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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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***

In late September 2002, the sports media exploded as the United States Team suffered consecutive losses at the World Championship in Indianapolis.

If their victory at the last Olympics lacked dominance, then this World Championship was a complete embarrassment to the entire world.

The arrogant sports media had already prematurely predicted a gold medal, but the United States Team lost 80-87 to Argentina in the group stage.

In the quarterfinals, they lost 78-81 to Yugoslavia, who had an explosive three-point shooting performance.

In the 5th-6th place playoff, the United States Team lost 75-81 to the Spain Team, led by the Big Three of Navarro, Pau Gasol, and Calderon.

Ultimately, the United States Men’s Basketball World Championship performance was fixed at 6th place.

Head Coach George Karl was largely to blame, seemingly taking the fall, but he likely had something to say in his heart:

“What kind of people am I coaching? Can you blame me for the losses?”

Although the team had All-NBA players and All-Star level players, their poor performance in international competitions also highlighted a problem:

“NBA players’ skills are declining!”

On Thursday, September 26th, the trio on TNT’s program once again began denouncing the performance at this Men’s Basketball World Championship.

Charles Barkley, as always, stuck to his opinion and once again reminisced and boasted:

“6th place? This is simply unimaginable!”

“You know, back in Barcelona, we played cards and went shopping every day, and then we won the gold medal!”

“Years have passed, and these guys are getting higher salaries, but their skills have declined to this extent!”

“Perhaps they should give their salaries to Michael Jordan. He created the most glorious NBA in the 1990s, but subsequent players seem to have lost their motivation, only caring about high salaries and not wanting to hone their skills.”

“They are not Clay Lee. He only missed one Finals in his career. They have more time and should use that time to train harder.”

“Look at their terrible shooting! I won’t blame Reggie Miller, because he’s too old. If this team still has to rely on him to break the deadlock, then what are the young players who were selected doing?”

Charles Barkley again put on an expression of being angry at their lack of ambition, while Kenny Smith chuckled beside him and then retorted:

“Chuck, have you always trained hard throughout your career?”

“Hey! I won MVP! I don’t need to train like ordinary players to beat them.”

“Don’t compare me to these softies!”

Charles Barkley was naturally not a training fanatic.

After he said this, Ernie Johnson, who was beside him, also laughed and smoothed things over for him:

“The objective fact is that our best players weren’t on the United States Team, but 6th place is indeed not ideal.”

“I’ve been wondering what kind of results the team would have achieved if Lee had joined.”

Kenny Smith immediately picked up the conversation upon hearing this topic:

“At least we wouldn’t have to worry about shooting. In international games, the court is smaller, and although the game time is less, the pace is relatively faster, but Lee scoring 30 points in a game shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Theoretically, he could also dish out more than 10 assists, provided, of course, that Head Coach George Karl entrusts the game to him.”

Seemingly hearing a loophole in the argument, Charles Barkley feigned a puzzled expression and deliberately retorted:

“I want to hear the definition of entrusting the game to Lee!”

Kenny Smith looked at his partner helplessly and finally brought up the old topic again:

“Head Coach George Karl is not an easy person to deal with, and Clay Lee likes to control the game. If the two work together, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were basketball disagreements.”

Pursing his lips in boredom, Charles Barkley felt that his partner was becoming more and more timid, and finally, he spoke loudly to the camera:

“I’m too lazy to discuss the United States Team’s performance anymore. What interests me more now is how Clay Lee and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni are getting along?”

“The Coach of the Year (COY) in the Italian League hasn’t found success in the NBA yet, this is truly an interesting pairing!”

“.”

Due to the New York Knicks changing their Head Coach and two assistant coaches leaving, the coaching staff is currently still in the recruitment phase.

The curly-haired owner didn’t care about these things.

For the New York Knicks’ management, the changes in broadcasters for the new season would affect local broadcasts.

MSG is currently bargaining with the three broadcasters who won the rights.

Just as TNT and ESPN ceded Saturday prime time to ABC, no one wants to give up some popular games.

If there were an exclusive agreement, the three broadcasters would definitely use it!

New York fans also recently received good news:

Marv Albert is returning and will be the MSG commentator for the new season, partnering with the legendary Walt Frazier.

The unlucky Mike Breen has become a radio announcer again.

New York fans can only hear “Bang” on the radio for now.

ABC is also recruiting.

In the first season after reaching the broadcast agreement, no one wants to drop the ball.

However, the situation is a bit chaotic at the moment.

ABC and ESPN had not yet merged at this time, which led to two versions of the pre-game show “NBA Countdown.”

Bob Costas ultimately chose to stay with NBC, and Marv Albert, in addition to returning to New York, also signed a 6-year contract with TNT.

With the broadcasters in disarray, the NBA is also getting a bit of a headache.

If game viewership is low, it’s not just the league’s problem; everyone shares responsibility.

On Friday, September 27th, the New York Knicks’ training camp had been underway for over a week.

At the end of this season, Mr. Norman Scott, the head of the team’s medical department, plans to retire.

The medical department is not complicated.

It is mainly composed of team doctors, physical therapists, sports physicians, and the head trainer.

With Norman Scott’s retirement, Lisa Callahan will take over, but the internal personnel changes have little impact because the team’s current Head Trainer, Greg Bittner, is responsible for creating the players’ training plans.

The Head Trainer will listen to the professional advice of the medical team, but the team doctors can only offer some reference opinions for specific plans.

The implementation still relies on him.

Those who can serve as the head of the medical team naturally have a considerable reputation in the medical field, just like Mr. Norman Scott, who has almost monopolized the sports leagues in New York.

The professionalism of the medical team is beyond doubt, and the reason why situations like “vet” arise is largely related to the Head Trainer.

After joining the New York Knicks in 1995, Greg performed his job excellently.

Patrick Ewing remained relatively healthy in the latter part of his career, and as for the decline in athletic ability, that was something no one could save.

Currently, the only true assistant coaches are Steve Crawford and Andy Greer.

These two also joined the New York Knicks team in 2000.

The Bald Young Coach, as a Head Coach with four consecutive championships, is still very attractive!

The earliest New York Knicks’ assistant coaches had all found better jobs, with several returning to college basketball.

As Head Trainer, Greg is most proficient in core strength and physical conditioning.

For Lee’s physical development, Tim Grover provided the direction, and Greg also provided tremendous help in daily training.

At the Tarrytown Training Center, Mike D’Antoni was communicating with his assistant coaches, also checking on the players’ physical condition after a week of intensive training to prepare for the preseason games in October.

As the preseason approached, there was a slight change in the New York Knicks’ 15-man roster.

Luc Longley completely gave up and laid flat, so the team had no choice but to buy out the remainder of his contract.

The championship center happily returned to Australia with his money to enjoy life.

Last season’s morale booster, Antonis Fotsis, also chose to return to his Greek homeland.

Playing in the NBA was too difficult; the European leagues were more comfortable.

After being waived by the New York Knicks, Jarron Collins found a job with the Utah Jazz, and his salary even increased a little.

It’s said his agent almost ran his legs off.

The only remaining morale booster is Trenton Hassell, but he’s also nearing the end.

According to the New York Knicks’ custom, late first-round Rookies are automatically waived in their second year.

This season is considered his contract year.

If he still can’t perform, without a guaranteed contract, he will most likely have to find a new job.

The New York Knicks are considered a Rookie graveyard.

So far, the only player drafted who has managed to establish himself on the team is Rashard Lewis.

Other late first-round Rookies leave after two years, second-round picks are eliminated after one year, and late-round Rookies dislike New York largely because playing here will most likely mean sitting on the bench.

General Manager Grunfeld was used to this situation.

Rookie players didn’t like New York, but veterans who had been through tough times actually wanted to come and coast.

Unfortunately, Lee wasn’t interested in working with old timers.

These guys weren’t even qualified to ride coattails.

The New York Knicks’ 15-man roster is now tentatively set.

Although there are many Rookies, the talent is quite good:

Guards: Clay Lee, Brevin Knight.

Forwards: Grant Hill, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Tayshaun Prince.

Kurt Thomas, Pau Gasol, Glen Rice, Amar’e Stoudemire.

Atmosphere Group: Trenton Hassell, Matt Barnes, Dan Gadzuric, Rasual Butler, Randy Holcomb.

Players in the Atmosphere Group are highly unlikely to get any playing time.

Getting into the 12-man roster is not an easy task.

The Madison Square Garden had division championship banners and Finals banners.

Coach D’Antoni, who was previously an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, naturally noticed the differences between the two teams.

Playing on a championship team makes players automatically competitive, which is also related to the team leader’s personality.

Lee couldn’t be bothered to get close to his superficial teammates.

Ever since his Good Brothers left, the New York Knicks had a fresh start.

Although there was a bit more player movement, the Rookies could still harbor some illusions after joining the team.

The Portland Trail Blazers had entered a state of “money’s no object, what’s there to fear”.

Old Pippen didn’t become the leader, and after losing for several years, he had already started coasting with his younger teammates.

Mike D’Antoni, wearing the New York Knicks’ training uniform, watched the Rookies run diligently and couldn’t help but exclaim again:

“The New York Knicks are definitely the team with the highest training enthusiasm I’ve ever seen!”

Ewing quietly joined the coaching staff this year, becoming a glorious assistant coach, and was currently shouting from the sidelines, directing Pau Gasol to box out.

On the other side, assistant coach Steve Crawford touched his bald head, praising along with his mouth, but secretly complaining in his heart:

“Those who didn’t work hard were all traded away.”

The team’s training content actually hadn’t changed much.

Mike D’Antoni had already done his homework, and the New York Knicks were the team in the NBA that most frequently used “V”-cut offense, which was completely consistent with some of his tactical philosophies.

Standing on the sidelines, watching Pau Gasol grab the rebound and immediately pass the ball to Grant Hill, Ron Artest and Clay Lee then accelerated along the left and right baselines, quickly rushing past half-court to the corner.

Grant Hill, who had quickly rushed past half-court, had just slowed down at the three-point line when the trailing Pau Gasol took advantage of the situation to set a high screen at the top of the arc.

Facing Glen Rice’s drop Defense, Grant Hill accelerated with all his might after pushing the ball and changing direction to his left hand, driving straight to the basket, while Pau Gasol also followed with a cut.

Amar’e Stoudemire was originally positioned in the left elbow area, but at this moment, he instinctively reacted again, suddenly collapsing to the basket to defend.

Just as he moved his feet, Grant Hill smoothly passed the ball back to Kurt Thomas at the free-throw line, who caught the ball and easily made a mid-range jump shot.

The two assistant coaches on the sidelines both started shaking their heads.

This high school Rookie had very poor basketball habits, and his defensive attention would follow the ball if he wasn’t careful.

It was the same on the offensive end.

Amar’e Stoudemire always liked to charge hard to the basket after a screen, but when he encountered Kurt Thomas’s Defense, combined with Pau Gasol’s help Defense, his layups always missed.

This choice of trying to finish the offense while being guarded by two players was truly terrible, completely inconsistent with the New York Knicks’ basketball philosophy.

Even the Atmosphere Group could see the high schooler’s flaws.

As for defending pick-and-rolls, Lee used Kurt Thomas’s screen to shake off Knight’s Defense on the left wing.

About half a step beyond the three-point line, Lee adjusted his steps, immediately stopped short, and easily made a jump shot!

Amar’e Stoudemire, who watched the entire shot, could only subconsciously scratch his head.

As the game progressed, the coach’s instruction to delay on pick-and-roll Defense became ineffective for him.

Mike D’Antoni clapped his hands with a smile, signaling the end of practice, then encouraged the Rookies:

“Very good, it seems everyone has remembered the tactical requirements. When on a fast break, you must pay attention to spacing, and the big men must follow up in time.”

“Everyone will get a chance in the upcoming preseason games!”

Hearing the Head Coach’s big promise, the rotation players and Atmosphere Group players finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Mike D’Antoni’s tactical requirements were not complicated.

This short old man, who had found success in Italy, valued discipline more.

In a fast break, two players must run towards the corners, the player with the ball must observe teammates in the middle, the trailing big man needs to set a screen in time, and the other player needs to create space.

This functional running seemed a bit rigid, but it was very useful for Rookie players because the entire team had clear divisions of labor.

As for players who had already played a season with the team, they were very familiar with this tactical routine and didn’t find the Head Coach’s demands particularly novel.

In the past, the New York Knicks didn’t have much of a system.

Whatever tactics Lee said to run, everyone followed.

Basic UCLA cuts, basic Flex, even more basic continuous pick-and-rolls, occasional high-low Princeton actions in some possessions, and the “V-cut” offense and three-man pick-and-roll often used against big-man teams.

Even with the new coach, there was no power to change this style of play, or even make many substantial changes.

Basketball tactics are like this, especially after being refined in high school and NCAA.

Most basic tactics are naturally clear to players if they have a brain.

This seemingly chaotic and unsystematic offense was often the New York Knicks’ secret to winning.

Players didn’t even know they would get an opportunity, they just kept running and open shots would appear.

Mike D’Antoni naturally noticed Lee’s extremely strong control on the court, but he had no objection to it, because in the NBA, he hadn’t truly led a team in a high-level game yet.

Everyone dispersed, preparing to have lunch and rest well, as there was another training session in the afternoon.

“Lee, what other areas do you think the team should improve in? I mean to win the championship!”

Mike D’Antoni asked with a smile, while handing over a water bottle, appearing amiable.

Lee simply refilled his water, then stroked his chin, and finally said seriously:

“I don’t expect the team’s shooting to improve, but I hope we can lower our opponents’ shooting percentage through Defense.”

“In fact, regular season shooting statistics don’t mean much in crucial games, but when everyone puts their energy into Defense, offensive problems will arise.”

“The loss in the Finals was like this. We couldn’t wear down Shaquille O’Neal, or rather, we wore him down too little.”

“Every possession, he always easily got to his favorite spot. Although there would be some minor issues when catching the ball, he could still easily reach his most comfortable sweet spot.”

“This is related to Glen Rice and Pau Gasol’s game experience and technical characteristics. When our perimeter shooting was at a similar level to the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq’s response shots ultimately made a huge impact.”

“Controlling turnovers, more rebounds, and more aggressive Defense are the keys to winning the championship.”

“I never consider offense, because I can support the offensive system, but if the opponent can easily score response shots, me scoring 80 points alone in a game is meaningless.”

Mike D’Antoni was stunned.

Clay Lee’s words translated to “I am the system, the championship depends on Defense.”

On the other side, the increasingly well-rounded Ewing laughed heartily and proudly introduced:

“We’ve been running the ‘V-cut’ offense since the 96-97 season. No one is more familiar with this offensive system than the New York Knicks.”

“But offense alone couldn’t defeat the 98 Chicago Bulls. Aggressive Defense and quick rotations were the keys to our ultimate victory.”

“When opponents can’t easily make those response shots, the game will tilt in our favor.”

“The New York Knicks’ secret to victory is to make those softies miss with strong Defense, and Lee’s stable offense will ultimately lead the team to victory.”

The Gorilla, who joined the coaching staff, naturally supported Lee.

Mike D’Antoni proposed many tactical requirements, but the team quickly adapted completely, or rather, they had actually always played this way.

After the three talked for a while, Mike D’Antoni crossed his arms and subconsciously stroked his beard.

Mike D’Antoni, always feeling that Lee had already thoroughly understood his tactical system, and was even one version ahead of him.

After the “V-cut” offense, the New York Knicks would randomly run Flex.

This set of tactics was frequently used last season and was originally designed by Lee for himself.

Later, Grant Hill and Ron Artest, the two forwards, frequently used this tactic to create mismatches and cut hard to the basket.

After observing for a week, Coach D’Antoni felt that the tactics were indeed effective, and he fully understood why the New York Knicks averaged 104 points per game last season, far surpassing other teams.

Assistant Coach Steve Clifford looked at the new “decoration” and meaningfully reminded him:

“Lee is a true genius, I even think his ball-handling speed is faster than last season!”

“The longer you spend with him, the more you’ll discover his extraordinary memory. He can even determine what kind of play the opponent wants to run on offense.”

“Mike, you need to learn to let go. Don’t worry about the team’s record. If nothing unexpected happens, our performance should still be first in the Eastern Conference.”

“If you have any novel tactics, you can discuss them with Lee. The combination of V-cut and Flex was originally envisioned by Chaney, and then Lee perfected it.”

“Although I’m not clear about what happened with the New York Knicks in the 96-97 season, Ewing once said that in his Rookie season, Lee designed tactics for himself and the team.”

“In the past, no one believed it, but after staying with the New York Knicks for two seasons, everyone knew the news must be true.”

The Bald assistant coach patted Mike D’Antoni’s shoulder, who was speechless, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind:

“Is this teaching me how to win a championship?”

On sunday, September 29th, sports media stopped criticizing the United States Team.

Although they lost a World Championship, they could regain their face in the upcoming Olympics.

For the New York fans, the latest hot news was that streetball legend Rafer Alston had volunteered himself, actively expressing through the media his desire to play for his hometown team.

Having just been cut by the Warriors, Rafer Alston was still unemployed, but after this news broke, many streetball players were greatly disappointed:

“Where’s the streetball king’s swagger?”

New York fans reacted indifferently to this.

They even disliked Knight, who was currently in the backup lineup, and naturally had no interest in Rafer Alston, who couldn’t even get a contract.

Rafer Alston, who wanted to play for his hometown team, waited for about a week, but ultimately the New York Knicks had no reaction, so he could only continue to wander.

Despite it being a rare sunday, only Krysten Ritter was left in Lee’s home.

During October Fashion Week, the little follower completely gave up.

She wasn’t bothering with anything during this time and just stayed home watching dramas when she had no work.

At dinner, Scarlett and her brother also came to freeload, and Hunter didn’t care about his sister’s mood, happily sharing his senior year of high school life with Lee:

“My teacher thinks I can get into New York University. As long as I work hard these two semesters, I can achieve my wish!”

Hunter, who had been working hard, saw his grades improve, and after school started, he received praise from his teachers, naturally putting him in a good mood.

Scarlett watched her brother talk non-stop, seized the opportunity, and quietly punched him twice to vent her frustration.

Always being her sister’s punching bag, Hunter complained while cutting his steak:

“That movie ‘Eight-Legged Freaks’ clearly did well at the box office, but you’ve been unhappy these past two months.”

The siblings had similar faces, and when Hunter pouted, it made Krysten Ritter chuckle softly, and then she also offered comfort:

“It’s already amazing to be able to film so many movies!”

The little follower was, of course, speaking from the heart.

She had also worked hard for small roles, but the result was that she couldn’t compete with her rivals.

With no worries about food and clothing, Krysten Ritter ultimately chose to be a print model, just taking pretty photos and being done with it.

In her heart, she still envied Scarlett for being able to act in so many movies.

“Some are parched, some are flooded.”

Katheryn was 24 years old and still an 18th-tier actress on the small screen, while Scarlett, who was about to turn adult, had no shortage of scripts and had already established herself on the big screen.

Absentmindedly cutting her steak, Scarlett said gloomily:

“I only played a small role, so the movie’s box office has little to do with me. On the contrary, the box office results of the previous two movies were very disappointing.”

Lee enjoyed the delicious indulgent meal, looked at the troubled young woman, raised an eyebrow, and said meaningfully:

“Eighteen years old, you must know that some directors are looking forward to your transformation. Everyone likes pretty girls, don’t they?”

Coming to Lee’s place for dinner tonight, the siblings had specially dressed up, wearing black slim-fit denim shorts and white short-sleeved T-shirts.

The flat-chested girl was already looking quite buxom.

Lee was still happily eating steak, while Scarlett, who had fully realized what he meant, blushed slightly, stomped hard on his foot under the table, and then laughed and cursed:

“Bastard! I don’t want to make that kind of movie!”

At 18, Scarlett could now come to Lee’s place alone, and at the same time, movie filming could be more open.

Hollywood’s perverts were all looking forward to pretty girls taking off their clothes.

Lee’s villa on 82nd Street has many rooms, and friends who come to visit usually choose to stay overnight here.

After a long chat in the evening, Scarlett’s mood improved significantly.

After returning to her room, she waited until after midnight before quietly moving to the room on the 4th floor.

Noticing that the master bedroom door was unlocked, Scarlett chuckled softly.

She was only wearing pajamas and tiptoed towards the big bed.

But halfway there, she heard some blush-inducing sounds.

The girl initially wanted to turn around and leave, but the dim lights in the room suddenly turned on.

Looking at the two in a “doggy style” position, the girl’s face turned red, and she instinctively wanted to leave:

“Sorry, maybe I came at the wrong time!”

Krysten Ritter didn’t care about such a scene at all, lazily lying on the big bed, then giggling and pushing Lee off the bed.

Looking at Scarlett, who hadn’t moved for a long time, Lee’s eyes shone with an inexplicable light.

He walked over and slowly hugged her, then leaned into her ear and whispered:

“No, you came at just the right time!”

On October 1st, Los Angeles media revealed Shaquille O’Neal’s toe injury, which made Lakers fans feel helpless because the inflated Shaq had not chosen to undergo surgery during the offseason.

Even when interviewed by the media, Shaquille O’Neal proudly stated:

“I am a champion! When I get injured while working, I need to use work time to recover!”

“.”

After this statement was revealed, it gave Lakers fans a headache.

Even though the sports media had detected it in advance, Shaquille O’Neal had no intention of changing his mind.

The Lakers’ opening game would also feature a ring ceremony, and Shaq would most likely miss this game.

Kobe naturally looked down on such an attitude and didn’t forget to mock his “Good Brother” during an interview:

“Shaq seems to be satisfied, and I find it hard to understand such a choice!”

“But Lakers fans don’t have to worry, my physical condition is excellent, and I will lead the team to win the opening game!”

“That is a glorious moment for the entire team. No one can take our victory away.”

When mentioning the championship, Kobe appeared serious and earnest, forming a stark contrast with Shaquille O’Neal.

However, many Lakers fans were not convinced.

In their eyes, Shaq was the undisputed leader.

Last season, Kobe’s leadership record was not that great.

In contrast, the New York Knicks were all healthy.

Although Pau Gasol played many games, his body had no problems.

Luc Longley, who was in retirement, was also bought out, and the team returned to a state of internal competition.

Everyone was waiting for the preseason to perform well and strive for more playing time.

October 1st was the NBA’s Media Day, and on this day, the New York Knicks were also giving interviews and taking their official photos.

Grant Hill completed his photo shoot and was also giving an interview.

When asked about the team’s status, he immediately confidently stated:

“Many Rookies have joined the team, which makes me very excited!”

“I believe the New York Knicks can reach the Finals again. Compared to last year, we are more experienced, and our bench has even better talent.”

As a high-draft pick, Amar’e Stoudemire’s dominant performance in the Summer League made him a focal point of attention, and he was very excited during the official photo shoot.

Grinning widely and posing, Amar’e Stoudemire watched the New York reporters surround him, and he also boasted during the interview:

“I love playing in New York. Lee is truly incredible. Playing alongside him makes the game much easier.”

“Yes, I’m ready. I will win Rookie of the Year!”

“.”

…..

By the way, don’t forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me 🙂

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep