The rest is just noise

It is difficult for people outside the United States to understand why Oscar Robertson has such a high status in history.

Louis didn't understand it before, and he was too lazy to understand.

Through the antitrust lawsuit led by Robertson, this product delayed the merger of the NBA and ABA by four years and laid the foundation for modern free agency.

For players, this merit is not comparable to a title produced once a year like the championship.

Louis drank cup after cup of coffee in the coffee shop, gained a general understanding of the results of the Robertson case and the new agreement derived from it, and then began to read Jane Walker's memo.

Walker met M-L Carr three times.

Except for the first two times, which were mainly about understanding and recognition, Louis carefully reviewed all the information from the third meeting word for word.

Volker mentioned Carr's anxiety.

"He looked upset and seemed worried about the Pistons opening their mouth."

"If other teams can't satisfy the Pistons' appetite, he may not be able to find his next job."

"I guarantee we will sign him."

It appears that Volcker's memo contained no information worth exploiting.

Louis was not discouraged. He sorted out the information in his hands and immediately rushed back to the Greek Academy and asked Walker for information on the Pistons' operations in recent years.

"What do you want these for?" Volcker thought the deal was sealed.

Louis won't say anything until results are achieved.

"It's just curiosity." His curiosity is nothing new in the team.

As a senior scout, scouting players seems to have become his secondary job. In the recent major events within the team, Louis has been involved in almost every project.

Volker handed the piston operation information file to Louis.

Louis returned to his office with this document.

After not sleeping all night, he didn't feel sleepy at all. When he carefully checked these files, he found a problem.

"I just said, how can the stupid team not do stupid things?"

Louis cursed vulgarly in Chinese.

From 1976 to 1979, in the past few years, the Pistons deliberately raised the compensation price four times to scare away opponents, thereby delaying the signing of players in vain.

The problem is that these players did not stay with the Pistons in the end, but signed with other teams before the start of training camp.

After depleting the value of the players and preventing them from going to the team they want to go to, the Pistons have no next plan.

It seems that they are just enjoying the process of hindering players.

This was a serious breach of the agreement reached after the Robertson case.

If it was just an accidental case, the league would not take action, but this is four cases, and Louis is not sure if the Pistons had any other violations before M-L Carr became a free agent.

In order to find out about this matter, Louis found Carl's contact information through the information on Volker's memo and called the other party's home.

"Hello, who is this?"

From the first sentence, you can see what a lively person Carl is.

"Hello, my name is Louis. I am a staff member of the Celtics. I need to consult you about something. Are you available now?"

"Didn't you all ask clearly?"

"It was precisely because the follow-up review found that it was not clear enough, so I made this call." Louis' ability to tell lies has reached its peak. "Karl, please cooperate with me so that the signing can be completed as soon as possible."

Thinking that his future was still up in the air, Karl was very cooperative.

"Just ask whatever you want to ask, and I will definitely tell you everything. Even if it is something I don't know, I will find out how to do it!"

"No, just tell me what you know!"

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

"About the Pistons and you." Louis already had the pen in his hand, "Did the Pistons make any illegal operations during the execution of this contract?"

"This...should not be there..."

"should not?"

Louis doubted all the uncertain answers.

"My salary has been paid normally, that is..."

"Just what?"

"There's just a little problem... My contract has ended, but my bonus hasn't arrived yet. They said I need to sign a new contract to get the money into my account, which my agent thinks is

There was a problem, but he was worried about causing other problems, so he didn't let me say anything."

"Then why did you say it now?"

"Am I going to become a 'Glorious Celtic' soon?"

"Yes, you are right, you are about to become a Celtic."

"This situation is very important. Thank you for your cooperation and I look forward to your joining."

Louis hung up the phone and twirled his pen excitedly. Now he had two records of the Pistons' violations. If these records were reported to the league, they would be deprived of draft picks and fined six figures.

The opportunity was not to be missed, Louis' adrenaline made his already exhausted body move even more vigorously.

He rushed to Auerbach's office as quickly as possible. He was eating the fried noodles that had just been delivered.

"Didn't you go home to rest?" Auerbach took a mouthful of oil and put down the fried noodles.

"The people in Detroit deliberately don't let me sleep, and there's nothing I can do about it." Louis put his notes on Auerbach's desk. "I discovered something new about Carl's compensation deal."

Louis handed Pistons' violation record to Auerbach.

As soon as the old guy read the content, he immediately realized what would happen if it was true.

"Is the information reliable?" Auerbach asked.

"The illegal obstruction of players from participating in the free market comes from their own operational records. The evidence is irrefutable and irrefutable." Louis smiled, "I just called to confirm Carl's matter. When the time comes, I will take out the bill and take a look. Naturally, the truth is

Dabai, they also have no right to deny it."

Louis's beaming look surprised and delighted Auerbach. What kind of imp is this? This is clearly a fucking little devil!

In Auerbach's view, Louis was simply born to be a professional sports manager.

He can identify good players, knows how to negotiate, has excellent eloquence and a gentle smile. Most importantly, he is cunning enough to spot opportunities and will follow up on clues once they are revealed.

Seeing Auerbach's excited expression and his twitching lips not knowing how to praise Louis.

Louis smiled; "I really want to go back and rest this time."

"I'll have someone take you back."

"No, I have a car."

"No!" Auerbach shouted, "You are too tired now. Safety is the most important thing. I will ask Volk to take you home."

Just as Jan Walker was sending Louis home, Auerbach called Dick Vitale of the Pistons again.

When the Pistons' record of illegal operations was faxed to Vitale's office, Vitale sat on pins and needles thinking about the price they might have to pay.

Unable to think calmly, Vitale was like a prey whose limbs were controlled by Auerbach and allowed to be slaughtered by him.

In the end, they reached a compensation deal that shocked the league.

As compensation for M-L Carr's signing, the Celtics sent Bob McAdoo to the Pistons in exchange for two first-round picks in 1980, a first-round pick and a second-round pick in 1981, and $50,000.

cash.

This sensational transaction was heard by the sports reporters of the New York Times and presented to the public with the headline "Auerbach peels Detroit's skin."