the rest, only noise

Chapter 114 I can't hide anything from you
On March 3th, Louis received a letter.

Probably some fans got it wrong and thought he was a player. In this letter, he called him a greedy chimpanzee. If he wants money so much, he will go to Africa to dig gold mines.

If he can receive this kind of attack private message, others can also receive it.

As a result, the situation was much worse than Louis expected.

All black players on the Celtics team were warned and intimidated.

And that's just the beginning, there are still people shitting on their doorsteps and mailing envelopes with bullets in them.

As for the whites in the team, they did not receive any threats or intimidation.

This extreme double standard tore the Celtics apart. Even an honest person like Sampson, who never did anything, was very angry. Isiah Thomas gathered everyone to go to Auerbach's office to discuss an explanation. If this matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily, they will apply for a trade.

Louis blocked their way: "First, I also received a threatening letter. I am as angry as you are. I earn less than one-tenth of your money. Why should you curse me like that?"

With that said, he took out the letter.

"Second, don't think that you are the only ones being treated unfairly. This is Boston. You should know what you will encounter when you come here to play. Reid can't solve your problems!"

Louis pointed at the court: "It's past the trading day now. If you want to be traded, just wait until the end of the season. I believe Reed will meet all of your requirements. As for now, go back to training!"

Louie did his best to stop a conflict that would not do any good and would increase the rift between the players and the front office.

But what happened to the Celtics players is just a small microcosm.

When the players union tried to restart negotiations with the league, Larry O'Brien wrote Fleischer a letter.

Fleischer released the letter.

"I am surprised and disappointed by the position you and the union have taken in the negotiations. As determined by the League Commission, I and the other owners will not hold any further collective bargaining meetings with the Players Association unless and until: (1) the Players Association withdraws its April 1983, 4 strike deadline; and (1) the Players Association commits to bringing a new concrete plan to the negotiating table to address the financial situation of certain NBA teams."

Fans who were confused about the situation began to attack the players during the game.

Racism is on the table again.

Regardless of whether Americans admit it or not, blacks in the NBA are far more likely to be attacked and booed by fans than whites.

They are always regarded as monkeys with low IQs, with well-developed limbs and strong muscles, and they can only survive on the field by athletic ability, but they are more popular than smart white players.

Fan shaming of the players began to spread.

Since the 60s, there has never been such open and aboveboard racial discrimination in the United States on a public stage like the NBA.

Two championship contenders, the Celtics and Lakers, took their stand.

They said that they are no longer interested in this season's championship, they just want to know if the new agreement can be reached smoothly, and if not, all of them are ready for it.

Not so with the 76ers.

When Louis saw the attitude of the 76ers through the "Boston Herald", he began to believe that reincarnation really existed.

Their play has Louie thinking about the two lockouts of the 2020 NBA.

The revenue surprise for the 2019-20 season was a double whammy.The first blow was due to the Twitter of the former Rockets general manager, which lost the lucrative Chinese TV broadcast market.While China ended up broadcasting Game 3 of the Finals live, that was after the league reported a loss of more than $[-] million.

The second wave of heavier blows is due to the new crown pandemic. The unfavorable control of the epidemic in the United States has led to the terrible situation today.The NBA, which suspended its season on March 3 as part of a broader public health plan, did not resume in Orlando until late July.Of course, the game itself is no different, it is a contest between two NBA teams, but there are no spectators in the Disney rematch. For the league, no spectators means no income.

Then there was the impact of the BLM movement, and the NBA was suspended again. Although the duration was very short, the attitude of James and the Lakers was similar to that of the 76ers.They dare not oppose the political correctness of the players union, but they are definitely the team that least wants to stop.

Because they were the only team that was ready to win a championship that season, especially after two lockouts.

Since the two sides have stopped communicating, whether all players will strike as scheduled has become an important issue.

In order to exert maximum pressure, the NBA issued an announcement: All players who voluntarily participate in the lockout and give up the game, especially those who are about to become free agents, cannot become free agents.They must add a one-year contract to the original contract.

Some team owners decided to file lawsuits directly against players who were planning to strike.

For some teams, such as the 76ers, Spurs, Nuggets, Suns, and Supersonics, the boss personally came off the court to explain to the players the harm of the strike and the impact on themselves.

Louis came to Auerbach's office and truthfully informed the atmosphere in the team and their attitude towards the strike.

"Those bastards really want to strike?" Auerbach asked.

Louis said, "There is no doubt about it."

Suddenly, Auerbach smiled: "What's the reaction of the video team leader?"

"He can't accept it." Louis paused, "He intends to continue to put pressure on the players."

Auerbach lit a cigar, one of which he smoked several a day.

"What do you think?" Auerbach asked.

Louie said truthfully: "Our locker room has serious conflicts, the chemical reaction on the field is a mess, and no one is willing to implement Bill's tactics. This is his only chance to win back the respect of the players."

"What if he screwed up?"

"This season is over."

"This season is already over, don't you see what those bastards are talking about? They can't agree on any terms!" Auerbach snorted, "Lu, you don't have to worry about anything. The only thing you have to do now is to support Bill. I know you are getting impatient."

Louis' pupils trembled.

A smile appeared on Louis' serious face, very cold.

"Nothing is hidden from you, Reed," he said.

"You want to hide it from me?" Auerbach smiled triumphantly, "Let's practice for another 100 years!"

(End of this chapter)