the rest, only noise

Chapter 1523 Are You a Person, Buckley
Michael?
which Michael?
who is michael
This impactful sentence immediately brought the scene into a weird atmosphere.

There was a dead silence in the meeting room, and everyone was searching in their minds for the name that was clearly within reach but could not be recalled at all.

Only Louis stared deeply at Riley, he really didn't expect Riley to say the name.

"Michael Jordan?"

Louis asked.

Riley nodded.

The reactions of the others simply made Louie feel worthless for Jordan.

"Isn't it?" Lambiel exclaimed. "How can we expect a man who has never won to lead the team to the championship?"

Bird is also a little unbelievable: "Is he almost 40 years old?"

"No," Dumars reminded, "Michael is 40 years old. To be exact, he's 40 years and five months old."

Poor teacher Da Dan, who is obviously very strong but has not won the championship until now. Not only is his strength questioned, but he is also considered old.

Riley said calmly: "Aside from age, he still played 80 regular season games last season, averaging 25 points per game, shooting 48% from the field, and comprehensively improved these data indicators in the playoffs. He still He is a reliable superstar, no one is more eager to win the championship than him, and no one is more suitable to lead this group of young people than him."

"The question is," Bird asked, "will he come?"

If he doesn't leave Portland, Jordan is doomed to retire as the biggest loser of all time, but he's still respected.

While the other losers looked for the championship speedrun like drowning people, Jordan stayed put.

From 1984 to the present, 19 seasons have passed, 99% of the players of the same generation have retired, and he is still persisting.

Everyone knows that there is only one reason why a person as proud as him can persist in playing, and that is that he still has an unfulfilled wish.

"I don't know," Riley said. "He's the proudest man I've ever met, and I don't think anyone can get him out of Portland, but we've got to try, and maybe our president can do it. "

The ball was kicked to Louis' feet all at once.

Louie really didn't expect Riley to make such a suggestion.

Keeping Jordan crownless for life is Louie's greatest achievement since he crossed over to this world in 1978, and Riley wants him to remove it from his personal list of "things I've ever done that I'm proudest of" remove?
However, the temptation to let the team win the championship next season is indeed great.This is not only for honor, but also for Wuxia to have a resume that surpasses James in his rookie season. With the Celtics' existing personnel reserves, they can definitely compete for the championship in the long run, but they are still too young. Jordan is needed to be hungry for championships and come from a veteran who can fight.

Thinking of this, President Lu made a decision.
"Michael is the proudest person you have ever met?" Louis smiled, "Maybe we can use this to verify the authenticity of this matter."

mid-July
Spurs veteran David Robinson announced his retirement, ending a 14-year career.

Robinson's retirement freed up $1100 million in cap space for the Spurs, who were finally able to pursue big names in free agency.

In addition to O'Neal, who has renewed his contract with Philadelphia, and Wilson, who has returned to New York, there are two big fish in the free market.

They are Penny Hardaway, who jumped out of the contract, and Jason Kidd, whose contract expired.

The former is fed up with the hopeless days of the championship, and the latter, like Karl Malone back then, does not want to be a foil for the Old Man Music Team.

In terms of player level, Penny, who has been selected to the first team many times since 1996, is at a higher level than Kidd.

However, the Spurs, who have salary space, are quite self-aware, as if knowing that Penny is not interested in them, and wholeheartedly recruiting Kidd.

Kidd's concern with the Spurs is that he and Iverson have conflicting positions.

And Iverson made a commitment on behalf of the team, willing to change to the second position.

In Kidd's view, this commitment is very reluctant.

In fact, this is the position Iverson wants to play the most. After being forced to play in the No. [-] position by Popovich for so many years, he has to attack and organize, and he has to be scolded if he doesn’t do well. .

Kidd doesn't think the Spurs are reliable, but he doesn't know which team is more reliable than the Spurs.

At the very least, the Spurs are a standard strong team and have enough salary space, so he doesn't need to cut his salary.

Penny is harder to find than Kidd.

He was tired of fighting alone and wanted to find a superstar to join him.

But currently the only superstar who can join forces with him is the 40-year-old Jordan.

Even Kidd knew that the old man Le had no future, and Penny certainly knew that the Blazers were not in his choice at all.

But if you don't go to the Blazers, the remaining teams that meet the requirements don't have enough space.

This is another reason why it is difficult for Penny to find a team.

He doesn't take a pay cut.

Just as the outside world was having heated discussions about whether Kidd would choose the Spurs and which team Pence would go to, the Boston Celtics announced in a high-profile manner that they would recruit Michael Jordan.

Recruiting a superstar who has been loyal to his old team for 19 years is strange enough, let alone a star who has no previous championship winning resume.

For many, the biggest twist of all is that if it did, fans would see Jordan play for Louie.

But after thinking about it, isn't Riley, who had a dark fight with Louis, also working as an assistant in Boston now?

If Riley can work for Louie, why can't Jordan?

What's more, Louis is not coaching now, and the team is the Celtics.Strictly speaking, if Jordan chooses to join Boston, he cannot be regarded as surrendering to the enemy.

It might not even count as a hug.

The Celtics as a whole are too immature. Among the young players in the team, only Yao Yueban has been selected as an All-Star, and the others can only be said to have a promising future.

The question is, if Jordan succumbed to the Messiah's charm and accepted the recruiting of the other party, then what was the point of him staying in Portland for so many years?

Is he going to be another famous example of "It matters who you play for"?
Moreover, Jordan's case may be more cruel and realistic than Barkley's.

Barkley didn't suffer much at all, and just lay down naturally, while Jordan fought for it for 19 years and paid everything in his heyday.

Could it be that all of this is to prove that his choice is wrong, that one person, one city doesn't make any sense?
Relevant public opinions and discussions have been hyped up by the media. Now, the world needs Jordan to give a final answer.

On July 7, the Celtics negotiating team will formally meet with Jordan in Portland.

All the media are paying attention to this heavyweight negotiation.

Bill Simmons predicted: "Michael Jordan's choice will determine the choice of all star players who will stay in the empty city in the future. When those helpless stars are faced with choices, they will think of Michael this summer again and again. Greatness and instant glory, let us see how Michael chooses!"

Two days before the negotiations began, Louie was still agonizing over the members of the negotiating team.

The first three identified were Louie himself, Riley and Barkley.

Needless to say, Louis, if he is not there, it will appear that the Celtics are insincere.

Riley knew Jordan well, and he knew what Jordan wanted.

Not only did Barkley know Jordan, but he had something Jordan didn't.

When Barkley learned that he was a member of the negotiating team, he was flattered: "Coach, can I really help you?"

"Of course, my team can't do without you."

Who better to prove to Jordan that options matter than Barkley?
Barkley had chosen to hug Louie's thigh tightly, and now the ring covers one hand.

Where is Jordan?
Barkley, a bastard who lacks virtue, actually gave Louis a suggestion: "Coach, if Michael gets into the horns at that time, do you think I will wear my five championship rings in front of him to stimulate him?" one time?"

This.
Is it an idea that people came up with?
"What kind of bastard can do this to his good brother? Chuck, be yourself!"

That being said, Louie couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he put on ten rings in front of Jordan.
That's when Louie knew who was missing from his team.

Louis flipped through the memo, found the person, and called him.

Former NBA player Charles Oakley, who was seeking a job on the coaching staff, got an unexpected call from Legend Lu.

He didn't expect Legend Lu to remember himself.

Legend Lu not only remembers him, but also knows that he is looking for a job. The Celtics desperately need a tough assistant coach like him, but I wonder if he is tough enough now?
Oakley immediately assured on the phone: "As long as I sit on the sidelines, no one on the other side will dare to do anything!"

"Okay, Oak, you have passed my assessment, but there is still a one-month probationary period, and you will soon have the opportunity to prove whether you can make people feel safe."

(End of this chapter)