On the afternoon of June 28, after more than two hours of flight, the Clippers' business plane arrived at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Following Min Congda, in addition to Rosser, Olshey and other senior executives, there was also a security team headed by Sloan.
Sloan, who is careful and considerate, had made arrangements in Dallas two days in advance, and a Lincoln was already waiting in the airport parking lot.
Min Congda, who always has a casual and simple dressing style, had to wear a very formal suit and a tight tie today.
After getting into the car with Rosser and others, Min Congda loosened his tie, took a breath and said, "It's so damn annoying to wear a tie. Let me tie it again when I get to the venue."
"Hey, this Lincoln is a nice car. Did JFK ride in a Lincoln when he came to Dallas? Sloan, why didn't you get me a convertible?"
Sloan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at Min Congda, with a smile on his face but said nothing.
The atmosphere in the car was quite tense. Rosser, Olshey, Jeff Ball and others had all seen the world and were top executives in the NBA.
But this meeting is still no small matter. It is a consultation and meeting between the 30 team owners and the top leaders of the league before the labor negotiations on June 30.
If the NBA is described as a feudal country, then the owners of the 30 teams are the real controllers of this big country, the 30 princes and lords.
David Stern is not the largest princes and lords, he is just the general manager elected by these princes and lords to manage the country.
Therefore, Stern is on the same side as the employer.
Of course it was Sterling who originally represented the Clippers in the meeting.
But since Min Congda became the general manager of the Clippers, all affairs of the team have been handed over to Min Congda.
This time was no exception. Sterling reportedly went to the Black Sea to sunbathe.
The draft and labor negotiations were all left to Min Congda.
At this moment, Min Congda represents the Clippers and is one of the 30 major lords in the alliance.
His identity became completely different at this moment, and the awe of Rosser, Olshey and others for him deepened.
Seeing that Rosser and others were a little nervous, Min Congda took the initiative to open the topic and said: "Rose, do you think the alliance will come to a standstill this time?"
Rosser said: "I think it's very dangerous. The bosses will not give in. Last season our operating conditions were average, but our team was still able to make a profit..."
"Stop talking..." Min Congda quickly asked Rosser to stop. The last thing he wanted to hear was the Clippers' profit.
The general environment is so bad, everyone is losing money, and even when the team goes bankrupt, the Clippers actually make a profit!
The profit last season was more than 5 million. Min Congda tried his best to come up with a brilliant idea to change the LOGO and spent the 5 million.
As a result, this big marketing event was turned into performance art by Kanye West, and Clippers peripherals were sold like hotcakes.
When the accounts are settled at the end of the season, there will definitely be a large amount of profit from the peripherals, which is explosive just thinking about it.
Cutting off the topic of profits, Min Congda asked: "If the league is suspended, or even... there will be no NBA in the future, what are you going to do?"
Rosser, Olshey and others looked at each other, what kind of problem is this?
Although the league will be suspended, everyone knows that this is just a negotiation tool.
When the players have enough, they will come back to play.
After all, for the owners, many owners do not make money from the NBA.
The golden period of players only lasts for a short period of time. If we want to waste it, the bosses can afford it more.
As long as players come back to play and the league remains open, these executives will naturally have jobs.
Jeff Ball first replied: "Of course he will go back to college to coach."
If it weren't for Min Congda's invitation, Jeff Ball would have been planning to coach in college.
Rosser said: "Looking for a job as a financial director, Wells Fargo Bank has invited me."
Olshey said: "Open a player training center. Oh, by the way, it would also be good to continue training in China. The work there is going very well."
Min Congda nodded. Although he usually bossed around Rosser and others, he knew that these guys were elites.
Even if you leave the NBA, you will still have a good career, and you don't have to worry about employment issues at all.
As for NBA players, they say they are "laborers", but in fact they are all millionaires or even multi-millionaires.
As early as 1999, when the labor negotiations were locked down, some media and fans criticized that this was just a "battle between tall millionaires and short multimillionaires."
Those who are really hurt are the basketball fans who invest a lot of money, time and energy into basketball.
"Yes, even if the NBA is gone, everyone will have a bright future." Min Congda said meaningfully.
Rosser was puzzled and said: "Mr. Smart, do you think this shutdown will have more serious consequences?"
Min Congda smiled and said: "Nothing is impossible in this world, and there is no empire that will not perish. Do you know that many unified dynasties were born in the history of China, but in the end they all fell to pieces without exception. We Chinese people have the most profound experience of the change of rise and fall."
As early as 18 months ago, when the lockout began to show its signs, some people were already worried that this crisis would lead to a "mini-disintegration" of the NBA.
The so-called small disintegration means that some teams will withdraw from the league due to losses and leave the professional basketball market.
Such a situation is not impossible to happen. Regardless of the NBA's current glory, it has encountered many crises in history.
Especially in the early days of its establishment, many teams were no longer in the league for various reasons.
Bankruptcy means bankruptcy, withdrawal means withdrawal, and there are also changes of business and appearance.
To put it bluntly, the NBA is also a commercial company, and it is possible for a company to go bankrupt and die.
The sport of basketball may always exist with modern human society.
However, it is entirely possible for a league organization to disappear due to various reasons such as management.
It can even be said that according to the laws of nature, its collapse one day is inevitable.
But currently, the NBA is far from that point.
However, the demise of an empire is sometimes not the general trend. Some unexpected events can also lead to the sudden collapse of the organization.
Once such a situation occurs, the NBA will not be a small disintegration, but a major disintegration.
Promoting the disintegration of the NBA is Min Congda's number one ultimate means to complete his mission.
It is the "Trojan Plan" that is more thorough than the "Afang Palace Plan".
It's just that Min Congda is not completely sure and can only take one step at a time.
After all, his personal power is still very small, so he just goes with the flow.
Because of Min Congda's words, the atmosphere in the car suddenly became more solemn.
In the eyes of Rosser and others, Min Congda has always been far-sighted, optimistic and open-minded.
He was already so worried. The situation was really not optimistic.
Some people died, but not completely...
