bdsm-fiction Chapter 138 One match ignites two teams, one winning streak leads to
Chapter 138 One match ignites two teams, one winning streak leads to
Chapter 138: One game ignites two teams, a winning streak shakes the league!
After a resounding victory in Seattle, the Bulls didn't linger there but immediately set off for Denver to prepare for their challenge against the Nuggets!
The reason Jackson left in such a hurry was because he was worried that the Seattle players, driven mad by internal strife, might do something irrational.
After all, if they dare to hit their teammates on the court, what else wouldn't they dare to do? In contrast, the fans and players in Denver are much more rational; it's safer for them to rest there.
Just after the Bulls arrived in Denver and the whole team had rested for a night, all sorts of news and reports started appearing everywhere!
It's extremely rare for the Bulls to not be the main character in a game they've been involved in!
No, they're not even supporting characters!
The word "Bull" is not mentioned in 99% of the articles and reports!
It's as if they weren't even in Seattle last night!
All eyes were on the supersonic speed!
Another on-court brawl erupts in the NBA! Two players exchange punches and bleed, but they're actually from the same team!
Teammates fighting on the field! Behind this unprecedented scandal lies a year-long history of locker room bullying!
Is it wrong to strike first? Insiders reveal that Jim has been bullied by Kemp all season!
Whose fault is it really? Beneath the surface of the NBA's biggest court scandal lies a turbulent undercurrent!
Is this how a leader behaves? Payton doesn't deserve to be a team's core player!
The ship sank before it even set sail! This supersonic team met its end prematurely!
Breaking news: The Cavaliers have made an offer for Kemp, willing to offer three first-round picks to buy on dips!
Dismantling the team or internal restructuring? The future of supersonics looks bleak!
Saying goodbye to the championship early! The SuperSonics may have to rebuild!
Who should bear full responsibility? The head coach or the team leader? Who allowed Kemp to bully Jim?
The Western Conference landscape has undergone a dramatic shift, and the outcome of the finals remains uncertain!
"Karl should resign and apologize! He doesn't deserve to be a head coach if he can't handle these things!"
Reports and condemnations sprang up like mushrooms after rain, one after another. Overnight, the SuperSonics went from being a strong contender for the Western Conference championship to becoming the target of public criticism and universal condemnation!
Head coach Karl, captain Payton, and the instigator Kemp are at the very center of the storm.
These three people are the most important figures on the team. One turns a blind eye to the internal conflicts of the team, one does nothing to stop his good friend’s behavior, and the last one is the instigator of the incident. It is because of his long-term bullying that Jim swung his fist at him during the game!
Jim, a minor figure in the league, received almost no criticism or discussion. On the contrary, many people sympathized with him and expressed their understanding of his situation. Several veteran NBA players even shared their own experiences of being bullied by their teammates when they were younger.
Amid this wave of unified condemnation and discussion from fans across the United States, the SuperSonics and Seattle are undoubtedly the biggest victims, just as Payton said on the night of the game: They're finished!
At the very least, this season is over! With such an internal scandal being displayed to the world in such a public and unreserved manner, the public outcry and pressure the SuperSonics will face are unimaginable.
Although the league started its crisis management almost instantly, first suspending Jim for 10 games and fining him $50000, and suspending Kemp for 5 games and fining him $30000, then quickly contacting the players' union and the league's psychological counseling team to provide care for all players in the league, especially rookies, international players and fringe players.
Stern then announced the establishment of a new foundation, which will allocate a portion of the league's annual revenue to help players alleviate various pressures, listen to their concerns, and ensure that players' mentality and performance remain stable.
In addition, Stern also asked each team to dedicate some time and energy to organizing some care and charity activities.
In addition, the alliance has held many internal meetings, and they will release more follow-up information and activities later. The alliance also stated that it will never tolerate such incidents, and they will pay more attention to them and punish them severely!
It must be said that Stern's reaction and response were perfect, with almost no flaws to be found in his approach. He was fast, ruthless, multi-pronged, and considered almost every detail.
Even Lin Tian, with decades of experience, couldn't think of a better or more perfect way to deal with this crisis.
But no matter what the fans and media say, and no matter what punishment the league gives, the SuperSonics' season is definitely in trouble and completely over!
While everyone was focused on the SuperSonics' on-court violence, Lin Tian was keeping an eye on Orlando. He figured that after his performance, Hardaway would have to say something.
Even if he doesn't come out, the nosy media will definitely not let him off the hook!
Reporters will be staking out every corner where Hardaway might appear—outside his home, outside the training facility, outside nightclubs—waiting to catch him and ask for his opinion on the match.
However, Lin Tian searched through all the newspapers but couldn't find any reports of Hardaway making threats.
What's going on?
Did this kid chicken out and get beaten into submission? Or did all the reporters go to report on what happened in Seattle?
After searching everywhere for reports about Hardaway without finding any, Lin Tian also felt a bit bored. Life is so boring without anyone to talk to!
Otherwise, call Jordan and mock him a bit more.
Or send him a letter, the content of which should be simple.
"Team, stay safe, don't worry, don't go back!"
I wonder if Jordan will get so angry that he'll give me a few more trial cards or something?
Just as Lin Tian was thinking of going down to ask the waiter for a postcard or some other envelope, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a newspaper.
Yes, it's the official newspaper that the league publishes every day, a newspaper he would never normally even glance at.
Lin Tian described the so-called official newspaper as so weak it was too tough to even wipe one's ass.
Because there are no trade rumors, no anecdotes about each team, and no interesting topics such as the strength or weakness of players or teams.
Lin Tian felt that this thing was more like a form than a newspaper.
The above will only mechanically report the win or loss results of each game, the statistics of each player, the preview of tomorrow's game, the trades that have already happened, or other things.
In short, this is more like a spreadsheet, report, or a PowerPoint presentation made by a 60-year-old. Unless you're a fan who really enjoys studying and analyzing basic data in Excel, a normal person would definitely not read this newspaper.
But Lin Tian couldn't resist picking up the newspaper and flipping to the section on injury reports.
Then, Lin Tian saw a brand new injury report.
"Orlando Magic's Anfernee Hardaway suffered a fall while walking at home, twisting his knee and is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks."
What the heck?
Did you fall while walking at home and ruin your knee?
Lin Tian curled his lip. This bullshit reason? Nobody would believe it!
Who would accidentally trip and break themselves while walking?
There must be something going on!
Did this guy twist his knee because he went out with a few girls last night and had too much fun?
Or perhaps they actually hired several strong men even stronger than Hardaway himself, which is why...
With that in mind, Lin Tian, being a pragmatist, immediately picked up the phone and called Hadaway.
Making wild guesses and drawing conclusions is nowhere near as direct and efficient as asking the person in person.
"This is Anfernee, who is this?" Hardaway's voice came through the phone.
"Anfernee, how did you get injured? Did you tell us the truth?" Lin Tian didn't answer Hardaway's question, but instead asked directly in a low voice.
While asking the question, Lin Tian couldn't help but sigh: "The days without caller ID were truly blissful!"
"I've said it 100 times! I was drinking at home last night, I drank too much, I lost my balance when I stood up, I stepped on a bottle, and then I twisted my knee! That's it!" Hardaway's tone was clearly impatient.
"Why did you drink so much last night? Were you in a bad mood? Or..." Lin Tian suddenly had a guess and immediately said, "You watched Lin's game and realized that your playing style is not unique, but can be easily imitated."
"And then you drowned your sorrows in alcohol, didn't you?"
"How did you know... No! Damn it! Who are you?!" It wasn't until this moment that Hardaway finally realized that although the voice on the phone was familiar, it wasn't the team manager or the team doctor.
"Hahaha, Anfernee, who else could it be? Just kidding. I didn't expect that just one match would cause you to get injured. At most, I won't imitate you next time, okay?" Lin Tian smiled and expressed his 'apology' to Hardaway, which also served as an introduction to Hardaway who he was.
"Lin? FUXX! You damn bastard! Shameless, despicable trash! I'm telling you, next time we meet, I'll definitely..."
Lin Tian had no idea what Hardaway had said to him afterward, and he had no interest in listening to someone spewing trash at him.
However, out of politeness, and because Lin Tian felt that Hadaway needed to vent his frustration, Lin Da Guanren believed that hanging up the phone suddenly would definitely upset Hadaway.
So Lin Tian shoved the phone under his pillow, ignoring all the angry outbursts from Hardaway. Instead, he happily picked up a newspaper, intending to find a couple of interesting articles to read.
It has to be said that people in this era really lack entertainment options.
Aside from having a few drinks and having some fun at night, he really doesn't have much else to do.
Otherwise, Lin Tian would have to have so many newspapers delivered to him every day if he'd lost his mind.
After reading the newspaper for about 5 minutes, the system suddenly gave an upgrade notification.
"Anfernee Hardaway's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 200 experience points!"
Wow! I got a huge experience boost!
Lin Tian tossed aside the newspaper, removed the pillow, and glanced at the phone. Sure enough, it had just been disconnected; the bright green phone screen was still lit.
This young man has impressive lung capacity!
He can yell for five minutes straight before he can catch his breath, that's impressive.
Moreover, this incident confirmed one thing for Lin Tian once again.
What does it mean to give roses and have the fragrance linger on your own hands?
I, Lin, let you, Haddaway, vent your anger to your heart's content. I didn't hang up the phone immediately, and look, there's a reward coming in right away!
This is the benefit of a spirit of dedication!
However, Hardaway's injury has completely darkened the Magic's prospects. As everyone knows, he is a notorious injury-prone player who loves to push himself and often forces himself to return to the court while injured. This is the biggest reason why his career, though brilliant, was short-lived.
Knowing that you're vulnerable, you need to learn how to use a security card. This will not only extend your career but also make fans feel that your team still has a chance!
Forcing them to play is absolutely unacceptable!
But no matter what, Lin Tian suddenly realized that yesterday's game was enough for both the Eastern and Western Conference teams to declare the season over.
This match was incredibly damaging!
That afternoon, Jackson did not organize the players for pre-game training. Instead, he simply asked everyone to arrive at the arena early to warm up, then hold a brief pre-game meeting before the game could begin.
Judging from Jackson's attitude and the way the players were yawning and chatting casually in the locker room that night, it was clear that no one on the Bulls team took the Nuggets seriously.
After all, the Nuggets are now one of the worst teams in the league. Since being swept in the first round of the playoffs in the 95 season, they have been at the bottom of the Western Conference for two consecutive years. So far this season, they have only won 9 games, which is less than a fraction of the Bulls' record.
If Lin Tian's memory serves him right, this team will have to continue at the bottom of the standings for at least another 8 years before they can find their savior and make it to the playoffs.
Then, after five consecutive years of first-round exits, they finally broke through to the first round once.
And then? Probably no one could have imagined that the one who ultimately saved this team was a chubby, second-round draft pick from Serbia.
The Denver Nuggets are a rather mediocre team. Since entering the NBA in the 77 season, they have never even reached the NBA Finals. If they want to reach the NBA Finals, they will have to wait another 20 years or so!
From the time they entered the league to their first appearance in the Finals, it was a full 47 seasons of waiting!
The rest of the league, except for another unlucky team like the Clippers, can wait even longer than them!
Well, of course, that's all hindsight. The important thing is that the Nuggets are currently a pushover team! To beat them, the Bulls just need to play normally.
98: 87!
As expected, the Bulls won the game easily without much effort. Lin Tian didn't need to use any special skills against such a weak team; he easily demonstrated his abilities, scoring 21 points and 12 assists in 39 minutes, leading the team to continue their winning streak!
After defeating the Nuggets, the Bulls still have five consecutive road games to play in the Western Conference, and only two-sevenths of their long road trip has passed.
The good news is that none of the next five teams can be considered a match for the Bulls!
Although the Clippers are currently ranked eighth in the Western Conference this season, their winning percentage is not yet 50%. The Sacramento Kings, who are only two games behind the Clippers and ranked ninth in the West, are not so scary either.
Then there's the Suns, who, without Barkley, barely managed a record above 50% and ranked seventh in the Western Conference.
These three teams are already the three strongest opponents in the remaining five games.
The remaining two Texas powerhouses, well, now we should call them the Texas underdogs: the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs, are the two stars of the tanking army!
The Mavericks have won 15 games so far, while the Spurs have won 13. One has 13 wins in the Western Conference, and the other has 14!
Their competition and desire for this year's top draft pick have long been at a fever pitch!
Who would have thought that these two teams would deliver countless exciting clashes between the Bulls and Horses in the first decade of the 21st century?
But now... they are showing fans a completely different kind of Bulls vs. Horses matchup in a different way.
This matchup could also be called: The Tim Duncan Battle!
In short, none of the five opponents in these five games could compete with the Bulls! No team could keep the suspense alive until the last three minutes of the game. The Bulls easily swept through the field, securing their seventh consecutive win on their Western Conference road trip!
The entire team, heads held high, returned to Chicago!
Well, it's worth mentioning that in all 7 away games, Lin Tian averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks, with shooting percentages of 51%, 40%, and 83%!
Absolutely All-Star caliber stats! Absolutely team leader-level contributions! After this round of 7-game winning streak, Lin Tian's MVP ranking has soared, jumping from being completely absent from the list to breaking into the top ten!
Meanwhile, by the time the fourth game of these seven away games was played, January was already coming to an end, and on the evening of January 31, the league announced the Player of the Month for January.
Lin Tian!
Lin Tian is averaging an impressive 27.1 points, 11.8 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game this month, with shooting percentages of 51%, 41%, and 88% respectively!
Among all the players who participated in January, Lin Tian's average score ranked second. Although Jordan was not included in the list because he only played 6 games this month, even if Jordan were included, Lin Tian's average score would still rank third among all players this month!
In addition, he leads the league in assists, steals, and three-pointers made per game!
More importantly, in the 8 games that Jordan missed, Lin Tian led the team to an 8-game winning streak!
Their record during the same period was also undoubtedly the best in the league!
Furthermore, if we extend our focus to February, Lin Tian's team has achieved an 11-game winning streak!
This is all without Jordan. Keep in mind that even when Jordan was playing in the first half of the month, the Bulls lost two games, finishing with a record of only 4 wins and 2 losses.
With a large enough sample size and almost all of them playing away games, even if the opponents are not strong, such a performance is still worthy of everyone's praise and commendation!
Lin Tian is the best performing player in the league this month!
It was at this time that more and more people began to discuss whether Lin Tian and Jordan, this backcourt duo, were helping each other succeed or hindering each other.
Well, of course, the main reason for the delay was that Jordan delayed Lin Tian; nobody thought that Lin Tian could delay Jordan.
Immediately, various media outlets and fans began discussing:
What would happen if the Bulls didn't have Jordan? Would they still be able to compete for the championship?
If Lin Tian chooses to go solo, can he still deliver such outstanding performances and rapidly develop into the league's top point guard when he joins a completely new team?
In the past, when fans and media started discussing a player's future development or whether a player would be better off in a different environment, no one in the league, such as general managers, owners, commissioners, or even the players themselves, would speak up.
One is that they are easily labeled as "illegally recruiting" and fined by the alliance, and the other is that they are easy to offend people. Normally, in this situation, everyone will remain absolutely neutral and only say things like "maybe," "perhaps," "probably," "hopefully," etc., without saying anything meaningful.
But this time, it's completely different!
Various voices began to emerge from every corner of the alliance!
That kind of voice that isn't afraid of fines and is willing to take risks!
In San Antonio, Popovich told the media, "I'm confident that David can make a perfect comeback next year! He's still a top center in the league, still has the ability to change games, and he can consistently contribute 20+10! If we can get a number one pick in the draft and acquire a talented big man to play with him..."
"So our goal this summer is really just one thing: to find a top-tier point guard to pair with him! I want this point guard to be young, energetic, incredibly fast, have championship experience, and ideally, be able to handle both offense and playmaking!"
The point guard that Popovich mentioned, who is incredibly fast, has won a championship, and can both score and pass, is actually only one person in the entire league!
Anyone with a brain knows who Popovich is talking about.
But if Popovich's words were just hints, there are a few people who have gone so far as to make explicit statements without any regard for consequences!
The Indiana Pacers' record has plummeted this season due to the departure of their assist leader, Mark Jackson, and they currently have a winning percentage below 50%. Team leader Reggie Miller, when asked by the media, bluntly stated, "We need a new point guard!"
"A guy who can shoulder the team's responsibilities, organize the offense, and deliver the ball to everyone! I think Lin is the most suitable player for this position among next year's free agents! Do you know why I only signed a one-year contract?"
"Lin, Indiana is truly amazing! Next time you come to play an away game, I'll definitely let you experience the passion of the Indiana people!"
Miller's statement immediately earned him a penalty from the league, and he received a $1 fine for illegal recruitment.
Of course, Miller, who can earn 1000 million this season, doesn't care about such a small amount of money; he just wants to show the attitude he should have!
He wants to gain the upper hand in the battle for Lin Tian this summer!
Miller's statement was like opening Pandora's box!
Magic Johnson: "I trained with Lin all summer, I love this kid, I love everything about him! I think he can become the greatest point guard in NBA history! If he comes to the Lakers, I think he can become the greatest point guard of all time!"
"If he needs it, I'm willing to take down the jersey I have hanging on the ceiling and let him wear that number too! In fact, if Lin takes a liking to any of the jerseys on the ceiling, as long as he's interested and the jersey's owner is still alive, I'll find a way to get him to take it down!"
"Come to Los Angeles, Lin, come to Los Angeles!"
The first person to react to Magic Johnson's words was not Lin Tian, nor anyone else, but the Lakers' current starting point guard: Nick Van Exel!
Van Gundy responded forcefully to Magic Johnson in front of the media: "The Lakers already have a very good point guard, we don't need another one! If Earvin thinks Los Angeles needs a good point guard, then he definitely means the Clippers need one, not us!"
The magician didn't respond to Fan Fengzi's words; he couldn't be bothered to engage in verbal sparring with the young man, because it was simply unnecessary!
The leader of this team is Shaquille O'Neal! O'Neal likes Lin Tian, and Van Nistelrooy's opinion is completely irrelevant! As long as Lin Tian is willing to come, Magic Johnson believes that West will personally put Van Nistelrooy on a plane and send him somewhere else to free up salary cap space, and then happily welcome Lin Tian's arrival!
Anyone who isn't blind can see the huge gap between Lin Tian and Van Nieker!
Then Larry Bird, who always liked to go against James, also stepped forward: "The Celtics are the number one powerhouse in the NBA, we have the best history and heritage in the league! But we haven't been championship contenders for a long time, but now we have Antoine, a top-class forward."
"What we lack is an absolutely outstanding point guard! Lin is definitely the perfect fit for Boston!"
"Larry's talking nonsense!" As if he'd planned it with Bird, "The Smiling Assassin" Isaiah Thomas, after Bird stated that Lin Tian was a good fit for Boston, smiled and told the media, "Who doesn't know that Boston isn't a friendly place for Asians?"
"Come to Detroit! It's brimming with masculinity, the most manly team in the league, and the perfect team for Lin to join!"
Then, the Knicks representative, whose team was dominated by Lin Tian in last season's playoffs, also took to the stage. Spike Lee, the Knicks' number one die-hard fan, said, "Lin should come to the Knicks! His temperament is a perfect match for New York; he is the best answer for New York!"
"Everyone knows Patrick only made $300 million this season! If Lin is willing to come, Patrick will still make $300 million next season, I'm telling you!"
Then, Don Nelson, who was unemployed and not coaching any team, chuckled and said with a beer in hand, "If Lin is interested in joining a new team next season, I'd be very interested in coaching him! Or to put it another way, Lin is the player I most want to coach among all active players!"
"He fits my run-and-gun philosophy. I believe Lin can help me complete the experiments I couldn't finish in Oakland!"
……
After the legends off the field spoke out, the current players also joined the fray!
The second person to publicly recruit Lin Tian after Reggie Miller was Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles delegation. The big man chuckled and said, "What? You want me to choose the guard I most want to play with and the guard I least want to play with in my life? Hahaha! Too easy. I least want to play with Hardaway, and the person I most want to play with..."
"Lin! Who else could it be but Lin? He's practically the perfect partner. His personality, playing style, and off-court demeanor are all captivating. We've been best buddies since last year's Eastern Conference Finals! Come on, Lin, come to Los Angeles, you'll experience a completely different West Coast vibe!"
Next up was Chris Webber from Washington. This talented giant still had that arrogant look on his face, and casually said, "I don't know what they're fighting over, but if you ask me, Washington is actually a very good choice for Lin! His agent, Rob Pelinka, you might not know who he is."
"But I know he's my brother! We were teammates on the college basketball team! Yes, Michigan! Both Lin's and my agent are from Michigan! We were best friends back in college, and now he's Lin's agent. If possible, I'd like to entrust all my business to my most trusted buddy!"
While others were merely using flattery to recruit, Webber had already begun blatant bribery! He was not only bribing Lin Tian, but also Pelinka!
However, Pelinka dismissed Webber's "good buddy since college" comment with disdain, even spitting at it.
Good buddy? During the two years we were teammates in college, the two of us didn't exchange more than five sentences in total! If Pelinka hadn't been an upperclassman, he, as the water boy manager of the school team, would most likely have become the target of Webber and his friends' bullying!
Of course, if Webber were to truly hand over all his business to Pelinka, Pelinka would undoubtedly say, "Chris is the best brother I've ever had. Thank you for your support and trust! Our collaboration will be incredibly successful!"
Following Webber, another heavyweight star, Barkley, joined this almost frantic all-out recruitment drive: "I love Lin! Without a doubt, I love Lin! If possible, I really hope he can join Houston next season! Here, we can form an unprecedented Big Four!"
"We can build a dynasty, we can become a new legend!"
……
One after another, players, general managers, head coaches, and retired legends appeared at the same time, as if they had made a pact, and rushed towards Lin Tian from all directions!
They started a recruitment spree, and then, contributed a huge fine to the league!
Stern, busy writing fines, was all smiles. He was fined players, coaches, and even former players who still held positions in the team after retirement.
This whole affair has unexpectedly added hundreds of thousands in profits to the alliance!
They're all green US dollars! And the best part is, they're practically handed to us!
As for Lin Tian himself, he really didn't expect that with about four and a half months left in the season, the entire league would start such a frenzy to snatch him up!
The reason, besides Lin Tian's personal ability displayed in the competition, is that it's cheap!
The Bulls will almost certainly not match the big contract Lin Tian could receive this summer, because the salary rules do not allow it!
This means that as long as you have money, you have the opportunity to get a top-tier point guard from the Bulls for free!
This point guard not only has impressive stats and can deliver clutch performances in crucial playoff games to carry the team, but also has a flashy playing style that attracts a large number of fans. More importantly, he's young!
Lin Tian is only 23 years old this year, and he still has at least 8-10 years of peak performance ahead of him! Acquiring Lin Tian basically means securing the team's starting point guard for the next 10 years!
Besides this reason, Lin Tian's outstanding performances in so many games without Jordan have effectively dispelled the league's last doubts and concerns about him in just one month.
That is, if Jordan weren't there, what level would Lin Tian have achieved?
Now, Lin Tian has given everyone an impeccable answer with enough samples and near-perfect results!
Therefore, after considering all these factors, Lin Tian has unsurprisingly become the most watched and anticipated free agent in the entire league this offseason!
In Las Vegas, they also seized this opportunity and offered odds for Lin Tian's next opponent!
湖人队1赔3.3高居第一！排在第二的是马刺队，他们有1赔6.2，接着是尼克斯，他们的赔率也有1赔9.3！
In contrast, the Bulls are only 15.3 to 1!
Lin Tian's former team didn't even make the top three on this list! This shows that almost no one believes Lin Tian will still be wearing a Bulls jersey after this summer!
After all, the Bulls would have to do a lot of work and make a lot of sacrifices if they wanted to keep him!
Just as the entire league was caught up in a strange frenzy, the Bulls finally set off to fly back to Chicago.
The long away trip left everyone on the team exhausted and homesick. Everyone wanted to get back to Chicago as soon as possible, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep.
Then, let's talk about other things.
Just as Lin Tian boarded the plane and it was about to take off, he suddenly received another notification from the system!
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 10 experience points!"
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 20 experience points!"
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 30 experience points!"
……
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 200 experience points!"
Oh wow!
Another remote experience boost! And it's a billion strings of experience points right away!
Lin Tian counted them, and the string of clinking experience points added up to more than 400 points!
After thinking for a moment, Lin Tian understood why Jordan had suddenly given him such a massive amount of benefits. This guy must have seen the series of news reports and interviews with various people after waking up.
There's still half a season left, and a bunch of bastards are already blatantly poaching players?
Have you no shame?!
Jordan's current mood is probably no different from that of someone who has been sexually assaulted.
What a shame!
And then... the last big one, it suddenly exploded with 200 points.
He must have received the postcard Lin Tian sent him.
And I received seven at once.
Well, during the seven consecutive road trips in the West, Lin Tian bought a postcard for each away game. Each one featured a local landmark, famous tourist attraction, or something else. Each one could be considered a local calling card!
On the back of these seven postcards, Lin Tian wrote the same sentence.
"Team, stay safe, don't worry, don't go back!"
Lin Tian genuinely hopes that Jordan can recover from his injury properly and not return prematurely.
This seems to have really angered Jordan.
Of course, and perhaps more importantly...
Jordan knew very well that no matter how angry he was, it was almost impossible for Lin Tian to stay with the team this summer. Even if Jordan himself signed a contract like Ewing's, it wouldn't clear much space for the management. If the Bulls wanted to keep Lin Tian, not only would Jordan have to offer him a minimum salary contract, but they would also have to trade away all the key rotation players, such as Kukoc, Rodman, and Kerr!
Moreover, they all had to be sent out to get some fresh air, otherwise the team wouldn't be able to pay Lin Tian a high salary!
No matter how you look at it, this approach will completely eliminate the Bulls' chances of competing for the championship.
The roster has been completely over-exploited!
Not to mention, given Jordan's personality and temperament, it's impossible for him to voluntarily take a pay cut and then ask the team to retain him.
In his entire life, he has never known what it means to yield or bow down!
Therefore, Jordan, both angry and frustrated, could only turn his attention to the matter of "completing the rules" that Krause had previously told him.
He called Klaus immediately.
"Michael, you have to believe me, I want to keep Lin even more than you do! I'm not an idiot, do you think I can't see how sought-after Lin is, how bright his future is? I can see it all, I really can! I've been a general manager for so many years, I know better than you how much a player is worth!"
"But sometimes I really can't do anything! I've been reporting the new rules for second-round picks to the league for a long time, hoping to talk to Stern and the others, but... but I also have to tell the truth! Stern doesn't want Lin to stay in Chicago, and he's been evasive and secretive about the implementation of this new rule."
"If I'm not mistaken, he wants Lin to go to a completely new team, become the team's leader, and then use his Chinese identity to achieve the so-called NBA globalization goal! If Lin stays with the Bulls, he'll always be the team's second or even third man. Michael, do you understand what I mean?"
"Stern, we won't let that new clause pass! At least not until Lin's new team is settled, he absolutely won't change it! This time, we really only have three options: first, you take a pay cut to Ewing's level, then we have a good talk with Lin and try to persuade him with emotional appeals."
"It depends on whether he's willing to accept a decent contract offer, but not the league's top one. The second option is still for you to take a pay cut, and we'll siphon off the entire team, send everyone away, and then give Lin Kai a league-top contract to keep him. As for the third option, we'll just watch him leave; there's nothing we can do about it."
After hanging up the phone, Jordan felt a strange bitterness in his heart. He really didn't want Lin Tian to leave!
Lin Tian's temperament, playing style, and abilities really suited Jordan's tastes.
But now, even though Jordan hates Krause, this miserly guy like Grant, he has to admit that Krause is right. This summer, it will be very difficult for Lin Tian to stay with the Bulls.
(End of this chapter)