Lonely Exit
In early December 1998, Patrick Ewing, who won the championship, seemed to be floating.
After the labor-management agreement negotiations at the end of last month ended unhappily again, in an interview at the beginning of the month, in order to defend the players' strike position, he made a shocking statement:
"Yeah, we players make a lot of money, but we also need to spend a lot of money."
This sentence immediately caused great controversy, but the gorilla didn't care about it.
At this time, Ewing had become as fat as a ball, his face was full of flesh, and his appearance had declined significantly.
This sentence made him break out of the circle directly, and almost all print media reported this incident.
Although what the gorilla said was true, the overly straightforward expression still made people anxious.
The chain reaction was that when Lee attended the launch of his signature sneakers on December 14, some media chased him to the press conference in order to interview him.
At Sony Studios in Midtown Manhattan, the popularity of the second brother Anfernee Hardaway declined and the demand for sneakers changed.
Lee took on the "Spray" and "Bubble" series at this time.
Since the new season failed to start as scheduled and the situation of big brother Michael Jordan is unclear, Nike worked hard on Clay Lee's new signature shoes.
The reason for choosing Sony Studios is not only to launch the new signature shoes, but also to allow more fans to participate.
The treatment is basically the same as a movie premiere.
Even for this press conference, Nike specially edited the highlights of Lee's career in the past two years, combined with personal interviews, and made a short film to be screened on the big screen.
Fortunately, although Lee's career was a little short, he made a lot of wonderful shots, including dribbling, passing, and big-hearted buzzer-beaters.
His big brother Michael Jordan became the best background board.
The film ended with Lee's voice, and huge words appeared on the screen:
"Anything is possible!"
The plan was originally well-made and the media reporters were also arranged, but the gorilla's words made even more media follow the climax.
Sneaker designer Eric Avar didn't care about the media watching the movie.
After the movie ended, he smiled and clapped.
The film is indeed good to watch, or it can be said that Lee's playing style is indeed gorgeous, and the effect of the combined marketing is very good.
Eric Avar likes his new signature sneaker very much.
He talked about his design concept to the media reporters in the audience:
"It retains the double Zoom, has a large area of carbon fiber plate and Foamposite upper, and at the same time, the dynamic inner bootie enhances the wrapping of the sneaker."
"All the support is put where it's needed most, and the shoe is lighter, which improves mobility."
"This is a pair of guard-only sneakers with a personal style, and the tongue has Lee's personal logo!"
"ClayGod, the logo is as you can see in the video. This is Lee's personal exclusive action. I hope you will like this series!"
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Clay Lee in the audience was chatting in a low voice with Bill Colhoun, the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated.
The signature shoes are scheduled to be officially released on Christmas.
At that time, Sports Illustrated will also take the opportunity to launch a special interview issue and reap some profits at the same time.
At this time, Lee, who was dressed in a formal suit, was covered in sponsors' products.
If there were eyes on his ears, he would have worn earrings.
"Pat is in a bad situation. This speech was too hasty. You have to pay attention to the questions from reporters later."
Bill Colhoun covered his mouth and whispered to Lee beside him that even if public relations arrangements were made in advance, no one could predict what outrageous questions the reporters would ask for hot news.
Lee nodded.
He had bid farewell to the short flat-top hairstyle that was unique to this era.
His slightly long hair was messily tousled by the stylist, making it look a bit messy, but it was in line with the identity of a young man.
Eric Avar finally brought the actual sneakers to the front of the stage, and Lee followed him up to the stage, ready to answer questions from the media reporters on the scene.
The name of this signature shoe is also unusually simple:
"Lee Flightpostie 1"
The tongue part shows Lee's personal dribbling action, and there is a Nike logo on the upper.
Both sides gave in to each other, and it was the product of mutual compromise.
According to Lee's memory, his signature shoe is similar to the "Air Flightpostie 1", with higher configuration, a more colorful orange sole, and a shiny white upper.
In order to reduce weight, the front of the shoe is made of black breathable material, plus a zipper design, which makes it highly recognizable in this era.
The paid media reporters actively asked questions according to the script, while Lee and Eric Avar smiled and introduced some interesting anecdotes about sneaker design.
Everything went well at the press conference until a reporter from the Chicago Tribune asked maliciously:
"Lee, what do you think of your teammates' recent views expressed by Ewing? Is it true that players spend more as he said?"
The Nike staff member on the side glared at the reporter who came out to pick a fight.
Lee smiled and replied:
"Maybe everyone is over-interpreting what Pat said. The players spent a lot of money. It means that in order to polish their bodies, we need more professional training."
"It's a lot of money and we need to be faster and stronger on the court, to be stronger physically and to stay agile."
"Our bodies are the foundation of our survival. I believe that many players will choose to hone their skills during the offseason, even if it costs a lot of money, everyone is willing to do so."
As soon as Lee finished speaking, a TNT reporter nearby laughed and teased:
"Li, we have all seen your offseason schedule and news, but Pat has become fat, which doesn't match your statement."
Soon, the surrounding media followed suit and said:
"How much weight has he gained? We saw him in Atlanta, oh! That must have been a lot of money!"
The Nike staff at the scene saw that the conversation of these reporters who were only looking for publicity was going off the track, so they quickly said loudly:
"There will be an interactive session later, so everyone can get ready. We will first give away the Knicks' limited edition away color sneakers to the fans!"
The cheers of the fans finally made the topic pass.
When Lee on the stage thought of the fat gorilla, he couldn't help but twitch his lips:
"The old guy actually got so swollen after winning a championship."
After the press conference, there was naturally a party.
The party hosted by Colin Cowie Company had no drugs and was generally a serious party.
A lot of Lee's superficial friends came, including Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey and others from Saturday Night Live.
The crew of "Practical Magic" was also present.
The film was released in mid-October, but its box office performance was average.
The two beautiful girls Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman were made to laugh continuously by Jimmy Fallon and Will Ferrell.
As Christmas is approaching, this is the last moment for everyone to get together.
Pretty girls wouldn't gather together. Jennifer Connelly, whose relationship broke down not long ago, was wearing a black dress and drinking casually with Lee on the other side.
"I wonder if Miss would like to share the same bed with me tonight?"
Lee's wolf intention was very clear.
The two met at the promotion of the movie "Dark City" at the beginning of the year and were just superficial friends.
The atmosphere tonight is just right and we can get to know each other better.
Lee watched Jimmy Fallon circling around Nicole Kidman, and immediately whispered to Connelly, who was drunk beside him:
"Wait for me a moment!"
While Jimmy Fallon was holding the champagne, Lee came over and whispered a reminder:
"Man, you gotta take advantage of this opportunity!"
Wearing a formal suit, Jimmy Fallon looked like a handsome guy indeed, but at this moment he deliberately played dumb and said:
"We just get along well, but she has a family!"
Lee curled his lips. The girls who came to the party were all ready to kill boring time.
The two were talking in a low voice, and Nicole Kidman, who was wearing a white dress, immediately joked:
"Lee, how about taking us to Las Vegas if you have a chance? We also want to experience the feeling of killing everyone!"
"Of course, no one can refuse Nicole's request!"
Although the pretty girl is a little older, with her hair tied up, her makeup is still delicate.
Under the stimulation of alcohol, her eyes are moving around, and it is obvious that she wants to play the eagle to catch the chicken.
Lee responded with a smile and poked Jimmy Fallon.
It was a private party, everyone was relaxed and chatting, and under the stimulation of alcohol, they were about to enter the next stage.
But everyone has a status, and they won't just go into any room to have fun.
It's also very simple to make an invitation, a look, a gesture is enough.
Tina Fey is a serious girl.
When she saw Lee leaving the stage with Connelly in his arms, and then looked at Jimmy Fallon who was still courting her, she couldn't help but complain in a low voice:
"All men are bad!"
The circle in New York was not big, and Jimmy Fallon ultimately failed to seize the opportunity.
The next day, Will Ferrell smiled and told Lee:
"Jimmy almost talked Nicole to sleep!"
The title of good man Jimmy was circulated among the few people.
This shy handsome guy finally chose not to attend the silver party and stayed at home playing games.
On the 16th, Lee celebrated Krysten Ritter's birthday, and the little follower was so moved that she unlocked more knowledge.
Before Christmas, a huge poster of Lee's signature sneakers was erected outside Madison Square Garden.
Nike has not been stingy with its promotional resources, at least in New York, with more and more advertisements, including TV commercials.
On December 23, 1998, before Christmas Eve, David Stern, with a beard, announced that if the two sides still had not reached an agreement by January 7, 1999, the NBA would recommend canceling all remaining games this season!
To show the seriousness of the matter and his dedication to his work, David Stern also said that he would not shave his beard before the labor agreement dispute was resolved.
Whether it was a show or a pressure, the president's ultimatum caused chaos in the players' union, and many people did not have a good Christmas.
On December 31, 1998, Lee celebrated his 21st birthday with Melinda at his home in Hartford.
Because his good friend Ivan had been in the hospital since August due to excessive partying, Lee spent this birthday in an especially low-key manner.
"Happy has grown up too, and isn't as cute as he was when he was little!"
Nestled in Lee's arms, Melinda shared her little life with him.
He hugged the girl tightly in his arms, but at this moment he missed Albuquerque very much.
On January 6, 1999, just as the new year began, David Stern issued an ultimatum.
The players' union chose to compromise, resumed negotiations with the league and management, and reached an agreement.
In the end, the league and the owners won a great victory in this negotiation!
On January 13, Michael Jordan held a press conference, and David Stern and the Bulls management were present.
All major media outlets seemed to realize something and flocked to Chicago.
Although labor and management have not yet officially signed the agreement, some terms have been disclosed, and Michael Jordan's commitment and super-max salary have become the biggest burden.
Michael Jordan, dressed in formal attire, sat on the stage, still accompanied by David Stern.
It seemed no different from his first retirement, except that Michael Jordan was a little older.
Without much politeness, he simply said:
"Thank you to all the fans who have supported me. Today I choose to officially retire from the Chicago Bulls."
Although they had predicted what would happen in advance, at this moment, the media in the audience still exclaimed, and while frantically pressing the shutter, they kept asking questions:
"Michael, why did you make such a choice?"
"Is it a management issue?"
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