NBA: Back to 97, to be the Jagged Bishop

Chapter 129
Comb, who was in a great mood, left the office humming a ditty, just in time to run into Glenn.

"Kong, are you in such a good mood?"

"It's not about love, is it?"

Glenn asked with a strange expression.

He had the idea of ​​introducing his daughter to Combe before, but at that time he had a big fight with old Thomas, and the matter was delayed.

Now that old Thomas, the guy who got in the way, has run away, he has the idea of ​​plotting against Combe again.

"Happier than falling in love."

"By the way, old man, I will return to Tianchao in the next few days. If the team needs me for anything, just give me a call."

"If it's not very important, try not to look for me. I want to enjoy my vacation."

Kumbu is still willing to delay, he wants to return to China as soon as possible to take over his team.

He even thought about the name of the team, but thinking that the team name would need to be given to sponsors, the team name he thought of would not be used at all.

At that time, Kongbu's team will probably be named after Liaoning Panpan, Jilin Tonggang, and Dongguan New Century.

Seeing Combe leaving in a hurry, Glenn pinched himself, wondering if he was hallucinating.

The old Thomas ran away, and Combe went on vacation. Doesn't it mean that the Raptors are now his talk?
He had the joy of being a daughter-in-law for many years. After three years, a full three years, he was finally able to be the master of the house.

……

Two days later, Kong Bu once again set foot on the homeland of the Celestial Dynasty.

This time he didn't go to Shanghai, but went directly to the capital.

Squeezing wool can never catch a sheep. The last time I bought so many houses in Shanghai, it was almost on the news. This time, Kong Bu is planning to go to the capital to buy some real estate such as courtyard houses.

After getting off the plane, Kong Bu was driven by someone sent by Xin Lancheng to the hotel.

In the evening, it was inevitable that there would be another round of toasting, and the bus was also called over.

Kong Bu had only seen the bus on TV, but had never seen the real bus. When he saw the real man for the first time, Kong Bu felt tense.

The face of the bus is really too fierce.

He didn't know what a man with a fleshy face looked like before, but after seeing the bus, he had a deep understanding of the word.

Coupled with that oversized body, it looks like a stranger should not enter.

Big Ben also looks fiercer, but standing in front of the bus, I'm afraid it's not the same level, no matter the size or the ferociousness of the face.

When I first met Kong Bu, the bus was a little stiff. I don't know if it was because of nervousness or some other reason, but I never showed a smile.

After drinking a few cups, there was a smile on his face, and he looked a little gentler.

I didn't talk about the team that night, I only talked about the coach joining the Raptors, and then I talked for a while about making Comb the coach of the men's basketball team.

At noon the next day, Kong Bu still found a small intermediary, spent a lot of money, and exchanged all the 450 million US dollars for a courtyard house in the capital and an old house with a single family outside the third ring road.

In the evening, it was dinner again, and this time Kong Bu called Dazhi over, and asked him to bring his father along.

After the championship parade, Da Zhi had already returned to China to recuperate early.

"Big Zhi, have you had any headaches lately?"

"I still have it. Recently, I have a headache from time to time, and the pain is severe. I can only take some painkillers, but it doesn't work very well."

Da Zhi rubbed his head and said.

The old father Wang Weijun on the side sighed.

At that time, when he saw that scene on live TV, he was so frightened that he couldn't keep his wits about him. For such a single son, if he did something good or bad, no matter how much money he made, it would be of no use.

"Brother Wang, I'm really sorry for not being able to take good care of Dazhi."

Kong Bu said to Wang Weijun apologetically.

These words immediately made Old Wang restless, "Guide Kong, what you said made me sleepless for a few days."

"It's his luck that Dazhi is your favorite. You don't even know how many of our domestic players envy Dazhi."

Bus nodded aside, he was one of the people who envied Da Zhi very much, the annual salary of 1300 million US dollars was too shocking.

"What happens on the field is fate, and Director Kong can't be blamed."

"If Director Kong's words just now spread, they will definitely poke me in the back."

Wang Weijun couldn't be more grateful to Kong Bu, not only because Kong Bu got Da Zhi a contract worth 1300 million US dollars, but also for taking care of Da Zhi in every possible way for more than half a year.

When he first arrived in Toronto, Kong Bu took care of Da Zhi's basic necessities of life.

Kong Bu deliberately asked Dazhi to bring his old father tonight. On the one hand, he really wanted to express his apology, although it really has nothing to do with Kong Bu.

After all, Kumbu and the Jazz have no grievances. If Dazhi is injured by a Knicks player or a Heat player, then Kumbu can be blamed.

After all, Kumbu is the head coach and the one who brought Da Zhi to the Raptors. He should take care of Da Zhi's safety.

In addition to expressing apology, Kongbu also wanted to let Wang Weijun become the general manager of his team.

We talked about this matter during the meeting just now, and the team that Kong Bu was assigned to was the Shandong side, that is, the Qingdao team.

Old Wang himself is an insider, and because of Dazhi's relationship, he can definitely trust him, so he won't run away with hundreds of thousands of Kongbu.

When he heard that Kong Bu wanted him to be the general manager, Pharaoh readily agreed, saying that he would not ask for salary.

It doesn't really matter if Kong Bu wants to give it or not. According to the current market situation, even the general manager of the team may not have a monthly salary of [-] yuan. With Dazhi's annual salary, who cares about such a small amount of money.

After everything was settled, Combe did not return to Toronto.

Because the labor negotiation has to reach January 1 next year, there is still almost half a year left.

In the past six months, even if Comb returns to Toronto, he will not have any work to do. The league does not allow signings, training, or any form of trading.

It is rare to steal half a day of leisure in life, so Kongbu simply ran to Qingdao, where his team is based, and gave himself a half-year vacation.

I spent a little money to buy a villa by the sea, went to the sea every day, sunbathed, and had wonderful encounters on the beach from time to time.

The key point is that during the six months, Kumbu's salary is guaranteed.

I am afraid that the days of the gods are nothing more than this.

Glenn called Comb from time to time, telling him about the current situation of the league, such as the state of the labor negotiations.

In fact, without Glenn's notice, Combe knew it all.

The main reason why this protracted labor negotiation is so difficult is the irreconcilable contradiction between labor and management.

The employer is the team owner, the one who contributes, they want to introduce a luxury tax, and then limit the salaries of superstars.

The labor side is the players union. Apart from not agreeing to these two conditions, they also want to let the boss increase the salary of the basic salary players.

One wants to save money, and the other wants the other party to spend money. This is a contradiction that is difficult to reconcile.

In the end, the tyrant Stern couldn't take it anymore, and uttered harsh words. If the negotiation fails, the next season will be canceled directly.

This threat directly frightened Ewing, the head of the players union.

At his age, he can still get another two years of big contracts. If the next season is cancelled, it means that he will lose at least 500 million US dollars.

A dead fellow Taoist would not die a poor daoist, he became a scab directly.

In the end, the luxury tax and the maximum salary regulations were all released smoothly. In order to take care of the players union's face, the salaries of the basic salary players were also raised slightly, from 24 to 35.

In fact, the only thing that Comb cares about is whether Jordan will retire.

Under normal circumstances, at this point in time, Jordan has already finished the press conference and officially announced his retirement.

But as the sixth championship was snatched by Kumbu, Jordan seemed to be in hesitation. Seeing that the labor negotiation was almost over, there was no news from him.

Comb felt that Jordan should still want to fight for another year.

This is a good thing. If Jordan left, Combe would feel a little overwhelmed.

If the Bulls dynasty disintegrates, no team in the East will be the Raptors' single enemy.

Even the Pacers, who can fight the Bulls in seven games in the playoffs, are no exception.

As for the West, the Spurs and Lakers would have taken advantage of the trend.

But now the Spurs are still in the mood. They have to get Parker and Ginobili to rise, and it is obviously impossible for Comb to let them get it.

As far as the Lakers are concerned, Kobe is still immature, and he will have to wait at least another year or two before he can take on the mainstay of the Lakers' outside line.

If Jordan retires, then Combe will really lead the team to sweep the league in the new season.

Of course, even if Jordan doesn't retire and can maintain the integrity of the current Bulls lineup, if they play in the playoffs, there is a high probability that they will still lose to the Raptors.

Last season, Jordan was tired and cramp after playing the tiebreaker. Now he is one year older, already 36 years old, and he can't handle high-intensity confrontation.

And the strength of the Raptors has been further improved, especially with the addition of a bus, which is a proper second generation of Duncan, not a joke.

Comb even felt that if this group of rookies had been training for two and a half years this year, the overall rating of the Raptors might have reached the S+ level, but he was not sure whether there was an S+ rating.

Good times are always short-lived. When the time came to the first ten days of January, the labor negotiations had already been concluded, and Stern scheduled the official start of the game on January 1.

Comb bought a ticket to return to Toronto ahead of schedule, and the busy work of the new season officially started.

"Glenn, do me a favor and invite Kings scout RJ Adelman to my coaching staff."

"That's the first thing."

Kumbu began to arrange his work in an orderly manner.

During his half-year vacation, it is certainly impossible for him to really not do any personnel work. When he usually sunbathes, he always thinks about the work of the new season.

Invite RJ-Adelman into his coaching staff because Comb wanted to try the Princeton system.

RJ-Adelman, also known as Rick-junior-Adelman, is the eldest son of Kings coach Adelman, who is currently a scout for the Kings.

The reason why I wanted to invite Adelman Jr. was mainly inspired by Ma Long.

These second-generation teachers really have something, and their tactical accumulation is much stronger than that of ordinary people.

For example, Adelman's two sons will both become coaches in the future.

Comb wanted to try the Princeton system because he took advantage of the pick-and-roll tactics. Now that he just got Brad Miller, it would be a waste of money not to play Princeton.

Of course, it is impossible for Princeton to become the core tactics of the Raptors. Comb simply wants to try it out and enrich the team's tactical reserves.

It's not that the Princeton system is bad, but that it's not suitable for the Raptors.

The Princeton system is also known as the hanging wire system, which is suitable for teams without stars in the team, relying on the passing of inside players and the crazy off-ball running of outside players to find shooting opportunities.

If there are stars, it's not impossible to play. For example, Adelman later got Webber, Bibby and others in the Kings, and he also played well.

The Raptors' foundation is here, and the Princeton system is regarded as the core tactic, so it is better to steal the Bulls' triangle offense.

As for whether Adelman Jr. is willing to come to the Raptors, Comb is very confident about this.

He is not an assistant coach at all now, he is just a scout, and has the opportunity to become an assistant coach of the championship team. If he doesn't want to come, his father has to drive him over.

"Okay, I'll call him in a while, it's just a small matter."

"If we want to openly recruit a teaching assistant, our number of teaching assistants is still too small."

Glenn didn't even ask Comb why he wanted Adelman Jr.

At present, there is a little Malone under Kongbu, and the old Ma Hong will also join the coaching staff, plus a little Adelman, there are only three assistants.

It is indeed less.

"Forget about the open recruitment, it's not needed for now."

"Wait until we meet the right candidate."

"The second thing is Da Zhi's contract. What's the situation now?"

When it came to Big Zhi's contract issue, Glenn showed embarrassment.

"The new salary agreement is extremely unfavorable to us. If Big Zhi renews his contract with us, he is an early bird. According to the rules, it is either 175% of the previous year's contract, or the average salary of the league, whichever is higher. .”

"But Dazhi is too special. He was paid 1300 million last season, and 175% is 2275 million. We gave Ben an annual salary of 1500 million, and we couldn't afford Dazhi's contract at all."

"And even if you can afford it, I have already called the league to ask, and the 2275 million is far beyond the maximum salary regulations, so I can't sign it."

"If Big Zhi signs with other teams, he can get up to 5 million for five years. If we have salary space, we can match it, but unfortunately we don't!"

"Damn Isiah, he got away and left us a mess."

Glenn took the opportunity to scold old Thomas again.

Kumbu touched his nose in embarrassment. It seemed that Ben's contract was arranged by himself, and Glenn scolded the wrong person.

But it was old Thomas' idea to give Big Zhi 1300 million, and Glenn was right.

Big Zhi's current situation is similar to that of Arenas later on. The Wizards paid Arenas 5 million for 5100 years. The Warriors, the parent team, have no salary space and can't match it. They can only watch Arenas being robbed. Walk.

This also led to the birth of the arenas clause.

Kumbu started to have a big head, and things became troublesome. It seemed that the Raptors couldn't keep their big Zhi.

If you really want to keep it, the only way is for Da Zhi to take the initiative to cut his salary and sign a middle-class job with the Raptors.

But the middle class is only 300 million, and the annual salary is about [-] million, which is not a star and a half.

"Forget it, let's talk about this matter later, you should contact little Adelman first."

"If he agrees, let him report as soon as possible."

……

At noon the next day, Glenn brought the good news, and Adelman Jr. agreed without saying a word, and didn't even go to inform his father.

Obviously, the temptation of the champion assistant to him is quite great.

"That's right, let's start calling the players for training. I'll talk about the big Zhi thing after I have a chat with him."

Of course Kong Bu didn't want to lose Dazhi, he spent a lot of effort to train Dazhi, and it only took one year...

But he couldn't really open his mouth to make Dazhi lose so much money.

Kong Bu is very irritable now.

"By the way, Kong, when you were on vacation, I made a deal with Isiah."

"They took out this year's first-round pick and traded Brad Miller."

"I don't think this deal is a loss. The Knicks' current combat power is hanging in the playoffs, and it is likely to be a lottery pick."

"What do you think about trading that white center for a lottery pick?"

Glenn was full of pride, looking at his expression, as if he was waiting for Combe's compliment.

In the current era, white centers are almost synonymous with parallel imports. None of the four major centers is white, and first-line centers such as Mourning and Uncle Mu are all black.

Glenn felt that Miller should be Comb's last impromptu pick, and he would trade it for a lottery pick, which would definitely be a bloody profit.

Kumbu's eyes were bigger than a cow's egg, and he wanted to jump on Glenn's head and give him a headshot.

I was still planning to fight Princeton, and even invited Adelman's eldest son, but you told me to sell Miller?

"Glenn, promise me."

"Huh? Promise you what?"

"Promise me, no matter which team you are the general manager of in your life, don't try any trades." Combe said with a sigh.

Fortunately, it was sold to the old Thomas, because the labor negotiation did not allow formal transactions, so it must be a verbal transaction.

If it was sold to other teams, Kumbu would really have no place to cry. He cooked all the dishes on his side, but Glenn smashed the bowl.

No way, it seems that I have to find old Thomas to get Miller back.

Based on Comb's understanding of old Thomas, if he wanted to go back to Miller, he would have to bleed some blood.

Before the start of the new season, Kumbu was already battered.

(End of this chapter)