NBA: I have 3, no D, and I can't dribble

Chapter 204 [204] Returning to China to prepare for the 06 World Championships, an enhanced version of the American Dream Seven!
On the day the NBA free market opened, the league headquarters also announced the league's total revenue for the 05-06 season, as well as the corresponding salary cap and luxury tax line for the new season.

According to statistics from the Finance Department, in the just-concluded 05-06 season, the NBA’s total revenue increased significantly.
Whether it is the sales of each team's tickets, the amount of the game broadcast contract, or the sales of peripheral related products, they have all set new highs in NBA history.

The total revenue earned by the 30 teams in the 05-06 season exceeded US$35 billion.

The average revenue per team is $1.17 million.

Calculated based on the salary cap being 48% of the average team income, in the new 2006-07 season, the salary cap for each team in the league is US$5616 million, and the luxury tax line is US$6435 million.

This is an increase of more than 600 million US dollars from last season.

The maximum salary is calculated according to the new salary cap, plus the benefits of the "Lin Wei Clause",

No matter Lin Fei signs a four-year maximum salary contract with any NBA team in the new season, his starting salary in the first year of the new contract will reach US$4 million, and will increase by 1685% every year thereafter.

The increase in the salary cap will give players who are about to sign new contracts a chance to gain greater benefits.

However, for Lin Fei now, his income from commercial endorsements has far exceeded the maximum salary given by the team.

Choosing an NBA team that is more suitable for them during the offseason and achieving more dominant and convincing results is what Lin Fei and Qin Dongmei are most concerned about.

In addition to Lin Fei, there are also many big fish in the free market in 06, and Yao Bian is one of them.

The Lakers management is currently actively pursuing Dayao, hoping that he can join forces with Kobe to revive the glory of the Purple and Gold Legion.

There are also 9 NBA teams willing to use maximum salary to pursue Dayao. Among them, staying in Houston and going to Los Angeles to join forces with Kobe are the two most preferred options for Dayao's team.

At the same time, Lin Fei, who won the championship for the Heat in the 05-06 season, also became a free agent this summer.

大致05-06赛季从替补逐渐坐稳到了热火队的首发，场均能够贡献10.3分5.2篮板1.8助攻0.9封盖，命中率48.3%，三分命中率41%。

Judging from various statistics, he has generally grown rapidly. He is a standard mid-to-long-range shooting power forward in the new era, basically comparable to the Utah Jazz's Memit Okur.

Roughly speaking, his contract with the Heat last season was only over $80. Now he is expected to get a mid-level contract with an annual salary of about $300-500 million in the free market.

Three Chinese players entered the free market at the same time, and they are all considered hot commodities.
This also fully reflects that under the leadership of Dayao and Lin Fei, the NBA is becoming more and more distinct with Chinese and yellow skin elements.

An East Asian alliance that was looked down upon by the West finally stood up in the new era and stood at the top of the world's basketball world.

Except for Lin Fei, Dayao and Shou,

Ben Wallace, Peja Stojakovic, Jason Terry, Drew Gooden, Gary Payton, James Posey, Trevor Ariza and other players,

They have also flooded into the free agent market.

Although Allen Iverson's contract with the Philadelphia 76ers has not yet expired, the 76ers have officially put Iverson on the shelf.

Although it is difficult to describe his ability to lead the 76ers in the past two seasons, his super giant aura, unparalleled personal strength and charm,

Allen Iverson is still being pursued wildly by many teams in the league.

Among them, the Houston Rockets were even willing to trade Tracy McGrady for Iverson, which aroused heated discussion among many fans.

At the same time, the Rockets management is also actively pursuing Lin Fei, hoping to form a Chinese double star in Houston by renewing Dayao.

It is precisely because of the chain reaction of Lin Fei entering the free market that many teams in the league have entered into reconstruction plans in advance.
No matter which team Lin Fei finally chooses to join, the league's structure may undergo huge changes as a result.

June 7, New York, Madison Square Garden.

The team's senior meeting room.

Knicks owner James Dolan and general manager Isaiah Thomas personally met with Lin Fei and agent Qin Dongmei.

The pot-bellied James Dolan changed his usual casual image. In order to have this interview with Lin Fei, he even spent tens of thousands of dollars on a haircut. He wore a decent brown suit and a coquettish pink tie.

As a pure second-generation rich man, he is also one of the most stupid and wealthy bosses in the league. The Dolan family has assets of more than 40 billion US dollars. At the same time, he has extensive connections in New York and can be said to take both black and white.

As early as the 90s, Dolan was sent to a local drug rehabilitation center in New York due to alcoholism and drug abuse. His eccentric temper was also famous among the league's 30 teams.

However, spending only $1997 million to buy the Knicks in 3000 was the smartest decision in James Dolan's business career.

Although the Knicks' record has been deteriorating in recent years, Dolan interfered with the management and signed countless bad contracts, which made the team a mess and Knicks fans hated it even more.

But this is where Dolan, a second-generation rich man, is free and unrestrained. He knows that the Knicks are backed by the New York market. No matter what he does, the Knicks' market value will continue to soar.

Seeing Dolan, Lin Fei couldn't help but think of what the guy in a comedy movie said:
"The more you spend, the more you spend, the more you spend, the more you spend. Are you angry at me?"

Whether it was the super pension and bad contract given to the "Chinese Investment King" Alan Houston in vain,

Last season, Larry Brown signed a contract with 5 million for 5000 years as the coach. It only took one season to buy out the contract, paying the other party more than 1000 million US dollars in vain.

Or maybe they spared no effort to trade for Stephon Marbury from the Suns, but now they allow the conflict between Marbury and the Knicks management to intensify,

And all the weird stuff going on with the hiring of Isaiah Thomas now...

All of these are just a few examples of James Dolan’s prodigal behavior.

It's as if this guy really signed an agreement with Wang Duoyu that he must lose all his assets.

However, the Knicks' market value has steadily increased over the years, even though their record last season was last in the Eastern Conference.
The latest market value of the New York Knicks is still as high as 5.6 million US dollars, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers and rising to the first place in the league.

In the latest NBA team market value statistics,

The New York Knicks ranked No. 5.6 with $1 million, and the Los Angeles Lakers ranked second with $5.4 million.

The Miami Heat, which had just won the championship, had the fastest surge in market value and successfully entered the top three with US$5.2 million.

The Knicks, Lakers and Heat are the only three big-market giants in the league with a market value of more than $5 million.

"Lin, only the prosperity of the Big Apple City and its countless rich fans are worthy of a superstar like you!"

"Here, you will have all the glory you want, as well as money and beauties that you can't get rid of!"

"If it weren't for that damn salary cap, I'd be more than happy to add a zero to the end of your max contract!"

James Dolan was dancing and talking in the conference room, and he didn't look like a 50-year-old middle-aged man at all.

Under Dolan's exaggerated expressions and remarks, Lin Fei seemed to see the shadow of Trump, a certain future president of the United States.

"Lin, as long as you join the Knicks, you will be the team's only single-core leader in the new season. If anyone in the team disobeys your leadership, I will be the first to kick him out of the team!"

"I can also promise that you will have a certain say in matters such as recruiting reinforcements, rebuilding the team, hiring a coach, and team tactics!"

"I believe you don't like working with that old guy Stephon Marbury. As long as you say a word, I will buy out his contract immediately tomorrow!"

Listening to Dolan's chest-beating promise, Lin Fei felt a little embarrassed and openly gave him the right to interfere with the management in front of general manager Isaiah Thomas.
This is a right that even superstars may not have.

It seems that Dolan is really sincere enough to get him.

Compared to Steve Kerr, the prudent general manager of the Phoenix Suns, a wealthy second-generation boss like Dolan, who is stupid and rich, manages defense as he pleases.

It is indeed more suitable for Lin Fei's early growth and development as the team leader.

"Mr. Dolan, I am flattered by your commitment, but I believe that Stephen will still be the league's top point guard!" The negotiations that day went smoothly, but Lin Fei still retained his last option and did not directly give Nick Si replied.

As the legendary arena built on Pennsylvania Station, New York's Madison Square Garden is a famous landmark in the world's largest city.

In addition to NBA basketball games, it has also hosted countless classic sports events and celebrity concerts.

The 1971 fight of the century between Muhammad Ali and Frazier took place in Madison Square Garden.

In Lin Fei's three seasons in the NBA, he also made several away trips to New York. He also came to New York for the draft last year and the year before.

But I have never had a good stroll around the world's largest city.

Walking with Qin Dongmei through the bustling streets of Manhattan, although the weather in New York was hot and humid in early July, the cool breeze blowing from the Atlantic Ocean in the evening still made people feel very comfortable.

Even though Lin Fei is wearing a black mask, he will still be recognized by local fans in New York. Facing the well-meaning and enthusiastic fans, Lin Fei can only satisfy their requests for the ball, sign autographs and take photos.

Lin Fei's performance in this year's finals was amazing, and now his fans can be found in every city in the United States.

New York fans are naturally looking forward to Lin Fei joining, but when they think about the current mess within the team, they inevitably lose confidence.

This time Lin Fei and Qin Dongmei came to New York without telling Swifty in advance because they knew she was busy working on her first new album, so they didn't bother them.

But Taylor Swift still indirectly knew that Lin Fei and Qin Dongmei were in New York, so she took some time out to spend a whole day shopping in New York.

In addition to being a landlord, Taylor naturally hopes that Lin Fei can join the Knicks in the new season, so that she can often watch Lin Fei's games.

"Lin, come to New York. The Knicks are in ruins now, but I believe you can save them!"

"Just like Steve Nash saving the Phoenix Suns, this will be a huge and fun challenge!"

Little Swifty's inadvertent persuasion played into Lin Fei's hands.

Under Qin Dongmei's comprehensive analysis from the perspective of an agent, Lin Fei is still the most suitable choice to join the Knicks.

In Lin Fei's own opinion, after experiencing poor development in the first three seasons of his career, he now does not want to join a team that has championship competitiveness.

Lin Fei even hopes to join a team at the bottom of the East and West, a team in urgent need of reconstruction, and through his own efforts, this team can truly be reborn and reach the top.

It has truly become Lin Fei's team.

On the last day of his stay in New York, Stephon Marbury found Lin Fei's phone number through Iverson and took the initiative to invite him to his home in the villa.

Lin Fei declined politely due to his schedule, but still had a pleasant conversation with Marbury on the phone.

Naturally, Marbury was not a lobbyist for Dolan to get Lin Fei to join the Knicks. After all, he had gradually lost his enthusiasm for the team in the two and a half seasons he had been in New York.

04-05赛季的马布里还有场均21.7分8.1助攻3篮板1.5抢断，即便没能带队杀入季后赛，但依然保留着顶级控卫的水准。

However, last season, with Larry Brown as the Knicks coach, Marbury, who had conflicts with Brown, also saw a significant decline in his personal data, averaging only 16+6 per game.

With the Knicks buying out Larry Brown's coaching contract, Isaiah Thomas will serve as the team's new head coach in the new season. Marbury, who regards Thomas as his childhood idol, also has a new opportunity. .

However, Marbury probably never thought that he would turn against Thomas in the new season because of the lawsuit over Thomas' harassment of a female subordinate.

Then, because of Isaiah Thomas's public and private revenge, he was not even able to see his father who was sent to the hospital for the last time.

All of this led to Stephon Marbury's complete collapse in the NBA, and it was exactly what happened in the following 06-07 season.

Even though he is a time traveler, Lin Fei doesn't know much about Marbury, let alone his fan, and he doesn't think he is the super cancer in the eyes of the world.

At least Marbury did not cover up coach Thomas in court and dared to speak out and speak out about the facts he saw, which is commendable in itself.

If he really chooses to join the Knicks, Lin Fei will still adopt a realistic and realistic mentality to understand the situation of these new teammates through real contact.

The maverick Stephon Marbury, the lazy and lazy Eddie Curry, the super sixth man Jamal Crawford, and the rookies Frye and David Lee...

After all, Lin Fei came to New York to be the boss, so there was no need to be too harsh on his younger brothers.

The butterfly effect is so magical sometimes. Real superstars will shine wherever they are.

But whether some role players can shine often requires the guidance and help of a suitable boss.

Just like Tim Duncan and Stephen Curry, they can always make the teammates around them better, rather than just signing up for the team like a certain James.

Without Duncan, Parker and Ginobili would not have such a high historical status, and even David Robinson would probably never win a championship.

Without Curry, Du Laoer would not have two championships and FMVP, and Green would not be able to pursue his dream.

Lin Fei hopes that he can truly become a leader like Duncan and Curry in his future career.
At the same time, he also has the same dominance on the court as Jordan.

On July 7, after Lin Fei visited Philadelphia, New Jersey, Phoenix, Portland and Seattle,

Officially took a civil aviation flight back to the Imperial Capital of China to meet with teammates of the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team preparing for the World Championships.

I have returned to the imperial capital roughly a week early.

The 2006 Basketball World Championship will start in the island nation one month later. This is the first time that the World Basketball Championship has expanded from 16 teams to 24 teams.

The Tianchao Men's Basketball Team has basically continued the main lineup from the 04 Yadian Olympics. The 12-man roster is led by three NBA players, Lin Fei, Dayao, and Yu.

Players such as Ah Lian, Zhu Fangyu, Liu Wei, Li Nan, Du Feng, Wang Shipeng, etc. all played, and there was also a tall defender Sun Yue.

Sun Yue went to the United States to participate in ABA league games at the end of last year, so she also attracted the attention of many NBA scouts.

At the same time, in last year's Asian Championship in Qatar, Sun Yue also successfully won the Asian Championship with the China Men's Basketball Team in the absence of three NBA players, Dayao, Shou and Lin Fei.

The current head coach of the men's basketball team is Lithuanian coach Yunus. At the 04 Athens Olympics, Yunus served as the chief assistant coach next to Silver Fox Harris.

At the press conference for Lin Fei's return to China, reporters from many media outlets in the Imperial City rushed into the Workers' Sports Arena, trying to gain a wave of traffic and popularity in their reports.

When asked about Lin Fei's personal goal for the Tianchao Men's Basketball Team to participate in the World Championships this year, Lin Fei, who once again put on the national team's No. 7 jersey, also calmly and confidently spoke into the microphone:
"Reaching the semi-finals is the minimum goal for me and the national team. If anyone has a chance to become No. 1, then why not the China Men's Basketball Team?"

At the same time, as early as early July, the United States also officially determined the Dream Seven lineup to participate in the 7 Basketball World Championships:
This American Dream Team 03 is still dominated by young players, led by the four brothers James, Wade, Anthony and Bosh from the [-] class.

As well as Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, Andre Iguodala, Josh Smith...

Although the United States has always paid more attention to the Olympics and not the World Championships, due to the disastrous defeat of the 04 Dream Six, the United States Basketball Association also learned its lesson and appropriately strengthened the depth of the team's lineup, aiming to regain the World Championships and defend the country's dominance in basketball. .

Therefore, in addition to these 10 talented young players, the team has also placed two veterans with good strength and rich experience in playing in the FIBA ​​league, namely Chauncey Billups and Ray Allen.

In today's Dream Seven lineup, Dwayne Wade's prestige has already far surpassed that of "Little Emperor" LeBron James, and in terms of honor, he has left behind veterans Chauncey Billups and Ray Allen. Therefore, he was also awarded the captain of Dream Team Seven.

In order to cooperate with Flash Wade in leading this Dream Seven to the World Championships, the head coach of the national team was appointed by Heat coach Stan Van Gundy.

As Lin Fei prepares for the World Championships with the players of the national team, coupled with the accumulation of attribute points,
Lin Fei's layup attribute, which he began to add points to, also gradually improved. By mid-August, his layup attribute had reached 8 points, which was close to passing.

In daily team training matches, Lin Fei has been able to use his skillful dribbling ability to perform some low-difficulty breakthrough scores and flying dunks in fast breaks...

(End of this chapter)