No one would have thought that after the memorial service where Jerry Buss' body was still cold, his old friend David Stern was already plotting to change hands with the Lakers.
After all, this piece of fat has been stared at by many people for a long time. The Lakers' golden brand is too bright, and Jerry Buss and his family are really poor.
A little baby holding a gold brick in his hand will inevitably be coveted.
However, Stern's hope that the Lakers will change their owners is not out of selfish motives, but because he hopes that a more powerful owner can drive the powerful Lakers and inject more vitality into the league.
Once the Los Angeles duo of the Lakers and Clippers can compete against each other in the next ten years, the NBA's influence in California will definitely exceed that of other professional leagues.
California has always been the most developed sports industry in the United States, with the largest population engaged in sports and the best economic situation. It is the top priority for major professional leagues.
It can be said that for the sake of this long-term strategic layout, Stern gave up his old face and reputation, and made some shady communications and transactions with Min Congda.
As Min Congda, who has conducted a team transaction, he has gradually understood the entire process of this action.
First, there is always an outbreak of public opinion incidents, then they are fermented with the help of promoters, followed by the intervention of relevant departments, and then they become the target of forced sales of assets.
Because Min Congda has the public opinion tool "NBA-Batman", he has the ability to shoot anyone in the back.
However, Min Congda, who only wanted to complete the mission and take away the money, would not use this key weapon unless absolutely necessary.
After conspiring with Stern, he did not immediately plan. Instead, he told Stern that he had to wait for the perfect time.
"Now that the old Bath people have just left, public opinion will naturally sympathize with the Bath family. It is unreasonable to attack them at this time. We must wait until their actions are outraged, and then give a heavy blow. It’s the best time.”
Stern nodded and said: "Also, they are very united internally now. If they are asked to sell the team at this time, they will definitely not do it. They will be unanimous in dealing with the outside world. Only by letting them go through struggles will cracks appear internally. Only then do we have a chance.”
Stern added to Min Congda's words.
The two foxes, the old one and the young one, nodded repeatedly, expressing their approval of each other's words.
It must be admitted that although Stern doesn't like Min Congda very much, everything this guy does is very much to Stern's liking.
Stern even thought that if Min Congda could enter the league ten years earlier, he would definitely find a way to train Min Congda as his successor.
Stern would not have thought that if you trained him to be your successor, his daily goal would be to bankrupt the NBA.
After the two reached an agreement, Min Congda got out of the car, got to his car, and drove home.
On the way back, he thought about it in his mind. In the short term, there would be no benefit to changing the owner of the Lakers.
But in the long run, once the Lakers have an owner with "unlimited money" like Ballmer, their combat effectiveness will definitely be further improved.
If you look at the lineup of the Lakers during their three consecutive championships and two consecutive championships, you will know that except for an elderly version of F4 in 2004, the Lakers' lineup in no year can truly be called a galactic battleship. They have never formed a Big Three.
OK combination, Gasol + Kobe, are all dual-core.
Moreover, neither Kobe Bryant during the OK period nor Gasol during the two consecutive championships were considered top-tier superstars.
The Lakers' reinforcements every offseason can only be said to be just right. The management has a unique vision, but the lineup is indeed not luxurious.
The Buss family has been quite generous in paying luxury taxes. Since 2001, they have paid the most luxury taxes in a season, so they have won the most championships.
However, due to the existence of the luxury tax and salary cap system, the Lakers can no longer form a super luxurious lineup that reached the finals nine times in 11 years like they did in the 1980s.
In today's era, if you want to continue the glory of the past, it is not enough to just rely on the reputation of your ancestors. You must be able to spend real money.
For someone like Ballmer who has endless money to spend, Min Congda naturally doesn't want him to come to the Clippers, but it would be best for him to go to the Lakers.
After all, the Heat and Cavaliers are in the East, and the Lakers are not only in the West, but they are also a team in the same city. It is really good to have a city rival for the Clippers.
"In order to bankrupt the Clippers, I decided to lay out another important plan of mine, the 'Bass Plan'! I will try to change the name of the Lakers and rise again in the short term!"
Starting from this conversation tonight, another important, long-term plan was born in Min Congda's mind, which he named the Bass Plan.
The purpose is to change the ownership of the Lakers to a more wealthy owner and block the Clippers' development path.
Also starting tonight, Min Congda's focus has shifted from the Clippers to the Lakers.
A general manager of the Clippers does not care about the construction of his own team, but instead worries about the team next door.
However, the Clippers really have nothing to worry about. The entire team is in a good and upward state in terms of lineup, tactics and team atmosphere.
The Clippers' record in the past few years also shows that a management that is stable, not fussy and not stingy is enough to ensure that a team can move forward steadily.
On the contrary, many times, some championship-level teams are destroyed by various tricks of the management.
From February to the All-Star Game, the Clippers' record and on-field performance became increasingly stable.
This is inseparable from Mike Malone's adjustments and transformation of the team.
The defensive power of the starting starting combination of Leonard + George is becoming more and more prominent. They have very strong defensive control on both the inside and outside.
At the same time, on the bench, Harden, Butler, and Anthony Davis formed a powerful combination of talented substitutes.
The Clippers have gone from using offense to massacre their opponents to gradually controlling the point difference in each game to about 5 to 10 points.
They seem to be winning more and more economically and with ease, and they control points very well.
To put it bluntly, I can win you by as many points as I want. If I use more force, I will win by 20 points. If I surrender, I will lose half.
In the All-Star Game, the Clippers' starting four were selected as All-Stars, with Curry, Harden, Gasol and Randolph playing.
This is the second time such a grand occasion has occurred in the league since four Pistons were selected to the All-Stars in 2006.
At that time, the reason for the Pistons was that they had a super record that led the entire league.
In terms of record, the Clippers were not as dominant as the Pistons at that time.
However, the Clippers' popularity, especially among young fans, remains high.
In the three-point contest, Stephen Curry lost to Kyrie Irving and did not win the three-point contest.
LeBron James, who has always claimed to participate in the dunk contest, still has not fulfilled his promise.
As he continues to age, his chances of participating in the slam dunk contest are getting lower and lower.
After all, for James, if he loses the dunk contest, or his dunk is not perfect enough, his posture is too ugly, etc., it will become an indelible stain on his image.
Instead of adding black marks to yourself, it is better not to participate and save yourself the shame.
After the All-Star Game, the regular season schedule gradually enters the final stage, and the records of each team have become clearer.
Those at the forefront of the league are beginning to gain home court advantage, either to maintain their strength, or to make tactical preparations for the playoffs.
Being on the edge of the playoffs, they will naturally go all out to win every game and strive to reach the playoffs.
Those who have already missed the playoffs, because the NBA has not been relegated, are of course preparing for high-ranking picks next season.
The same drama is performed every season, but the difference is that the protagonist singing on the stage is you and I appear on stage.
By the trade deadline at the end of February, the league had not staged any major trade drama.
In the past two years, as the luxury tax policy has been further tightened, the salary pressure on each team has increased suddenly.
Therefore, every team is very cautious about mid-season transactions. Unless it can really bring about qualitative changes, it will be a small deal.
Many transactions are not so much about strengthening the team as they are about optimizing the salary structure and saving the team money.
From this perspective, the salary cap and luxury tax systems have indeed made the league more balanced, but they have also made the league's competition less ambitious.
Many times, managers have to put a lot of energy into reading and understanding complex collective bargaining agreements and various contract provisions.
When they deal with players, contracts, and trade issues, their first consideration is often not whether it is beneficial to the team's strength and development, but whether they can save money, whether they can squeeze out space for next season's salary cap, and whether they can optimize it. The team's salary structure.
After more than 20 years of development since the salary cap system was established in the 1980s, the labor agreement has become so complex that even ordinary fans and basketball professionals cannot understand it.
This is in line with David Stern’s identity as a lawyer and the United States’ characteristic of “lawsuits ruling the country.”
All corners are regulated with complex clauses. Once your rights and interests are infringed and you need help, you must ask professional lawyers and managers to handle related matters for you.
However, the Clippers have no worries in this regard. The Clippers management adhered to Min Congda's "no fuss" strategic policy and remained quiet until the trade deadline.
The phone bills in the Clippers general manager's office are much less than before. The managers of each team know that the Clippers don't want to trade anyone in their hands, so they simply don't call much.
But there is one exception, and that is the general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey.
It has been several years since he took office as the general manager of the Rockets. However, as soon as he made a name for himself in 2009, the Rockets experienced a cliff-like avalanche.
Yao Ming was reimbursed for consecutive seasons, Ron Artest defected to the Lakers, McGrady's career was severely damaged and there is no possibility of returning to his peak, and the three core members broke up before even playing a few games together.
After that, Morey did not follow the traditional strategy of messing up to obtain high-ranking draft picks. Instead, he tried to use his record to maintain the box office. At the same time, he kept cultivating low-ranking picks, saving up gross tickets in exchange for full money, hoping that one day he could use these gross tickets to get... A rising star who becomes the core player of the Rockets.
It's a pity that the Rockets are one of those teams in the league that are somewhat famous, but not well-liked by everyone.
Free agents are basically unwilling to come to Texas. Big-name players want to trade and decide on their next home, but they won't decide on the Rockets.
In their history, they produced Olajuwon and won two championships, which was already a high-profile event. Later, they acquired Yao Ming and further developed their overseas commercial value. The boss made a lot of money, but they could not win any championships.
Morey knew that he had no vision for picking high-potential talents, and thought that instead of cultivating them himself, it would be better to steal other people's half-finished products.
Looking at the entire league, which company has the most and best semi-finished products? That must be the Los Angeles Clippers!
The outstanding semi-finished products that the Clippers have cultivated in the past two years will make Morey cry.
Take any one over, Morey feels that he can become the core of the team and train him, and he will laugh out of his dreams.
Of course Morey wouldn't dare to think about Curry, but Harden, Butler, George, Leonard, and Morey all hope to be traded to the Rockets.
Especially Harden. Before Harden was a double star, Morey had no hope. However, since Mike Malone came to the Clippers and Harden became the sixth man, Morey believes that with Harden in the Clippers With the change in his status in the team, his psychology is likely to fluctuate accordingly. Maybe he wants to be the boss of another team?
Before the trade deadline, Morey kept calling the Clippers' office and Olshey, saying that he hoped to trade for Harden or settle for the next best thing, Butler or George.
As a result, Olshey said that Mr. Smart would not agree to these transactions, and the Rockets really didn't have any good bargaining chips, they were just junk.
It's just that with the Rockets' tactical bonus, they performed pretty well, but there is actually no potential to be tapped.
The Clippers remained unmoved until the trade deadline passed and did not make any trades.
Morey knew there was no hope for this season. He put his hope in the offseason, hoping that conflicts would arise within the Clippers team and the young people would fall apart.
By then, this will surely be a gluttonous feast for the league, and Morey must be the first vulture among them.
For this reason, Morey did not hesitate to find ways to contact Harden privately.
Because Harden doesn't have an agent, and his agent is his mother, Morey tried to find a way to contact Harden's mother.
As a result, Harden's mother told Morey righteously, "Harden will not leave Los Angeles. This is his home and he will play here. Don't even think about it! If you call to harass me again, I will report it to the Alliance!"
For Harden to play in the Clippers, Harden's mother is a million supporters, and the Clippers' welfare is really good, and they also take great care of the families of Clippers players.
Not to mention, Los Angeles is Harden's hometown, who wouldn't want to play in his hometown?
Morey encountered a soft nail, but he still didn't give up. After much thought, he felt that he still had to establish a relationship with the Clippers' supreme leader, General Manager Smart, who sticks to his word.
At this time, it is already March, and the playoff pattern has gradually become clear.
And Min Congda is immersed in the preparations for the "Bath Project" and cannot extricate himself.
He didn't want to worry about the team's transactions and tactics at all, and tried to find out the news related to the Lakers every day.
At this time, Morey came to the door and sent text messages and emails, saying that he wanted to have some communication with Min Congda.
Min Congda had had some contact with Morey before and didn't have a good impression of him. He was too shrewd and calculating.
Although trading with such a person is conducive to the decline of the Clippers, the problem is that the system always disagrees and there is nothing he can do.
After being harassed several times, Min Congda finally answered the call from Morey and exchanged polite greetings for a while.
When asked "whether there is a possibility of trading young players in the team", Min Congda gave an affirmative answer.
This made Morey happy, thinking that he still had to find the right owner.
But Min Congda thought that if the system hadn't stopped them, everyone in the team would have been sent away long ago!
When talking about the conditions, Min Congda also said generously: "Do your best, my price is never high. However, this offseason, the value of the players in my team may increase. If we win the championship, If you want to trade for them, it will be difficult.”
Min Congda expressed his worries. He is no longer so confident that the Clippers will not win the championship.
Although he doesn't watch many games recently, he can tell just by watching the video and scores that the Clippers are quite stable and strong. He is really worried about the Heat and Cavaliers.
To Morey's ears, Min Congda is really confident, but the Clippers do have confidence.
The two parties have had initial contact and communication, and Morey believes that the channel for acquiring Harden or a certain young player in a trade has been opened.
The Clippers have so many young potential stocks, and they certainly won't be able to keep them all. If you can pick one up and train them carefully, you can achieve great success in rebuilding!
Min Congda thought that the Rockets were once considered a strong team in the Western Conference, but now they have fallen into such a predicament. In fact, they should be supported.
So, Min Congda said: "Morey, I think instead of thinking about trading, why not try the draft? The draft is always the best way to rebuild."
Morey said sheepishly: "My drafting level is far behind yours..."
Min Congda was very embarrassed when he said this, thinking that I would have asked you to help me choose if I had known earlier, otherwise the Clippers would not be so strong.
Min Congda patted his chest and said: "Don't worry, if you have a high-ranking pick, I can provide draft advice! I have always been a helpful person."
Morey is such a shrewd person. He didn't believe that Min Congda would sincerely help him, but in order to improve his relationship with Min Congda, he verbally agreed.
Anyway, the Rockets' performance this year is really bad. They have won the lottery for two consecutive years and can no longer sustain it.
It has to be bad, find a way to get a high-position pick, and improve the team's fortunes.
For some reason, Morey feels that since 2010, his and the Rockets' fortunes have been bad.
Many of the transactions he conceived and presided over, and many of the players he was interested in, ended up being nothing.
It seems that since Yao Ming retired, luck is no longer on the side of Houstonians.
(End of chapter)
