basketball player

Chapter 336 Chapter 334: The Rising Knicks

"But I know, I can't be satisfied with this. My team won 25 consecutive victories, we scored 49 wins and 4 losses, and my teammates and I were selected to the All-Star team! This is just a prelude. I hope that at the end of this season, I can lift the O'Brien Cup over my head like I am now!"

The All-Star Game ended, when Chris Paul held the All-Star MVP trophy and said this statement.Carmelo Anthony, the "King of New York" standing behind him, was a little unhappy.

In fact, the friendship between Paul and Anthony began as early as their teenage years, and their acquaintance was related to an event, that is, AAU.

AAU is the abbreviation of the American Amateur Athletic Union. There are competitions for different age groups, and the American High School League is also affiliated with it.The AAU has national competitions divided into age groups. Players from different regions can form teams to participate, which helps young players broaden their horizons and compete with masters across the country.

Chris Paul is well-known throughout the United States in the AAU league. He led the Kappa Magic to win the AAU under-17 national championship and was elected the MVP of the tournament.During his time playing in the AAU competition, Paul not only gained laurels, but also gained valuable friendships.

In the AAU league in 2003, apart from the teams of LeBron James and Paul, there was another team that gained national attention, that is the Baltimore elite team led by Carmelo Anthony. As early as two years ago, "Melo" led the team to the semi-finals of the National Championship with an average of 25 points per game.When Paul and Anthony confronted each other, the talented basketball point guard said frankly: "This player from Baltimore is very strong, really strong, and he is the strongest player I have ever seen."

The highest level of confrontation between American high school players gave birth to a sincere friendship. Basketball teenagers Paul and Anthony were enemies on the court, but became friends off the court.In competitive sports, peers often have naked hatred, but Paul and Anthony, who are still in high school, obviously do not have such a city, and their friendship is simple and pure.

They both love the sport of basketball, and it is basketball that connects them.Some friendships come and go quickly, so when you get a real friendship, you should know how to cherish it, and Paul and Anthony have always done this.

The mutual integration of private circles is undoubtedly the evidence of the deep friendship between Paul and Anthony. Jordan and Pippen are known as the strongest duo in NBA history, but the two people with almost perfect chemistry on the court are not close friends off the court, especially the private circles are not open to each other.When the Bulls won the championship in 1997, a reporter asked Pippen if he would celebrate with Jordan after the game. Pippen replied bluntly: "I am with my friends, and Jordan has his own partners."

Although Paul and Anthony have not been teammates in the NBA team, their personal friendship is incomparable to most basketball partners who have cooperated for many years.

It stands to reason that two friends with such a close relationship should be happy for each other's achievements.But this is the particularity of competitive sports. As long as you are not playing on the same team, no matter how good your relationship is, you are enemies!
Therefore, the better the relationship between friends, the more real they will be on the basketball court.What's more, the Knicks are still the Pacers' direct competitors, and the Knicks' third record in the Eastern Conference this season also gives them hope of hitting the Eastern Conference championship and even the championship!

So Chris Paul's speech made Anthony feel neglected.

Yes, in the Eastern Conference this season, the New York Knicks are the best team besides the two "super battleships" of the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers!Although the team has gone through all kinds of troubles, they finally survived.

However, even so, the Knicks still have no sense of existence.To be exact, before Paul won the All-Star MVP, the Pacers players had no sense of presence in the All-Star Game.

But Paul can vent by winning the All-Star MVP, but Anthony has no such opportunity.The only thing he can do is beat his best friend in an official game and remind him, "Hey, your good brother is third in the Eastern Conference this year!"

Anthony and Paul can become friends, and the two naturally have some similarities.That is, on the basketball court, they are the kind of ruthless guys who won't relent!When they are on the basketball court, both of them forget that they are "friends".

So the day after the All-Star weekend ended, Chris Paul received a text message from his good friend Carmelo Anthony who had known him since he was a boy.

"Watch out, Chris. Next game in Indianapolis, I won't let it go. Let's have a real fight like we did at AUU! Your friend and rival, Melo."

Paul wanted to laugh, because Anthony's text message struck him as amused.But I can't laugh, because Anthony and the Knicks are indeed strong enough this season.

On February 2, the league's No. 20 Indiana Pacers played against the Eastern Conference's No. [-] New York Knicks at home.Whether to laugh or cry, whether Paul's "ultimatum" is deterrent depends on the game.

※※※

The New York Knicks, this season, they do have the capital to challenge the defending champion.

Before this team ushered in Carmelo Anthony and Stedmire, it was almost a hopeless team.Its chaotic team management and the bloodbath record set by the superstars at Madison Square Garden have humiliated this veteran New York team that has attracted much attention.

But the arrival of Anthony and Stoudemire has given the whole team a new look.And this season is undoubtedly the most successful season for the Knicks since they ushered in the offensive kaleidoscope of Carmelo Anthony.

Before the start of the 12-13 season, the Knicks ushered in Jason Kidd, the Mavericks' champion point guard and one of the best point guards in the league, and signed Rasheed Wallace, who had not played in the game for two years, and the 35-year-old "senior rookie", Argentine point guard Pablo Prigioni, and former New York veteran Raymond Felton also returned to the team.

After the start of the regular season, the Knicks, without Stoudemire, unexpectedly won a wave of 6 consecutive victories, creating the team's best start in the past 20 years!Although the start of the 6-game winning streak is not worth mentioning compared with the Pacers' 12-game winning streak, it means a lot to New York fans.

Although in the long course of the regular season, the team also encountered a lot of turmoil.For example, Anthony was plagued by a shoulder injury and his state fluctuated. After his comeback in January, "Little Bully" suffered another injury and had to rest again. Tyson Chandler was injured and the team signed Kenyon Martin. Rasheed Wallace was injured and announced his retirement again.
Fortunately, in the regular season this season, Anthony and his former Nuggets teammate JR Smith are good enough.So far, Anthony has averaged 28.7 points per game, temporarily ranking first in the league scoring list and ranking third in the MVP list.And JR Smith averaged 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, ranking first in the annual best sixth man prediction list!
When a team has both the scoring champion and the best sixth man, no one can ignore them.Last season, it was also the leading scorer + the best sixth man. The young Oklahoma City Thunder reached the finals!

Therefore, it does not surprise Henson that the Knicks can jump to third place in the Eastern Conference this season.He also knows very well that it will not be easy to take away the victory from the New Yorkers this season.Of course, it won't be too difficult.

"Did you see? Chris Paul is in big trouble." Vogel, who was sitting in Henson's office drinking coffee and reading the newspaper before the training of the day, shook his head with a smile.

"What's the matter?" Henson asked casually, but he didn't look up, but stared at the phone with his head buried.Kobe actually sent a text message to invite him to a charity dinner in Los Angeles. Henson thanked Kobe for the invitation, but he didn't plan to go.This guy has never been interested in dinner parties.

"After winning the All-Star Game MVP yesterday, his remarks made many people jealous. What did the reporter of the "Miami Post" say? He said that he wanted to win the championship after winning the All-Star Game MVP. This is simply ridiculous!"

"It's really rare." Henson raised his head and looked at Vogel with interest. "This time, the person who was scolded was not me."

Vogel glanced at Henson, as if trying not to let himself laugh, "You know, Henson, you have a bad reputation in New York."

Since the last time Mark Berman caused a scolding battle between reporters in New York and Indianapolis, and the Pacers won a big victory at Barclays Center and satirized a lot of New York media, Henson has almost become the public enemy of New York fans.So Vogel is right that Henson doesn't have a good reputation in New York.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you said that too early. In New York, maybe there's a shortage of great players and great coaches, but there's never a shortage of people who are willing to attack you."

"Well, I should have guessed it earlier." Henson shook his head. "Who is it this time? Which boring reporter? Or Carmelo Anthony."

"No, this time the one who scolded you was a film director."

"Oh? It's him?" Henson scratched his head, "It seems that I have another 'loyal fan'."

(End of this chapter)