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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 21, 2005, at Madison Square Garden, immediately after the game between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks ended, security personnel initiated an emergency evacuation.

There were no post-game interviews, and even the staff from ESPN’s broadcasting team hurried to leave.

Some fans had a hunch, and the arena staff had all received the news: someone had issued a “bomb threat” to the police before the game ended.

Although it seemed like a prank, with the NYPD dispatched, Lee and his teammates could only hastily leave the arena.

During Mayor Bloomberg’s tenure, he largely continued former Mayor Giuliani’s security policies, strictly implementing security measures after 9/11.

However, such threats still kept people on edge.

Not only the Knicks, but also the Utah Jazz’s home arena had been threatened recently.

Such absurd incidents have almost become commonplace in recent years.

Chinese sports reporters who had traveled with the Houston Rockets to Manhattan also evacuated in a hurry.

There would be no post-game press conference tonight.

The NYPD had to prioritize fan safety.

Upon reaching the locker room, everyone quickly put on their jackets.

Although they verbally dismissed it as a prank, they unconsciously sped up their changing.

“We should really be thankful. If something like this had happened during the transport workers’ strike a few days ago, it might have caused panic.”

In the locker room, Ewing shook his head and said helplessly, quickly gaining everyone’s agreement.

A three-day strike had occurred a few days prior, shutting down all New York City subway and bus services.

This was why the NYPD felt nervous.

Such incidents easily triggered associations.

Lee wasn’t too tense; he even had the presence of mind to joke:

“Perhaps yesterday’s optimistic speech by the President angered some people. I have more faith in the arena’s security measures.”

After the election, when George W. Bush was sworn in, he vowed to spread “democracy” to all dark corners of the world.

These words were naturally unpopular.

Apart from true patriots, few truly believed the White House’s words, and everyone chuckled along.

Many players generally wouldn’t vote for this president, and a fun-loving person like Lee cared more about his own immediate interests.

As for “democracy,” who cared about that?

Assistant Coach Mike Malone came to the locker room and reminded everyone again:

“A blizzard is coming. Tomorrow’s practice is canceled. Thank God, most of our games next week are home games!”

Heavy snow would likely affect flights.

On Saturday, January 22nd, Lee, who woke up early, looked at the silver landscape outside his study window and shook his head slightly.

After texting some friends, Lee continued reading the newspaper in his hands.

Various odd news stories were his daily amusement.

The New York Post had also become somewhat abstract in recent years, but fortunately, Lee had completely adapted to this kind of sensationalist reporting.

Melinda, who had just showered, was still sleepy.

Having been active for most of the night, she was somewhat sleep-deprived.

“What an exaggerated expense! The inauguration actually costs 40 million? I highly doubt the truthfulness of this news!”

Coming up behind Lee and glancing at the newspaper, Melinda couldn’t help but complain twice.

The news in the newspaper was about a New York Donkey Party senator criticizing the President’s extravagant inauguration expenses, and the rest was an article about the reasons for the Senate’s delayed vote.

Lee handed the newspaper to the curious big-breasted woman, then stood up to massage her shoulders.

Leaning her head back comfortably, Melinda, after receiving a kiss, looked at the newspaper and whispered:

“The Auburn Hills Palace operator will provide compensation, and the fans involved in the disturbance have also dropped their lawsuits. You can apply to the NBA to perhaps reduce some penalties.”

Lee nodded.

Although he thought David Stern wouldn’t lift the suspension, allowing Ron Artest to return to the training facility would still be a good thing.

For nearly a month, Ron Artest and his entourage had been active in the Lower East Side, with most related news being about nightclub rap.

For a player on the rise, a lack of systematic training would naturally severely impact his physical condition.

Ron Artest lost out big time with this suspension.

“What do you want for breakfast? It’s a shame we have another game tomorrow, otherwise we could go back to Peninsula Manor. The snowy scenery should be especially beautiful.”

Hearing the whisper in her ear, Melinda rolled her eyes, then quietly said:

“Go ask Kim. She must have been exhausted last night. Maybe in a few more months, we’ll welcome a little one!”

Pulling Melinda up and embracing the big-breasted woman, the two walked towards the upstairs bedroom.

Thinking about future plans, Lee said proudly:

“It won’t be long before we fill Peninsula Manor. I don’t want to keep hiring people to look after our home.”

On January 23rd, the voting for the 2005 Denver All-Star Game officially closed.

The NBA had already announced this week’s Players of the Week:

LeBron James of the Eastern Conference and Jason Terry of the Western Conference received the awards.

Although the Cavaliers only had a 2-2 record this week, LeBron James’s stats were impressive:

Averaging 42.0 minutes per game, he scored 27.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.3 turnovers per game.

He averaged 22.3 field goal attempts per game, with a 52.8% field goal percentage, 2.5 three-point attempts per game, with a 40.0% three-point percentage.

He averaged 3.8 free throws per game, with a 66.7% free throw percentage.

Delivering near triple-double numbers, second-year LeBron James once again stunned the commentators.

Jason Terry’s stats were also very impressive.

After joining the Dallas Mavericks, he changed his previous form with the Atlanta Hawks and successfully realized his talent.

The Dallas Mavericks had a 3-0 record. Terry averaged 36.7 minutes, 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.7 turnovers per game.

He averaged 11.3 field goal attempts per game, with a 73.5% field goal percentage, 3.3 three-point attempts per game, with a 60.0% three-point percentage, and a 66.7% free throw percentage.

The high-profile performances of these two naturally sparked more discussion.

The Cavaliers currently had a 26-14 record, leading the Washington Wizards by one game and ranking third in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Knicks, with a 34-5 record, held firmly to the league’s top spot, while the Heat, with a 30-11 record, ranked second in the Eastern Conference.

The San Antonio Spurs, with a 33-9 record, ranked first in the Western Conference, followed by the Phoenix Suns at 28-13, and the Seattle SuperSonics at 27-11 in third place.

In last week’s game, when playing away against the Bobcats, Clay Lee failed to extend his 40+ scoring streak.

With Emeka Okafor out due to injury, the Bobcats only scored 37 points in the first half.

At the end of the game, the score was 112:80.

Lee was forced to sit out after two and a half quarters, ultimately failing to extend his record.

In subsequent games, after an unexpected loss to the Chicago Bulls due to Ben Gordon’s explosion off the bench, they ultimately achieved a 5-1 record within two weeks.

New York fans were somewhat disappointed, attributing the loss to scheduling issues, as they had a big home win against the Chicago Bulls, followed by an away challenge against the same opponent.

As for the Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets, New York fans didn’t pay them any mind.

The former had a poor record and were unlikely to make the playoffs, and the latter were not a championship team with a weak roster.

Pau Gasol, who had recovered from injury, was able to get some action in these games, and fans were very satisfied with the current record.

Although the Knicks were unlikely to achieve 70+ wins based on the current trend, 60 wins should not be a problem.

In response, several major New York Media sports sections lavished praise:

“After the 21st century, the New York Knicks have dominated the NBA!”

“…”

After their winning streak was ended by the New York Knicks, the Heat also started losing.

Shaquille O’Neal’s reason for this was:

“The flu affected the team’s condition!”

However, compared to the Pacers’ widespread flu, the Heat only had some issues with their morale, and the losses were still due to fluctuations in Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal’s efficiency.

Tonight they will face the Bobcats, which can prevent a two-game losing streak.

Shaquille O’Neal had been fluctuating between second and third place on the MVP rankings, which made him somewhat dissatisfied.

He really wanted to win this award, but when interviewed, he always pretended not to care.

A column in the Miami Herald championed Shaquille O’Neal, and incidentally came up with a theory:

“For a superstar, one MVP is enough. Once the number of awards exceeds three, the nature of the award changes.”

“Superstars shouldn’t play for awards and honors. Shaquille O’Neal is a true leader, and just as he promised, the Heat are Dwyane Wade’s team. All he pursues is the championship!”

The Los Angeles media also reported this statement.

After Gregg Popovich’s “selfish basketball,” the “MVP overflow theory” emerged.

With their record and individual statistics falling behind, these interesting theories left New York fans bewildered in an attempt to suppress Clay Lee:

“Who would complain about too many MVPs?”

Local TV shows like NY Sport shouted “Thief,” and on ESPN’s program, host Flip Saunders received numerous complaints, leading him to rarely offer sharp opinions recently.

In the studio, Legler chuckled as he recounted the interesting news, finally teasing Lee about his overflowing honors:

“Perhaps there’s some truth to this view. The NBA needs more stars, and most importantly, the MVP selection has no fixed standard.”

“Shaquille O’Neal has won an MVP, so maybe he really isn’t interested in this award anymore.”

“If Clay Lee could share some of his honors, more players would get attention!”

Looking at the former three-point king, Stephen A. Smith wore a “you must be joking” expression:

“The Regular Season Most Valuable Player award’s selection process has always been transparent: record, statistics, advanced metrics, narrative, and so on.”

“This award is given to the player with the best performance in the regular season. If players want to win the award, they just need to surpass Clay Lee. That’s what they should be doing.”

“What I see now is many players begging for handouts, asking Clay Lee to give them the award.”

“If Tim Duncan wants to win, then lead the team to a better record. If Shaquille O’Neal wants another MVP, put up 30+15 double-doubles, and many people will vote for him.”

“But they can’t do it! Yes, they simply can’t, just like Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant will never achieve Clay Lee’s offensive efficiency. Their abilities are limited.”

Flip Saunders, who had been acting like a puppet, looked at the loudly speaking Stephen A. Smith, smiled, and suddenly interjected:

“Are you questioning the players’ abilities? Perhaps Allen Iverson could also win a championship in New York.”

Thinking of his old friend, Stephen A. Smith shook his head and said firmly:

“We must realize that Clay Lee is special. Although he is only 6 feet 4 inches, his talent is also unique.”

“I like Allen Iverson, but unfortunately, it might be difficult for him to win a championship in his career. Kobe Bryant dedicated himself to basketball, but he is not Michael Jordan.”

“There is a huge gap between these excellent backcourt players and Lee.”

“Those honors are what Lee deserves. Awards should be given to those who perform best in the industry. In my opinion, Clay Lee should receive more!”

“…”

On the afternoon of the 23rd, New York fans were not affected by the heavy snow.

After it was confirmed that the “bomb threat” was a hoax, everyone lined up early to enter the Madison Square Garden.

After the 3 PM game began, Amar’e Stoudemire sat on the bench with a serious expression.

Dan Gadzuric also had some resentment, as he had received more playing time during Pau Gasol’s injury.

At the center position, Wright and Dikembe Mutombo had essentially given up.

They were currently members of the towel-waving squad and wouldn’t get much playing time in a game unless there was a foul crisis.

The Milwaukee Bucks currently had a record of 14 wins and 24 losses.

If they continued to lose recently, the pressure in the second half of the season would be immense.

After the tip-off, Michael Redd and Mo Williams went all out.

The ball rarely left their hands.

After a series of isolation plays, the New York Knicks gradually gained a lead.

With 5 minutes and 34 seconds left in the first quarter, with the shot clock winding down, Mo Williams used a screen from Zaza Pachulia at the top of the arc to shake off Lee’s chase-down Defense, then pulled up for a long two-point jump shot with his right hand, which clanked off the rim.

Joe Smith and Kurt Thomas were still battling under the basket, but the ball bounced off the front rim and flew to the left block area.

Tayshaun Prince grabbed the rebound ahead of Desmond Mason, and the Milwaukee Bucks immediately retreated on Defense.

Lee, who received the ball, slowly dribbled past half-court.

Noticing that the opponent was still playing man-to-man, he immediately passed the ball to Pau Gasol.

Moving towards the left baseline, after Raja Bell slipped along the baseline, Lee came near the sideline and passed the ball behind his back with his left hand.

Up top, Pau Gasol raised the ball when he received it in the left elbow area. Lee feigned a hand-off to receive the ball, and Pau Gasol also moved the ball to his side.

While Mo Williams was still reminding Zaza Pachulia, Lee suddenly accelerated and cut back.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Pau Gasol raised the ball again and directly passed it towards the upper left side of the rim.

Lee, having shaken off his defender, leaped high into the air.

He first caught the ball with both hands, briefly hung in the air, then pulled his right arm back, exerted force with his body, and slammed the ball into the basket!

“Wow!”

A clean and decisive alley-oop ignited the Madison Square Garden once again.

From the MSG commentary booth, Mike Breen exclaimed:

“What a beautiful play! Perhaps Pau Gasol can’t give us blood-pumping dunks, but his passing makes the New York Knicks’ offense even more spectacular!”

11:18, the New York Knicks scored consecutively, prompting Walt Frazier to mock the opponent’s offensive choices:

“If I were Williams, facing Lee, I would try to get the ball into the hands of the big men.”

“His offensive choices at the start of the game have been terrible!”

Mo Williams felt he just couldn’t make his shots, but seeing his leader Michael Redd call for the ball, he obediently passed it.

Receiving the ball on the left wing, Redd dribbled between his legs multiple times, then switched to his left hand, immediately lowered his shoulder, and accelerated.

Just as he reached the left block area, Redd stopped abruptly, initiated contact, quickly stepped back, and shot over Raja Bell’s close-out Defense, missing the shot.

Seeing Pau Gasol secure the rebound again, Redd took a deep breath.

He had scored 4 consecutive points at the start, then kept missing shots.

Seeing Lee make a tactical hand signal, the New York Knicks players knew it was the same play.

On the left wing, Pau Gasol had just moved up in the left block area when Lee, near the three-point line, suddenly made a large behind-the-back move with the ball.

Without waiting for his teammates to set, he accelerated and drove.

Mo Williams quickly slid backward to the right, and at the same time, Pau Gasol cut towards the basket.

Observing that his counterpart Pachulia was moving with him, Pau Gasol stopped his feet when he reached the left block area.

Lee then turned and passed the ball to Pau Gasol.

Without any fakes, he accelerated and ran up to receive a hand-off.

Making a screen in stride, Pau Gasol, who had completed the pass, moved towards the basket again.

Pachulia, observing that his teammate was not out of position, also tightened his Defense.

Lee, who received the ball again, slightly slowed down as he reached the free-throw line, leaning into Mo Williams, who was chasing him from the side.

At the moment of contact, Lee powerfully pounded the ball on the spot with his right hand, pushing off the defender.

Observing no help Defense inside, he accelerated again, stepped forward, gathered the ball in motion, and smoothly tossed the ball towards the rim with his right hand.

“Swish!” The two-point shot went in steadily.

Desmond Mason only realized he should have helped on Defense earlier after hearing Head Coach Terry Porter’s reminder.

Tayshaun Prince, who had been standing on the right wing, also heard the opposing Head Coach’s instructions and gave Lee a tactical hand signal while retreating on Defense.

Joe Smith set a screen on the right block and rolled, drawing a foul from Kurt Thomas.

He made both free throws, helping the Milwaukee Bucks break their scoring drought.

On the next possession, noticing Lee running the same play again, Desmond Mason quickly collapsed as Lee received a hand-off and drove through the middle.

As soon as the opponent moved near the right elbow area, Lee made a cross-court pass.

Tayshaun Prince, who was prepared, received the ball and drove with a step-through move with his right hand.

He instantly blew past the defender.

As Redd collapsed to help defend the basket, Tayshaun Prince immediately passed the ball to the right corner.

After receiving the ball, Raja Bell shot without adjusting, simply raising the ball and letting it fly.

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

The fluid teamwork led to increasingly loud cheers in the Madison Square Garden, and Head Coach Terry Porter on the sidelines shook his head, having planned a lot before the game, but it wasn’t effective once the game started.

In the latter half of the first quarter, led by Clay Lee, the New York Knicks repeatedly executed the same tactics.

Pau Gasol attacked strongly under the basket after receiving the ball, Lee made a floater after a hand-off, or Tayshaun Prince either took a jump shot after receiving the ball or drove aggressively to the basket.

Kurt Thomas and Raja Bell focused on easy scores.

Occasionally, a missed three-pointer would lead to a fast break for the opponent, but in most possessions, the Milwaukee Bucks players on the court had no solutions and could only watch the score continuously climb.

21:37, the first quarter ended, and Madison Square Garden erupted once again.

Games with low defensive pressure were currently the New York Knicks’ favorite.

Although the offensive plays were simple, they were extremely effective.

On the bench, Amar’e Stoudemire was a bit frustrated.

He was good at scoring easy baskets but not so good at facilitating passes.

The game quickly entered the New York Knicks’ preferred rhythm.

After the Milwaukee Bucks sped up their offense, both sides engaged in an offensive shootout.

Before halftime, Pau Gasol felt some discomfort in his left foot and returned to the locker room early.

At the commentary table, Mike Breen and Walt Frazier noticed the situation on the court, but they didn’t say much.

However, after the third quarter began, seeing that Pau Gasol still hadn’t returned, Walt Frazier couldn’t help but sigh:

“Hopefully, we’ll get good news after the game!”

“…”

On Monday, the 24th, the New York Knicks announced Pau Gasol’s injury:

“Left foot plantar fasciitis, expected to miss the next month of games.”

98:116, after a dominant victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, New York fans received another piece of bad news.

Pau Gasol was also a bit distressed during an interview.

The injury caused severe pain in his left foot, and the questions asked by the New York Media when they interviewed him also troubled him:

“Pau, is this season’s injury related to last year’s Olympics schedule?”

The New York Knicks had played too many games in recent years, and for Pau Gasol to last until this season before getting injured, his physique was already very good.

With long hair and a beard, Pau Gasol was no longer green.

He naturally wouldn’t admit that playing for his country caused his injury:

“International games certainly won’t affect my health. We also have an excellent medical team in the national team.”

“This is just a minor injury, and I’ll be back with the team very soon!”

No one believed Pau Gasol’s words.

Frequent injuries were a signal, and the New York Daily News made a big deal out of it the next day:

“New York’s victories are draining players’ health!”

“The New York Knicks’ internal competition is eroding players’ bodies.”

The accompanying picture was also interesting: a photo of Amar’e Stoudemire covering his mouth and grinning foolishly on the bench appeared in the news.

James Dolan had recently sold his Cablevision’s satellite division, Voom, and the stock price had risen to $28.84.

The increase reached 13.2%, and the curly-haired boss was in a great mood, but then he saw the news and got angry again.

Before the game against the Phoenix Suns that evening, James Dolan appeared in the front row seats, and during a pre-game interview, he stated impolitely:

“I will not allow any New York Media to report our news recklessly!”

“I don’t want to see such news appear in newspapers in the future.”

“I don’t mind buying the New York Daily News and firing those boring reporters!”

“Perhaps the Dolan Family will sell its cable television business soon. You know, I have the financial ability to buy a newspaper!”

While standing on the sidelines with his belly out, giving an interview to his own radio station, James Dolan not only vented his frustration but also didn’t forget to promote himself.

Time Warner and Viacom were both potential buyers, and James Dolan was signaling to the outside world that he was very rich and not to cross him.

The Phoenix Suns, who flew to New York, were in big trouble.

Their flight was affected, and the players, playing back-to-back games, didn’t get much rest time.

Affected by the flu, Steven Hunter was forced to start at center that night.

Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson frequently bricked shots in the first half, and the defenseless Phoenix Suns were quickly exploited by Amar’e Stoudemire.

The game lost its suspense early, and the “copycat” lost by a large margin again on his visit to New York this season.

90:115, the New York Knicks crushed their opponent.

Steve Nash played 35 minutes, shooting 3-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, only getting 9 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 turnovers.

Physically fatigued and subjected to Lee’s tight Defense, plus Derek Fisher, who came off the bench, also focused on Defense, Steve Nash performed extremely poorly in his first MVP showdown.

After two days of rest, the New York Knicks easily won against the Bobcats at home again.

In the back-to-back road game against the 76ers, Allen Iverson was out due to injury.

On the evening of the 29th, at the Wachovia Center, Philadelphia fans did not leave early.

The fans quietly watched the game time tick away, and when the final buzzer sounded, the score was fixed at 106:92.

Allen Iverson, sitting on the bench, was layered in oversized hoodies, with chains around his neck, maintaining a poker face throughout the entire game.

Immediately after the game ended, Allen Iverson stood up and walked towards the player tunnel without looking back.

19 wins and 24 losses, according to the current record, Allen Iverson was very likely to miss the All-Star Game.

Andre Iguodala glanced at his boss’s movements, then smiled and proactively hugged Clay Lee to greet him.

“Breaking Michael Jordan’s record, what an incredible performance, Clay, I’ve collected many of your player cards.”

Under the gaze of the fans, Andre Iguodala smiled shyly.

Seeing that this Rookie was still wearing his signature shoes, Lee felt that the other party shouldn’t be a “fake fan”:

“It seems we have a common hobby! Bro, don’t mind the media’s comments, you’ll become a big star!”

Philadelphia’s sports media had some complaints about Andre Iguodala’s offensive desire.

The 76ers had established this Rookie as their core, and in this situation, he would naturally face more criticism.

Andre Iguodala smiled happily, pulling Lee into some friendly banter.

Soon, the 76ers fans on site started booing, and only then did Andre Iguodala bid farewell and leave.

Walking towards the player tunnel, he noticed some fans still shouting insults, and Andre Iguodala secretly shook his head:

“Hopefully, we won’t meet in the playoffs in the future.”

On Sunday, the New York Knicks departed for Washington, and on Monday, they had to go to the White House to receive the President’s blessing.

On the morning of the 31st, the NBA also announced the results of this year’s Denver All-Star Game fan vote:

Clay Lee once again became the All-Star vote leader with 2.86 million votes.

Yao Ming received 2.42 million votes, and Shaquille O’Neal ultimately got 2.39 million votes.

The Eastern Conference All-Star starting five were:

Clay Lee with 2.86 million votes, LeBron James with 1.58 million votes, Vince Carter with 1.70 million votes, Jermaine O’Neal with 1.31 million votes, and Shaquille O’Neal with 2.39 million votes.

The Western Conference All-Star starting five were:

Tracy McGrady with 1.99 million votes, Kobe Bryant with 1.68 million votes, Kevin Garnett with 1.98 million votes, Tim Duncan with 1.73 million votes, and Yao Ming with 2.42 million votes.

After the starting lineups were announced, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, and Billy Packer, who had better records in the Western Conference, were somewhat displeased.

This also led to a new round of passive-aggressive comments from the local sports media.

Clay Lee, who had already arrived at the White House that morning, received blessings from the staff.

Ivanka was accompanying him this year.

Wearing a proper blue coat and with her blonde hair pinned up, Ivanka briefly surveyed the surroundings and whispered while holding Lee’s arm:

“The White House isn’t that impressive. I still prefer Mar-a-Lago and Peninsula Manor.”

“…”

…..

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

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep