NBA: Miracle Workers

On Thursday, June 9, 2016, TNT's regular program once again quoted Greg Sager's interview with Lee Woo during the Finals.

The Finals will still be broadcast by ABC and ESPN, but this time Sager was given special permission to join Doris Burke as a courtside reporter for the Finals.

Despite his illness and the pain of undergoing three bone marrow transplants, Sager happily reported on this year's finals. Right after Game 3, the veteran reporter broke down in tears during an interview:
"This is the greatest performance I have ever witnessed! Lee is like the embodiment of the basketball god, he always makes those incredible shots."

"I have no regrets about witnessing the career of such a great player."

In the footage, Sager and Li You embraced with tears in their eyes but smiles on their faces. However, right after the match, the old man's health could not withstand the test and he was hospitalized again.

Perhaps this is Sager's last dance in the world of sports journalism; the orange and blue plaid suit of the Knicks may be the last image he leaves behind.

ESPN's exclusive coverage fulfilled the old man's wish, and at this time, Sager was hospitalized again, with his TNT colleagues and many NBA players offering their prayers on social media.

In the studio, the four also offered their best wishes to Sager, but as the show progressed, Charles Barkley criticized him again:

"I don't like this Warriors team. Since the start of this year's playoffs, I haven't seen the dominance that a 73-win team should have!"

"If it weren't for Draymond Green's groin kick in the Western Conference Finals and James Harden's inexplicable performance in Game 7, the Thunder should have made it to the NBA Finals."

"Unbelievable, after scoring 61 points in the first half, Curry and Thompson suddenly lost their shooting touch in the third quarter."

"This won't happen to Kevin Durant."

The Finals turned into Li You's retirement exhibition game. Judging by the intensity of the game, it seemed to be inferior to the Thunder vs. Lakers matchup in the Western Conference Semifinals, let alone the Western Conference Finals with its constant conflicts.

No commentator could explain why Curry had a poor third quarter in three consecutive games. In the do-or-die game, he suddenly went 1-for-5 after scoring efficiently in the first half, and his three-pointers were particularly weak.

在李佑和欧文双双5中4，砍下11分后，单节尼克斯队23:33取得领先。

What was even more unacceptable to many commentators was that in the final quarter, the Warriors' Harrison Barnes repeatedly missed wide-open shots, and under double teams and delays, Curry's team only managed 13 points.

After the Warriors' crushing defeat at 97-120, the series was no longer in doubt.

Many people are hoping that the Warriors, who will achieve 73 wins in the regular season and tie the best record in history, can replicate the "feat" of 98. Although they don't say it out loud, there are plenty of people who are looking forward to the fun.

Unfortunately, Li You was like an absurdly high stat monster, consistently scoring 40+, and even boosting Irving's performance.

Shaquille O'Neal predicted early on that Curry would underperform in the Finals, but even the veteran Shaq didn't expect that the young player could be so effectively shut down by the 38-year-old Li You in one-on-one defense.
It's inevitable that a player's lateral movement speed will decline at this age. In the regular season, Li You did have some "traffic-directing" moments, but nobody cared about them. At 38, everyone can understand.

"Maybe God favors Lee more! Seeing his performance in the Finals, I think even Curry might not be able to catch up in two years."

The director played the highlights, and O'Neal sighed. Seeing that his teammates all agreed, the old Shaq added:
"There will be no miracles. Stephen Curry is not Lee after all. I believe the Warriors will win the championship, but not this year. Their championship window is still open, and the future belongs to them."

Most fans didn't feel anything was wrong when the 73-win Warriors lost to the 60-win Knicks, since Li You often just appeared on the court to receive gifts during the regular season, and the record didn't accurately reflect his true strength.

However, the sweep was unacceptable to some fans. They felt that winning just one of the two home games would have been enough, but the Warriors fans' hopes for their first Finals victory still failed to materialize.
At this time last year, Kenny Smith didn't analyze the tactics of the two teams anymore, since both teams had "death lineups" and relied heavily on their backcourt combinations.

After watching three games of this year's Finals, Kenny Smith finally understood that it wasn't that the Warriors weren't strong enough, but rather that Lee Yoo's consistency was "inhuman," constantly responding to pressure, ultimately allowing the Knicks to overwhelm their opponents with sheer momentum.
"Just like Lee said at All-Star Weekend, this is the winning culture that New York has inherited, and they completely overwhelm their opponents in terms of presence."

"It's hard to explain this situation. Li made everyone around him more confident. No one was playing under pressure, and the young people were enjoying the game."

"For Game 4, I hope the Warriors can completely let go of their tension. I won't say they will pull off a comeback, but I believe most Warriors fans are hoping their team can secure a victory!"

From replicating the "98 experience" to just wanting to win one game, it only took a few days. Ernie Johnson didn't want to kick them while they were down, and it's clear to everyone that the league is supporting the Warriors.
"Kenny is right. Failure can be a valuable experience, especially losing to the greatest player of all time. Young players can learn a lot from that!"

"Be patient, the Warriors' dominance may have just begun."

-

On Friday, June 10th, the mainstream media paid no attention to the Warriors' "battle for honor," as the election was far more entertaining than basketball.

Compared to the general election, the party primaries have already ignited the mainstream media. Lee Yu, who has been heavily involved as a "family member" for the past two years, caused a nationwide uproar after the final primaries two days ago. Now everyone is eager to see what happens.
Fortunately, the NBA has always adhered to the principle of "sports staying away from politics," and with the intervention of the commissioner, the press conference was not turned into a "primary election questioning session."

At 7 p.m. that evening, two hours before the start of the game, Li You, who had arrived at the stadium early, was once again surrounded by a group of selected sports reporters.

To complement Ivana's promotional activities, Lee Woo's appearance has become more youthful in recent months. With his stubble gone, some reporters have noticed that time seems to have been exceptionally kind to GOAT.
“We played exceptionally well. You all saw Kyrie’s 41 points in Game 3. There’s no doubt he’s starting to live up to his potential!”

Sitting on the sidelines, Li You smiled and praised Kyrie Irving in front of a pile of recording equipment. When a reporter asked if young players would continue this performance, he gave an affirmative answer:

"Of course, one-on-one, Kyrie can handle all the defenses. Don't forget we also have Jimmy on the team. We have enough ball handlers, which can solve a lot of problems."

"As I said before, the Knicks will continue to dominate the Eastern Conference, and we will make another run for an eighth consecutive championship."

If the New York media had previously doubted Kyrie Irving's abilities, after watching the last two Finals games, everyone agrees that the young man can carry the Knicks for the future.

While they may not be able to achieve the overwhelming dominance of Li You, they still have a good chance of winning the championship, especially since the West is currently stronger than the East.
"Li, will you stay away from basketball like Michael Jordan in the future?"

Upon hearing the Yahoo Sports reporter's question, Li You laughed out loud, shrugged, and looked at everyone, teasingly saying:
"McK has never left basketball. The Hornets performed well in the playoffs this season, and they have completed their rebuild."

"I will not leave the basketball that everyone loves. Next season, I am really looking forward to presenting the trophy to the Knicks players. That will be a wonderful moment." Although Li You said this, everyone knew that apart from seeing the GOAT at the awards ceremony, it would be difficult for them to chase after interviews like this again.

Even "small capital," once combined with power, can unleash tremendous energy; the recent primaries have already stunned many.
The New York Times may routinely mock Donald, but it won't fire on Li You, because the board of directors will actually fire troublemakers; there has been more than one "example" of this over the years.

At this point, the New York reporter strictly respected the league's request and didn't ask about what everyone was more interested in, but instead continued gossiping:
"Lee, do you want your children to choose professional basketball in the future? I think the Knicks would definitely welcome them."

Because of the many troubles that have occurred in the past two years, the older children have received more protection. When the topic came up again, Li You smiled and shook his head, saying seriously:

“No one should enjoy ‘privileges’ in our championship culture. Pat sets an example in this regard, and I will not break this rule.”

"The Knicks will always let basketball speak for itself. As for what the future holds, time will tell."

"."

At 21 p.m. that night, after Game 4, a battle for honor, officially began, Madison Square Garden erupted once again. No one in attendance cared about the Warriors' performance; everyone was chanting "God-Lee" early on.

As if their 73-win opponent didn't exist, the Warriors lost their voice from the start of the Finals, and nobody was interested in this young team that had just tied the best record in history.

Contrary to the expectations of many media outlets, the Warriors' best player in the first half was not the MVP, but Draymond Green.

10中8，三分线外5中5，罚球1中1，半场格林砍下22分，帮助勇士队仅落后9分。

With the score at 49:58, the Knicks' rotation players regained their form in this game of pride, leaving Steve Kerr looking sullen as he walked toward the player tunnel.

"STAY!"

Although New York fans knew Li You wouldn't stay, loyal fans holding up whiteboards continued to shout, and James Dolan, waiting by the player tunnel, could only smile wryly at the sight.

Even winning can have negative consequences. New York finds it hard to accept defeat. Isaiah Thomas was attacked by New York fans simply for losing the Skills Challenge title. This distorted basketball environment is causing concern among management.

What troubled the curly-haired boss even more was that he didn't know whether he should continue to listen to "Manager Li's" advice. In the past few years, Li You had stopped paying attention to the draft work, and as a result, the final round picks had no magical performances.

Li You, unaware of James Dolan's inner turmoil, put his arm around his partner, who paid hefty luxury taxes every year, and encouraged him with a smile:
"Don't worry, the Knicks will not lose their dominance in the next few years, and the fans will love our young players."

“I don’t care about any of that. We talked about it at the board meeting. Nobody can win forever. I’m just thinking about the opening game of next season. I want to give you the grandest farewell ceremony.”

Wearing a championship T-shirt, James Dolan started his usual boasting as soon as he opened his mouth. The two had common interests and their relationship had long surpassed that of an ordinary person.

Li You simply smiled and didn't discuss the topic further. New York Liberty's general manager, Isaiah Thomas, was planning to move a position, and aside from supporting his former teammate, he didn't offer any suggestions.

After all, as the best team in history, the Knicks don't need to prove themselves anymore, and it's hard to imagine any team chasing 19 championships in the future.

After the start of the second half, Madison Square Garden became unusually noisy. As the game time passed, the Warriors' young players lost interest, and no one wanted to be an "NPC" (player who doesn't play the role of an "NPC").

Draymond Green, who was in top form, was not substituted until there were 2 minutes and 18 seconds left in the game. Back in his seat, he could no longer contain his disappointment and covered his face with a towel.

15中11，三分线8中6，罚球4中4，32分13篮板9助攻2抢断3失误，拿到准三双的格林尽力了，今晚队友“CBA”。

Curry, also sitting blankly in his seat, had a vacant look in his eyes. He still couldn't understand why the 38-year-old player was so "impeccable." The ravages of time seemed to have failed him.

"We performed exceptionally well. Listen, stay patient, believe in yourselves, believe in your teammates, and we will soon win the championship!"

"My championship experience tells me that we will dominate this league in the future. Now, all you have to do is thank the greatest player in history. These experiences will be our valuable assets."

Sitting in front of everyone, Steve Kerr loudly encouraged the young men. He wasn't lying; after two Finals appearances, he clearly recognized that the Warriors would win the championship.

Thompson, regaining his composure, clapped his hands. The coach was right. After experiencing this year's Finals, he was absolutely certain that once the GOAT retired, the Warriors could defeat the Knicks.
"Yee, I'm going to get an autograph and a photo, guys. This is a chance only teams on the Finals stage get!"

Hearing Thompson's joke, Iguodala and others also started to laugh and say that compared to those "super teams" of the past, the Warriors are already very lucky, and the future belongs to them.

As the game progressed, the entire stadium became increasingly noisy, with the roar of nearly 2 people making it impossible for the players on the field to hear the whistle.

Under these circumstances, the referee did not make any strict calls. Time flew by, and when the buzzer sounded, the score was 102-121. All the reporters present rushed forward, frantically charging towards Li You.
The Warriors' young players were even pushed back to the sidelines. Watching the massive crowd surround Li You again, Curry, who had been feeling somewhat sad, let out a helpless sigh. He, the "background character," was completely invisible.

In front of everyone present, Li You hugged the already tearful D'Antoni. The 65-year-old seemed to recall his years of easy wins, and at this moment, he held on tightly, repeatedly saying:

"Thank you, Li! Thank you for giving me a legendary coaching experience."

"."

Amid the chaos, the Knicks members crowded around Li You and shed tears. The reporters who witnessed this scene were also moved; the championship team members were indeed like family.

As Li You, with a smile on his face, began to walk towards the center of the court, Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers once again. Seeing the GOAT raise his hand and give a high-five to the crowd, the shouts almost broke the silence of the arena.
"God-Lee! God-Lee! God-Lee!."

"." (End of this chapter)