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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
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***
On June 13, 2004, the Los Angeles Times provided in-depth coverage of last night's lengthy award ceremony.
Many Los Angeles Lakers fans who had left early or switched channels after the third quarter were depressed after reading the newspaper.
Since moving into Staples Center, the new arena had always retained the 'champagne scent' of the New York Knicks' celebrations.
The year they won the championship was an away game, and Los Angeles Lakers fans had been hoping to participate in a grand award ceremony at their home arena, but unfortunately, it seemed they would have to wait many more years for that.
Of course, participating in the celebration was also very simple: just switch to being a New York Knicks fan and enjoy the joy of victory.
After last night's long award ceremony, the New York fans who had come to watch the game left the Staples Center and started celebrating outside. Many people joined in, and it was clear that some had 'defected'.
On Facebook, many young Los Angeles fans shared last night's celebration, collectively cursing the 'thieves' Los Angeles Lakers and giving a 'fuck you' to Shaquille O'Neal.
Everyone would enjoy this victory for the next few months.
The happiness of young people was that simple.
In addition to some regular reports, there were also some columns that mentioned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson congratulating Clay Lee:
"Although we watched a terrible game last night, we witnessed new history. Clay Lee surpassed Michael Jordan and became the greatest player in NBA history!"
Since the FMVP award was created, Michael Jordan winning it 5 times was enough to demonstrate his dominance.
Clay Lee winning the trophy again this year broke the record, making him the first player in history to win 6 FMVP trophies.
For this, even the NBA changed the trophy design, creating a 'customized exclusive' one.
The NBA congratulated Lee again early this morning, and also showed off the detailed design of the exclusive trophy.
Without discussing ancient basketball, Lee had truly become the GOAT!
Unlike previous years, after the New York Knicks' game ended last night, they quickly went to the famous Los Angeles nightclub Avalon Hollywood to celebrate the championship.
This venue, formerly the Hollywood Playhouse which opened in 1927, was officially renamed two years ago.
In the 1980s, it was a favorite of British bands, and in the 1990s, it was an early performance venue for famous rock bands.
After entering the new century and being officially renamed, this nightclub became even more popular in the West Coast music scene.
There were fewer 'chanting' elements.
The choice of this venue was mainly due to James Dolan.
The curly-haired owner performed with his band at the nightclub last night.
After spilling champagne in the visiting team's locker room, the New York Knicks came to the nightclub to celebrate wildly.
The New York Times naturally wouldn't 'reflect' like the Los Angeles sports media.
Besides reporting on James Dolan's wonderful performance, it mostly praised Lee's dominance in this year's playoffs!
The front-page headline this morning also featured last night's group photo:
Clay Lee sat on the podium, his right hand splayed, his left hand pointing a finger up.
On his left and right, Ron Artest and Grant cheered, holding up trophies, and the New York Knicks behind him also raised their hands high.
The league's management and the New York Knicks' management also cheered together on both sides, plus the golden streamers falling from the Staples Center ceiling, this award ceremony showed no sign of being held on the road.
Although his regular season stats were unremarkable, once the playoffs began, Lee's numbers soared.
Several mainstream New York Times media outlets all gave the same evaluation:
"GOAT!"
In 4 Finals games, the New York Knicks won by an average of 29 points per game, setting the largest point differential in the Finals!
With a 16-0 record in the playoffs, the 72-win New York Knicks once again achieved an undefeated record, tying the record set last season.
The Los Angeles Lakers' F4 became the biggest joke of the 2003-04 season!
Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers players briefly accepted interviews and then went home without saying much.
The Finals loss was unbearable for them.
Losing in such a way completely disgraced them.
The 13th happened to be a sunday, and TNT's program showed a clip of Phil Jackson being interviewed last night:
"This kind of failure is unacceptable. The Los Angeles Lakers have lost their soul these two seasons. We haven't been playing the right way."
"..."
This interview was in the home team's locker room.
Phil Jackson appeared extremely angry, dropping these two sentences before turning and leaving.
No one spoke in the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room.
The coaching staff was equally at a loss.
Someone naturally had to be responsible for the failure, and commentators naturally had to have a blame-shifting meeting.
After last night's game, Kobe became the biggest scapegoat.
In the studio, Kenny Smith, as always, spoke favorably of the players.
Although Kobe's performance was extremely poor, he still offered praise:
"I don't quite agree with Head Coach Phil Jackson's words. An average winning margin of 29 points indicates a huge disparity in strength between the two teams."
"Such a gap cannot be solved by one player!"
"Kobe Bryant never gave up during the game. I could see his desire for victory, and I greatly admire his competitive spirit."
Because his stats were truly abysmal, Kenny Smith could only praise Kobe's perseverance:
He averaged 40 minutes per game, with 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 3.5 turnovers per game.
He averaged 20.5 field goal attempts per game, with a 39.0% field goal percentage.
He averaged 5.0 three-point attempts per game, with a 20.0% three-point percentage.
He averaged 8.0 free throws per game, with an 87.8% free throw percentage.
In 4 games, his true shooting percentage was 49.5%.
Considering that Kobe played most of the fourth quarter in G4, these stats still have a tiny bit of inflation.
Charles Barkley looked at his partner with a 'you've got to be kidding me' expression:
"If you covered up Kobe's name, I would think this was Allen Iverson!"
"I used to praise Kobe because his stats were better than Allen Iverson's. Now, it seems Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson are no different."
"When Shaquille O'Neal lost his dominance, facing the New York Knicks' perimeter Defense, Kobe proved himself to be just an ordinary star player."
"He couldn't do anything, and his offensive choices were extremely poor. He was the biggest reason for the Los Angeles Lakers' big loss."
His voice grew louder as he spoke.
Charles Barkley was somewhat emotional until Ernie Johnson interrupted him, saying:
"Putting player performance aside, I'm thinking about Head Coach Phil Jackson's words: What is the Los Angeles Lakers' soul?"
"They won championships, the OK Combo achieved success. Last season they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, and looking at this year's regular season record, the Los Angeles Lakers were successful."
Interrupted so suddenly, Charles Barkley was a bit displeased, but hearing the question, he grinned widely and continued:
"Soul? Undoubtedly, it refers to the Triangle Offense. In these 4 games this year, I saw no trace of the Triangle Offense, only some clumsy pick-and-rolls."
"And after Karl Malone's injury, the pick-and-rolls gradually decreased, while Kobe's individual isolation plays increased. He disrupted the Los Angeles Lakers' offensive rhythm."
The director timely showed Shaquille O'Neal's stats for the 4 games:
He averaged 36.3 minutes per game, with 25.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 3.0 turnovers per game.
He averaged 16.5 field goal attempts per game, with a 62.5% field goal percentage.
He averaged 9.5 free throws per game, with a 48.8% free throw percentage.
O'Neal's shot attempts were fewer than Kobe's, and his rebounds didn't reach double digits.
From the stats, the Big Guy seemed to lack fighting spirit and couldn't carry the Los Angeles Lakers' offense more effectively.
Kenny Smith disagreed with this view, but he didn't feel right throwing the blame on Payton, who averaged 4.0 points, so he tactfully said:
"The Los Angeles Lakers lack scorers. Don't forget, basketball belongs to 5 people. Karl Malone's injury had a huge impact on the Los Angeles Lakers."
When the performance of the veterans was mentioned, Charles Barkley also had nothing to say.
No one expected Payton to gradually decline this season, and in the Finals, he completely fell apart...
Veterans chasing a championship are indeed worthy of respect, but once their abilities decline, they shouldn't continue to start.
The Los Angeles Lakers' experience served as a reminder to all teams in the NBA:
"Times have changed, the old guys are no longer capable."
The New York Knicks also had veterans.
Dikembe Mutombo played less than 20 minutes per game, and had no major tasks when he was on the court, just protecting rebounds and committing fouls when appropriate.
Thanks to the New York Knicks' scoring ability, Dikembe Mutombo, whose age is unknown, completed his task admirably, quietly displacing the stable rotation player, Wright.
Having received a championship ring, this veteran can proudly thump his chest and say:
"I contributed to the New York Knicks!"
The three people in the studio suddenly lost interest in discussing.
Kobe certainly had to take the blame, but Kupchak, as the team's General Manager, also had to be held responsible.
The New York Knicks explicitly refused the veteran who cared about his reputation, while the Los Angeles Lakers chose to believe the veteran could still play dominantly.
Charles Barkley seemed to recall the conflict between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant this season, finally concluding seriously:
"Perhaps in the next few years, we won't see the Los Angeles Lakers on the Finals stage anymore!"
"..."
Compared to his peers who always liked to "criticize players," ESPN preferred to speak with data.
Data expert Hollinger praised Lee's performance in his column article last night:
"Clay Lee, who has entered his peak, has shown us the future of basketball!"
"16 playoff games, averaging 36.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers."
"Averaging 20.1 field goal attempts, with a shooting percentage of 63.7%. Averaging 7.8 three-point attempts from beyond the arc, with a three-point percentage of 52.9%; averaging 7.7 free throws, with a free throw percentage of 96.7%."
"His true shooting percentage is as high as 79.2%, and his efficiency rating has reached an inhuman 46.9!"
"Although the opponents in the first round and the Finals were not strong, Lee's performance tells us that big men are no longer the masters of basketball. He represents the future!"
This article used more detailed data to explain how outrageous Lee's performance was in the playoffs this season.
With a usage rate exceeding 35%, he achieved an extreme assist-to-turnover ratio!
Aside from some off-ball offense added in the Eastern Conference Finals, Lee, with the ball in his hands, played a style of game that most academic coaches disliked.
Since PER has been blown out, current data can no longer reflect Lee's influence on the game, and ESPN is working on developing another advanced metric.
Basketball commentators are eager to evaluate Lee's performance in a more precise way.
On Monday, June 13th, the Los Angeles Times broke another piece of news:
"The Los Angeles Lakers are about to enter a rebuilding phase."
The related article stunned Los Angeles Lakers fans.
Although Shaquille O'Neal had declined a bit, he was still the best big man in the league.
Entering a rebuilding phase meant that the Los Angeles Lakers would most likely trade away the league's top center.
Fortunately, at noon, the Los Angeles Lakers' owner, Jerry Buss, personally refuted the rumors, and General Manager Kupchak even explicitly stated:
"We will keep our core players. Next season, the Los Angeles Lakers will still contend for the championship!"
However, many fans did not buy this rhetoric.
It is well known that every team shouts such slogans during the offseason.
After being fed too many empty promises, everyone has developed resistance.
After the Finals this year, no Los Angeles Lakers player made grand declarations or promises to the fans.
After all, conflicts had already arisen, and after a season of fermentation, no one could guarantee that they would still be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers next season.
Shaquille O'Neal, who always liked to boast to the media, also remained silent.
All signs indicated that the Los Angeles Lakers did not seem to plan to offer him a large contract.
Shaquille O'Neal needed to be prepared for both possibilities, so he had not accepted interviews from the Los Angeles media these past two days.
The New York Knicks did not care about their opponents' situation.
After celebrating for two days in Los Angeles, they flew back to Manhattan on Monday afternoon.
At JFK Airport, seeing Lee holding the trophy and waving to everyone, the scene instantly erupted, and the shouts were ceaseless.
Having been upside down for two days, everyone was a bit tired, but Lee was not affected much.
As long as he slept, he would immediately return to full health.
It wasn't until they boarded the bus that they escaped the enthusiastic fans.
Everyone first needed to return to the Tarrytown Training Center for a physical examination.
The training team would provide some suggestions, and more importantly, ensure their physical health.
Amar'e Stoudemire would undergo minimally invasive knee surgery.
This Rookie did not get many opportunities in the playoffs this year, mainly because the coaching staff trusted the veterans.
After getting on the bus, Amar'e Stoudemire, sitting in the back, saw Tayshaun Prince laughing and reading a magazine, and immediately complained:
"The opponents this year were so weak, we should have gotten more opportunities. No one has reported on us these past two days!"
Flipping through the Sports Illustrated magazine in his hand, Tayshaun Prince turned his head and said:
"Isn't there still a team interview event this week? Next Monday, Sports Illustrated will release a special issue on the New York Knicks. Other teams don't get such an opportunity."
Unlike Amar'e Stoudemire, Tayshaun Prince was quite satisfied with his playoff experience this year.
Being on the active roster meant at least a $100,000 bonus.
Based on player contributions, the most could be $500,000.
Coach D'Antoni would not only get $500,000 but would also sign a new large contract in the offseason.
Since Lee personally waived this reward, the New York Knicks' staff would also receive more generous rewards.
After winning the championship, the team would also shoot some team advertisements for food products, which would bring in some revenue, and the atmosphere group would also get a share.
This is the benefit of a championship team.
All in all, although playing for the New York Knicks was a bit competitive, it definitely earned more.
Raja Bell's salary was only $700,000, and the bonus he received was half of his salary.
Although tax issues still had to be considered, hard work eventually paid off.
The members of the atmosphere group were all beaming.
After winning the championship, they gained attention and could also share moneyāwho wouldn't like that?
Lee, sitting in the front, was also reading Sports Illustrated.
As the draft approached, more and more news about Dwight Howard emerged.
Mark Bartelstein was also building momentum for Emeka Okafor.
Although it wasn't a strong draft year, seeing many familiar names, Lee realized that the quality of this Rookie class was very high.
Pau Gasol, who adopted a tough guy persona this season, had an explosive efficiency rating in this year's playoffs, with a PER of 30.4, making him the most efficient player after Clay Lee.
Without discussing playing style, being able to consistently finish plays, and simply organize offense, after collecting a series of statistics, from an Excel perspective, Pau Gasol was the strongest center in the playoffs.
The New York Knicks could even field a "Twin Towers" lineup for half-court offense.
Playing at the power forward position, Pau Gasol still had a significant advantage.
ESPN hyped Pau Gasol to the skies.
If it weren't for his ineffective Defense against Shaquille O'Neal in the Finals, Pau Gasol would most likely have been touted as the league's best center.
Pau Gasol, having won the championship, was in a great mood.
After confirming he would receive a large contract, he shifted more of his attention to the national team:
"Grant, when will the official training camp begin? Has USA Basketball set a date?"
Grant, who was also flipping through a magazine, heard the question and did not hide anything, simply stating:
"On July 1st, many players will need to report to training camp. I should join the joint practice on the 7th. Time is a bit tight."
Players who participated in the Finals would not get much rest if they continued to participate in the Olympics.
This was why Nike and the New York Knicks did not want players to participate in international competitions.
Ewing still seemed to be hungover.
The Gorilla, with blurry eyes from drink, immediately said upon hearing their conversation:
"Grant, there's no need to accept USA Basketball's invitation. We have plenty of players at every position."
For ordinary players, being selected for the United States Men's National Basketball Team was a respectable thing, but Grant had won a gold medal and a championship, so he no longer needed to prove himself.
"Duncan also accepted the invitation, and we have a good relationship. Let's work together once and try to win a gold medal! I think he would like this honor."
Grant's tone was light when he spoke of Duncan, clearly teasing the unlucky guy who always lost in the Finals.
Lee thought of Allen Iverson also being on this year's roster and suddenly realized that the Olympics lineup was a "League of Losers."
USA Basketball had symbolically extended an invitation to Lee, but after he declined, they did not bother him again, likely considering the team's internal atmosphere.
"Training camp starts at the beginning of the month. At that time, I'll be preparing for this year's Asia trip. I'll bring you some gifts then."
"Remember not to push yourselves too hard. I still don't have high hopes for Larry Brown's coaching."
Lee put down his magazine and simply reminded them.
The international stage is not very friendly to lineups without shooting, and Grant's inclusion would not change the team structure.
They would most likely still struggle.
Hearing the reminder, everyone didn't pay much attention.
This year's United States Men's National Basketball Team was star-studded, and in everyone's opinion, the gold medal was already a foregone conclusion!
Coach D'Antoni, on the other hand, hoped that all his players would decline the invitations.
With a three-peat imminent, he wanted the team to continue dominating the NBA next season.
However, he could only say a few words about this in front of the management.
Thinking about this offseason, Mike D'Antoni felt he should also step up his efforts.
Knight, whose contract was expiring, was no longer in his plans, and some of the atmosphere-setting players also needed to be replaced.
Coach D'Antoni quietly glanced behind him, silently apologizing:
"For the championship, you can only leave."
Before the draft at the end of the month, the Charlotte Bobcats would hold an expansion draft on the 22nd.
Restricted by the salary cap, they could only select players with unprotected contracts.
For the Knicks, this was not good news. Fortunately, they could place Raja Bell on the 8-player protected list.
The Knicks always produced quality players.
The Seattle SuperSonics and Timberwolves had experienced this firsthand.
The Bobcats had been frequently seeking attention recently, which the New York Media found extremely annoying.
Some columnists had already called them "thieves."
On the morning of the 15th, Lee was eating breakfast and reading the newspaper at his home on 82nd Street.
The New York Times sports section was still the same, boasting excessively while also disparaging other teams.
The Bobcats had recently borne the brunt of the criticism.
They had openly admitted several months ago that they intended to poach players, and even the New York fans had no goodwill towards this team.
The agent for the diminutive Knight had also revealed some news to the media:
Next season, they would most likely play in Charlotte, and the Bobcats would give Knight a starting position!
The New York Media was unaware that the diminutive Knight was not in Coach D'Antoni's plans.
With two players poached by the opponent, they went all out after the Finals ended.
Melinda and Kim were both dressed in blue shirts and trousers.
Coming to the dining table, they looked at Lee, who didn't even lift his head, and teased:
"It's said that many famous players will attend the championship parade the day after tomorrow?"
"Mr. Bill Bradley has been looking for you for a long time, and now you definitely can't hide!"
Kim sat at the dining table, thanked the butler for serving breakfast, then smiled and ate her muffin, looking like she enjoyed the show.
Melinda came up behind him, giggling as she hugged Lee, kissed him hard, and then massaged his shoulders:
"Bradley has joined Howard Dean's camp. He gave up his re-election as governor and lost the primary, but Dean has a chance to be elected Donkey Party chairman."
"Perhaps Mr. Bradley wants to introduce you to this future chairman!"
Melinda had long helped Lee sort out his social connections.
Although this big-breasted girl had matured a lot, her personality was still the same as in college.
She always liked to see Lee in a tough spot.
Kim, seeing Lee holding Melinda in his arms, added:
"Dean is also said to have worked as a stockbroker. Perhaps you two will have some common topics, which is a good thing and can ease some awkwardness."
After saying that, both of them laughed.
Ever since Bradley started supporting Dean in early January this year, this Knicks legend wanted to get Clay Lee on board.
Fortunately, Dean lost the Donkey Party primary not long ago, but it wasn't over.
Lee, with no more excuses, could only accept the kind offer from the veteran Bill Bradley.
Last night's scrimmage didn't affect Lee.
He patted Melinda's perky bottom, and seeing her still giggling and clinging to him, he said helplessly:
"I'm just an athlete. I don't have any political leanings at all. Mr. Bradley must have misunderstood me."
"It's not easy to make some money. I should have known not to suggest shorting Enron back then!"
Melinda rolled her eyes at Lee.
If he hadn't shorted Enron, there wouldn't be the huge cash reserves he had now, and without that, there wouldn't have been further cooperation with Axe Capital.
Although stocks yielded returns, it was too slow.
The big-breasted girl didn't care about Lee's sophistry and instead said to Kim across the table:
"We're going back to Greenwich in a few days. Alyce picked out a few yachts. Let's go check them out."
"My dear, where is your special trophy? I should have known we should have gone to watch the game live this year!"
Recalling their experience of "touching the trophy" last night, Lee fiercely kissed the girl in his arms, then said with frustration:
"After the championship parade the day after tomorrow, I'll bring the trophy home. Many famous players are attending the event this year, which is also a troublesome matter."
"..."
The Knicks had a current GOAT, and the team's old veterans also had to congratulate him.
Unfortunately, one of the old veterans liked to participate in political activities, and Lee had walked right into it this time.
On Thursday, June 17th, at 10 AM, Manhattan was once again buzzing.
After boarding the parade bus from Madison Square Garden, the participating fans surrounded them, many holding "GOAT" whiteboards, all enjoying the joy of victory.
Several retired players whose jerseys were retired also participated in the parade this year.
Amidst a chorus of cheers, the bus slowly drove towards Times Square.
The June championship parade had almost become as significant as the December New Year's Eve celebration.
After consecutive championships, New York fans had completely grown accustomed to such big parties.
As the Knicks' home commentator, Walt Frazier had personally witnessed Lee's growth.
Not standing on the same bus as the old men, Walt Frazier deliberately moved closer to Lee's side, mingling with the younger crowd.
Upon arriving at the stage set up in Times Square, before the event officially began, Walt Frazier, also wearing a championship T-shirt, asked with concern:
"Seven consecutive seasons in the Finals, Lee, how does your body feel?"
"Perhaps you could reduce some of your drives. The peak period for guards is usually shorter than for big men. This is something I've experienced firsthand."
Also a 6-foot-4 championship guard, Walt Frazier began to experience injuries and decline in his ninth professional season.
However, he was already 31 at the time.
Considering the more scientific and healthy training conditions of modern times, this famous player believed that Lee's peak could last longer.
The premise was that he had to conserve his body, after all, Lee played too many games.
The two had known each other for many years.
Lee put his arm around the veteran and reassured him:
"I know my body. There won't be any problems in the next few years. I'm in great shape right now!"
"But I really need to get some good rest during the offseason, mainly to adjust my mental state!"
Walt Frazier patted Lee's chest, felt the solid muscles, smiled, and stopped discussing the issue.
As the Knicks players took their seats on stage, Willis Reed appeared on stage wearing a championship T-shirt, and the fans surrounding them erupted again.
Old fans would never forget Willis Reed's contributions to the Knicks.
Everyone cheered wholeheartedly.
Behind a group of famous players, Ewing, who had become round, also smiled and waved to the fans.
Among the retired jerseys, he was the youngest.
Walt Frazier handed the microphone to James Dolan.
Clay Lee sat in a row with his teammates on stage, listening to the curly-haired owner introduce the various famous players who had come to the venue tonight.
According to the previously established procedure, after the introduction, the microphone should have been handed to Walt Frazier, but James Dolan suddenly added a dramatic flourish:
"This is a moment to remember! Lee has become the first player in NBA history to win six FMVP trophies!"
"The greatest player in history, the strongest team in history, we will continue to dominate this era!"
"Now let me perform a song for everyone..."
The crowd below began to cheer and jeer loudly.
Lee's eye twitched slightly on stage, somewhat speechless.
The curly-haired owner had brought his band to the venue again.
This scene gave Lee a feeling of a "company annual meeting" from his memories, and the music made his thoughts wander.
Thinking about how the sports media had recently been concerned about when he would decline, Lee secretly felt pleased:
[Kobe Bryant's extraordinary coordination]
The Finals had once again brought him a good talent.
Without an absolute physical advantage, he could still maintain a good competitive state by relying on his shooting and outstanding technique:
"Expecting a decline? Wait another 12 years!"
...
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)