The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 209 The Flying Man Flies West
Miami, Heat headquarters, president's office, Pat Riley received another call from Eric Fleischer.

"Hello, Mr. Fleischer."

He smiled expressionlessly, and after the phone rang several times, he slowly answered it.

“Mr. Riley, what if Don is willing to sign a contract and then exchange it next year?” Eric Fleischer said.

"..."

Pat Riley paused for a moment.

Fleischer's point is that Tang Bei hopes to stay with the Heat to complete a three-peat, and in exchange, they would sign and trade next year.

This approach could create a win-win situation for both the Heat and Tang Bei, and it is feasible.

However, firstly, after winning three consecutive championships, Tang Bei will inevitably become the best player in the league, and his status in Miami will be even higher. If he is traded at that time, he will inevitably bear greater pressure, and the Miami media and fans will criticize him harshly.

Secondly, trading Tang Bei again next year could be a win-win situation for both Tang Bei and the Heat, but it would be detrimental to him personally.

He doesn't need another championship, let alone a third in a three-peat. The Heat and Tang Bei completing a three-peat would not benefit him at all.

There is another problem: if they make another trade next summer, the chances of getting a high draft pick in 96 will be even smaller, which is not conducive to rebuilding the Heat.

After thinking it over, he said, "Mr. Fleischer, almost all scouting reports indicate that '96 is a big year for the draft, so I have to make plans early."

"So I have a suggestion: you should persuade Tang to accept a 5-year, $6000 million contract. This would be the perfect solution for both of us. Excessive greed will only hurt us."

"Snapped!"

Eric Fleischer hung up the phone immediately.

He now understands Pat Riley's plan: Pat Riley wants to trade Tang for a high first-round pick in 96, and may even tank by trading Tang to give the Heat a high draft pick.

But can he convince Tang to sign that 5-year, $6000 million contract?
Absolutely impossible. The Knicks have already agreed to a super contract with an annual salary of $2500 million. Why would they accept a contract with an annual salary of $1200 million?

A $2500 million annual salary—that's the Knicks' way of showing respect for Tang.

A $1200 million annual salary was Pat Riley's insult to Don.

"Tang, he refused."

Soon, he dialed Tang Bei's number again.

"What the hell!"

Tang Bei cursed angrily and said, "Then let's do as Jia Bao says."

"it is good."

Eric Fleischer said, "Don, I'll contact the media, and you'll also need to utilize the Nemur family's resources."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Tang Bei didn't go to sleep immediately. Instead, he carefully considered whether he really wanted to stay with the Heat to compete for a three-peat.

It would be such a waste to give up a three-peat now. He's worked hard for two years and doesn't want to give up this opportunity because of Pat Riley.

But if all else fails, he accepts reality.

Eric Fleischer acted quickly, immediately contacting a large number of media outlets and holding a press conference at 1 p.m.

"Gentlemen, please hear me out first."

“After Pat Riley came to the Heat, I had several discussions with him, but he refused to keep Tang and wanted to trade Tang for next year’s first-round pick.”

"This is disgusting. I don't understand why Mr. Mickey Arison would go to such great lengths to bring in Pat Riley. Is he just going to use him to trade for Don?"

"Don wants to stay with the Heat for his entire career. He loves the city of Miami because it's where his basketball career started."

"But if the Heat don't want him anymore, he can leave, but hopefully the management can let him play for the Heat for another year and help the city complete a three-peat. He can accept a sign-and-trade next summer."

"But Pat Riley still rejected Don, which is shameful. Why did he refuse Don's request to help the city achieve a three-peat? What was his purpose?"

These words immediately shocked all the media reporters.

“Mr. Fleischer, are you saying that Pat Riley is working on a trade for Don? And he rejected the sign-and-trade offer for next year?”

"Yes."

"You mean he doesn't want to see the Heat complete a three-peat?"

"That's right. I believe Pat Riley's refusal was motivated by ulterior motives."

"Mr. Fleischer, as far as I know, Mr. Pat Riley has offered Don an early contract extension. Is that true?"

"It's true, a 5-year, $6000 million contract. This is completely inconsistent with Tang's worth. I think it's an insult to Tang."

"You know, David Robinson signed a 7-year, $7800 million contract two years ago, so why should Tang, who brought two consecutive championships to the Heat, who is 10 years younger than David Robinson, who dominated four teams, and who brought huge commercial benefits to the Heat, only get a similar contract?"

"I hereby declare that Tang will be a free agent after his rookie contract expires next year. If he cannot stay with the Heat, or is traded this year, he will enter the free market next year and choose a team with championship competitiveness."

Soon, news of the press conference spread throughout Miami, the entire NBA league, and across the United States and the world.

"Fuck you!"

Pat Riley, who was about to have lunch, was furious when he received the news.

He was actually planning to trade Tang Bei to those terrible teams, such as the Grizzlies and the Raptors, two teams that had just entered the league.

What's more troublesome is that his refusal to let Tang stay and complete the three-peat would put him at odds with the entire Miami team.

"Sir, the media wants to interview you," his assistant said as he opened the door.

"reject."

"Also, the public relations department's phone lines were bombarded with calls from fans, and some fans were even outside the headquarters."

"What do they want to do?"

"them……"

"explain."

“They want the team to fire you and keep Tang in the Heat forever,” assistant Hawkes said coldly to Pat Riley.

He doesn't like Pat Riley, the man who is ruining the Heat, destroying their three-peat, and forcing Severe Fear to leave the Heat.

"go out."

Pat Riley glanced at Hawkes and waved.

After the door closed, he immediately picked up the landline phone and dialed Mickey Allison's number.

He desperately needs his boss's trust and support right now; without Mickey Arison's support, he won't get through this.

However, the call didn't go through; the other end was on another call.

I called again after a while, but it was still busy.

In his anxious state, it took him more than an hour to get through on the phone.

"Pat Riley, get out of Miami!"

"We had already won two consecutive championships before you arrived!"

"Pat Riley, get out of Miami! We need a three-peat! We need a dynasty! We need deep fear!"

"Mickey Arison, get out of the Heat!"

Meanwhile, hundreds of radical fans had gathered outside the headquarters, and he could clearly hear their roars through the windows.

"Mickey, I finally got through to you on the phone."

After the call connected, he immediately said, looking extremely flustered, "The situation is a bit passive now. Eric Fleischer has used the media..."

"Alright, Pat, I understand the situation. Listen to me."

Mickey Arison wasn't in a good mood, and said in a somewhat low voice:

"Pat, do you really not want the Heat to complete a three-peat? Why do you insist on trading Tang? I've told you before, I've said I want to complete a three-peat. Even if you want to trade him, you have to wait until we've completed a three-peat, right?"

"Mickey, you've misunderstood..."

Pat Riley's forehead began to sweat.

"listen to me."

Mickey Arison interrupted Pat Riley and said:

"And the Nemur family has stepped in. I just received calls from many people, including the mayor of Miami and many state legislators, who are urging me to stay with Don."

"The Nemo family is even willing to pay $10 million to buy a 1000% stake in the Heat."

"In particular, the mayor believes that Don's presence in Miami will play a very important role in the city's development, and that the Miami city government will even build a new arena for the Heat in the future."

"..."

Pat Riley couldn't utter a single word.

"Pat, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed with your attitude and how you handled Tang. The Heat have only been around for a few years, and they can't withstand this kind of treatment."

“I gave you 10% of the shares for free, which is $10 million, and a super contract worth $50 million. I also bought your two mansions at a high price. I didn’t expect you to do this. You’ll ruin the Heat.”

“Mickey, listen to me.”

Pat Riley was getting anxious. Although he already owned 5% of the Heat's shares, he still had 5% left to take possession of.

Moreover, the 5% stake he acquired came with restrictions; if problems arise now, Mickey Arison has the right to reclaim those shares.

“Pat, hold a press conference immediately and announce that the Heat will exercise Don’s fourth-year contract,” Mickey Arison said.

"..."

Pat Riley's heart sank, signifying that his first attempt with the Heat had failed to ignite; in fact, it had backfired on him.

Clearly, he has lost Mickey Arison's trust, and his authority within the Heat will be impossible to establish.

He lost the first round without even seeing Tang Bei's face.

“Mickey, what about next year?” he probed.

“1200 million is too low. Go and negotiate. We can extend your contract early for 1500 million,” Mickey Arison said.

He then added, "If he still doesn't agree to 1500 million, then it's his problem, which will reduce our pressure."

"OK."

Pat Riley breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Mickey Arison was still willing to trust him.

"boom!"

Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Hawkes appeared in the doorway, saying to him, "Mr. Riley, two pieces of news."

"explain."

"First, the New York Knicks just announced a two-year, $18 million contract extension with Patrick Ewing."

"Good news."

Pat Riley breathed a sigh of relief. Even a superstar center like Ewing only makes $900 million a year. You, Tang Bei, aren't you satisfied with $1500 million a year? If you're still not satisfied, then you're too greedy, not that I want to trade you.

He believes that the news of Ewing's contract extension will help resolve the problems he is currently facing.

"Secondly, the Knicks sent an offer to trade Ewing for Tang."

"what?"

Pat Riley was stunned.

He just came from the Knicks and knows them too well. The Knicks, who have plenty of money, will do anything to win the championship.

Mickey Arison, on the other end of the phone, heard it too, and he knew he was in real trouble.

"This is the price list."

Hawkes placed a piece of paper on the desk and left.

Pat Riley glanced at it and gave a wry smile.

“Pat…”

"What was their offer?" Mickey Arison asked on the phone.

Pat Riley said bitterly, "The Heat's '96 first-round pick + the Knicks' '97 and '99 unprotected first-round picks, plus Ewing."

Mickey Arison fell silent. This offer was already quite high; it seemed the Knicks were determined to get Tang Bei.

He could imagine that the Knicks would offer Tang Bei a super contract that the Heat couldn't offer, perhaps even the same contract that Jordan had offered to the Bulls.

He can accept this quote.

However, trading Tang Bei now would mean preventing his team from achieving a three-peat and preventing Tang Bei from establishing a dynasty, which he himself is unwilling to do, and the pressure on him and the Heat would be too great.

Unless Ewing replaces Tang Bei and can lead this Heat team to a three-peat, but is that even possible?
Therefore, for him, trading Tang Bei this year is unacceptable.

After careful consideration, he said seriously, "Pat, hold a press conference immediately. We will be fulfilling the final year of the contract."

Contact Eric Fleischer again. The Heat want Don to stay in Miami; we'll strive for a three-peat.

At this point, he emphasized, "However, he and Tang must agree to sign the agreement first and then exchange it next year."

"...OK."

Pat Riley knew he had completely lost this round.

But they haven't completely lost yet, because Mickey Arison has made up his mind to trade Tang Bei next year, and he will be the ultimate winner.

Of course, he also had some regrets, as he couldn't persuade Tang Bei to cooperate with this super center.

Shortly afterward, the Heat held a press conference to announce that the team would exercise Tang Bei's final year contract.

This has greatly reduced the pressure on Pat Riley and Mickey Arison, but the fact that they didn't sign an early contract extension means that the relationship between the Heat and Tang Bei can no longer be the same, and there is still a high possibility that Tang Bei will leave the Heat next summer.

Miami's media and fans are well aware of this, so Pat Riley still faces a lot of pressure.

His only chance to relieve the pressure was to lead the Heat to victory against all opponents, including Tang Bei, after Tang Bei left.

Tang Bei breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the news. He would have no regrets leaving the Heat as long as they achieved a three-peat.

The Knicks also received the news that they would not be able to acquire Tang Bei this year, which was a great disappointment to the management. However, the Heat did not extend Tang Bei's contract in advance, which still gave them the opportunity to acquire Tang Bei next year.

At this time, news spread like wildfire that the Knicks would trade Ewing for Tang Bei.

"Damn Pat Riley, it must have been him who leaked the information."

This news infuriated the Knicks' management and greatly angered Ewing, who publicly expressed his anger and reaction towards the management to the media.

“I have fought for this city for 10 seasons, and I have done right by it. They have hurt me, and I have made my decision to leave New York.”

However, the Knicks immediately contacted Ewing and promised him some conditions, such as providing him with an endorsement deal worth millions of dollars.

Management cannot trade Ewing now; they want to keep this superstar center as their main bargaining chip in a trade for Tang Bei next summer.

On the afternoon of the 15th, in a business room of a hotel in New York, Michael Jordan, David Falk, and Phil Jackson sat on the sofa, with Lakers owner Jerry Buss and general manager Jerry West sitting opposite them at the coffee table.

One of the conditions Jordan took with the Lakers was that Phil Jackson had to become the Lakers' head coach, and Jerry Buss agreed without hesitation.

The five of them had a very smooth conversation, the atmosphere was very harmonious, and they even opened a bottle of champagne.

After Jordan's contract expires next year, the Lakers will offer him a four-year, $80 million contract, including a four-year, $30 million endorsement deal.

The Lakers benefit from the huge Los Angeles market, and even though their performance hasn't been great in recent years, their operations have been quite good, and the Buss family has made a lot of money.

However, the Buss family doesn't have a lot of assets; the Lakers are their main asset, and offering Jordan such a large contract was a difficult decision.

The Lakers acquired Jordan through a trade, and also received his Bird rights, which allow them to re-sign him next year with a cap.

But they need to bring in a superstar center next year to save salary cap space, so the Lakers had to make Jordan's contract extension a dual contract.

The Lakers didn't have to pay for the four-year, $30 million endorsement deal. They found a Fortune 500 company for Jordan, and the company was happy to have him as their spokesperson.

Jordan's commercial value was brought from Chicago to Los Angeles, and this endorsement contract is the most direct manifestation of that.

This endorsement deal also gave the Lakers confidence to spend a huge sum to acquire Jordan, and at least commercially, the deal was a success.

But Jordan will have to wait a year. Next year, the Lakers will try to bring Olajuwon and O'Neal to Los Angeles without paying any price.

Jerry West had already contacted the two players' agents, and both had a strong desire to play in Los Angeles.

Although Jordan was unwilling to give Tang Bei the opportunity to complete a three-peat, the Lakers simply couldn't complete a trade that included both him and another superstar at the same time, so they had no choice but to accept it.

The four then left the hotel one after another.

Jerry Buss returned to Los Angeles, Jerry West and David Falk flew to Chicago, while Jordan went to practice.

That evening, after making the appointment, West and Falk met with Bulls general manager Jerry Krause at a hotel in Chicago.

"It seems you've reached an agreement. Hopefully, the Lakers' offer will sway me," Jerry Krause said expressionlessly.

David Falk said coldly, "Since the Bulls are unwilling to offer Michael a satisfactory contract, there's nothing to talk about."

He paused for a moment and then said, "If the Bulls don't trade Michael this year, they will have nothing by this time next year."

David Falk's words provoked Jerry Krause, causing his eye to twitch several times.

But this was also the truth, and it made Klaus realize that the initiative in the deal was not in his hands.

Then Jerry West said, "The first asset is Eddie Jones, the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 94 draft, a 24-year-old shooting guard with unlimited potential."

Jerry Krause remained unmoved; this was a good bargaining chip—young and with potential.

Jerry West stared at Jerry Krause, observing his expression as he spoke:

"The second asset is Cedric Ceballos, the Lakers' leading scorer last season. At 26 years old, he averaged 21.7 points, 8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1 steal per game, with a field goal percentage of 50.9%. He is an All-Star forward in his prime."

"Not nearly enough."

Shaking his head, Jerry Krause said calmly, "Mr. West, you should know what the Bulls need."

Jerry West smiled and added, "The Lakers' unprotected first-round pick in '98, that's all the Lakers have."

“No, that’s Michael Jordan, that’s not enough, absolutely not,” Jerry Krause said angrily.

“I think it’s already pretty good. It’s better than you getting nothing next year,” David Falk said with a gloomy face.

“I said it’s not enough, Mr. Falk, you’re extorting me, are you threatening me?” Jerry Krause was so agitated that his fat jiggled.

David Falk also became angry and retorted, "Whose fault is that? Who told you not to give him a big contract?"

"Don't you know how much money the Bulls have made off him over the years? You've eaten the meat, but you won't even give him a sip of the soup."

Jerry Krause retorted angrily, "Have you calculated how high the Bulls' salaries are? Michael is $2500 million, and if you trade for another superstar center, his annual salary will be at least $1000 million. Add the other players, and the total salary will reach $6000 million."

David Falk laughed and said, "Then I'd like to know how much money the Bulls have made from Michael over the years?"

"Humph!"

Jerry Krause snorted and said nothing more.

There was a moment of silence. After half a minute, Jerry West broke the silence and said, "I'll add the Lakers' unprotected first-round pick from 2000. That's our bottom line."

Jerry Krause tapped the table, feeling that things were going well; if he messed it up, he really would have gained nothing next year.

He opened his mouth and said in the most determined tone, "Add to that the Lakers' unprotected first-round pick in '96, otherwise it would be impossible."

The Lakers traded Eddie Jones, Cedric Ceballos, and their unprotected first-round picks from 96, 98, and 2000, while the Bulls traded Michael Jordan.

Jerry West mentally reviewed the trade options, remained silent for about ten seconds, and then said, "OK."

The deal was struck, and both sides breathed a sigh of relief.

The next morning, David Stern received trade requests from the Lakers and the Bulls. He smiled with satisfaction and signed his name on the request.

The NBA and the Lakers and Bulls subsequently announced the trade, shocking the entire league.

At the same time, the Lakers also announced that Phil Jackson has become the Lakers' new head coach.

This blockbuster deal sparked outrage in Chicago, while Los Angeles was filled with jubilation.

Just half an hour later, the Knicks announced that Don Nelson would be their new head coach.

"Tang, Jordan has been traded to the Lakers, and Phil Jackson has become the Lakers' head coach," Eric Fleischer immediately informed Tang Bei.

"Then the East is not as strong as it was last season, so we are under less pressure to make it to the finals," Tang Bei said.

After explaining the trade assets, Eric Fleischer said, "With the Lakers' current roster, plus Jordan, I don't think they're a match for the Heat. Their interior defense is no match for yours."

"So what do you think Jordan's purpose was in going to the Lakers?" Tang Bei asked.

Eric Fleischer analyzed, "O'Neal and Olajuwon's contracts will both expire next year, and the Lakers are very likely to target these two superstar centers."

“That makes sense,” Tang Bei said.

He then added, "I'm staying with the Heat next season, Eric. You have to keep an eye on Pat Riley. We absolutely have to strengthen the roster."

Eric Fleischer said, "Of course, and besides, he wouldn't dare to do anything reckless. He and Allison are under a lot of pressure right now, and the whole of Miami is on your side."

"By the way, Eric, which team did Kevin Longley go to?" Tang Bei asked.

Eric Fleischer said, "Him? He hasn't found a job yet."

"Impossible, right? Best coach, two championships, how could he not find a job?" Tang Bei was somewhat surprised.

Eric Fleischer said sarcastically, "He quits at the most crucial moment of winning the championship. Which team's management would dare to hire him?"

"Besides, did the Heat win the championship because of him? Before you went to the Heat, their record was the worst in the entire league. Who doesn't know his coaching ability?"

Tang Bei shook his head and said, "His defensive tactics are quite effective, but he got a little too arrogant at the end."

The two had just hung up the phone when the Heat and Hornets reached a trade agreement.

The Heat traded Kevin Willis, Matt Geiger, and the Hawks' unprotected 96 first-round pick to the Hornets in exchange for Alonzo Mourning, Pete Miles, and Aaron Ellis.

Pat Riley then announced the buyout of Miles and Ellis's contracts, effectively trading the two players and a first-round pick for Mourning.

(End of this chapter)