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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 April 24, 2004, the NBA announced the winner of this season’s Sportsmanship Award:

PJ Brown of the Hornets received the award.

Winning an award couldn’t change the Hornets’ situation.

They were about to be eliminated by the Detroit Pistons.

Their opponent hadn’t yet reached match point, but in the first two games against a stifling Defense, the Hornets found it difficult to score, putting up 82 points in one game and 80 in another.

Although the team controlled its turnovers well, they still lost, as Baron Davis put it:

“We just couldn’t make our shots!”

Ever since Lee used this excuse for the Knicks’ losses, it has been repeatedly cited by many players.

Not making shots became a universal and very respectable reason for losing.

The recently announced Sixth Man of the Year award went to Antawn Jamison of the Dallas Mavericks, while the Most Improved Player was awarded to Zach Randolph of the Portland Trail Blazers.

As the awards were announced one after another, it was soon time for the Rookie of the Year.

Although the Cavaliers’ record was poor, ranking last in the NBA, LeBron James was the third player in NBA history to achieve 20+5+5 in his Rookie season!

As Cavaliers fans would say, Lee didn’t even achieve this feat, so James should win the award.

Previously, only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan had achieved this in their Rookie seasons, so LeBron James’s future looked promising!

He played in 80 games, averaging 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 4.2 turnovers;

His field goal percentage was 41.4%, three-point percentage was 29.0%, and free throw percentage was 73.1%.

LeBron James’s Rookie statistics were impressive, filling up the stat sheet.

As the award ceremony approached, Jeff Van Gundy and the Cleveland sports media rallied for James.

Although they were about to be eliminated, the Denver Nuggets fans and local sports media were also singing praises for Carmelo Anthony.

The Denver Nuggets made the playoffs for the first time since 1995, and Anthony had already become a city hero.

At the same time, this Rookie also became the first player since David Robinson in the 1989-90 season to lead his team to the playoffs as a Rookie.

Clay Lee missed out on this achievement, as the Knicks were a star-studded team and already a regular playoff contender back then.

In the games played concurrently last night, the Knicks won big against their opponent, and the Lakers did the same.

In Game 3, 96:83, the veterans performed steadily, suppressing the Rookies throughout the game and easily reaching match point.

However, the outcome of this game wasn’t the biggest highlight.

Kobe appeared in Denver again, and the live fans went wild, many even holding up photos of that blonde white girl.

Shaquille O’Neal also suffered as a result, with shouts of “Shaq did it too” periodically echoing through the arena.

Disturbed, Kobe Bryant entered his “unhappy” state again, shooting 7-for-21 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line, scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 3 turnovers.

Although Shaquille O’Neal shot 11-for-17, he made only 5 of 15 free throws, putting up a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Most notably, Gary Payton, facing Andre Miller, shot 3-for-13 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, scoring only 7 points.

Fortunately, Karl Malone was in good form, shooting 9-for-18 and contributing a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, and after the game, the “big brother” spoke up for his younger teammate:

“I didn’t feel respected tonight. The Denver Nuggets fans should pay attention to the news. Kobe is a Champion player, they shouldn’t treat him like that!”

Throughout the game, Kobe and O’Neal both had dark expressions

Carmelo Anthony, however, wore his signature smile, which led to Kobe refusing to shake hands after the game and even glaring at the Rookie, putting Anthony on his “arch-nemesis” list.

ESPN didn’t care about the Lakers winning.

They were more concerned with Phil Jackson’s reaction to Kobe receiving such treatment.

The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man didn’t mention it at all after the game, just smiling and saying platitudes:

“The Lakers are getting better. I like Payton’s performance. One game won’t affect the outcome of the series. He needs to be himself!”

This reaction also confirmed a piece of news: Phil Jackson had fallen out with Kobe, and the Champion Coach truly disliked his player.

For Chinese sports media, Yao Ming’s first playoff experience completely fell short of expectations.

Last season, after watching the Finals, where the San Antonio Spurs were thoroughly beaten and suppressed by the Knicks, they thought that even if they couldn’t win the series, they should at least secure a home victory.

However, the San Antonio Spurs were merciless, using their rich experience to crush the playoff Rookie.

98:88, after Game 3 ended, Sina Sports held daily criticism sessions for Steve Francis and Mobley these past few days.

Yao Ming shot an efficient 9-for-14, scoring 22 points, yet they still couldn’t win, leading to the “CBA teammates” sentiment!

On the 24th, Clay Lee also faced criticism from the Boston Globe, which believed he had humiliated the Celtics in the game.

The Globe seized on instances where he clearly could have easily driven past defenders but instead chose to showboat with his dribbling, using sharp words and even criticizing their own players:

“Atkins is just Lee’s toy, and Pierce even cried like a child during the game. They are not the Celtics’ future!”

The New York Times, on the other hand, highly praised Lee’s performance in the game and once again made a bold prediction:

“The Celtics are just a team that benefited from the era’s dividends!”

“Clay Lee is the GOAT of modern basketball! The Knicks are the most successful team of the 21st century!”

Only four years have passed in the 21st century, and under such limited conditions, the Knicks are indeed the most successful.

The series had no suspense, and Pierce even refused interviews, so after the afternoon training session, when Lee was interviewed, the most common questions he heard were:

“Who will win this season’s Rookie of the Year?”

“20+5+5 is excellent, and leading a rebuilding team to the playoffs is also outstanding!”

“Perhaps the NBA will award two awards together. Grant experienced something similar.”

Grant Hill, passing by in his training uniform, heard these words and immediately agreed:

“Records versus achievements, Lee is right. Fans will like such a result.”

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony both won all the regular season Rookie of the Month awards.

However, both had flaws: the Cavaliers’ record was poor, and Anthony’s personal reputation was average.

The NBA seemed not to favor this individualistic player.

Not every team strictly enforced the dress code, and most black stars still preferred Allen Iverson’s hip-hop style.

Because of this, David Stern had criticized the Rookies who didn’t follow the rules.

Ron Artest was not interested in James’s statistics.

Having played against him four times this season, he didn’t think the opponent was that strong.

As he left, he loudly declared:

“There’s no need to pay attention to these Rookies. The next 10 years belong to the Knicks!”

“…”

On April 25th, the NBA announced this season’s Kennedy Citizenship Award:

Reggie Miller of the Pacers successfully won the award.

This award was established to encourage contributions to the community, and old Miller had played for the Pacers for half his life, so the award was well-deserved.

After adding Stephen Jackson, Coach Rick Carlisle’s arrival completely activated the Pacers’ offense.

Last night, after easily defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers also reached match point.

Despite their excellent performance this season, ranking second in the Eastern Conference with a record comparable to Western Conference teams, most sports media still overlooked the Pacers.

Having been repeatedly battered by the Knicks in previous years, coupled with Lee’s 72 wins even while slacking off this season, basketball critics believed that even if the Pacers reached the Conference Finals again, the result would be the same: they would ultimately be swept.

After receiving this award, old Miller proactively expressed his determination to sports reporters:

“I don’t care how the outside world evaluates us. I know the team is stronger! For a championship, I am willing to give everything.”

These words earned the respect of many sports reporters.

Everyone knew that if he chose to leave and join the Knicks on a minimum contract, he would certainly win a championship!

Everyone knew the Knicks liked shooters, and old Miller perfectly fit the requirements.

On the evening of the 25th, at the Fleet Center, before the game began, the Boston fans were not arriving early to support the home team as they had in the previous game.

After Game 3, the Celtics collectively fell silent, with only the Boston Globe still clamoring for a battle of honor.

Before the game, when the away team was introduced and Lee’s name was called, faint cheers could be heard.

After the home team took the court, Pierce was met with boos from some fans.

Wearing a green headband, Pierce looked listless, as if he had lost all vitality.

During warm-ups, he only shot simple baskets, no longer communicating with his teammates.

Pierce seemed to be going through the motions, hoping the game would end soon.

Because the Knicks like to hit core players hard, after three games, the Celtics’ interior players have performed well, with McCarty scoring 10 points in every game.

Ricky Davis was the same, consistently scoring in double digits, but his defensive intensity was not high.

Chris Mihm on the bench also had this problem.

After coming to the Celtics from the Cavaliers, both of them seemed to have brought their lazy defensive habits to their new team.

Lee was still the same, greeting the punching bag and continuing to stroll around the court.

He wanted to chat with Pierce for a couple of sentences, but found that wherever he went, Pierce would quietly move away, looking like he didn’t want to talk.

Back in the day, when Antoine Walker was still around, Pierce was still a ‘surface brother,’ but Lee knew that after this year’s series, the two would most likely become ‘mortal enemies.’

McCarty didn’t treat Lee as an outsider, and at this moment, he leaned in and whispered:

“In the game the day before yesterday, Pau was splashed with beer by fans and cried for a while at halftime. Celtics fans are very critical!”

Lee’s eyes widened slightly.

He thought the Globe’s report was exaggerated, but he didn’t expect it to be true.

Thinking of Pierce’s tragic experience, he also sighed in a low voice:

“I will end tonight’s game as soon as possible. After all, we are brothers. Remember to say hello to him for me!”

“…”

McCarty gave a dry laugh.

He always felt that Atkins was going to be unlucky, but that was none of his business.

At the commentary table, Rivers was excitedly discussing the “spiritual victory method”:

“Losing is not terrible. No one can always succeed. The team must learn lessons from failure!”

“No matter how strong the opponent is, the Celtics should try their best. They should show an unyielding spirit in front of their home fans.”

“As a championship team, locker room culture is extremely important. It’s a pity that as the series progresses, I haven’t seen the players’ desire to fight.”

Kevin Harlan felt that his partner made sense, but after a moment of thought, he realized it wasn’t right.

The difference between 72 wins and 36 wins was ridiculously huge.

The Knicks’ starting lineup had four All-Star players, while among the Celtics’ starting five, only Pierce could be considered an over-the-hill All-Star.

Rivers’s spiritual victory method might work against equally matched teams, but the Knicks were crushing them in every game, and Pierce was clearly numb to losing.

After the game started at 8 PM, Celtics fans felt a sense of déjà vu.

After a day of rest, Coach Carroll and the coaching staff seemed to have given up and made no adjustments.

On the court, Pierce also didn’t have much offensive desire.

Facing Artest’s tight Defense, he didn’t even bother to fight for the ball.

In desperation, Atkins had no choice but to go all out, leading the Knicks to several transition attacks at the start of the game.

Thanks to a solid screen, Atkins hit a beautiful pull-up jumper from the top of the arc in the previous possession.

The long two-pointer excited the short guard, who clapped his hands repeatedly and started loudly encouraging his teammates on Defense.

“Defense!…”

The Celtics fans at the Fleet Center also responded, cheering loudly for the Defense.

The Knicks players ran across half-court early.

Clay Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, was not met with a lead defender from the opponent.

After arriving at the left wing, he saw Atkins with his feet spread wide, clapping his hands repeatedly, and putting on a serious defensive stance.

Lee also looked serious, approaching the three-point line, lowering his center of gravity, and quickly performing an In and Out with his left hand.

Feinting right and driving left, Lee’s body swayed to the front right and then immediately lunged forward to the left, accelerating.

The anticipated close Defense didn’t come.

Lee was a bit surprised and drove straight to the basket with the ball in his left hand.

Atkins, who was rooted to the spot, showed a frustrated expression, turning his head to watch Lee approach the paint, take a hop step, and score with a floater.

“I like the defensive attitude Atkins showed. Among this Celtics team, he is the most spirited player!”

Rivers praised this Defense with his hoarse, deep voice.

Kevin Harlan was speechless.

If he hadn’t misread it, Atkins had just put on a defensive stance.

14:6, the score difference didn’t seem large, but there were still 7 minutes and 57 seconds left in the first quarter.

Half the quarter had passed, and the Celtics were once again struggling to score.

In the next few minutes, Lee experienced what it was like to face a theatrical defender.

Atkins would always put on a serious defensive stance, then get beaten off the dribble in most possessions.

Upon physical contact, the stocky guard would let out a loud cry and fall to the floor.

The home referees did show respect, calling an offensive foul on Lee once, but as Atkins’ performance escalated, the Celtics fans at the arena couldn’t take it anymore.

“Boo!”

Lee secured the defensive rebound, and after his teammates accelerated past half-court, he then dribbled across the mid-court line just as the shot clock was winding down.

The Knicks’ offense was still the same, a “V-shaped” alignment.

Atkins watched the movement behind him and actively stepped forward to defend closely.

Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, first gave Pau Gasol a look, then immediately lunged forward and accelerated.

Pau Gasol came to a stop at the three-point line near the right wing.

Atkins ran straight into him, letting out another loud cry and falling to the ground in pain.

The big man, Mark Blount, originally wanted to cooperate with his teammate to delay Lee, but as Pau Gasol cut down, he involuntarily stopped and began to move to help defend.

On the right wing, Lee pulled up quickly at the three-point line.

The referee made no call, and he immediately gathered the ball and shot!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in cleanly.

“Boo!”

Boos once again echoed through the Fleet Center.

Atkins’ performance indeed prevented Lee from pulling off fancy moves, but Celtics fans no longer wanted to see this soft player who fell at every touch.

At the commentary table, Rivers also fell silent, while Kevin Harlan happily said:

“I’m more focused on Clay Lee’s current physical condition. He seems to have become stronger!”

“What incredible physical talent, such a strong body yet maintaining excellent agility.”

Lee raised an eyebrow at the sideline referee, who quickly gave Atkins a low-voiced warning.

Derek Fisher’s defensive style was outdated.

With the opponent falling at every touch, Lee lost interest, and the Knicks changed their tactics for the rest of the game.

Pau Gasol received the ball more often in the low post or elbow area, Grant Hill frequently held the ball at the top of the arc, and Clay Lee began to appear in the corner to create space.

Pierce had lost his composure, but Artest felt his Defense was effective, and with Lee giving up the ball, the DPOY played with even more vigor.

Towards the end of the first quarter, as Pierce missed a jumper from the right wing, Artest, who happened to grab the long rebound, immediately went for a strong drive with the ball.

The Celtics fans watched Artest’s somewhat stiff dribble across half-court and started booing loudly again.

Pierce, retreating on Defense, wanted to chase and foul immediately, but he didn’t expect Artest to perform a behind-the-back dribble, easily evading the steal.

Switching to his left hand, he drove into the paint.

Artest took three big steps, jumped up, and shot down a one-handed dunk!

“Ah!”

After completing the dunk, Artest landed and yelled at Pierce.

Pierce, whose Defense was completely broken, finally couldn’t hold it in and immediately rushed up to shove him:

“Shut your damn mouth!”

Before the referee could react, Pierce and Artest were already embracing each other.

To the cheers of the fans, the two shoved each other and eventually tripped into the baseline camera.

Players from both teams rushed over.

The referee blew his whistle repeatedly.

The frustrated Celtics fans, eager for more chaos, began to throw snacks and beer from their hands.

Lee held back Pierce, who still wanted to charge, while McCarty also held back their leader, who had lost his cool.

In the chaos, Pierce took a solid punch, which only made him more emotional.

By the time the referee pulled Pierce to the bench, his emotions were still uncontrolled; instead, he complained loudly.

Finally, the referee pointed to the player tunnel, and Pierce was ejected from the game.

Throwing his headband onto the bench, Pierce left without looking back.

The Celtics players were stunned.

The game had just begun, and their leader had self-destructed?

On the Knicks’ bench, Ron Artest clapped his hands repeatedly when he saw Pierce ejected.

Lee hadn’t expected Pierce to leave the series in such a way, but seeing many fans cheer loudly, he immediately understood:

“What a graceful exit.”

Pau Gasol didn’t expect the fans to enjoy such a scene, with cheers ringing out continuously:

“The game has just begun, isn’t this a national broadcast?”

Seeing Pau Gasol’s puzzled expression, Grant Hill turned to look at the opposing bench, then said with a smile:

“It’s a good thing we can return to Manhattan earlier!”

Hill could naturally guess the opponent’s little thoughts.

According to the state of the two teams, tonight would likely be another big win, and Pierce didn’t want to endure another beating.

Coach D’Antoni crossed his arms, showing a look of regret.

With the opponent’s core player gone, Lee would definitely slack off, reducing the viewing experience for the VIP seats.

When both teams returned to the court, the Fleet Center was still noisy.

Coach Carroll reluctantly put in Ricky Davis, and now it was up to the sixth man to take over the game.

Celtics fans thought Pierce’s departure would ignite their players’ fighting spirit, but the result was the exact opposite.

33:19. After the first quarter, the Knicks’ rotation players felt their chance had come and started hitting hard again!

Raja Bell hounded Davis relentlessly, and Dikembe Mutombo, who came off the bench, also performed to his heart’s content.

Amar’e Stoudemire, whose playing time was limited, seized the opportunity to constantly attack the rim.

For a time, the Knicks’ rotation showed extraordinary enthusiasm.

Halfway through the second quarter, Celtics fans fell silent again.

Six minutes passed, and the score reached 47:25.

At the commentary table, Rivers no longer mentioned his mental victory method:

“Pierce was too impulsive. The Celtics had a chance to get one back…”

Kevin Harlan was speechless.

Trailing by double digits in the first quarter, the outcome was already decided.

Lee, sitting on the bench, had no interest in playing anymore.

Without a core player, the game couldn’t be shown off.

Ewing watched with amusement, seemingly enjoying the scene.

Seeing Lee start to change clothes, he couldn’t help but tease:

“Not playing anymore? Many fans here are still looking forward to your performance?”

“I’ll play one more quarter in the second half. That Pierce guy is cunning!”

Lee understood the opponent’s little thoughts, but he didn’t like such a scene.

Without Pierce, the Celtics’ rotation was too weak.

30:14 in a single quarter.

At halftime, it was 63:33, and the Fleet Center fell silent again.

After the second half began, Lee continued to set screens, post up in the corner, and occasionally complete fast breaks.

The Knicks’ game pace visibly slowed down.

The Celtics still couldn’t seize the opportunity.

Coach Carroll looked helplessly at the bench, unable to make any adjustments.

91:50. After three quarters, the difference was again 41 points.

As if caught in a time loop, some Celtics fans couldn’t help but cover their faces with their hands.

They were humiliated again!

The appearance of Matt Barnes and Gadzuric and others meant the outcome was decided.

Even with the freedom to score, the Celtics’ rotation ultimately couldn’t push the score past 80.

114:79. When the final buzzer sounded, only the Knicks’ atmosphere group was cheering loudly.

Clay Lee, wearing his practice uniform, warmly embraced and greeted the Celtics players.

Ricky Davis wasn’t dejected by the loss.

Instead, he greeted Lee with a smile:

“Clay, next time you come to Boston, remember to text me in advance. Don’t be shy with me, we’re brothers!”

McCarty couldn’t help but curl his lip at the sight.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one trying to latch on.

On April 26th, the Knicks, Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs all advanced to the semifinals.

In the game between the Nets and the Heat, the series score reached 3:1, and Kidd would soon reunite with Lee.

The first round of the playoffs showed a one-sided situation, which was not what commentators wanted to see.

The NBA also knew what fans were concerned about during this period and continued to hype the Rookie of the Year award before the announcement.

On the 27th, the NBA announced the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year:

Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets successfully won the award!

After the award was announced, Cavaliers fans were furious.

The The Chosen One actually lost the Rookie of the Year award?

On TNT’s program, the trio also followed the hot topic and didn’t discuss last night’s game.

“I think the selection result is fine. Anthony deserved the award. He is the hero of the Denver Nuggets, and he led his team into the playoffs.”

Charles Barkley firmly supported Anthony.

His stats were similar to LeBron James’s, and his ability to establish himself in the Western Conference and make the playoffs was a huge bonus for him.

Kenny Smith hadn’t expected the NBA to not share the award.

At this point, he couldn’t help but speak favorably of LeBron James:

“20+5+5, LeBron James put up a historic performance. I think he should have won the award.”

“This season, he scored over 30 points and also had 40+ point performances.”

Hearing his partner’s reasoning, Charles Barkley immediately interrupted:

“We all know under what conditions LeBron James got those stats, while Anthony faced huge competition in the Western Conference!”

“This isn’t just about scoring. We have no reason not to choose the player with the better record.”

Ernie Johnson then took over, also expressing his agreement:

“Allen Iverson and Clay Lee also went through similar competition back then, and Clay Lee ultimately won the award based on his more outstanding individual performance.”

“This is somewhat similar to this year’s situation. I respect the choice of the commentators!”

The trio ultimately voted 2:1, with Kenny Smith conceding defeat.

However, Cavaliers fans believed that Anthony had stolen the trophy that belonged to LeBron James.

In his first season coaching the team, Jeff Van Gundy caused LeBron James to lose a major award.

The Bald Young Coach, full of encouraging words, accepted an interview and publicly stated after the award was announced:

“Many people don’t realize how excellent LeBron James is!”

“We can win some games, but these victories are of no help to us!”

“Our only goal is to accumulate talent. LeBron should have received this award, and the Cavaliers’ strength is far from just this.”

LeBron James, who had already flown to Manhattan, was not surprised about losing the trophy.

Next, he planned to watch the contest between Lee and Kidd.

LeBron James showed no emotion when interviewed, but calmly said:

“I don’t care about this award. I have a much bigger goal!”

“Head Coach Van Gundy is right, the Cavaliers should accumulate talent, and I also need to continue to refine my body.”

“I wish Melo well, and I hope to compete against him on a bigger stage!”

Beginnings are always wonderfully unpredictable.

Whatever Van Gundy said, LeBron James did.

The The Chosen One trusted the Champion Coach implicitly.

After returning home yesterday, Lee also noticed the huge controversy surrounding the Rookie of the Year award.

The Knicks opted for a two-day break, allowing players to adjust their physical condition on their own, so Lee was currently slacking off.

Lee found it difficult to comment on the remarks of the Cavaliers’ “master and apprentice” duo.

Therefore, during an interview with the New York Times that morning, he tactfully said:

“I feel sorry for LeBron. In the Eastern Conference, winning a trophy is not an easy task!”

“I believe my physical condition is excellent, and in the next few years, the Knicks will continue to dominate the Eastern Conference.”

The New York Times reporter believed the Cavaliers didn’t lose out, as the NBA would likely compensate them with a number one pick, and quickly asked about the draft.

To this, Lee just smiled, gave a brief answer, and then got into the car to leave.

He still had to attend Tina Fey’s celebration party:

“Rookies are Rookies. I wish them good luck!”

…..

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

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep