"New York Knicks championship!"
"Li Feng is awesome!"
"Long live Li Feng!"
"Two consecutive championships! We are two-time champions!"
...
Not only were the players in tears, but the fans were also teary-eyed. It had been too difficult!
Li Feng and Yao Ming hugged each other tightly, both with tears streaming down their faces.
The two, who had been full of strength just moments ago, now felt their bodies go soft. If they hadn't been embracing each other, they might have collapsed onto the ground.
"Brother Yao, we did it! We did it!"
"Yes, Li Feng, you're the best. Your era has arrived!"
...
Afterward, Li Feng hugged each of his teammates, feeling proud of every comrade.
Li Feng finally walked up to D'Antoni, bowed deeply, and then embraced Coach D.
D'Antoni's run-and-gun tactics had brought out Li Feng's full potential.
Although some might say D'Antoni only won the championship because of Li Feng, Li Feng knew in his heart that Coach D's trust in him was the cornerstone of the Knicks' success.
After the Knicks players celebrated their victory, the Mavericks players walked over to congratulate the Knicks players.
Nowitzki walked directly to Li Feng and hugged him to congratulate him.
Li Feng saw the dejected look on Dirk's face; he was also exhausted.
"Congratulations, Li Feng. I really couldn't imagine you'd achieve two consecutive championships in just two years in the league!"
Dirk's eyes were filled with envy and admiration.
Li Feng replied modestly, "It's nothing. As soon as I entered the NBA, I met great coaches and teammates..."
After a few seconds of pause, Li Feng slowly uttered a few words: "I'm sorry..."
Dirk was taken aback; he didn't understand why Li Feng was apologizing at this moment.
"Sorry for what?"
"It's nothing, Dirk. If you have a chance, come to China, and I'll take you traveling!" Li Feng quickly changed the subject.
Li Feng suddenly recalled that before his transmigration, Nowitzki had led the Mavericks to defeat the arrogant Big Three of the Miami Heat, reaching the pinnacle of his career.
This championship held immense significance for both Nowitzki personally and for the Mavericks, changing many things.
However, Li Feng's transmigration had altered all of this, causing Nowitzki to miss out on the championship.
Nowitzki was already over thirty, and the chance of winning another championship was slim.
This was why Li Feng had genuinely said, "I'm sorry!"
"Okay, I might travel to Asia with my family during the offseason. China will be a primary destination. China's scenery is too beautiful!" Dirk yearned for China's landscapes.
Li Feng smiled, "Before you come to China, be sure to call me in advance, and I'll host you throughout your stay."
"It's a deal!"
"It's a deal!"
Basketball is basketball, and life is life.
During the game, they gave their all, wishing they could fight to the death! After the game, they were all good friends.
Kidd also had a long conversation with Li Feng.
For the older generation of players, Kidd was the traditional point guard, while Li Feng had revolutionized the guard position.
Therefore, before the Finals, Kidd was still unconvinced.
Although he hadn't expressed it in the media, his performance on the court clearly conveyed this.
But as the games progressed, Kidd felt Li Feng's dominance!
With his three-point shooting, off-ball movement, active help defense, and invincible strength, Li Feng held up the Knicks' offense and defense.
It could be said that without Li Feng, the Knicks would not have reached the Finals with any other point guard!
After a few pleasantries, Li Feng also expressed his respect for Kidd.
Then came the climax of the Finals – the awards ceremony!
In the six Finals games, Li Feng averaged 33.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 12.1 assists per game.
Thus, Li Feng was the undisputed Finals MVP.
As Li Feng lifted the shining trophy amidst the cheers of the crowd, the reporters' cameras all focused on him.
Under the incessant flashing of the strobes, Li Feng once again stood on the highest stage of the basketball world!
...
After the commotion died down, Li Feng sat quietly in the locker room. He now possessed two championship trophies and two Finals MVP trophies.
One MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, two All-NBA First Team selections, many Player of the Week and Player of the Month honors...
For a second-year rookie, Li Feng's achievements made all other stars envious and resentful.
...
"Jenna, where are you? I'm coming to find you!"
Li Feng kept his promise and was going to find Jenna immediately after winning the championship.
"I'm here at the side entrance to the left of Madison Square Garden," Jenna's gentle voice replied, with suppressed excitement.
Li Feng was touched again; he realized Jenna had once again put aside her work to come to the New York home game.
If it were Jenna's usual personality, she would definitely sit in the front row to cheer for Li Feng and seek opportunities to interact with him on the court.
But the current Jenna was very low-key. She bought a seat in the sixth row, wore large sunglasses, and quietly cheered for Li Feng.
The moment Li Feng raised the trophy high, Jenna also cried out with joy.
Li Feng couldn't care less about anything else. Even with reporters taking pictures, he ignored them and rushed out the side door of the arena.
As expected, Jenna was standing next to her red sports car, shivering a bit in the wind.
"Jenna!"
"Li Feng!"
The two embraced tightly, not separating for a long time.
Some persistent media reporters finally captured sensational material and took numerous photos of the two.
Jenna, born into the Kardashian family, was already accustomed to the spotlight. However, she knew Li Feng disliked excessive attention.
So, she whispered in Li Feng's ear, "There are too many reporters here. Let's go."
"Okay, I'll listen to you!" Li Feng kissed her cheek, then put his arm around Jenna, and got into her sports car.
Jenna was in a good mood, stepped on the gas, and the sports car shot away like an arrow, disappearing into the distance...
The two went directly to Li Feng's home.
As soon as they entered, they impatiently began tearing at each other's clothes, their figures appearing all over the room...
Li Feng turned off his phone and spent two full days with Jenna at home.
Since Jenna also had work in Los Angeles, she had to reluctantly part with Li Feng the next day.
As soon as Li Feng turned on his phone, it started ringing incessantly.
Countless friends, media outlets, and others had sent him messages.
Li Feng first checked his messages and found two from Bill Duffy regarding work.
One said: "Congratulations, Li Feng, on your second consecutive championship. I have good news for you: over a dozen international brands want to talk to you about collaborations!"
The second said: "Li Feng, the stock price of Red Star Sports has soared again, and your signature shoe sales continue to rise!"
Li Feng smiled, knowing that Bill Duffy's messages always brought him hundreds of millions in income.
Additionally, there were messages from Berg, the Knicks' team manager.
Besides words of congratulation, Manager Berg wanted to consult Li Feng on his opinions regarding the team's plans.
After two consecutive championships, some players on the team were nearing the end of their contracts and needed to discuss renewals.
As the absolute core of the team, Li Feng had the right and obligation to discuss the team's future with the management.
Li Feng thought for a moment and then called team manager Berg.
"Hi, Berg, sorry, I just turned on my phone..."
"Haha, no need to explain, I understand," Berg replied with a sly chuckle.
Li Feng didn't realize that news of him and Jenna being together had already spread like wildfire over the past two days.
"Okay, enough joking, let's talk business." Li Feng, guessing the situation and feeling a bit awkward, quickly changed the subject.
"It's like this, Lowry's contract has one year left, with a player option. Scola's contract has expired, and Bill Walker's contract also has one year left. He's been playing well, and we need to discuss his renewal. Also..."
Li Feng listened quietly, knowing that the post-championship effects were slowly setting in.
The NBA's parity system was very reasonable; it prevented any single team from dominating for too long.
Thus, the league continuously refined its salary and trade regulations to maintain equality among teams.
For example, there were salary cap systems, draft systems, and protections for veteran players.
After the Knicks won the championship, the team's key contributors would certainly demand large contracts, or they would be poached by other teams.
If the team was unwilling to spend generously, it would face a dismantling and disintegration.
The hard-earned chemistry would be broken, and they would have to find new players and re-integrate them.
Therefore, winning two or three consecutive championships was extremely difficult.
Generally, after reaching their peak, teams would enter a downturn within two to three years.
This was a test for the franchise player.
If they couldn't endure it, they might request a trade to a new team to quickly build around themselves and compete for a championship.
However, most franchise players chose to stay with their teams and weather the downturn.
After Manager Berg finished speaking, Li Feng slowly said, "Manager, if we can keep them, let's try to keep as many as possible. I'll give you a list shortly, and I'll tell you my priorities. If some players really can't be kept, then so be it."
Manager Berg had been waiting for Li Feng's words and immediately nodded, "That's great! Send me the list to my email once you've compiled it."
"Okay!"
...
As the Knicks' core player, Li Feng understood every player on the team thoroughly, perhaps even more so than the coaches.
Through playing alongside them, Li Feng knew each player's comprehension, potential, and talent.
Although Li Feng had never complained about his teammates, nor had he publicly criticized or ostracized anyone, he had his own internal evaluation.
Certain positions indeed needed strengthening.
If they could acquire more cost-effective players during the offseason, they could certainly sign them.
Additionally, some players were not highly paid on the Knicks. Now, other teams were offering high salaries, and the Knicks couldn't match them, so they would have to let them go.
In the email to the manager, Li Feng specified: "Li Feng himself, Yao Ming, Lowry, Billups, Jordan Hill, and Stoudemire are all essential to keep."
Among the remaining players, it would be best to keep them if possible; otherwise, they should be let go.
Scola was somewhat regrettable, but he was older. If he could accept a pay cut and humbly serve as a backup, that would be good.
However, if other teams could offer him higher salaries, he could also be allowed to leave, as players also needed to make a living.
After sending the email, Li Feng began planning his trip back to China.
He had now become an NBA superstar, and returning to China would not be as simple.
Domestic media and various interest groups would undoubtedly try their best to connect with Li Feng.
CCTV Sports Channel would require Li Feng to appear on several programs at least.
Additionally, some domestic businesses would eagerly seek Li Feng for endorsements.
He also had to visit the basketball schools he had donated to, provide some guidance, and discover a few promising talents.
Thinking about these things gave Li Feng a bit of a headache.
After all, he was only a young man in his early twenties. Although he had transmigrated, his mindset would also change with his body.
Li Feng did not want to get involved in too many miscellaneous matters.
So, he first went to Bill Duffy's office to discuss matters related to his return to China.
As Li Feng and Yao Ming's agent, Bill Duffy had earned a lot of money. However, he was not a bloodsucker.
While making money, he had also planned well for Yao Ming and Li Feng, maximizing their benefits.
Moreover, he acted with integrity, and his communication style was very pleasant, which made both Yao Ming and Li Feng very satisfied with him.
Most importantly, Bill Duffy genuinely liked China and Oriental culture, which was very rare.
Many foreign agents in the United States, while earning money from China, would insult China. Such ungrateful individuals were truly detestable.
"Bill, this time when I return to China, I want to have at least a month of free time. I want to travel with my friends."
Li Feng was a man of his word. He had promised several friends that he would take them on a trip to China.
For example, Lowry, Harden, and Nowitzki.
And of course, Jenna.
Bill Duffy understood Li Feng well and knew that his career ambition wasn't particularly strong.
Or, to put it another way, Li Feng wasn't very interested in money; he was only interested in basketball.
Bill Duffy respected Li Feng greatly and did not pressure him to do anything for the sake of his own commission.
He simply cooperated with Li Feng to the best of his ability and planned everything for him.
"No problem, Li Feng. However, before you return to China, you still have to meet with some international brand merchants, right?"
Although Li Feng didn't care about money, securing more endorsements would increase Bill Duffy's income, and Li Feng certainly wouldn't refuse.
"Okay, you arrange it. I'll talk to them."
Over the next few days, under Bill Duffy's arrangement, Li Feng screened dozens of merchants and finally reached cooperation agreements with five of them.
These five merchants included the luxury car brand Bugatti, the watch giants Vacheron Constantin, Hermès, Cartier, and the supreme cognac Martell.
For the rejected merchants, Li Feng's primary reason was that their bosses had made derogatory remarks about China in the past.
Although Bill Duffy felt it was a pity, he greatly admired Li Feng's principles.
After finishing these matters, Li Feng also shot several commercials according to his contracts.
Two weeks later, Li Feng returned to China alone.
Jenna had intended to return with Li Feng, but Jenna's work was also very demanding.
Although her current goal was not to piggyback on Li Feng's popularity, their public relationship had indeed brought Jenna a lot of attention.
Jenna's workload was substantial, and she was indeed very busy.