Bulldozer of the NBA’s Restricted Area

I have been back in China for about two months, and counting the time from beginning to end, it is already the end of October 1998.

Here in Shanghai...

Yao Ming has been blessed with favorable conditions in the past two months. The legendary giant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar serves as his teacher and personal guidance, and the current overlord Li Shengli serves as his senior brother and as a sparring partner. Yao Ming's starting point is terrifyingly high.

Of course, Yao Ming's own conditions are also very good, and his training is progressing well. The only thing missing now is a series of exams. The exam venue is in the CBA. Li Qiuping also seized this time to mobilize the entire team's training, even if he is just Yao Ming's sparring partner. It is also an opportunity that is usually unavailable to experience the brutal inside game of the NBA.

In addition, the foundation was completed, named the Victory Fund, and donations to disaster areas were also completed.

Although he emptied his own savings, he finally brought some changes to the domestic basketball environment. During this period, he went back to his hometown to settle down with his parents. At this point... the domestic affairs are probably over.

…

Prepare to go to the airport on the day of returning to the United States.

There were not many people to see off Li Shengli and his party. Li Qiuping and Yao Ming were present, as were the staff of the foundation that Old Turner had recently raised, and Li Shengli's direct descendants were all returning to the United States... so the foundation was temporarily handed over to Jack - The old horse helps take care of the horse, and of course young Dongzi is also there.

…

"Dayao, when we leave, practice hard by yourself and don't be lazy, we are still waiting for you!"

"Okay, I will, just wait for me, Lao Li!"

"Nonsense, I'll just wait for you. I've started giving you some treatment a long time ago. I'll come back next year to see how you are doing."

Li Shengli patted Yao Ming on the shoulder, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hugged Yao Ming. After all, they had been together for two months. He really liked Yao Ming's character and was looking forward to another "masterpiece" of his that would shock the United States.

…

"Lao Ma, I've been working hard for you recently. Please help me keep an eye on the foundation."

"Shengli, this is easy to talk about. Let me be direct... When will the investment you promised me be available?"

"This will take a while. Lao Ma, find someone to start your project first. Subsequent funds will be in place. Just ask Turner. There is someone in his team to take care of the finances."

Li Shengli said to Jack Ma that after all, he was much older than him and had helped a lot recently. He was a serious person, so it was okay to call him "Lao Ma".

"What about me? I also want to invest in my JD Multimedia!"

"Uh... take it easy. You are doing the physical business now. If you are lacking, you can find Turner. You can invest in the old horse first. In addition, if you have nothing to do, don't go around playing hooligans with my cousin all the time. Do more. Get down to business.”

"Damn, can you stop mentioning this? Okay, okay, okay, who told you to be our God of Wealth?"

"It's good that you know. My fortune depends on you!" Li Shengli patted Dongzi, turned around and said to the people who were seeing him off: "You all go back, we are about to board the plane, and we will see you next year."

"Okay, take care of yourself, Old Li!"

"Come on and fight, we are all watching you in the country!"

"Let's go, let's not waste any time."

…

Farewell to everyone who saw them off, Li Shengli, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Turner finally boarded the plane back to the United States.

Domestic matters are almost settled, so you can rest assured that the finishing touches are left to Lao Ma, but in the United States...

Logically speaking, the first Friday in November every year is usually the opening game of the new season, but this time there was no action until the end of October. There were no preseason games, and the entire league was still closed and suspended.

Seeing that the regular season is almost affected?

Li Shengli, who was looking forward to making money, was almost desperate. After all, he would not be paid if he did not play in the regular season, because the U.S. court ruled on October 19 that the team did not have to pay player wages during the lockout. This made his personal financial situation even worse. On the Midea plane... this is what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Li Shengli were talking about.

"Li, it seems that the regular season will definitely be affected."

"Who says it's not the case!" Li Shengli rubbed his head and said, "I'm in debt now, and I'm going to collapse when the regular season is shortened. Now basically no one can do anything about this situation, and the initiative is not in the hands of the players' union."

"Yes, but the Greenville Summit will still go on!"

"We'll postpone this matter until official news comes first. If labor and management are two gamblers who don't place their bets, I guess Stern, the bookmaker, is more anxious than anyone else. Let's just wait and see what happens."

"I hope it won't have too big an impact, otherwise the Lakers' three consecutive championships will be in vain."

"That's not true. I don't believe that the entire season can be suspended. As long as we play in the playoffs, as long as we are here, and no one is fighting with us for the time being, after all, the team's transactions have been suspended during the suspension. I am now I hope West will agree to give me the championship bonus without shrinking it."

"West would never do such a thing." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar chuckled and said: "You have to know... this time the 29 owners in the league voted 27:2 to launch this negotiation, with 2 opposing votes. It was Bulls owner Jerry Raines and Lakers owner Jerry Buss who invested in it, after all, they are one of the most profitable teams."

"Is Old Bass still so courageous to vote against it despite 27 other bosses?"

"Then there is no way. Who gives the Lakers the best chance of winning the championship? Negotiation is beneficial to the team owner. Buss also wants to negotiate, but he doesn't want to negotiate now. After all, you are still with the Lakers." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar comforted Li Shengli One sentence.

…

After entering the country, because the lockout was the daily work of all teams in the league, Li Shengli had nothing to do, so he returned directly to Greenville to wait for news. But back in Greenville, Li Shengli found... wait for the news.

There was absolutely no movement at the negotiation table, but the league players were having a great time...

Before the official shutdown on July 1, the 1998 draft was still held, but this year's number one pick, Michael Olowokandi, was too miserable. The top pick actually had no ball to play and went to the Italian league to work part-time.

Olowokandi, the new top pick in the NBA, is not the only one working part-time.

Then there is the working story of Grant Hill and Tim Duncan. The two teamed up to launch the "1-800-TALL-MEN" project. As long as fans call this hotline, the two brothers will go there. Mowing lawns, changing light bulbs, and unclogging toilets.

Just not the same as the miserable Olowokandi.

Hill and Duncan's non-profit-oriented actions to tease the lockout made some players angry, and even called on the media to crusade against the two brothers. Of course, in the end, nothing happened.

Other than that…

Everyone who was criticized for Ewing during this period was dumbfounded. The media forcibly labeled him the most failed president of the players union since its creation.

Kemp, who had just transferred to the Cavaliers, started to gain weight. In addition, his activity increased during the lockout and he had more illegitimate children.

Vin Baker, who was traded at the same time as Kemp, was already an alcoholic, and when he didn't play football and had no one to care about him, he immediately became addicted to alcohol, and his figure began to gain weight and lose shape, and he became fat.

O'Neal was even more cruel. Even XXXXXL's underwear couldn't fit his butt. Fortunately, Li Shengli didn't see anyone, otherwise... he suspected that O'Neal had been illegally modified during this period and became a restricted area.

…

It can be said that this lockout is simply the biggest disaster for the league in more than 50 years.

On June 30, the negotiation was indirectly messed up by Ewing's eloquent speech.

On July 1, the NBA announced its official shutdown, and the league's disaster first revealed its ferociousness.

On October 5, the NBA announced the cancellation of all preseason games and rookie training camps.

On December 8, the NBA announced the cancellation of the All-Star Game, making the regular season shrink even more severely.

December 23rd, Christmas Eve... Stern was sitting in the banker and saw that the gamblers on both sides of the labor and management still didn't place their bets. He really couldn't hold it in anymore. He immediately announced that if everything was not settled before January 7th, everyone would work together. If you drink the northwest wind, no one will make money.

In fact, neither labor nor management can hold on until now.

Henry, the executive chairman of the players union, was really afraid of big problems. He reached a preliminary agreement with Stern before the 7th. On the 21st, he and the labor side took a step back and reached a final agreement. The regular season finally started.

It's just that misfortunes never come singly... A week later, Jordan announced his retirement, and everyone was shocked.