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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
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***
On August 25, 2005, the Philadelphia Daily News preemptively revealed a decision the NBA might make for the new season:
"The NBA will further ensure game quality and court etiquette. Details for player attire on the bench during games are currently being finalized."
"Before the start of the new season, a dress code will be distributed to all 30 teams."
Not long ago, Commissioner David Stern mentioned this in an interview with the Boston Globe, stating that baggy, low-waisted blue jeans would not be allowed on the bench.
After this news was confirmed, 76ers President and General Manager Billy King stated to the local sports media:
"There will indeed be some new policies, and when they are officially enacted, we will strictly enforce them."
As for why the 76ers took the lead in making this statement, it was naturally because their star player, Allen Iverson, had always been at the forefront of NBA fashion.
His stylish attire was "The Answer's" last stubborn stand!
In the past, the 76ers had accommodated their star player, but this firm stance seemed to be sending a message to the fans:
"Allen Iverson's time in Philadelphia is limited."
In recent years, Iverson had provided plenty of material for the public in Philadelphia, such as arguing with his wife and then kicking her out of the house naked.
Then, there was his alcoholism, followed by his suspicion of being cheated on, leading him to return home with a gun.
After a series of outrageous actions, Iverson was charged in court with multiple offenses, including unlawful entry and armed assault.
Fortunately, he managed to save his career with the power of money.
Perhaps having seen enough of the various farces, the 76ers management was no longer indulging him.
This statement was clearly a preemptive warning to Iverson.
Currently, no one is discussing Iverson leading the team to a championship anymore.
As the Excel version updated and the 2003 Rookie class rose, the once-hot "Answer" was completely outdated.
Stephen A. Smith couldn't bear to see his younger brother so down and out, so he invited Iverson to his personal show, and also invited another controversial player, Kobe Bryant.
On that day's ESPN program, under Stephen A. Smith's guidance, Iverson explained many misunderstandings to the fans.
He had no conflict with Larry Brown, he didn't look down on his teammates, he was sometimes late for practice, but he never missed group activities.
He still deeply loved his wife Tawana, and he was a good family man.
In the studio, when talking about his experiences of losing games over the years, Iverson choked up again in front of the camera.
Wearing a baggy gray T-shirt, Iverson didn't want the audience to see his vulnerable side.
He pulled down the brim of his baseball cap and said in a muffled voice:
"Many people don't understand my efforts behind the scenes. I gave my all for the 76ers, and for a long time, I played with injuries."
"Nobody understands me. People only mock me for losing games. They treat me like a joke, and that's not the outcome I want."
Seemingly recalling those painful experiences, Iverson ultimately cried out sadly.
Most of the people present in the studio today were fans of Iverson and Kobe.
Many also empathized and shed tears with him.
Stephen A. Smith, dressed in a black suit, instinctively smoothed his suit, sat up straight, and for a moment didn't know what to say.
Handing a tissue to his younger brother, Stephen A. Smith sighed, proactively defused the situation, and changed the subject, asking:
"Allen, it's not your fault. Failure is the main theme of this NBA. Not every player will become Clay Lee or Michael Jordan."
"Do you have any advice for the young players in the NBA now?"
Stephen A. Smith's tone became a bit lighter, signaling Iverson to just say something polite, but he didn't expect this question to break the sensitive younger brother again.
Lost in his own world, Iverson wiped his tears, then looked up and said discontentedly:
"The NBA has changed. Young people nowadays don't understand what respect is!"
"I gave LeBron James advice, telling him to stay away from the media and not to focus on statistics."
"But he didn't care what I said. In front of the media, he only bragged about Clay Lee."
"Dwyane Wade, I'm glad he chose the No. 3 jersey, but he's not me. Like LeBron, he only cares about championships and statistics."
"I don't like the current NBA. Even what clothes to wear is regulated. Those incomprehensible statistical indicators are destroying basketball!"
Stephen A. Smith was a bit awkward.
In fact, he was a proponent of Excel, and he could effortlessly rattle off Lee's advanced statistics.
The pent-up dissatisfaction had accumulated for too long, and Iverson couldn't stop, continuing to say loudly:
"Pure basketball has disappeared. Fans now care more about how much money their idols earn and how many championships they've won."
"Look at Kobe Bryant. He dedicated himself to basketball, training hard every day, but no one cares about that. Training at 4 AM is even ridiculed."
"He just made a man's mistake, but the media wouldn't let it go. I understand my brother. We are both old-school players. In my opinion, Kobe Bryant is the most dominant active player."
The fans in the studio applauded, Iverson had spoken their minds!
Originally, Stephen A. Smith didn't want to rely on his younger brother to attract attention, but he reluctantly realized that this show was destined to be a hit.
Iverson's rhythmic "RAP rant" put Kobe, who was about to take the stage, at ease.
The two embraced in front of everyone in the studio, Kobe patted Iverson, then thumped his own chest, indicating that he understood him.
Wearing a white shirt and gray vest, Kobe was dressed very formally for the show.
After he sat down, Stephen A. Smith first signaled for the audience to quiet down, then asked as a matter of routine:
"Kobe, we all know you've never liked ESPN's reporting."
"Last week, Nike canceled the launch event for your new signature shoe. Do you feel you've been treated unfairly?"
Although he successfully signed with Nike, Kobe did not receive preferential treatment.
Instead, due to a protest letter from fans, the new shoe launch was canceled.
The main reason he appeared on the show was that he couldn't swallow his anger.
Whenever Kobe thought about his new signature shoe, he wanted to directly terminate his contract with Nike.
As his first signature shoe after signing, Kobe had expected Nike to give it special attention.
The result, however, was a modified Lee 3rd generation, with only a Velcro strap added to the ankle.
The only other change was the New York Knicks team colors being changed to Los Angeles Lakers team colors.
Kobe was almost fuming from this move and naturally answered the question without hesitation:
"I don't care about business matters, but I think many people lack respect for me."
"With the Los Angeles Lakers, I won championships, and I showcased my talent on the highest stage."
"ESPN always likes to report on my life and attack my statistics. They deviate from the topic of basketball."
"Allen is right, the atmosphere of the NBA has worsened. Young players only want to make money and only focus on championships, as if playing basketball is just for these things."
"We should serve as better role models to guide the development of basketball, but now basketball is becoming utilitarian, and I hope to change this phenomenon."
Laughter began to erupt in the studio, everyone was mocking Excel basketball commentator Stephen A. Smith.
Before the start of the new season, ESPN was going to release win-share related data as a reference, and Stephen A. Smith had been promoting the show recently, and coincidentally, he had praised Lee to the skies again.
Looking at Kobe's serious expression, Stephen A. Smith adjusted his emotions and continued to ask as planned:
"Tell us, in your mind, what should pure basketball look like?"
Kobe had also been feeling stifled for a long time, and upon hearing this question, he immediately responded earnestly:
"Championships no longer serve as the sole measure of success. How one performs in the face of failure is what truly matters."
"Fully commit to every game, and show your most positive side to the fans in every game."
"This is what true basketball fans want to see. Honors and statistics are merely by-products of the game."
Stephen A. Smith felt that if basketball truly developed this way, he would be completely out of a job within two years.
Looking at the eloquent Kobe, Stephen A. Smith made up his mind that he still had to cling to Clay Lee and let Excel basketball sweep across the entire NBA!
The New York fans have been overjoyed recently.
The New York Post took advantage of the upcoming MTV Awards to humorously criticize celebrity attire.
Maria Sharapova, who attended the ESPY Awards last month, was caught in the crossfire, with her loose brown jumpsuit becoming the target of media ridicule:
"She looks like a little girl wearing her mom's clothes."
Considering Maria Sharapova was only 18, calling her a little girl was not wrong.
Lee almost always wore formal attire in public, which made it hard to complain about, at most, people would jokingly say:
"Perhaps Lee's wardrobe is full of custom black, blue, and gray suits."
On Friday, August 26, Lee continued to cooperate with the advertising company to complete the McDonald's product advertisement shooting.
The filming location was at Donald's apartment at 100 Central Park South.
The project was recently undergoing renovation, and this beautiful apartment with large windows overlooked Central Park.
However, the format of the commercial made Lee speechless.
It was a complete replication of the scene where Donald filmed a Pizza Hut commercial with his first wife back in the day.
After holding up the new burger and saying "I'm Lovin' It" for the third time, Lee finally finished the shoot.
Ivanka, dressed in a white suit skirt, immediately went over to the camera, looked at the footage, and turned to Lee, cooing:
"Darling, have I gained some weight recently?"
Several staff members showed bitter smiles.
They had put in a lot of effort to make this rich young lady look beautiful.
Holding the burger and taking a bite, Lee walked over, put his arm around Ivanka, and praised her softly:
"Perfect figure! We still have to go back to Greenwich tonight."
No longer dwelling on it, Ivanka immediately shifted her attention and began talking about the ingredients she had prepared and the chef she had invited for the weekend.
A young white man, also a fan of Lee, knew that Pepsi planned to film in Montbellier Park in Queens this year and quietly reminded him:
"Clay, I don't think organizing a shoot there is a good idea, you know, Queens can be a bit chaotic."
Involving costume changes and street basketball scenes, the filming needed to be organized in advance, which also counted as a fan meet-and-greet.
Lee was a bit surprised.
He had indeed never performed a street show in New York, but the event was already set.
After a fist bump with the warm-hearted young man, he said earnestly:
"I will increase security personnel, thank you for your concern, Bro!"
Staff members came forward one after another for photos, and media reporters seized the opportunity to act as loudspeakers, discussing Stephen A. Smith's "complaint session" from last night.
"Clay, do you think there's a problem with the NBA's atmosphere?"
Lee really didn't expect Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant to appear on the same show:
"Teams need to serve the fans, and as far as I know, New York fans should prefer winning."
"The process and the result are the fans' personal choices. I just want to dedicate wonderful games to everyone."
"As for change, I don't know, and it's not important, after all, I'm just an ordinary person who likes trophies."
On Saturday, August 27, after returning to Greenwich, Lee took the girls out to sunbathe.
Ivanka and Melinda took a few of them to a neighbor's party, while Scarlett, who stayed home to sunbathe, enjoyed Lee's kneading, occasionally humming a few sounds.
In the garden, Kim returned to the parasol and casually flipped through a magazine in her hand.
Seeing the news that the movie "Fever Pitch" had flopped, she immediately complained:
"Going to Los Angeles to start a film career, Jimmy Fallon has been a mess since leaving SNL, and Tina Fey's success is hard to replicate."
Jimmy Fallon had spent most of the past two years in Los Angeles.
After focusing on his film career, he first flopped with a remake of "Taxi," and his second movie this year continued to flop.
The reviews were terrible, the box office was poor, and it couldn't compare to Tina Fey's "Mean Girls" from a few years ago.
Scarlett, who sat up, already knew this news, but she found it hard to relate much:
"Maybe he's not suitable for movies. The big screen and small screen are completely different."
"But he seems to be dating producer Nancy, so even if the movie loses money, he still has a girlfriend to help!"
Pulling her white camisole back onto her shoulders, Lee stood up, pulled the gloating big-bellied girl into his arms, and returned to Kim's side together:
"When Jimmy Fallon moves back to New York, I'll treat him to dinner, but he also seems to be planning to form a band, which is a terrible idea."
Lee's words made the two giggle.
The New York Media were all gloating, as the movie flopped again, constantly ridiculing this SNL celebrity.
In the film industry, flopping is the norm.
Katheryn had been flopping for a long time and hadn't attracted any media attention at all.
There are too many such small actors, pretty girls are a dime a dozen, and opportunities for fame are truly limited.
Scarlett, who stuck close to Lee, didn't have those troubles.
Although her pay was not high, she had won awards, and as long as her future commercial films didn't flop, she would definitely make a lot of money.
"I plan to make another movie next year, and then rest for a while."
Scarlett drew circles on Lee's chest, looking up and speaking of her plans in a husky voice.
Looking at the increasingly voluptuous young girl, Lee nodded, then leaned in close to her ear and whispered.
Soon, both of their faces flushed.
Scarlett, still with a young girl's mentality, readily agreed, giggling and whispering:
"Do you want to try it now? I've forgotten what breast milk tastes like."
Kim, on the other hand, threw the magazine in her hand at Lee, her face still slightly red:
"Don't listen to his nonsense! I'm not messing around with you two!"
Lee leaned down and kissed the obedient girl.
Seeing Kim still complaining, he immediately teased loudly:
"I'm just worried about your health!"
On sunday, August 28, on the eve of the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, a shooting suddenly broke out at a star-studded party.
Death Row Records founder, gangsta rap mogul Suge Knight, was shot, and Kanye Delonte West was soon called a true man by his fans!
The two sides exchanged more than a dozen shots, and eventually, a chaotic stampede occurred at the party.
ABC News reporter David Blaustein was on the scene and described his terrifying experience in the news early in the morning:
"It was crazy, everyone started running, everyone was screaming! Yelling that someone had been shot!"
"..."
The New York fans watched with amusement, but the next day, a shooting also broke out at the fan meet-and-greet in Queens, and a 21-year-old audience member was shot in the chest and died on the spot in front of hundreds of people.
As noon approached, Lee and the Pepsi staff were all depressed.
No one expected a shooting to occur during a commercial shoot.
At Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens, a large number of media reporters followed.
The other two injured young men had minor injuries and were confirmed to be fine.
Medical personnel informed Lee and his group immediately, and media reporters also gathered, attempting to interview.
Old Mike, who was beside Lee, could only loudly remind everyone to calm down:
"Hey, this is a hospital, guys, the interview will have to wait a bit longer!"
The blocked reporters complained a few times.
Everyone wanted to know the full story.
After confirming that the shot fan could not be saved, Lee shook his head at the staff, expressing regret.
Old Mike, who returned to Lee's side, unzipped his black jacket.
The old man had been a police officer in Philadelphia for half his life, and this was the first time he had encountered such a situation:
"Damn it! It seems I'm really old. They can even open fire in such a dispute."
The three who opened fire were all young men in their 20s, belonging to different gang members.
One was a die-hard fan of Lee, and the other two were troublemakers.
Before the event started, the two sides argued about who was stronger, Clay Lee or Michael Jordan, and the verbal argument eventually escalated into an exchange of gunfire.
What made Lee feel a slight lingering fear was that these guys were carrying guns and managed to enter the event venue.
"I swear, I will never participate in an event in Queens again!"
Lee also muttered quietly, then turned to the police officers behind him and said:
"Fortunately, you controlled the scene in time, otherwise more people would have been injured."
The police officers didn't seem to care much.
The young man who died on the spot didn't even affect them much.
That afternoon, the shooting swept across major sports media, and soon, sports commentators joined in the excitement:
"Basketball should not be associated with violence. Clay Lee is clearly not a quality idol."
"..."
...
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