NBA: I have 3, no D, and I can't dribble

Chapter 282 [282] It’s hard to get a ticket, and there are so many beauties!

However, being able to win one of the two away games allowed the Knicks to regain home court advantage, which has already fulfilled the team's intended goal before the finals started.

The next two finals will be played at Madison Square Garden. As the largest city in the world, New York has once again become the focus of the world because of the NBA Finals.

When the NBA Finals is associated with the "Basketball Mecca", it means unparalleled popularity and crowds.

Although they are both in the same round of the finals, playing in Minneapolis and playing in New York are two completely different concepts and levels of impact.

This is like the same round of the CBA finals. One side is playing in the Imperial City Works Stadium, and the other side is playing in Inner Mongolia. The city population and the size of the ball market are different by ten or twenty times, so the influence is naturally not comparable.

The G3 and G4 tickets for this round of the finals also set the average and total price records for Madison Square Garden tickets. Naturally, they are also the ticket records for the NBA Finals.

New York's JFK International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark International Airport have seen a significant increase in passenger throughput in the past three days, and the passenger flow at Pennsylvania Station has reached the highest level throughout the year.

The number of people in public transportation such as city subways, buses, and ferries has increased by 30% year-on-year. Tourists at major tourist attractions are flocking in an endless stream, and hotel rooms are collectively full.

Travelers from all over the world shuttle through the bustling Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, visiting Broadway, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, feeling the charm and scenery of the world's largest city.

Hollywood actresses Scarlett Johansson, Amber Heard, Kristen Stewart, famous director Spielberg, NBA stars Kobe, Wade, O'Neal...

Both of them are Chinese international students in New York, and their native families in China can be considered middle-class.

"Do you know why this restaurant is so popular? Lin Fei is one of the owners. Besides, the Beijing cuisine is quite authentic!"

"I really don't understand what you guys are thinking? You haven't even bought a ticket for the game, and you still have to go outside the arena to crowd around. Isn't it good to stay in the hotel and watch it on TV?"

Now a year has passed, and the business of the Imperial City Restaurant in "Comers from All Directions" is booming. It already has three branches in New York, and Lin Fei also gets a portion of the profit dividends every quarter.

The boy in his early 20s has a smart short haircut and looks elegant with glasses. He is wearing Lin Fei's Knicks No. 22 jersey under his jacket.

Seeing the NBA Finals ticket in Lin Feng's hand, the girl's beautiful eyes instantly shone with excitement. She changed her face faster than turning the page in a book. She came up to Lin Feng and stretched out her arm to hold Lin Feng's arm:

"Lin Feng, actually I think you are quite good. I agree to be your girlfriend now..."

“After spending a whole day shopping in New York, Chinatown still looks so friendly and feels like home!”

In addition to the authentic imperial cuisine of the restaurant itself, it is also naturally attributed to Lin Fei, an NBA superstar.

An authentic Chinese restaurant called "Comers from All Directions" operates the most authentic imperial cuisine, inheriting the Tan family cuisine of the Qing Dynasty, with a wide variety of dishes and superb cooking skills.

In front of the window seat, a man and a woman sat opposite each other, and the atmosphere seemed a bit awkward.

"If it weren't for the popularity of the NBA Finals, there wouldn't be so many people in New York, right? It's really scary!"

Swift's latest single is playing in the video store, Scarlett Johansson beauty posters are hung outside luxury clothing stores, and vendors along the street are selling New York-style bagels and soufflé cakes.

Seeing the girl stand up, pick up her LV bag and leave, Lin Feng, who was extremely disappointed, reluctantly took out two NBA tickets from his pocket and sighed heartbrokenly:

"Xiao Mei, I originally thought that if you agreed to be my girlfriend, we could go to Madison Square Garden to watch Lin Fei's finals tomorrow night. I spent more than 10,000 US dollars on these two tickets from scalpers. I bought it from my hand, but now it seems..."

There is always a photo of Lin Fei and the owner Tan Ming hanging in the restaurant. Because of Lin Fei's golden name, many celebrities from home and abroad often come here, which adds to the popularity and influence of this restaurant. .

“This roast duck feels no worse than the one in Quanjude, Qianmen, and converted into Chinese coins, it’s not much more expensive!”

"Only when I came to New York did I realize that Lin Fei is even more popular in New York than in China. His posters are almost all on the billboards in Manhattan!"

New York's Chinatown in the southern tip of Manhattan is one of the oldest and most famous Chinatowns in the world, with more than 10 overseas Chinese living here.

"Oh my god, who can sell me a ticket to G3 of the Finals? Even if it's the last row on the rooftop, I'll pay you $2000!"

Because tomorrow is the third game of the NBA Finals, and most of the tourists who come here to check in are from China and other Asian countries.

The girl sitting opposite the man with glasses has fair skin and beautiful appearance, but the corners of her eyebrows are more mean and refined.

"It used to be scalpers looking for fans, but now it's fans looking for scalpers. Where have all the scalpers in New York gone?"

This restaurant is now doing a booming business. It covers an area of ​​more than 500 square meters and is divided into upper and lower floors. It has become a signature restaurant in New York's Chinatown and a must-visit place for many Chinese people traveling from other places.

"I feel like there will be a huge crowd around Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. To be on the safe side, we should go to the pit in advance in the morning!"

"Xiaomei, I...I like you, can you be my girlfriend..."

It was lunch time, and all the dining rooms and private rooms on the first and second floors of the restaurant were full, and dozens of chefs and waiters were busy.

While eating the dazzling array of delicious dishes on the table, these tourists would naturally talk about Lin Fei and the NBA Finals unconsciously.

"You can tell from the first glance that you are not a real fan. You are here in New York, how can you not feel the atmosphere of the game in Madison Square Garden?"

Also in Chinatown, New York, in an American cafe not far from the Imperial Restaurant.

It turns out that as early as last summer, this restaurant was facing bankruptcy due to poor management. The owner, Tan Ming, failed to raise funds, and his hair was almost turning gray due to anxiety.

"I am 18 years old and as beautiful as a flower. I am 172cm tall and 108cm tall. I don't need a house or a car. I don't need any gifts or flowers. If anyone can give me a ticket for the third game of the finals tomorrow, I will be their child!" "

With the consent of these celebrities and NBA players, the boss will also hang the group photos in the decorated public display area in the restaurant to increase popularity and popularity.

……

Lin Fei often brings his NBA friends who come to play away games to taste the most authentic and authentic dishes from the Imperial Capital of China.

"I didn't expect so many celebrities to come to this restaurant. Oh my God, there are also Wang Zuxian and Li Jiaxin. They are my childhood goddesses!"

Screened on a huge billboard in Times Square was Lin Fei's latest sports car endorsement video for Porsche.

As well as domestic celebrities such as Brother Chengcong, Li Lianjie, Fa Ge, Xingchi, Jay Chou, Mayday, Liu Yifei, Hu Ge, etc., they all left their footprints in this Imperial Restaurant in Chinatown.

Finally, on the recommendation of a friend, I met Lin Fei, who had just joined the New York Knicks. Lin Fei had grown up in Imperial City since he was a child, and naturally he also liked eating Imperial City food.

After tasting the braised sea cucumber and braised shark's fin cooked by owner Tan Ming himself, Lin Fei immediately made the decision to invest US$40 in the restaurant and hold 30% of the original shares.

Xiaomei snorted softly and said: "What era are you in? Why are you still so feudal and traditional? Your thoughts are exactly the same as my father's. In short, you don't have to worry about my affairs. If there is nothing to do, I will leave first!"

The boy named Lin Feng suddenly became excited: "Xiao Mei, but...but I heard that Thomas has a girlfriend? And...and are black people really that good?"

The boy who had been struggling for a long time finally plucked up the courage to speak, but before he could finish speaking, he was directly interrupted by the girl:

"Lin Feng, we are not suitable for each other. What I like is Thomas from our school basketball team. He is the male idol in my heart!"

Brooklyn, an underground Internet cafe in a black slum.

A black fan named Jones was lucky enough to buy the lowest-priced rooftop ticket for G3 of the Finals from a scalper a week ago.

The official price of this ticket was originally $509. Because he was an old acquaintance at work, Jones bought it from a scalper for $900.

However, because his mother suddenly became seriously ill at home, Jones had no way to go to the finals that he cherished so much. He had no choice but to sell the ticket, so he looked for buyers online.

What Jones didn't expect was that less than half an hour after he posted the ticket on the online platform, there were more than 200 messages from buyers, and there was an endless stream of buyers:

"Brother, give me the ticket. I live in Brooklyn too. Tell me your specific address. I'll be there in 20 minutes. How about a deal of $1500?"

"I'll give you $2000. If it doesn't work, you can add more!"

"No more than $2500, otherwise I would rather stand outside Madison Square Garden and watch!"

"Brother, give me the ticket. Just ask me how much you want!" Unlike G1 and G2 of the Finals, which were played at the Target Center Arena, the official lowest ticket price for G3 of the Finals at Madison Square Garden has been A whopping $509.

You must know that this number is more than double the previous two finals. The lowest ticket price for the finals tiebreaker at the American Airlines Arena in Miami last year was only $480.

The magic of New York appears again, and the richest people in the world have all gathered in Manhattan.

Although James Dolan is not a qualified team manager, he is a wise businessman.

Originally, he planned to raise the lowest ticket price for the finals to over $800.

However, it was severely suppressed by the NBA headquarters, and finally the price was settled at US$509 after negotiation.

James Dolan only hates that there are too few seats in Madison Square Garden. Even the 82000 seats at New York's Metropolitan Stadium may not be able to accommodate the visiting NBA fans from around the world.

But even so, in the G3 game of the Finals alone, the Knicks' official total ticket sales have exceeded 6000 million US dollars.

James Dolan's surrounding commercial layout at Madison Square Garden, including hotels, restaurants and supermarket retail, will also bring huge commercial benefits.

A total of more than 6000 million U.S. dollars in officially priced tickets for the finals were sold, coupled with the price increases from scalpers and resale by fan buyers due to uncontrollable factors.

The actual total price of ticket sales for G3 in this finals may have exceeded US$2 million.

And behind this sky-high price of NBA Finals tickets, the "sports workers" who directly benefited the most are the so-called "New York scalpers."

Ed Pinckney, a former NBA retired player in his forties, grew up in the black slums of the Bronx, New York. His outstanding physical fitness made him the 1985th pick in the first round of the 10 NBA draft.

Although most NBA fans have no impression of this name and this pick, the 13th pick in the first round behind Pinckney produced a well-known NBA superstar, Karl Malone.

Pinckney has played in the NBA for a total of nearly 20 seasons, but he has been on the edge of the bench for most of the seasons, and his total career salary is only more than 200 million US dollars.

After retiring, with a large family of brothers, sisters and parents relying on him for their livelihood, Pinckney soon became close to bankruptcy. In desperation, he relied on some of his contacts in the NBA to start reselling game tickets. .

This year is Pinckney's most rewarding year, because Lin Fei joined the Knicks. As the Knicks' record soared and they reached the finals, Knicks tickets became more and more popular.

In more than half a year, Pinckney has resold nearly 300 tickets, earning a total income of US$20. Tomorrow night's G3 of the Finals alone will earn him more than US$3.

As his family life improves, Ed Pinckney is also very grateful for the blessings life has given him. If Lin Fei had not joined the Knicks, his income this year would have been reduced by at least half.

At night, an old black woman begging for a living under the Ninth Avenue overpass in Manhattan, dragging her disabled legs, struggled to walk through the bustling and indifferent city streets, preparing to return to her damp basement home.

Today's income was particularly gratifying. There was an endless stream of kind-hearted tourists passing by, so she received a total of 20 US dollars and 90 cents in alms, which was enough to live on for her and her poor little granddaughter for a week.

All day long, I listened to the Asian tourists passing by the charity talking about the name Lin Fei. The old woman’s cloudy and sunken eye sockets also reflected a bit of hope and gratitude:

"Kind gentlemen and ladies, may God bless you with eternal health!"

New York, as the most prosperous city in the world, not only has people living in wealth and luxury, but also suffers from hunger and cold. Heaven and hell, the poor and the rich are sometimes just a stone's throw away.

The Knicks have officially deployed more than 60 security personnel to maintain order on and off the court for tomorrow's game and try to prevent any fights in G1.

The New York City Department of Transportation has also made relevant arrangements for the much-anticipated Finals G3 at Madison Square Garden, dispatching traffic police from 3 pm to 10 pm tomorrow to effectively control the roads around the arena to ensure smooth traffic and The game went off without a hitch.

"New York Times", "Philadelphia Times", "Boston Times", "Sports Illustrated", "Milwaukee Sentinel" and other dozens of newspapers and magazines in the United States,

They all immediately reported the unprecedented popularity of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

He also believes that this is the most watched sporting event in Madison Square Garden after the fight of the century between Muhammad Ali and Frazier, and it can even be compared with the Super Bowl.

Lin Fei also appeared on the cover of the latest issue of Time Magazine in the United States. This is the second time he has won this honor.

After 2000, there were only five Chinese people who appeared in Time Magazine. In addition to Lin Fei, the other four were Wang Fei, Dayao, Li Lianjie and Jay Chou.

September 9, 11pm local time in New York.

Madison Square Garden was packed with people, the arena was already surrounded by enthusiastic fans, and there was serious congestion at both the entrance and exit of Pennsylvania Station.

On the huge screen outside the arena, when the camera showed a close-up of Lin Fei, nearly 8 fanatical fans outside the arena collectively chanted "MVP", and more than a dozen spoken languages ​​complemented each other.

"Oh my god, I'm so excited. Although I don't have tickets to the game, when I think that the straight-line distance between me and Lin Fei is less than 200 meters, it all seems so dreamy and unreal!"

"The Knicks must win, Fei Ge will have another 50+ game tonight!"

Looking back to the arena, tonight's courtside front row is filled with bright stars, and the value of star fans is a higher level than the previous two games at the Target Center Arena.

Everywhere the camera passes, familiar faces abound.

Artists such as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Spielberg, Luc Besson, cartoonist Hayao Miyazaki, writer Haruki Murakami and other already famous artists,

Tonight, they all unexpectedly appeared in the audience at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The most dazzling thing is the beautiful celebrities sitting in the front row. The combination of Chinese and Western styles, and the various skin colors complement each other, forming a beautiful scene on the sidelines.

Jessica Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Stewart, Amber Heard, Emma Roberts, Taylor Swift, Norika Fujiwara, Yui Aragaki, Son Ye-jin, Yoona Lim, Zhang Baizhi, Gao Yuanyuan, Fan Bingbing, Liu Yifei...

Lin Fei's girlfriend Qin Dongmei and assistant Yang Xiaozi, who were also sitting in the front row, seemed a little weak against the backdrop of a celebrity beauty.

"Oh my god, Sister Qin, I really didn't expect so many celebrities to come tonight. Isn't that Son Ye-jin? I really like her Korean dramas, and Gao Yuanyuan. I must ask them for autographs and photos after the competition is over! "

"Ouch? That's Mr. Hayao Miyazaki over there. I love his comic movies so much, especially My Neighbor Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle! He looks more amiable in person!"

Assistant Yang Xiaozi seemed like a little girl who had never seen the world before. She was very excited. At the same time, she also lamented that Lin Fei's star appeal today is so invincible.

"Sister Qin, so many celebrities and beauties are here to watch brother-in-law Lin play tonight. Don't you have any sense of crisis?"

Qin Dongmei raised her eyebrows and joked: "It would be great if he wants to find a female star. I happen to like Hu Ge and Lee Min Ho too!"

On the court, under the instructions of the referee, all the starting players of the two teams walked onto the court.

The Knicks’ starting five are:

Point Guard (PG): Stephon Marbury,

Shooting guard (SG): Lin Fei,

Small forward (SF): Trevor Ariza,

Power forward (PF): David Lee,

Center (C): Eddie Curry.

The starting five for the Timberwolves are:

Point Guard (PG): Carlos Arroyo,

Shooting Guard (SG): Ray Allen,

Small forward (SF): Gerald Wallace,

Power forward (PF): Kevin Garnett,

Center (C): Michael Olowokandi.

As Artest and Randolph continue to be suspended, both teams have also made adjustments to their starting lineups tonight.

(End of this chapter)