Chapter 44: The Pressure from the Media
On November 14, 1996, after two days of media fermentation, Lee You's frequent appearances on television caused his popularity to skyrocket...
New York's print media dug deeper into Lee You's story. The year 1996 was also an era of looking at faces; the "superstar standard childhood" combined with a handsome face pushed the gorilla Patrick Ewing completely out of the minds of the fickle New York fans.
Lee You truly caught a wave of good timing. In early April 1996, Yahoo went public on NASDAQ, and on its very day, Yahoo's stock price of 13 dollars surged to 33 dollars!
"Chief" Jerry Yang instantly entered the ranks of Wall Street billionaires.
Equally young, equally well-educated in America with stellar academic records, and making a name for himself in the NBA, Lee You barely managed to catch this wave of hype and was branded with the label of a genius...
After waking up from a hangover, Lee You looked at the mainstream newspapers publishing lengthy articles praising the system with a sense of weariness.
ABC might think this place was heaven, but for Lee You, the hardships of his childhood in Albuquerque constantly reminded him that this was a man-eat-man society.
Near noon, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, treated him to lunch. The two ate and chatted at a nearby French restaurant:
"This is New York! As long as you can put on an outstanding performance, you'll become the media's target of pursuit!"
"With these records, even if you come off the bench, New York fans won't forget you. So, don't feel pressured, we've already succeeded!"
Mark Bartelstein was worried that Lee You would be overwhelmed by the media and crack under the pressure, so he specifically flew to New York to deliver some psychological counseling.
Lee You was devouring the French beef and spinach in front of him. At last night's party, he had focused entirely on drinking and had gone hungry all morning. It took several bites before he finally recovered completely:
"I don't care at all about what the media reports. These articles are quite uninteresting, not to mention that the regular season has just begun, and these records and stats don't really prove much."
Seeing that Lee You genuinely seemed unaffected, Mark Bartelstein let out a sigh of relief.
The Milwaukee Bucks had also started the season brilliantly, currently boasting a 5-1 record, yet the team received a fraction of the attention.
Ray Allen went 9-for-19 in a game against the Suns a couple of days ago, including 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. His stats were very impressive, yet he didn't receive much praise.
"Why not choose to sign a sneaker contract right now? The offers I've received are quite decent!"
Hearing Mark Bartelstein's words, Lee You responded in a light tone:
"The duration is too long, and the price is too low. I have more opportunities for exposure, and I know my own capabilities. In less than a year, these shoe manufacturers will be coming back with new offers."
A 6-year, 12-million-dollar deal—Mark Bartelstein felt Adidas's offer showed plenty of sincerity, but he also agreed with Lee You's perspective:
"Focus on playing basketball, and don't mind Jeff Van Gundy's attitude. He isn't Pat Riley; sooner or later, he'll compromise with the media."
Mark Bartelstein didn't spell it out completely, but Lee You knew that this guy was also going to start pulling strings. Greenbacks could sometimes dictate the direction of public opinion...
Thinking about the traits of New York fans and the media, Lee You figured Jeff Van Gundy would go bald sooner or later!
Not only did they need wins, but they also had to play with flair. New York audiences were perhaps the most demanding fans in the league...
The Knicks had only three games this week, and all three were at home.
On the night of the 14th, the Toronto Raptors visited Madison Square Garden for a rematch.
Rookie Marcus Camby had secured his starting position after a few games and put on a stellar performance that night, shooting 9-for-14 and scoring a team-high 29 points!
Although the Knicks won, the fans watching live felt like they had just eaten chocolate that tasted like bird poop...
The pace was too slow, and there were too many turnovers. Patrick Ewing went 9-for-16, putting up 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 6 turnovers.
The Gorilla had wanted to teach the opposing rookie a lesson, but his game shape that night was genuinely mediocre.
96 to 102. The Knicks stumbled their way to a win.
After resting for a little over a day, they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on the evening of the 16th.
Facing the Timberwolves' tall frontcourt, Jeff Van Gundy stuck to his low-post tactics. This time, Ewing didn't betray his coach's trust, once again displaying dominant form.
Playing 44 minutes, shooting 9-for-17, with 26 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 turnovers, Ewing completely dismantled the Timberwolves' interior.
Kevin Garnett lost all his shooting touch after being knocked flat onto the floor by Charles Oakley, playing obediently for the rest of the game without daring to utter another word of trash talk, displaying a submissive rookie attitude:
"Just call me Little Garnett..."
Playing 40 minutes, Garnett shot 4-for-17, with a shooting percentage below thirty percent, managing only 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.
80 to 86. In this gritty battle of attrition, the Knicks ultimately won the game once again.
Despite holding an 8-1 record, the New York media still refused to give Jeff Van Gundy a pleasant expression. At the post-game press conference, Patrick Ewing was similarly subjected to questioning:
"Pat, we now have a much better guard. Why don't we run more pick-and-roll offense?"
A reporter from the New York Post showed Ewing no courtesy, aiming their spear directly at the "King of New York."
Patrick Ewing despised these media members who constantly belittled him. A look of impatience crossed his face as he responded in an unfriendly tone:
"Winning is the team's pursuit. We won the game, and that's what matters most!"
"I don't want to explain to you how basketball should be played. I believe you all saw that I dominated the interior tonight."
"..."
Jeff Van Gundy had indeed compromised with the media, increasing Lee You's playing time and no longer chopping up his minutes into tiny fragments.
This was certainly what New York fans wanted to see, but as Ewing's playing time increased along with it, Lee You, who had previously been free to roam and create on the bench, found himself restricted.
On certain possessions, he was forced to slow down, pass the ball more to the interior, and settle for more catch-and-shoot jumpers.
Even when opponents ramped up their defense against Lee You, his scoring remained steady, and his assist numbers ticked up slightly, making his stat line无可挑剔 (impeccable).
New York fans saw it all, and after these two games concluded, they redirected their targeting at Jeff Van Gundy and Ewing...
Fortunately, the Knicks had three consecutive away games coming up. A balding Jeff Van Gundy finally breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily shaking off the clinging New York media.
On the night of the 19th, with a score of 96 to 88, the Knicks defeated an Orlando Magic team missing Penny Hardaway. Immediately after the game, they boarded a plane to Charlotte, only to suffer a back-to-back loss to the Hornets.
Having lost the match, Larry Johnson returned to the locker room with a grim expression.
"Grandmama" went 4-for-5 tonight, contributing a meager 9 points...
"What a goddamn pace! Can we possibly play any slower? Motherfucker, I've had enough of this kind of basketball!"
Larry Johnson kicked over an ice bucket, swearing continuously. Over the past few games, the team's total possessions had hovered around 68 per game. After venting his emotions, Grandmama slumped back into his seat and glared fiercely at Charlie Ward.
The rookie was so frightened he didn't dare make a peep in his seat; he was merely playing basketball according to the coach's demands.
At this moment, Allan Houston proactively stepped up to take the blame, speaking in a solemn and loud voice:
"It's my fault. Too many turnovers, letting the opponent continuously score in transition."
Upon hearing the word "turnovers," the newly acquired Chris Childs, who had just returned from injury, didn't even dare look at Larry Johnson—he alone had contributed 3 turnovers after checking in...
Charles Oakley said nothing, merely staring straight at Larry Johnson with a tight jaw.
When Lee You entered the locker room, he paid no mind to the tense atmosphere. Returning to his seat, he smiled brightly and stoked the flames:
"Don't worry, Larry. I promise I'll pass you the ball more the next time we play the Hornets, though you'll have to convince the coaching staff to change the tactics first."
"We are family! Don't take it out on your own blood!"
Hearing Lee You's words, Larry Johnson took the out handed to him. He stopped glaring at the others and muttered a couple of final, vicious curses:
"Shit! I knew a rookie coach was unreliable!"