NBA: The Basketball Miracle

Check out my new fanfic. A cote x hikigaya crossover.

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***

On June 15, 2000, New York fans were still savoring the sleepless night.

After Game 4, many continued to celebrate outside Madison Square Garden, and fans who bought high-priced tickets had only one feeling:

"These tickets were totally worth it!"

For the NBA, Game 4 was also a success, with peak viewership exceeding 29 million, clearly showing that a dramatic script was more popular with the public.

However, the league was still a bit disappointed that the New York Knicks reached match point.

In the final two minutes of the game, "Hack-a-Shaq" was harmonized by the referees.

This tactic severely affected the viewing experience, and to ensure a smooth and enjoyable Finals, the league helped the Lakers.

According to the planned schedule, David Stern wanted both sides to play a pivotal Game 5, and then, after returning to Los Angeles, a Game 7!

A Game 7 between two major market teams would certainly generate immense influence.

Unfortunately, the series did not go according to the expected script, so David Stern could only fly to New York early.

Next, he would prepare for the awards ceremony.

Boarding the plane with his staff, David Stern, though outwardly beaming with a warm smile for the media, sighed inwardly with helplessness:

"I gave you a chance, but you..."

Sports media felt that happiness came too suddenly.

Game 4 had too many classic moments, and discussing the game for several more days would not be an issue.

Fifty points in the Finals is not a common achievement.

The most recent one was Michael Jordan's record in Game 4 of the 1993 Finals.

That game was equally full of twists and turns, with Charles Barkley efficiently scoring 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists for a triple-double!

And Michael Jordan, with 21 of 37 shots, more efficiently scored 55 points.

Going further back, it would be the NBA of the 1960s, which many young fans have no impression of.

With too many classic moments in the game, the New York Times simply published a grand compilation:

"New York King!"

Accompanied by a photo of Clay Lee standing on the scorer's table with his hands raised, the atmosphere was perfectly set.

Clay Lee's miraculous 3+1 was repeatedly mentioned, and his last-second block on Shaquille O'Neal in regulation was hailed as the "Block of the Century";

In the final moments of overtime, Lee snatching the ball from Kobe's arms was lauded as the "Steal of the Century";

As for the drifting game-winner from the right elbow of the free-throw line just before the buzzer, it was given an even grander title:

"The Greatest Game-Winner in 21st Century Basketball!"

Considering that the 21st century had just begun, the rhetoric in these columns was indeed well-founded and irrefutable.

Although the series had not ended, New York was already boiling.

Fans celebrated the championship, major newspapers praised profusely, and the New York Knicks staff joyfully began decorating their home arena.

In James Dolan's first season as the team's decision-maker, the New York Knicks achieved a three-peat, and hoisting the o'brien cup at Madison Square Garden definitely called for a grand celebration!

Last night was also a sleepless night for the Lakers.

Losing in such a frustrating manner, Phil Jackson's "meditation chicken soup" completely failed.

Shaquille O'Neal, with a long face, read the newspaper after breakfast and noticed his embarrassing appearance when he was blocked, immediately tearing the paper to shreds in anger.

Kobe, the "best historical backdrop," had already been too angry to eat and even lost his appetite for breakfast.

Early in the morning, the hotel staff also began celebrating the New York Knicks' championship, and Phil Jackson thoroughly felt the arrogance of the city of New York.

The entire city's act of celebrating the championship prematurely deeply hurt the Lakers.

In the morning, Phil Jackson again led the Lakers in meditation.

Shaquille O'Neal only felt irritable, and the chicken soup couldn't be swallowed anymore.

Winning meant being a Champion Coach, losing meant being "Kentucky Fried Chicken Grandpa."

(A/N: 🤣😂😂)

Shaquille O'Neal felt for the first time that Phil Jackson was also unreliable!

All of the Lakers sat on the floor.

Phil Jackson adjusted his glasses, then tried to keep his voice soft as he encouraged them:

"Don't mind external influences. Remember, the series is not over yet."

"Focus your minds, recall our advantages. As long as we win one road game, for the next two games, we will return to Los Angeles!"

"Trust me, they have reached their limit. This is a man's contest, and we must persevere!"

"Recall our experiences this season. We should all know how difficult it was to reach the Finals."

"..."

Phil Jackson's rambling chicken soup made the Lakers irritable, and meditation lost its effect.

Some players even wanted to leave the city early.

Zen Master, Phil Jackson also used physical means to help the Lakers change their luck, making Shaquille O'Neal sneeze several times from the smoke.

Looking at this mystical old man, the depressed Shaquille O'Neal almost stormed out.

Kobe, however, let the Head Coach do as he pleased.

He had barely slept last night.

Every time he recalled losing the ball in the final moments, he found it difficult to fall asleep.

After Phil Jackson completed the luck-changing ritual, seeing that no one spoke, Kobe lowered his head and asked softly:

"Coach, how should we adjust for tomorrow night's game to win?"

Noticing that all the players were looking at him, Phil Jackson pondered for a moment, then finally spoke:

"Our game strategy is fine. Remember, persistence is victory!"

All of the Lakers were speechless.

Persistence is victory, translated, meant—give the ball to Shaq and Kobe.

On the morning of June 16, the Tarrytown Training Center once again had more media reporters than staff.

If Clay Lee previously only touched the edge of being a historical superstar, then after this year's Finals, he officially became a GOAT contender.

Just taking some photos of Lee and writing a news story would get fans to buy it.

Faced with such a hot topic as Lee, many reporters wished they could set up cameras directly in Lee's home for 24-hour coverage.

A reality show of a superstar would definitely be very popular!

The excessive media attention also brought some annoyance to Lee.

The girls didn't want to watch the games in person, mainly because they didn't want to live under the spotlight.

After all, most people are very mindful of their private lives.

Ewing didn't have these worries.

The Gorilla found that the New York Media didn't report on his missed layup in the final moments, and he immediately felt relieved.

After winning Game 4, Ewing felt incredibly fortunate.

If they had lost, New York fans would most likely have blasted him to no end.

With too many reporters around the training facility, the New York Knicks didn't joke around or chat.

Everyone tried to maintain their image, doing their best not to show their emotions.

Jeff Van Gundy had been walking on air these past two days, as if treading on clouds.

A three-peat, the peak of his life!

A guaranteed job for the rest of his life!

The Bald Young Coach had gradually grasped the true meaning of winning.

After Game 4 ended, he deeply understood Phil Jackson's feelings from back then:

"Historical superstars are the guarantee of victory!"

Jeff Van Gundy, posing on the sidelines, didn't say much during the morning practice.

Adopting the demeanor of a Champion Coach, he simply gave a brief instruction in the end:

"Give it your all in tonight's game, trust each other, and strive to win the series!"

The Knicks players gathered in a circle and shouted in response.

They were heading back to Madison Square Garden this afternoon, so everyone needed to grab a quick meal.

Clay Lee, dressed in his training uniform, was quickly surrounded by media reporters.

Everyone wanted to shove their microphones next to him.

Soon, a Yahoo Sports reporter loudly asked:

"Lee, will you score 50 points again in tonight's game?"

No one objected.

Instead, everyone looked at Lee with anticipation.

"Bro, I'm still human. This series has already made me lose weight!"

"Of course, for the victory, I will still give my all!"

Lee answered with a smile while flexing his biceps, and some sports reporters chuckled.

Soon, a TNT reporter also asked:

"Lee, will the Knicks lift the o'brien cup tonight? I noticed that the staff has already started setting up the Madison Square Garden."

Clay Lee was a bit helpless about James Dolan's inexplicable confidence, but at this moment, he still had to confidently boast:

"The entire New York is supporting us. I think the Knicks will definitely win the game tonight!"

"This is New York's victory! We are ready!"

On the afternoon of the 16th, the Knicks arrived at Madison Square Garden early to warm up.

Everyone attached great importance to the last home game.

No one wanted to go back to Los Angeles to play on the road.

Although Larry Johnson was just playing a supporting role in the game, he didn't care about the stats.

He was still in a cheerful mood from winning.

When interviewed by New York Media, Larry Johnson didn't hold back, enthusiastically praising Lee:

"As long as Lee is here, anything is possible!"

"Think about Lee's miraculous.performance last night, it was like he was possessed by God—a 3+1, a block, a steal, and a game-winner!"

"What we need to do in tonight's game is to keep giving him the ball, and then we can secure the victory!"

Oakley laughed heartily listening from the side and then stepped up to the two:

"Larry is right! No matter how the Lakers adjust, they can't stop Clay. Three consecutive championships, we're going to lift the trophy at home!"

Allan Houston was more modest when interviewed.

While warming up with his shots, he smiled and said to the New York reporter beside him:

"As Lee said, we are ready. Physical fitness is not an issue for us. The desire for the championship will ignite everyone's state!"

"God will not forget those who work hard. The Knicks are the better team!"

Ron Artest also got an interview opportunity.

New York Media loved this hometown player, especially after his crucial steal with Clay Lee at the end of the last game, which made Ron Artest's popularity soar:

"Believe me, that wasn't an accidental steal. Lee told me how to defend the opponent from the bench!"

"Lee predicted the Lakers' tactics. He even anticipated the opponent's offensive methods."

"Cool! That was truly incredible. The steal happened right before my eyes, and I still feel especially excited recalling it now!"

Watching Ron Artest suddenly enter chatterbox mode, the New York reporter wasn't impatient.

Instead, he smiled and encouraged him:

"Go, Ron, everyone wants to see the team lift the O'brien Trophy at Madison Square Garden tonight!"

The 16th happened to be a Friday, so after work, fans could head straight to Madison Square Garden.

Resale tickets rarely appeared on the market.

Everyone wanted to witness the team's historic moment.

The Lakers discovered during their afternoon warm-up that NBA staff had already begun rehearsing the championship award ceremony.

They were even left with only half a court for their warm-up.

This treatment infuriated Shaquille O'Neal, who continued to vent his frustration, even cursing the Knicks during his warm-up.

Kobe noticed that the Knicks staff had hung a bunch of things above the stadium.

He knew those were the championship ribbons that would be dropped after winning the championship.

Thinking about this situation, Kobe felt a bit uneasy.

He had wasted a golden opportunity.

Harper noticed his teammates were in a bad mood and could only offer simple comfort:

"Believe in your abilities. Never give up until the last moment of the game. We still have a chance!"

However, only a few people responded to these words.

Everyone was an adult, and in the history of the Finals, there had never been a comeback from a 1:3 deficit.

Creating history sounds easy, but most of the Lakers players had been in the NBA for many years, and no one believed in zero-probability events.

Phil Jackson's pep talks failed, Shaquille O'Neal only hurled meaningless insults, and Kobe was too young, so his words carried no weight.

Harper could only sigh helplessly in the end, thinking that his former teammate Kukoc might receive his third championship ring.

For a moment, he secretly sighed in his heart:

"Is choice greater than effort?"

Game 5 officially tipped off at 7:30 PM that evening.

Before the game, NBC, in addition to hyping up the match, also began discussing the topic of "historical superstars."

In the studio, Isiah Thomas, as a Champion Coach, talked about this topic and again highly praised Clay Lee:

"If Clay achieves a three-peat, considering he is 22 years old, he even has a chance to surpass Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan!"

"Youth represents unlimited possibilities. Without a doubt, with his current achievements, he is already a historical superstar."

"Now I would even rank Clay Lee before Magic Johnson. This is a three-peat. Anyone who has played in the NBA should know how difficult this is!"

Watching the smiling Isiah Thomas, Bill Walton raised an eyebrow and quickly offered a different perspective:

"But among these three championships, one was from a lockout season. I won't question the championship, but I won't rank Clay before Magic."

"Considering Michael Jordan's achievements, Clay Lee still has a long way to go!"

"After this season, the Knicks are likely to fall out of contention. Ewing is already planning to retire, and in the Finals, we all saw his impact on Defense."

"Basketball belongs to five people. To continue chasing history, the team still needs to reassemble a championship-contending lineup for Clay Lee."

Host Hannah noticed that neither of them mentioned the Lakers' potential comeback and couldn't help but ask with a smile:

"Will the series return to Los Angeles?"

Isiah Thomas looked at the statistics in his hand and, facing the camera, smiled again and said:

"The Knicks will not miss such an opportunity. Perhaps Shaquille O'Neal will continue to dominate the paint, but Clay Lee will win the game!"

"..."

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