NBA: The Basketball Miracle

On January 20, 1997, the Knicks returned to New York to rest for more than a day, and that night they welcomed the Washington Bullets at home.

As the All-Star voting results are about to be announced, most players in the league are taking advantage of this stage to try their best to show themselves, and the media are frequently shifting the topic to the All-Star Game.

Although Clay Lee is a new player, he has been breaking records since entering the league and has attracted a lot of attention in the past few months.

In the Knicks' locker room before the game, the New York media surrounded Lee twice.

This kind of scene has appeared frequently recently, and the atmosphere team could only feel jealous in their hearts.

"Lee, will you be selected for this year's All-Star Game? New York fans have voted for you!"

Lee, who had just changed into his training suit, saw that everyone was pushing the recording device in front of him, so he could only say some big words:

"Thank you to the New York fans who voted for me, but I am still a rookie player, I don't have enough game experience, and I have many shortcomings in my skills."

"It's great to be able to participate in the Rookie Challenge. As for the All-Star Game, I just want to be a spectator and get a few autographs."

Obviously, this answer did not satisfy the reporters at the scene. As experts in fanning the flames, these reporters hoped to get more explosive news from Lee:

"We can now conclude that your votes will definitely surpass Tim Hardaway!"

"The Knicks' current record is also better than the Heat's. Lee, do you think you will be selected as an All-Star reserve?"

Lee couldn't complain in his heart. The substitute lineup had nothing to do with the votes:

"The coaches in the league will give the best answer. Tim Hardaway is a star guard in the league. I have learned a lot of skills from him. He is definitely worthy of being selected as an All-Star."

Seeing that Lee didn't speak up for himself, the New York reporters were a little disappointed, but they soon adjusted their mood:

"It doesn't matter how you say it, what matters is how you write it!"

There were also many New York reporters in front of Ewing. These people seemed to have collective amnesia, forgetting that they had belittled Ewing in the past few months and began to follow suit in praising him.

The gorilla was also flattered. He was at the peak of his life this year. He happily boasted about his business with the reporters in front of him.

Larry Johnson had a sullen face and remained silent. He would definitely not be in the All-Star Game. His statistics had shrunk seriously this season, and he would not even be selected as a substitute.

"Grandmama" is out of fashion!

Perhaps the flattery of the New York media worked, as Ewing had a strong presence in the game that night and performed well on both offense and defense.

32:53, at the end of the first half, the Knicks were already leading by 21 points.

"The 34-year-old Ewing can still dominate the inside! As long as he maintains this state, I believe the Knicks will still be a strong contender for the championship."

In the MSG commentary booth, commentator Marv Albert couldn't help but start praising the home team again.

Commentator John Andaris knew that his old partner had said too much, so he calmly changed the subject:

"I want to praise Lee's performance. It's hard to believe that he just turned 19. Look at those records. Anyone who doubts him can shut up!"

"Two years of college basketball helped Lee lay a solid foundation. Give him another two years to get stronger. I think the Knicks won't have to worry about the backcourt problem in the next 10 years."

The crushing game made the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden even more heated, but Jeff Van Gundy did not dare to be careless and increased the rotation after the start of the second half.

This week's schedule was too tight, and the coaching staff didn't want the team to have any injuries.

In the end, the Knicks returned to their home court and defeated the Bullets 79:100, which was a good start for this week's game.

Tonight, Chris Webber of the Bullets sat on the bench in a suit. The schedule was almost halfway through and he was also injured.

Madison Square Garden was still very noisy. Ewing, who was in a good mood, took the initiative to greet the injured Webber after the game. Ben Wallace, who only played for 3 minutes in this game, was being taught a lesson by Oakley:

"After entering the court, he grabbed a rebound and just ran back and forth?"

Seeing that Wallace didn't say anything, Oakley turned around and introduced Lee:

"If this guy doesn't get a contract in the future, remember to bring him along when he comes to the Knicks."

"Ben is very talented. Of course, I don't mean offensive talent. As long as he has the right platform, he can make a name for himself in the league."

Perhaps because he felt that his words were not convincing, Ben Wallace had very little playing time in the past half of the season.

When he played against the Knicks, he couldn't even play. Oakley added:

"Defense also requires talent. He just needs a chance!"

Lee looked at Ben Wallace, who had a short flat head and lowered his eyebrows, and said in a light tone:

"As long as you can run, jump and defend, you don't have to worry about the statistics. Man, this must be easy for you!"

Ben Wallace looked at the two of them and finally nodded obediently. Although it was a bit embarrassing to use the backdoor, this was a way out if he really couldn't sign a contract next season.

After finishing the home game, the next game will be three consecutive away games.

That night, the Knicks will fly directly to Chicago and will challenge the Bulls back-to-back tomorrow.

As the All-Star Game approaches, discussion of the top 50 NBA superstars has once again risen.

The American sports media, who like to fan the flames, brought up Chamberlain's opinion again:

"In my opinion, the greatest basketball player is neither Michael Jordan nor Magic Johnson, but Robertson. It's a pity that he didn't catch up with a good era."

Of course, the sports media did not forget to mention Bill Russell's remarks:

"In the 1960s, many talented players were born in the league, but we didn't catch up with the better era at that time, especially Jerry West, who should have more rings!"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Havcek also agreed with Russell's words, and Pat Riley also added fuel to the fire, saying in an interview that Jerry West was the real "Mr. Clutch."

Focusing on the past and neglecting the present, American sports media continues to consume Michael Jordan:

"A lucky guy protected by the rules", "enjoying the dividends of modern basketball".

As the All-Star Game approaches, Magic Johnson also came out to join in the fun.

This good guy did not exploit his friends, but made a more objective statement:

"Basketball is a team sport. There are five positions on the court, and everyone is indispensable. It is absolutely unfair to make one player the best in history!"

The old guys were obviously taking advantage of their age. In early October 1996, Michael Jordan was already pissed off. As the All-Star Game approached, he almost exploded again.

In this context, the Knicks became the punching bag. On the afternoon of the 21st, the Chicago media conducted a routine pre-game interview:

"Michael, have you noticed the rookie from the Knicks? Lee broke a lot of records after entering the league!"

Wearing the Bulls' training uniform, Michael Jordan, who was in a bad mood, smiled at the media and sent a cryptic message:

"Charles and I talked about Lee. He is a very good young man with good basic skills. He also knows the rules and knows how to respect veterans."

"But I don't want to judge young players. We play in different eras. I respect his style of play!"

"Tonight I accept the challenge from the young people. I will do my best. It's time for the rookie to undergo a real baptism!"

Michael Jordan's sarcastic answer almost made the Chicago media at the scene laugh out loud. Obviously, the vengeful Jordan cared a lot about the opinions of the old guys.

Sports media that like to fan the flames will naturally not miss this opportunity. After finishing warm-up before the game, Lee was blocked when he returned to the locker room:

"Lee, how many points will you get tonight?"

"?"

Lee had a question mark on his face, and the Chicago media smiled and repeated Jordan's words, emphasizing the word "challenge".

Although he knew that the sports media in front of him was exaggerating, Lee was still a little confused. He didn't remember saying that he wanted to challenge Jordan:

"Fill in your mind and search for the enemy in the void?"

"."

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