The rest is just noise

"Now is not the best time." Pat Riley said enthusiastically, "But I can announce that the golden age of professional basketball in Portland has arrived, and we will become the Celtics after the Celtics.

Knicks after Knicks.”

The series was obviously tied at 2-2, but Riley looked like he was about to win.

The New York media will certainly be dissatisfied, but they have more important things to do right now.

There is obviously an abnormal atmosphere inside the Knicks.

Stockton complained publicly about playing time, Miller was unhappy with Wilson, and a series of previous incidents.

Louis is disappointed with Stockton. On the surface, it seems that the other party is just complaining about playing time, but in fact it is a distrust of him.

Since he took over in New York, he has basically been able to enforce orders and prohibitions within the team.

It's not just in the past two seasons that Stockton has been substituted from time to time or substituted at critical moments.

But in the past, if he was not, or was substituted at a critical moment, Stockton would not have any other reaction, because he thought it was reasonable. Now, he feels that it is unreasonable, why? Because in his eyes, Louis is not

That's Louis.

As the first player on this team whose future was determined by Louis, he has been the team's anchor for many years.

Now, the same him has brought irreparable negative effects to the team at a critical moment in the finals.

"I don't know if some of you understand that what happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room."

Louis was furious.

"Do you think that if you tell the media about things, things will change?"

"John, tell me, why are you feeling depressed?"

Louis stopped beating around the bush and pointed his finger directly at Stockton.

Stockton, like all rebellious teenagers, had reasons to rebel, but at this moment, facing Louis' doubts, and under the gaze of those angry eyes, he felt guilty.

If he can't respond to Louis, he's wrong.

Stockton believes he was not wrong.

"I'm the team's core defender and have been since 1984." Stockton said matter-of-factly. "I've led the league in assists five times in the past six years. I've never been a problem for the team. I'm not the team's problem."

I can compete for the limelight, I won't steal the shots, I don't complain about the salary, I have never been the team's problem."

He repeated it.

When talking about this, Stockton's emotions that were suppressed by Louis appeared again.

That is unwillingness, he doesn't know why he was abandoned by Louis at a critical moment, and why Mohammed Rauf replaced him one after another.

Everyone agrees with Stockton that he has never been a problem for the team.

"However, you became the team's problem today."

Louis said angrily: "You want to put pressure on me through this matter and then change this situation. Am I right?"

When Louis finished speaking, the locker room was dull for more than ten seconds.

Stockton didn't reply, or rather, he didn't dare to reply.

Everyone knows it's the calm before the storm.

"I'm telling you, no way! I never had a problem with me using you, if I needed you to pass the ball, I'd bring you in, and if I'm sick of you not being able to put that damn

The ball went in and it was natural to replace you! You had many ways to deal with this problem, but you chose the stupidest and most unforgivable one. Why? Why do you bastards named John always let me down?

!”

Louis directed all his anger at Stockton.

He seemed to have forgotten about Miller.

But the shock he caused in these few minutes was severe enough.

Stockton didn't dare to reply, but Louis' voice filled the entire locker room,

In Tomjanovich's impression, Louis hadn't been so angry for a long, long time.

Moreover, many of Louis' angers in the past were faked.

This time today, his anger was real.

Louis probably took out all the anger he had accumulated recently on Stockton. When he calmed down, the locker room was so quiet that even Kemp's gasping for breath could be heard.

"I'll reiterate." Louis knew he had to control his emotions. "First, before the end of the season, I don't want any discordant voices to come out from within us; second, if there are any issues, raise them on the spot;

third"

Louis softened his tone.

"Go back and have a good sleep. We still have an away game to play."

After that, Louis walked out of the locker room.

About half a minute later, Miller chased after him.

"Is something wrong, Reggie?"

At this time, Louis had no idea that he had just started a fire.

Miller said: "Coach, I apologize to you, I should not have said unnecessary words to the media."

Louis didn't expect that he had obviously deliberately not caused trouble for Miller, so why could this guy send it up by himself?

Louis didn't scold Miller, not because Miller couldn't scold him, but because the problem Miller raised was real. But it was part of the whole plan, so he could only ignore it.

"Your unnecessary words will not affect me, and the person who needs your apology is not me, but Benj." Louis said lightly.

Unexpectedly, Miller said confidently: "No, I don't need to apologize to him. He owes us an apology."

Miller's words made Louis suspicious: "Oh?"

"I apologize to you because my words will indeed bring a lot of unnecessary trouble to the team. I should not have brought the matter to reporters. I should have said it directly in the locker room. As you said, there are

Just ask the question."

"Benj has a problem. Since the beginning of the finals, his performance is incomprehensible to me. He seems to be a different person. He is egoistic and selfish. He does not trust his teammates. He spends most of the time playing alone. Patrick looks like his mother."

It's like he's blind, and you turned a blind eye to his abnormal behavior. I want to know what's going on."

For a long time, Miller's presence within the Knicks was limited.

This is why many people think he is inferior to Dale Ellis. There is a group of loyal fans of Ellis in New York City who are carrying the banner of the Knicks and opposing Miller. The leader among them is the great director Spike Lee.

Because in 1988, Ellis almost single-handedly saved the Knicks, who were pushed to the brink several times by the Celtics.

And Miller was hidden next to Ewing and Wilson at his peak.

He is strong, but how strong?

No matter how good he is, can he be as good as Wilson and Ewing?

However, Wilson and Ewing are both qualified leaders on and off the court. Miller's strong mental strength and outstanding leadership are difficult to exert within the team.

It wasn't until this time that Louie discovered that Miller was a player with the "Hall of Fame Outspoken" badge.

Of all the people on the team, he was the only one who pointed out Wilson's problems from the beginning.

When Wilson refused to correct his mistakes despite repeated admonitions, Miller's methods of correcting his mistakes also became extreme.

This time he did something that he thought was very wrong, so he wanted to apologize to Louis.

Apologizing doesn't mean his intentions were wrong.

What he did was wrong, but his idea was right.

Louis wanted to tell Miller the truth, but now, he couldn't say anything.

Because Miller may not be able to understand, and these things are like blank spaces in movies. It is not beautiful to point out. Louis needs to let the players spontaneously understand the most essential and pure things in competitive sports. What he has to do now is wait.

They try their best to wait until that moment arrives, and then lead them to touch "that thing" at the most appropriate time.

"Reggie, you have known Benj for so many years, don't you still know him?" Louis asked.

Miller shook his head and said, "I really can't understand him!"

"how to say?"

"When he first started at UCLA, he was just like he is now, egotistical and domineering, a very aggressive player. I thought that was his style of play, and I accepted it. But after coming to New York, I found that he was not what I thought.

Like that, he can defend with all his strength, pass the ball selflessly, don't care about his own statistics and shot count, and can put aside his dignity as a star to set the stage for a role player like me." Miller misses that perfect Mr. Benjamin, "I really feel that this

His mother is a qualified core player, but now he has changed back. I don’t know what happened, I don’t know, I can’t understand him, I just want him back!”

Louis and Miller looked at each other.

He spoke slowly: "Like you, I want Benj to come back. I will persuade him, but I hope you have something to say to him face to face."

"Yes, if he continues like this, I will definitely tell him 'very well'!" Miller said with fierce eyes.