Min Congda arrived at Michael Jordan's 2,700-square-meter mansion in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the afternoon.
Jordan's daily schedule was very busy, but he still took out precious time to meet with Min Congda.
After all, Min Congda has become famous in the league in the past two years. From the perspective of a team manager, he is much "better" than Jordan.
Of course, Jordan is Jordan, and he is the most significant figure in the history of basketball. No matter how he is a boss, a manager, or a coach, his glory cannot be dimmed.
Jordan met Min Congda at his tennis court. He had just finished playing tennis and beat his tennis coach.
Then he put on a towel, handed Min Congda a cigar, shook hands with Min Congda, then sat down and smoked a cigar by himself.
Jordan did not know in advance what was going to be discussed in this meeting, and Adam Silva did not tell him.
Logically speaking, Jordan would not agree to such a meeting, but since the president spoke, and it was Smart Min, Jordan still had to give him face.
He also wondered in his heart, more than half of the season has passed and the trade deadline has passed. What can Smart come to talk about?
It definitely has nothing to do with player trades.
Is it a business cooperation?
If it is a business cooperation, you can just talk to your agent, there is no need to meet in person.
Moreover, Jordan is now the big boss, and he will basically not do any endorsements or advertisements anymore.
He has successfully been promoted from a top wage earner working for the league to an upper-class figure who controls the fate of the team.
Could it be that this guy came here just for "pilgrimage"?
For many basketball fans, Jordan is truly the "Holy Mountain".
How many fans who love basketball, including many NBA stars, are proud to meet and shake hands with Jordan.
It stands to reason that for a senior basketball player like Min Congda, who is also Chinese, Jordan knows his influence in China.
However, the two met before at the shareholder meeting after the lockout. Jordan was deeply impressed by Min Congda, while Min Congda seemed to have no special affection for Jordan.
If he really wanted to make a "pilgrimage", there was no need to take this time to come and meet alone at Jordan's house.
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Jordan was confused now. He saw Min Congda take the cigar, light it, put it in his mouth and take a puff.
"Ahem!"
Min Congda coughed twice, and Jordan smiled. It seemed that this kid didn't smoke cigars much.
"This smell is a bit choking." Min Congda said.
"You'll get used to it," Jordan said, taking another puff.
He is a serious fan of cigars and loved smoking them when he was playing golf.
Cigars represent victory, and he likes cigars and even more likes victory.
"Cigars represent victory in the NBA, right?" Min Congda asked knowingly.
"Of course, Victory Cigar, I would hold it in my mouth every time I won the championship." Jordan recalled his glorious experience of winning the championship in the past. It was the pinnacle memory of his life and will never be forgotten.
"Then...don't you have a chance to enjoy such a victory cigar moment again in the future?"
Min Congda took another sip. This time he didn't cough. He just frowned and said these heart-wrenching words.
Jordan's face changed slightly, and he said: "Smart, did you come here just to curse me? I think our meeting is almost over. I have something else to do."
Jordan was about to get up and leave, but Min Congda's rudeness irritated him.
Min Congda said: "Do you really think the Charlotte Bobcats can win the championship? To be honest, do you have any confidence?"
Jordan is an extremely confident person, especially as a player, his confidence was overwhelming, which was the key to his success.
But there were two stages where Jordan's confidence was hit.
One was when he was playing baseball, he finally discovered that there were areas in which he was not good at.
He really wasn't cut out for baseball.
One is now, when I am the team management and owner.
Whether you are a small boss in the Wizards or a big boss in the Bobcats.
Sometimes he wanted to take off his jacket, put on his jersey and play in person.
It's a pity that he can't. Even if he can, he tried it when he was a wizard, and it didn't work.
The NBA is no longer his world.
Even the god of basketball must obey the laws of nature.
He realized that he had never been able to touch the edge when it came to team management.
After taking ownership of the Bobcats in 2006, this is already the sixth season. It is reasonable that the reconstruction should be completed in six years.
But looking at the teams next door that were rapidly rebuilding and the teams that picked the right ones in the draft, Jordan didn't even know what the Bobcats were picking or what they were playing.
Especially this season, as the regular season is coming to an end, the Bobcats have lost 23 consecutive games, the longest losing streak in history!
Their record is also very likely to only have single-digit wins, which is a huge shame no matter how you look at it.
As the team's boss, Jordan's heart was bleeding. It was so bad and a complete humiliation to him.
Therefore, when Min Congda asked this question, Jordan, who had always been confident, lost his confidence.
He did not answer Min Congda's question directly, but said: "I don't know why I have to answer your question. I think it's time for you to leave."
Faced with Jordan's extremely oppressive eviction order, Min Congda did not retreat.
Before he came, he had thought about how to talk to Jordan about this matter.
Min Congda has always been a straightforward person, but this time he didn't.
He understands Jordan's temperament, and he must arouse Jordan's emotions so that he will be interested in listening to his advice and complete a difficult team change operation.
Min Congda stood up, took a puff of his cigar, and blew out a smoke ring.
Said: "Look, I got used to it by the third puff. This shows that I am a born winner, doesn't it?"
When he said this, Min Congda sighed in his heart. It felt really uncomfortable to lie.
What a born winner, I just want to be the biggest loser! Lose to me!
Min Congda continued: "The reason why you want to answer my question is because I can take you to relive the beautiful moments of Victory Cigar."
Jordan frowned and said, "You want to come to the Bobcats to be the general manager? If that's the case, I'm very welcome."
Hearing that Min Congda had the intention to become the manager of the Bobcats, Jordan sat down again. He was really interested in this.
Min Congda's operations in the past few seasons have been a model for various teams to study, and have slapped many NBA team management in the face.
His precise drafting and fewer transactions have proved to the world that the player management model with frequent transactions is meaningless in many cases. It is just a useless effort by the management to work for the sake of work.
Drafting in a down-to-earth manner, developing your own young players, and making good use of rookie contract bonuses is the right path.
The era of trying to make a team rise with one or two shocking mid-season trades is gradually going away.
In the first ten years, the league often had such mid-season big trades that changed the fate of the team.
For example, in 2004, the Pistons traded for Rasheed Wallace to form the Pistons' top five and become the championship.
The Lakers acquired Gasol in the middle of the 2008 season and built a small Lakers dynasty that won two championships in three years.
At that time, the league started an arms race at every turn, making massive trades in the middle of the season and piling up star players.
This momentum has slowed down significantly in the past two years, as the price-performance ratio of mid-season big deals has declined significantly.
For example, the Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony due to injuries in the middle of the season. As a result, the Knicks did not rise quickly.
Every team has begun to pay attention to draft picks, carefully study the CBA rules, make good use of the new agreement, and make good use of the rookie contract.
From this point of view, Min Congda is a "prophet" and is ahead of everyone.
If someone like him could come to the Bobcats, Jordan would certainly be very happy.
It's just that Jordan doesn't understand. Min Congda is doing well with the Clippers, so why does he have to come to the Bobcats?
Poverty alleviation through technology?
Min Congda knew that Jordan had misunderstood, so he thought the opposite, shook his head and said: "I'm not coming to the Bobcats to be the general manager, but I want you to be the boss of the Clippers."
Now Jordan became interested.
Is there such a thing in the world?
He has only heard of bosses looking for employees, or employees looking for jobs to bosses.
This was the first time he heard that an employee took the initiative to invite a boss back.
Jordan felt incredible and said: "Did Sterling ask you to come? He doesn't want the team anymore?"
Min Congda shook his head and said: "No, Mr. Sterling, I don't want to sell the team."
Although Sterling is a puppet and obeys Min Congda's words, he is not willing to sell the team even if Min Congda says he wants to.
If Min Congda could command Sterling like this, the Clippers would have gone bankrupt long ago, and it would be over if he just wasted money.
Hearing what Min Congda said, Jordan's expression became a little complicated, and he seemed to understand something.
He said: "I am now the owner of the Bobcats. It is impossible for me to own two teams at the same time, and I don't have that much money."
Min Congda said: "Money is not a problem, and it is not a problem that you are the owner of the Bobcats. It only depends on your willingness, whether you are willing to be the owner of the Clippers."
Jordan was lost in thought. He took off the towel from his shoulders and put it on his legs.
It would be false to say that he doesn’t want to be the owner of the Clippers. The entire league knows what the Clippers’ situation is now.
It has strong strength, and most importantly, great potential. It is located in Los Angeles, and its market value is rising steadily. It is a very high-quality asset.
But if Sterling doesn't want to sell, how can Jordan get the Clippers?
Why would Smart, the general manager, "betray" his boss and want the Clippers to change hands?
Thinking that it was Adam Silva who introduced the meeting between the two, Jordan smelled the atmosphere of conspiracy.
If it were the player era, Jordan would definitely reject this kind of thing, and he would let Min Congda leave.
How could he join just because he couldn't beat him? He must lead the Bobcats to the championship.
But now he is no longer a player, but a boss and a capitalist.
This was evident during labor negotiations.
During the labor negotiations, many former celebrities stood on the side of the players and spoke for them, believing that the bosses should distribute enough profits to the players.
But Jordan sided with the owners and shareholders, believing that the players were too greedy and wanted too much.
Because Jordan is the boss at this time and is no longer the god of basketball who dominates the court.
He is just a human being.
Jordan said: "No one will refuse to become the owner of the Clippers, but... I don't know how to achieve it."
Min Congda smiled and said: "This is not something you need to worry about for the time being. As long as you are willing, nothing is impossible, right?"
Min Congda's words instantly aroused Jordan's ambition and pride. Indeed, he was once an omnipotent person.
Jordan took a puff of his cigar, obviously he was a little moved, but he still needed to know more details.
He asked Min Congda: "When did you say you would take over the Clippers? Next season? Should I consider selling the Bobcats now?"
Min Congda shook his head and said, "No, just swap."
"exchange?"
"Don't you know Ilf Levine and John Brown?"
"Oh~ you mean the former owner of the Braves and Celtics?"
"That's right."
The two people Min Chongda mentioned were the owners of the Boston Celtics and Buffalo Braves in the NBA in the 1970s.
Among them, Ilf Levin owns the Celtics, but he is not happy as the boss of the Celtics and has a tense relationship with the "boss killer" Auerbach.
At the same time, he was born in California and was tired of the cold weather in the east. He missed the sunshine in California.
On the contrary, John Brown, the owner of the Buffalo Braves, lost confidence in the Braves who had a poor record at the time and felt that the team had no future.
He needs a strong and wealthy team to realize his championship dream.
It just so happened that David Stern, who served as legal counsel in the NBA, put forward a team swap proposal, which was regarded as a brilliant idea in the history of NBA and asset transactions.
He first moved John Brown's Buffalo Braves from Buffalo to sunny San Diego, California.
Then, Levin and Brown conducted a team ownership transaction. Levin and Brown swapped their identities. Levin successfully became the owner of the San Diego Braves, and Brown became the owner of the Celtics.
This team transaction is unprecedented. I have to admire the development of the American financial market and David Stern's rich imagination.
After Levin came to California, he renamed the Braves the Clippers. A few years later, he sold the Clippers to Sterling, and the Clippers began the long Sterling era.
What Min Congda has to do now is to complete another swap transaction.
Jordan understood this. It turned out to be like this. There was no need to sell the team, just change it.
Such a deal wouldn't be a problem if league commissioner Adam Silver supported it.
However, Jordan still asked: "But, does your boss Sterling want to change teams? If he doesn't want to, there is nothing he can do."
Min Congda smiled and said: "Mr. Sterling has made a lot of profits in the past two years. For him, retiring early might not be a decent way to exit. You know, after so many years, he has not been a very good boss. .”
Min Congda is right about this. Sterling's reputation is really not very good.
Neither the boss nor the players, fans, or management like this guy.
He didn't care about anything in the past three years, but it was the period when he was most famous.
Jordan took a puff of his cigar and said, "What if he doesn't want to be decent?"
Min Congda said: "Then I will help him look decent."
(End of chapter)
