pass, however, was of average quality, positioned slightly too low, preventing Michael Jordan from completing a catch-and-shoot jumper.
With just a slight adjustment, Ron Artest, who didn't choose to squeeze through the screen, went under it and blocked Michael Jordan.
Oakley quickly cleared out, moving to the right block, taking Kurt Thomas with him.
Seizing this opportunity, Michael Jordan quickly faked with his right foot, then suddenly put the ball down with his left hand and drove with a crossover step.
Michael Jordan tried to drive with his shoulder down, attempting to use his explosiveness to shake off Ron Artest's tight Defense, but his middle drive only lasted two dribbles before he was forced to stop the ball.
Left with no choice, Michael Jordan stopped abruptly, then suddenly turned quickly, flowing into a fadeaway jumper!
Ron Artest hadn't lost his defensive position at all and made an excellent read, nearly getting a block.
"Clang!"
Under pressure, the jumper in the paint hit the rim directly.
Pau Gasol easily secured the defensive rebound, but his usual playing habit didn't make him immediately passed the ball upcourt.
Instead, he waited for a teammate to receive it.
They couldn't complete the fast break immediately, but Grant Hill, who received the ball, was also quick.
Enduring Hamilton's tight Defense, he quickly crossed half-court along the right sideline.
The Washington Wizards players naturally retreated quickly at this point.
Pau Gasol, after crossing half-court, didn't demand the ball in the low post, but instead stopped at the top of the arc.
After receiving the pass, he immediately turned sideways, put the ball down with his left hand, and slowly moved towards the left wing.
Lee, who had already moved to the left wing, first moved towards the top of the arc, then suddenly stopped short, faked a back cut, and then accelerated a second time.
After successfully receiving a handoff pass from Pau Gasol, the latter immediately cut down after a fake screen.
At the same time, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, paused slightly at the three-point line after shaking off his defender Alexander, then immediately accelerated to drive.
Courtney Alexander, who was trailing, reacted quickly and slid desperately, but he committed his body weight too early and didn't notice Lee's short strides.
Just after dribbling past the three-point line, Lee suddenly dribbled between his legs while moving, quickly stepping back the moment he switched to his left hand, immediately returning behind the three-point line.
Courtney Alexander, sliding desperately, was faked out by a meter.
Seeing Lee gather the ball and calmly shoot, he could only jump in place to attempt a block.
"Swish!"
The three-pointer swished through the net.
Cheers echoed throughout the Madison Square Garden, and from the commentary booth, commentator Mike Breen joyfully stated:
"This is Clay Lee's first three-pointer of the game. Pau Gasol's finish under the basket was not bad. This should reduce some of the opponents' delayed Defense on Lee."
On the court, the Washington Wizards players could clearly feel that the New York Knicks were starting to get serious.
In this possession, Michael Jordan still wanted to comfortably post up on the left block, but Ron Artest's extremely aggressive front-facing Defense and subtle pulling prevented Alexander from completing the pass immediately from the top of the arc.
With his teammate holding the ball at the top of the arc, Hamilton on the other side quickly popped out to the right wing to receive the pass.
Alexander, turning his body, intended to make a cross-court pass, but Lee had already seen through his passing intention.
Before the ball left his hand, he forcefully swiped the ball with his left hand.
"Ugh!"
Alexander cried out, then saw Lee scoop the ball, forcefully squeeze past him, and stumble, unable to recover on Defense.
Michael Jordan, however, reacted quickly, chasing back with all his might.
Soon, the 38-year-old realized Lee was getting faster and faster, taking off as soon as he reached the paint.
Lee glided through the air, gripping the ball with his right hand, and slammed it down with one arm!
The moment he landed, Lee glanced at Jordan, who had retreated to the basket, shrugged his shoulders, and quickly transitioned to Defense.
"Oh!"
Courtney Alexander's face darkened further as he heard the New York fans' jeers.
Such a basic error was rare even in NCAA games.
In the commentary booth, Walt Frazier almost burst out laughing, then tactfully remarked:
"It seems the Washington Wizards lack a playmaker. Through the first half of the game, Lee has found their weakness."
Lee, looking at the 13th overall pick from the 2000 draft, a shooting guard, who had just dribbled past half-court, suddenly stepped forward to guard him, initiating physical contact while quietly saying:
"Buddy, just stick to playing the 2 guard!"
Alexander, protecting the ball with his rear, had just attempted to turn and switch to his right hand.
The moment he turned, Lee suddenly lunged forward, stealing the ball again from almost the same spot.
After losing the ball, Alexander still tried to chase back, but after crossing mid-court, he found the distance between them had widened.
He then simply stopped outside the three-point line, watching Lee grip the ball with his left hand and glide for a thunderous dunk!
43:53, two consecutive steals, and the lead instantly stretched to 10 points.
"Wow!"
Clay Lee exerted himself, the New York fans cheered, and Michael Jordan, with a grim face, simply brought the ball up himself.
However, he encountered Ron Artest's savage Defense and ended up with a fruitless possession.
Christian Laettner received the ball directly in front of the rim, backed down on Pau Gasol, turned, and missed a hook shot.
Shouting loudly for his teammates to retreat on Defense, Jordan rushed directly at Lee, who had received the ball.
He intended to slow down the fast break, but Lee's exaggerated behind-the-back dribble lightly faked him into a stumble.
Lee suddenly burst forward to the left, and the moment he scooped the ball with his left hand, he immediately accelerated.
Jordan completely lost his defensive position.
Amidst the cheers of the New York fans, Lee quickly crossed half-court.
At the three-point line, facing Hamilton who had shuffled over to help on Defense, Lee executed a wide In-and-Out dribble, briefly stopped, and then accelerated again.
With a sudden stop and go, gaining more than half a step, Lee, as he approached the free-throw line, took advantage of the opponent's collapse and smoothly passed the ball to Ron Artest, who was shuffling towards the left sideline.
The latter received the ball with no one in front of him and quickly shot a transition three-pointer!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
43:56, the lead continued to expand.
At Madison Square Garden, the New York fans were pleased, and their cheers were incessant.
Exploiting the Washington Wizards' backcourt players' weakness in ball-handling and slow passing, Clay Lee, Grant Hill, and Ron Artest each performed their duties.
In half a quarter, they did not allow the opponent to complete a single comfortable offensive possession.
Doug Collins on the sidelines did not call a timeout, watching Michael Jordan miss shots by himself.
On the court, Pau Gasol only felt himself running back and forth with his teammates, occasionally finding an opportunity to cut to the basket and score an easy layup.
With 2 minutes and 01 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter, Lee slowly advanced the ball on the left wing and stopped outside the three-point line.
Pau Gasol quickly stepped up to set a screen.
Lee didn't wait for Pau Gasol to set his feet.
He slightly raised his center of gravity, suddenly executed a quick in-and-out dribble, and the moment he switched to his left hand, he immediately dropped his shoulder and accelerated.
Alexander couldn't even make any defensive reaction.
He twisted his head with his mouth open, watching Lee fly low to the ground, driving straight to the basket.
Christian Laettner reacted quickly, using his big man's huge strides to rush to the basket, ready to help on Defense.
Near the lower left of the basket, Lee jumped up, seemingly for a floater, but the ball flew to the position directly in front of the rim.
Pau Gasol, cutting to the basket, scooped the ball in mid-air and, facing the helping Oakley, easily slammed the ball into the basket!
"Boom!" An alley-oop dunk was successful!
Although it was only a "soft dunk," a dunk over a defender still ignited the atmosphere in theMadison Square Garden.
"Wow!"
Michael Jordan's face was grim.
Noticing that Lee hadn't even broken a sweat, he simply called for a timeout.
In stark contrast to the sweating Michael Jordan, Lee leisurely bumped fists with an excited Pau Gasol, returned to his seat, and simply draped a towel over himself, indicating he had no interest in playing further.
59:75, with a slight exertion, the game lost its suspense.
The understanding Jeff Van Gundy proactively substituted in the rotation lineup.
Michael Jordan's first game couldn't end too badly, so it was a gesture of respect.
Back on the bench, Ron Artest showed a triumphant expression, seemingly enjoying defending Michael Jordan immensely, and loudly boasted:
"Perhaps after this season, I can earn the title of 'Michael Jordan Terminator.'"
1-for-6 shooting. Under Ron Artest's strenuous Defense, Michael Jordan bricked shots throughout this quarter.
Pau Gasol truly experienced Clay Lee's influence on the court.
It wasn't some ethereal leadership spirit, but rather a physical dominance.
A screen that created half a step of separation allowed him to easily muscle past opposing guards to the basket.
An acceleration after an in-and-out dribble could completely shake off a defender.
"We just won? We were only up by 3 points at halftime."
Pau Gasol quietly asked Grant Hill beside him, seemingly not expecting the game to be so easy.
The first half was essentially led by Grant Hill.
This "Jordan successor" also felt a tiny bit awkward, but then quickly came to terms with it and said:
"No one on the other side can limit Lee. The Washington Wizards were never in our consideration, Pau. You'll get used to it. NBA games aren't that hard."
Having warmed up, Lee was in a good mood.
He also patted this Rookie and reassured him again:
"This is the general strength of Eastern Conference teams. In the new season, we can use games as practice!"
Pau Gasol could only smile and nod.
At this moment, he understood Kukoc's secret to the New York Knicks' winning.
The 4th quarter completely became time for lineup adjustments.
Ultimately, 91:103, Michael Jordan's exhibition game ended in defeat.
At Madison Square Garden, the New York fans stood and applauded, offering some comfort to Michael Jordan.
Although it was just a preseason game, Michael Jordan still harshly criticized his teammates after the game:
"I don't want to see what happened in the 3rd quarter again. Our backcourt performance was a disaster. The team isn't ready yet, but fortunately, we still have time to adjust the lineup."
".."
Back in a game, Michael Jordan reverted to being that dynasty builder who hated losing and pursued victory.
However, times had quietly changed, and the old man no longer had his dominance.
Throughout October, the New York Knicks played a total of 6 preseason games.
After a big home win against the Chicago Bulls on the 25th, Pau Gasol saw the losing Sprewell laughing and embracing Lee, and couldn't help but sigh again:
"Playing in the Eastern Conference really is a good thing!"
.....
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