Check out my new fanfic.
12th man to Cricket legend. It's a cricket book for cricket lovers only.
Please give it a go đ
***
On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced several significant rule changes that would take effect starting in the upcoming 2006-07 season.
Playoff Seeding Rule Revisions:
The top four seeds in the league will continue to be allocated to the three division champions and the team with the second-best regular season record;
However, these four teams will now be seeded according to their regular season records.
This change will ensure that the two teams with the best records in the league do not meet before the Conference Finals.
Increase in Playoff Roster Size:
The playoff roster size will be expanded from 13 players to 15 players.
Each team will designate 12 active players and up to 3 inactive players before each game.
These two rule revisions regarding the playoffs have been approved by the Board of Governors, correcting the bug where the Dallas Mavericks were ranked 4th this year.
Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA, also announced changes to timeout rules at this press conference:
In the last 2 minutes of the game, if a team still has two 60-second full timeouts, one of them will automatically become a 20-second timeout.
The same applies to overtime, where full timeouts have also been shortened.
Some local sports media, upon hearing these rule changes, immediately felt that the league favored the Knicks, as other teams did not have such deep rosters.
A larger playoff roster, similar to the regular season, does not hold much significance for most teams.
Jerry Colangelo, former chairman of the league's Board of Governors, also accepted an interview after the press conference, and he naturally praised the new rules:
"We don't want to see the two best teams meet in the division games. It's truly unfair to them. The team with the better record should logically have a more favorable position."
"The same goes for increasing the team's playoff roster. We like to see more excellent players emerge in the league."
"Basketball is a five-player game, and the new rules can increase competitiveness!"
After announcing the revised rules, the NBA also simultaneously updated the schedule for the new season on its official website, and the four teams for the opening games were officially confirmed:
Heat vs. Knicks, Phoenix Suns vs. Lakers.
Dwyane Wade was still preparing for the World Championship, and Shaquille O'Neal was particularly low-key this year.
Apart from participating in Alonzo Mourning's charity game, he mostly spent time with his family at sea, completely staying away from media reporters.
Shaquille O'Neal's signing with Lee-Ning was the only major news in July, but the Miami Herald briefly reported it before fans tossed it aside.
Everyone was actually more concerned about the Head Coach selection.
After the Finals, Pat Riley briefly accepted an interview at the end of June, and the slick-haired boss did not promise to continue coaching at the time:
"I still need some time to consider. I'm currently unsure if I will return to the Head Coach position."
Although Jeff Van Gundy has not appeared at American Airlines Center for a long time, he is still part of the Heat.
If Pat Riley steps down, there is still a possibility of him being reused.
The New York Media, always eager for drama, labeled the Heat as "losers" in advance after they re-signed Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton, with some columnists writing:
"Pat Riley is regretting it. He shouldn't have returned to the coaching bench. In fact, he has lost more games than he has won against Clay Lee."
Reviewing the games where Pat Riley's Heat lost to Lee's Knicks has become the New York fans' favorite pastime recently.
The slick-haired boss, like Phil Jackson, has lost his aura as a renowned Head Coach.
Senator John McCain visited the United States Mens National Basketball Team yesterday, and after a speech at the hotel, successfully boosted the team's morale!
However, there were exceptions.
Gilbert Arenas, still in training camp, seemed to be on the verge of being cut.
Unlike Amare Stoudemire, who was preparing to go home to await the birth of his child, the Washington Wizards' core player had a conflict with an assistant coach.
After confirming his departure and inability to participate in tomorrow's open scrimmage, Gilbert Arenas complained about his treatment through the Washington Post:
"This year, I will be the Silent Assassin!"
"They deliberately targeted me. Perhaps that's why Clay Lee refused call up. In my opinion, this is just a bunch of losers amusing themselves."
"I don't want to say much, but I'm looking forward to the new season. Against the Portland Trail Blazers, I will try to score 50 points."
"In the league, besides Clay Lee, I am the best point guard. I don't understand why they would exclude me."
Coach K and the coaching staff had no response to Gilbert Arenas's big mouth.
They had already decided on their starting point guard and had no interest in bringing an emotionally unstable "bomb."
Interestingly, while the United States Mens National Basketball Team was preparing for their scrimmage and heading to Asia, Stephon Marbury also complained:
"The last loss wasn't my fault. This year, they didn't even invite me!"
"The coaching staff selects players with prejudice. In fact, I just lack an opportunity. If I were on the Knicks, I could be as successful as Clay Lee!"
"It's not Clay Lee, nor Jason Kidd, nor Gilbert Arenas. I am the best point guard in the league."
The Atlanta sports media truthfully reported this complaint, and as a result, Stephon Marbury was wildly ridiculed by New York fans:
"He shouldn't compare himself to Clay Lee. First, look at how Jason Kidd led the Phoenix Suns and Nets to wins. Stephon Marbury clearly hasn't realized that he's a born loser."
After Kirk Hinrich and Chris Paul were officially confirmed as the United States Mens National Basketball Team's point guards, there has been a lot of criticism recently.
Stephon Marbury, as a sour grapes, is a prime example, as the current selections lack persuasiveness.
As the United States Mens National Basketball Team was about to make its debut, the offseason suddenly entered a chaotic situation.
When Sports Illustrated revealed parts of Lee's exclusive interview, the entire NBA circle exploded.
The biggest reaction still came from Mark Cuban, the big-mouthed owner who directly posted on his blog:
"The arrogant Lee will eventually destroy the Knicks. They have been blinded by victory!"
"."
While American onlookers were still discussing Clay Lee's "arrogant remarks" about continuing to defend the championship, the person in question had already flown to Manchester.
Due to the upcoming Manchester United Youth Football Super Cup, U15 players from all over the world gathered here.
The group stage will officially begin next Monday, which is a carnival for the young players.
On Friday, August 4th, at the Carrington Training Centre, Manchester United staff began to get busy as the group stage would be held there in the coming days.
Old Ferguson has been busy dealing with conflicts among his disciples recently.
In the World Cup quarter-finals in Germany, Rooney was sent off with a red card for stomping on Ricardo Carvalho, and Cristiano Ronaldo led the pressure at the time.
What angered British fans was that after his club teammate was sent off, Cristiano Ronaldo winked at the Portuguese bench on the sidelines.
The schadenfreude moment was captured by the director, and in the BBC studio, Ian Wright discussed this action at the time:
"I want to confirm, did he just wink?"
At the time, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer in the studio were both sighing.
The latter even made a prediction after Rooney was confirmed to be sent off:
"I believe Rooney will give Cristiano Ronaldo a kick when he returns to the Manchester United training base!"
As soon as Lee flew to Manchester, he found that The Sun had recently launched a new product â a dartboard with Cristiano Ronaldo's image on it.
The bullseye was Cristiano Ronaldo's winking face.
The training camp officially began, and a group of gossiping media predicted daily that "Rooney will tear Cristiano Ronaldo in half."
However, no matter how much these reporters embellished their stories in the newspapers, they couldn't uncover the true situation at the Carrington Training Centre, because the security measures there were excessively thorough.
With a 2.4-kilometer long, 8-meter high security wall, coupled with video surveillance cameras, and over 30,000 trees planted around the grounds, one first had to get past the security personnel to explore the place.
Lee was also an onlooker, but what he saw there was a chubby Rooney and a muscular Cristiano Ronaldo.
Their conditions were completely different.
In the morning, during an interview with Manchester United MUTV, Lee didn't betray any secrets, only praising Cristiano Ronaldo's physical condition and offering words of encouragement:
"The team atmosphere is excellent. I think we can win the championship, and a growing Cristiano Ronaldo will achieve more honors."
Manchester United's U21 youth academy facilities were officially put into use in 2002, not far from the first team.
The second floor of the main building overlooks the training ground, and the visitor's room, parents' lounge, staff training room, and MUTV studio are all located here.
At this time, on the outdoor training ground, U15 teams from other countries were already adapting to the field and warming up.
As Lee overlooked the training center, Les Kershaw, who was beside him, introduced:
"Our Manchester United Football School has recently attracted more students. Although many parents are not clear about sports science, they think it's a good thing for their children."
"I'm an old man about to retire, Clay. Will suddenly spending so much money not affect the team?"
Under his gray short hair, the wrinkled Les Kershaw slightly frowned.
This year, the team didn't make many moves in the transfer market, but spending money to build a sports center left many within the club with questions.
Lee, like the coaching staff, was wearing loose training clothes.
Upon hearing the question, he did not answer directly but smiled and introduced:
"Toshiba has agreed to sponsor medical facilities, and we have reached a long-term cooperation intention. Axe Capital will sponsor the sports science department for the next few years, so the cost is not as much as you imagine."
"This is a world-renowned club. If we can win the Champions League, Nike has also promised me additional sponsorship."
Besides building a large building, Lee also planned to equip it with corresponding doctors, physical therapists, sports scientists, sports psychologists, statisticians, and nutritionists, among others.
The reason for launching this plan was actually to serve himself, and at the same time, Axe Capital could gain high-quality clients.
Currently, Rooney is captivated.
All big stars are wealthy, and Manchester United is still an untapped market, where domestic demand can be gradually excavated.
Brian McClair recently planned to take over the role of Head Coach of Youth Academy.
McClair, who played for Manchester United for 11 seasons, is not yet 50 years old, and by now, most of his hair has fallen out.
McClair, whose body had expanded sideways, face flushed, and had completely transformed into an old British man, was behind the two.
Hearing the introduction, he said in a muffled voice:
"Local children are being squeezed out. Manchester United fans prefer to see homegrown players reach the top. Being able to unearth local talent is why everyone supports the club."
The future Head Coach of Youth Academy was dissatisfied with the special treatment given to a certain young player who had just joined the club.
Les Kershaw quietly winked, but Lee waved his hand indifferently.
Pointing to the children playing and dancing on the training ground outside the window, Lee casually said:
"When you talk about local children, that naturally includes those who weren't born locally but were brought to Old Trafford from a very young age."
"With our own TV station, as long as we frequently report on these youngsters, the fans will accept them."
"Truly talented children will definitely stand out. Football has already begun to globalize. Don't just focus on the UK. The teams that have won the Manchester United Youth Football Super Cup in recent years are not local teams."
The disagreement arose because the club had just signed 14-year-old Neymar, and his father had extorted a sum of money from them.
At the end of May, Real Madrid almost signed this Brazilian youngster, but in the end, differences arose between the two sides because "the father and son missed their hometown too much."
Taking advantage of the start of the Manchester United Youth Football Super Cup, the elder Neymar began to promote his son again.
This time he succeeded.
With a 50,000 pound signing fee, his "homesickness" was cured.
Real was still not as appealing as the pound.
In short, this unexpected transfer caused a lot of trouble, making McClair somewhat displeased.
Les Kershaw chuckled and changed the subject.
He was very optimistic about the young player.
Unlike local British children, Brazilian children play freely and are very creative:
"Increasing subsidies for talented players isn't bad. We all know that parents who send their children to the academy hope they can become professional players."
"Brian, our source of talent has expanded, and this advertising effect is very good."
Lee patted McClair, who had recently been criticized by fans.
The latter might have to continue taking the blame in the future, but the academy's enrollment was indeed more popular.
He saw a familiar name on the list:
"Declan Rice, 7 years old, just preparing to enroll."
Names that appeared in his memory would most likely become stars in the future.
As for whether a butterfly effect would occur, Lee was too lazy to consider such matters.
Uf they were buried, they weren't geniuses.
The three stopped discussing these future prospects and began to watch the training of different teams from around the world with the staff.
No matter how critical the media was, they couldn't get internal information.
"Carrington Fortress" currently had no moles.
Lee frequently appeared on Manchester United MUTV in early August, occasionally accepting invitations from Sky Sports to discuss his previous World Cup predictions and expectations for the new season.
This year's Manchester United Youth Football Super Cup surprised Chinese fans.
The Chinese champion team, BJ Sanfang, qualified as group runner-up and ultimately finished 5th.
On Monday, August 11, the Finals concluded at Old Trafford.
Chivas Guadalajara from Mexico came from behind to defeat Arsenal in the Finals, successfully lifting the championship trophy.
The Premier League was set to officially begin on the 20th.
Ferguson, who attended the award ceremony, did not cause any trouble.
Although he had to lead the team to pay off debts, Lee kept his promise, and the non-executive directors never interfered with football matters.
"We hope to get to know people and players from different countries and cultural backgrounds through this event."
"This is the charm of modern football!"
The old man did not sing a different tune in front of the media and did not mention Neymar, the young player who received special treatment.
The British reporters present also did not provoke him.
In the end, McClair bore all the responsibility.
Lee was having a good time in the UK.
With his whole family mobilized, he even took the girls to choose a house, and fans saw his news again in The Sun.
Ron Artest recently got into trouble again after making outrageous remarks to 50 children at a Black Empowerment panel discussion held at the Judge Mathis Community Center.
On Monday, the 14th, ESPN reported Ron Artest's arrogant remarks:
"Someone started trouble, and I just ended him my way!"
"Remember, protect yourself! If trouble is unavoidable, then tell the other party with your fists that you are not to be trifled with!"
At this sharing session, Ron Artest did not share his basketball skills but instead showed off his boxing techniques in front of the children.
This action also caused his community service time to continue to increase.
At 3 PM, ESPN's repeatedly revamped program, Cold Pizza, aired on time.
In previous years, it was similar to USA Today's sports news reports, but now it had evolved into a "debate competition."
Woody Paige, a columnist for the Denver Post, was a blonde Fat Man, and Skip Bayless, a sports writer, was a thin, recently famous loudmouth.
The two white guests were partnered with Dana Jacobson, a black co-host from SportsCenter.
After the revamp, the show's ratings were good, and fans gradually accepted such contentious behavior.
As usual, they first talked about the Team USA's movements.
They were invincible in warm-up games.
LeBron James dominated the court, and Coach K led everyone to visit American soldiers after arriving in Korea.
There was naturally nothing much to say about such news.
Soon, Skip Bayless pointed his finger at the Knicks, and facing the camera, he said seriously:
"I don't like Ron Artest's remarks. He hasn't realized his mistake. Clay Lee's arrogance has infected him."
"The latest issue of Sports Illustrated made me uncomfortable. Lee lacks respect for other teams in the NBA!"
"Look at what happened to Allen Iverson. Lee hasn't expressed any opinion on it. Because of him, the Son of Philadelphia fell. Looking back at the playoffs, Clay Lee clearly intentionally humiliated Allen Iverson."
Since Allen Iverson was traded to Denver, many players sent their blessings.
Kobe Bryant even called Allen Iverson and talked for an entire night.
The Los Angeles Times highly praised this, believing that Kobe would become a true role model for the new generation of players!
If you look at the recent Los Angeles newspapers, news of Kobe calling the Team USA players appears every day.
In an interview, Kobe, who had undergone knee surgery, even expressed solidarity with everyone:
"I always wanted to return to training camp. I want to fight with my brothers!"
Entering August, Kobe called and left messages for the players in training camp every day.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the "We Are One" phone speech received good reviews, boosting the Team USA's morale!
Woody Paige, for once, didn't contradict his partner, as Allen Iverson had already arrived in Denver, and he was a player for their home team:
"Perhaps the championship made Clay Lee lost. As an old opponent, he should indeed bless Allen Iverson, instead of being so indifferent as he is now."
"I waited for half a month, but Lee didn't show any indication. He even publicly stated that he didn't like Coach K's coaching style, and that's a Hall of Fame coach!"
Dana Jacobson, hearing the topic veer off course, quickly interrupted, scanning the two and subtly reminding them:
"We're talking about Ron Artest's community service."
Skip Bayless, who was about to continue his tirade, didn't even look at the host, seizing the time to loudly add his point of view:
"If only considering championships, Clay Lee is undoubtedly successful. He has surpassed Michael Jordan, but in terms of contributions to basketball, he is still far behind."
"I don't like the current trend. Superstars in the NBA are all saying they lack help, and the cause of all this is Clay Lee and his Knicks."
"New York has siphoned off the best players in the NBA. Imagine, would Clay Lee still be so successful without such an environment?"
"These achievements have made him arrogant. He has started to humiliate opponents in games. In the NBA, he has no friends. This is not the NBA we want to see."
This outburst stumped Woody Paige.
The media had always been creating "arch-rivals," and it was proven that fans loved to watch the excitement, wishing the players would fight on the court:
"Uh, I don't think there's anything wrong with that point, but Lee should indeed care about his opponents."
"He should set a good example for young players."
ESPN's program continued.
Kobe, far away in Los Angeles, was also resting at home at this time.
Seeing the two taking turns criticizing on the program, he felt exceptionally pleased.
Robert Pelinka also felt relieved.
Through the phone speech, Kobe's reputation and public image had completely turned around.
They had successfully escaped the impact of the past sexual assault.
"Remember, Kobe! Arrogance will destroy a basketball player. No one will like such a person!"
"Now, all we have to do is win games. You will become the focus of the NBA again, and I will help you put pressure on the Lakers."
Kobe, engrossed in the program, heard his agent's encouragement and nodded along.
This was indeed his chance to turn around his external image, but when he thought of the team's roster, he couldn't help but frown:
"I need more talented partners. Kupchak deceived me!"
Thinking of the Lakers' off-season operations, Robert Pelinka also remained silent.
If it still didn't work, they would have to use another method:
"Confronting management? I hope it doesn't come to that."
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)