The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 964 The Place That Best Suits Him
Since the start of the year, Las Vegas's Glory Stadium has been performing exceptionally well.

They put on an outstanding performance in their game against the Magic on January 1st, defeating their opponents and achieving a winning start to the new year.

In this game, Gilbert Arenas, who started the game, scored a team-high 30 points, his first 30-point game this season, setting a new career scoring record.

Then, on January 3, the Radiant team easily defeated the Suns, achieving their first three-game winning streak of the season, including their victory in December.

This is the Glory's longest winning streak this season, which is enough to show how unstable this emerging team is.

After two months of adjustment, they are finding their winning rhythm, and the players are finding a game rhythm that suits them.

However, neither the Magic nor the Suns really seem to want to win, as the new year is already showing signs of starting.

The Suns originally didn't plan to trade, but Grant Hill's injury made them decide to abandon their playoff plans for this season and instead focus on competing for the 2002 number one draft pick.

The Magic had been preparing to tank for a long time. After the O'Neal-Hardaway duo collapsed, the management finally realized their folly and understood how rare and precious superstars are. They were still too young.

In the summer of 2000, the Magic intended to bring Larry Duncan to Orlando in free agency, and they also targeted Tracy McGrady, hoping to form a young and popular new inside-outside combination.

It just so happens that both of these star players are under the Adidas brand.

Duncan did indeed make a trip to Orlando, but that was just a tactic to inflate the price.

The Boston Celtics will never let Duncan go; their management is experienced and won't be as foolish as the Magic.

They immediately offered a large contract extension, the highest possible salary, and gave Duncan's family plenty of benefits.

So Duncan stayed in Boston with peace of mind, continuing to strive for the Celtics' 17th championship trophy.

As for the Lakers, they are even less likely to let McGrady go. Jerry West would rather trade Kidd than let McGrady go.

It's not that McGrady is particularly strong, but rather that his commercial value is very important to the Lakers and Buss. Moreover, the Lakers have already invested a lot in him, incurring significant sunk costs, which makes them reluctant to give up.

The Magic, having come up empty-handed, can only turn their attention to the draft market, which is the only way for small-ball clubs to rise to prominence.

The Magic didn't have many successes in the 2001 NBA Draft, so they quickly set their sights on the 2002 Draft. Those with a longer-term vision would set their sights on the 2003 Draft, which was said to be another big draft year after 1984 and 1996.

Of course, 2003 is a bit far off. According to reliable sources, Yao Ming, the star center of the Chinese team, a giant standing at 2.26 meters tall, is confirmed to participate in the 2002 NBA draft, and he has become a top contender for the number one pick.

With the groundwork laid by players like Forrest Gump, Hu Weidong, and Wang Zhizhi, Yao Ming's entry into the NBA seemed natural and wouldn't present too much of a challenge.

Back in 2000, when he participated in the Olympics, Gan Guoyang told Yao Ming that he could run for the NBA anytime he wanted, and that the NBA welcomed Chinese players.

However, Yao Ming was, after all, a player developed through youth training, and he has close ties with his former team, the Shanghai Sharks.

Compared to Wang Zhizhi's Bayi team readily releasing players in obedience to orders, Yao Ming's selection process was far more difficult and complex.

The reason is that Wang Zhizhi is a player from the military, and he doesn't have many capital interests involved. If the superiors say to release him, they will release him. If he meets the requirements, they won't stop him.

So when Gan Guoyang made a phone call, asking the central government to put in a good word and help, Wang Zhizhi quickly joined the Hawks and, with Gan Guoyang's advice, gradually gained a foothold.

This season, Wang Zhizhi was traded from the Hawks to the Miami Heat, becoming a member of Riley's team.

I don't know what Rileyan is thinking, but Wang Zhizhi is a substitute for the Heat and his performance is passable.

Yao Ming was different. In 1998, the Shanghai team signed a contract with a sports company called Changqing, acquiring Yao Ming's agency rights. The agreement stipulated that they could obtain 33% of Yao Ming's income, and Yao Ming would have to pay 33% of his income to the Shanghai team in order to buy out his contract. This percentage was too high and unfair to Yao Ming.

Shortly after the agreement was signed, Yao Ming, who lacked experience in this area, realized that something was wrong, and the two sides became embroiled in a dispute.

At that time, Gan Guoyang had heard about this matter, but he was soon caught up in the espionage case and could not spare the time to help deal with it.

By 2000, the espionage case had gradually subsided, and Gan Guoyang sent Gan Guohui to Shanghai to contact the Yao family, hoping to have full authority to handle Yao Ming's agency affairs.

Logically speaking, Gan Guohui's background and status make him the best choice for any Chinese player to enter the NBA.

However, nothing in this world is 100% certain, and just because you have a big reputation or strong backing doesn't mean that people will necessarily cooperate with you.

Just like Nike, Avia, and Adidas are the biggest sneaker brands, there are still star players who are willing to sign with other brands such as Reebok, Fila, and Puma, or even launch their own independent brands.

Everyone has their own choices, some based on self-interest, others on emotions; nothing is absolute.

Before Gan Guohui went to Shanghai, Gan Guoyang told his younger brother not to be too confident and think that Yao Ming would definitely sign with him.

"You have to be sincere in everything you do. Past achievements are just for show. If you want people to cooperate with you, you have to show future achievements and do enough work."

As expected, Gan Guohui received a warm welcome in Shanghai, at Yao Ming's home. The Shanghai club also hosted Gan Guohui, after all, he is Forrest Gump's brother.

However, when it came to serious matters, such as choosing an agent, Yao Ming's parents said they needed to think it over and then did not contact him again.

Gan Guohui, who was full of confidence beforehand and thought he could easily win, immediately realized that he had underestimated his opponent. For the sake of the Glory team, he had not been able to properly handle his brokerage business for some time.

They closed their eyes and ears, failed to conduct sufficient intelligence work, and encountered a setback.

Gan Guohui immediately used his resources to investigate, having meals with the Shanghai club's top executives and utilizing his connections in the United States to gather information.

For agents, intelligence is paramount; knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

Otherwise, they've already signed the contract, it's a done deal, and you've only just started the project—by then it's too late.

Gan Guohui soon learned that American agents Bill Duffy and David Falk were the two people who had the most contact with Yao Ming's family, and he also learned about Evergreen Company.

Bill Duffy had his eye on Yao Ming as early as 1999. He specially went to Shanghai to live for three or four months, training and living with Yao Ming, and establishing a very good emotional connection with the Yao family.

Furthermore, they focused on helping Yao Ming resolve his contract issues with Changqing Sports, arguing that the contract was invalid and that Changqing Sports was just a shell company established to exploit Yao Ming.

In this respect, Gan Guohui was indeed inferior, because in 1999, he was also deeply involved in his brother's espionage investigation and had no time to expand his client base, let alone go to China to build a relationship with Yao Ming. Fortunately, at the basketball training base in Eugene, Gan Guohui had contact with members of the national team and had a good relationship with them, so they were not complete strangers.

Another example is David Falk, one of the most successful agents of the 90s. American superstars such as Jordan and Ewing were Falk's clients. He was very good at negotiating with teams and securing the best possible returns for his players.

Falk deserves credit for both Ewing's massive long-term contract and Jordan's huge contract. He was known for his toughness and ability to negotiate with teams.

According to Gan Guohui's observation, Falk should not be a match for Bill Duffy in this competition.

Because Falk's values ​​and methods are too American, and Yao Ming's family is a typical traditional Chinese family, they probably won't be too fond of Falk's outspokenness and overly tough approach.

Bill Duffy was sincere enough, having established contact with the Yao family early on and provided assistance to Yao Ming in many ways.

This kind of accumulated affection is highly valued by traditional people, and it is Bill Duffy's biggest bargaining chip.

As a latecomer, Gan Guohui may have abundant resources and the biggest reputation, but because he arrived late, it doesn't mean he can seize everything; he can only be a backup option.

As the person involved, Yao Ming preferred to work with Bill Duffy because the two had a deep relationship, and Yao Ming did not want to reject Duffy and work with Falk, whom he had never met.

The Shanghai team, Yao Ming's former team, prefers Falk because Falk is famous, capable, and has established contact with the Shanghai team early on.

If Yao Ming leaves the Shanghai team, Shanghai will suffer a great loss of talent. The reason for signing Chang Qing was to reduce the loss.

At this time, Gan Guohui did not rush to get involved in this complicated vortex. He first withdrew from Shanghai and returned to Las Vegas, where he served as the vice president of his brother's sports asset management company and devoted himself to the secret construction of the Glory team, while observing the situation in Shanghai.

As the 2001 NBA Draft approached, Yao Ming angered the Shanghai Sharks by issuing an open letter stating that he would not choose David Falk, who was favored by the Sharks, as his agent. As a result, the Sharks refused to release Yao Ming, and Yao Ming was unable to participate in the 2001 NBA Draft.

Yao Ming was naturally very disappointed. Seeing Wang Zhizhi already playing his third season in the NBA, becoming stronger and more advanced, while Yao Ming was still struggling in the CBA, he longed to make a name for himself and wear his own number 11 jersey in the NBA.

At this point, Gan Guohui offered his help, saying he could help Yao Ming get the Shanghai team to participate in the 2002 NBA draft without having to pay exorbitant training fees.

Gan Guohui has indeed grown a lot over the years and has also learned a lot from his older brother.

Because of timing issues, Gan Guohui entered the game too late. He was not in a hurry, nor did he use his brother's resources to intimidate others.

Instead, one should first observe from the sidelines, watching how those involved play their part, thus simplifying the complex situation.

Originally, it was a three-way battle for supremacy, with Gan Guohui, Bill Duffy, and David Falk behind them, and the Shanghai team, Changqing Company, and even the Basketball Association all involved. As a latecomer, no one knew where to begin.

Gan Guohui didn't want to use his brother's phone to go directly to the sea; he wanted to follow the rules.

He waited until the first head-to-head matchup between the two sides resulted in David Falk being eliminated, leaving only Bill Duffy and the Shanghai team to compete, at which point the situation became much clearer.

Bill Duffy gained Yao Ming's trust, but he lacked the ability to manage the Shanghai team. That's when Gan Guohui stepped in.

He was using his brother's influence and resources as leverage to enter the game.

In December of this year, Gan Guohui resigned from his position as vice president of the Guanghui team to refocus on player agency business.

He prefers to be a player agent, and like Gan Guoyang, he has inherited some of Larry Fleischer's legacy and resources, aiming to become a sports agent with global influence who discovers outstanding basketball talent worldwide.

After resigning, Gan Guohui immediately went to Shanghai, took the initiative to contact Yao Ming's family, and expressed his willingness to negotiate with the Shanghai team on their behalf.

At the time, the Shanghai team's condition was that Yao Ming could participate in the NBA draft, but he had to pay the team 3000 million US dollars.

Yao Ming's family had been driven to the brink of despair, so Gan Guohui's visit at this point was not just a simple welcome, but a lifeline.

After understanding the situation, Gan Guohui immediately proposed a negotiation strategy. Having gone through many labor-management negotiations and team-building negotiations with his brother, Gan Guohui had a wealth of negotiation experience and had also learned some strategies from his brother.

After analyzing the situation, he proposed that the first thing to do was to remove Li Mingyao, the vice president of the Shanghai team who was at odds with Yao Ming, from the negotiations.

Over the years, Li Mingyao and Yao Ming's family have become more than just negotiating opponents; their relationship is now marked by clear personal grudges, which is why the conditions are so harsh.

For negotiating partners with whom you've accumulated personal grudges, you can either eliminate them if you can, replace them if you can't, or outlast them if you can't replace them. There are only a few methods.

Forget about reasoning with them; dealing with the person is much more effective than solving the problem.

With this idea in mind, things became much easier, because Li Mingyao was only the vice president of business and not the real boss of the Shanghai team. Theoretically, he could be exempt from this matter, as he had people above him.

Gan Guohui is skilled at finding people above him. His brother used to like to make a phone call to the president whenever he worked, emphasizing simplicity, efficiency, and vertical management.

Gan Guohui didn't have that much influence, so he approached high-ranking leaders in SH City.

Gan Guoyang used to come to Shanghai every year to participate in basketball activities, and Gan Guohui would come with him. He was familiar with the middle and senior management, and his words carried weight.

Since Yao Ming represents Shanghai sports, his participation in the NBA draft and his playing in the NBA is a great thing for Shanghai sports and the city.

Everyone likes to do things like this: taking advantage of a difficult situation, doing a favor, and gaining fame and profit.

Therefore, without any obstacles, Li Mingyao, who was originally in charge of negotiations for the Shanghai team, was kicked off the negotiating table and renegotiations were held with the new leaders regarding the contract buyout price, reducing the amount to an internationally accepted and acceptable range.

Thus, the negotiations, which were originally thought to be protracted, achieved a phased result on January 5, 2002—Yao Ming was allowed to participate in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Meanwhile, Yao Ming wanted to play for the Shanghai team in the 2001-2002 CBA season. Yao Ming's goal was to win the 2002 CBA championship so that he could go to the NBA without any regrets.

Gan Guohui naturally became Yao Ming's American agent, and Bill Duffy was not fired. Gan Guohui agreed to let Duffy become part of Yao Ming's management team, and everyone worked together to serve Yao Ming's future NBA career.

Bill Duffy had to admire Gan Guohui's patient and steady approach, and he asked Gan Guohui, "Are you planning to take Yao Ming to Las Vegas?"

Gan Guohui said, "As Yao Ming's agent, I will only take him to the place that is most suitable for him."

(End of this chapter)