Las Vegas, a city rising out of the desert.
The towering Hoover Dam forms Lake Mead, which provides the city with ample water and electricity.
And this oasis in the desert also provides capitalist enjoyment to people across the United States and even the world.
All entertainment items that adults can think of can be satisfied here: gambling, alcohol, food, beauties, shopping, amusement parks, extreme sports...
There are all kinds of legal and illegal entertainment contents, as long as you have money and a green dollar.
Sports is an extremely developed industry in the United States, and it has a natural close relationship with gambling. It has naturally become a very important part of the casino entertainment industry.
Tennis, racing, boxing, baseball, and many major commercial sports events will be held here to attract sports fans to come here to spend money.
Basketball is of course also a key development and cooperation project in Las Vegas.
Although there is no professional basketball team here, the NBA has held summer leagues in Las Vegas since 2004 to expand the NBA's business footprint across the United States.
In 2007, the NBA All-Star Game was held in Las Vegas. Basketball stars such as James, Kobe, Wade, and Paul gathered to perform and became the vanguard of NBA expansion.
In July this year, the new Las Vegas Summer League continues, with a total of 21 NBA teams participating in this league.
The summer league is not a championship system, nor does it have round-robin matches. It is mainly a practice match to examine young players, with a performance nature.
Each team only plays five games. The team that comes first plays first, and then leaves, and the next group of players continues to play until all games are played.
The Clippers' game starts on the 13th. The first opponent is the Los Angeles Lakers, the big brother in the same city.
Min Congda, together with 12 players from the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team, took a flight to this entertainment capital in the desert on July 12.
Min Congda has long been yearning for the casino city of Vegas. At the exit of McCarran International Airport, a glowing neon sign reads "Welcome to Las Vegas."
Min Congda thought to himself: "Back then, Chen Daozai won 37 million with 20 yuan! Today, Min Congda has 200 yuan, so I won't have any problem winning 5 million!"
After leaving the airport, there was a fleet of SUVs rented by the Clippers locally, all of which were black Ford Expeditions. A total of 8 vehicles were rented, and each car could seat 4 people. The Clippers and its staff had a total of 30 people.
Ada and Min Congda sat in the first car to open the road. She carefully fastened her seat belt and said: "Previously, when the team came to the summer league, they always rented a bus. This time, the cost of renting an SUV is much higher..."
Min Congda said: "Our team is worth hundreds of millions, can't we afford to rent several cars? Don't worry, the expenses will be approved!"
In the United States, driving is a necessary skill for almost every adult. Everyone chooses their own car and follows Min Congda’s car to the Caesars Palace, a long-established luxury hotel in Vegas.
This hotel was built and opened in 1966. It is the first gambling resort hotel in the casino. It focuses on the luxurious style of ancient Rome, with a large number of ancient Roman sculptures and luxurious decorations, and lives up to its reputation as a "palace".
Of course, the prices here are definitely high. Ordinary rooms cost upwards of US$800 per night, and the most expensive presidential suite costs an astonishing US$50,000 per night.
If the system hadn't allowed it and the Clippers really didn't have that much budget, Min Congda would have wanted everyone to live in a presidential suite.
Such a seven-day summer league trip is estimated to put the Clippers' financial budget into a deficit.
But even for a room that costs $800 a night, 30 people in 15 rooms for seven days, the cost is more than $80,000.
In fact, the room price is different every day. It is cheaper from Monday to Friday, but the price will soar on Saturday and Sunday, so the room price will cost nearly 100,000 US dollars.
When the Clippers came to Las Vegas to participate in the summer league, they stayed in fast hotels for just over 100 US dollars a night.
In addition, there are summer league subsidies for players, each player is 1,000 US dollars, and 12 people are tens of thousands of dollars in expenses.
Customizing jerseys also costs money. 12 players' specially printed jerseys will cost US$5,000.
Including car rental, meals, the registration fee of US$10,000 for the summer league, and the universal return air tickets given to each player at the end of the league...the total of various expenses adds up to more than US$150,000!
Last year, the Clippers' total expenses for participating in the summer league did not exceed 80,000. This time, the total expenses can be said to have doubled. Rosser's head will definitely explode when he sees the bill.
Min Congda doesn't care about this. A thousand-mile embankment is destroyed by an ant nest. Every excess expenditure will become a booster for the Clippers' bankruptcy!
Arriving at the destination Caesar Palace Hotel, next to the large fountain in front of you, there is a replica of the Statue of Victory of Samothrace. The headless and winged goddess opens her non-existent arms to welcome every tourist who comes here.
After driving to the parking lot and entering the hotel lobby with their luggage, the Clipper crew quickly became the focus of many tourists.
The group of people are all too tall. Curry, who is short and thin, looks like a burly man of 191cm in front of ordinary people.
Min Congda was wearing sunglasses, and Ada was helping him drag his luggage. Behind him was a group of burly men with a height of 190cm or more walking in.
This scene and posture were as majestic as they were. Min Congda felt that he could defeat any underworld brother now!
The players and staff were a little excited. They didn't expect to stay in such a good hotel when participating in the summer league. The new manager is so generous and open.
Min Congda's favorability among grassroots employees has increased again.
After completing the procedures at the front desk, the group came to the room, which was decorated with luxurious decoration, comfortable space, soft big bed, exquisite carpets, on-call hotel services, and a wide range of drinks.
Everyone has experienced a feeling of luxury. These seven days are for competitions and vacations.
Assistant coach Kim Hughes, who lived in the same room as Min Chongda, lamented: "I have participated in so many summer leagues, and this is the first time I really feel like enjoying it. Olshey said it is a pity that he will not come."
"But, Mr. Smart, such an expense must be huge. Will Mr. Rosser agree?"
Min Congda took a bottle of sherry from the wine cabinet, poured a glass for Hughes, and said: "The approval power of the team's budget is ultimately in my hands. Come have a drink and enjoy Las Vegas." Good wine~”
Once the bottle of wine is opened, another hundred dollars is gone, and it has to be charged to the team's account.
"My staff and players must enjoy the best treatment so that they can play the best game."
Hughes didn't care about it anymore. He took the glass and took a sip. He said, "Mr. Smart, there is a game tomorrow. I think we should call the players for a training session in the afternoon to let them get used to the venue and practice." Let’s practice tactical coordination.”
"No!" Min Congda rejected Hughes' proposal, "How many of these players will stay in the team in the end? Winning or losing is not important. What is important is to let the players relax physically and mentally and prepare for the really important regular season. Prepare."
"There is no training camp in the afternoon. You gather everyone. I am going to take them to the casino to have some fun and relax."
"Uh... Mr. Smart, is this... appropriate?"
"It's suitable! Of course it's suitable! Jin, you come with us too!"
"Oh no no, I still won't go to Mr. Smart. I still need to sort out the team's tactical manual."
"You must go to Jin. You are so tall. I feel safe standing next to me. Let's go. Don't hesitate. Let's go..."
Min Congda took Jin Hughes and insisted on going to the casino. The so-called playing with things to lose one's ambition is to use the indulgence of capitalism to anesthetize the young people in the team.
Play casually and perform well seriously, this is the best!
