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On sunday, July 16, 2006, the ESPY Awards will be held as scheduled tonight.

ESPN has already announced that in two years, the awards ceremony will move from the Kodak Theatre to the Microsoft Theatre.

This year’s awards ceremony will be hosted by Armstrong, making him the first athlete to host the ESPY Awards.

The cycling GOAT has been honored with this distinction.

The awards have been improving.

A few years ago, they were largely ignored, but in recent years, more and more celebrities have been attending, and with ESPN’s broadcast, young athletes are starting to take this award seriously.

This year, Under Armour also offered a sponsorship: the Under Armour Unstoppable Performance Award!

This award is given to an athlete who exhibits an outstanding single-game performance in a game or series in a North American professional or collegiate sports league.

Kobe Bryant was nominated for this award.

Attending the awards ceremony should have been a happy occasion, but Kobe, who was getting ready to leave his home this morning, couldn’t feel happy at all.

He didn’t receive many nominations.

Compared to Clay Lee, who is nominated for Best Male Athlete every year, Kobe is a rookie at this awards ceremony.

However, what bothered Kobe Bryant was the Lakers’ abysmal recruitment efforts.

Next season, he would still have to play with Kwame Brown and Parker.

Kupchak’s grand promises never materialized.

Recently, there were rumors that the New York Knicks were pushing to acquire Ray Allen, and seeing the news, Kobe’s heart sank:

“Why do they still want to strengthen their team?”

Championship teams usually choose to retain their winning roster, and the Knicks have done well in this regard.

After matching Gadzuric’s inflated contract, their luxury tax will increase, but the team shows no signs of stopping.

The lack of recent trades brought Kobe some relief, but thinking about Derek Fisher’s performance upon returning to Los Angeles, a feeling of depression resurfaced.

“Returning to Los Angeles was a family decision. I was very successful in New York, and I learned many secrets to success from Clay Lee!”

“Now I want to bring these experiences back to the Lakers. I will share them without reservation with my good brother Kobe, and I will help him become a qualified leader.”

In an interview with ESPN, Derek Fisher said this very naturally, implying that he had already positioned himself as the locker room leader.

What bothered Kobe even more was that the Los Angeles sports media indeed treated Old Fish as the locker Room leader.

For half a month, local mainstream media reported on it extensively, and he couldn’t deny it.

As a fan of Michael Jordan, Kobe didn’t want to be led by Old Fish.

Pressuring his teammates was the correct choice.

He didn’t want to communicate with those lazy slackers.

Kobe, lost in thought, didn’t even notice Vanessa approaching him.

Just thinking about how all the sports media would once again revolve around Lee made him feel miserable!

“Darling, how do I look in this? We should go early. I want to talk to Mariah Carey.”

Although Mariah Carey had become an auntie, her new album was a hit again, and she would also be appearing at the awards ceremony this year.

Vanessa had been looking forward to this for a long time, showing a look of longing.

Kobe came back to his senses, forced a smile, complimented his wife, and then fell silent again.

Jealousy made people’s cell walls separate:

“He’s also a shareholder of Under Armour. This award is simply an insult to me!”

Lee, who came to Los Angeles for the awards ceremony, had originally planned to relax and vacation.

While his agent, Mark Bartelstein, was handling the aftermath of Kwame Brown’s lawsuit, he also encountered something troublesome.

He was enjoying his stay at the Beverly Hills hotel, where many old friends came to attend the awards ceremony and show their faces, but meeting David Maisel was not part of his plan.

The Marvel Chief Operating Officer arrived at the hotel early and ambushed Lee.

The internal mess at the company was still ongoing.

Lunch had to be eaten in the suite.

David Maisel, with messy hair and a white T-shirt featuring iron man under his black suit jacket, had no appetite for his steak:

“Clay, we still need your help. Avi Arad and I had a falling out. He disagreed with my plan and overturned all previously selected roles.”

“Honestly, the movie’s delay is largely due to Avi Arad’s obstruction.”

The other party was clearly speaking nonsense.

Although Lee didn’t follow Hollywood news, Scarlett would occasionally share some gossip with him when she returned to Los Angeles to visit her mother.

Recently, industry insiders knew that at least 8 screenwriters had rejected the iron man script.

The so-called project progression only confirmed the director, Jon Favreau.

This matter happened less than two months ago.

Merrill Lynch, a collaborator, had wanted to bail out with Axe Capital last year.

David Maisel’s grand promises were simply too much to stomach.

Lee, eating his steak, truly hadn’t expected that the project he initially thought would be easy money almost fell through.

At this moment, he even wanted to ask the other party:

“How did you guys succeed in the future?”

Although Marvel almost went bankrupt before, after borrowing money, the company still seemed like a huge, disorganized operation, constantly having issues.

After putting down his knife and fork, Lee finally said helplessly:

“I helped you stabilize Merrill Lynch. We didn’t even make excessive demands. We just wanted to see the film crew successfully set up.”

“Avi Arad is a founder, and I’m just a representative of the investors. Do you think a truly successful industry professional would accept my meddling?”

“His X-Men was a box office hit. We’re all here to make money, so maybe you should listen to his opinion.”

Avi Arad is not only one of Marvel’s founders but also a renowned producer.

Lee’s memories didn’t contain information about producers, but since the other party was so successful, he was more reliable than an outsider.

David Maisel seemed to have anticipated Lee’s excuse.

Although no one else was in the room, he still lowered his voice and whispered:

“Mr. Perlmutter supports me. The predicament we face now is that Avi Arad wants to leave Marvel. He wants to sell his shares, which will affect the stock price.”

“Clay, you should know very well that we will definitely succeed. At least the first movie won’t fail.”

“If the box office performance is poor, Mr. Perlmutter believes we can still generate revenue by selling toys.”

Lee silently complained.

Although they were both members of Mar-a-Lago, the Marvel president, that old miser, left too deep an impression on him.

The old man was even prepared for a box office flop, and he really didn’t want to praise such a plan.

“How much does he want to sell? Your stock price isn’t great either. Selling wouldn’t incur too much loss. Don’t tell me you’re unwilling to spend money on a buyback?”

Hearing Lee’s teasing, David Maisel’s face once again showed an awkward smile.

The stock price was currently fluctuating around $16.

If a founder and senior producer left, the stock would immediately drop:

“At least 3 million shares. I understand Avi Arad. He’s making a statement to us, but I don’t want to compromise.”

Lee quickly calculated that acquiring these shares would give him nearly 4% ownership.

If all went well, by the time Marvel was acquired by Disney, it would at least double in value.

“I’ll help. Remember to pick me up tomorrow. Where are you working now?”

David Maisel’s heart first swelled with joy, then he felt a bit awkward.

He couldn’t avoid it, so he could only whisper:

“The Mercedes-Benz dealership not far from here. We haven’t had time to renovate yet. You know, we haven’t even finalized the cinematographer.”

Lee was also dumbfounded looking at the flushed Chief Operating Officer.

He really didn’t expect the other party to be so frugal, no wonder no screenwriter took over the mess.

Katheryn Winnick, who had just returned from the pool, was wearing a blue swimsuit, wrapped in a towel and dripping wet.

David Maisel, who pushed the door open, hadn’t yet shaken off his embarrassment and quickly praised her:

“Blue really suits you, Miss Winnick!”

Katheryn just smiled and nodded, looking at the Marvel executive who was leaving in a hurry, feeling a bit curious.

Noticing Lee lying on the sofa in a daze, she chuckled and asked:

“Why does David Maisel feel different from how he is in front of the media? Many fans praised him last year for rebooting Marvel!”

Unlike the soft girls at home, Katheryn’s figure was more muscular.

Lee got up to help her dry her hair, and thinking of this Marvel company that shattered his beautiful fantasies, he complained again:

“Shouting slogans well is useless. These guys must be blind, just like a great beauty like you being buried!”

Facts proved that making bad movies doesn’t lead to fame, and after struggling for a few years, Katheryn became as unknown as other pretty girls chasing Hollywood.

She occasionally appeared on the small screen, which made her known, but she was still a minor actress, completely different from Scarlett, who was assigned roles by directors.

Biting her lip, she twisted around and hugged Lee, extending her right hand to tap his chest.

Katheryn, with her head tilted back, teased him again about last night’s competition:

“Facing a beautiful lady, is this all the sincerity you have?”

He untied the straps behind her back, revealing a pair of firm, full breasts.

Lee picked up this strong opponent in one go, and amidst her soft laughter, he walked towards the bedroom again:

“It is my honor to serve the Queen!”

In the afternoon, the street in front of the Kodak Theatre was cordoned off.

The red carpet had been laid out, and people in dark suits with walkie-talkies were everywhere, each with a plastic laminated card hanging around their neck.

Some onlookers who weren’t following the awards ceremony also started to join in the excitement when they saw the setup.

At 7 PM, big stars and famous athletes began to appear on the scene, and media reporters around the red carpet also increased.

When Janet Jackson and producer Jermaine Dupri appeared in front of everyone, the onlookers started screaming.

This made LeBron James, who subsequently walked onto the red carpet, a bit awkward.

Fortunately, he also had fans on site, and sports fans quickly erupted in cheers.

Wearing a black three-piece suit with a white shirt, LeBron James took off his sunglasses and waved repeatedly at the cameras.

His good friend Dwyane Wade didn’t make him wait too long.

In less than 5 minutes, Dwyane Wade, wearing a white vintage top hat and a beige casual suit with a white striped shirt, also appeared before everyone.

Dwyane Wade didn’t bring his wife this year.

After the awards ceremony, he had to return to Las Vegas for continued training.

The big stars were all appearing later, but the two didn’t mind.

This was their first time attending the ESPY Awards together.

LeBron James waited for a while, then looked at Dwyane Wade, who was still posing, and whispered:

“Where’s Chris? He came with us.”

After the photo session, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James began walking towards the theater entrance.

Thinking about Chris Paul’s whereabouts, Dwyane Wade immediately whispered teasingly:

“Where else could he go? He must have gone to find his idol. He started attending Lee’s training camp when he was very young, and their relationship is quite good, certainly much better than mine with Clay Lee.”

Noticing Kenya Moore, the black Miss Universe, in front, Dwyane Wade raised an eyebrow at his friend and couldn’t help but praise in a low voice:

“Moore is still so beautiful! If only she were a few years younger…”

LeBron James glanced at his friend and didn’t comment.

This year, he only received a few nominations, and the chances of winning were very small.

Arriving at the scene, a feeling of regret involuntarily welled up in his heart:

“If only I could have won the championship…”

Jake Gyllenhaal and Will Ferrell weren’t wearing strange outfits.

The two famous male stars appeared one after another, wearing similar black formal suits.

When Mariah Carey appeared on the red carpet, screams were incessant.

The ‘diva’ singer was dressed coolly, wearing a pink spaghetti-strap bodycon dress.

Under her ‘S’ curve, her strong arms were fully exposed.

Under her straightened blonde hair, a smile appeared on her plump face.

Mariah Carey’s confidence seemed to infect everyone, and the cheers became unstoppable for a while.

At 8:20 PM, Chris Paul, in a white formal suit, appeared on the scene with his girlfriend.

Coincidentally, Lee, arm in arm with Katheryn, had just gotten out of the car, and Kobe Bryant and Vanessa also arrived at the same time.

This wasn’t the Staples Center, so there were only screams and cheers.

With wide black trousers paired with a white vintage shirt, Katheryn had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, giving her a somewhat neutral look.

This outfit was mainly to cover some marks on her body.

After an intense battle that afternoon, both of them had weak legs.

Noticing the unusual atmosphere on site, Katheryn couldn’t help but whisper:

“I told you we should leave early. Everyone seems to be making fun of us.”

The media likes to create ‘rivalries,’ and Kobe Bryant took it seriously.

The two never smiled when they met.

Vanessa, seeing her husband enter ‘hostile mode’ again, quickly went up to greet them:

“Clay, congratulations on your award in advance! I hope you don’t mind the belated wishes!”

As an awards presenter, Lee was also dressed very formally, with only a striped tie looking a bit playful.

Noticing Kobe Bryant holding his head high and saying nothing, he didn’t mind:

“Why would I mind? Congratulations to Kobe Bryant on his award too. 81 points, no one will forget that game.”

Kobe Bryant, arm in arm with Vanessa, still said nothing and didn’t greet the fans on either side, walking silently down the red carpet.

As he was about to go up the steps, he noticed Chris Paul was also there.

Before he could even greet him, Kobe Bryant heard some reporters jeering and shouting:

“One more photo, Kobe! Smile, don’t be so serious!”

Seemingly angered by the jeering crowd, Kobe Bryant simply pulled Vanessa and left.

His husband’s actions displeased Vanessa, and she could only force a smile.

Chris Paul was gossiping at this moment.

Although the Los Angeles and New York media often mocked each other after he entered the league, he didn’t expect the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Clay Lee to be truly bad.

After the four entered the theater, Chris Paul looked around and seized the opportunity to ask gossipy:

“Lee, is your relationship with Kobe Bryant always this bad?”

He truly didn’t mind Kobe Bryant’s tendency to create drama for himself.

With a smile on his face, Lee casually replied:

“I think it’s pretty good. If I had lost that much, I’d be just like Kobe Bryant.”

Jada, a rather quiet black girl, linked arms with Chris Paul and quietly tugged at her boyfriend, signaling him not to discuss awkward topics.

Chris Paul, who still wanted to gossip, stopped talking.

Noticing Kobe Bryant’s long face ahead, he secretly thought:

“Is this old-school basketball? It’s really different from what LeBron James pursues.”

At 9 PM, the awards ceremony officially began.

The cycling GOAT appeared and immediately made fun of himself, then told a “Brokeback Mountain” joke, and praised the sports movie “Glory Road.”

Lee, sitting in a front-row seat, boredly grabbed the small hand of the Valkyrie beside him.

Katheryn quietly glared, she didn’t like public displays of affection.

Taking advantage of the applause that broke out in the theater after the opening ceremony, Lee clapped along and then leaned into Katheryn’s ear, whispering:

“Do you want me to get you a tuna sandwich? There’s food backstage. The event will last until past 11 PM.”

The female warrior, suppressing a laugh, nodded slightly with a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Neither of them had eaten dinner, having woken up and come straight to the Kodak Theatre.

Finding an opportunity to sneak in some food would indeed be a nice experience.

Some awards were actually for specific individuals.

The Best Male Athlete award would definitely have nominations for Armstrong, Woods, and Clay Lee, and the award was taken by everyone in turns.

Half an hour later, Lee ascended the stage with an envelope, and shouts of “MVP” quickly erupted in the Kodak Theatre.

First, he showed a surprised expression, then a smile appeared on Lee’s face.

He walked to the microphone, cupped his right hand to his ear, and made a listening gesture, which caused laughter to erupt again.

Tearing open the envelope, Lee pretended to read the contents, then returned to the microphone and said with a serious expression:

“Competitive sports are constantly developing. Faster, higher, stronger is the goal we always pursue.”

“Many people don’t realize that behind genius lies countless sweat. I’m very happy to witness the birth of another combo guard!”

“Even small players can dominate basketball games. Congratulations to Chris Paul for the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award! The future is yours!”

Chris Paul, his expression excited, came onto the stage to accept the award.

He took the silver, slender, spherical ESPY trophy from Lee’s hand.

After a big hug, he spoke loudly into the microphone:

“I’m very happy to receive this award. Thank you very much, ESPN. Receiving the trophy from Clay Lee is incredibly meaningful to me!”

“When I was very young, my grandfather took me to New York to attend Lee’s training camp, and that changed my basketball philosophy.”

“…”

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade below the stage listened with a sense of annoyance, especially Dwyane Wade.

He had originally had a chance to win this award, but his “hostility” towards Lee meant fans didn’t support him.

Hearing that Chris Paul intended to stay committed to New Orleans, Dwyane Wade, who had already signed a short-term contract, couldn’t help but complain to his friend beside him:

“I bet if Chris Paul came to the Eastern Conference, he would never say something like that. He simply doesn’t understand what we’ve been through…”

His ribs aching faintly, LeBron James involuntarily recalled the scene of being knocked flying in the semifinals.

He felt that sports media had been deceived.

Lee was not only physically strong but also incredibly powerful:

“Small players can never dominate the game!”

The two whispered while applauding, maintaining smiles on their faces and preserving their superstar demeanor.

On the other side, closer to the front row, Kobe Bryant was unhappy again.

He was clearly the hardest worker, having dedicated himself to basketball, yet everyone always exaggerated Clay Lee’s contributions to the sport:

“I must win it back…”

Kobe, with a serious expression, stared at Lee’s smiling face on stage, his own face drawn long.

This scene was also captured by the director, proving the “rivalry” was well-deserved.

The award ceremony was slow.

Clay Lee, who received the Best NBA Player award, even had time to take Katheryn and staff to replenish their energy.

Kobe Bryant, who received the Under Armour Unrivaled Performance Award, also forced a smile when he went on stage, expressed his thanks, and then immediately left with the trophy.

Armstrong ultimately won the Best Male Athlete award.

While he was giving his acceptance speech, Will Ferrell came on stage and interrupted him.

While performing a skit, he didn’t forget to sing loudly “Times of Your Life,” with some of the lyrics rewritten:

“You’ve beaten the best, let’s not forget every urine test.”

Amid laughter, the award ceremony drew to a close.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who were only nominated, exchanged knowing glances.

They knew the other was thinking the same thing as them:

“We should be on that stage!”

On Monday, the 17th, as Lee began preparing to visit Marvel to watch the drama unfold, the Los Angeles Times reported on the ESPY Awards while also revealing news about Kobe Bryant to fans:

“Kobe Bryant is dissatisfied with the Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason moves. He hopes the team can trade for truly talented players!”

These words were clearly directed at Kupchak, the general manager who loved to make grand promises, constantly assuring Kevin Garnett, but even now, the Los Angeles Lakers hadn’t even made an offer.

Kobe Bryant’s long face throughout the award ceremony made the onlookers laugh, while Los Angeles Lakers fans expressed support, also dissatisfied with management’s operations.

While the Los Angeles Lakers were aiming for Kevin Garnett, the New York Knicks were not to be outdone.

The New York Times, through an insider, received news that the new general manager, Donnie Walsh, was brewing a major trade.

Grant Hill, Tayshaun Prince, and Raja Bell were all involved in related trades.

Not only players, but the Pacers’ 2007 first-round draft pick could also be sent out.

Although the specific form of the trade had not yet been confirmed, Donnie Walsh’s desired player was already clear—Ray Allen, the core of the Seattle SuperSonics.

The column article did not explicitly write “brotherhood basketball,” but basketball critics who saw the news still blew up:

“A championship team making another big move?”

The Seattle SuperSonics had not yet decided whether to relocate or sell the team, but they were likely to tank next season.

Seattle reporters hadn’t even responded when Mark Cuban, possessed by the spirit of envy, started ranting on his blog:

“If you want to sell a team healthily, you must refuse to trade the team’s core assets.”

“For the healthy development of the league, we will not agree to such a damaging trade!”

“…”

San Antonio Spurs fans also jumped in, and even Gregg Popovich, who had been out of the public eye recently, actively accepted an interview with a San Antonio media reporter:

“A team having three All-Star players is already the limit. The league must consider the interests of small market teams.”

“We may not have as much financial resources, but pure basketball should not be corrupted by dollars.”

“Nobody wants to see one team keep winning. I even don’t understand why the Chicago Bulls would send Tyson Chandler to New York. This is simply a robbery!”

When discussing this trade, which hadn’t caused much stir, Gregg Popovich’s expression became even more agitated.

This twin towers lineup was clearly designed to counter Tim Duncan!

Last season, in 80 games played, he averaged 5.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers, with a field goal percentage of 56.5% and a free throw percentage of 50%.

After Tyson Chandler was injured in the 2003-04 season, his statistics began to decline, and he was labeled a bust by Chicago media.

During the playoffs, he was almost DNP’d.

After coming to New York, his reputation suddenly reversed in recent days.

The new season hadn’t even started, and Tyson Chandler had already become the New York Knicks’ defensive anchor, leading the DPOY race!

Such a change left people bewildered. In fact, ESPN did not give this trade a very good evaluation.

The only commendable aspect was sending away the declining Kurt Thomas.

Gregg Popovich, red-faced, shouted “robbery trade,” which surprised several sports reporters from San Antonio, who also muttered to themselves:

“Is Tyson Chandler really that good?”

…..

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep