On Monday, June 16, 2008, with 10 days left until the draft, sports reporters had already arrived in Manhattan to interview the Rookies.
Ever since the Chicago Bulls, with a mere 1.7% probability, secured the first overall pick, the Heat were devastated.
They had tanked furiously, only to have their efforts snatched away!
This was indeed an outrageous lottery result.
In the long history of the NBA, only the 1993 Orlando Magic had a more unlikely outcome.
That year, with a 1.5% chance, the Orlando Magic secured the first overall pick, a result no team has surpassed to this day.
A host of media professionals had confidently guaranteed this would be the last "manipulated draft," but history is a circle, always repeating "the same story" in its winding path.
If not for the intense buzz of the Finals, Pat Riley's outrage over the draft results would have garnered more attention, but now that everyone has come to their senses, no one cares about the final outcome anymore.
As for the Chicago Bulls' choice, basketball analysts could all guess: they would undoubtedly select the core guard from the University of Memphis—Derek Rose.
As a Chicago native, Rose garnered significant attention even before entering the NBA, with many Chicago Bulls fans even seeing him as the hope for the team's resurgence!
The NBA also seemed to have this intention.
This gimmick was excellent!
Just thinking about the corresponding script made one feel excited.
A child who grew up in Chicago witnessed Michael Jordan's regrettable defeat in '98, then vowed to lead the Chicago Bulls to resurgence, overthrow the aging New York Knicks' dominance, and ultimately lift the team's 6th O'Brien Championship!
If this were to unfold in the future, the traffic would explode, and old fans would go wild.
There's no better "hero plot" than this.
Adidas targeted Derek Rose.
Not only in player matchups, but brands were also preparing to ignite a new round of "war."
Even before the draft began, sports brands had started waving checks at Rose.
Chinese sports media arrived even earlier.
Yao Ming had returned to China early to prepare for the Olympics and, incidentally, called for donations for the earthquake disaster.
Clay Lee didn't make a show of it.
You could he was ruthless to his former homeland.
However, many players responded, making fundraising very smooth.
Part of the reason for following the draft was to get trade information as early as possible.
The Milwaukee Bucks seemed intent on giving up on developing Yi Jianlian, with trade rumors circulating for nearly two months.
Fans across the Pacific were very concerned about this trade situation, and if possible, they hoped Yi Jianlian could play in a large market.
After watching CCTV's "Yao Yi NBA," many fans felt that the city of Milwaukee was not suitable for Yi Jianlian due to insufficient attention.
This season, the NBA's influence across the Pacific expanded once again, with the viewership of Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian's games setting new records.
Many American sports reporters were startled.
Compared to the sluggish market in North America, the passion of fans across the Pacific for the NBA was truly frightening.
And after this year's Finals, some Chinese fans also broke down.
After so many years, only die-hard fans remained, and Kobe Bryant's performance failed to meet everyone's expectations.
Although Kobe Bryant's performance in the Finals was subpar, his highlight reels were still very enjoyable.
Every field goal was a high-difficulty shot, while many of Lee's possessions seemed rather ordinary.
In a time when data was less advanced, without advanced stats or Excel, after emphasizing Kobe Bryant's persistence and effort, the die-hard fans stood up again:
"Kobe Bryant did his best, he's not to blame for the loss! 1v5 on the court, scoring 20+ points!"
"."
Professional sports reporters chose to ignore the abstract comments on the internet.
This time in New York, Chinese reporters were more interested in Joe Alexander!
This Rookie was born in Taiwan Province and later studied in BJ.
He and his brother were the first foreigners to win MVP in the BJ high school league, and he is currently projected to be a high pick in mock drafts.
What further increased his appeal was that this Rookie could speak fluent Mandarin.
Therefore, after Joe Alexander arrived in New York, a large number of Chinese reporters constantly gathered around him.
The New York Knicks own the Phoenix Suns' first-round pick this year.
Although the Phoenix Suns achieved 53 wins in the regular season, in terms of record, the Eastern Conference teams in the upper half surpassed those in the Western Conference.
This moved the Phoenix Suns' pick to 24th, and New York columnists believe there's a strong possibility the team will once again select a "Tayshaun Prince" this year!
After many years in the United States and a thorough understanding of New York's sports environment, Chinese sports media have reluctantly adapted, though they rarely report this way.
Being behind the times, younger fans prefer "competitiveness."
Since the championship parade was scheduled for Thursday of this week, passersby wearing gray and blue championship T-shirts were ubiquitous in Manhattan.
It was an annual carnival, and tourists also participated, along with the involvement of many sponsors and businesses, the entire city was in a state of joy after the Finals.
Joe Alexander came to New York for a tryout with a group of Rookies in early June.
This time, thanks to the extensive attention from Chinese media, the New York Knicks agreed to let him join the filming, and incidentally, once again spread their championship experience across the Pacific!
General Manager Donnie has been very busy lately.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, the New York Knicks must offer contracts to restricted free agents as soon as possible, and also decide whether to match offers from other teams.
As an "old hand" who has been in the league for many years, Donnie has received insider information from his network: Jerry Buss has been very active recently, and some teams intend to maliciously compete.
These past few days, he has only been bickering with agents.
Trouble will soon arise before the deadline, and inflated contracts are like an unstable bomb, no one can predict the future dynamics of players.
If a player performs well, the general manager has foresight, but after signing a big contract, the performance declines sharply, and the general manager takes the blame directly.
If the New York Knicks' record fluctuates due to a bad contract, James Dolan wouldn't even need to say anything.
New York sports reporters and fans would "revolt," representing public opinion to have him fired.
Donnie, who was hosting the group at the Tarrytown Training Center, looked somewhat fatigued.
Management "passed the buck," and contract renewals were all his responsibility, and as the offseason approached, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Joe Alexander, who had already blended in with the sports reporters, excitedly spoke in Mandarin, accompanied by staff:
"There will also be a large community event here on Thursday afternoon, with Yankees players attending, and New York Knicks star players will also be present. It will be a sports feast!"
"Clay Lee also invited many people from the New York unions to participate in this event, and it's said there will be surprises!"
"For a Rookie, witnessing such a scene is truly amazing! I've always wanted to play in New York, and experiencing the Finals at Madison Square Garden is a common dream for every young person."
Joe Alexander, with his curly black hair, continuously conversed with the reporters around him, and the staff cooperatively introduced the preparatory activities they were undertaking.
Undoubtedly, it was a huge undertaking.
"If all goes well, in September, Patrick Ewing will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and many players who once played for the New York Knicks will also be present at this year's championship parade."
"This is how winning culture is passed down! Clay Lee has helped the New York Knicks reach another level!"
Donnie Walsh, dressed in a black formal suit, interjected at the right moment; the old man wore glasses, looking distinguished, but his subsequent words were somewhat "arrogant":
"None of the championship banners in this Madison Square Garden are by chance. Compared to the current Los Angeles and Boston, New York can be called the most outstanding team in NBA history!"
"And we will not stop."
Old Donnie's bragging made everyone nod repeatedly, but most delusional Chinese media found it difficult to understand the New York Knicks' team culture.
From past short essays, it was known that during the Chicago Bulls dynasty, Michael Jordan continuously motivated his teammates with "high-pressure rule," training desperately to win, which established Chicago Bulls' winning culture.
This inherent impression was shattered by the New York Knicks.
Lee had news of diligent training during his Rookie period, but soon, related news completely disappeared, with only on-time training remaining.
Compared to the more familiar Houston Rockets, New York seems to value data more and never hides it, retaining advanced data analysis from after each game to the end of the entire season.
Listening to the staff introduce the players' performance combined with data, everyone quickly showed surprise again:
"We also have data models provided by reference.com, of course, they still have some work to do. These advanced data can greatly help the team!"
"In Finals Game 1, Kobe Bryant's plus-minus was negative, and his single-game rating was not as good as Tim Duncan's. Clay Lee led his opponent by more than 5. The calculation method for single-game ratings is still being perfected, but the gap is larger than people imagine!"
"."
Looking at the post-game analysis displayed in the media room, everyone was a bit surprised.
The data was overly detailed, and some people doubted its usefulness, as data sometimes couldn't compare to inspirational stories.
The group interview continued, and Joe Alexander even showed a conflicted expression when facing the camera:
"I like playing in New York, but I also want to fight alongside Yi Jianlian in Milwaukee Bucks! These championships motivated me."
The preparations for the championship parade were more complex and troublesome than everyone imagined.
In the filmed footage, staff members constantly circled around Old Donnie, and disputes sometimes occurred between scouts.
Such a "professional" situation also made the Chinese sports reporters feel that the trip was worthwhile.
However, outside the lens, on a side that couldn't be filmed, Old Donnie proactively sent a text message to Lee's agent before getting off work.
No matter what the staff thought, the core had to be consulted in the end.
In a way, Lee was the key to deciding whether to stay or leave, and this "unique" environment made Old Donnie sigh secretly.
Jeff Nix, who was in charge of scouting, had gained another circle of weight in the past two years.
Seeing the old man's tired expression, a smile appeared on his fair, plump face.
After entering the office, he proactively comforted him:
"Lee never makes the wrong choice! This makes our job easy. We provide a list, let Mark Bartelstein contact the players, and as long as they are willing to play for New York, we sign them!"
"The same goes for renewals. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Let's all go for a drink after work."
The seemingly relaxed "screening work" essentially took away some power, but the entire team tacitly approved of such behavior, and after years of development, a tacit understanding had formed.
The guard Petri Koponen, drafted last year, was highly unlikely to land in the NBA next season.
Donnie Walsh had already made one wrong choice, and this year he had to start compromising:
"Maybe you're right. Old Smith only makes demands of me, but he doesn't dare let his son provoke Lee in the locker room."
"That's it! In fact, that's Grunfeld's secret to success back then. We all know that Lee played a bigger role in it. He knows which players he needs."
Jeff Nix put his arm around the old man and laughed again.
From doubt to affirmation to lying flat, everyone had become accustomed to this environment.
More importantly, whenever Mark Bartelstein signed a player with the team's help, everyone could still get a share of the profit, which had become the New York Knicks' industry chain.
If Donnie Walsh didn't take money, how could they improve!
The Sina Sports reporter did not participate in the excited discussions of his colleagues when he boarded the New York Knicks team bus.
Forbes magazine had just published its mid-month issue.
According to past issues, most of the content was predictions for the future of the financial industry and business news, but this time the content and cover were very different.
"Billion-Dollar Baby!"
Ivanka, in professional attire, appeared in this magazine for the first time, and the related content made several reporters secretly click their tongues.
The blonde girl, who became the Vice President of the Donald Group, was expected to top this year's list of wealthy young women, and Lee would also appear in the September annual special issue, with Cyrus becoming the "Billion-Dollar Baby."
Across the ocean, Lee's current family situation would not be reported, but in the United States, 1-year-old Cyrus and other little ones had frequently appeared in public.
"Perhaps Lindsey Hunter is right. After finishing the filming, I still want to interview Kobe."
Upon hearing this, everyone passing around the magazine agreed.
The immense wealth made them feel unfamiliar with Lee, while the hardworking Kobe made everyone feel much closer.
At 4 PM, Lee, who had accompanied Scarlett to complete her check-up, returned to the Manhattan townhouse with the pregnant succubus.
The pregnant succubus tiptoed and kissed Lee, then, with the help of the housekeeper, shuffled towards the kitchen.
Under careful care, Scarlett had rounded out a lot more.
Sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, Melinda, wearing only an oversized T-shirt, waved to Lee.
The intense confrontation on Father's Day had made her even more languid.
Squeezing next to Lee, she said sweetly:
"It's about to start. Do you think Lehman Brothers' stock price will fall again after this show?"
Lee put his arm around the curvaceous woman whose eyes held a smile and settled onto the sofa.
Hearing the voice of Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, he said in a relaxed tone:
"I think they'll go bankrupt sooner or later. Did you investigate that former Chief Financial Officer?"
"Of course, Your World needs this story!"
Melinda blinked her big eyes, staring at the TV with an expectant look.
After Axe Capital shorted the company, BlackRock's assistance over the weekend caused Lehman Brothers' stock price to rise again.
This was not the first clash between the two sides.
BlackRock President Robert Kapito even publicly criticized Axe Capital on Bloomberg News on Sunday, completely tearing off their masks.
"Some old investment banks are decaying. Last Christmas, Irene Callan, a Harvard graduate and former lawyer, suddenly became CFO of Lehman Brothers after a few years of employment!"
"I didn't see her outstanding resume, and Ms. Callan failed to save this investment bank. In less than 6 months, she was fired."
"Let me review Lehman Brothers' personnel changes and losses over the past six months. BlackRock cannot hide these numbers."
"."
Bobby, dressed in black business casual attire, appeared incredibly confident on the show.
Shorting this century-old investment bank in the current environment would make him a "thought leader," and in the coming months, dollars were already beckoning him.
"Looks like he's doing well!"
Melinda smiled and kissed Lee.
The plan seemed to be going very smoothly.
Lehman Brothers, which was called "too big to fail" by the outside world, could no longer hold on:
"Wait a while longer, our profits have just begun."
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)