The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 218 The Three-Time Champions Dynasty, the Sky-High Contract
On the 6th, the Heat began setting up a celebration ceremony, and David Stern arrived in Los Angeles carrying the championship and Finals MVP trophies.

Also arriving on the same flight were New York Knicks president Dave Cecchers and general manager Ernie Gruenfeld, as well as a middle-aged white man named James Dolan.

At 4 p.m. that afternoon, the Knicks management held a pre-arranged meeting with James Dolan and Eric Fleischer.

Afterwards, Eric Fleischer told Tang Bei three pieces of information and placed a contract template in front of him.

First, U.S. cable television and ITT have reached an agreement for ITT to acquire its stake in Knicks and its equity in Madison Square Garden.

Secondly, the Dolan family, major shareholders of American cable television, has promised the Knicks management that they will build a new training facility and team headquarters in downtown Madison Square Garden during this year's offseason.

Third, after Tang Bei was traded to the Knicks, the Knicks will have the Bird rights and will offer him a huge contract with incentive clauses.

The total value of the astronomical contract reached a staggering $2.05 million, including a base salary of $1.25 million and incentive bonuses of $0.8 million.

The contract is for 4+1 years, with the final year being a player option. The base salary is $1.25 million over 5 years, averaging $2500 million per year.

As an additional incentive, Tang Bei will receive a $1000 million bonus for leading the Knicks to a championship, bringing the total to $5000 million.

If Tang Bei leads the Knicks to a three-peat, he will receive an additional $3000 million bonus.

Eric Fleischer said, "The James Dolan family went all out this time. It's said that ITT paid a significant premium for the equity transaction."

"The Dolan family is willing to spend so much money on a championship? Didn't the Knicks have two championships before?" Tang Bei asked, somewhat surprised.

Eric Fleischer said, "They have two championships, but it's been many years, so they desperately need a new one."

"Moreover, the Knicks are one of the three great teams in the league, but they only have two championships, which is not worthy of a great team record."

"As for spending money, they are the most profitable team in the entire league. As long as they perform well and win the championship, they can make even more money. Their operational capabilities are a hundred times better than the Heat's, and they are willing to spend as much money as they want."

Tang Bei put down the contract and joked, "Eric, it seems your company is moving back to New York again."

"Ha ha……"

Eric Fleischer laughed.

Tang Bei didn't laugh, but said, "Eric, I guess you could say I peaked right from my debut?"

"of course."

Eric Fleischer was taken aback.

Tang Bei continued, "But the Hornets traded me, and I won two consecutive championships with the Heat, and they're about to have a three-peat dynasty. Are they really just trying to save money?"

Eric Fleischer said with a wry smile, "Tang, the Hornets and the Heat are both teams that have only been established for a few years. You could say they have no foundation. They can't accommodate a superstar like you. You are a huge burden to them."

"That reason is absolutely ridiculous."

Frustrated, Tang Bei cursed in Tianjin dialect and then asked, "The Knicks will probably trade me in the future, right?"

Eric Fleischer thought for a moment and then said, "Ewing played for the Knicks for eleven years and didn't even win an Eastern Conference title. The Knicks wouldn't have traded him if they didn't want to get you."

At this point, he said seriously, "Don, if you help the Knicks win a championship, even just one, they won't trade you, because they'll expect you to help the Knicks win a second or third championship."

"If you win three consecutive championships with the Knicks, you will become the King of New York, an iconic figure, and the Knicks will be even less likely to trade you."

"really?"

"Of course it's true. Back then, if the Knicks had wanted to trade you, the whole of New York would have stood up against it."

"Forget it, let's not talk about such discouraging things," Tang Bei said somewhat listlessly.

On the evening of the 7th, at the Great Western Forum Stadium.

Although the Lakers are about to be swept, the game still attracted countless fans, and all the extra seats were filled.

A small portion of these Los Angeles fans hoped to see the Lakers turn things around; they wanted to see Michael Jordan defeat Tang Bei.

But most fans weren't there to see how the Lakers would come back from a 0-3 deficit; they simply didn't believe the Lakers could pull off a comeback.

These fans came to witness the birth of the first three-peat in modern NBA history, and also to see Tang Bei's performance.

There were also a lot of media, half of whom were from overseas. The media stands at both ends of the stadium were simply not enough to accommodate everyone, and a large number of cameras were placed in the walkways and in every corner.

For Game 4 of the Finals, more than 400 television stations purchased satellite live broadcast signals, just to witness the birth of the first three-peat dynasty in modern NBA history.

Domestically, it's Saturday. Early this morning, countless fans hurriedly finished their breakfast, turned on their TVs, and prepared to watch the game.

In Tang Bei's hometown, the generator in the basement emitted a faint noise. Three 29-inch television sets were placed in the front yard. The one-acre front yard housed at least three hundred people, all of whom had brought their own chairs, as if they were watching a grand opera.

The Tang family prepared a large amount of melon seeds, peanuts, and various snacks to entertain their neighbors. They were very hospitable and showed no impatience whatsoever.

On the sidelines of the Great Western Forum, David Stern smiled and chatted with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Knicks president Dave Backers, and Knicks new owner James Dolan.

Although the Los Angeles Lakers might be swept, which is not in the league's best interest, he seemed to be in a good mood.

Heat owner Micky Arison was also present, but David Stern spoke to him the least.

Arison knew that David Stern was unhappy with the Heat's attitude toward Tang Bei, but he believed he had done the right thing.

In particular, once the Heat achieve a three-peat, Tang Bei's mission with the Heat will be over, and his value to the Heat will not be as great.

David Stern was indeed unhappy with Mickey Arison's attitude toward Tang Bei.

Tang Bei's image had some flaws in the first two seasons due to too much violence, but there have been no more violent incidents in the last two seasons, and he has also rarely injured opponents. His personal image has undergone a complete transformation, which makes him very happy.

In his view, superstars with enormous influence are the most crucial core factor in the development of the NBA league, and the Heat's decision to trade for a superstar like Tang Bei is an act of not valuing or respecting him.

This behavior lowers Tang Bei's image and makes outsiders think that Tang Bei is an unimportant, ordinary player who can be traded at will, which is completely detrimental to the development of the NBA.

Of course, he would be happy to see Tang Bei play for the Knicks, where he can maximize his superstar influence and contribute to the development of the NBA.

The Knicks management had communicated with him beforehand and had seen the astronomical contract, which was even bigger than the contract the Lakers had prepared for Michael Jordan.

This demonstrates the Knicks' determination to pursue the championship, because a luxury tax is bound to be implemented sooner or later, and the Knicks' actions before the luxury tax is implemented show that the management has great courage.

He was very pleased that the Knicks had such courage, and he hoped that Tang Bei could help the Knicks win the championship, or even realize their dream of a three-peat.

If the Knicks achieve a three-peat, they will become the NBA's top franchise, boasting the league's largest market, and the NBA's influence in the United States will also increase.

At 7:40, they started the game.

"Clap clap clap..."

When the away team went first, and Tang Bei made his grand entrance as the last player to step onto the court, the Great Western Forum Arena erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Facing the CCTV camera, Zhang Heli said excitedly:
"Americans admire the strong and have a strong sense of individual heroism. Tang Bei carrying the Heat in their pursuit of a three-peat dynasty perfectly aligns with their values. He is also the best player currently active, which is why he received enthusiastic applause on the road."

Then, in an even more excited tone, he said, "Here, I wish Tang Bei another sweeping victory tonight, I wish Tang Bei a three-peat dynasty, and I wish Tang Bei to become the number one active player in the NBA."

"Hello, Coach Zhang."

"Hello, fellow fans in China."

Tang Bei passed by, shook hands with Zhang Heli, and waved to the camera.

He then high-fived his teammates, management, and coaching staff, and some Hollywood stars came over to say hello. Finally, he hugged Garbo.

He then went over and shook hands with David Stern, exchanged a few polite words, and then shook hands with Heat owner Arison and Lakers owner Buss.

Alisen was still somewhat disappointed, but he thought Tang Bei was too greedy, not satisfied with an annual salary of 1500 million.

He still doesn't know how big a contract the Knicks will offer Tang Bei, and trade talks with the Knicks haven't even started yet.

Eric Fleischer specified the Knicks as the only team to be traded, which was disadvantageous for the Heat, but he had no choice. If they didn't trade with the Knicks, Tang Bei certainly wouldn't honor his previous promise of a sign-and-trade and would just walk away.

Jerry Buss was most disappointed because the superstar he most wanted was Tang Bei, but unfortunately Tang Bei's attitude towards the Lakers was not friendly.

"Tang, I hope we'll have the opportunity to cooperate in the future." He couldn't help but say this as they shook hands.

Tang Bei nodded politely and said, "I also like Los Angeles."

Old Buss's eyes lit up. This meant that Tang Bei was not against the Lakers. Could it be that Jerry West had offended Tang Bei?

Now, he was starting to resent his old friend West.

Tang Bei and James Dolan were introduced by Dave Checkers and Eric Fleischer.

"Tang, on behalf of New York and the Knicks, I welcome you." James Dolan said impatiently, gripping Tang Bei's right hand tightly.

"Thank you!" Tang Bei said calmly.

"Clap clap clap..."

Then the home team came out, and Michael Jordan, who was the last to appear, received even more applause than Tang Bei, but his smile seemed a little forced.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

"boom!"

Tang Bei took the initiative, taking on two opponents under the basket, and after knocking Campbell aside, he slammed a powerful two-handed dunk over Divac.

Jordan is attacking with the ball.

On the right wing three-point line, he faked a shot and drove to the basket, first driving to Chapman, only to be met with Avery Johnson's help defense from the high post.

He dribbled, changed direction, accelerated, broke through the second line of defense, and entered the paint only to be met by the third line of defense, with new power forward Kurt Thomas providing help defense.

He stopped abruptly and turned around, just as he broke through the third line of defense, he collided headfirst with Tang Bei, and the ball was intercepted by Avery Johnson behind him.

"Ugh!"

A collective sigh echoed through the Great Western Forum arena.

Barkley's face lacked its usual smile, and he said somewhat sadly, "Michael wants to take on five opponents, but I'm afraid he can't beat the Heat."

Bill Walton said, "The Lakers don't have Pippen. Van Exel is a good playmaker, but he can't run the triangle offense like the Bulls."

Bill Russell said, "Tang Bei is too fast and his defense in the paint is too strong. Even with Pippen, it's useless. Michael Jordan still can't get in."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "There needs to be a big man in the low post who can keep Tang Bei firmly in place so that the outside players can penetrate. Divac is far from being qualified to have Tang Bei guard him every step of the way."

The Heat's fast break failed, and they switched to positional play.

Tang Bei pushed past Campbell and repositioned himself under the basket, forcing Divac to double-team him.

"Bang!"

Kurt Thomas received the ball and took a short, open shot, but missed the target.

"Bang!" After the basketball slammed against the rim, Tang Bei leaped high, knocking Campbell and Divac aside in mid-air, and then slammed the basketball into the basket.

"That was a perfect finish! Beautiful!"

Xu Jicheng said happily, "According to Coach Zhang, Tang Bei's weight has exceeded 140 kilograms, reaching 142 kilograms. He's a real behemoth!"

Sun Zhenping said, "Moreover, watching him play, he has gained weight, but his athletic ability has not decreased. He is incredibly talented."

Han Qiaosheng said, "It may have decreased, but not significantly."

The Lakers were on offense. Van Exel dribbled to the basket but hesitated to enter the paint. He found an opportunity to shoot from the left elbow area and made a mid-range jumper.

The Heat didn't react much to the basket, nor did the Lakers; it didn't even boost morale.

Everyone knows that with this kind of inconsistent outside shooting, they have a chance to beat the Heat in the regular season, but no team can beat this Heat team in a series.

The Lakers weren't in bad form, and Jordan was in excellent form, but as the game progressed, Tang Bei maintained firm control of the game's rhythm through his offensive and defensive performances.

This situation is despairing because no matter how well you perform, you will always fall behind and see no hope.

In the first quarter, Jordan did not leave the court, shooting 6-for-10 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range, and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, scoring 16 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, showing excellent form.

唐北也没有下场，9投8中，4罚3中，轰下19分4篮板1助攻1抢断2盖帽。

The score is 29-24, with the Heat leading by 5 points on the road.

At the start of the second quarter, Jordan came on as soon as possible, Tang Bei sat on the bench, and Mourning came on.

Jordan wanted to catch up while Tang Bei was off the court, but Mourning was no pushover either; he was the closest thing to a superstar center in the league.

After three minutes, the Lakers had only managed to close the gap to two points and were still down by three. At this point, Tang Bei came on and replaced Kurt Thomas, partnering with Mourning in the frontcourt.

乔丹次节依然打满，连投带罚拿到10分，上半场轰下26分4篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽。

Under the defense of Tang Bei and Mourning, he only made 4 out of 10 outside jump shots in the entire quarter, and his shooting percentage dropped to 40%.

After halftime, the Lakers were down by 9 points, and the gap actually widened.

In the second half, Tang Bei continued to control the game, and as his score gradually increased, the Heat's lead also grew larger.

By the end of the third quarter, he had already scored 41 points, and the Heat led the Lakers by as many as 14 points.

In the final quarter, Jordan did not give up, and Tang Bei played alongside him, further widening the point difference.

Until the final buzzer sounded, Michael Jordan, who had scored 41 points, seemed to have suddenly lost all his strength, knelt down, covered his face, and wept.

Being swept in the finals for the second time, allowing Tang Bei to achieve a three-peat dynasty by defeating him, was an indescribable pain. After controlling his emotions all night, he finally lost control.

As the rousing music of "I Am the Champion" played, colorful debris rained down from the sky, and the Heat players rushed towards Tang Bei.

Han Qiaosheng shouted excitedly, "Congratulations to Tang Bei! He scored 52 points in Game 4, winning the championship with a super performance of 47 points per game in the finals, completing a three-peat, and establishing a dynasty."

On the sidelines, Heat owner Mickey Arison and president Pat Riley are celebrating.

Mickey Arison has mixed feelings about Tang Bei's impending departure from the Heat, while Pat Riley is filled with anticipation for the future because of Tang Bei's departure.

Neither of them were particularly excited; James Dolan and Knicks president Dave Checkerts, who were standing next to them, were much more excited.

Witnessing the Heat win the championship firsthand has filled them with confidence in the Knicks' future, which is why they are so excited.

Tang Bei was carried on his teammates' shoulders for three minutes to celebrate, and then shook hands with the other Lakers players before walking up to Jordan and shouting:

"Hey, stop crying. Aren't you ashamed at your age? If all else fails, come and beg for my coattails, and I'll help you win three consecutive championships."

"Fuck you!"

With tears and snot streaming down his face, Jordan cursed, grabbed his jersey to wipe his face, and scrambled to his feet, spewing, "You bastard, you idiot..."

Tang Bei extended his right hand and said with a serious expression, "Michael Jordan, as a loser, shaking hands to celebrate my championship is the most basic respect and courtesy you should show to me, the winner. After all, I won the three-peat over you, the first three-peat in modern basketball."

"Snapped!"

The miserable Michael Jordan slapped Tang Bei's right hand away hard and turned to leave.

"Ha ha……"

Tang Bei laughed heartily, having successfully shown off.

Next, the championship trophy was awarded, and Tang Bei won his third FMVP trophy with a unanimous vote.

"Congratulations, host, on achieving the NBA three-peat dynasty and winning the Finals MVP once again, and receiving three treasures."

"First, Dongwang Qingxue Pills will be automatically replenished (one pill per day)."

"Second, Dongwang Kidney-Nourishing Pills will be automatically replenished (one pill per day)."

"Third, Cao Xueqin's manuscript of The Story of the Stone, from chapter 11 to chapter 20."

Tang Bei was overjoyed when he saw the reward.

Blood-Clearing Pills are good, but Kidney-Nourishing Pills are even better, because Gerber loves them the most.

It would be even better if the treasure chest could reward him with a prescription for making medicine someday; one prescription might be enough to make him the richest man in the world.

As for the manuscript of The Story of the Stone, such things are not meant to be seen in the light of day. What he was curious about was whether the last forty chapters were still available. If so, he could certainly take a look.

Tang Bei only participated in the on-site celebration, not the all-night celebration afterwards, and did not plan to participate in the Miami parade celebration.

This will be a huge disappointment for him, after all, it was a celebration following a three-peat dynasty.

On the 8th, Tang Bei made the front page of all media outlets in the United States, appeared on all television screens, and was reported by countless media outlets around the world.

TNT reports: "Tang Bei averaged 47 points per game in the Finals, including three 50+ point games, setting a new NBA Finals scoring record and completing a three-peat dynasty. Without a doubt, he is the best player currently active."

The New York Times went even further, praising Tang Bei: "The great, severe fear, he has begun to dominate the NBA, all current NBA superstars will be dominated by him, he is about to begin his next journey..."

"A renowned Chinese basketball player, a world-class sports superstar, an ambassador for Beijing's Olympic bid, a donor to Project Hope, a martial arts master..."

CCTV-1's 7 PM news program dedicated five minutes to a special report on Tang Bei.

With his three-peat dynasty, his name resounded throughout the world, and his influence was no less than that of Michael Jordan.

Starting on the 8th, Tang Bei embarked on a five-day business trip and advertising shoot in Los Angeles, attracting a large number of media reporters wherever he went.

The Heat held a three-day celebration in Miami, but without Tang Bei's participation, the celebration lost much of its luster, as if it had lost its soul.

The entire Miami Heat were trying to persuade Tang Bei to stay, and many radical fans were even chanting for Mickey Arison and Pat Riley to get out of the Heat.

Three days after the Finals ended, on the 10th, the NBA announced a stake deal involving the New York Knicks.

Money in the City TV acquired Madison Square Garden, the company that owns Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks, for a total price of $6.7 million, thus obtaining full ownership of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks.

This was a premium acquisition; the combined market value of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks was approximately $12 billion, representing a premium of nearly $7000 million.

In 94, Money in the Bank and ITT jointly acquired Madison Square Garden Company, which owned Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, for $10.75 billion. In two years, ITT made $1.325 million.

James Dolan became the new owner of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. He immediately announced that he would build a new training facility and headquarters for the Knicks in the city, and also announced that he would do his best to bring Tang Bei to New York.

These two pieces of news, especially the second one, spurred fans across New York. James Dolan had just become the new owner of the Knicks and had already gained the approval of New York fans.

On July 12, 1996, James Dolan, Eric Fleischer, and the Knicks management arrived in Miami to begin trade negotiations with the Heat.

Superstar center Patrick Ewing was the main asset in the trade, and the Knicks also offered the Heat's 96 first-round pick, which they acquired in the Pat Riley trade last year, as well as the Knicks' unprotected 97 first-round pick.

Pat Riley was naturally not satisfied; he wanted more and began to negotiate with the Knicks regarding the offer.

Eric Fleischer didn't get involved; his responsibility was to prevent the Knicks from suffering too heavy a price, and he could only speak on behalf of Tang Bei at crucial moments.

To acquire Tang Bei, the Knicks didn't hesitate much and added their unprotected first-round pick from 99.

"I'm sorry, Tang deserves more."

But Pat Riley was not satisfied; his gentlemanly smile betrayed a chilling cruelty and naked greed.

"cough!"

Eric Fleischer coughed lightly, and after both of their gazes turned to him, he took out the contract the Knicks had given to Tang Bei, placed it in front of Pat Riley, and said:
“Mr. Riley, if the Heat can offer Tang a contract like this, then this trade negotiation can end, and Tang can continue to play for the Heat.”

Pat Riley's gaunt face twitched, and he smiled as he opened the contract.

His smile vanished instantly, replaced by shock. He looked up at James Dolan and Dave Checkerts and said, "A total of $2.05 million? Are you crazy?"

“That’s all Tang is worth,” James Dolan said seriously.

Dave Chekerts worked with Pat Riley for several years, but Pat Riley left during his contract period, resigning by fax without even a phone call, let alone in person. This was extremely disrespectful to him, so he now has no goodwill towards Pat Riley.

After Dolan finished speaking, he said coldly, "Mr. Riley, Mr. Mickey Arison is willing to give you 10% of the shares and a salary of $5000 million over 10 years. Why isn't Don worth this contract?"

"you?"

This was a blatant act of mockery, and Pat Riley was furious, but the way he left the Knicks was indeed undignified, so he had no choice but to accept the ridicule.

"Shoot!"

Eric Fleischer tapped his fingers on the table and said, "A super striker plus three unprotected first-round picks, I think that's a very good offer."

This was a blatant threat, and the implication was clear: if they didn't agree, Tang Bei might just walk away, and forget about signing first and then exchanging assets.

"OK."

Pat Riley was so angry that his face was practically burning, but he had no choice but to accept it and grit his teeth and agree.

The negotiations have ended, but Tang Bei's contract renewal and transaction agreement will have to wait until the free market window opens and the freeze period ends.

That evening, under Pat Riley's arrangement, the amount of Tang Bei's contract renewal was revealed to the media.

He deliberately leaked this information to alleviate the pressure on himself and the Heat, intending to shift the burden onto Tang Bei.

Rumors spread like wildfire that Tang Bei was leaving the Heat for money.

But the total value of $2.05 million over five years truly shocked the entire league, the entire United States, and even the world.

Everyone was shocked by the Knicks' big spending, and all NBA players were envious.

This contract has made NBA team owners, especially those of smaller teams, realize that the next labor negotiations must include a luxury tax and a hard salary cap.

(End of this chapter)