NBA: Becoming stronger starts with hard work and mastery

The lockout was a long one, and the lockout was a long one.

From July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999, the long lockout finally ended!

This 204-day lockout has become the longest lockout in NBA history.

If David Stern hadn't issued an ultimatum a week ago: If negotiations cannot be reached within 10 days, the entire 1998-1999 season will be completely canceled. Then this lockout may be longer!

If the entire season is canceled, the boss as the capital side can bear it, but the players as the labor side really can't bear it.

It's not just a matter of money. Even if we don't talk about money, just being away from the NBA-level professional basketball system for a year and a half, I don't know how many players will ruin themselves!

You know, guys like Han Yi who train all the time during the offseason are not rare, but almost non-existent.

Kobe Bryant traveled freely in Asia with great enthusiasm, switching freely between playing big ball and small ball.

Iverson went to Hong Kong to promote sneakers, O'Neal sang in the recording studio, Rodman and Malone played wrestling matches...

Of course, some players were very plain and simple. Vin Baker, Derrick Coleman, and Shawn Kemp, three gluttons, successfully ate themselves into balls in these 200 days...

Finally, with the direction of everything being about money, the lockout finally ended.

For the labor side, the biggest benefit is that through their efforts, the minimum salary of NBA players has been raised by 10%, and the Bird clause that the bosses hate has been retained.

For the capital side, the biggest benefit is that they finally established a luxury policy in 1999, and at the same time became the first sports league in the United States to limit the maximum salary cap for players. In the newly signed contracts in the 1998-1999 season, the maximum salary was controlled below 15 million.

Of course, those who have already signed super-large contracts such as Kevin Garnett and Patrick Ewing will not be affected, but the new maximum salary is not allowed to exceed this number!

And the biggest benefit for those teams in small markets is that the restricted free agent system has returned to the NBA.

New fans only know that in 1996, the then No. 1 center Shaquille O'Neal broke down with the Magic because of salary reasons, and finally went west to Los Angeles with a contract worth over 100 million.

But what they don't know is that the reason why O'Neal was able to successfully leave his parent team as a free agent was because the NBA at that time was in the period when the restricted free agent system was abolished.

If there was this system in 1996, would O'Neal want to go to Los Angeles? Don't even think about it. Even if you are unhappy, the Magic will match it.

At least they will make some money through O'Neal by signing first and then trading, instead of watching O'Neal go west through the free market as in history, while the parent team gets nothing.

The schedule for the 1998-1999 season has been released, and the regular season game cycle is from February 4, 1999 to May 6, 1999, a total of 50 regular season games.

The Christmas game that has passed was naturally cancelled, and the All-Star Game was also forced to be cancelled.

Although many people are dissatisfied, and many people are questioning whether the players' union is too weak, the smart team has been preparing for the new season in an orderly manner in the last 20 days before the start of the regular season.

For example, training camp, such as trading.

For Auerbach, last season was an experimental season, a trial season, the results are not important, the important thing is to confirm whether Han Yi, who he spent a lot of money to get, can really become the core of the future Green Army.

In the last season, Han Yi has used terrifying data and team records to show that he is the future god of the Celtics. Although Han Yi is not yet 22 years old, if the Celtics do not strengthen, it will be a great waste of Han Yi's peak period!

Han Yi, who averaged 40+ points per game in the playoffs last season but eventually lost to the Chicago Bulls, said that he would continue to get stronger and took all the responsibility for the defeat on himself!

But everyone knows that Han Yi has engraved the words "I need more helpers" on his forehead.

For the shortest free market time in NBA history, all team managers are inevitably highly nervous. The reinforcement time is so short that the so-called inspection work cannot be carried out at all, and even the trial training is impossible.

It can only be shortened to within 1 day, because if you try out for a little longer, you may be signed by other teams without a tryout!

The biggest seller's market in the NBA this year is naturally the defending champion Chicago Bulls of last year, which was officially rebuilt with the announcement of Michael Jordan's retirement!

Because there is no Jordan, Scottie Pippen, who was originally a free agent, chose to join the Rockets for 5 years and 77.5 million.

And Dennis Rodman fell at the feet of Jeanie Buss and chose to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In addition to these two uncontrolled free agents, Jerry Crowder said: There is no one on the current Bulls who is not for sale!

All players in the team are waiting for a price. As long as you come up with enough money and enough chips, you can choose from the three consecutive champions!

And this is very attractive to all teams that want to win the first championship in the post-Jordan era.

Because Jordan dominated the entire 1990s, for other teams besides the Bulls, what is the feeling of winning in the finals?

Except for the Rockets who "stole" two consecutive championships when Jordan retired, other teams really don't understand.

Although championship experience is mysterious, you can't believe it if you don't believe it.

Although Auerbach has resigned as the general manager of the Celtics due to his age, he is still actively running everything for the Green Army as the real boss behind the scenes.

Red Cardinal, who didn't miss any Celtics game last year, certainly knows what the Celtics need most!