the rest, only noise

Chapter 1205 Taboo Existence
After the GM summit, the league and the players union conducted a week of intense negotiations. In the end, the two sides reached an agreement, which avoided the shutdown of the league and allowed professional basketball to transition smoothly into the next era.

Labor and management have finalized a new three-year agreement.

In this new agreement, the union agreed to an incremental luxury tax and super luxury tax, but at the same time, the league also needs to readjust rookie contracts and provide greater rule convenience for the free movement of star players.

The first is that the standard rookie contract has changed from the original random year and the informal contract that can add a player jump-out clause to a regular contract in two formats.

The first format is the common 2+2 four-year contract.

The second format is a 3+1 four-year contract.

But the biggest change and the most far-reaching impact on the future is that the league gave up the priority renewal right in the rookie contract.

In other words, starting this year, every rookie who enters the league will become an unrestricted free agent after his rookie contract is completed.

This rule change will completely change the team's team building cycle.

The method of building a team by choosing a cornerstone of the team is no longer stable. If the team cannot perform satisfactory operations before the end of the rookie contract of the core players, then, when the rookie contract ends, these people will naturally have the right to choose a tree to live in.

This is an adjustment for rookie contracts, and the other is the "flexible signing and replacement" rules for star players.

According to the original rules, star players whose contracts have ended can join other teams by signing and swapping, but this method can only be done with the home team.If the home team doesn't want to cooperate, then they can only ask the next team to find another way.

In the new labor agreement, the rule that signings are limited to the home team has been cancelled. From then on, as long as there is a team willing to cooperate, there will be more room for star players to choose their next home.

These two new regulations have obvious problems in the long run, but the league obviously doesn't care about these now. Before the super teams are completely suppressed, the negative effects brought about by this must be borne.

It was a completely different alliance from the one Louie had known.

It becomes easier for talented rookies to control their future, and they also put forward higher requirements for the NBA's management.

The old days of clinging to the thighs of superstars and doing nothing to keep themselves on top teams are over.

Starting today, the NBA's management must find ways to strengthen the team in order to retain core players.

What's more, Louis was also set up by Stern.Although the Lakers have booked the No. 1997 pick in [-], when Duncan's rookie contract ends, according to the new rules, he will be an unrestricted free agent. At that time, whether the Lakers can keep Duncan depends on how much he likes to play for this team.

Even if it is consensual, considering the renewals of Wilson, Garnett, Kobe, Nash and others, under the huge pressure of the luxury tax, it is obviously impossible for the Lakers to keep everyone.

In any case, by 2000 at the latest, the superteams that have dominated professional basketball since the 80s will forever be history.

At the same time, the signing of this new labor-management agreement also changed a history that Louis knew.

It's 1996, and this nightmare collective bargaining agreement ends in the summer of 1999.

In other words, the NBA's famous lockout in 1999 will not happen.

Of course, it could happen from 1999 to 2000.

No matter how it changed later, this was no longer the league Louis was familiar with.

April 7

The Lakers signed Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ben Wallace and Malik Rose.

The above four signed the standard 2+2 four-year contract with the Lakers.

After finishing the rookie signing, the Lakers management's offseason work is only to renew David Robinson.

Although Louis doesn't like this super center, it would be a pity to let him go for nothing.

They'd better renew Robinson's contract and see if he fits in with the "beautiful basketball" system. If he doesn't fit in, it's not too late to trade.

However, the work of renewing Robinson's contract was in trouble because of the so-called "not feeling the importance the Lakers attach to David" in the Robinson camp.

This annoyed Jerry West very much. No one wanted to keep Robinson more than him. After all, this was his last legacy as the top of the management.

If Robinson also leaves the Lakers, then there will be no trace of the past on this team.

However, when the Robinson camp insisted on talking to Louis during his vacation to confirm Robinson's tactical status in the team, Louis rejected their request on the grounds that "I am on vacation and not talking about business".

If the head coach doesn't even want to see you, how much can this team value you?
Louie does want to keep Robinson, but he sees him mostly as a tradeable chip.

Faced with a bargaining chip, any promise cannot be fulfilled.

Louis is like a scumbag who refuses to make a promise, covets the other person's body, and refuses to make an oath. Of course, Robinson will not succumb to this.

If Robinson leaves because of this, the Lakers get nothing.

Louie would feel a little pity, and then it would be fine.

After all, he has already secured the No. 1997 pick in [-]. It's a pity to take a Robinson and wait for a Duncan, but so what?

West did not understand this, and he strongly urged Louis to come forward to retain Robinson.

In the end, he was overwhelmed by Louis' sentence "I don't think it's necessary".

"FUCKKKKK!!!!!!!" West was furious, "Does he know how rare a player like David is? Does he think we can find David's replacement in the free market?"

Mitch Kupchak quipped: "It's well known that the Messiah doesn't like David."

"I don't like Kareem either. Did I fucking let him leave the team?" West roared, "As a head coach, how can you act on your own will? He should know that we will never find a player at the same level as David in the free market!"

Kupchak asked: "Should I call Coach Lu again, I think he should know how important David is to us."

West was silent for half a minute.

He ended up not letting Kupchak make the call.

If David Robinson is as important to Louis as they are, he will definitely try to keep Robinson.

But in fact, since Louis returned to the front desk, he hasn't asked much about Robinson.

It is as if the player does not exist.

Now, the Lakers are almost about to lose David Robinson, and Louis still has an indifferent attitude.

This can already explain a lot of problems.

West couldn't understand.

He may never understand, let alone forgive Louis for treating Robinson so contemptuously, but if Louis himself doesn't want it, then no matter how hard they try, it will be useless.

"Forget it, I'll talk to David again." West decided to do everything he could.

"Where is the president?"

"He said he was on vacation and didn't want to mind it."

For such a big deal as renewing Robinson's contract, if Louis does not participate in the whole process, it is absolutely impossible for Robinson to stay.

West was fully aware of this, but he still didn't go to Louis again.

Robinson's end in Los Angeles is already set.

Just like the investigator in every Japanese science and education film, we knew what was waiting for her from the moment the heroine appeared on the stage.

A few days later, a deeply insulted David Robinson and his camp rejected all offers from Los Angeles and signed a five-year, $5 million deal with San Antonio instead.

Just like that, the last survivor of the ShowTime 2.0 era left the City of Angels.

This is also Jerry West's last effort to stay with the Lakers.

The history of the Lakers has been turned over in the case of the tragedy division uncertain whether to return.

Louis then held a press conference as the president and expressed regret for Robinson's departure: "Since the end of the season, the management has made all efforts to retain David, but unfortunately, we failed to retain him. This is David's own decision. We will bless him with a deep heart. In any case, his contribution in Los Angeles cannot be erased."

Then, a reporter asked an unrelated question.

"Coach Lu, it is mentioned in Roland Lazenby's new book "Afterglow of the Age of Performance", that you were the behind-the-scenes promoter of David joining Los Angeles. Is this true?"

Louis was taken aback, is it time for this matter to be written in a book to reveal the secret?
But Louis didn't say anything about it: "It's been a long time, and I can't remember what happened back then. It seems... it does have something to do with me."

This book will reveal some of the old past.

For example, after the end of the 1986-87 season, how Jerry West learned from the pain and chose to rebuild.

And, the most brilliant operation of West's career-robbing Pippen with the fifth pick (I forgot the second pick, it may be wrong), and then taking Wilkins from the Holy City in exchange for David Robinson's signing rights-actually came entirely from Louie's suggestion and layout.

Anyone who has read this book will feel two things.

Louie's terrible influence, he let the Lakers complete the reconstruction in a few words, and indirectly caused the Spurs' reconstruction time to be extended by many years.

Secondly, it is the unclear fate between Louis and the Lakers.

Robinson became attached to the Lakers because of Louis, and now he parted ways with the Lakers because of Louis, and chose to return to the place where the dream began-San Antonio.

Everything seemed reasonable, except that Jerry West was injured.

The team he built has disappeared without a trace.

His best operation as the general manager of the Lakers has now become "evidence" of Louie's influence and dominance of the league structure.

As for Louis himself, he "regretfully" lost the opportunity to coach David Robinson, and then because of a book, his personal image and deterrence in the eyes of his peers were infinitely high, and he became a taboo existence that no one dared to touch.

(End of this chapter)