The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 943 I'll Defeat You Again

Las Vegas is dry and cool in the early morning. Located in the desert, this former pioneer settlement has developed into the gambling capital, entertainment capital, and sin city of today, thanks to the construction of the Pacific Railroad and the Hoover Dam 37 miles away.

After securing the position of general manager for the Las Vegas Glory, Danny Ainge didn't receive a grand inauguration ceremony; he started working in his office the morning after signing the contract.

Last night, Wang Fuxi hosted a banquet at the MGM Hotel for Anji, a small welcome party, and announced to all employees that Anji had become the general manager of the Glorious Team.

The party was also simple and low-key; aside from drinking, everyone mainly talked about work content and progress.

After the party, everyone, still tipsy, immediately returned to the office to continue working overtime. Angie liked this kind of work atmosphere.

Of course, as compensation, everyone receives triple pay during this period until the new season officially begins—including the cleaners on both floors.

At the same time, Angie also received what is likely the highest-paid general manager contract in the entire league. Wang Fuxi was ruthless when it came to writing checks, firmly believing that her husband's judgment was absolutely correct.

The more you spend, the more you'll earn later.

After obtaining the list from Gan Guoyang, Anji immediately began making contacts, because these players are not guaranteed to be released or willing to come just because you want them.

This involves negotiation, mediation, deals, and even a mix of coaxing and deception. That's Danny Angie's job: to bring the boss's plans to fruition.

Gan Guoyang's first target was Terry Porter, and Angie naturally contacted Porter first, as he was already acquainted with Porter.

As soon as the call was made, he said, "Hey Terry, this is Danny Angie."

"...I'm sorry, I'm dead."

"You're dead? When did that happen?"

"What's coming, buddy."

Angie could sense the resentment in Potter's words; the guy must have gotten wind of it.

The team faxed its preliminary roster to the league office yesterday, and the office must have communicated with each team.

Terry Porter is 37 years old this year and will be 38 next year. He is considering retiring after the 2000 season.

Finally, because of his good form, the Spurs were willing to offer him a two-year contract to come to San Antonio and mentor Billups.

The contract amount is good. League salaries are rising rapidly these days, and for NBA players whose careers are short-lived, earning an extra year's worth of money is definitely a good thing.

Porter accepted the Spurs' offer, signed a contract, and played the 2000-2001 season.

Playing 80 games in a single season, averaging 7 points and 3 assists per game, is quite an impressive performance for a 37-year-old veteran substitute.

I was planning to play one more season, retire honorably, go back to Portland to recuperate, admire my 10 championship rings, give speeches, participate in events, organize basketball training camps, and so on. Life would definitely be great.

As a result, after 9/11, he heard the "bad news" that Forrest Gump was going to build a new team and make a comeback.

Porter saw the news on TV and immediately sensed something was wrong. He contacted his agent and told him he wanted to retire.

But his agent told him, "You shouldn't quit. You still have a year left on your contract. Play well and make the most of your remaining years."

Porter's agent is Gan Guohui, who is now the executive vice president of the Las Vegas Glory team.

Upon hearing Gan Guohui's words, Porter knew things were going to get bad. He immediately contacted Spurs general manager Popovich, hoping he would keep him on the eight-man roster.

However, how could the Spurs possibly be willing to use up a valuable roster spot for a 37-year-old veteran like Porter who only has one year left on his contract?
Popovich also advised Porter: "It doesn't matter where you play. You and Forrest Gump are close comrades-in-arms, and you've always said that he's the greatest leader on the court."

Porter's already distressed expression turned even more so, and he sighed deeply: "It's precisely because he's the greatest leader on the court that I don't want to continue playing with him."

In fact, if Porter was determined not to go to Las Vegas, no one could force him, not even Gan Guoyang.

The problem was that Porter himself was also struggling internally; he didn't want to go, but he also wanted to go.

He wanted to enjoy the later years of his career, but he also wanted to take on a challenge and give it his all with Lao Gan one more time.

When Gan Guoyang made his first comeback, Porter had the same mentality, endured four seasons, and won three rings.

When Angie called, Porter knew there was no way to avoid it; he either had to go or simply retire.

Moreover, retiring might not be so easy. Now that Angie is calling, if he doesn't agree, Old Gan will definitely come after him.

Porter had no confidence or certainty in rejecting Gan Guoyang. Since entering the league in 1985, he had been playing and competing under Gan Guoyang's wing. Over the past ten years, his awe of Gan Guoyang was ingrained in his bones and he could not get rid of it.

Now, when I talk to Anji on the phone, I can vent, we can talk, I can complain a bit, and I can ask for more benefits.

If it were Old Gan calling in person, Porter knew he wouldn't be able to say no, and he would pack his bags and head to Las Vegas the next day to find a place to stay.

This is also why Gan Guoyang asked Anji to make the contact, to give the players some room for negotiation and maneuvering. If Gan Guoyang were to do it himself, there would be very little room for maneuver.

On the phone, Porter and Angie complained for a while about how tiring it was to play with Forrest Gump, and how long it would take. Once the training camp started in October, it would last at least until May, meaning they would definitely be in there for more than half a year.

“You know Danny, just thinking about coming to Las Vegas for training camp makes my throat start to vomit.”

Angie verbally expressed her understanding, but in her heart she was thinking, "Don't struggle, Potter. You can't refuse. Just come along."

In return, Ainge promised Porter that he would arrange accommodation for him in Las Vegas, covering all expenses including rent and transportation. He could simply move in upon arrival, and the team could also arrange accommodation for his family.

Porter said he's fine living alone; his family lives in Portland, and if they want to watch the game, they can just fly over.

His statement indicates that he has agreed, and the first player selected by Gan Guoyang has been secured.

Subsequently, Ainge also secured contracts with unknown young players such as Raja Bell, Eddie House, and Mark Jackson.

He didn't know why Gan Guoyang chose them; Bale was a defender whose height and talent seemed quite ordinary.

Eddie House is undersized; he's a small guard who excels on offense but is weak on defense.

Mark Jackson is 6 feet 10 inches tall. He was drafted by the Warriors in 97 but failed to sign a contract and went to play overseas.

Last season, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves to serve as Garnett's backup, averaging 5 points and 3 rebounds per game, which was unremarkable.

These three players are all fringe players on their respective teams, having only played in the league for a year or two with mediocre performances.

Not being included in the team's protected list proves that they are not in the team's future plans and are players who can be discarded.

It wasn't too difficult for Ainge to acquire these players; the only one who took a bit of a challenge was Eddie House.

Pat Riley perked up when he heard that the new team wanted his House, saying that House was actually untouchable and the ninth man on the roster. He said that if the Glory wanted him, they should pay some price, such as sending a draft pick.

How could Angie possibly fall for Riley's tricks? He's a fox himself, so neither of them should think the other is any smarter.

After several exchanges, Riley finally gave in. He knew he couldn't keep House; he wasn't part of his team-building plan at all, so he let him go in the end.

With these four players acquired, Glory will have at least five players. With about two weeks until the preseason training camp in October, Ainge is under immense pressure. He not only has to contact players but also assemble the coaching staff and training team. Fortunately, Gan Guoyang has already taken care of the medical and logistical teams, so they can start immediately; otherwise, Ainge would have likely collapsed at his desk long ago.

The remaining players, such as veterans Kevin Willis and Steve Kerr, as well as fringe players like Paget, are all easy to acquire; they were essentially leftovers anyway.

The main significance of veterans is not playing games, but using their experience to help new teams quickly build team culture and establish the team's structure. These old bones are the true backbone of the team.

Kevin Willis has always had a good relationship with Gan Guoyang. His plus-size suit company supplies suits to many league giants, and Gan Guoyang orders many of his outfits for events from Kevin Willis.

Like Porter, Steve Kerr is an experienced championship guard and a great locker room leader.

There's also Isaiah Riddell, a former Trail Blazers player and a key contributor to the 77-win championship in the 1997-1998 season.

This guy is only 29 years old this year, but he's already universally disliked. After leaving the Trail Blazers in 1998, he played for the Hawks and Lakers.

Last season, Riddell played for the Lakers and won the championship with the team.

However, he did not appear on the team's playoff roster because his numerous misdeeds on and off the court made Phil Jackson not want to keep him on the team; this guy was a menace.

However, Riddell, who still has a year left on his contract, doesn't want to leave the Lakers; he still wants to play in Los Angeles.

Upon learning that Old Gan had selected him for a new team and that he could come to Las Vegas, he immediately forgot about the Lakers, packed his bags, and happily ran to Vegas to play.

After securing these players and assembling most of the team, Ainge turned his attention to a few more difficult ones.

First up is Brad Miller. In fact, Miller shouldn't have been on the list. He had just signed a contract with the Bulls in 2000 and had a decent season in 2000-2001, averaging 8.9 points and 7 rebounds, making him a competent backup center.

The problem was that in the 2001 NBA draft, the Bulls selected two big men, Tyson Chandler and Eddie Curry, in quick succession.

The Bulls clearly prefer to develop Chandler and Curry, and to that end, they even signed back veteran Charles Oakley to mentor these two young big men. One is thin and the other is fat, and they hope that these two talents can support the inside and lead the Bulls to new heights.

Jerry Krause has big plans and ambitions for the future, so white centers like Brad Miller are no longer considered a threat.

The problem is that Brad Miller is less inclined to play in Las Vegas. Born in Indiana, he prefers to return to his hometown team, the Pacers, rather than run to the desert and start from scratch with a new team.

Although Gan Guoyang is very famous and his life story is so legendary that everyone knows him, no matter how legendary a person is, he cannot win the favor of everyone.

Miller wasn't a fan of Gan Guoyang, nor was he very interested in the Glory team, so he told Ainge that it was best not to draft him, or to draft him and then trade him away.

This put Ainge in a difficult position. He had spoken with Gan Guoyang, who specifically wanted this center forward, saying that he was very important to the team's development.

Angie had no choice but to try to coax him with kind words while also thinking of other ways to do it.

At this time, Ainge's coach selection was also in progress. After repeated selection, he believed that former Rockets head coach Tomjanovich was a very good candidate for the new team's head coach.

Tomjanovich is a well-regarded figure in the league. Although he didn't achieve great success with the Rockets, his coaching ability and his ability to get along with players have earned him a lot of praise.

In 1998, he coached the U.S. national team and won a bronze medal at the World Championships when no NBA players were willing to participate. Brad Miller happened to be on the team at that time, when Miller was still a college player.

Having recognized this connection, Ainge quickly interviewed and terminated his contract with the Rockets, leaving Tomjanovich unemployed at home.

Tomjanovich coached the Rockets for many years, but was always overshadowed by the Trail Blazers' Agan. Eventually, Webber left, the team collapsed, and even after they brought in two small guards, they couldn't make a name for themselves, so he simply resigned.

No NBA players were willing to play in the World Championships, so the "good guy" was pushed to take the blame and won a bronze medal.

At the 2000 Olympics, Thomasjanovich refused to coach anymore, saying he wasn't a championship coach and that someone with championship experience should take over.

Rick Carlisle was cheated and went home with a silver medal, which he still finds hard to hold his head high to this day.

Now that he has been selected by Gan Guoyang's new team, Tomjanovich is also hesitant, worried that he will be the scapegoat again.

Gan Guoyang made it clear to Tomjanovich: "I only have championship coaches, not scapegoats."

Except for PJ Carlesimo, so he was almost strangled to death.

Gan Guoyang also agreed with Anji's choice of coach and gave him enough authority to sign Tang Shuai.

Tomjanovich didn't think long before agreeing to the contract. In addition to securing Tomjanovich, Brad Miller was also persuaded to play for Coach Tomjanovich.

With the coach and starting center secured, Tomjanovich can now choose his own assistant coach and build his own team.

Angie also selected her own assistants and gradually filled the manager's office with seats.

The last two players they couldn't sign were Gerald Wallace and Gilbert Arenas.

The reason is simple: they are both rookies for the Kings and Warriors, one a first-round pick and the other a second-round pick.

Even though they weren't drafted high, the Kings and Warriors didn't want to let go of players easily, and made it clear from the beginning that they wouldn't release these two.

The Warriors have softened their stance a bit, given that he's a second-round pick, and they've indicated they're willing to trade him if he's willing to offer assets.

Ultimately, Ainge used two second-round picks in 2002 and 2004, along with a small amount of cash, to recruit Arenas.

Actually, Ainge didn't quite understand why they had to pay such a high price, trading two second-round picks for one second-round pick.

Gan Guoyang explained, "I think he has potential, and he's worth this investment."

Negotiations with Gerald Wallace were more difficult; he was a first-round pick, and the Kings refused to let him go.

However, the so-called persistence is often just a matter of not having enough assets, but the Glorious team has never been willing to give up their first-round draft pick.

Instead, he met privately with the Maloof brothers, the owners of the Kings. The Maloof family is rooted in Nevada and Las Vegas, owning casinos and a large amount of commercial real estate in Las Vegas, and is a prominent family in Vegas.

After some exchanges, the Kings finally agreed to release him in exchange for second-round picks in 2003 and 2005.

Thus, the Glory essentially used four future second-round picks to acquire two 2001 draft picks, making up for the team's loss of not participating in the 2001 draft and injecting fresh energy into the team.

Thus, a basic 12-man roster was finally assembled before the start of the 2001-2002 preseason training camp.

Gan Guoyang is eager to try again. He has been training in private for a long time and is ready to make a comeback.

On September 30th, Gan Guoyang received a phone call. His secretary transferred the call to him, saying it was from Michael Jordan.

Gan Guoyang quickly had someone bring him in. As soon as the call connected, Gan Guoyang said, "Hey Michael, how's it going? My new team is almost ready!"

Jordan on the other end of the phone didn't respond, but instead said directly, "Sonny, I've decided to come back."

Gan Guoyang was taken aback for a moment, then said, "So you've finally decided to join forces with me?"

"No, I've decided to try and beat you one more time."

(End of this chapter)