In the office, two men in black suits sat opposite each other.
One looked unhappy and yelled something from time to time, while the other kept immersed in handling documents, only occasionally glancing at the man from the corner of his eye. Until the man who was talking endlessly could no longer suppress his anger, the man sitting in front of the office finally Finally stopped what he was doing.
"Byron, you mean you want me to fire him?"
Mitch Kupchak asked.
As the general manager of the Lakers, he certainly knew what happened in last night's game, but before he could have a meeting with the team to discuss how to deal with it, the team's head coach Byron Scott came to the door angrily.
"why not?"
"This damn bastard contradicted me in front of the whole world! If I don't fire him, who will follow my orders in the future?"
Byron Scott said angrily.
General manager Mitch Kupchak calmed down. He did not answer immediately, but sat in his chair and hesitated for a long time.
After a while, he slowly spoke, "Although Zhao did something wrong...but Zhao's presence has made our attendance rate much better, including the sales of jerseys and other peripheral products, which have also recovered compared to before. ..."
"For the team, Zhao still has some value..."
Byron Scott seemed to have known that Mitch Kupchak would say this, and immediately interrupted the opponent and stood up and walked in front of him.
"No, his value is not sustainable..."
"Compared with him, Steven's performance is obviously better. If the Lakers need a gimmick to attract fans, then Steven is undoubtedly the most suitable. He is our local player, not a damn Chinese... ....”
"Look at his performance on the court. He scored 30+ points in the previous two games. Isn't this enough to prove that he has the value to be cultivated?"
Byron Scott looked enthusiastic, trying to explain his ideas as if he was selling items.
Mitch Kupchak was thoughtful, but still didn't let go, "Steven's performance is good, but there are also doubts about him from the outside world. Many people say that his scoring is based on the stacking of statistics and number of shots. How do you explain this?"
"Come on! Mickey, this isn't our first day working in the NBA..."
"Does it mean that if you take enough shots, you will be able to produce good data?"
Byron Scott asked Mitch Kupchak.
"You can just find an undrafted player and let him have unlimited shots on the court, but can you definitely guarantee that he scores 30 points?"
"There's no doubt about Steven's talent, but he's still just a first-year rookie. Maybe he's taking a few more shots now, but if he plays for two more seasons, who's to say he won't become an All-Star. level player?”
Byron Scott's persuasion finally made Mitch Kupchak's mood fluctuate.
He stood up and walked around until several minutes passed before he finally made up his mind to stop.
"All right!"
"This time I choose to believe you!"
"However, I will not fire Zhao, at least before the end of this season, I still need him to help us increase jersey sales..."
So, the next morning, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced a decision. They would temporarily transfer Zhao Feiyang to the Lakers' Development League team, the South Bay Lakers.
As soon as this news came out, the local media in Los Angeles immediately exploded. Thinking of the previous conflict between Zhao Feiyang and head coach Byron Scott, the media immediately understood that this was not only a punishment for Zhao Feiyang by the team management, but also a punishment for Zhao Feiyang. Byron Scott has solid evidence of the support of the team's management.
For a time, the news was overwhelming, and Zhao Feiyang was also caught in the public opinion. He became the protagonist at the center of the incident and was constantly reported.
The Internet spread very quickly. On the same day, the news that Zhao Feiyang was sent to the Development League by the Lakers reached China.
This news was reported on all major sports forums, including CCTV Sports, which has always been following the NBA, and also included this news on the midday news.
Fans talked a lot, and many people even left messages on Zhao Feiyang’s domestic social media account.
"Holy shit! What happened? After a few quarrels with this guy Byron Scott, he was sent to the Development League?"
"No way! How many usable players do the Lakers have now? Once Zhao Feiyang leaves, who can they rely on for long-range offense?"
"This is head coach Byron Scott trying to establish his authority! Zhao Feiyang is in trouble now! I'm afraid his career prospects are not optimistic..."
Most fans are worried, especially those who support Zhao Feiyang. They all think that Zhao Feiyang is too unfair this time, and they are also worried about how he will go next in the NBA!
But some people were very excited, making sarcastic comments on the Internet, and even leaving messages on Zhao Feiyang's personal social media account.
"Who asked you to seek death? You deserve it now!"
"Yes, an old guy who is almost 30 still wants to play in the NBA? This is simply unrealistic! I don't believe it anyway..."
"Basketball is a crooked sport and it has nothing to do with us! If you can't beat it, then come back and don't embarrass yourself outside..."
The happiest person was Li Wei, who had lost to Zhao Feiyang in a bet before. He had been quiet for a long time after losing, but this time when he saw Zhao Feiyang suffered, Li Wei couldn't help but jump up and down.
He ridiculed wildly on his social media account and posted a series of posts to express his joy.
"Oh! Isn't this the superstar Zhao Feiyang? Why was he kicked out of the Development League?"
"He must be too strong, so other people are jealous of him. If they can't beat him, they simply get him to the Development League. Only in this way can the whole story be explained..."
"I guess it won't be long before some people are going to go back to China in despair... I just don't know if any domestic teams will take in this kind of garbage that has been cleared out by the NBA?"
While Li Wei's rampage attracted support from some people, he also received counterattack and abuse from many fans. These people sent him private messages or posted updates to like him.
"Li Wei, what are you barking at? We agreed to run around naked outside the arena, but I haven't seen your dad after waiting for so long!"
"How dare you kid? I haven't settled the debt with you last time, and now you're jumping out again! Even if Mader and Zhao Feiyang were playing in the Development League, they would dump you for dozens of blocks. You don't have the guts to have a son. Guys, please stop showing up and messing around..."
"Zhao Feiyang is almost 30 years old and can still play in the NBA. How about you? The most news about you is about picking up girls in bars, or drinking beer and having sex at food stalls... You don't even look at your belly. , It’s almost like being pregnant with O’Neal. What’s the difference between a professional player like you and those guys in the national football team?”
