The rest is just noise

On June 12, 1986, Louis represented the New York Knicks at the NBA annual meeting in Washington.

Before that, Louis made another investment.

To be precise, it's not an investment.

Instead, the identity of the time traveler is used to find out.

The World Cup in Mexico, which started on May 31, has touched the hearts of football fans all over the world. Louis was not interested at first because he didn't know much about football.

Then he noticed Maradona and his Argentina team.

Louis thought of some articles he read online when Maradona passed away in 2020. Then he thought that the champion of this World Cup was the Argentina team.

Now that the result is known, Louis will naturally beat the Argentine team to win the championship without any brains.

He bet $100,000. Argentina's odds of winning before the game were 4:1.

This can be regarded as an investment that Louis took a break from his busy schedule and can see a short-term return, and he has been busy with transactions and drafts since then.

As of today when the NBA holds its annual meeting, the 76ers still hold the second overall pick in the first round.

It is foreseeable that they will not trade away the draft pick easily.

Louis and Lorraine came to Washington with their son. Although they were busy with official duties, they could go and play nearby after finishing their official duties.

Louis wanted to visit Auerbach at his home and resolve the misunderstanding.

Ever since Louis finished lighting that cigar in the Boston Garden, he and Auerbach hadn't spoken a word. Mainly because the other party didn't answer his phone calls.

Coupled with his "clever operation" at the beginning of the season, the Sonics ranked eighth in the league, which made Auerbach very angry.

He originally planned to win the top five picks, but now he can only hold on to his eighth pick in the first round and doesn't know what to do.

Trade up, teams with the top three picks don't like it.

Trade down, there is nothing to trade.

After all, it was Louis who interfered with his plan.

With old and new grudges, Louis brought harm to the Celtics both mentally and physically.

Louis was unable to enter Auerbach's home, and it was the bishop's wife Dorothy who conveyed the latter's decision that he did not want to see guests at this time.

Since Auerbach didn't want to see him, Louis wouldn't force him.

When the NBA annual meeting starts, they will have to meet again.

In the evening, Louis attended the NBA annual meeting.

In the early decades, only the owners of each team attended the annual meeting. Now, basically only the general manager attends the annual meeting, and they will bring the boss's will to the team.

Louis saw Auerbach, holding a cigar and chatting and laughing with the people around him.

"Isn't this the Boston Celtics chairman Mr. Auerbach who stays behind closed doors and doesn't see anyone? You look good." Louis greeted in a sinister manner.

Auerbach looked at Louis like a wolf: "What do you want to do?"

"I think there is a misunderstanding between us."

"No misunderstanding, you bastard, stay away from me!"

"If you're blaming me for lighting a cigar in the garden, I have nothing to say. I had a reason to do that. If you're blaming me for the deal with Seattle, all I can say is that the longer you live, the more you go back.

, how could I not do the deal that was delivered to my door?”

"Isn't it enough that you smoked cigars in the garden? Why did you smoke cigars there? Did you win the championship in front of us? Let me tell you, even if you win the championship, you can't do it in front of others.

Smoking cigars at home!”

Sure enough, what Auerbach was worried about was Louis smoking cigars.

Louis said helplessly: "When you were young, you never smoked at other people's home stadiums? Didn't you invent the concept of Victory cigars?"

"So what if it's me? Let me tell you, I've never smoked a cigar in someone else's home stadium like you!" Auerbach said a shocking thing to Louis.

Yes, in the eyes of many people, Auerbach is an evil emperor who plays with the rules and despises his opponents.

But this is just a kind of stigmatizing propaganda to highlight his legend.

"really?"

Auerbach sneered: "You can ask Reed Holzman yourself if I ever smoked cigars at MSG! You bastard, get out of my sight!⑴"

"If this makes you feel offended, I can apologize to you." Louis paused, "But I only apologize to you. The other Bostonians who were offended by me are not qualified to ask me to apologize. They are

Offend me first."

Auerbach didn't continue to glare, but he was still brooding over the fact that Louie ruined his plan by making a deal with the Sonics.

"By the way, I heard that you are negotiating a deal with Philadelphia recently?" Louis asked.

Auerbach snorted: "Don't expect to get any news from me!"

"Tch, it makes it seem like you have a lot of hope, but with just the cash, you can't do anything." Louis scoffed.

"May I ask what position you hold in our team, and you are so concerned about our team affairs?" The more Auerbach looked at Louis, the more he felt displeased. How could he regard this boy as his successor in the first place?

"I know you want Len Bias."

Auerbach's face, or rather the cheek under his left eye, trembled.

"As a person with outstanding performance in scouting, I will give you one last piece of advice." Louis sat next to Auerbach, "Don't choose him."

"Why?"

As soon as Auerbach asked, David Stern came to the center of this high-standard lobby.

The kitchen is constantly serving food, and the general managers of each team can eat food, drink wine, and listen to the president fart from his mouth.

Although Stern's voice made Louis uncomfortable, he still announced some good news.

For example, the NBA signed a two-year, $25 million contract with TBS.

TBS is an emerging pay cable TV channel. With one more channel, more people can watch the NBA.

In addition, the league also signed a four-year, $200 million television broadcast contract with CBS.

Louis applauded along with everyone. What he didn't know was that in the original history, CBS signed a contract with the alliance for 4 years and 173 million US dollars. It is difficult to say whether his appearance has brought more benefits.

To be sure, the NBA is more popular today than it was at the same time in Louie's previous life.

In addition, Stern also announced that former NBA All-Star player John Drew (JohnDrewSF/PF) will be struck out and removed from the league due to three consecutive drug violations.

This is the first time in NBA history that a player has been banned for life.

A strong player who averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds per game in his career ruined himself like this.

Next, Stern also announced his expansion plans.

In the next few years, the NBA will expand to 3-5 teams.

The main territory is Minnesota, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans and other places.

"What exactly did you mean by what you just said?"

If it were anything else, Auerbach would just think Louis was talking.

But just now Louis definitely said not to choose Bias. This is Bird's successor personally selected by Auerbach. Is there any problem?

Auerbach doesn't have to believe anything else.

Louis's ability to observe people has been tested through countless examples, and he can't help but believe it.

Louis did not answer him, but stood up and made a suggestion on behalf of the Knicks: "On behalf of the Basketball Operations Department of the New York Madison Square Garden Company, I made two proposals to the league. First, we hope that the league will improve the relevant contract provisions as soon as possible.

Rookie contracts should not be infinitely inflated based on a rookie's potential. Before they enter the professional arena to prove themselves, they should sign a reasonable, mid-range contract that is neither high nor low as a standard rookie contract."

Louis said what many teams have always wanted to say but have not said.

A standard rookie contract, that's right.

Last year, Ewing's 30 million salary in 10 years shocked the league. He was the first in the league to earn the highest salary since his debut. This example has been criticized by countless people. Ewing himself has been made autistic by public opinion.

Although Ewing performed well in his rookie season, he really does not deserve the league's top salary.

Louis did not take into account the subsequent impact. As the first general manager to propose a standard rookie contract, he gained unanimous approval from almost all clubs.

The only club to object was the Los Angeles Clippers.

"This proposal is good, but it cannot be decided at the annual meeting. We need to discuss it with the union before we get a result."

Louis knew the proposal would spark strong opposition from the players' union.

It didn't matter to him, as long as he proposed the concept, let the professionals fight for the rest.

And this is just his first proposal, he has two proposals.

"The current salary cap rules will make it difficult for some teams to sign rookies. However, according to the regulations, unless the rookie is traded, he can only sign with the team that selected him. Once a team is unwilling

The transaction, and the inability to complete the contract with the players due to their own salary cap, will harm the common interests of both parties." This proposal is the real purpose of Louis, "Therefore, I suggest that an increase be added under the existing salary cap rules.

There is a provision that allows all teams to go over the salary cap and sign rookies."

Stern's expression became complicated. He was still smiling, but his smile was not necessarily so warm.

"What about other people's opinions?" Stern asked.

"Objection!" Harry Weltman of the Cavaliers stood up and retorted, "Coach Lu, why do I think this proposal is good for you and the Knicks alone?"

⑴This incident came from Auerbach's dictation. Later, the listeners wrote their dictation at the dinner table into the autobiography "Let Me Tell You a Story" (published in China). It is said that the early Celtics were very powerful.

, often beat his opponents to death, and had a lot of waste time, so in the closing stage, Auerbach often felt bored and wanted to do something to entertain himself, and then he did his favorite entertainment project, smoking cigars, but even if he smoked cigars, he never

Not on the road. His opponent overreacted, thinking it was a provocation, and then spread the word more and more viciously, making NBA history buffs like me think Auerbach was the kind of person who won before reading this autobiography.

A grumpy old man who also tries to humiliate others.