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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 January 3, 2002, at Madison Square Garden, Pau Gasol received the first trophy of his professional career.

In December, he averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 2.7 turnovers per game.

He averaged 12.4 field goal attempts, with a 51.4% field goal percentage, and 6.0 free throw attempts per game, with a 76.8% free throw percentage.

His overall statistics were very impressive, with his scoring improving even further from November.

Clay Lee also received the Player of the Month award for December.

Before the game that night, the New York fans in the arena erupted in applause, cheering for the two award recipients.

The New York Knicks’ opponent that night was the Dallas Mavericks.

Since the start of the new season, Don Nelson’s persistence had paid off.

With a 22-9 record, the Dallas Mavericks were starting to get on track.

Dirk Nowitzki would take a large number of three-point shots this season, and as a big man, this style of play caused quite a bit of controversy.

Don Nelson, however, always supported his beloved player and never asked Dirk Nowitzki to change his playing style.

Steve Nash, Michael Finley, and Dirk Nowitzki formed the core of the Dallas Mavericks, and after a few years of working together, they had now made a name for themselves.

Many chinese sports media were also present courtside tonight.

After the plane crash incident, CCTV resumed broadcasting NBA games this season, adding some more broadcast slots.

With more chinese players entering the NBA, the on-again, off-again broadcasts over the past few years were finally stabilizing.

Wang Zhizhi had not received many opportunities with the Dallas Mavericks, and he didn’t even make the active roster for tonight’s game.

After the game began, Dirk Nowitzki was in excellent form, and his inside partner, Juwan Howard, also showed impressive performance.

In addition, in the bench lineup, Tim Hardaway drove to the basket and shot from outside, linking up the entire team.

By halftime, the score was 62:56.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points in the first half.

Even if the Chinese media didn’t like him, they could only sigh silently in their hearts at such a performance.

In the second quarter, the New York Knicks’ bench lineup fell behind.

Without increasing Lee’s playing time, they only scored 22 points in the quarter.

During halftime, the New York fans didn’t mind the point difference, and some even found it exciting.

There weren’t many high-scoring games this season, and most people who bought tickets to watch the game weren’t interested in watching brick-laying.

With the All-Star Game approaching, and this being Wang Zhizhi’s contract year, the few people from Titan Sports sitting in the front row were also anxious for their compatriot.

“It’s not easy to score even 10 points in a game. Wang Zhizhi still needs to work harder if he wants to get a contract.”

“Don Nelson really trusts Dirk Nowitzki. A center frequently shooting three-pointers, only the Dallas Mavericks would let him play like that in the league.”

A few colleagues started to complain about Dirk Nowitzki’s treatment.

Su Qun didn’t say anything.

After gaining a deeper understanding of the NBA, he truly realized how fierce the competition here was.

Although Dirk Nowitzki’s Defense was average, his physique was excellent, and it couldn’t be ruled out that it was the Head Coach’s personal preference.

“If I say you can do it, you can do it” is also very common in the NBA.

Everyone was still discussing how the New York Knicks were going to lose, but after the third quarter began, as Dirk Nowitzki started missing shots, Clay Lee and Grant Hill made several quick fast breaks, and the deficit was erased in less than two minutes.

Ron Artest, meanwhile, was battling Michael Finley, defending him to consecutive misses, and Madison Square Garden quickly erupted.

At 66:68, when Don Nelson called a timeout, Ron Artest was yelling wildly, tugging at his jersey.

On the bench, Stephen Jackson, seeing his good brother perform like this, also cheered with clenched fists, while not forgetting to mock his opponent:

“Hey! You guys are as soft as ****!”

Ever since he discovered that Lee wasn’t averse to some colorful trash talk, Stephen Jackson had become a bit unrestrained.

Michael Finley looked at the minor character in front of him, seemingly taking a long time to recall his name.

Missing shots was already frustrating, and at this moment, he also responded with a shout:

“Son of a bitch!”

Before they even walked back to the bench, both sides started shoving each other.

Fortunately, Juwan Howard reacted quickly enough and pulled his teammate away immediately.

Seeing that the Dallas Mavericks seemed to back down, the New York fans burst into laughter again.

Lee sat on the bench, not paying attention to such minor conflicts.

Like most black players, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson preferred to play with emotion, which sometimes led to positive feedback, but sometimes also caused them to suffer due to their emotions.

Noticing that his teammates were in good spirits, Lee also quietly reminded Pau Gasol:

“Go for offensive rebounds, give him physical contact, and just do your best on Defense!”

Pau Gasol was torched by Dirk Nowitzki in the first half, suffering greatly from his pick-and-pop three-pointers after screens.

He had only encountered muscular players since the season started, and watching videos didn’t give him a deep impression.

Facing a jump-shooting pretty boy, Pau Gasol only truly figured out some defensive insights in the second half.

Kurt Thomas, with more experience, also shared some of his techniques:

“When boxing out, you can pull your opponent. As long as the referee doesn’t call a foul, just keep driving to the basket. With more contact, he won’t be able to make shots.”

Pau Gasol nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Jeff Van Gundy didn’t say much either, because the team’s game rhythm hadn’t changed.

The opponent had played above their level in the first half, but once they started missing shots, the Bald Young Coach knew his team wouldn’t waste such an opportunity.

Just as the New York Knicks’ coaching staff anticipated, the Dallas Mavericks, who still couldn’t find their shooting touch after the timeout, failed to launch a counterattack.

After Steve Nash was subbed out, Tim Hardaway, who came in off the bench, also failed to continue his magical performance from the first half, confidently taking and missing a jump shot from beyond the arc.

The quarter ended 13:29, and after three quarters, the score was 75:85, with the New York Knicks leading by 10 points.

By relying on more fast breaks, they managed to overturn the score.

This kind of scenario had happened more than once this season.

In the fourth quarter, as Tim Hardaway was stripped twice face-to-face by Clay Lee, and Dirk Nowitzki and Juwan Howard committed fumbling turnovers, the lead quickly widened again.

Kurt Thomas and Pau Gasol combined for 6 offensive rebounds.

Although most of these rebounds didn’t convert into points, they successfully forced the opponent to miss their shots.

At 92:108, when the game ended, Madison Square Garden erupted in cheerful shouts once again.

Starting the new year with a win was also a good omen for the New York Knicks!

Dirk Nowitzki, who shot 3-for-10 in the second half and only scored 8 points, stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the scoreboard after the loss.

Don Nelson, however, didn’t care about the win or loss.

He patted his beloved disciple on the shoulder:

“You played very well tonight. Improve your shooting consistency, and you will become an MVP!”

The Dallas Mavericks’ record was good.

Although some critics didn’t like a big man frequently taking jump shots, they didn’t forget Dirk Nowitzki when discussing the MVP.

Michael Finley was defended to 3-for-15 shooting for 8 points in the entire game, and even went 0-for-7 in the second half, scoring a goose egg.

Ron Artest wanted to mock his opponent after the game, but after searching for a long time, he found that the opponent had already left.

However, this did not affect his excited mood, and he jumped around, shouting wildly:

“No one can easily score over me! No one!”

“…”

Lee, walking towards the player tunnel, naturally understood Ron Artest’s little thoughts.

Ben was gradually showing excellent Defense with the Detroit Pistons and was receiving consistent praise from critics.

The two of them didn’t like each other.

Artest felt uncomfortable whenever he thought about the other guy winning DPOY.

Lee pulled Ron Artest back into the player tunnel and reminded him:

“Stop jumping. You still need to work harder. It’s not easy for a perimeter player to win DPOY!”

“…”

As the All-Star Game approached, most teams continued to intensify their efforts to campaign for their star players.

The 76ers, as the host team, had been a bit awkward recently. After defeating the Seattle SuperSonics 87-77 on the night of the 4th, their record stood at 14 wins and 18 losses.

Their star player, Allen Iverson, once again shot 8-for-21, scoring 22 points with a field goal percentage under 40%.

Such a performance from Allen Iverson was already the norm.

Early in the season, when Lee was struggling with his shot, some commentators discussed the two, but as Lee warmed up and his efficiency improved, everyone tacitly stopped talking about it.

Hosting the All-Star Game at home, yet their star player might not be able to start—this was a huge embarrassment.

Given Allen Iverson’s popularity, he should have secured a starting spot, but Michael Jordan’s comeback became a stumbling block for Allen Iverson.

When Michael Jordan returned to the United Center, Chicago Bulls fans erupted in thunderous cheers.

These veteran fans would definitely vote for him!

Coupled with the Washington Wizards’ record of 17 wins and 14 losses, which also surpassed the 76ers, Allen Iverson’s All-Star starting position was very likely gone.

The Eastern Conference All-Star backcourt was almost a certainty, with Clay Lee and Michael Jordan’s votes likely overwhelming other guards.

All-Star reserves would then be up to the coaches to select, and considering the 76ers’ record, this was hard to say!

After the game against the Seattle SuperSonics, Allen Iverson proactively stated in the post-game interview:

“I don’t care about the All-Star starting position. Michael Jordan has always been my idol, and seeing him appear in the All-Star Game only makes me happy!”

Wearing a gold chain and a loose black suit, Allen Iverson tried to appear nonchalant, but the TNT reporter showed no mercy, asking again:

“Allen, have you considered not making the All-Star team? The 76ers are currently only ranked 9th in the Eastern Conference.”

Allen Iverson’s face grew increasingly grim, but this was an away game press conference, so there was no 76ers press officer to filter questions for him:

“The regular season has just begun. All-Star, other honors, I don’t care about any of them. I just want to win games. All I pursue is a championship!”

“…”

Hearing this reply, many media reporters showed mocking smiles.

In fact, many people were petty.

In the past, Allen Iverson was popular and gave everyone attitude, but now that he was struggling, it was their turn to step on the faded star.

Allen Iverson felt that these people were becoming increasingly disrespectful.

All these changes seemed to have started from losing in the Eastern Conference Finals last year.

Continuing to answer questions with a grim face, Iverson, however, thought of the highly praised Lee, and for a moment, he cursed under his breath:

“Damn it! How did it turn out like this?!”

As Enron’s stock fell below $1, Lee’s mood improved steadily.

However, his happiness was built on others’ pain.

He kept his wealth hidden and didn’t flaunt it, otherwise, unemployed Enron employees might have rushed him along with the executives.

Just like his previous birthday party, where he only invited close friends who were discreet, whenever he played at home, Lee’s daily routine involved morning runs with his dog, video sessions, tactical drills, and shooting practice.

In the evenings, he handled emails and occasionally attended Ivanka’s family dinners to express his gratitude.

Unfortunately, the New York real estate developer who started building the group’s skyscraper and plaza last year was a bigmouth.

At the dinner celebrating Bloomberg’s inauguration as New York City mayor, he subtly boasted:

“I like young men like Clay. If there’s an opportunity in the future, we can deepen our cooperation.”

“We indeed have plans to acquire a world-class team!”

At the dinner, when everyone was discussing the NBA and NFL, this person suddenly opened up his floodgates.

Most of those present assumed he was referring to acquiring an NFL team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ success had indeed earned a lot of money, with their market value doubling.

Many citizens had lost confidence in New York, but fortunately, even with moves to New Jersey or Connecticut, the sports market hadn’t been too affected.

Madison Square Garden’s attendance still led the entire league.

Old Charles, with his big son, was busy making appearances and doing charity work.

With too much money, it was time to give back to society.

The Knicks had a record of 4 wins and 3 losses in the past half-month.

In most of their losses, their scores barely exceeded 90, and their shooting problems remained unresolved.

In a 90-96 road loss to the San Antonio Spurs, facing their twin towers, Pau Gasol had his worst game since joining the team, shooting 4-for-11 for 10 points and 8 rebounds.

The Houston Rockets continued to struggle.

The Dallas Mavericks successfully avenged their loss at home, scoring 111 points in a single game.

Their two matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks resulted in one win and one loss each, with both teams’ offenses trading blows, much to the fans’ delight.

The Celtics twice provided some warmth, but their strategy of launching three-pointers resulted in them being crushed by the Knicks’ fast breaks.

On January 21st, the NBA announced the voting results for the 2002 Philadelphia All-Star Game.

Clay Lee was the top vote-getter with 1.58 million votes. Vince Carter received 1.47 million votes, placing second.

Shaquille O’Neal received 1.25 million votes, and Kobe Bryant got 1.12 million votes.

Michael Jordan received 985,000 votes, and with the support of veteran fans, he indeed surpassed Allen Iverson’s 920,000 votes.

Grant Hill received 960,000 votes, and Rookie Pau Gasol also had 510,000 votes.

The five starters for the Eastern Conference All-Star team were: Clay Lee, Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, and Dikembe Mutombo.

The five starters for the Western Conference All-Star team were: Steve Francis, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal.

The host team’s core player, Allen Iverson, failed to make the All-Star starting lineup, which immediately attracted widespread attention.

The 76ers’ record was 19 wins and 20 losses.

Although it had improved somewhat, it still hadn’t met the expectations of commentators.

The Washington Wizards’ record reached 19 wins and 18 losses.

Although Michael Jordan’s efficiency had been poor recently, his selection as an All-Star starter still felt a tiny bit deserved.

In the morning, when the NBA announced the starting rosters, Allen Iverson, who was in Philadelphia preparing for the game against the Seattle SuperSonics, looked grim during an interview.

It was a huge embarrassment.

The core player of the host team couldn’t even get a starting spot.

Facing the gloating sports media, Allen Iverson could only reiterate his stance:

“I’m very happy to see Dikembe Mutombo make the All-Star starting lineup.”

“I don’t care about losing the starting spot. I’m really happy to see Michael Jordan appear in the Philadelphia All-Star Game.”

When asked by sports reporters about Lee being voted the All-Star top vote-getter, Iverson simply refused to answer, only emphasizing that he only wanted to pursue a championship.

In New York, preparing for the game against the Hornets, Lee started sneezing several times in the afternoon.

Bynum Davis has been in good form recently.

The Hornets are currently 18 wins and 21 losses, theoretically, he still has a chance to make the All-Star team.

At Madison Square Garden, before the game began, New York fans were cheering and celebrating for Lee and Grant Hill.

Clay Lee was dribbling the ball, doing his final warm-up.

Recently, he had assimilated [Allen Iverson’s Excellent Stealing Awareness].

This level of talent could no longer bring him much improvement.

Waving to the fans, Lee turned his head and rubbed his nose again.

After another sneeze, he couldn’t help but mutter softly:

“F*ck! Is someone cursing me?!”

“…”

…..

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep