On June 20, 1998, New York fans were still immersed in the joy of winning the championship.
It has been 10 days since the finals, but the front-page headlines of the sports sections of New York's print media are still about the Knicks.
The third championship in team history.
After the start of next season, New York fans will witness together the raising of the third championship flag at Madison Square Garden.
Despite rumors that the NBA will officially enter a suspension at the end of the month, fans in New York don't care.
Everyone knows that the Knicks make money, the lockout has nothing to do with the big market, their lineup structure is perfect, Lee is still on a child labor contract, and the window for winning the championship is still there!
Old Charles promised New York fans that the team will retain the championship lineup and the Knicks don't mind spending money.
On the 18th, at Madison Square Garden, James Dolan, the future team leader, passionately painted a big picture for New York fans:
"Our lineup structure is perfect. Pat is the best center in the league, and Lee is the best point guard in the league!"
"We will continue to challenge for the championship. The era of the Knicks has arrived!"
Unlike the low-key promise of old Charles, this one wants to let the whole world know that he is a rich man.
MSG, as the voice of the Knicks, covers fans near New York State.
The Dolan family made promises in the championship parade and their own show, which completely reassured the fans.
Oakley's plan was successful.
The old guy was selected into the best defensive second team this season.
With the blessing of the championship, the team will offer him a big contract!
Even if General Manager Grunfeld does not like this choice, the big boss has made a promise and the Knicks don't mind spending money, so he naturally won't be a bad guy.
Losing the finals again, the Utah duo also created an embarrassing record.
The two became the players with the most playoff appearances but no championship.
Although Karl Malone played well in the finals overall, as long as ESPN is still broadcasting his two missed free throws and Lee's fatal block, Jazz fans can only be angry.
"The youngest FMVP in the NBA Finals!"
"The best point guard in the league!"
"The rise of a superstar, the future billionaire!"
"."
After winning the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, Lee has become the subject of consumption by major sports media these days.
NBA is a big show.
After Lee's performance, the commentators will naturally start their own performances.
On the second day after the finals, ESPN announced the playoff rankings for the 97-98 season.
This was also one of the sources of joy for New York fans.
Lee played an incredible performance.
In the 1997-1998 season, the Knicks played a total of 17 playoff games, and Lee started in all of them.
He averaged 36.2 minutes per game, 24.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.0 turnovers;
He averaged 17.5 shots per game, shooting 48.4% from the field, and 7.4 shots per game from beyond the three-point line, shooting 49.4% from three point range;
He averaged 5.4 free throws per game and shot 87.7% from the line.
In 17 playoff games, Lee scored a total of 424 points, ranking third in this year's playoff scoring list and sixth in average points per game.
The top two are Michael Jordan with 530 points and Karl Malone with 501 points.
Although Michael Jordan was eliminated this year, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the total playoff scoring list and became the number one scorer in NBA playoff history.
In the playoff assists list, Lee ranked first with 157 assists and ranked second in assists per game;
In the playoff hit list, Lee ranked seventh with 8.4 hits per game and ranked fourth with 142 total hits;
In the playoff three-point list, Lee made 61 three-pointers, leading the way; Reggie Miller, who ranked second, made 38 three-pointers;
With an average of 3.5 three-pointers per game, Lee also ranked first, and his 49.4% three-point shooting percentage ranked fourth.
At the same time, Lee's 61 three pointers in the playoffs also broke the record of 56 three-pointers set by Dennis Scott of the Magic in the 1994-1995 season.
Become the player with the most three-pointers made in a single season in NBA playoff history!
In the playoffs, Lee made a total of 91 free throws, ranking third in the league, an average of 4.6 free throws per game, ranking 14th in the league, and his free throw percentage ranked eighth.
On the true shooting percentage list, Clay Lee ranked 7th with a true shooting percentage of 63.3%;
On the advanced data PER efficiency value list, Clay Lee ranked 2nd with a value of 27.9, just surpassing Michael Jordan's 27.3;
The first place is Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers, with a PER of 31.0.
The Shark was in great form in the playoffs, but unfortunately he was eliminated in advance.
Whether from the performance on the court or from Excel, Lee deserved the FMVP this year, and getting all the votes also reflected this situation truthfully.
However, as professional football commentators, everyone is aware of the flaws reflected in Lee's data.
TNT has NBA Inside Stuff every Saturday at 11 a.m., a program jointly produced by NBC and TNT that introduces NBA insider information and highlights.
After it was aired in 1990, it became very popular because the program content was not as professional as previous TNT programs, but provided fans with more interesting anecdotes about the lives, training and games of NBA players.
Of course, the most interesting part of this show is that after showing the regular game clips of top stars, there will be some interactive sessions.
Audience members can call in to ask questions or express their opinions to the host.
The last two episodes have been explosive, and today's interactive session at noon started with,
"Fuck! Lee!" "Fuck New York!" "Fuck Ewing!" "Fuck Jordan!"
Last week's show, the phone was bombarded with calls from fans in Salt Lake City and Chicago, and with the counterattack from New York fans, all the questions ended with curses.
At that time, vase hosts were not popular.
Although Willow Bay was a beautiful blonde, she was a famous reporter for NBC.
"Wow! That's crazy, maybe we should get Lee on the show, I'm having a hard time answering some of the questions!"
Wearing a blue suit, Willow Bay showed a tangled expression in front of the camera.
However, her black partner Ahmad Rashad didn't care about it.
Instead, he said with a smile:
"It seems that Lee has been very popular recently. We have all heard the opinions of professional basketball commentators. Willow, you often interview Lee. Do you think he will maintain this performance next season?"
"Of course, I don't know why everyone is talking about his finishing at the rim. In my opinion, putting the ball in the basket is fine."
"Also, Lee is much stronger than most fans think, and he's in great shape!"
"We've filmed the Knicks' practice sessions before, and what I said is true."
Willow Bay answered the question seriously, but Ahmad Rashad suddenly gossiped:
"It is said that you had dinner together many times?"
"Hey! That's personal!"
"."
Lee also watched this episode in his apartment in Manhattan, and he didn't care about the criticisms that basketball commentators have repeatedly made about his finishing problems at the basket in recent days.
At this time, he was still immersed in the joy of a good harvest.
During the playoffs, his two-point shooting percentage was 46.9%.
In the finals, it dropped to 43.7%.
Since entering the playoffs, the hit rate of two-point shots has gradually declined, and most of the finishes under the basket are mainly based on contact.
The body is too weak, the confrontation is insufficient, and it is difficult to get meat.
These are Lee's shortcomings.
However, after winning the championship, this problem has been improved:
[Karl Malone's extraordinary physique]
Although Lee still doesn't know whether this talent can make his muscles bigger, his endurance should be guaranteed.
In this regard, Lee also set a small goal for himself:
"Strive to become the historical scoring champion in my career!"
On TV, Willow Bay was still introducing Lee's gossip, while his agent Mark Bartelstein kept walking back and forth in the apartment.
Ray Allen, who was standing by, looked at Lee still lying there like a dog, then looked at the frowning agent and said helplessly:
"The shutdown won't last too long. Didn't the union go on strike before? Everyone will compromise in the end!"
Mark Bartelstein is not so optimistic.
He does not like the lockout at this time.
Without player transactions, it will affect his income:
"It's different. This time the alliance and investors won't compromise easily!"
"Players' salaries account for 57% of BRI (basketball-related income), far exceeding the 48% in the agreement. Players will not compromise and the management will not compromise on salary cuts."
"Damn it, if the season is suspended early, the free market will be gone!"
The absence of a free market has a huge impact on brokers.
If the game is stopped too early, the team will not be able to hold training sessions or team meetings, which will also affect the physical condition of many players!
It is doomed to be unreliable to expect players to train on their own.
If you don't keep in shape during the offseason and just eat and drink a lot, you'll end up getting fat like a ball.
Although the free market revenue has decreased, Mark Bartelstein is still making money from the commercial contracts of Clay Lee and Ray Allen, which makes up for some of the losses.
"Lee, no matter what program you participate in, if it involves salary questions, you must answer carefully!"
"You know, no matter how the labor agreement changes, it will not have much impact on talented young players."
"Don't be in a hurry to express your opinion, you are destined to get a big contract!"
Lee certainly knew his situation.
Kevin Garnett was nowhere to be found at this time, so he got a big contract and made a fortune quietly.
The Knicks will also offer him a billion-dollar contract.
After the labor-management agreement, once a compromise is reached, there will be restrictions on players' salaries.
At this time, a billion-dollar contract would arouse jealousy!
Lee cannot represent ordinary players because no matter how the rules change, it will not prevent him from making big money:
"Don't worry, I understand the situation. Maybe the president will announce the results of the negotiations in two days."
Lee sat up and saw that Ray Allen didn't take the labor agreement seriously at all, so he immediately reminded him meaningfully:
"Ray, after attending my graduation ceremony, maybe you need to re-plan your off-season training schedule!"
Ray Allen, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, always likes to make plans step by step and then execute them meticulously.
But Ray Allen couldn't have imagined that this lockout would last for more than half a year:
"Don't worry, I have made plans for the next three months. At most, some pre-season games will be cancelled, and next season will go on as usual."
Mark Bartelstein stopped pacing at this time and reminded the two again:
"After the league announces the results, you must be cautious. Believe me, the investors are serious this time!"
"."
On June 22, 1998, while major sports media were still discussing Lee's data, the NBA announced the termination of labor-management negotiations and the lockout officially began!
If the negotiations failed to make progress, after the free market opened, the team would be prohibited from trading players, training, and holding team meetings.
After the news was announced this morning, it immediately caused quite a stir.
Ewing has been busy with this matter since he participated in the championship parade.
Soon, the gorilla also took a strong stand and expressed the position of the players' union:
"We do not accept salary cuts, nor do we accept salary caps. The players' union welcomes fair and just negotiations and cooperation between the two sides."
The 1998 draft was approaching, and the rookies were all confused by this situation.
The official shutdown also had a little impact on the Knicks, and the new training base that was originally planned to be officially opened during the offseason was also forced to be postponed.
On the afternoon of the 22nd, Lee, dressed in a black suit, drove to Tarrytown.
The new training center is located in Westchester County, New York, about a 40-minute drive from Midtown Manhattan.
In terms of distance, this is the same as the previous SUNY-Purchase training center.
After the move, the Knicks will no longer need to cooperate with the State University of New York, and their training hall will be completely independent.
This also makes the Knicks the first team in the league to have a completely independent training hall.
As one of the earliest planned communities in the United States, Tarrytown is mostly composed of European-style villas.
The town is not crowded, and the commercial area is also very well equipped.
Compared with the previous training hall, the Knicks' new training center covers an area of 16 acres and has more modern facilities.
It features two full-size basketball courts, a strength gym, a physical therapy recovery room, a media reception room and a team meeting room.
Since the gorillas were still busy fighting with the league, the situation was getting worse after the lockout news was announced in the morning, so Lee became the first Knicks player to visit the new training hall.
The players started their vacation, but the team staff were still busy with the draft.
General Manager Grunfeld and Equipment Manager Old Mike smiled and introduced the jerseys hanging in the basketball hall to Lee:
"Lee, your No. 1 jersey will also be hung in the new training hall. Everyone agrees with this!"
Equipment manager Old Mike had just finished speaking when General Manager Grunfeld said cheerfully,
"Like Pat, you haven't retired yet. This is the only way the team can show its regards!"
In addition to the championship banners and division championship banners around the arena, the rest are the retired jerseys of several Knicks legends.
Lee was very satisfied with this.
He also liked the new training hall.
Although it was a little far away, he could solve the problem by buying a house here.
"Thank you for your recognition of me. To be honest, I am a little excited. I am just a second-year rookie player."
Grunfeld smiled and patted Lee on the shoulder, then said with some regret:
"What a pity! We had planned to hold team activities in the new training hall during the offseason, but after the league was suspended, some plans had to be cancelled."
"Lee, what suggestions do you have for the team's lineup?"
Hearing Grunfeld's casual question, Lee did not show much emotion, but answered with a relaxed look:
"I don't want to be involved in the team's operations"
Just when he was halfway through his words, Grunfeld interrupted with a smile, seeming to be very satisfied with Lee's attitude, and suggested with a smile:
"Just tell us the type of player you like to partner with, Lee, as the core of the team, we will all respect your opinion!"
Feeling that the other party was setting a trap for him, Lee hesitated for a moment and finally answered casually:
"A player like Charles is great!"
Grunfeld immediately smiled and nodded.
Lee's answer did not reveal much intention, and it was even a vague answer:
"Are there any big men who can shoot? Great, we will select such a player in this year's draft!"
Lee was speechless.
This general manager had a strong desire for control.
Not only did he not consult Jeff Van Gundy's opinions, he also didn't care about the core players' ideas:
"If you want to be Manager Lee, you have a long way to go."
....
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