At the same time, Barkley had arrived in Chicago and was interviewed by reporters at the airport.
"Charles, you are here to watch the Eastern Conference Finals, so do you support the Bulls or the Pistons?" a reporter asked.
"Charles, I heard that you are going to Los Angeles for fishing?" another reporter joked.
Buckley laughed, but in his heart he really wanted to give this taciturn reporter a strong hug and throw him into a brainless state.
Pretending not to hear the reporter's question, he answered the previous reporter's question and said: "Yes, I came here specifically to watch the Eastern Conference Finals. Bulls and Pistons, I'm sorry, I support the Bulls."
"Why?" the reporter asked.
"Because Michael is a good friend of mine, and the Bulls are obviously much stronger than the Pistons, and the Iron Fist team is not yet strong enough to upset the team," Barkley said with a smile.
"Charles, which team will Philadelphia trade you to?" a reporter asked again.
Barkley's smile faded. Although he also wanted to leave Philadelphia, being traded by the team was not a comfortable thing. From now on, he will become a wanderer.
However, being traded would be better for his reputation than actively applying for a trade, so he immediately said with a bitter look on his face: "Oh, we didn't perform well this year and failed to make the playoffs. I have my thoughts on the team's trade." There were no complaints, so let them decide and I respect their decision."
"So which team do you want to go to?" the reporter asked.
"Can I say bull? Haha, okay, I know it's impossible, just a joke. But I can't decide my future. This feeling is very bad. Let God decide where I belong." Buck Li said helplessly.
A reporter rushed to the United Center to interview Michael Jordan and asked, "Michael, what do you think of this bet?"
There was no smile on Jordan's face and he said: "Look at that kid's sneaker sales. I think not only will a sneaker company go bankrupt, but that kid may also go bankrupt."
The reporter immediately asked: "The ESPN reporter proposed that you bet against Iron Fist, but Iron Fist refused. What do you want to say about this?"
"He has no money, so it is rational to refuse. I really don't understand how stupid it is to ask ESPN to bet since he has no money." Jordan said disdainfully.
"How likely do you think you are to sweep away your opponents?" the reporter asked again.
This question made Jordan silent for a moment. After all, it is not easy to sweep the Pistons. This year's Pistons are not the Pistons that lost their spirit and lifelessness last year. In his opinion, the spirit and willpower of this Pistons are among the top in the league. He even feels that The Bad Boys Legion has been resurrected.
But he was silent for only a second and then said firmly: "I insist that we have a high chance of sweeping the Pistons."
After Zhou Quan proposed a bet with ESPN, he could not show any weakness, otherwise it would definitely affect the morale of the Bulls and boost the morale of the Pistons. Therefore, even if there is a possibility of being slapped in the face in the future, he must make the strongest move. Take a stand.
However, his words were still not fatal, leaving room for the future.
At six o'clock in the evening, ESPN publicly announced that it agreed to the bet proposed by Zhou Quan. If the Pistons avoided being swept by the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN would donate US$5 million to a charity.
This news dominated the headlines of all TV media at night.
At half past six, Zhou Quan, who had just finished dinner but had not yet left the table, received a call from his agent.
"Zhou, starting from four o'clock in the afternoon, your sneaker sales exploded. There was a long queue in every store. By the time the store closed at six o'clock, the sales in the United States today reached 350,000 US dollars, 99% of which Sales come from 4 to 6 p.m., 41% of sales come from Los Angeles and 35% from Detroit." Philip said excitedly.
Zhou Quan did the math and found out that the remaining 1% was today's normal sales, which was only US$3,500. Is it down 60% or 70% from yesterday?
If this is not saved, sales may drop to zero in a few days. His shoes will definitely be taken off the shelves after the Eastern Conference Finals. It seems that he made the right bet.
Philip then shouted: "There should be another wave tomorrow, and tomorrow is the main meal. Zhou, you have done a great thing. I really hope this effect can be maintained until the end of the Eastern Conference Finals. By then, the sales volume may be 8 million US dollars." It’s no longer a problem, and you can hope to get the next six million dollar contract.”
Zhou Quan smiled and said: "Roger, aren't you worried that I will lose half a million dollars?"
Phillip was startled and immediately said: "Zhou, I never believe that your team will be swept by the Bulls. I have confidence in you."
"I believe it too," Zhou Quan said.
"Iron Fist, it's time."
Then Chuck Daly greeted.
"coming."
Zhou Quan ended the phone call and went to a business conference room with his teammates. There will be a tactical meeting for the G1 game tomorrow.
In fact, it was held yesterday to discuss some issues, and it will continue today.
After everyone arrived, one of the staff members served a cup of coffee. Chuck Daly took a sip and said: "Gentlemen, Iron Fist has staked his fortune on it. I hope everyone will work hard and don't let his half a million go to others." pocket."
"Ha ha……"
Everyone laughed.
Rodman shouted: "Coach is not someone else's pocket, it is a charity account."
Daley said: "I know, but little fool, charity is all business. Don't forget this sentence. If we are swept away, Iron Fist's half a million will definitely go into the pockets of some rich people."
Everyone was startled, and Joe Dumas quickly reminded: "Chuck, the boss is a philanthropist."
Daley was startled, glared at Rodman and said, "Dennis, don't mention charity-related topics in the future. Do you want me to be fired by my boss?"
"Ha ha……"
The conference room burst into laughter.
Zhou Quan felt good, the atmosphere was relaxed, which was better than tense, but he hoped that this relaxation was not because of giving up completely.
"Okay, the joke is over, now let's talk about business."
Chuck Daly took two more sips of coffee, cleared his throat and said: "Yesterday we talked about defensive tactics, and today we determine offensive tactics.
Let me give you some data first. This is Michael Jordan's data in the first and second rounds. In the first round, he averaged 45 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block per game, and averaged 10.7 free throws per game.
Regarding his performance in the first round, I have the following evaluation, which is much better than his performance in the regular season. He has unlimited firepower, unlimited damage, top-notch offense and defense, and explosive rebounding ability.
His field goal percentage is as high as 60.9%, and his true shooting percentage is as high as 66.7%. This kind of efficiency is enough to destroy any team, including us, who have the strongest defense in the league. "
"call!"
Zhou Quan and others began to take a deep breath in unison, because these data gave them great pressure.
Then Daly added: "His performance in the second round was slightly inferior to that of the first round, but he was still very good. If you look at the recent sales of his MJ brand, you will know how good his performance in the playoffs was."
Zhou Quan sighed helplessly, Coach Daley, which pot are you not talking about? When you talk about offense, you talk about offense. What shoes are you talking about?
Chuck Daly said again: “However, although Michael Jordan is very strong, it does not mean that we have no hope of winning.
Let me give you another statistic. The Bulls' overall shooting percentage in the first two rounds was not as good as the regular season. Their regular season shooting percentage was 50.8%, and now in the playoffs it is 48.7%.
This shows that except for Jordan, the offensive efficiency of the other Bulls is not as good as in the regular season, and this is our opportunity. We are the strongest defense in the league.
In the regular season, the Bulls limited their opponents' shooting percentage to 46%, while ours was 45.3%. As we said yesterday, we should base our defense on defense first and then attack on offense. "
Having said this, he looked at Zhou Quan and said: "The offense must be efficient and of high quality. We reject wasteful shots and meaningless shots."
Zhou Quan nodded immediately. Even if he was not allowed to take action in the Eastern Conference, he would be willing to do so. He had no choice but to get the bonus of +1 bounce, but if he was swept by the Bulls, his profit losses would be even greater.
Chuck Daly said at this time: "Iron Fist, Jordan added a lot of breakthrough layups in the playoffs, so he can achieve super high efficiency, so I also hope you can strengthen breakthroughs."
"OK."
Zhou Quan nodded solemnly, it was time for the most critical Eastern Conference Finals, and he had to fight hard.
After the tactical meeting, the G1 game of the Western Conference Finals happened to start, and they happened to be watching the game together in the conference room.
As a result, the Trail Blazers, playing at home, won a big victory, 88:113, winning by a full 25 points.
The Trail Blazers led by 18 points in the first quarter and could almost defeat the Jazz in one quarter.
In rebounds, field goal percentage, steals, assists, and shots, the Trail Blazers are all ahead of the Jazz.
Among them, the Trail Blazers had 36 assists and the Jazz had only 20.
The five-time assist king John Stockton made 1 of 6 shots and only scored 6 points, 1 rebound, 9 assists and 0 steals.
The Trail Blazers sent out 10 steals, while the Jazz only had 4.
In the number of shots, Pioneer took 85 shots and the Jazz only took 65 shots, a huge gap of 20 shots.
On three-pointers, the Jazz made 1 of 6 shots and a shooting percentage of 16.7%, while the Trail Blazers made 7 of 14 shots.
No one on the Jazz scored more than 20 points, Jeff Malone only scored 16 points, and the Postman only scored 11 points on 3 of 6 shots. They lost without any temper.
As for the Trail Blazers, five players scored 10+, and two of them scored 20+.
Among them, the core glider Drexler made 5 of 11 shots and only scored 11 points.
But this shows the strength of the Trail Blazers' lineup. Even if the core performs abnormally, there are others who will step up and defeat the powerful Jazz.
After watching this game, Zhou Quan feels that ESPN has always ranked the Trail Blazers second in terms of winning chances, which is very reasonable.
He said: "No bragging, no slander. This year's Trail Blazers are strong from beginning to end, averaging second in the league in points per game, and the first-place Pacers were eliminated in the first round. In other words, among the four teams now, the Trail Blazers are He has the strongest scoring ability and really has the temperament of a championship.”
The Smiling Assassin said: "Their defense is almost the same. Whether it's us or the Bulls, it won't be a problem to deal with them."
Zhou Quan smiled and said: "Then let us work hard and try to kill the bull."
"Kill the bull?"
Joe Dumas swallowed dryly, he didn't dare to accept this.
Isiah invited him to dinner last night, as well as Rodman and a few others, and gave them a lot of encouragement, but from the bottom of his heart, he didn't think the Pistons had the strength to eliminate the Bulls. At most, he thought the Bulls had no chance of sweeping the Pistons.
If he wants to kill the Bulls, Michael Jordan will fight them desperately. It is not worth it. He thinks that he should be able to win one or two games at home, and the chance of beating the Bulls away from home is very small.
Zhou Quan observed everyone's mood and found that it was not too bad, but the morale was not too high either. It was not the kind of morale that would lead to fighting with the belief of victory.
This made him feel neither good nor bad. He still felt that these guys who had won two consecutive championships had no motivation to fight anymore.
McCloskey and Troy Weaver have also been observing the players. They saw Zhou Quan using some methods, even betting against ESPN, to boost morale.
Effective, the team's morale is indeed good, but unfortunately, this team still cannot return to its peak. The body is getting old, and the mentality is also getting old. This is the current situation of the Pistons.
"Mindset determines everything, fresh blood must be added."
Troy Weaver, who is about to take over as general manager, glanced thoughtfully at the Assassins and several other old players. The team needs transactions, and transactions require chips.
…
The Trail Blazers' defeat of the Jazz was not an upset, so the media's main focus the next day was the G1 game of the Eastern Conference Finals, or the Bulls.
"Although the Pistons had two wins and three losses against the Bulls in the regular season, the Battle of Auburn Hills caused the Bulls' lineup to be uneven. Otherwise, the Pistons would have lost all five regular season games. So in this Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls, who have a full lineup, are facing injuries. The frequent Pistons are likely to replicate last year's sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals." New York Times.
"Michael Jordan is determined to sweep the Pistons again in the Eastern Conference Finals. He has made a bold donation of half a million US dollars. His determination and vigor have become an unstoppable trend. The probability of the Pistons being continuously swept in the Eastern Conference Finals is over 60%. ." Cleveland Cavaliers newspaper.
Many media supported the Bulls, and the voices of sweeping the Pistons were heard everywhere, from print media to television and broadcast media.
But at the same time, there is another hot topic in the media, and that is the bet between Zhou Quan and ESPN. After the TV media last night, it made the front pages of major print media in the United States today.
In the morning, the Bulls held a tactical meeting at their headquarters.
Phil Jackson emphasized the importance of the No. 1 position: "On the offensive end, the No. 1 position is only responsible for bringing the ball to the frontcourt. There is no problem, but on the defensive end, we will face a situation where the No. 1 position is targeted and blown away."
"I'm on guard against that rookie."
Jordan's face was stern and his tone was firm, not a request.
Phil Jackson nodded. Iron Fist's offensive skills are getting better and better. At the same time, he also controls the Pistons' main ball rights. His current importance has even surpassed that of Joe Dumars. It is impossible for such a person to let John Paxson To defend.
"Leave the iron fist to Michael. John Paxson, you can't guard Ulrich, guard Joe Dumars." He said.
John Paxson breathed a sigh of relief and nodded silently.
He didn't want to guard against Iron Fist anymore, and the two broken ribs still seemed to be in pain.
At this time, Phil Jackson said again: "But you can't guard Joe Dumars. You may also be beaten. What's a little better is that most of the Pistons' ball rights are now in the hands of Iron Fist. Joe Dumars' The threat is much less, you have to follow him closely and cut off the passing angle between him and Iron Fist. But..."
At this point, he looked at Jordan and said: "Michael, John will definitely be targeted. Iron Fist should give Joe Dumars a lot of passes, so you and John Paxson have to cut off their passing and receiving at the same time. angle."
"Understood." Jordan nodded.
Phil Jackson added: "At the same time, you need to strengthen your offense on the offensive end, because Joe Dumars may score a lot of points on John's head, so you need to fill holes for John."
John Paxson lowered his head in shame, while Jordan nodded and said: "Leave it to me. Joe Dumars can score on John's head, but I can blow him up."
Phil Jackson said to Grant again: "Horace, you pull out on the offensive end and try to bring Rodman out to create breakthrough space for the outside. It will also help us grab more offensive rebounds.
At the same time, you need to strengthen the inside and don't waste the inside opportunities that Michael creates for you. We need your scoring under the basket, which is very important to us.
On the defensive end, guard against iron fist passes to the basket. John Salley and Rodman can receive several such passes every game. "
"Understood," Grant said.
…
At noon, the Pistons came to the United Center for training.
At half past five, the training ended. After taking a shower, everyone went to the restaurant in the arena to eat. After dinner, it was almost seven o'clock, and the fans were about to enter the venue.
"Zhou, good news. Sales of sneakers continued to explode today, with more than 700,000 sold in one day." Before Zhou Quan returned to the locker room, he received a call from his agent.
Zhou Quan's eyes widened. He sold over one million US dollars in two days. Adding in the previous sales, it was close to three million. If he sold another one million in the Eastern Conference Finals, it would be half. Sales of eight million US dollars can be expected!
"Iron Fist, your sneaker sales have exploded again?" the assassin said with envy.
Zhou Quan put the mobile phone in the closet and said with a smile: "Sold one million dollars in two days, how can this be considered a big deal? Jordan sold 80 million US dollars in one year during his rookie season, which is 20 million US dollars more than his additional conditions." Times, I don’t know if I can finish it yet.”
"Don't compare yourself to that pervert."
The assassin said through gritted teeth.
At this time, Zhou Quan's phone rang again. He took it out and answered it. It was Zhang Lili's call.
"Xiao Zhou, come on!"
"Brother Zhang, you are very quiet. This is not the scene. Why don't you come to watch the game?" he asked.
"Oh, Bulls tickets are too expensive, several times more expensive than the regular season. I'll watch it at home and give you a call to cheer me up, haha!"
Zhang Lili was embarrassed to ask Zhou Quan for tickets. This was an away game. If he asked, Zhou Quan would have to pay for it for him.
"Okay, thank you! When we get to our home court, I'll treat you to the game."
"Thanks in advance."
Zhou Quan didn't say any kind words, and he didn't have any votes.
There are family tickets for the home game, but only family members can enter, not friends. It's okay once in a while, but definitely not if it happens too often.
As for getting free tickets for away games, a respectable star has to ask for it from the away team management. As far as his relationship with Jordan is concerned, when he talks to the Bulls management, he must not spit in his face? He didn't even bother to speak.
(End of chapter)
