In New York, Madison Square Garden, known as the Mecca of Basketball, had nearly a hundred reporters gathered at the entrance, and a stretched Lincoln City slowly parked there.
Lin Yu sat in the car for a while, looking at the crazy reporters outside the window: "Would it be a little too public to appear like this?"
He glanced at himself, seeing Armani's suits, Vacheron Constantin's latest limited edition men's watch, Ray-Ban's sunglasses... these were all brands he endorsed.
In addition to this extended Lincoln, Lin Yu's appearance this time is simply rich and luxurious.
Amanda Gray, who was sitting in the front seat, told Lin Yu: "You are in New York now, everything is standard, nothing ostentatious."
After waiting for about a minute, the security guard at the door ran over to open the door and opened a path.
The car door opened, and Lin Yu stepped on the concrete slab at the entrance of the Madison Square Garden Arena, receiving the baptism of countless exposure lights.
However, because everyone knew there would be a press conference later, no reporters asked questions. They were just taking photos and wanted to choose one to accompany today's report.
After Lin Yu stepped into Madison Square Garden Arena, James Dolan stood in front of a huge Knicks logo and extended his right hand towards Lin Yu.
After James Dolan, Lin Yu also saw Isiah Thomas, who is said to be going to Europe to relax, the Knicks' current center coach Patrick Ewing, Knicks star, and Madison Square Garden home commentator Walter
- Frazier, the diminutive Spike Lee, a well-known Knicks fan.
Lin Yu even saw the league's vice president, Adam Silver...
This welcome ceremony and this press conference are indeed the highest treatment. For the Knicks, they are too eager to succeed and a new superstar to lead them forward.
Lin Yu is the first barrel of nectar after a long drought.
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"I am deeply pleased with Lin Yu's joining. He will be the new top star of the Knicks. He will become the new sports spokesperson of the Big Apple. I believe he can lead the Knicks to success..."
Half an hour later, at the press conference, James Dolan finally finished his speech welcoming Lin Yu to join. I have to say, this guy is quite good at stealing the show. Lin Yu didn't say a word, but he had already occupied it.
It took so much time that the reporters in the audience became a little impatient.
After he finished, the on-site host Walter Frazier finally announced that it would be time for Lin Yu to accept an on-site interview.
"Two questions. First, Lin, do you have anything to say about your past, the Cleveland Cavaliers?"
The first question was from a reporter from the New York Met. Compared with the New York Times, New York Post and New York Daily News, which are always making trouble, the Met is equivalent to the Knicks’ own media, and its reports in all aspects are still good.
It's considered positive.
Lin Yu already understood this, and this came from the detailed information he received from Steve Mills during his previous meeting.
There are more than 20 print and television media in New York, as well as five or six online media, adding up to more than 30, which have a certain influence in the New York area, including the print media New York Times, New York Post,
The New York Metropolitan newspaper and magazine The New Yorker, the New York Daily News, both online media and print media, etc.
In general, the New York Metropolitan newspaper's questions were very friendly, and Lin Yu's answers were also relatively relaxed.
"I am very grateful to the Cavaliers for choosing to believe in me even after I suffered injuries, and I tried my best to help them win the first O'Brien Cup in team history. Likewise, it was also my first O'Brien Cup.
Cup, for me, it was a wonderful experience, I gained growth there, and it is the only way for me to succeed."
"So, what do you want to say about your present and future?"
"Now and in the future, I join the Knicks. This is another part of my journey, but I hope this will be the end. I hope I can gain real success here."
After the two questions were over, Walter Frazier then called out the New York Times reporter, and trouble gradually began to encroach.
"What do you mean by true success? Doesn't an O'Brien Trophy and a Bill Russell Trophy count as success?"
"For many people, a championship plus FMVP is considered success, but for me, that is just the first step to success. All NBA athletes will regard Michael Jordan as their goal, whether it is or not.
The rhetoric is difficult to realize, and I am the same. I don’t have a regular season MVP, I don’t have more championships plus FMVP, and I don’t have a scoring champion. Compared with success, I am still far away.”
If this question from the New York Times was answered by someone else, if you are not careful, it will turn into a live broadcast of lies. What the New York media is best at is to induce players to tell all kinds of lies.
But Lin Yu handled it carefully, and apart from the media who would take it out of context, there would be no problems with his answer.
"This is the second time in your career that you have been traded. Do you think it is any different from the first time?"
When asked by the New York Post, Lin Yu saw that this guy was hesitant to speak. He knew that if he said there was no difference, the other person would immediately tell him what the differences were. The most important difference was that this time, Lin
Yu wanted to leave on his own initiative.
This is also the reason why Lin Yu is not going to denounce the Cavaliers management at the press conference when he joins the Knicks, because this time, he is not forced to leave.
"Compared with the first time, there are of course differences. For example, this time I took the initiative to leave because I was unhappy in Cleveland, but I think there is nothing to say because the transaction has already happened.
What we have to do is look back.”
"There are rumors that Danny Ferry broke the promise made by the Cavaliers owner to you in this transaction. What promise was it?"
New York Daily News, I have to say that these guys who like to call themselves the uncrowned kings are quite well informed.
Since he asked, Lin Yu was ready to answer truthfully, because there was really nothing to hide, Danny Ferry was at fault, and Isiah Thomas had already dismissed the get out of class...
"Mr. Dan Gilbert promised that I could choose my next home independently. At the beginning, they provided several options, but before I made a decision, I learned that the transaction had taken place."
This answer confirmed the rumors that Lin Yu was not respected by the knights.
But what the New York media saw was not this, but: "So, you were not planning to join the Knicks at the beginning? But you were forced to have no choice?"
As expected, he is a master of rhythm. Lin Yu shook his head: "No, to be precise, the Knicks are under my consideration. I told Isiah that if he can negotiate with the Cavaliers, David Lee will be removed from the trade.
If not, I would choose to join the Knicks, but..."
Isiah Thomas was at the scene. After Lin Yu further explained, everyone turned their attention to him in an instant.
This old assassin, who had committed many evil deeds in his sports career, lowered his head with a flushed face.
But the media in New York are obviously different from ordinary people. They quickly put their focus on the other side: "The Smiling Assassin broke his promise to you. Is this why he was dismissed?"
This time, Lin Yu lied and denied it with a short answer: "No."
After that, the questions at the press conference went even further off track——
"In all your career, you have always had your promises broken by others. Is this specifically related to you?"
"Maybe it's because many people don't take their promises seriously, and it has nothing to do with me."
"After changing three teams in three seasons, are you not afraid of becoming a well-known bum in the league?"
"I'll be in New York for a long time."
"That's what you said when you joined the Knights."
"I don't remember saying that when I joined the Cavaliers. Maybe I said that, but everything will change as events develop, right?"
"..."
Questions were asked one after another, but none of them related to Lin Yu's prospects in the Knicks, his hopes and prospects of joining the Knicks. I have to say that this group of New York media is too weird.
Finally, a reporter from the New Yorker even asked: "Many star players have suffered tragic failures in the Knicks. If you also suffered a failure, will you regret that you proposed a trade and left Cleveland?"
Lin Yu's answer was: "I will not fail."
As a result, the New Yorker reporter asked: "I said if, if you encounter..."
Lin Yu interrupted him directly: "There is no if!"
…
As Walter Frazier announced the end of the press conference, a terrible franchise press conference finally came to an end.
Standing on the floor of the Madison Square Garden Arena, looking at the two championship banners from the 1960s and 1970s above his head, as well as a group of retired jerseys from even older times, Lin Yu knew that the challenge he faced had just begun.
The press conference that ended in the last second told him that when he was in New York, there would not only be fights on the field, but also various fights off the field...