Min Congda can't say he likes New York too much.
If nothing else, the weather here is far less beautiful than in California.
Fortunately, it is July now, and the sunshine in California is a bit too harsh. On the contrary, the temperature in New York is good. Min Congda can meet with Los Angeles Clippers owner Shelley Sterling, deputy general manager Olshey, president Rosser, etc. People taste Panama Rose Gold Label Bean Coffee at the rooftop cafe of the New York Hilton Hotel.
However, for a wild boar like Min Congda, coffee in his mouth is not much different from isatis root with sugar. Even for the famous Panama rosea, his biggest feeling is just one word: "bitter"!
To this end, he asked the waiter for three sugar cubes, put them into the cup one by one, and then stirred them repeatedly with a spoon. When he felt that it was not enough, he added a small cup of milk to dilute the bitter taste of the coffee.
Seeing Min Congda drinking like this, Shelly Sterling couldn't help but said: "Smart, you might as well just drink milk directly. Why add some coffee flavor? I've never seen you like drinking it before. Coffee, did you suddenly become elegant when you arrived in New York? You even took us to a cafe like this to have a cup~ Oh God, I remember you have always been a tea drinker, you Chinese boy."
There was a hint of sarcasm in Shelly Sterling's words, and even a bit of provocation later on.
In the entire Los Angeles Clippers, she was the only big boss who dared to talk to Min Congda like this.
In fact, before Min Congda decided to resign, Shelley Sterling had great respect for Min Congda, even the verbal jokes were very small.
It's just that Min Congda's decision to resign was too sudden, and Shelly Sterling had to cancel today's and tomorrow's activities and chase Olshey and others to New York to find out.
The resentment in her words was understandable, so Min Congda didn't care about the old lady Xie Li. He continued to stir the coffee cup, allowing the milk and dark coffee to fully mix, gradually turning into a soft, milky white color. The light brown color makes it easier to enter.
"I know this decision is very sudden, but you know my style of acting is always decisive and never procrastinating. No nonsense, focus on work, this is my behavioral philosophy."
Min Congda has been really decisive in doing things in the past few years in the Clippers. He always does it immediately when he has an idea, and never hesitates or procrastinates.
Wrangling in meetings has never been part of Min Congda's job.
"But for such a big thing as resigning, you should still give everyone an explanation! At least you should inform me in advance so that I can be mentally prepared." Shelly Sterling said still angrily.
"Four championships is what I owe to the Los Angeles Clippers. I don't think I owe the Clippers anything. And we have no financial entanglements. I can leave at any time."
Shelley Sterling had nothing to say. Indeed, not only did Min Congda not owe the Clippers, but the Clippers owed Min Congda a lot.
As the team owner, Xie Li still doesn't know what kind of contract Min Congda signed with the Clippers.
Anyway, Donald Sterling said that Min Congda's relationship with the Clippers is more of a cooperative relationship than an employment relationship. He can end the contract at any time, and his salary is not paid by the Clippers.
Therefore, Min Congda left as soon as he said it, and Shelley Sterling had no choice at all.
At this time Rosser spoke, he said: "But Mr. Smart, there is a relationship between you and the team. Everyone is shocked and very, very reluctant to let you go."
Hearing this, Min Congda's face became serious. He put down the whistle that had been stirring and took a sip of coffee with three pieces of sugar and milk.
Well, it's still a bit bitter. Damn it, he's still not suitable for drinking coffee, but currently he doesn't know where there is a better place to drink tea in New York.
"Thank you Rosser, and the employees of the Clippers. I can't let you go very much, so I didn't leave any escape route for myself. I sold all my houses, came to New York, announced the news to the media, and decided to leave the Clippers and join the league. Work. Otherwise, I think I have to say goodbye to you all, and I don’t have the confidence to leave, so I have to break it off.”
When Min Congda said this, there were tears in his eyes, and everyone was silent. In six years, everyone worked together to build the Clippers, a thousand-year-old team, into a historical dynasty team. Everyone was very emotional. It's hard to describe in words.
"Then don't leave. Why do you have to leave? Stay. Even if we don't win five consecutive championships, we can still win more championships in the future!" Olshey said.
When Min Congda first came to the Clippers, he was full of resentment and didn't understand how such an airborne novice could steal his position.
Now he has long been convinced by Min Congda. Not only has he won the coveted championship, his work is much easier than before, and his career has reached a peak.
Rosser and Shelly Sterling both agreed. They came to New York this time to first need an explanation from Min Congda, and secondly, they also hoped that Min Congda would change his mind - although the chance of this is very low, after all, if he says it, it will be spilled. Water, Min Congda even sold his house, he must have made a lot of determination.
Min Congda did not hide it, saying: "I have no choice, because I promised a person at the beginning and agreed with him that if the Clippers win the fourth championship, I will resign from the Clippers and work in the league."
Shelly Sterling came closer and asked: "Promised to someone? Who is it? Adam Silva?"
Rosser said, "I guess... could it be the person in front of me?"
Min Congda nodded slightly in recognition and said: "Don't tell anyone this news. This is a private deal between Stern and I. This is very important for our fourth championship."
Shelly, Olshey and others suddenly realized after hearing this. No wonder the referee's whistle in the Western Conference finals was so fair and impartial. There were almost no controversial penalties. Even if there were, they were all level and there was no control over the field. Overall, It is a series with little controversy.
Anyway, so far, no one has messed with the referee's whistle. For the Clippers, it is still very important to get fair treatment on the whistle.
In this evenly matched confrontation, if the whistle was slightly off, the Clippers would have been eliminated in the Western Conference Finals and would go home to prepare for next season.
If the league doesn't want the Clippers to win four consecutive championships, the Clippers really have no choice but to watch the Warriors reach the Finals.
It turned out that Min Congda was exchanging benefits behind the scenes, using himself to leave the Clippers as a price to ensure that his path to four consecutive championships would not be blocked by the referees.
Olshey said: "If it's a private agreement, you don't have to abide by it. David is no longer the president anyway!"
After saying that, Rosser, Shelly and Min Congda all looked at Olshey as if they were mentally retarded.
Olshey coughed and took a sip of coffee. He knew he was talking nonsense.
As long as David Stern is alive, his influence on the NBA will be huge.
It has been four seasons since Adam Silva served as interim president in 2011 and has officially taken office. Several key positions in the league office are still left over from the Stern era.
As the saying goes, once an emperor is like an emperor, his ministers are always the same, but Silva was not able to quickly replace his capable man after taking office, which is enough to show that David Stern still has a great influence on the league.
Since Min Congda had to leave the Clippers to work in the league due to a private agreement with David Stern, Shelly Sterling and others have no hope of persuading Min Congda to return.
Several people were silent for a while. Min Congda looked at the faces of the three people and knew in his heart that if they couldn't persuade him back, they would have to make new plans and the Clippers would have a new layout.
Everyone's feelings are feelings, and work is work. Every code is a code. The Yankees are very clear about this.
One moment, I was thinking about working together to influence Mr. Smart with love so that he could return to take charge of the situation. The next moment, I was thinking about how to take advantage of the huge power vacuum left by Min Congda's departure.
Min Congda took another sip of coffee, and the cup of Panama Golden Bean was about to bottom out. He said: "I know you are all worried about how the Clippers will arrange the next season. Now I, the former Clippers general manager, have some opinions and opinions. Suggestions, maybe I can give you some reference, I wonder if you would like to listen to them?"
Shelley Sterling said: "Smart, don't be so secretive. Just tell me what you have to say. I believe you have already thought about how to arrange your funeral."
Shelly still has some resentment, because as the owner of the Clippers, she knows that she has lost her most capable player. No matter how she arranges it, it will be difficult for the Clippers to regain their glory.
Then her desire to become a strong sportswoman in Los Angeles is likely to come to nothing.
And both Olshey and Rosser listened with wide eyes, as their careers for the next few years depended on this.
Min Congda said: "You also know that in the past six years, my number one policy in managing the team has been to put stability first and not mess around. So I hope you can still stick to this correct path and don't mess around. I suggest, still Olshey is very suitable for the position of general manager of the team. Rosser will continue to serve as the team president, responsible for business matters and continue to expand the team's influence."
Hearing what Min Congda said, Olshey and Rosser were relieved. As expected, Mr. Smart was still considerate of his old subordinates.
Shelley Sterling said: "You mean, without you, the Clippers can still maintain normal operation, right?"
Min Congda said: "A good team should be able to function without anyone, including you, Xie Li. However, the team has become bigger and bigger in the past two years, and it handles more and more business. I have a few My suggestion is, first, stop filming the Clippers documentary and end the collaboration with Peele and Key. The filming has had a great impact over the years, but it will eventually end. The last one will be released this summer. Collect it. The fans will be tired of it. Second, the Asian Youth Foundation must continue to operate. The Asian market is still a piece of fat. Try to develop this kid Lu Yuan. He will come to the United States to go to college this year. Rely on the Chinese market, quickly The Boat Club will further expand its influence. Believe me, the power of Chinese fans is unimaginable. Third, arrange Fan Chen into the coaching staff and let him start as an assistant coach. Tyronn Lue and Mike Malone will not last long. At that time, Fan Chen will be the most reliable coach candidate. He can manage the competitiveness of the head coach for 5 to 8 years, but he must be given enough room for training and growth."
As Min Congda spoke, Rosser and Olshey nodded repeatedly, but it was unclear whether they listened or not.
When Min Congda was around, the two of them were obedient and obeyed everything they said.
But there is a saying that tells people to leave the tea behind. No matter how brilliant your record is, Mr. Smart, if you leave, you leave. Your words are suggestions. If I listen, I will follow your advice. It is completely normal not to listen to you. I am the Clippers. The team's situation is here, what's the use of what you, a departing general manager, say.
The current Clippers are Min Congda's hard work no matter what, and he doesn't want them to be completely destroyed after he leaves.
Judging from the news circulating in the market in the past two days, there are already two that are very detrimental to the Clippers:
One is that Jimmy Butler will probably not renew his contract with the Clippers, but will leave to become the boss in his hometown of Houston.
Another thing is that Leonard is not very interested in staying with the Clippers. His uncle said in an interview with reporters, "Leonard just wants to play for Mr. Smart. If Mr. Smart leaves, he will Also consider leaving.”
The Spurs have shown great interest in Leonard, and Popovich must take action to poach the Clippers.
Once Butler and Leonard leave and their contract renewals are unsuccessful, the Clippers are proud of their top three forwards, and only Joe is left.
With such a forward level, how can they fight against the Golden State Warriors' James + Durant?
In order to prevent this from happening, in the draft in June, Min Congda chose Siakam from Africa - the same Siakam who was originally invited to the Clippers to watch the game.
He actually made it all the way through the training camp and came to the United States to play at New Mexico State University. After his freshman year, the Clippers contacted him and hoped that he would participate in the draft a year early, and the Clippers would use their first-round pick. Take him down.
With the intention of playing for the Clippers, Siakam decided to participate in the NBA draft in advance. As expected, he was selected by the Clippers with the 29th overall pick in the first round, realizing his dream.
But even with a potential show like Siakam, Min Congda knows that without Leonard and Butler, the blow to the Clippers will still be devastating, and five consecutive championships will become a distant dream.
Now that he has left the Clippers, the 2016 season will become extremely difficult for the Clippers. The most important thing is to ensure that the team's operations are stable, the record does not decline too much, the player's condition and morale are stable, and they accumulate strength for the future. .
Therefore, Min Congda said to Shelly Sterling: "Shelley, I hope the team can achieve the three points I just mentioned. This is related to whether your name can be engraved on the ceiling of the stadium. It's just four consecutive championships. It’s not enough. The Clippers must remain competitive enough, win more championships, establish a second dynasty, and become an evergreen tree.”
Min Congda knew Shelly Sterling's ambitions, so he asked the boss to implement these policies to ensure that the Clippers could smoothly survive this dangerous period and not disintegrate.
Shelley Sterling nodded, indicating that she accepted Min Congda's opinion.
But this was not enough. Min Congda added to the conditions and said, "Oh, by the way, I want to say one more thing. Do you know which vice president I am assisting this time as assistant to the vice president in the league?"
The three of them shook their heads. They were also very curious. The so-called assistant to the vice president must be a transitional position, and he would probably be promoted to the position of vice president later.
I wonder what Min Congda is in charge of?
Min Congda smiled and said: "The vice president I serve is Bozia. I have a say in future referee work."
(End of chapter)
