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***
On Monday, September 10, 2001, most basketball commentators were still enjoying the show, as each documentary broadcast sparked a new round of debate.
General Manager Grunfeld quietly sent away Chauncey Billups, with the Knicks' minor player ultimately being traded to the Atlanta Hawks for a 2003 second-round draft pick.
The Atlanta Hawks did not promise him a starting spot.
They were interested in Chauncey Billups's expiring contract.
Chauncey Billups, however, was optimistic, as there was no hope of him starting for the Knicks.
Lee played 36 minutes each game, leaving him very little time to perform.
New York fans didn't even pay attention to this trade.
In their eyes, Chauncey Billups was still a bust, perhaps with a tiny bit of improvement, but he had long been labeled a 'coattail rider.'
The Knicks tried to accumulate draft picks, but sometimes the market didn't revolve around them, and Luc Longley, the high-salary center, was stuck with them.
Unless they included their own draft picks, no one was willing to take on the burden.
And after taking it on, they would also have to deal with other garbage contracts.
After two months of inquiries, Grunfeld accepted reality: this trade was a huge loss.
The Lakers, who had been closely following the Knicks' movements, also breathed a sigh of relief.
Without Allan Houston, their strength was weakened, they couldn't acquire anyone in the free market, and they failed to effectively strengthen their roster.
With the dynasty collapsing, the Lakers saw hope!
General Manager Kupchak was under immense pressure, as Los Angeles fans were very disappointed with the team's moves during the offseason.
Even with the signing of scorer Lindsey Hunter, most fans remained unimpressed!
Magic Johnson, who had a tendency to speak his mind, expressed his views on an ESPN program:
"If the Lakers fall in the Western Conference playoffs, I wouldn't be surprised. I even saw fear in the eyes of some players!"
"..."
This statement primarily criticized Derek Fisher.
After the fourth episode of the New York Dynasty aired on NBC, 'Little Fish' was forced to accept an interview:
"I can't guard Clay Lee! Yes, during the game, I had to use other methods to defend him."
"Lee is too strong and incredibly fast. I can't predict his offense at all."
"He's also very smart on the court, always looking for weaknesses, never forcing shots, and preferring to shoot only when he reaches his sweet spot."
"I haven't frequently matched up against Michael Jordan, but in my opinion, Clay Lee is even more difficult to deal with than Michael Jordan. I even think he can shoot from anywhere on the court, and no one in the NBA can stop him."
Derek Fisher's words, after he had been training hard all offseason, infuriated Los Angeles fans.
Many even clamored to trade him, and the label of 'softie' was once again slapped on him.
The Los Angeles Times has been fanning the flames recently, not only to keep the Lakers in the spotlight but also, more importantly, to encourage the team to make some blockbuster trades.
At the beginning of the month, Lee was invited by Tim Grover to Chicago to train with Michael Jordan.
Perhaps beating the young player made Michael Jordan overconfident, and he challenged Clay Lee to a one-on-one, only to be easily defeated by Lee.
Even without touching a ball for over two months, only running and exercising daily, Lee still maintained excellent physical condition.
The ripple effect was that Michael Jordan, who had planned to announce his comeback at the beginning of the month, began to doubt his life and became withdrawn for a week.
On the morning of the 11th, Lee watched Kim, who was about to leave for work, and pulled her into an embrace, whispering:
"Don't forget lunch. I've booked a table at Jean Georges restaurant."
Kim didn't notice anything amiss.
She smiled and kissed Lee, then held up her briefcase and jokingly said:
"I don't have much work this morning, so I can leave early!"
Kim was in a particularly good mood, skipping out the door.
Lee couldn't help but rub his temples, noticing that it was 7:05.
She should be able to sit in her office in less than half an hour.
Thinking of this, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Melinda, who had just come downstairs, had messy blonde hair.
Seeing Lee, she immediately stumbled into his arms, kissing him incessantly while mumbling softly:
"You little rascal! Don't do that again next time!"
The two had played some games last night.
Melinda's eyes were still watery, and her body was soft.
Lee picked up the curvy girl and said softly:
"I've called in sick for you this morning. Get a good sleep at home!"
"..."
Bustling Manhattan seemed no different than usual, until around 9 o'clock, when almost everyone heard a huge bang.
Melinda, who was just about to eat breakfast, instinctively walked to the third-floor window.
Seeing the smoking building in the distance, she immediately exclaimed:
"OMG!"
Lee also opened his mouth, but soon his phone rang.
After answering, Bobby's unusually urgent voice immediately came through:
"My partner might be in trouble, Lee. Now I see an opportunity. I need some financial support."
"Are you crazy!"
"No time to explain. If you can, please take care of Lara!"
Lee listened to the 'beep' sound on the phone, then directly snapped the phone in half.
This private phone was used only once before going into the trash can.
For the past year or so, most of Lee's funds have been invested in shorting US stocks and oil futures.
Regardless of how much confidence the market gained, the overall trend of US stocks was still downward.
This operation could only be described as a small profit without loss, as the stock market fluctuated, with rises amidst declines, while oil futures remained lukewarm.
Another portion of the funds was entrusted to Axe Capital, and Bobby's hedge fund yielded much higher returns.
After confirming Kim's safety, Lee appeared at St. Vincent's Hospital right at 10 o'clock.
When everyone saw the skyscraper collapse, they instinctively covered their mouths.
Lara desperately tried to call but received no answer.
Seeing the building collapse, she instinctively wanted to run out of the hospital.
After Lee held her back, her colleagues around her also rushed to loudly dissuade her:
"Don't be impulsive, Lara, your brother will be fine!"
"..."
Perhaps realizing something, the blonde girl finally just hugged Lee and cried sorrowfully.
With the building collapsed, the firefighters were likely to be in grave danger.
Manhattan had already become chaotic.
Lee had done his best by coming to the hospital, and he patted the girl in his arms to comfort her.
Similar situations were constantly unfolding throughout the hospital.
By evening, all entertainment programs had ceased.
On television, almost all channels were condemning the attack.
The impact of the collapsing skyscraper was immense.
Many people in the financial industry within that building were taken out in one fell swoop.
When Manhattan was no longer safe, companies would naturally choose to leave.
As people's confidence in national security declined, they also panicked and sold their stocks, causing the US stock market to fall again.
Late at night, at their home on 82nd Street, Kim and Melinda both lay in Lee's arms, the three of them simply cuddling.
Melinda noticed that Lee was holding her tightly.
She slightly raised her head and, in a soothing tone like one would use for a child, said:
"Clay, should we move? I can quit my job, and we can go to a safe city."
Kim also kissed Lee, then snuggled deeper into his embrace and whispered:
"Leaving Manhattan isn't bad. No one knows if there will be another attack like this."
"I was scared too. Everyone in the office couldn't believe something like that could happen."
Lee, however, wasn't thinking that much.
The reason for his unease was more the message Bobby had sent him:
"The profit might exceed $700 million."
Airlines, hotels, shipping companies, and other industries were all hit, and Bobby, despite losing his partner, became a big winner.
Lee tightened his embrace around the two girls beside him, inhaling the scent of their perfume, and finally just whispered:
"We'll stay in Manhattan. It's very safe here. Sleep, my dears, life will get better and better!"
"..."
On September 16th, Lee, dressed in a black suit, attended the funeral of Lara's relative.
The strong blonde girl cried bitterly in Bobby's arms.
Bobby's eyes were full of apology, seemingly feeling guilty for not being by his girlfriend's side immediately.
Green-Wood Cemetery, located in Brooklyn, not far from Manhattan, Lee and Bobby watched several groups of victims' families shedding tears, and both fell silent for a moment.
Having already attended the funeral of his company partner, Axe Capital did not collapse due to this incident.
Instead, it became even stronger.
"I will fund the victims' families. I promise that in the future, their children will be able to attend prestigious schools. This is my responsibility."
Bobby, also in a black suit, seemed to feel much better after saying these words.
Looking at Lee, Bobby finally lit a cigarette, took a puff, and immediately choked, coughing repeatedly:
"Do you want to be my partner? Don't worry about future issues, these are all my private decisions, and this is my responsibility."
Lee was not a patriotic at heart.
He cared about his close friends, but not about Bobby's so-called 'profiting from national disaster.'
He nodded, looked at the cemetery, and whispered:
"You just saw some opportunities. If you have a psychological burden, you can confide in me."
Shaking his head and running a hand through his messy blonde short hair, Bobby said no more.
Manhattan remained under a cloud, but time might heal the pain.
As a star player for New York, after the skyscraper collapsed, Lee donated $2 million to the New York Fire Department (FDNY) and SOC, and also donated another $2 million to families in need.
These funds were his after-tax salary for the next season.
For this, Mayor Giuliani and the staff at City Hall expressed their gratitude to Lee.
Mayor Giuliani performed exceptionally well during this incident, gaining extremely high prestige and being hailed as 'America's Mayor,' completely reversing some previous negative information.
Of course, during this turbulent period, Mayor Giuliani would extend his term to continue overseeing New York.
The NBA headquarters is also in New York, and David Stern also began organizing star players for charity events, with Clay Lee naturally being the 'leader.'
If there were a New York region reputation level, Lee would probably have reached 'Revered' by now.
The Knicks' training camp also failed to open as scheduled, and Jeff Van Gundy also participated in charity events. In the new season, the team would likely have to train through games.
On September 25th, Michael Jordan officially announced his comeback, which served as a powerful shot in the arm for the disheartened public.
Michael Jordan was also very generous, donating $1 million, which was his entire salary, and this money would also be used for the families who lost loved ones.
His comeback in New York was met with a lukewarm response.
While he also donated a year's salary, Lee was much more generous, and even those with strong anti-rich sentiments no longer complained about Lee's excessive endorsement fees.
The NBA preseason was also affected, with many players refusing to fly and having no interest in playing abroad.
It wasn't just ordinary citizens who lost their sense of security, players also didn't want to encounter terrible things.
Ivanka also stopped advising Lee to buy a house in Manhattan at this time, instead constantly urging him to leave New York and stay in Florida for a while.
Scarlett, the tall girl, was still running promotions at this time.
Upon hearing the news, she also advised Lee to leave Manhattan and take her stubborn brother with him.
On September 28th, the New York Knicks training camp officially began at the Tarrytown Training Center.
Over half a month, with the White House taking strong action and changing its image from a "weak" government, and with strong condemnation from the international community, America suddenly became unprecedentedly united.
Although many people were still worried about safety, as nothing had happened for nearly half a month, most people's lives returned to normal.
Jeff Van Gundy looked at the people in the Madison Square Garden and then at the big roster in his hand, frowning inwardly.
The lineup had not met his expectations.
Backcourt: Clay Lee, Brevin Knight.
Frontcourt: Hill, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Glen Rice, Kurt Thomas, Stephen Jackson.
Atmosphere group: Trenton Hassell, Anthonis Fotsis, Luc Longley, Jerome Collins.
In this lineup, the talent was theoretically very good.
Glen Rice was the 7th overall pick in the 1996 draft, a 2.11-meter center, perfectly capable of being a blue-collar backup.
Most of the starters were first-round picks.
After the overhaul, the Knicks completely shed the Ewing era.
Without Ben, Ron Artest no longer had to carry bags, and he suddenly felt great.
He arrived at the training camp early and got to know Stephen Jackson.
The two hit it off, both enjoying boxing.
Ron Artest, smiling throughout his physical test, thought to himself, pleased:
"This is the Knicks I've been waiting for!"
On the other side, Lee casually dribbled the ball, noticing that Pau Gasol was a bit nervous, and immediately smiled, comforting him:
"Everyone thought you performed very well in the Summer League. Actually, the regular season isn't much different."
"It's the same as when you were in the Spain league. Coming to America won't change much."
With short hair and not much beard on his face, Pau Gasol still looked youthful.
Hearing Lee's words, he immediately nodded.
The team's significant roster change was more favorable to him.
Pau Gasol was just worried about the New York Media:
"I'm just worried about a decline in performance and the New York fans being unhappy. Kukoc told me that people here like to win."
Lee could sense that Pau Gasol's English was much more fluent, and upon hearing his concerns, he just smiled and shook his head:
"The Knicks belong to the Eastern Conference. Actually, everyone doesn't need to worry about performance or the playoffs."
"?"
Pau Gasol was a bit confused, while Grant Hill, on the other side, hearing Lee's blunt remarks, could only explain in a low voice:
"Lee means that the teams in the Eastern Conference aren't strong, so even if our performance declines, there's a high probability we can still be in the upper half, or even get first in the East."
"And to reach the Finals, we just need to get out of the Eastern Conference. We only play teams from the Western Conference twice a season, so their performance doesn't really affect us much."
Compared to Lee's busy offseason, Grant Hill focused on recovering from his injury after appearing on some sports shows.
Most of his time was spent on rehabilitation and check-ups.
For the new season, Grant Hill had no intention of slacking off.
Without Allan Houston, he would be the team's second offensive option.
With a meticulously groomed and a slightly leaner physique, Grant Hill followed his doctor's advice during the offseason to re-hone his body.
The three chatted on the side, while on the other side, the shorter Nate was particularly reserved.
He was the shortest person in the entire training hall.
The new players were all a bit reserved.
Throughout the offseason, they had been bombarded by news of Lee, coupled with the disparity in income and tactical status, they dared not speak up for a while, fearing that they might accidentally offend the boss.
Stephen Jackson was more relaxed, whispering and laughing with Ron Artest on the side.
The physical tests were over, and only Luc Longley didn't meet the standards.
The big center seemed to be giving up.
Jeff Van Gundy assumed the posture of a Champion Coach and began to offer everyone some inspiring words:
"First, on behalf of the coaching staff and the team, I want to welcome everyone to the Knicks."
"We are family! No matter how you played in the past, coming here, the first thing you need to do is trust your teammates."
"Although our roster is young, I will not lower our standards. In the new season, the Knicks will continue to contend for the championship. The championship is our only pursuit!"
"..."
The Bald Young Coach said a lot, but his only goal was to tell everyone that if they wanted a starting position, they had to listen to him and train hard.
The Rookie players only felt that the Champion Coach spoke very well and had very strict requirements, but no one objected to these requirements, and even felt that the Champion Coach was right!
Under the blessing of four consecutive championships, Jeff Van Gundy's prestige in the coaching circle had reached its peak, and most of the Rookie players showed respectful eyes.
Stephen Jackson, who knew some of the inside story, didn't fully believe the Head Coach's words.
After "drinking the chicken soup," he took the initiative to greet Lee:
"Lee, I'm very happy to be able to play for the Knicks. It looks like I'll be able to get a championship ring too!"
Ron Artest seemed to think Jackson was a good person and actively chimed in:
"Stephen also likes to practice boxing. It's a pity Larry is not here, otherwise we could team up and spar."
Lee first bumped fists with Jackson, and seeing Ron Artest's cheerful look, he joked:
"Ron, how's your three-point shot coming along? Don't tell me you've been busy practicing boxing and chasing girls all offseason."
He lifted weights more diligently than shooting, to which Ron Artest could only give a dry laugh, feeling a bit unconfident, but to save face in front of his friend, he still boasted:
"My three-point percentage will definitely exceed 35% this season! And it'll be close to 40% next year!"
Noticing Lee's suspicious gaze, Ron Artest quickly changed the subject:
"Let's have another men's showdown at lunchtime, Stephen. Don't underestimate Lee's strength. In arm wrestling, some big guys can't even beat Lee!"
Lee patted Ron Artest's shoulder.
As expected, he couldn't count on this guy's shooting to suddenly improve.
Everyone was chatting and laughing, getting ready for lunch.
Lee was quite satisfied with his physical condition.
Strength: 82, Stamina: 98.
These two attributes slowly increased without any specific training, and another talent also underwent some changes.
Michael Jordan's Extraordinary Core Strength, after a period of dormancy, also turned purple.
While observing his new teammates, Lee felt a slight sense of pride:
"Sitting at home, my skills naturally improve!"
"..."
Although Jeff Van Gundy showed great confidence in front of the coaching staff and players, he was very dissatisfied with the offseason operations.
At lunchtime, he simply walked to the general manager Grunfeld's office.
The latter was busy selecting players and, noticing the Bald Young Coach, calmly said:
"Jeff, don't worry about the backcourt issue. We still have time to strengthen."
"The biggest problem now is that there are no desirable players in the free market. Look at the Lakers, they also gave up on Brian Shaw."
"Older players are no longer suitable for a championship team. I won't choose veterans."
The Knicks had been busy with charity events recently, so Jeff Van Gundy hadn't paid attention to the free market.
Hearing this, he could only complain in a low voice:
"We still need a backcourt player with better Defense. Once injuries occur, we can't just let Lee play 40 minutes in the regular season."
Grunfeld stroked his chin, seemingly sensing the Bald Young Coach's little thought, and suddenly said meaningfully:
"Jeff, no need to beat around the bush. We've known each other for many years, tell me your thoughts!"
Caught with his little thought, Jeff Van Gundy wasn't embarrassed.
He was a Champion Coach now:
"How about we sign Charlie Ward? Charlie is experienced and very hardworking on Defense!"
"Moreover, he is familiar with the Knicks' style of play, and he can effectively supplement the roster."
As he spoke, Jeff Van Gundy's tone became more confident; he just wanted his beloved player to return to the team.
General Manager Grunfeld showed a half-smile after hearing this, then seriously said:
"Are you sure Charlie understands the current Knicks' style of play?"
"He hasn't even found a job with other teams. A minimum contract? And then let him come to the team as a useless sparring partner?"
Jeff Van Gundy frowned upon hearing this, seemingly dissatisfied with the other party's reaction, and was about to say a few more words when Grunfeld chuckled and said:
"Lee doesn't like Charlie, so he shouldn't expect to return to the Knicks, Jeff, you should know that!"
"..."
The Bald Young Coach was instantly deflated.
His trusted protégé had sought his help, and as a Champion Coach with four consecutive championships, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly.
However, the cruel reality slapped him in the face again.
Jeff Van Gundy's expression suddenly turned ugly.
General Manager Grunfeld chuckled and changed the subject, giving him an out.
After the Bald Young Coach left the office, Grunfeld, while tidying the documents on his desk, sneered disdainfully.
Then, thinking of the curly-haired boss's request, he gleefully wished:
"Perform well, Jeff! Some things, you'll never get!"
"..."
.....
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