Under Li Feng's organization, the Knicks blossomed, and the players' confidence soared.
Besides Lowry, Scola also sank a long two-pointer.
Just as the Lakers focused on defending the perimeter, Li Feng suddenly passed the ball back to Yao Ming in the paint.
Yao Ming slammed it home for a score!
On the Lakers' side, apart from Kobe's scoring, others had low shooting percentages.
With 28 seconds left in the game, the Knicks led by nine points, and the Lakers' fate was sealed.
Many fans in the arena covered their faces and wept. The Lakers had failed to defend their title.
Kobe's face was ashen, standing on the court, no longer attacking.
In the end, in the sixth game of the NBA Finals, the Knicks defeated the Lakers, winning the championship with a 4:2 series score!
The moment the referee's whistle blew, the Knicks players went wild and rushed towards Li Feng.
Li Feng was hoisted by his teammates and tossed high into the air!
Everyone understood in their hearts that this championship was won with Li Feng carrying the team all the way!
Li Feng's eyes welled up with tears. He hugged every teammate tightly, offering congratulations.
At the same time, he thanked everyone, even the teammates who hadn't played a single minute.
This was Li Feng: mature and magnanimous!
"We are the champions!"
"We are the champions!"
...
The Knicks players linked hands, forming a circle, shouting loudly.
Lakers fans left the Staples Center in disappointment, but a small portion of the gracious fans remained, standing and applauding the Knicks.
The Knicks' performance in the Finals was convincing; they played unparalleled team basketball.
Li Feng not only performed slightly better than Kobe individually but also excelled in motivating his teammates!
In the six Finals games, Li Feng averaged 31.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 12.7 assists!
Kobe, in contrast, averaged 28.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over the six games.
Although Kobe's performance was also outstanding, he fell slightly short compared to Li Feng.
After Li Feng and his teammates celebrated wildly, Kobe also walked over and sincerely congratulated Li Feng.
"Hey, Li Feng, well done. I can't believe you won the championship in your first year in the NBA!"
Kobe knew in his heart that a new king had arrived in the league, and superstars like them had faded into the background.
Li Feng replied humbly, "Thank you. I was just a bit luckier. I hope we'll meet again in the Finals!"
Kobe gave a wry smile and said, "I knew you weren't an ordinary player during the Olympics. It turns out you are indeed a future superstar."
"No, I still have a lot to learn. Perhaps a stronger team will emerge next year. Let's both keep working hard!"
Seeing Li Feng remain so calm even in the moment of victory, Kobe was even more impressed.
Other Lakers players also came over to congratulate the Knicks players one by one.
Gasol hugged Li Feng tightly, patting his back, "Li Feng, I really envy you and Yao Ming for winning the championship together!"
Li Feng smiled, "Thank you. Da Yao and I communicate often. This championship is dedicated to Da Yao; he did so much for the team!"
"You did a lot too. You are the biggest contributor to the Knicks' championship!" Gasol had witnessed Li Feng's prowess during the Olympics.
Therefore, Gasol wasn't truly surprised by Li Feng winning the championship this time.
Especially after Yao Ming joined the Knicks, it made the Knicks' roster even more balanced.
...
As the Knicks teammates were celebrating together, a tall figure walked onto the court.
Li Feng and Yao Ming looked, and it was Yi Jianlian!
Ah Lian had actually come to the Lakers' home arena to cheer on his two compatriots.
Li Feng and Yao Ming were deeply touched, and the three hugged tightly.
Reporters raised their cameras, capturing this precious moment.
"Da Yao, Li Feng, you guys are amazing! I really envy you, haha!" Ah Lian's tone held a hint of envy.
However, he was still happy for the two of them.
"Ah Lian, you keep working hard too. You're playing well for the Nets, and I hope you can make the playoffs next season!"
"I'll try. The chemistry on the Nets is improving. I hope we can make the playoffs next season, and then we'll have a chance to meet!"
The three chatted for a while, and then it was time for the on-site award ceremony.
With his outstanding performance, Li Feng was deservedly named the F...
...
Upon returning to China, Li Feng spent a few days with his family before heading to the Red Star Sports headquarters.
Li Feng was considered a great benefactor to Red Star Sports, so they were preparing to welcome him as soon as he returned to China.
Li Feng arrived at the Red Star Sports office building and saw company employees lining up in two rows to welcome his arrival.
Chairman Deng Huasheng, along with members of the board, waited at the entrance to greet Li Feng.
Li Feng was deeply moved. He politely shook hands with the senior management and, surrounded by everyone, entered the building.
Deng Huasheng accompanied Li Feng, giving him a tour of Red Star Sports' various departments.
Li Feng was very satisfied with Red Star Sports' planning. He noticed that the design department offered the best benefits.
This indicated that Red Star Sports was not a one-off deal; Deng Huasheng truly intended to grow this sports brand!
Li Feng also saw many foreign faces in the design department.
"Boss Deng, these foreigners are..."
"Heh, Li Feng, these designers are people we've poached from Adidas and Nike. They have years of experience with their brands and will bring us some inspiration."
Li Feng praised, "Boss Deng, this is excellent. It shows you have great foresight and aren't complacent!"
Deng Huasheng sighed and said, "You don't know, but when I went to recruit them, I faced collective obstruction from the board. They thought I was being too foolish and that the costs were too high."
Li Feng was well aware of the pressure Deng Huasheng had faced.
When signing with Li Feng, Deng Huasheng had already been questioned by the company's top brass.
At that time, Li Feng was just a rookie. Although he performed well in the Olympics, the Olympics only happened once every four years, which couldn't prove Li Feng's commercial value.
Other players from different countries had also delivered outstanding performances in international competitions.
However, upon entering the NBA, they faded into obscurity or were quickly eliminated.
Therefore, signing Li Feng to a five-year contract for ten million dollars a year at that time was incomprehensible to many.
This was because Red Star Sports' annual profit was only a few million RMB before that.
But Deng Huasheng, overcoming all objections, still signed Li Feng to a five-year long-term contract!
As it turned out, Deng Huasheng's foresight was correct. In just one year, Li Feng had multiplied Red Star Sports' profits tenfold.
He also helped Red Star Sports penetrate the international market.
Products endorsed by Li Feng sold out as soon as they were released, with orders piling up.
After touring the Red Star Sports office building, Deng Huasheng took Li Feng to his office.
In Li Feng's impression, bosses' offices were always large, especially for a company as rapidly developing as Red Star Sports.
But when Li Feng entered Deng Huasheng's office, he was greatly surprised.
Li Feng saw that Deng Huasheng's office was actually smaller than those of the department managers.
"Boss Deng, why is your office so small?" Li Feng asked curiously.
"Heh, it's okay. It's fine if it's small. I don't spend much time in the office anyway."
Deng Huasheng rarely stayed in his office; he often went down to the grassroots level to understand the products or gauge the employees' sentiments.
Li Feng also greatly admired Deng Huasheng's pragmatic spirit. He suddenly remembered something.
"Boss Deng, besides understanding Red Star Sports, I also want to think about employee welfare during my visit. What do you think?"
Deng Huasheng was taken aback and asked, "What kind of welfare? Li Feng, you are already a great benefactor to Red Star Sports, and we are all very grateful to you."
Li Feng shook his head, "Don't say that, Boss Deng. Everyone works very hard, and I am also a part of Red Star Sports, especially since you gave me quite a few shares."
"This time, I want to contribute twenty million to give bonuses to outstanding employees. What do you say?"
Li Feng had received over a hundred million dollars in product dividends in the past year alone.
Seeing how hard the employees here worked, he decided to contribute a large sum of money to encourage them.
Deng Huasheng was truly surprised by Li Feng's generosity.
He held Li Feng's hand and thanked him repeatedly, "Li Feng, I appreciate your kindness, but isn't this too much? Bonuses should be given by me, the boss."
"No, no, Boss Deng, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Everyone works very hard. I heard that many employees have been working overtime and putting in extra hours this past year, and many have fallen ill. Therefore, I hope to offer some compensation to the employees."
Deng Huasheng nodded vigorously, "Alright, in that case, you contribute twenty million, and I will also contribute twenty million to reward outstanding employees!"
"Okay, it's settled then!"
After they agreed, Deng Huasheng announced the news to the company, and the entire company erupted in joy.
"A person dies for his confidant."
This money was not just material reward; more importantly, it demonstrated the concern of the boss and Li Feng for the employees.
As Li Feng's fame and influence continued to grow, the company's scale was bound to expand further.
These employees would then become the backbone of various branches in the future.
They would be valuable assets to the company.
Li Feng's actions had effectively captured the hearts of the employees, making them willing to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to Red Star Sports.
After arranging the rewards, Li Feng discussed matters related to the basketball school with Deng Huasheng.
Because Deng Huasheng loved basketball, he had engaged in considerable charity work, including establishing several youth basketball elementary schools.
These elementary schools had nurtured many promising talents who would become future assets for various clubs.
When Li Feng was in the United States, Deng Huasheng had mentioned to him that he hoped Li Feng would have the opportunity to meet these children upon his return to China.
He suggested Li Feng spend a few days teaching the children basketball techniques, including fundamental skills.
Li Feng had readily agreed at the time.
Upon returning to China this time, Li Feng, of course, intended to keep his promise and personally visit several basketball schools to meet the children.
Deng Huasheng had initially hesitated to bring it up, fearing Li Feng might be too busy.