I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Chapter 85 Outwitting Jordan! Leaving the Lakers? Lin Ze's Next Team! [Daily updates of 20,000 words, please subscribe]

Only Nash, Lin Ze's old friend, drove to the airport to pick him up.

On the way, Nash told Lin Ze that Nowitzki was originally going to come too, but the German team needed to prepare for the Olympics ahead of schedule, so the guy had to go back to Germany to train.

The group drove to the Mavericks' training facility, and Lin Ze, with complete familiarity, pushed open the door to Don Nelson's office.

Old Nelson didn't even bother to get up from the table, and instead said directly, "You kid, give me the truth, are you just here in Dallas to freeload?"

"How did you know?" Lin Ze looked at the always straightforward old man, too lazy to play games with him, and said with a smile, "Was it that obvious?"

"Nonsense." Old Nelson snorted. "I've mentored you! Do you think I don't know who you are? If you really wanted to go back to Dallas, would you be putting on this fake inspection and tour?"

"If you really want to come, just give me a call, I'll send you the contract, you can sign it and that's it."

9

"With you like this, it'll be very difficult to recruit Tang, a free agent," Lin Ze shook his head and said, "Who can stand you looking like this?"

"I don't treat others like that." Old Nelson rolled his eyes. "Alright, get lost. You're dreaming if you think you can freeload. Our small team doesn't have that kind of budget."

"I will tell the media that we had a very pleasant conversation, and both sides were looking forward to the reunion. We almost signed the contract on the spot, but a shameless bastard interfered and stole your pen, so the signing was postponed."

Schwartz and old Nelson were old friends, and he shrugged and said, "That shameless bastard, he's not talking about me, is he?"

"Otherwise what?" Old Nelson waved his hand impatiently and said, "Alright, hurry up and go, don't bother me."

"Seriously, old man, were you never going to call me back at all?" Lin Ze couldn't help but ask, looking at old Nelson's attitude.

"Not really." Old Nelson shrugged. "I have a lot of fun ideas. If you and Dirk play together, I can come up with a lot of interesting lineups! For example, I can pair you two with a blue-collar center to play a three-tall lineup, or I can have you two play with Mike to play a small lineup."

"To be honest, in the entire league, there are only two forwards I'd give this much of a try: you and Dirk."

"But considering that you are both very young, need to grow, need stable opportunities, and need to hone your skills, if I do this, I might ruin both of you, so let's forget about it."

"Come or don't come, I'll focus on developing Dirk and Steve. They'll become the best duo in the West! Dirk will become an even better power forward than you! See you in the playoffs then!"

"You will succeed." Lin Ze reached out his hand to touch the old man with whom he had a good relationship, but old Nelson did not give him any face and simply refused to extend his hand.

Lin Ze could only shrug and get up to leave.

Old Nelson said to Lin Ze's retreating figure, "But when your contract expires and nobody wants you, you can consider coming to Dallas! Then all my fun ideas can become reality!"

"With your attitude, you think you can get me to come to Dallas?" Lin Ze turned around and gave him the middle finger: "Dream on!"

After leaving Dallas, Nelson kept his promise and, the very next day, leaked information to the media, envisioning a bright future for Lin Ze's return to Dallas.

At this time, Lin Ze had already gone to the East Coast and arrived in Chicago.

Klaus, who had never given Lin Ze a kind look before, greeted Lin Ze with a beaming face and outlined many wonderful plans for him.

It's clear that this guy is under a lot of pressure right now. After the dynasty collapsed, the Bulls had the worst record in the league for two consecutive years. The team owner is running out of patience with him. If they continue to fail, Krause could lose his job at any time.

So he set his sights on Lin Ze, believing that bringing in a former member of the Bulls dynasty could effectively alleviate his predicament. Even if the team's record couldn't be significantly improved, it could at least bring back some of the old fans to the United Center and increase the team's attendance.

Increased attendance will satisfy the owners, giving Klaus more time to rebuild the team.

Unfortunately, Lin Ze had already made up his mind, so even though Klaus made all sorts of promises, almost offering to give him the number 23 jersey, Lin Ze simply told him to go back and wait for news. He then spent a few days in Chicago, had dinner with his uncle, met some of his high school friends, and then set sail again.

This stop is Orlando.

That was also something that made Lin Ze's heart flutter.

The Magic cleared a huge amount of salary cap space that year, and they cleared out almost all of their players.

The team has only one idea: to use the summer break to build a great Galacticos!

Moreover, they have already secured Grant Hill, one of the league's top superstars, and tied the Jordan successor to the team with a six-year contract.

In addition, just three days ago, Duncan also came to Orlando and had a very pleasant conversation with the team's head coach and general manager.

In the words of head coach Rivers: both sides were so happy that they were just about to sign the contract, but a shameless bastard interfered, snatched the pen from Duncan's hand, and told Rivers and the Magic to go back and wait for news. Otherwise, Lin Ze would already be seeing the news of Duncan signing with the Magic.

"They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation?" Lin Ze frowned, suspecting Duncan was just another freeloader. "Is he really that satisfied with this place?"

"Of course! Of course! Of course!" Rivers repeated three times with a smile. "Tim loves Orlando! He's made this place his home! He even tested me, asking if his family could get on the team plane."

"I immediately saw that this cunning guy wanted to test the team culture and see if others would get any special treatment, so I told him: Absolutely not! The team treats everyone equally!"

"I'm very good at dealing with guys who seem cunning but are actually quite traditional! Tim definitely hit the nail on the head; what he wants is this kind of equal respect! I know him too well, just as well as I know you, Lin!"

"I really look forward to creating greatness with you!"

"And let me tell you a secret, we also contacted Tracy from the Raptors. He has terrifying athleticism and unparalleled talent!" Rivers paused, then said mysteriously, "Tim, you, Tracy, Grant! The four of you make a dream team!"

"If the four of you come together, we'll definitely be able to build a dynasty! The Orlando Dynasty!"

"With the Lakers, you might be able to beat strong opponents and win everything, but you can only be part of the greatness there. Even if you win three championships there, so what?"

"Ahead of you will be O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Worthy, Chamberlain, West, and Mikan."

"But in Orlando, you have the opportunity to achieve greatness! You can become a giant yourself instead of standing on the shoulders of giants; you can become everything that is in the city of Orlando!"

Rivers' words are truly moving, and his vision of a lineup of four superstars is indeed very promising.

If all four of them come and are healthy, it would truly be an epic lineup.

What's even more remarkable is that these four people complement each other amazingly well in terms of personality, playing style, position, and technical characteristics!

Duncan is a traditional center, and Lin Ze is the most beloved center partner for all traditional centers.

Hill is versatile and tough, excelling on both offense and defense; McGrady is exceptionally talented, and he remains a top-tier defensive specialist.

If these four people could really form a team, they would definitely be excellent in both offense and defense, with perfect chemistry.

Unfortunately, Lin Ze knew that this lineup was absolutely impossible to assemble, not to mention Duncan, that shameless guy who freeloaded and took public-funded trips.

Lin Ze couldn't think of any other benefits from teaming up with McGrady and Hill, these two sickly guys, besides honing a top-notch team medical staff.

This seemingly beautiful idea is destined to vanish like Coach Tian Gang's dream.

So, faced with Rivers's empty promises, Lin Ze simply said, "As long as Tim signs, I'll join Orlando in five minutes. I'll wait for Tim to make his decision first!"

Perfect way to shift the blame. Let Rivers deal with Duncan. If he doesn't come, it's not because he doesn't like Orlando, nor is it because he stood him up.

It's all Duncan's fault!

According to Lin Ze and Schwartz's original plan, after leaving Orlando, they were supposed to freeload off others—no, not that they were!

Their scouting trip has come to an end. Next, they will return to Los Angeles to meet with the Lakers' lobbying team, including Buss and West.

However, just as they were preparing to return to Los Angeles, a rather unexpected person called Schwartz.

Wes Unseld, the Wizards' general manager and one of the greatest players in Washington's history.

After hanging up the phone, Schwartz's expression was rather interesting. He looked at Lin Ze and said, "How about a trip to Washington?"

Lin Ze knew why Schwartz had that strange expression.

Because everyone knows that although Unseld still holds the title of general manager, he has actually lost almost all authority and power to manage the team since December 1999.

He's become nothing more than a mascot. The only reason Unseld is still in a high position on the team is because he has too much influence in Washington. Everyone respects him, the team is embarrassed to fire him, and the fans don't want him to be fired either.

The person who was able to completely turn Unseld into a mascot last December is, of course, someone even more capable than him.

Michael Jordan is the greatest player in NBA history and the undisputed GOAT of the league.

Last December, Jordan bought a stake in the Wizards and the consortium behind them, becoming a co-owner of the team. Shortly after becoming a co-owner, the Wizards announced that Jordan would become the team's president of basketball operations, responsible for all team affairs.

Of course, apart from Lin Ze, no one else knew that this meant Jordan's nightmarish management career was about to begin.

The number of people he beat up when he was playing basketball is the number of people he has to beat up when he becomes a CEO.

This guy's eye for talent is like a draft jinx; the saying "If you pick the opposite of Jordan, a dynasty will come sooner or later" is no joke.

Throughout his nearly 20-year management career, the two teams he managed made it to the playoffs twice, but failed to win a single series.

Over the course of 20 years, he has drafted at least 15 players in the lottery or even the top three picks. Apart from Kemba Walker, who managed to escape being drafted and make the All-Star team, the other rookies were completely terrible. He has never been able to draft even a few rookies who are worthy of being the league's average starter.

However, for today's fans, they only feel excited.

They have another chance to see Jordan! Many of Jordan's die-hard fans even believe that the Wizards will become great again!

Jordan could easily revitalize this team that had been in a slump for years and lead them to the championship!

"This guy is definitely not good at making decisions for a team," Lin Ze said. "He's so arrogant. He recruits star players, yet he sends someone to contact us? Doesn't he know that calling us personally would show more sincerity?"

Schwartz wasn't surprised that Lin Ze started mocking Jordan without even thinking.

He knew all too well what the relationship between the two was really like.

He wasn't Lin Ze's agent from the beginning; he became Lin Ze's agent after the Bulls disbanded in 98.

When the two first signed the contract, Schwartz, out of professional conduct as an agent, asked Lin Ze a question.

"Do you have any potential ticking time bombs on your person? For example, are you involved with gangs, have a criminal record, have abused your girlfriend, or do anything else that you can't let the public know? If so, you'd better tell me so I can prepare in advance."

"That way, even if these things are exposed one day in the future, I can react in time and provide the most appropriate crisis public relations."

"No." Lin Ze shook his head. He was a law-abiding good kid. Then he continued, "Does getting into a fight within the Bulls count?"

"I fought Jordan once, or rather, I pinned him to the ground and beat him up."

From that moment on, Schwartz knew the nature of his client's relationship with Jordan.

"So you're not planning to go to Washington and meet with him?"

"No way! I can already picture that bastard's face when we meet." Lin Ze mimicked Jordan's expression, his face full of sarcasm: "Kid, I gave you some money, it's on the ground, go pick it up."

"I'm not going to Washington! That would mean I'd be disgusted by his face every single day."

"Maybe he's changed?" Schwartz said. "Maybe after he became a manager, he'll become—well, a little more likeable?"

"Do you even believe that yourself?" Lin Ze said. "Why would a likable guy make a senior member of the team run errands for him?"

"Besides, even putting aside personal grudges, that bastard has no way of managing a team. The team he manages will definitely be chaotic, unstable, and unsuccessful. Why would I want to go to such a team?"

"But we can use him to drive up the price," Schwartz said. "Everyone knows you two worked together on the Bulls, and many people have guessed that you two have a good relationship, that you're friends, teammates, or even best buddies, based on your suddenly developed mid-season mid-range jump shot."

"If we went to Washington and got Bass and West to think the same way—"

Lin Ze shook his head again and said, "It's no use. The Lakers' head coach is Phil. They only need to ask a few questions to find out what kind of relationship I have with that bastard. They can easily draw their own conclusions."

"That means I will absolutely not work for that bastard."

"Okay." Schwartz nodded, admitting he had made a small mistake. "Then, let's go back to Los Angeles. I'll arrange to meet with Bass and West as soon as possible."

"But we also need to give Washingtonians a response; that's just polite."

This time, Lin Ze didn't object. Instead, he nodded and said, "I'll call that bastard, and you call Unseld."

Lin Ze, always a man of action, quickly took out his phone, found Jordan's number, and dialed it.

Soon, the call connected, and Lin Ze's teasing voice rang out: "Yo, Michael, or should I call you Mr. President or Boss Michael now?"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Jordan's voice came from the other end of the phone. "Who gave you permission to call me?"

"Oh, that's all right now." Lin Ze snapped his flip phone shut and even removed the battery from the back.

"Unseld said he understands." Schwartz hung up the phone, then looked at Lin Ze fiddling with the battery and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"That'll make that bastard feel nauseous for at least three days. The tickets weren't canceled, were they? Let's go, we're going back to Los Angeles."

"Fuck!" Jordan cursed angrily in an office in Washington.

That bastard actually hung up on me?

And why can't I get through when I try again?

Outrageous!

Next season, my team will definitely beat you to a pulp, you bastard!

On Jordan's desk, there are several scouting reports. Anyone familiar with American high school basketball will recognize names like Tyson Chandler and Kwame Brown, who are now household names in high school basketball.

These individuals are all considered potential future NBA stars, and all have the potential to skip college and go directly to the NBA next season.

BA.

Meanwhile, if you look at the trash can under Jordan's desk, you can see a clean-cut guy's scouting report thrown in there. This poor guy obviously didn't get noticed by Jordan.

Pau Gasol.

Outside the door, Unseld listened to Jordan's furious outburst from inside, shrugged, and then turned and walked back to his office next door.

He's a veteran player, so he wasn't really in the mood to listen to Jordan rant.

"Phil, do you think Washington will be our biggest enemy?" A somewhat uneasy West called Jackson.

"Absolutely not," Jackson said without hesitation. "Unless no team in the league offers Lin a max contract, he will never join Michael's team."

West thought for a moment and continued, "Then what do you think we need to do to make Lin Kai happy to stay? You know him best, we need your help."

Lin Ze didn't turn his phone back on until he got off the plane. Sure enough, it was full of missed calls from Jordan. Naturally, he wouldn't call Jordan back.

You're begging me to play basketball for you and you're still acting so arrogant. It's not like nobody wants to give me, Lin, a top salary!

They don't even understand supply and demand, yet they're still pretending.

Maybe some people will buy into Jordan's act, but unfortunately, Lin Ze just wants him dead.

The day after returning to Los Angeles, Lin Ze and Schwartz went to Staples Center to meet with West and Bass to discuss the contract.

Although he didn't understand why the negotiation had to be held here, Lin Ze didn't bother to think about it.

We'll just have to deal with whatever comes our way!

"You should take a look at this first," Schwartz said, handing over a newspaper.

The front-page photo of the newspaper featured a large, overweight man, coincidentally wearing Lin Ze's Lakers jersey.

Compared to this creatively photoshopped picture, the article title is quite uninteresting.

"Los Angeles food critic Lin! Will he become another rapidly declining star like Kemp?"

"This title doesn't match the picture. I think it's been photoshopped quite well."

"That's not the point," Schwartz said. "The point is that in the last two weeks, similar articles have been everywhere, and not just in print media, but also on television, radio programs, and even emerging online forums."

"Now almost everyone knows that you are an undisciplined glutton. After winning the championship, you never trained again. Instead, you indulged yourself wildly. Everyone thinks that you can't be given a long-term contract or a maximum salary, otherwise you will become the next Kemp or Baker."

"You know I won't," Lin Ze shrugged, not taking it seriously.

"Honestly, if I couldn't see your current physique, I would also think you'd fallen from grace." Schwartz finally couldn't help but swear: "Fuck! How do you maintain your figure?"

"In the past two weeks, I've seen you eat at least 50 kilograms of high-calorie food. You haven't been training or abstaining. Yes, you drink a lot of alcohol, but I think that's just because you really enjoy it."

"But your figure hasn't changed at all, FUXX! God is punishing me, why am I so concerned about a man's physique?"

Lin Ze shrugged and said casually, "You know Jeff, I'm exceptionally talented, I'm blessed by God."

'

""

Schwartz, after trying to understand, could only sigh and say, "The Lakers might use this as a reason to lower the price. I even think that this wave of doubt was started by the Lakers. You know, they have the best media relations and resources in the country, so doing this is a piece of cake for them."

"This can make competitors hesitant, allowing them to take the initiative and negotiate lower prices."

"That's good." Lin Ze said with satisfaction, "If they try to lower the price, we'll leave. Remember what I said about Jeff? Los Angeles is great, and it would be best to stay, but if they use that as leverage to lower the price, then I'll leave without hesitation."

"Well then, let's go." Schwartz took the newspaper back, stuffed it into the car's glove compartment, and opened the car door first: "Let's see what gift the Lakers have prepared for you."

A few minutes later, Lin Ze and Schwartz met West, who was all smiles. He was waiting for them at the entrance to the players' tunnel. He chatted with them as they walked, and the three of them ended up walking all the way into the arena.

There were a lot of people waiting here, but only 3 people in total.

Team owner Jerry Buss, team legends Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

"Welcome, Lin! Welcome! Come on, take a look at this first! See if you like it!" Bass gave Lin Ze a warm hug and then pointed to the ceiling.

Hanging there are more than 10 Lakers team flags.

From the Mikan era to the West-Chamberlain era, then to the Showtime era, and then to that newly hung banner from the 1999-2000 season, the latest team banner.

"Actually, it's not really appropriate to hang it up now, but I couldn't resist," Bass laughed. "I couldn't resist letting glory float on the ceiling."

Lin Ze continued looking, following his words. Next to the team's flags were all retired Lakers basketballs.

威尔克斯的55桐、韦斯特的44桐，沃西的42桐，贾巴尔和魔术师的32、33桐————

Then, Lin Ze's eyes widened in surprise.

Next to Chamberlain's 13th holly ball, there's an extra one!

His 14 Kiri Ball 1 was also hung up by Bass!

"Dr. Bath, this—"

"Just bear with it!" Bass continued with his smile, "Then Kobe's 8-foot pole will be on Chamberlain's right, Shaq's on Kareem's side, and our place will be overflowing with them sooner or later!"

"I can really see the shadow of a dynasty! We're definitely not worse than the Bulls! We've already won the first round, so next, shouldn't the next round go as you said?"

"There's one level, two levels, three levels, four levels—"

"I have to say, seven is still a very high possibility," Magic Johnson grinned and chuckled. "But four or five is definitely no problem! I think you guys are much better than we were back then! LeBron can shoot threes."

"James knows you're talking bad about him, and you're furious, Alvin," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added. "But if I had to choose, I'd also pick James to play with me. I'd choose you if you were in the starting fourth position on our team."

"We'll definitely sweep through that damn 80s! Not a single one of those Gadstonians will get a grade!"

"You're talking bad about LeBron James too," Magic Johnson laughed, then looked at Lin Ze: "What do you think, Lin?"

"I will not comment on James until I am certain there are no video or audio recording devices at the scene." Lin Ze also laughed: "Don't try to fool me into saying bad things about him! I really hope that tonight, after I leave the arena, there will be reports that Lin Ze claims to be better than James Worthy and thinks Showtime is worthless."

Upon hearing this, Bass immediately burst into loud laughter, once again drawing Lin Ze's attention: "Jerry, he's angry! Quick, apologize to Lin, you bastard, you did all this, apologize to Lin! I told you he was angry."

"Okay, my bad." West, who hadn't spoken until now, raised his hands in surrender. "I used a little trick to get all the media I could contact who were willing to help to speak out."

"I did all that. I'm sorry to have them promote your professionalism and hard work, saying you've completely let yourself go and become the next Camp."

"But I swear, I'm doing this to lower the price. We will definitely, absolutely not, give you the top salary, and we won't hesitate at all!"

"You deserve the top salary, Lin. We didn't even discuss it; we reached an agreement very quickly."

"I did this simply to deter my competitors, hoping they wouldn't be too fierce with our artists and would actually attract you away."

"Because we know our strengths and weaknesses, we can give you the most money, the best team, the largest market, the best platform, the best teammates, and many other things that can't be given to you anywhere else."

"For example, even Kobe's voice could have been used to release a single CD," Magic Johnson interjected. "I even introduced him to the recording studio and producer. But honestly, I regretted it as soon as I sent him. My friend said that releasing a single for Kobe took all the effort he had ever put in."

"I also told Kobe that I would never again try to find similar connections for him; my network was completely exhausted!"

"Or do you like acting in movies?" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added, "Have you seen the movie I did with Bruce Lee? Jerry introduced me to it! They said they needed a giant to play the villain, and they immediately chose me."

"But I think our Lin is just as funny as the actresses in movies," Bass chuckled. "Coincidentally, I happen to know a lot of actresses, including established ones and those about to debut."

"I dare say I'm number one in the league in this respect! No other boss in this league knows more Hollywood girls than I do."

"I think I really need your help with this." Lin Ze shrugged. The Lakers' lobbying team was really well-coordinated. This group of people worked together in unison. Although they didn't say a word about the team or contract renewal, they were able to close the distance and make people feel that the team was like home.

Lin Ze's words drew laughter from the group. West added, "Okay, I have to admit, although I had those news stories about Lin's lavish lifestyle leaked, and some of them were indeed false, the content about his dates with those actresses is all true!"

"So you really went on a date with Hilary?" the magician asked.

"Fuck Erwin," Lin Ze said, giving him the middle finger. "I'm a picky eater."

After another burst of laughter, West abruptly steered the conversation back on track: "First of all, I still want to apologize to you for all the trouble I've caused you."

"For this, we'll give you some compensation, well, some benefits that are in line with the League's rules, which Jerry has prepared for you. Now that I've said this, you can be sure there are no recording devices on site, right? Otherwise, Jerry and I are both finished."

"FUXX! Jerry!" The two Jerrys started their coordinated attack at this moment: "Why are you dragging me into this? You could have handled it all by yourself!"

West ignored his boss and continued looking at Lin Ze, saying, "Then, what I just mentioned were the advantages of Los Angeles, but there are also some disadvantages. There are some things that we are destined not to be able to give you in the short term."

"The position of team leader! If a team promises you the position of team leader, unlimited shooting rights, or anything like that, unfortunately, we really can't do anything about it, and I hope you can understand."

West's words left Lin Ze feeling rather helpless.

You can't hit someone who's smiling.

It's really hard to be angry when Los Angeles does things this way.

Even if Lin Ze wanted to confront his master, what could he say when faced with someone offering a sincere apology gift?

He could only look at Schwartz and say, "Jeff, come on, it's your time. Go and talk to them about the most important part."

West opened his briefcase, pulled out a document, and said, "I'm sorry, we may have to wait until tonight to get Jerry. We have a contract ready: a 7-year maximum contract, no options, no add-ons. If you sign it, you'll earn $9500 million over the next 7 years!"

"I'm sorry, Jerry, this is the level we want." Schwartz didn't take the standard contract that actually required further study and had long been standardized by the league: "We hope to sign a short-term contract."

"A short-term contract?" West, Bass, and the others were all taken aback. They thought they had given the best, but Lin Ze actually wanted something else?

"Are you sure about Yao Lin? A short-term contract?" West asked, confirming. "Even though my boss is right here, I still have to say: a long-term contract would be better for you, considering what you did this offseason, hehe, you know what I mean."

"I'm sure." Lin Ze nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"Well then, how about we take a look around first?" Bass said at this moment. "How about visiting our Hall of Fame? I don't remember you've ever been inside."

"Leave this to me," Schwartz said. "The bargaining that follows will be anything but pleasant, and it could seriously damage your relationship with the team."

Lin Ze nodded, and then walked towards the Lakers' Hall of Fame with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while West and Schwartz headed towards their offices.

It's clear that West and Bass really didn't expect Lin Ze to reject their 7-year maximum contract and instead ask for a guaranteed short-term deal.

Although West didn't say it, he had already guessed what Lin Ze was thinking.

This guy is ambitious! Extremely ambitious!

They are not only champions, but also have ambitions to achieve personal status, team status, league status, and even historical status.

There's one thing that Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were right about.

That is, Lin Ze is indeed James Worthy, and he is willing to always be the third or even second in command of the team.

Lin Ze thought this way, which made West even more conflicted.

If Lin Ze were to sign that 7-year, nearly 100 million yuan contract, he might very well, as many people fear, lose his physique, become unwell, and then rapidly decline.

But now, a guy who knows his own position and abilities, and whose goal is to become the team leader, is he letting himself lose control of his physique?

Impossible to think about!

He even rejected a contract worth 100 million, and then he refused high-calorie foods?

For the Lakers, a disciplined and ambitious player is definitely good news.

But this also means that Lin Ze could leave at any time, because he was unwilling to be subordinate to others in Kaiyuan!

This is difficult —

West felt a headache coming on, and he didn't even know whether to hope that Lin Ze would stop before reaching the next level or continue to protect the hungry Cheng.

Two hours later, Lin Ze and the others finished visiting the team's trophy room. They chatted and laughed happily, and everyone was very happy. They had already made plans to have another fun party at the villa in Bath that night.

Meanwhile, West and Schwartz, who had been haggling over the contract length and options/additional clauses, had already settled everything and were waiting for them in the office.

"It's all set." Schwartz said as he saw the group enter. "Everything is as you wished."

"5 years, $7100 million, with the last two years being player options. You can opt out of the contract after the third year and become a free agent."

"Jerry really wanted to convince you to sign that 7-year maximum contract. We started with 7 years and then reduced it year by year."

"Only three years?" Bassham tried to hide his disappointment, revealing a pained expression. "That's too short, Lin. I think we can add two more years, how about 5+2? I really hope you can stay with the team for as long as possible!"

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Lin Ze said, "I have my own ideas."

"Well then, that's settled then." Bass sighed. "Is the contract ready? Let's sign it right away; we have a show tonight."

Nowadays, standard contracts are quick and easy to print. The next ten minutes or so were spent printing the contract, Schwartz made the final approval, and then Lin Ze signed and took a photo.

The news that he signed a 5-year, $71 million contract extension with the Lakers, likely tonight, was reported and made known to everyone.

After signing the contract, Lin Ze and Schwartz left the arena. Schwartz said, "They really want you to stay with the team for as long as possible."

"But I think Jeff was just joking when I mentioned it before," Lin Ze said. "What's the next step?"

"Nike and Adidas," Schwartz advised Lin Ze again, "these two offer the most, are the most sincere, and have the strongest brand power. Other brands, such as Nike, Converse, and AND1, have all sorts of problems and shortcomings, so I directly rejected them for you."

Let's choose one of them.

"Okay, when?"

"next week."

Meanwhile, in West's office, Bass's pain and regret vanished: "What was he thinking? Why did he reject our seven-year contract?"

"Because his goal is to become a key player, either a third or second-best, on a dynasty team." West laid out his thoughts completely: "I think he even aspires to destroy a dynasty team!"

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