As long as it does not touch the normal operation and order of the league and does not challenge our management of the NBA, there is no need for us to analyze many things in detail! Sometimes it is beneficial to all parties to be vague."

Xiao Hua didn't refute, but he frowned slightly, as if he didn't quite agree with Mr. Stern's harmonious management style.

Mr. Stern continued: "And I think that the lifetime contract is not necessarily a bad thing for us. This season, Jordan retired again, which is another crisis for the NBA.

.

This season, stadium attendance and TV ratings have dropped significantly. The shortened season is one reason, and the loss of Jordan is another.

So we need to create some new highlights to attract viewers to pay attention to the NBA again, and the best way is to find a replacement for Jordan."

Xiao Hua hesitated for a moment, then said: "Sir, when Jordan retired for the first time, you tried to train Jordan's successor."

What Silver said was that Stern tried to cultivate Grant Hill as Jordan's successor, but injuries destroyed Hill. He ultimately failed to become the second Jordan and carry the banner of the NBA.

I saw Mr. Stern let out a long sigh and said: "The plan back then did not succeed. Although Hill is very popular, he is not strong enough to compete with Jordan. What Jordan can do, he cannot do."

arrive.

So this time, I don’t plan to bet on one person. I want to train a few more young people. If one is not enough, I will have two. If two are not enough, I will have four. As long as we are not unlucky, there will always be someone who can be like Jordan.

That way, we can carry the entire NBA!"

Mr. Stern wants to start recruiting godsons. If one is not enough, he will have two. If two is not enough, he will have four. If he has a few more godsons, there will always be someone who can become a talented person.

This sentence from the old man means that the era of the four major shooting guards has officially arrived!

…

In a supermarket in Chicago, a big black man over two meters tall was pushing a cart to deliver goods.

This big man is none other than this year's Bulls rookie Ron Artest, the future Metta World Peace.

Ci Shiping grew up in Queens, New York. The neighborhood where he lived was not very safe, gangs were often in contact, and drug dealing was rampant.

After Ci Shiping was selected by the Bulls, he invited relatives and friends from New York to come to Chicago for a visit. As a result, relatives brought relatives and friends brought friends. A large number of people came and lived and ate at Ci Shiping's house for dozens of days.

After his relatives and friends left, Ci Shiping found that he had no money and could not even pay the rent.

In fact, as a rookie in the NBA, Ci Shiping's salary is not low, but this salary is not paid in one lump sum, so before receiving his next salary, Ci Shiping is really penniless.

So he could only work in a supermarket to earn extra money to make ends meet.

As an NBA player, who did not eat, drink, whore or gamble, but was reduced to working in a supermarket, Ci Shiping could be said to be able to do what others could not.

Just as Ci Shiping was putting a bag of toilet paper on the shelf, a voice suddenly sounded from the side: "Hello, are you Ron Artest?"

Ci Shiping was stunned and thought to himself that he was just a rookie and had just arrived in the city of Chicago. He didn't expect that someone would recognize him.

But Ci Shiping did not admit it immediately. After all, as an NBA player, working odd jobs in a supermarket is not a very honorable thing.

"Maybe this person is my fan. I didn't expect that there are also my fans in this strange city. If I don't admit it, wouldn't my fans be very disappointed?"

After hesitating for a moment, Ci Shiping nodded: "Yes, I am Artest. Do you want my signature? But I don't have a pen with me now. I need to borrow one."

The other party took out a business card and handed it over, and then said: "Hello, Mr. Artest, I am the publicity director of Feiyue Sports. I wonder if you are interested in being our spokesperson!"

"Let me be the spokesperson?" Ci Shiping was shocked again. He didn't expect that he was a newcomer. It was hard to say whether he could gain a foothold in the NBA, but a sports brand would ask him to be the spokesperson!

Ci Shiping suddenly felt flattered.

Just listen to him say: "The endorsement thing is easy to talk about, but can you pay me a deposit first? I have to pay the rent I owe the landlord."
Chapter completed!