The Rest, Only Noise

On June 12, 1986, Louie represented the New York Knicks at the NBA annual meeting in Washington.

Before that, Louis made another investment.

Exactly, not an investment.

Instead, it uses the identity of the traverser to pick up the leak.

The World Cup in Mexico, which started on May 31, touched the hearts of football fans all over the world. Louis was not interested at first because he didn't know much about football.

Then he noticed Maradona and his Argentina team.

Louie recalled some articles he read online when Maradona died in 2020. So I thought that the World Cup champion was Argentina.

Now that he knows the result, Louis naturally wants to win the championship without thinking about Argentina.

He bet $100,000, and Argentina's pre-game odds were 4:1.

This is a short-term investment that will pay off for Louie, who has been busy trading and drafting.

Until today when the NBA held its annual meeting, the 76ers still had the second overall pick of the first round in their hands.

Predictably, they won't trade the pick easily.

Louis and Lorraine came to Washington with their son. Although they had official business, they could go to play nearby after their official business.

Louis wants to visit Auerbach's house to clear up their misunderstandings.

He and Auerbach haven't spoken a word since Louis finished lighting that cigar in the Boston Garden. Mainly because the other party doesn't answer his calls.

Coupled with his "smart work" early in the season, the Sonics ranked just eighth in the league, which made Auerbach angry enough.

He was originally planning to win the top five picks, but now he can only guard his eighth pick in the first round and doesn't know what to do.

Trade up, the teams with the top three picks don't like it.

Trade down, there's nothing to trade.

After all, it was Louis who messed up his plans.

New hatred and old hatred, Louis brought damage to the Celts, both mentally and physically.

Louis was unable to enter Auerbach's house, and it was Dorothy, the bishop's wife, who conveyed the latter's decision not to see guests now.

Since Auerbach didn't want to see himself, Louis wouldn't force it.

By the time the NBA annual meeting begins, they will be gone.

In the evening, Louis attended the NBA annual meeting.

In the early decades, the owners of each team participated in the annual meeting. Now, basically only the general manager attends the annual meeting, and they bring the will of the boss with them.

Louis saw Auerbach, he was talking and laughing with the people around him with a cigar.

"Isn't this Mr. Auerbach, the chairman of the Boston Celtics team, who is behind closed doors and sees no one? You look good." Louis greeted with a yin and yang.

Auerbach looked at Louis like a wolf: "What do you want to do?"

"I think there is a misunderstanding between us."

"No misunderstanding, stay away from me, you bastard!"

"If you blame me for lighting my cigars in the garden, I have nothing to say, I have a reason to do it. If you blame me for my deal with Seattle, all I can say is that you're going back. , how could I not do the door-to-door deal?"

"Isn't it enough that you're smoking cigars in the garden? Why are you smoking cigars there? Did you win the championship in front of us? I tell you, even if you win the championship, you can't be in someone else's Smoking cigars at home!"

Sure enough, Auerbach was still thinking about Louis smoking cigars.

Louie said helplessly: "You didn't smoke at other people's stadiums when you were young? Didn't you invent the concept of victory cigars?"

"What if it's me? I tell you, I've never smoked a cigar at someone else's home like you!" Auerbach said a shocking thing to Louis.

Yes, in the eyes of many people, Auerbach is an evil emperor who plays the rules and despises his opponents.

But this is just a stigma propaganda to show his legend.

"really?"

Auerbach sneered: "You can ask Reed Holzman yourself if I've ever smoked a cigar at MSG! You bastard, get away from me! ⑴"

"If this offends you, I can apologize to you." Louie paused, "but I only apologize to you, the other Bostonians I offended, they don't have the right to apologize, it's them. Offend me first."

Auerbach didn't continue to stare, but still brooded about the fact that Louie's deal with the Sonics ruined his plans.

"By the way, I heard you guys are talking to Philadelphia recently?" Louie asked.

Auerbach snorted coldly: "Don't expect to get any news from my set!"

"Cut, make it seem like you are very hopeful, you can't do anything about cash alone." Louis sneered.

"Dare you hold any position in our team, you care so much about our team affairs?" The more Auerbach looked at Louis, the more unpleasant he felt. How could he regard this kid as his successor?

"I know you want Len Byas."

Auerbach's face, the cheek under his left eye to be exact, twitched.

"As a person with outstanding performance in scouting, I have one last piece of advice for you." Louis sat next to Auerbach, "Don't choose him."

"why?"

As soon as Auerbach asked the exit, David Stern came to the center of this high-level lobby.

The kitchen is constantly serving dishes, and the general managers of each team can eat and drink while listening to how the president farts from his mouth.

Although Stern's voice made Louie uncomfortable, he announced several good news.

For example, the NBA and TBS signed a two-year, $25 million contract.

TBS is an emerging premium cable channel, and one more channel can allow more people to watch the NBA.

In addition, the league signed a four-year, $200 million television contract with CBS.

Louie applauded along with everyone. What he didn't know was that in the original history, CBS and the league signed a four-year, $173 million contract. It is difficult to say whether his appearance has brought more benefits.

To be sure, the NBA is more popular today than it was at the same time in Louie's previous life.

Separately, Stern also announced that former NBA All-Star John Drew SF/PF will be struck out and removed from the league for three consecutive drug violations.

This is the first time in NBA history that a player has been suspended for life.

A powerful player who averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds per game in his career destroyed himself like this.

Next, Stern also announced his expansion plans.

Over the next few years, the NBA will expand to 35 teams.

The main territory is Minnesota, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans and other places.

"What did you mean by that sentence just now?"

If it's anything else, Auerbach is just talking about Louis.

But just now, Louis definitely said not to choose Byas. This is Bird's successor personally selected by Auerbach. Is there any problem?

Other issues, Auerbach can not believe.

Louis's technique of seeing people has been tested by countless examples, and he can't help but believe it.

Louie did not answer him, but stood up and made a suggestion on behalf of the Knicks: "I am making two proposals to the league on behalf of the basketball operations department of Madison Square Garden in New York. First, we hope that the league will improve the relevant contract provisions as soon as possible, Rookie contracts should not be inflated with the potential of rookies, and before they enter the professional arena to prove themselves, they should sign a reasonable mid-level contract as a standard rookie contract."

Louie said what a lot of teams have been trying to say but haven't said.

Standard rookie contracts, so right.

Last year, Ewing's 10-year 30 million shocking league, the example of the league's highest salary when he debuted, has been criticized by countless people, and Ewing himself has been made autistic by public opinion.

Although Ewing's rookie season was good, he really didn't deserve the league's first salary.

Louis did not take into account the subsequent impact, as the first general manager to propose a standard rookie contract, and won the unanimous agreement of almost all clubs.

The only club opposed is the Los Angeles Clippers.

"This proposal is very good, but it cannot be decided at the annual meeting~www.readwn.com~ We need to discuss with the union before the result."

Louie knew the proposal would draw backlash from the players' union.

It doesn't matter to him, as long as he proposes this concept, let the professional people fight for the rest.

And this is just his first proposal, he has two proposals.

"The current salary cap rules will make it difficult for some teams to sign rookies, but according to the regulations, unless a rookie is traded, he can only sign with the team that selected him. Once a team is unwilling to Trading, and being unable to complete the contract with players due to their own salary cap, will damage the common interests of both parties.” This proposal is the real purpose of Louis, “So I suggest that it be increased under the existing salary cap rules. A rule that allows all teams to sign rookies over the salary cap."

Stern's expression became complicated. He was still smiling, but the smile was not necessarily so warm.

"What about other people's opinions?" Stern asked.

"Objection!" Harry Weltman of the Cavaliers stood up and retorted, "Coach Lu, why do I think that this proposal is only good for you, the Knicks?"

⑴ This incident comes from Auerbach's dictation. Later, the listeners wrote their dictation at the dinner table into an autobiography, "Let me tell you a story, which was published in China. It is said that the early Celtics were very strong, often blowing up opponents, and there was a lot of garbage time, so in the closing stage, Auerbach often felt bored and wanted to do something for entertainment, and then he did his favorite entertainment and smoked cigars. , but even if he smokes cigars, he never smokes away. His opponents overreacted, thinking it was a provocation, and then the rumors became more and more evil, making NBA history buffs like me think Auerbach is the kind of person who has to win his own face before reading this autobiography. Humiliating, grumpy old man.