NBA: Start with 2 billion, buy the Knicks

Chapter 11: Mr. Downey, you can take a back seat.

"Who is it?" A young-looking man opened the door and looked up at the tall Jiang Chao and asked.

"There will be no trial training during the rough season."

Maybe he saw that Jiang Chao was a little tall in sunglasses, so he subconsciously said.

"I am jiang."

Jiang Chao glanced inside the room. The person sitting in the general manager's seat was the old, gray-haired general manager Donny Walsh, who was lying on the recliner. The two people sitting on the two stools in front of the table were not young either. They were also from the Knicks.

management personnel.

All three of them were smoking cigars, and it was like a meeting of the godfathers.

Jiang Chao ignored the young man in front of him. He was Donnie Walsh Jr., who was working as a scout in New York because of his father.

He took a direct step forward.

"Hey hey..."

The three people inside all looked over.

It has the style of riding alone through a level.

"Jiang?"

"new-boss(new boss?)"

"Oh, e!! (Welcome!)"

After taking a few more glances, everyone recognized the new boss, stood up and naturally wanted to hug Jiang Chao.

"Mr. Downey, I've heard of him for a long time and this is the first time I've met him."

Jiang Chao took off his sunglasses and shook hands with the 70-year-old man with apparent enthusiasm.

His young and energetic appearance made the three old people's eyes light up. To be honest, if Jiang Chao were their employee, he would be a person who could be trained as a manager.

"Hello, hello." The other two, who should be the deputy general manager and the finance department, smiled and shook hands with Jiang Chao.

"Haven't we met before? But you fainted as soon as I saw you."

Old Downey was not that enthusiastic. He glanced at Jiang Chao without asking him to sit down, and said with deep eyes.

"Oh, I was so happy that day, my head was full of blood."

"Ha ha."

Everyone laughed. Everyone had heard about this a little bit. Later, for some reason, this kid miraculously recovered and went on to buy the team.

"Young is good."

"Yes, the future is ours, boss, come and have tea." Downey Jr. noticed that Jiang Chao looked extraordinary, and saw that his terrifying father didn't have any stage fright, so he quickly went to pour a cup of tea.

Old Downey glared at his son.

Jiang Chao waved his hand and motioned for him to put it down:

"Everyone was still in the arena during the rough period. You worked hard enough." Then he went to sit on the sofa.

"Isn't this all for the Knicks?"

Everyone's expressions were a little arrogant, and they obviously didn't take the young boy in college seriously.

In their view, bosses of this age can just fool them. Many bosses acquire the NBA as a side business. Of course, there are also those like Dolan and the Buss family of the Lakers who want to make money from the NBA.

Downey Sr. is the real leader in running the team, and the owner is responsible for providing the money.

But looking at it just now, it is obvious that Jiang Chao also knows the term "grassy season", which is equivalent to going home to fish, which means entering the off-season early.

At this time, Old Downey also sat down. He had already realized that the person who came was evil. He had been an old fox for so many years.

"So, new boss, there is no football game to watch today, so why are you here? We are planning to hold a welcome party for you tomorrow."

After saying that, he and the other two looked at each other with squinted eyes.

"I'm just here to see you. I have a few questions for the general manager."

Jiang Chao also looked at the others, and his voice suddenly became colder. Downey Jr. was startled by this aura. Although his name was Downey Jr., he was not the Downey from Iron Man later on. He was Robert Jr..

But Robert Downey Jr. is also a New Yorker, and he must have just changed his ways.

The faces of the two management executives were a bit dark, it was because they were not taken seriously.

However, this is the owner who spent 1.88 billion to buy the Knicks. If he really wants to fire them, it is only a matter of words. Managers from outside who want to work here can queue up in Times Square.

After Old Downey nodded, there were only two people left sitting apart from each other in the general manager's office.

"Boss, ask, I'll do my best." Old Downey adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, a little impatient.

"Mr. Downey may have to waste more words. Can you tell me what your plans are for the Knicks this season, next season, or even the Knicks in three years?"

Jiang Chao knocked on the table and came right to the most ruthless one.

The most terrifying thing is for superiors to inspect subordinates and inspect their work!

Do you dare to say something wrong?

You know, because Dolan suffered losses from Larry Buss and Isaiah Thomas, the new general manager who took office in early 2008 was given a one-year contract, and now it is just the time to renew the contract.

This actually helped Jiang Chao, otherwise he would not have such strong confidence. You must know that if it is a five-year contract or something, if a management member is fired, he will have to pay more than twice the single-year liquidated damages.

Now the right to renew the contract and the money for salary payment are all in Jiang Chao's hands, he is the father.

Capital Dad is invincible.

Jiang Chao knows this better than anyone else.

Sure enough, Old Downey made a small gesture of wiping his forehead with a tissue, and then spoke calmly and politely:

"Boss, I don't know if you know the situation of the Knicks in recent years. My plan is this..."

.........

Jiang Chao knew something about this old gentleman in his previous life, but now he has a deeper understanding.

Donny Walsh.

Born in Manhattan in 1941, he double majored in law and basketball, but never played in the NBA.

Later, he worked as an assistant coach in the NBA for many years and finally became the general manager of the Pacers.

At this time, the highlight of his managerial career came. In the 1987 draft, he defied all odds and selected Reggie Miller instead of Indiana University's local hero Steve Alford. This decision is very significant now.

Far-sighted.

Miller is already a famous figure in NBA history and Alford is just a mediocre player.

Later, he became famous and secured his position. He served for 17 seasons and reached the playoffs in 16 seasons. He took office with the Pacers until the end of the 2007 season. This season, the Pacers did not enter the playoffs.

With Miller's jersey retirement ceremony and Dolan's continued poaching, the 70-year-old general manager also jumped directly to the Knicks.

He did a few things last year that made Jiang Chao very painful.

He traded Jamal Crawford for Al Harrington.

Then they sent away Marty Collins and Zach Randolph in exchange for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.

From the perspective of a person like Jiang Chao who has opened the eyes of God, this old guy has traded the only two awesome people.

Randolph later went to the Grizzlies and became one of the Black and White Bears. The Black and Eight Spurs beat Duncan's existence!

And Crawford is the best sixth man, the king of ticket sales (the king of street ball, his playing is very enjoyable to watch), and a man who can score 50 points in a single game at the age of 38.

Therefore, his operations are also quite satisfactory, because everyone knows that there were a lot of big fish in the 2010 offseason. He traded away a few people with large and long contracts, and the Mobley, Thomas, and Harrington who were exchanged for them will be there at the end of next season.

period players.

In other words, this will save the Knicks $27 million in total salary, giving the team enough salary space to sign free agents with expiring contracts.

Scarlett knows this, and Dolan has been promoting it. Everyone likes a general manager who saves money for his boss.

And now the old fox is also talking about this thing that all Knicks fans know.

Jiang Chao was not interested.

He only knows.

Among so many big fish, he chose the three least suitable ones...

He still remembers this very clearly. In the 2010 off-season, the Knicks signed free agent Amare Stoudemire with a total contract of US$100 million over five years.

Later, Walsh brought All-Star players Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the Knicks through a multi-player trade with the Nuggets.

Everyone knows what happened next...

These few people have firmly established themselves in the graveyard of New York superstars. The Knicks have not made any progress in their record. The few times they have entered the playoffs were brought by Lin Madness's sudden seven-game winning streak...

After that, there was nothing outstanding about Walsh's operation. Later, Zen Master was hired as the general manager, and then he quarreled with Dolan, and was fired at the end of the season... and a lot of very abstract nonsense.

thing.

20 minutes passed...

Jiang Chao was too lazy to argue with the old man from the perspective of a "experienced person", but he was sure that at this age, the old man was not suitable to be his general manager in terms of vision and planning.

He didn't say anything about what he wanted to do.

In the draft, one of Curry and George Hill will be selected? How to ensure that? It only works by warning the Warriors management? Don’t they know better that you are going to select Curry?

I mentioned a lot of potential rookies in next year's second round, but I didn't mention the most useful ones, Stephenson and Da Baibian.

...

So there was no need to waste time. Out of politeness, I listened to him and said directly:

"Well, Mr. Downey Sr., you are turning 70 this year, right? From today on, you will take a back seat. The position of deputy general manager is still yours."

"Ah, what did you say??"

Old Downey thought he had heard wrongly, but later he became angry when he heard about the deputy general manager. He had lived so long and no one had ever looked down upon him so much.

The main thing is that he just said a lot of nonsense, Jiang Chao didn't discuss anything with him, and directly fired him in disguise after listening to it??

Where are you playing with me from here??

He talked a lot about it, but the new boss looked down on him? Or did he not understand him at all?

He was so angry that he threw the cigar away. Does this new boss know anything about football?

If you don’t have me, who will you choose?

Now there is no one for the general manager of each team to poach!

"When I step down, who are you looking for to fill this position? Do you know the price of hiring the wrong person?" Old Downey tried his best to calm down and said with a slight threat, breathing heavily through his nose.

What he means is that he now has a certain degree of trust in the hearts of Knicks fans. Will your substitution have this effect?

"You don't have to worry about this. It's not impossible for me to do it myself."

Jiang Chao smiled confidently, which almost made Old Downey vomit blood!

If you check your eyes, you are someone who doesn’t understand football!

God damn me the Knicks!!