NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 150: The second brother Hook and the draft pick (daily chapter)

On July 1999, 7, the NBA free market officially opened.

Affected by the shortened season, the settlement time at the beginning of previous years has also been extended. Throughout July, each team can only sign rookies and release players, and transactions cannot be carried out.

However, on the day of the draft, the Magic sent away "Cobra" Horace Grant, which has already made many sports media see some clues:
"The Magic are going to rebuild? Will Anfernee Hardaway be traded?"

In the 98-99 season, Anfernee Hardaway played a total of 50 games. It was very rare that he never suffered any injuries, but his data dropped sharply.

Of course, the ball commentators can see that Anfernee Hardaway is no longer at his peak. Thinking back to the decision to choose one of the two, they can't help but secretly mock the Magic management's choice.

Although the Shark who traveled west to the Lakers continued to fish, he still played a dominant role. The title of "the strongest insider in the league" is not nonsense!

Li You got the news earlier than others, and Hook got the news internally that Anfernee Hardaway was no longer in the Magic's plans.

Mark Parker is getting promoted again, and the Nike general manager will soon become vice president of global footwear.

Li You just became a member of Shinnik Mountain Golf Club last year on the recommendation of Bloomberg. After paying a large membership fee, he only came once.
Located in Southampton, Long Island, New York, the course design is an example of links style. As one of the oldest golf clubs in the United States, in addition to hosting open tournaments, it is also an important social venue most of the time.

In addition to Mark Parker, there are also Ann Miller from Sullivan Law Firm, Katherine Undergraduate from Deloitte, and people from JPMorgan Chase. This is considered a gathering of senior executives.

Several ladies were chatting and laughing on the sidelines, chatting about life gossip. After Mark Parker took a series of swings, he chatted with Li You about the internal situation of the hook:

"Sports stars and pop singers are somewhat similar. The former may decline due to an injury, while the latter may become outdated after a few songs if they fail to keep up with the trend of the times."

"Lee, pay attention to injuries. Anfernee Hardaway failed to achieve his expected goals, and a series of subsequent publicity resources will be reduced."

Anfernee Hardaway's resources were taken away by Li You, and the second brother Hook has completely changed hands.

Although his golf skills are poor, Li You wears extremely professional clothes every time he plays golf. He wears a white T-shirt and light gray trousers. His swing is also standard, but the ball he hits is not noticeable.

"Will his signature shoes be revised next year? I think the new technology is very good!"

Li You's signature shoes are currently the only ones among the stars here that use "spray" and "bubble" technology.

Hearing Li You's inquiry, Mark Parker nodded. This is also the reason why Hardaway is not liked internally. The first generation of signature shoes sold well, but the results became worse as they changed.
Sneakers do bring safety, but expecting a pair of shoes to prevent injuries is simply a pipe dream.

We don’t get together to talk about business cooperation, but most of the time we talk about life matters.

After noticing Li You's investment and more than two years of observation, Li You, who did not follow the "nouveau riche" route, also became a "high-quality customer."

Mark Bartelstein winked at Li You and said that the gathering was good.

Under the blue sky, white clouds and green grass, Li You stopped talking about work and simply gossiped with everyone.

After black stars become famous, they have to support a lot of "partners", and when encountering some social incidents, they have to pay attention to the correct skin color and work hard to speak out for the black community.

Michael Jordan did not do well in this regard. He also kept a low profile after retiring. When participating in programs, he mostly introduced his life.

As a new generation of stars, the 96 class has officially entered the big stage. Allen Iverson has experienced the playoffs this year, and Kobe Bryant has also become the Lakers' outside core.

Although the achievements of the two are far behind Li You, as they ended their rookie period, they received the same maximum salary contract.

Charles Barkley suffered a big loss last season. He lost most of his money and didn't win a championship.

This offseason, the newbies who have Bird rights are about to sign big contracts. Perhaps thinking of his bumpy career, "Flying Pig" complained about the treatment of young players when participating in the TNT program:

"I can't understand the current league. Young players who have not achieved anything can sign contracts worth tens of millions or more than [-] million?"

"This was unimaginable in the past. How much money did we make back then?"

"There are no results, but sponsors are chasing after giving money. I don't think this is a good thing!"

Buckley talked a lot in the studio, and he summed it up like this:

"Most young players don't deserve the maximum salary!"

Hosts Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith both suppressed laughter and nodded along, but suddenly changed the topic:
"Charles, do you want to play with Lee? Maybe you can win a championship this way!"

As soon as Kenny Smith finished speaking, Barkley immediately denied it loudly:

"No, I don't like the Knicks! I don't want to play with Lee either, I will win the championship!"

Ernie Johnson took over the conversation with a smile. At the same time, the director also played the Rockets recruitment advertisement:
"Charles, maybe Team Rocket doesn't think so, you should take a look at this!"

Some are road advertisements, and others are city murals, with cartoon images of Li You, Barkley, and Olajuwon appearing on them.

Li You is in the middle, with the two veterans on both sides. Behind him is a cartoon image of a rocket taking off, with a line of text below:
"Hey! Lee, you're always welcome in Houston!"

Barkley was dumbfounded, and then almost exploded with anger. Obviously the Rockets didn't treat him as a meal, and they didn't even tell him about it.

Kenny Smith, the former champion point guard of the Rockets, grinned:
"Charles, although I think Lee will definitely stay in New York, if you team up, you might really be able to win a championship!"

"."

Barkley, who was so slapped in the face, almost called the Rockets on the spot. Has his feelings been considered?

"Lee does deserve the maximum salary, or in other words, the new collective bargaining agreement limits his salary!"

"But I don't think other rookie players are qualified to get big contracts. Only by making a name for themselves can they make money. That's my point of view!"

Barkley simply changed the topic and automatically ignored the Rockets' recruitment. The treatment of the star made him feel sad.

The two people on the side stopped teasing the outdated Barkley and returned to the topic:

"If the parent team cannot provide a satisfactory contract, there will always be other teams offering maximum salary."

"Charles, times have changed. Upgrading is inevitable. Players will age. Now is the era of young people!"

Kenny Smith's sigh made Barkley shake his head. The "Flying Pig" still insisted on his old-school views. He did not believe that "the future is promising" at all.

Ernie Johnson has received the reminder, and many fans have arranged advertisements. For a moment, he could only sigh:

"Having been dominant in the playoffs for two consecutive years, I think a lot of teams will be recruiting Lee."

"No one would reject a young MVP. Of course, I also want to see Lee stay with the Knicks!" When recruiting free agents, Philadelphia also joined in the fun and simply put up a poster with Li You and Iverson back to back. :
"The strongest backcourt in the league!"

Milwaukee didn't take into account Cassel's feelings about joining the team. Cartoon posters of Li You, Ray Allen, and Glenn Robinson also appeared on the side of the road:
"The strongest trio in the alliance!"

The Mavericks, who selected Wang Zhizhi in this year's draft, did not forget to show their presence. A huge road advertisement showed the image of Li You wearing a cowboy hat:

"The Cowboys are about to rise!"

Soon this kind of activity spread to all teams. Regardless of whether they can sign a contract, the hot spots have to be touched.

In the league, the Spurs, Lakers, Bulls, and Pacers did not join in the fun.

These days, rivalry is a big deal, and brother basketball is not yet popular. Defeated opponents want to fight back.

The Knicks put up posters of Li You and Willis Reed outside the arena early:
"Legacy! King of New York!"

Although teams are unable to conduct trades in July, the recruiting ritual must keep up.

The new head coach of the Magic, Doc Rivers, even flew to New York with his staff to visit Li You. Perhaps because he also wanted to hang up, Rivers showered him with chicken soup.

As a rookie coach, Rivers can only do it sincerely, whether it's acting or showing it to the management. In short, the future chicken soup master has indeed shown a thirsty attitude for talents.
Returning to his Manhattan apartment on the night of the 3rd, Mark Bartelstein shook his head and said with emotion:

"This guy can definitely succeed. Many players like this kind of head coach!"

Rivers' thick chicken soup at dinner was impressive. Although it was unappealing to Li You, for those low-level players who are eager to make a name for themselves in the NBA, chicken soup is the best catalyst.

Li You suddenly remembered that next season, Rivers seemed to have won the league's best coach award, and he jokingly said:
"Maybe Ray is suitable to play under his coaching. George Karl doesn't seem to be easy to get along with."

The situation within the Bucks is not very good. Glenn Robinson is not a self-disciplined player, and George Karl is not a pure chicken soup coach.

Although Ray Allen has gained a core position in the Bucks, he is still uncomfortable.

Mark Bartelstein, who has been busy helping the two negotiate contracts these days, shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly:

"This is the difference between you and Ray. Only by controlling the locker room can you perform better. After all, basketball is for five people."

"I have always suggested that he leave Milwaukee and go to a team that really wants to win the championship. Not only is he the core of the tactics, but he also needs to be a leader in the locker room."

"Unfortunately, these suggestions have not been adopted. The NBA is different from college basketball. There has never been pure basketball here."

"."

On July 7th, at the Tarrytown Training Center, Li You met the members of the atmosphere team signed by the Knicks in this year's draft.

Leon Smith was selected with the 29th overall pick, and big man Todd MacLoach was selected with the 46th overall pick.

The Mavericks traded Gordon Girisek with the 40th pick and a 2000 second-round pick for Leon Smith.

Since Jirisek, the Croatian guard, will not land in the NBA, this year's atmosphere group has been supplemented by one person.

General Manager Glenn Field has been bargaining with the Bulls recently, and the two sides have not been able to fully reach an agreement. The main disagreement lies in the draft picks.

When Sprewell knew he was going to play for the Bulls, he immediately agreed to rebuild the team. If he went there, he would be the boss, and Chicago is also a big city!
The Bulls plan to send away Tony Cookic and Ron Artest. Their salaries alone cannot balance the situation, and they have to add draft picks and some cash.

The opposite general manager Krause tried to use scraps or third-party transactions to reach this deal, but the Knicks firmly disagreed, as long as the draft picks.

Theoretically, with Sprewell joining the Bulls and adding Elton Brand, this year's No. [-] pick, the team's performance will definitely improve;
But everything is afraid of exceptions. General Manager Krause is afraid that the players will not call, and then continue to mess up, giving the Knicks a high draft pick in vain.

"This stingy guy, this is an All-Star guard, he's obviously making a lot of money, and he's still trying to negotiate terms!"

After arguing for almost a week, Grunfield became a little impatient. Everyone knew about this deal and couldn't help but complain a few times in front of Li You.

As the Knicks won consecutive championships, the Glenfield office was also upgraded. Li You looked at the new sofa and new seats, turned around and asked curiously:
"Does the other party want to add a protective clause?"

Grunfield nodded helplessly, thinking of Klaus' stingy face, he said helplessly:

"With the top 5 picks, the draft pick will be postponed, Schett! He has an All-Star guard on the outside and the No. [-] pick on the inside. He is actually worried that the Bulls' performance will not improve!"

There is nothing to say about Sprewell's ability, which is recognized by the entire Knicks team.

Even if there is a problem of inefficiency when digesting a large amount of ball rights, most defenders in the league are like this.

Li You's efficiency is unique among guards. Therefore, Sprewell joining the Bulls will definitely be a huge addition to his strength.

In the 2000 draft, Li You didn't have much impression. He only remembered that the Nets selected Kenyon Martin. In 2001, the one who impressed him most was the butter player Kwame Brown.

He didn't get much useful information, and Li You didn't know whether he was making a profit or a loss from this transaction.

Looking through some draft reports, some memories suddenly appeared in my mind. I couldn't help but smile. Li You finally suggested in a low voice:

"Perhaps the other party's concerns are justified, but after Sprewell joins the Bulls, perhaps his performance will not improve much."

"There should be a lot of big players emerging in the past two years, and I think delaying the draft picks might not be a bad thing."

Scouts have long marked out potential players in recent years. Grunfield has been watching for a week, but has never been able to find a satisfactory big man.

The Knicks need to find the next Ewing, and the team needs a big man!

This is the consensus of the management. After all, the gorilla is old and Ben Wallace is too short.

They say they don't care about the Lakers, but everyone knows that perhaps the biggest opponent in the future is Los Angeles.

Grunfield looked through the scouting report again, and frowned secretly after looking around. There was still no big man he liked.

However, considering Li You's offensive attributes, Grunfield reluctantly marked several big players, and finally said jokingly:
"Then let us hope that the Bulls will continue to mess up!"

"By the way, Lee! Remember to remind Pat to stay in shape!"

Thinking of the gorillas that went straight to Atlanta to hold a celebration party in the past few days, Li You subconsciously touched his forehead:
"Three consecutive championships, Pat will find motivation."

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(End of this chapter)