Chapter 616: Grand Slam, the number one player in the league
After hugging D'Antoni, Lian Dao turned around and hugged Mike Woodson and other members of the coaching staff.
And, of course, Rasheed Wallace.
"Sickle, I think I retired too early last year. I should have played for another year."
Rasheed Wallace pretended to be disappointed when he hugged Lian Dao.
"Hahaha, there are not many players who win the championship after joining the coaching staff for the first time, Rashid, but you can choose to come back next season. Next season, you know..."
Lian Dao patted Rashid on the shoulder and said.
Rasheed Wallace still has gas in the tank, Lian Dao is sure of that.
Although he is unlikely to play for a long time, as a veteran in the locker room, his role for the team cannot be reflected in statistics.
In particular, the Knicks will strive for three consecutive "dynasty" championships next season, and having a veteran in the locker room will bring too many benefits.
"Forget it, I have dedicated my best time to basketball and the court. Now, I just want to live a more relaxed life. The assistant coach is actually quite suitable for me!"
Rasheed Wallace finally shook his head and rejected Lian Dao's proposal.
In fact, he has a lot to consider, especially since he has a deep understanding of his own strength.
If he can't shine on the court, he would rather retire.
Moreover, after a year of retirement, he accepted and adapted to this peaceful life.
Lian Dao patted Rashid on the shoulder to express his acceptance.
Not every professional player's life must be completely dedicated to the game. They also have to choose their own way of life.
After a brief hug and celebration on the sidelines, the Knicks players returned to the locker room and changed into championship T-shirts and baseball caps symbolizing the championship.
Returning to the stadium, the atmosphere at the scene gradually calmed down. By this time, the temporary podium had been set up.
On the stage, league president David Stern and "Lord of the Rings" Bill Russell were waiting.
No one was on stage, including owner James Dolan and general manager Donnie Wash.
They were all waiting for Lian Dao to take the lead.
Lian Dao walked into the crowd, high-fived his teammates, coaches and team managers one by one and stood in front of the stage.
Stern had already walked towards him and said congratulations.
Although the ratings of the final game of the finals did not meet his initial expectations, Stern still admires Lian Dao as a cash cow.
Especially in the three years since Lian Dao joined the league, the NBA's influence in Asia has directly risen to a new level.
For Stern, who has been committed to the NBA's globalization strategy and improving the NBA's international status, there is nothing more exciting for him than this.
Under the expectant eyes of everyone, Lian Dao walked to the podium, followed by James Dolan, Donnie Wash, teammates, and coaching staff.
Soon, the award ceremony began.
There were quite a few spectators left at the scene.
In addition to the Knicks fans who came all the way to cheer for the team, there were also many Thunder fans at the scene.
Although it's a bit regretful that the Thunder lost at home and were swept, for fans, most people don't want to miss the awards moment.
"We would first like to thank the Oklahoma City Thunder. They showed fighting spirit, talent, and team... It was their outstanding performance that presented the fans with a wonderful finals."
As usual, Stern praised his opponent as usual, which also caused a burst of cheers from the Thunder fans at the scene.
"Then we would like to congratulate the New York Knicks for their great achievement of successfully defending their title. They are the NBA champions in the 2011-2012 season!"
When Stern finished the second half of his sentence, the Knicks players standing behind him began to cheer wildly in celebration.
After Stern finished speaking, he handed the championship trophy to James Dolan.
James Dolan's face turned into a smile, but he did not receive the championship trophy from Stern.
Instead, he pulled Lian Dao in front of him and signaled Lian Dao to be the first to win the championship trophy.
In the expectant eyes of his teammates, coaching staff and management, Lian Dao took the championship trophy from Stern and held it high.
The cheers of the Knicks fans at the scene suddenly reached the highest level, and the cheers were accompanied by ribbons flying all over the sky.
At this moment, Lian Dao felt as if he was in Madison Garden.
Lian Dao did not occupy the championship trophy for too long. After raising the photo for a group photo, he handed the trophy to James Dolan.
This is James Dolan's second championship trophy after buying the New York Knicks.
Of course, this is not the happiest thing for him. What makes him happiest is that these two consecutive championships have directly erased the reputation of being a "foolish person with too much money".
Coupled with the Knicks' precise operations in the trading market in the past two years, many insiders are amazed.
Especially with the skyrocketing market value of the New York Knicks, he can now be said to have gained both fame and fortune.
After that, he turned around and handed the trophy to D'Antoni behind him.
In the camera, D'Antoni is smiling broadly, and the folds on his face seem to be blooming like a flower.
When D'Antoni lifted the trophy, the audience burst into applause again.
Afterwards, the championship trophy is passed between the players.
Every player held the trophy high, cheered excitedly, and kissed the honor of the championship.
The shiny trophy was suddenly covered with saliva, and Lian Dao felt a chill as he looked at it.
At this time, he was somewhat grateful that he was the first player to win the championship.
Finally, there is no doubt that Lian Dao also received the second FMVP trophy of his career from Bill Russell.
In the four games of the finals, Lian Dao averaged 30.5 points, 9 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Although this data has declined compared to last season's finals, this is not because Lian Dao is not strong, but because the Thunder just can't help playing.
In the last two games of the finals, Lian Dao clocked out in the third quarter, and they did not give Lian Dao a chance to play in the fourth quarter.
Naturally, there will definitely be some impact on the data.
Regular season MVP, finals MVP and championship, Lian Dao completed the Grand Slam achievement for two consecutive years!
Now it is said that Lian Dao is the best player in the league. No media or fans can refute it.
In his speech at the FMVP award ceremony, Lian Dao was as humble as ever, giving all the credit to his teammates and head coach, and thanking everyone at the same time. The whole atmosphere moved his teammates and fans.
But near the end, Lian Dao said something that made the fans watching the live broadcast take a breath.
"...We will not stop, we will attack the dynasty next season!"
Lian Dao's calm words made the entire alliance feel like they were facing a formidable enemy.
Because they know that the Knicks have the strength, and Lian Dao is true to his word.
…
After the award ceremony, everyone in the Knicks returned to the locker room.
Although the award ceremony is over, the celebration ceremony for Knicks players is not.
Although it was an away dressing room, James Dolan did not lower his standards.
Just like last year, the locker room was filled with celebratory champagne.
But with the experience of last year, most people in the Knicks have experience this time.
Before entering the locker room, they put on their raincoats and swimming goggles, and then swarmed up.
Of course, there are a few rookies who are inexperienced and they are not as fast as the veteran birds. They look at the veteran birds wearing raincoats and swimming goggles with confused faces, and even feel that they are making a fuss out of a molehill.
But soon, they knew the old bird's intention.
Jeremy Lin, Jimmy Butler, Whitey Hassanside, etc., these players who joined at the beginning of the season were baptized with champagne by the veterans.
Of course, Lian Dao, as the team boss, cannot avoid it.
Although he put on all the rain gear, he was still besieged by these guys, and even his raincoat was torn to pieces by these guys.
After the battle, Lian Dao was drenched in champagne and sparkling wine, and his whole body was filled with the sweet smell of sparkling wine.
After D'Antoni and team owner James Dolan learned the lesson of last year's champagne baptism, this time the two guys disappeared just after the award ceremony.
It wasn't until the carnival was over and on the plane back to New York that the two of them actually appeared.
That night, the Knicks did not stop in Oklahoma City.
Instead, he took a special plane directly back to New York.
Mainly James Dolan prepared a bigger rave party for the team in the most luxurious nightclub in New York.
After all, Oklahoma is not the Knicks' territory, and they can't completely let it go if they want to play.
And, most importantly, the large entertainment venues in Oklahoma City are simply not as good as those in big cities like New York and Los Angeles.
Therefore, we cannot blame James Harden for stretching his hips when playing away games in New York and Los Angeles.