Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 187 Aren't you afraid Tang Sen will run away?
In the conference room.

Dolan frowned as he looked at Raiden, who was staring at him expectantly. "So, you want to take the players we have and trade them for a bunch of rookies, and then hand them all over to Don to train."

"Let them become the kind of players we want, like Jeryl."

Leiden nodded repeatedly.

“James, believe me, Don has the ability. Jeryl is the best proof. And Chauncey, he was able to shed the label of being a mediocre third overall pick, wasn’t it also because of Don?”

"The current situation is that our salaries are locked up, and we can't get the players we want, so we might as well trade for a group of rookies and develop players according to our needs."

For example, the Knicks need a shooter, but established shooters are too expensive.

It's like wanting Ray Allen, but how could you possibly get him?

But it would be much easier to find a rookie with shooting talent.

If you can't get what you want, then cultivate what you want yourself; Tang Sen has that ability, after all.

Dolan understood and couldn't help but give Leiden a resentful look.

Who's to blame for the team's salary cap being locked up?

When Allan Houston was considering re-signing, his expected salary was over 70 million, but you were afraid of being snatched away, so you offered him a contract worth over 100 million.

Moreover, not to mention star players like Houston, even the role players on the team often have mid-level contracts of four or five million dollars.

Now you know your salary is locked in, and that's a headache.

Leiden understood Dolan's resentful gaze but chose to ignore it.

I admit I was wrong, but let's not blame the younger brother too much; you also bear some responsibility.

He leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.

Layden continued to persuade him, saying, "James, there's another advantage to doing this, which is saving money. Last season, we were lucky and didn't pay the luxury tax."

"But this year, teams in the league will definitely increase their investment, which will definitely exceed the 61.1% luxury tax threshold, and we may have to pay tens of millions of dollars in luxury tax."

In 01, the alliance began implementing a luxury tax.

The regulations stipulate that if wages plus bonuses exceed 61.1% of the league's revenue, a luxury tax will be triggered.

Last year I was lucky and it didn't trigger.

So teams like the Knicks and Trail Blazers, with salaries of over 80 million, didn't pay a single penny.

But if you gain an advantage, the other teams will definitely be unhappy.

So this season, every team will be hoping to increase their investment and avoid paying taxes, which could actually push them to the threshold.

Therefore, we should reduce salary spending this year.

Dolan waved his hand.

Money doesn't matter.

A big market should have the grandeur of a big market.

They're so stingy, acting like New Yorkers are short of money.

Don't look back, the New York Times is still spreading rumors that the Dolan family is going bankrupt.

“We need star players,” Dolan said.

This is New York, and New York fans are demanding; they need star players.

Layden said, "But they need heroes even more. When an unknown player, a role player whom no one believed in, proves himself and becomes the one who saves the team, then he will become a hero in New York."

"This is the kind of story every New Yorker loves. And I believe that a star player bought with money is definitely not as good as a star player developed at home."

Stories of overcoming adversity and striving for dreams will always find a market in the United States.

The bigger the city, the more superstitious people are about this stuff.

"Moreover, in the long run, it can also optimize our salary structure."

Even now, with Larry Johnson and Luke Longley retired, they still occupy nearly 20 million dollars in salary space in New York each year.

This salary structure is abnormal.

The normal salary structure is to sign rookies, capitalize on their talent, then offer them big contracts to keep them, gradually building up their salaries.

"Tang, what do you think?"

Dolan was undecided.

He was actually quite tempted by the grand plan that Leiden had outlined for him.

Just like Layden said, when no one believed in us, we used a bunch of young rookies to develop a bunch of stars and won the championship.

It slapped everyone in the face!

Such a story of a comeback is really... intriguing.

Don Cheney also had his own ulterior motives.

Jeff Van Gundy went to be a commentator, but was forced into becoming the head coach.

As a result, in the first season, they achieved a win rate of less than 40%.

The New York fans have already started cursing, saying they are worthless and useless.

The key issue is that with New York's terrible roster, they'll probably still be the scapegoat next season.

In this situation, if Leiden "messes around".

Cheney didn't disapprove of Townsend's abilities, but he felt that Ryden was the kind of person who was too extreme, wanting star players and throwing around huge contracts.

Now they've changed course, wanting to develop new talent while also wanting to trade away all the veterans on the team.

This approach is very likely to fail.

The advantage, however, is that if things go wrong, at least you won't have to take the blame.

You didn't even give me any star players, so you can't get the blame off yourself.

Thinking of this, Cheney said, "James, young people have their advantages, such as being easier to manage, more united, and having fewer problems in the locker room, so I think Scott's idea is good."

His words were meaningless.

Dolan was undecided.

He has no problem spending money, but he really doesn't know much about how to run a team.

"Scott, do you really think we can win the championship by doing this?" Dolan asked.

With confidence written all over his face, Layden said in a very confident tone, "Of course, James, believe me, we can win the championship in two or three seasons at most."

His expression was exactly the same as when he confidently assured himself that Sprewell had turned over a new leaf and could lead New York to rise again.

"Ok."

Dolan nodded, then hurriedly added, "But you need to make a plan and then tell me how to do it."

With Dolan's approval, Leiden was relieved and assured Dolan before leaving that he believed he was right.

After seeing Dolan off, Cheney sighed and then asked Renden for specific instructions.

For example, how to choose this person.

Leiden had clearly already prepared his answer in his mind, saying, "We'll choose from the rookies born after 99."

The rookie born in 99, if he signed a 3-year contract, it will expire this year.

It was a four-year contract, with one year remaining.

Going further back, they were long past their rookie season.

"Then I don't care about his skills, I just look at his physical talent and age."

Layden knew that many players had great physical talent, but after entering the NBA, they were eliminated for various reasons.

For example, they don't have a place on the team, or they enter the NBA too early and don't develop their skills in college.

Or he might join a strong team, but the team simply doesn't have the resources to develop him.

After two or three years, they become players who have the physique but no skills.

Players like this will soon be eliminated from the NBA.

They lost because of a lack of development and failure to establish themselves in NBA skills, but that doesn't mean they lacked physical talent.

There are always some talented individuals every year, but whether they can actually shine depends on a lot of luck.

So Leiden set his sights on this group of people.

Whether you have the skills or not is not important, as long as you have Tang Sen, you can practice.

But you must have talent, both static and dynamic. Without this foundation, you can't train to achieve it.

Cheney wanted to laugh, but then he thought that there was nothing wrong with Rhoden's choice.

"Then we have to consider how to match the lineup."

You're aiming for the championship, so even if you're going to select players, you should still select them according to the tactical system.

Speaking of this, Leiden glanced at Cheney silently.

The way you're talking makes it sound like you have a tactical system.
Cheney understood, his eye twitched, and he wanted to refute, but he held back.

Stand at attention and take the hit. I have no tactical system. If you're so capable, then replace me.

Leiden had clearly prepared his answer in his mind, saying, "It's very simple, we just need to maximize our performance in each position."

"I won't go into detail about Yao Ming's center position, but we need a Tim Duncan-like player at the power forward position."

"We need a Kevin Garnett at the small forward position."

"At the shooting guard position, we need a Michael Jordan."

"As for the point guard position, we need an Earvin Johnson."

With a lineup like this, winning the championship is a piece of cake.

"Wortfalk!"

Cheney couldn't help but swear, his expression as if he'd seen a ghost.

You really have wild ideas!

"If anyone can put together this roster, the league is already over." After saying that, Layden felt a little embarrassed and explained, "What I mean is, we can use this roster as a reference for our draft. Aren't there draft templates in the rookie reports every year?"

Every year during the draft, the media hypes things up, saying things like "the next Jordan" or "the next Garnett."

Although 99% of them did not reach the level of the template after entering the league.

But at least in some talents or physiques, they are similar; it's just that their skills are lacking, and they haven't developed or cultivated them.

Cheney fell silent.

I had only one thought in my mind: Go ahead and make a fuss, make as much of a fuss as you want, since you're the general manager and you're in charge.

And Tang Sen.

At that moment, Cheney suddenly felt a little sorry for Tang Sen.

Once the offseason was over, Tangsen came to work. On his first day, Layden threw a bunch of rookies at him, and then Tangsen was tasked with developing Garnett and Jordan.

Tang Sen had no choice but to pack his bags and run away immediately.

Thinking of this, Cheney kindly reminded him, "Scott, have you thought this through? The only prerequisite for your plan to work is that Don has the ability and is willing to accept this challenging job."

This is more than just challenging; it's downright demanding.

The subtext of his words was that you shouldn't rely too much on Tang Sen, or overestimate Tang Sen's abilities, and then scare Tang Sen into quitting.

"Yes."

Leiden nodded, but he was clearly thinking the wrong thing, muttering to himself, "This task is too difficult, so we must keep Tang here."

An annual salary of six million seems a bit low.

Leiden shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore.

He thought this was easy to handle; at worst, he could just spend more money.

“We need to find a suitable backup for Yao right now,” Leiden said, stroking his chin.

With Yao Ming's size, his stamina is bound to be a problem.

There must be a qualified substitute.

Last season, the Knicks' starting center was Marcus Camby.

But he was injured.

It's my knee that's injured, and it's been a long time since I last took any rest.

They said it was settled, but Leiden really didn't want to keep him.

He was traded from the Raptors and has had to miss a period of time every year due to injury.

It's been four seasons already.

Before last season's trade deadline, Layden was calling around like begging his family to trade Camby.

But it just wouldn't be delivered.

This second overall pick and shot-blocking king has already been labeled as injury-prone, and his market value is very low.

So Leiden didn't want to gamble on his health anymore, and sent him away.

Then, on the days when Camby was unable to play, the Knicks chose to have Kurt Thomas step up.

But he was too short, not big enough, and not heavy enough.

The remaining Tyrese Knight and Felton Spencer are both old guys and were not in Redden's plans at all.

Therefore, it is necessary to find a qualified substitute for Yao Ming.

He has a goal in mind, but wants to consult someone's opinion.

Los Angeles.

The Goodwin brothers, with LeBron James in tow, exited Los Angeles International Airport and drove south along the highway for fifty or sixty kilometers to Huntington Beach.

The training camp for the Townsend Millions Club is located here.

Tang Sen chose this location after considering various factors.

First, there's the distance.

This area is located south of Los Angeles, and Townsend's mother lives in Long Beach, about 20 kilometers from Huntington Beach.

This distance isn't that far.

Long Beach is about this distance from the city center.

Then, about 10 kilometers south of Huntington Beach, is Kobe's home in Newport.

He's an important client, so we have to consider the distance. Otherwise, getting up at five to train and driving for an hour or two to the city center would be a huge waste of time.

At the same time, it is also a well-known resort destination and surfing mecca in the United States, with one of the most beautiful beaches on the West Coast.

Tang Sen needs to do some water training, and this place is very convenient.

For players like Garnett and Carter, it didn't matter where they trained, so after considering everything, they rented this arena.

"LeBron, you need to seize this opportunity. Many rookies want to train with Don, but they simply don't have the chance."

In the car, Eric Goodwin, like an older brother, gave James some advice.

After all, James is only 18 years old, and this time he will be living alone in Los Angeles for three months.

He told James to be humble because the training camp was full of stars.

Of course, it's also good to cultivate relationships with these star players, as this could be helpful when you enter the NBA next year.

Then you must obey Tang Sen's arrangements, train hard, and not be lazy.

Lower your attitude; you're there to learn.

"I understand."

James nodded and noted it down, but he couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes.

Just like Goodwin said, so many rookies don't even have the chance to train with Tangsen, so this opportunity of his is extremely rare.

More than an hour later, the car arrived at the Hyatt Hotel, which is near the beach.

As luck would have it, just as I entered the hotel, Alan Houston arrived.

Carter, Garnett, and Kobe all came out to welcome him.

Upon seeing so many top stars at once, James' eyes widened, and he approached them with a reserved demeanor.

Of course, he's been featured in Sports Illustrated, interacted with numerous star players, and is famous throughout the United States; all the star players present must have recognized him.

Tang Sen was also there, helping James check in.

To remain discreet, Tang Sen rented half a floor of the hotel.

Tang Sen explained the rules of the training camp to James.

Three months—not exactly a complete lockdown, but you must strictly adhere to the training plan you've set for yourself.

Even daily rest time.

Because of the "Balance" badge, rest is also considered a form of training.

And food.

"Someone will be in charge of what you eat every day, prepare it, and deliver it to you. Of course, you'll have to pay for it."

During these three months, apart from basic training fees, James had to cover all his expenses in Los Angeles, including food, accommodation, special training costs, and sparring partners.

Only Kobe and his two teammates had all their expenses covered by Tang Sen for the three months because they had received huge training fees.

James wrote them down one by one.

He was mentally prepared for these things to come.

Although he didn't even participate in the draft, he was already famous throughout the United States and had a considerable income, enough to cover all his expenses.

James is only concerned with when he can start training.

"Don't worry, it starts this afternoon."

Tang Sen smiled and was about to speak again when his phone rang.

Tangsen had Hall take James to his room, then walked over and answered the phone.

It was Leiden who called.

"Tyson Chandler?"

Tang Sen was taken aback and asked Leiden what he meant in a strange way.

Leiden said, "Tang, last season, I remember when you and Kwame went to the Bulls for a tryout, you went with Tyson. Do you remember him? What do you think of his physical talent? I'm only talking about physical talent."

Chandler?

Tang Sen's memory was suddenly pulled back to last year.

Last year, Tang Sen did his homework on the three treasures of high school.

Chandler has the size and the agility of a small forward, but he's too light and his technique is terrible.

Eddie Curry has weight, but he's slow.

Only Brown combines the strengths of both.

He came off the bench for the Bulls this season, but his performance was just so-so.

However, in terms of physical talent alone, he is definitely top-notch.

Coming to his senses, Tang Sen said, "Of course, his physical talent is exceptional."

Over the phone, Ryden asked again, "So do you think he can become the next Kevin Garnett?"

Last year, Chandler's draft comparison was Garnett.

"Who?"

Tang Sanzang was stunned, almost thinking he was hallucinating.

Are you talking about Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves?

(End of this chapter)