NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 413 High Luxury Tax (Daily Chapter)
On Thursday, September 2005, 9, the NBA officially issued notices to all teams and mainstream media, confirming the dress code for the new season.

Allen Iverson, who was very active during the offseason, immediately expressed his position to the Philadelphia Daily News:
"This is a form of discrimination. I will not abide by the new rules and will continue to show my true self in public!"

In addition to Iverson, many black players have also spoken out, saying that not allowing them to wear chains is discrimination!
In the past few years, the hip-hop trend has swept the entire league. No matter how good the game is, each one is more fancy than the other.

However, there are still many players who don't care about this at all. After all, everyone wears formal attire to work every day. Basketball is also a job. The league must enforce the dress code even if it does not stipulate rest days.

In the TNT program, this matter was not mentioned at all. In the early 90s, everyone basically wore formal clothes, mainly to get rid of the stereotype and pretend to be a boss.

As they get older, the trio are more concerned about the team's movements in the offseason. The news that Gary Payton has joined the Heat makes Charles Barkley happy.

In the studio, Buckley gushed about his views on the deal, which he summarized as follows:

"Veteran experience can help the Heat!"

In contrast, Kenny Smith has kept pace with the times. In recent years, the old man has long been out of basketball. Taking advantage of his partner's pause, he immediately retorted:

"I respect Payton very much, but the league belongs to young people. In my opinion, it is difficult for him to contribute much to the team."

At the end of August, the Lakers once again welcomed back their championship coach. As the preseason was about to begin, many people were looking forward to the conflict between Kobe Bryant and the old man from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Ernie Johnson did not participate in this topic. He just once again introduced the news to the fans:
"Knicks second-year rookie Anderson Varejao tore his right shoulder while playing for the Brazilian national team."

Without waiting until the end of the new season, the Knicks will pay nearly $3000 million in luxury tax this season, and it will continue to increase in the future.

Charles Barkley felt a little envious of the Knicks' big deal, but said unreasonably:

Kobe has been training intensively this offseason. When reporters from the Los Angeles Times saw Kobe’s sweat-soaked jersey, they subconsciously encouraged him:
"Kobe, we believe in you, you are a real Laker!"

The Mavericks were an example of how they couldn't stand it and had to amnesty Michael Finley.

If we have received salary bonuses in the past few years, then in the next 10 years, high salaries will become the biggest constraint on the road to championship.

"Arenas trains like crazy. These players obviously want the championship more than Lee."

"After the Mavericks completed the amnesty, the Knicks currently have the highest payroll in the league."

Conflicts between head coaches and core players are nothing new in the NBA. Conflicts between Doc Rivers and Pierce have repeatedly appeared in Boston newspapers.

"The huge luxury tax does not mean a championship, and God will not always favor the Knicks!"

On Friday the 23rd, the Knicks officially confirmed Varejao’s injury, and the team’s medical team also announced the recovery period of the injury:
"The surgery went well and Varejao is expected to miss 4 to 5 months."

"I don't doubt Payton's fighting spirit, but the decline in physical condition is inevitable. Perhaps the Heat made the decision for the sake of stability in the locker room."

Knicks fans didn't have much reaction to this news. Everyone has been busy eating melons recently. The impact of the hurricane is gradually disappearing in New York, and fun is more popular on the Internet!

Kenny Smith was naturally powerless to refute his partner's words. The Knicks training camp started very late, and besides attending events, Li You just walked with his girlfriend.
Many sports media have revealed that Li You will become the father of two children in October. Considering that life is bigger than basketball, it is understandable that he will not train during the offseason.

Ernie Johnson is also not optimistic about this signing. He admires Damon Jones more as a three-point shooter:

The old man from KFC praised Kobe to the fullest. During this period, he repeatedly emphasized that Kobe has become a leader.

"As he gets older, not only Lee's big contract, but also the rookies' salary will exceed 100 million after the contract is renewed. I don't know if New York will continue to persevere in the next few years."

Kobe was still wiping sweat from his head when he said these words during an interview at the Toyota Training Center.

When Charles Barkley heard what his two partners said, he was immediately dissatisfied and continued to promote his theory:
"Payton is very clear about his position on the team. At the end of his career, he understands what role he should play."

Players and coaches must make compromises. This time Phil Jackson took the initiative to show his kindness and sent his coach a compliment:
"It's all about trust, and a lot of people don't know that when I first coached Kobe, we didn't get along very well."

"The Heat's failure to re-sign Jones and the Cavaliers signing the free agent is a significant loss for Miami."

Last year, he repeatedly emphasized that Kobe Bryant was "uncoachable" in his new book. As a result, within a year, the boomerang fell on the championship coach.

Champion coach Phil Jackson made a low-key return to the Lakers to coach Kobe Bryant again.

"This summer, he has been training hard. After the training camp started, he practiced shooting three hours in advance every time."

"Considering that veteran Mutombo has left the team, there is a high probability that they will not trade Glenzen Wright again."

"At this point, there are many players who are better than him. As far as I know, Kobe spent the whole summer in training camp to polish his body."

"If they want to enter the Finals, the Heat will face the Knicks. Maybe Payton can play against Fisher, but against Lee, his defense won't have much effect."

Charles Barkley smashed his mouth on the sidelines. He felt that he seemed to have awakened the ability of the crow's mouth. Before the new season started, the Knicks suffered injuries.

After the other party showed his goodwill, Kobe no longer cared about what happened before. When interviewed by the Los Angeles media, he followed the business and exchanged some boasts:
"I would never say never to Phil and everyone is excited to have him back!"

The Knicks' injuries continue, but this time it's not a player. James Dolan is hospitalized.

"In the offseasons for several consecutive years, I didn't see much news about Lee training hard."

"I don't care about the differences in basketball. Now Kobe is more mature and he has become the true leader of the Lakers!"

"With age comes injuries, and what I'm more worried about is that players lose the motivation to pursue championships."

"As for MVP, I like this challenge and I will lead the Lakers back to the Finals."

Many teams, such as the Spurs and Rockets, have been constantly adjusting their lineups during this period in order to avoid paying millions of dollars in luxury tax.

"Hard work will pay off. In the new season, I think Kobe will become the MVP!"

At the end of September, the melon-eaters were a little disappointed not to see the scene of Mars hitting the Earth in Los Angeles.

"If they just want to get a good regular season record, I think this signing is a good deal."

"He will not conflict with Williams. A group of players who are hungry for championships come together, and the Heat will explode with great energy in the playoffs."

Kenny Smith was too embarrassed to say more unpleasant things and would not discuss this topic again:
"The Knicks' 15-man roster has been determined, and their salary for the new season will be as high as $9114 million."

Not long ago, Boss Curly held a small concert with his band. Perhaps because his life has been so good recently, this time he had a serious heart attack and had to undergo bypass surgery.

Over the weekend, Li You went to visit the unlucky James Dolan. The personal doctor believed that the operation did not have too many risks, but the curly boss was so frightened that he lost weight.

On Monday the 26th, the Knicks officially opened training camp. Without the big boy, Charles Sr. came to the Tarrytown Training Center.

Compared with before 00, the Knicks' lineup has undergone a major overhaul. The training hall is surrounded by conference championship banners. Standing on the sidelines, Charles Sr. seemed to be thinking of the 98 championship. He turned to Li You and said:

"Seriously, I never thought the Knicks would be so successful!"

"Lee, don't worry about the luxury tax. We are already prepared. In the next 10 years, the team's investment will only increase."

"I heard the news that Houston was planning to retire, and time flew by so fast."

The wrinkles on his face are more profound, and Charles has aged a lot in recent years.

As he gets older, he always likes to reminisce about the past. He still remembers Alan Houston and ending Michael Jordan's championship is a sweet memory.

Li You also got the news. After the Magic amnested Alan Houston, the championship guard finally chose to retire.

He will return to New York in mid-October to prepare for his retirement ceremony. In a few days, his old teammates will reunite.

"I can guarantee that the Knicks will be a strong contender for the championship in the next 10 years."

"We are all very sorry for Alan's injury, but I support his choice."

Li You also recalled the "good big brothers" back then. If they had not delivered championship experience to other teams in time, the Knicks might not have been able to achieve their current results.

The team's equipment manager has retired, and many staff members have been poached with high salaries.

When Li You and Charles Lao talked about the past, most of the team's staff couldn't get a word in. None of them had experienced the championship that year.

Near 9 o'clock, the players on the roster appeared in the training hall one after another.

The team was about to undergo a physical examination, and the scene quickly became lively. Fisher was the happiest. Payton finally signed with the Heat, which made him feel particularly comfortable. He really didn't want to play with the other team again.

Taking the initiative to approach Michael Finlay, Lao Yu cheerfully introduced:
"This year's sports coaches have different requirements. The physical examination is a little more troublesome. Michael, welcome to join the Knicks."

Different from the Mavericks training hall, the Knicks have more championship banners here. Michael Finley and Fisher hugged each other in greeting. While looking at the environment, he asked in a low voice:
"How is Lee? I mean is he easy to get along with?"

Old Yu turned to look at Li You who was chatting with Old Charles in another venue. He pondered for a moment and whispered:
"Perhaps he is completely different from what you think. Li doesn't care about everyone's private life. As long as he is not late and trains on time, he will get playing time."

"In short, Li never makes things difficult for everyone, but the coaching staff trusts the veterans more."

After completing the physical test, Artest shouted, "I feel hungry."
Hill was still sharing his injury experience with Varejao, who was hanging his right arm. The two followed the sports coach and kept communicating.

Barnes is still a member of the atmosphere team, but his salary has become $300 million over two years, several times more than before.

Laga Bell received a four-year contract worth $1950 million, with a salary of $450 million this year.

The two people from lower-class backgrounds smiled brightly and kept chatting, sharing their vacation experiences. Although the tax in New York was very high, they still felt inspired by the feeling that their efforts were rewarded.

In the new season, Prince will soon renew his contract with the team in advance, and fellow rookie Gazulic has his own team option.

Fortunately, Varejao was injured and Wright was sluggish. As the team's second center, he will definitely get more playing time in the new season.

When the two talked about their contracts, they both had great expectations. The Knicks' renewal of the veteran's contract this year sent a very good signal to everyone. Prince and Gazulic also hope to gain more dollars.

Gazulic, who had grown a beard, saw Kurt Thomas who was undergoing a physical test. After sizing him up, he whispered:
"Kurt seems to have gained some weight. It seems that he is not training intensively this offseason."

Prince had already taken a look around secretly. Except for Gasol and Diaw, who had not yet returned to Manhattan, most of the players were in good shape.

As rookies in the same class, the two have a good relationship within the team. Prince reminded him in a low voice:
"Maybe you may have a chance to enter the starting lineup in the new season! You know, everyone has been spending a lot of money in the past few years."

Every year, the team buys injury insurance for players, and Li You, Gasol, and Kurt Thomas are all key targets.

Few players are as consistent as Karl Malone, and the Knicks players play so many more games every year that injuries are almost inevitable.

If they perform well enough in the regular season, the two people with team options will be able to get contracts in advance. Maximum salary is not possible, but the Knicks will not be stingy.

David Lee was almost late. He rented a house in Manhattan, a drive away from the training center. He went out late today and was almost annoyed by the traffic in New York.

The last one to complete the physical examination, David Lee didn't have time to say hello to everyone. Artest on the side shouted again:

"Anderson is injured. The task of carrying the bag in the new season is yours alone."

"Enjoy it David, you should thank our equipment manager, at least now you don't have to help distribute jerseys when you stay in the hotel."

"Don't forget to run errands when playing away games. I don't like chocolate. Call ahead to ask everyone about their habits."

During the summer league, David Lee was considered the star player of the team, but when it came to the official training camp, he became an errand boy.
This is also the locker room culture of the Knicks. Rookies have to do all these tasks for two years.

Kurt Thomas saw that Mengxin was a little cautious, so he stepped forward with a kind smile and comforted:

"This is our chance to bond, David, you have to cherish your rookie years."

"You should be lucky that no one on the team is going to give a rookie a hard time, you know that wasn't the case before."

David Li, who had curly short hair, laughed dryly, patted his chest and assured everyone:

"Guys, don't be polite to me, just call me if you need anything."

"."

Near 11 o'clock, D'Antoni and Li Youcai appeared in front of everyone together.

Mustache's "The Rules of Victory" entered the top 10 of the New York Times bestseller list. Throughout the offseason, he not only frequently appeared on TV programs in the United States, but also went to Italy to fool around.

It is said that many people who want to engage in coaching will buy this book. Li You also read the contents of the book. Apart from the introduction of some tactical highlights, it always feels like "Yilin reader style" chicken soup.
"Everyone performed very well in the physical test. We have a new sports coach in the new season."

"Heinz has rich experience, remember to communicate with him more, this will make your body healthier."

"We will face more tests in the new season, and you have all seen the Heat's moves."

"After returning to the United States, I can see news about them almost every day. The Cavaliers have also made reinforcements. As for our old rivals, the Nets and Pistons, we cannot underestimate each other."

"Michael Finley, our new force, needs no introduction. He is an All-Star forward. I hope to see everyone unite in the preseason."

"."

D'Antoni was very happy and delivered chicken soup in a long speech. During lunch time, Li You also introduced the team environment to the two people who had just joined the team:
"Sometimes, the Knicks' tactics are no different than Coach Nelson's."

"We rely on the outside, and the inside players must be smarter. Mismatched offense is the core of the strategy."

In the substitute lineup, Raja Bell and Prince are strong contenders, and even Diaw can swing to the No. 3 position.

Theoretically, more people can play in the new season. After hearing Li You's introduction, Michael Finley also felt some pressure.

A smile appeared on his dark face. Finley, as a has-been all-star, is still quite confident:

"When I was with the Mavericks, we would also analyze tactics in the video class. I also bought the coach's new book. In the new season, I can help the team."

The chef at the Tarrytown Training Center was also busy today, and the team's dietary plan was also modified at the request of athletic coach Hinds and the medical team.

After David Lee returned to the table after taking the food, he saw Li You munching on meat, and he immediately felt that the reports in the media were all false:

"I promised you to restrain your diet."

The preseason is about to begin, and Chinese fans also saw the news that Yao Ming successfully renewed his contract with the Rockets at the end of September.

On the other side of the ocean, Li You doesn't have much basketball news. Instead, those who follow Manchester United can see reposted news.

Sina Sports followed the report of "The Sun" and followed up on Li You's rumored girlfriend.
The fact that Hook gave him a lifetime contract didn't cause much controversy. The version updates here have not kept up with the United States, and the fans don't care about this.

The hottest news recently is that Iverson rebelled against the dress code, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson reunited, and the Rockets introduced "strong" rotation players.

As McGrady's popularity in China has soared, many fans are still recalling "35 seconds and 13 minutes". Therefore, in the new season, the sports media will report more about the former "second man".

The preseason will begin on October 10th. Rockets fans in China are gearing up to catch a glimpse of the home team. However, on the 7th, what they see is injury news:
"Knees, quads, hips? McGrady will probably miss the entire preseason."

McCready was injured, and soon the news came that Allen Iverson would not play in the preseason due to knee soreness.

In addition, Li You had to accompany his girlfriend to give birth to a baby in October, and many fans were disappointed for a while.

At the end of August, McGrady's trip to China attracted a large number of fans. Two days ago, Iverson and Yao Ming also attended a Reebok event.

The game we have been looking forward to for several months is gone, and everyone can only wait for the start of the regular season in November.
Although Iverson will not play in the preseason, he is still very active after returning to Philadelphia.

Perhaps because he has not made the playoffs in recent years, Iverson has regained his confidence.

Stephen A. Smith's show untied his knot, and as the preseason was about to begin, Iverson wrote a letter to Philadelphia fans.

The Philadelphia Daily News reported this touching letter over the weekend. The simple summary is:

"The 76ers will set sail again. Please believe me, I will lead the team to win the championship."

Philadelphia fans who have been silent for several years are excited again. This is the Allen Iverson who never admits defeat in their minds.

Li You, who returned to Greenwich, has been staying at Peninsula Manor for the past few days to take care of the two people who are approaching their due date.

In addition to basking in the sun every day, I also follow energy-related news on the computer.

He had to make a profit before the price of natural gas fell. In the study, Li You called out his talent panel from time to time:

Speed: 97
A talent that has only improved a little. Thinking of his old rivals who have been active recently, Li You feels that it is enough:
"It's time for them to cuddle up!"

(End of this chapter)