You are the pearl, Mo Mengchen

Chapter 807
early july

The Pistons officially announced that they have reached a three-year contract extension agreement with Paul Westphal.

It was previously reported that Westphal might leave the Pistons after the season, and this news dispelled the rumors from the outside world.

At the same time, another piece of news made Pistons fans sad.

The team's starting center, Ben Wallace, the meritorious player who helped the Pistons win three consecutive championships, announced that he would test the free market.

His economic team has already released the news: "Ben is one of the best frontcourt players in the league. We hope to get a maximum salary."

As the inside pillar of the Pistons dynasty, Wallace's resume will add a lot of points to him. Many teams are waiting and watching. After all, it is very risky to give blue-collar players a maximum salary.

According to some statistics, more than half of the blue-collar players quit working after receiving big contracts.

This group of people is usually rough and uneducated. When life is not guaranteed, their potential is stimulated. They stand on the field and dare to work hard. They are full of energy and enthusiasm. Every team needs such a guy to mobilize the emotions on the field.

Dor.Mo has a famous saying: Human beings are not immutable beasts.

The reason why human beings are complicated is that they will change with the changes of the environment. These blue-collar workers who live at the bottom suddenly make a lot of money, can they still remember their original intentions?
This is a problem.

Only Mo Mengchen knows that the team that signed Wallace will not suffer, because from next year, Big Ben will usher in the peak of his career.

He will begin to monopolize the first defensive center position of the year and be named the best defensive player of the year four times in the next five years.

It is not a loss at all to exchange a maximum salary for the top defender in history.

As long as you don't mess around, the peak of blue-collar players lasts for five years, and Wallace's next five years will be golden five years. Any team that wants to make a big splash needs a defender like him.

Mo Mengchen is still on vacation, and next week he will take his wife back to Australia. It is a peaceful place, and only there can he recuperate properly.

Today, he is at home.

Turn on the TV, and the first news I saw from the ESPN channel was that Ben Wallace announced that he would test the free market.

"I don't like this decision." The guest inside said, "How can you leave a dynastic team that is at its peak? Just for a little money? As far as I know, although Big Ben's salary is not high, his annual endorsement fee And advertising fee income is not lower than that of first-line stars."

This is true, but we should have higher demands besides money—for example, making more money.

Another guest said: "Yes, the Pistons are the most popular team in the NBA. Every player on the team has high popularity. If he leaves the Pistons, Daben's popularity will also be lost. Doubling your salary every year forgoes the chance to maximize your influence."

One of the most interesting things about watching these dudes arguing is that you can rant while watching.

Even if it is complaining in my heart.

Just like Fire Kiss said to Xue Nuo: "You don't understand anything."

For Mo Mengchen, Daben's departure is very understandable, he just wants to be recognized, and the maximum salary is his recognition.

It's about money, but it's not about money.

The maximum salary symbolizes the player's status, and being willing to give the maximum salary shows the team's attitude towards you.

Big Ben asked for a maximum salary, and what he wanted was a management attitude of "even if you ask for a maximum salary, we will try to keep you".Money is negotiable. As these guests said, the high exposure and attention of the Pistons make blue-collar workers like Wallace earn a lot of money. Money is not the most important thing at all, the most important thing is recognition.

If the management showed that they wanted to keep Wallace, Mo Mengchen believed that he would choose to cut his salary.

However, the management headed by Joe Dumars did not choose to retain.

Because the Pistons are going to change their appearance, from running and bombing that needs the black, thick and hard Wallace to wipe everyone's ass in the penalty area, to Huali, who need the inside line to be the axis, the main player, and play the main role. The defense has no special requirements for the Princeton system.

Mo Mengchen regretted it more than anyone else, but he supported the management's approach.

Even if they keep Big Ben, they are burying talents. After selecting Eddie Curry, the team's focus will also shift. In any case, they have no reason to keep Big Ben.

Therefore, we had no choice but to shoot and break up.

At this time, a child crawled onto Mo Mengchen's lap.

This is the eldest daughter Luria, she likes to harass Mo Mengchen, especially when Dor.Mo is concentrating on other things, she will always appear suddenly.

The second daughter, Irene, will do the same, but the youngest, Socra, never bothers the adults, neither crying, making trouble, nor snatching.

When he is not sleeping, he sits where the adults put him, looking around with his clear and bright eyes, as if he is a weirdo from beyond the sky, full of curiosity about this strange world.

The only time he cried like a baby was because he watched Game6 in this year's finals
"If Big Ben has a [-]% chance of leaving the Pistons, then Alan Houston has a [-]% chance of staying."

"Yes, Ricky Davis, who had a conflict with Alan during the season and caused the starting dispute, has been traded. Alan just played the best regular season of his career. He has played for the Pistons for many years. These three Every one of the championships has his credit, and staying in Detroit is the best choice for him."

Why do these jackals always like to guess what the lion is thinking?

Mo Mengchen was about to change the channel when suddenly the phone rang.

He picked up the phone, and it was the call from the bodyguard guarding the door of the apartment: "Mr. Mo, Alan Houston is here."

Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao.

"Please come in."

Mo Mengchen picked up Luo Liya who was sitting on his lap, and put her in the pile of toys. This was her purpose.

Ephraim doesn't want her to indulge in toys all day long, while Mo Mengchen likes to use this to distract her.

Therefore, Loria knows that as long as she is with her dad, she will be sent to toys.

So it makes sense that dogs are about as intelligent as babies, since puppies have similar intelligence.

"I guessed that you would be in the guild hall in Los Angeles, and I also thought that you would appear in a Broadway play, but I didn't expect you to come to my house when you are so idle."

Mo Mengchen opened the door and welcomed the person in.

"You're the most unpredictable guy in the offseason, aren't you?" Houston didn't expect to be beaten up.

Before every offseason, Mo Mengchen ran around the world, and only returned to Detroit to rest after a month of preseason training camp.

"I'm different from your life-wasting CP. I will spend my time on meaningful things."

"Such as opening a restaurant in the Australian countryside?"

Damn, how does this guy know?

Houston was frightened by Mo Mengchen's sizing eyes, and quickly explained: "Don't stare at me like that, the person who leaked the secret is my mother, you should go to him."

"I should have thought of that!" A woman can never be expected to keep a secret.

Mo Mengchen didn't have time to change the channel, so the ESPN program was still on the TV.

They're still chatting about Houston.

The Lord is sitting here, and these guys on the TV who can only find gossip seem to be discussing Houston's decision for real.

"You actually watch this kind of thing?" Houston said in surprise, "Is this what you call meaningful things?"

Mo Mengchen was pointing at the milk powder: "No, the meaningful thing is to spontaneously stay at home as a baby daddy after Ephraim goes to work, and watch such boring programs to pass the time."

"Daddy? You!?" Due to Dor.Mo's cruel nature—to his teammates—Houston expressed deep regret to the three newborns of Mo's family, "It's such a young age to be punished by the old man." Father's cruelty, I bet that these three children of your family will be very successful in the future!"

"Let me borrow your good words."

Houston has always been in the Three Treasures Hall for everything.

Mo Mengchen has worked with him for six years, and they have a close relationship on the court, but they have little contact off the court.

Houston has a private life of his own, and the rest of the team are not technically friends other than colleagues.

This kind of thing is very common in the NBA. There is intimacy on the court, but there is no communication off the court.

The most typical is Jordan and Pippen.

Although the Flyers stated that he and Pippen had close communication in private in order to maintain the image of the classic combination of him and Pippen, Pippen said after retiring for many years that his off-court relationship with Jordan was not as close as it was on the court.

Rodman's claim that he never talked to Joe Pi and the two off the court is even more well known. Although the authenticity of this incident is very low, it can also be seen that the friendship between NBA players is indeed not as good as it is shown on the court. close.

Houston stayed at Mo Mengchen's house until the evening, and even had a dinner.

"Will Ephraim not come back?"

"The office still has things to deal with, so it's just the two of us tonight." Mo Mengchen cooked a table of delicious dishes.

Houston looked at the delicious food on this table, there were dishes that fit American tastes, there were also Chinese dishes, and there were a few Australian dishes, "I will miss these."

"You can come over anytime, as long as I'm here." Mo Mengchen said.

Houston took a few bites and said, "I've decided to try the free market."

Everyone knows about it.

"This is a good thing." Mo Mengchen said.

"that's it?"

"You still want me to drink with you?" Mo Mengchen raised his glass, "Cheers to the Pistons about to lose an All-Star guard."

Houston gently held the cup with him, "Why didn't you persuade me this time?"

"Do you remember what I told you back then?"

Mo Mengchen said many things to Houston, and the one that impressed him most was during the 1996 All-Star Weekend, when he was thinking about where to go next.

Mo Mengchen's words changed his decision.

(see Chapter 97 for details)
"Stay in Pistons, you will never be able to go any further." Mo Mengchen filled the glass with wine, "I'm sorry that you want to leave, but I have no reason to keep you this time."

Houston picked up the glass, "I still like you who make people angry when you open your mouth."

(End of this chapter)