the rest, only noise

Chapter 756 The First Summer of the 90s

Chapter 757 The First Summer of the 90s

The Knicks held a grand celebration.

At the same time, the league negotiated with CBS and NBC with the help of the rising ratings of the finals.

The first to finalize the contract is not the TV broadcast contract, but cable TV.

TNT Cable Networks signed with the league for $4 million over four years (3 million more than reality).

But the league's focus is on television deals.

NBC, which initially offered $4 million over four years, met with a bid from CBS, which raised the price to $6 million over four years.

For this reason, NBC raised the price to 4 million in four years, and then CBS aggressively raised the price to 7 million.

This has to be reminiscent of the battle between ABC and CBS for the NBA's broadcast rights more than ten years ago. In the end, the NBA chose to abandon the verbal agreement with ABC and fall into the arms of CBS.

But at that time, the commercialization of professional basketball had just started, and it was far from two TV companies competing for bids like today.

On July 7, the league held its annual meeting two days before the completion of the new television broadcast contract.

At the annual meeting, representatives of all the clubs had a heated discussion about signing with NBC or CBS.

Louie is clearly on the NBC pie.

Because NBC is willing to broadcast the games of civilian teams live.

If the league is still signed with CBS, there will certainly be greater television benefits in the short term, but the damage may affect the future.

Why do you search for NBA games in the 80s on Youtubie, and you often only find Lakers, Celtics and Bulls games?The reason is simple, CBS attaches great importance to the audience, and always chooses those games of popular teams to broadcast live.

Like some low-popular teams, there may not be a national broadcast for four full years (4 years equals a contract cycle).

In this way, although the commercial value of the strong team has been improved, the reputation of the weak team is only limited to the home court, which is not conducive to the promotion of the league.

Louie argued with several short-sighted bosses on the matter.

Clippers owner Sterling, Rockets owner Charlie Thomas and Spurs owner Red McCombs were all flushed with rage.

"Signing with NBC, although in the next four years, we will lose 1 million in revenue, but as long as more teams enter the ranks of national broadcasting, through our efforts, all teams will appreciate in four years. At that time, the next contract can be used to fight for more money. Conversely, if we sign with CBS, just to make an extra 80 million in the next four years, then the false prosperity of the [-]s will continue. The teams in New York, Los Angeles, and Portland will be taken care of, while other teams will be ignored. If these teams lose in the next four years Competitive, what will CBS do? Yes, they will reduce the live NBA games, they can do it."

Afterwards, Stern asked the crowd to vote.

Except for the Clippers, Spurs and Rockets, the rest of the teams all voted to NBC with Louie.

So far, the matter of the TV broadcasting contract has been settled.

Two days later, the league announced a four-year, $4 million television deal with NBC (7 million more than it actually was).

Once the two big contracts are signed, the salary cap for next season will also usher in a substantial increase.

In the new season, the league's salary cap will rise from the original $1020 million to $1427 million.

That's a good thing for the Knicks, who, in addition to Bowie, Ainge and Hornacek, have another major player they want to sign to a new contract.

That is Benjamin Wilson, who won the personal honor grand slam last season.

Although Wilson has renewed his long-term contract, his management team has already foreseen that the new TV broadcast contract will greatly increase the salary cap, so he played a little trick in the contract, and Wilson got the player option to jump out of the contract in the second year.The Knicks also have the option to re-sign him to a new contract this summer.

In addition to the above four, the current total salary of the Knicks team is only 800 million US dollars.

This is actually thanks to the expansion draft in previous years.

In those expansion drafts, the Knicks lost a few good players for nothing, but also got an expansion draft exception for it.They flexibly used these special cases to renew Rodman's contract with 5 million in 800 years, McHale with 5 million in 600 years, and signed Angie (expired) in 2 years with 160 million.

Those three contracts don't count toward the salary cap, and two don't expire until 1994.

Therefore, they can face this summer calmly.

Regarding Wilson's contract extension, it will start after the salary cap figure for the new season is determined.

On July 7, Wilson and his agent, Bob Wolf, arrived at Elgin Baylor's office.

The signing season of each year is the time for Baylor to show his talents.

He can't see people well, and his operation skills are mediocre, but he is really good at bargaining.

At the beginning, Wolff also wanted to help Wilson get an Ewing-style 10-year 3000 million, but Baylor made 4 million in 800 years.

How did he do that?On the one hand, although Wilson has achieved brilliant success in college—the freshman team won the championship—on the other hand, the league’s predictions for his prospects are not as exaggerated as Ewing’s in 1985.Plus, Wilson wasn't greedy.

Even he himself felt that he shouldn't get so much money before he proved his ability. Ewing made everyone shout because of that contract in the first year of his career, and he didn't want to follow in his footsteps.

But today, Wilson's identity is no longer a supernova with unlimited potential, but an accomplished superstar.

How to negotiate a contract acceptable to both parties depends on Baylor's ability.

Louis didn't care about it, but on the day of the incident, he heard that there was a fierce battle in Baylor's office.

Curiosity drives Louie to Baylor's office for a lookout.

When Louis arrived, the two sides stopped for half a minute.

Wilson said hello.

His agent Wolfe and Louie are old acquaintances. When he took Bird to the Greek Academy to negotiate a contract, Louis was still a small scout.

"Coach Lu, I would like to ask you, Patrick Ewing, who had nothing back then, could account for 70% of the team's salary cap alone. Today, Benj only needs 33% of the salary cap. Is this too much?"

Louis smiled and said, "I only brought my ears."

Then Wolfe got into an argument with Baylor.

Louis listened for a while, and probably heard the needs of both parties.

Baylor wants to sign Wilson according to the standard that the Celtics signed Sampson last year, but Sampson's contract is a maximum salary under the salary cap of last season. The salary cap of the new season is several million more than last season, and the maximum salary will naturally be different.

Wolff proposed a five-year, $5 million contract.

Baylor became impatient after hearing this, screaming that it was impossible to sign even if he died.

Louis left quietly, and the negotiation lasted for half a month.

In the end, the two sides reached a consensus.

April 7

Benjamin Wilson signed a four-year, $4 million extension with the Knicks.

When this contract expires, the existing TV broadcast contract also expires.

At that time, the salary cap will skyrocket again, and Wilson will be able to sign a bigger contract.

This is a choice that maximizes personal interests and is beyond reproach.

And, starting from the new season, Wilson's annual salary will reach 450 million, ranking first in the league.

After signing Wilson, the Knicks still have $200 million in cap space.

Danny Ainge turned down a four-year, $4 million deal with the Lakers.

At the same time, he also rejected other contracts that were higher than the Knicks' offer.

Although the Knicks have enough space to give Ainge a contract worthy of his worth, in Baylor's view, it is not worth taking a middle class to sign a veteran who can only play 10-15 minutes per game.

But for Angie, he just wants to play on a competitive team.

Louie's coaching style is also something he admires.

The commercial value brought by being a member of the Knicks dynasty is enough to offset his loss in contract money.

Therefore, he completed a contract extension with the Knicks for $3 million in three years.

After Angie, Lionel Simmons and Elton Campbell also successfully signed rookie contracts with the Knicks.

The season has not yet started, and the Knicks' 15-man roster is filled again.

However, Wilson's signing caused a fierce reaction from the Ewing camp.

Back then, Ewing signed a 10-year contract worth 3000 million. From 1985 to 1989, he always received the highest salary in the league.

Last year, Sampson outsold him in salary, and this year, it's not just Wilson, but several other players who outspent him.

For the people behind Ewing, it may not be important to let outsiders surpass, what is important is that Ewing's salary should remain the first in the team.

Wilson's new contract spurred them on.

At the end of July, Ewing's agent, David Falk, called Louie directly and asked to re-sign a contract with Ewing according to the standard of the market's maximum salary.

Back then, Falk proposed to add a special clause to Ewing's contract-if Ewing's contract is not in the top five in the league in a certain season in the future, he will be able to jump out of the current contract and re-sign-this proposal was refuted on the spot.

Ewing finally signed the famous big contract, and there is a player option in the seventh year.

Now that the contract has just been implemented to the fifth year, without any options, Falk proposes to re-sign on behalf of Ewing?

"Is there a re-sign clause in our contract?" Louis asked jokingly.

"No, but it's entirely up to you, unless you don't think Patrick deserves a bigger contract."

"Don't fuck with me!" Louis sneered. "If there are no relevant clauses in the contract, the only thing you can do is to implement the contract honestly. I will not have any communication with you on this matter, and neither will Elgin."

"Coach Lu, Patrick is the best center in the league and the leader of the Knicks, but now his salary is not even in the top seven in the league. Do you think this is reasonable?"

"You tell me it's reasonable?"

"I would like to ask if it is reasonable for Patrick to occupy 70% of the team's salary cap when you had nothing? The contract was signed after we reached an agreement. Now, the only thing you can do is to wait for it to end. As for re-signing? Go ahead, Falk, this is impossible!"

The Knicks are not short of money, but they have to spend it in the right place.

Once they meet the requirements of the Ewing camp, there will be endless troubles.

If Ewing is dissatisfied with the contract, he can re-sign it. What about other players?Can't they re-sign?If only Ewing is allowed to re-sign, what will others think?At the same time, this will also cause dissatisfaction in the Wilson camp. The relationship between the two parties is inherently tense. Although they have no personal grievances, due to interest disputes, the people behind them are bound to push them to the front.

If the internal and external cores openly turn against each other, how can they maintain their competitiveness?
The moment he hung up Falk's phone, Louis took a deep breath.

Since the 70s, most of the great teams have been destroyed by internal turmoil.

This summer, the Knicks achieved three consecutive championships, making it enter the heyday of the Louie era, but the shadows hidden in the bottom have gradually emerged.

Perhaps this will not eventually lead to the collapse of the Knicks, but it must be the starting point of the internal and external turmoil that the Knicks have experienced from a united team to all dynastic teams.

When the wind blows, who can escape it.

(End of this chapter)