blogombal Chapter 513 Michael, you don't want others to see this every time...
Chapter 513 Michael, you don't want others to see this every time...
Chapter 513 Michael, you don't want people to say you were scared away by me every time they see you in the future, do you?
Of course, Jordan, who is no longer a player and has become a boss, cannot and does not want to sit in his own court every day as a mascot.
He played two games at the beginning of the season, and the team's home games were sold out. Jordan thought: Hey! This guy is really awesome. He just casually created a new team and easily made the team's attendance so good.
Then he got carried away and didn't show up at the Charlotte Spectrum Center for several games in a row.
And then?
Then, of course, the fans didn't know he wasn't coming, since there was no prior announcement, right? And there's no pre-match roster that tells fans whether the team owner will be on the sidelines tonight, so initially it didn't affect the team's ticket sales.
But then, after Jordan was absent from the Spectrum Center for three or four consecutive games, the fans realized they had been fooled.
Who would pay to watch guys like Okafor and Knight lose?
What's wrong with having too much money and nowhere to spend it?
Soon enough, deafening shouts began to erupt in the arena of the Spectrum Center.
"Give us Michael!"
"We've come to see Michael!"
"I don't watch basketball without Jordan!"
"If this continues, we won't come again!"
Then, all the sounds at the scene merged into angry shouts.
"RNM, refund my money!!"
"How can you face us?"
"So many people are buying tickets, do you think you're doing us a favor?"
"Refund!!"
"RNM, refund my money!!"
Angry, extremely angry.
But anger is useless. You bought the ticket, watched the game, and regardless of whether the team owner comes or not, the team won't refund your ticket money.
For the next two weeks, Jordan still didn't appear at games, and attendance in Charlotte plummeted.
They were swept from the top of the league to the very bottom!
It's absolutely rotten.
Unfortunately, after an emergency meeting, the team implemented a completely new strategy.
Print Jordan's head on the tickets!
And he told the fans that Jordan would be on the sidelines.
He will watch the entire game with the fans.
Yes, such a shameless tactic, using the team owner as a gimmick to attract fans to the stadium, is unprecedented in the history of competitive sports...
Okay, it might have happened before, but in a top-tier league, that would be an unprecedented first!
This incident involving the Bobcats illustrates two things.
1. The Bobcats are absolutely terrible; nobody wants to watch them play.
2. Jordan's popularity remains high.
However, the Bobcats don't need to worry about ticket sales for this upcoming night.
Because the Knicks are here!
This season, the Knicks have become a guarantee of box office success. Their powerful offense, dazzling style of play, and star-studded roster ensure that no matter which away game they play, the arena is always packed and tickets are hard to come by.
It's no exaggeration to say they are the league's most popular and high-profile team today.
"Hopefully we can help Michael alleviate some of his financial difficulties." Upon arriving in Charlotte, Lin Tian was immediately surrounded by the media. Considering the special nature of this game, Lin Tian naturally accepted the media's interviews with a smile and immediately dropped a bombshell.
"I heard their ticket sales are pretty bad, and they're relying on him to attract fans? As a guy, I have to help him and support him, so here we are tonight! He can stay in his apartment and rest tonight and doesn't need to come to the stadium."
"And I advised him to go to bed early, and even if he didn't go to bed, he should turn off his phone and the TV, otherwise he probably wouldn't be able to sleep after seeing the news of the team's crushing defeat."
"Oh right, we need to turn off the computer, but... wait, does he know how to use a computer? Does he know how to operate it? If not, Marcus can teach him; he's a dutiful and smart little brother."
"Oh, you're asking me what I think about tomorrow night's game? What? Nobody asked? You guys are so unprofessional, not even asking such a basic question. Don't make this kind of amateur mistake next time."
"I don't watch much. They can win easily. Of course, I get extra motivation from Michael's team."
Look! Lin Tian didn't even need the reporters to ask questions; he started asking and answering his own.
However, after Lin Tian rattled off a bunch of bombshells like "four 3s" and "four 5s," the reporters finally couldn't hold back any longer. One troublemaker stuck out the microphone and asked, "Lin, you say the 90s were your era, but Michael says they were his. What do you think about that?"
"He's talking nonsense! It's that simple. Let's look at the entire 90s, from the 90-91 season to the 99-00 season, a full 10 seasons. How many years did Michael play? 8 years. How many championships did he win? 6!"
"How many years did I play? Five years. How many championships did I win? Four!"
"Winning rate 80%! Greater than 75%!"
"Furthermore, even when Michael wasn't with me, I beat him head-on, but he never won against me even once. I won the championship by stepping on his head, but after luckily dodging me and getting a worthless, diminished championship, he ran away as fast as he could."
"McDonald's scary!"
"It's that simple. I have a higher chance of winning the championship. I can beat Michael Jordan head-on. I can scare Michael Jordan away. I beat Michael Jordan so badly that he had to go to the Knicks and rely on Patrick to barely win a championship."
"Even if that season hadn't been shortened, I think his stamina probably wouldn't have lasted until the playoffs. The difference between playing 50 regular season games and 82 regular season games is enormous!"
"So, you think the 90s belonged to you?" another reporter asked.
"If you ask me, the 00s belong to me too," Lin Tian said. "I am the GOAT!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he picked up a crown from thin air with both hands, raised it, and was about to put it on his head when he quickly shook his head: "You know what I'm going to do, that's enough. This action is too embarrassing, I can't do it. Next time, next time."
"Some advice for Charlotte and Michael? Let me think." Lin Tian stroked his chin, looking like he was really thinking carefully, then suddenly clapped his hands and said with a smile, "I remember Charlotte doesn't seem to have a mascot yet, right?"
"Michael could consider a cameo role! Imagine this: Charlotte's mascot, let's tentatively call it a fluffy and cute lynx, interacting passionately with the fans on the court, and then, 'snap,' Michael takes off his hood."
"Hey! Isn't that Michael?! Wow, what a surprise! I'll definitely come again!"
"Let's do it this way! It's definitely going to be a hit! The ticket market will definitely improve, and maybe we won't even need to rely on them to sell out the tickets. And the best-selling jersey in Charlotte might just be that fluffy lynx jersey worn by the mascot."
"What? You don't want me to give advice on ticket sales, you want me to give advice to this team that's only 7 wins and 23 losses, to help them get out of this slump? Hey, you know what, I actually have a suggestion!"
"Let Michael find a professional manager, then completely delegate authority, and stop getting involved in anything related to player selection, team building, trades, or signings. He can just focus on being a mascot and a cash cow. That will definitely get Charlotte back on track quickly!"
"Lin, you mean Michael's management is absolutely terrible?"
"Yes!"
A reporter, apparently from Charlotte, couldn't help but defend his team: "But Charlotte has only played less than half a season. They are a completely new team, and they are very young."
"I know, that's why I'm advising Michael to delegate authority quickly while the team is in a state where 'losing is to be expected,' so as to save face and prevent anyone from saying anything bad about him."
"But once the rookie protection period is over, and everyone is no longer so lenient towards the team and Michael, if the team is still a complete mess, then all that's left is to embarrass themselves."
"Lin, do you think Michael is a bad manager? You even think he can't improve and can't become a qualified manager, right?" Another reporter, who looked like a Jordan fan, continued to ask. This guy's tone was quite aggressive, and he was obviously a little angry.
This is protecting their idol!
"I know Michael. I've played alongside him for many years and talked to him a lot about basketball, so I know how bad his judgment is and that he'll never be a successful executive! He doesn't even know how to draft."
"I could even give every executive and scout in the league a piece of advice: stay away from any rookies Michael is eyeing!"
"But Okafor is averaging 15+10 this season and has won Rookie of the Month for two consecutive months. He is the best rookie in this draft class!" Another Charlotte reporter expressed his dissatisfaction with Lin Tian.
"Okafor might even be the best rookie of the season! He's mature and has great immediate impact; he's the most impactful player among this year's high draft picks."
"But to be offensive: Okafor's ceiling is what it is, his talent is what it is. He can consistently contribute 15+10 every season, but that's about it."
"I think Dwight Howard, that kid, could become the best center in the NBA after Shaq and Yao Ming!"
After Lin Tian bombarded them with questions, answering almost everything and leaving no stone unturned, the reporters were satisfied and happily let Lin Tian and his entourage leave the scene.
Satisfied!
I'm so full!
It still has to be the combination of Lin Tian and Jordan!
The most talked-about duo of the past decade, they truly live up to their reputation!
"Where are we going, Lin?" As soon as Lin Tian got on the team bus, Anthony turned his head expectantly, wanting to know where they could go.
Lin Tian's status in the team is now quite different! In addition to being the team's strongest and most famous absolute leader, he is also the team's night room manager and ultimate compass.
Cleveland, Toronto, Minnesota—as long as a city has an NBA team, there's a good place Lin Tian can find!
Anthony and others can now even accept that Lin Tian might suffer a serious injury and be unable to play, or that he might suddenly change his playing style and stop feeding them the ball.
But they absolutely cannot accept that Lin Tian doesn't give them directions or act as their guide after arriving in a new place!
Lin Tianzhi's power is terrifying!
"Go back and change your clothes, then I'll take you guys out to have some fun! Tonight, Michael's paying for everything! Don't try to save me any money, just splurge as much as you want! That old guy has plenty of cash!"
"Michael's treating, and you just..." Even veteran Ward couldn't hold back anymore. You're eating and drinking his food, and you were just blasting Jordan to death...
It can only be said that Lin Tian's persona hasn't collapsed; it's completely established.
A genuine, honest, and utterly wicked bastard!
As everyone knows, NBA reporters love nothing more than sending messages by carrier pigeon, quickly relaying information, and stirring up trouble.
Furthermore, some people knew that Lin Tian would be bringing people to Charlotte tonight and were eager to hear what Lin Tian would say. Less than 10 minutes after Lin Tian and his group got off the plane and were interviewed, Jordan knew the entire content of Lin Tian's interview.
The team's record is bad? My judgment is bad? We need you guys to sell tickets? You want me to be a mascot? You want me to hand over control of the team? I can't draft? The 90s are your era, you bastard?
What else was there?
Did I retire to avoid you?
Okay, this is true. He admitted it himself when he was drunk back then.
But apart from this, everything else is utter bullshit!
Jordan was furious when the reporters relayed his story. It's a good thing he lost all his hair; otherwise, his anger would have been enough to transform him into a Super Saiyan.
"I don't care what Lin says at all, because he's just talking nonsense. He's pretending to know what he doesn't. Every word he says is bullshit. Let him be. I'll just treat him as an idiot going crazy."
The reporters in front of Jordan, looking at his tightly clenched fist, knuckles bulging, and even slightly trembling from the force of his grip, gained a completely new understanding of the adjectives "completely indifferent" and "treating it like a fart."
What a nonchalant attitude!
"By the way, if you see Lin, tell him this: My team will win the championship! It will win the championship before his Knicks! We'll see."
After Jordan finished speaking, he ignored the reporters in front of him and turned to leave the interview site.
He was absolutely furious.
FUXX!!
I need to find someone to vent my anger on!
Furious, Jordan walked towards the training facility, deciding to loosen up his muscles first. As he walked, he made a phone call to the venue he had booked for that evening.
The money will still be paid, but all reservations and all evening programs will be cancelled!
FUXX!!
I treated you to a life of pleasure, and you spouted nonsense in front of reporters?
Screw you!
I'm not going to be this sucker, let whoever wants to be it take it!
Forty minutes later, Lin Tian and the others, having changed their clothes and put away their luggage, were already driving through the darkness of Charlotte.
However, when they arrived at the nightclub where Jordan and Lin Tian had arranged to meet, the nightclub manager came over with an apologetic look. He and Lin Tian were old acquaintances; he had met this guy before when Lin Tian came to Charlotte.
"Lin, I'm sorry, but a few minutes ago, Michael canceled all the reservations for tonight. Everything we prepared for you has been canceled."
"Was it canceled or smashed?" Lin Tian had an expression that said, "I knew Jordan would do this," showing no surprise whatsoever.
"Smash it? Why would you smash it?"
"I thought Michael would have you smash all the liquor in the store and make us move," Lin Tian said, putting his arm around the manager's shoulder and pulling out a Franklin note to stuff into the manager's pocket. "I want the room we had, and I want everything Michael prepared for us!"
"I bet he's already paid, right?"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he looked at the manager with an expression that said, "Just as I expected," and nodded. He continued, "Bring over everything he paid for, including the alcohol and the girls."
"But... what if Michael finds out..."
"I'll pay you!" Lin Tian laughed, patting the manager on the shoulder. "Making double the money in one night, what are you complaining about? Did Michael tell you not to entertain us?"
Those who frequent nightclubs are never slow to react. The manager had already figured out Lin Tian's meaning and immediately slapped his forehead, saying, "I'll go prepare right away! We haven't even finished cleaning the private room Michael booked for you yet, so you can go there directly!"
"Also, I'll give you an extra 40% off tonight's bill! Honestly, Lin, if Michael hadn't given me instructions and wasn't still angry with you, I would have given it to you for free! But now..."
"Now you can even tell Michael that you've given us an extra 20% in fees, just to make him happy."
"I'll go right away!" The manager left happily, instructing the waiter to quickly set up the room. He was overjoyed to have earned two salaries in one night!
As for whether Jordan will be angry about this?
We'll see!
Those two brothers are fighting, how could they possibly take it out on me, a little karami?
It's impossible!
Since it's impossible, let's just have some fun!
Let's talk about it after tonight!
The manager left excitedly, unaware that Lin Tian behind him had instantly wiped the smile off his face and replaced it with displeasure.
Then, after all the Knicks players entered the VIP box, Lin Tian signaled for everyone to be quiet.
"Michael stood me up; he's deliberately messing with me."
"So I've decided to teach him a lesson tomorrow, and we'll add a unique touch to the Bobcats' incredibly short team history!"
"Should I bring a knife?" Xiao Si, who only had a high school education, asked stupidly, not understanding Lin Tian's analogy.
"I brought a tattoo knife! I've been learning tattooing recently, we can carve LIN on Michael's head!" Smith, another high school graduate, shouted excitedly.
It's all over.
This team's cultural level desperately needs improvement!
Looking at the two physically fit men jumping around, Lin Tian had no choice but to give up on their way of speaking, which sounded quite cool but was completely incomprehensible to them.
"What I mean is, don't drink too much tonight, stay in shape."
"Then tomorrow night, we'll crush the Charlottes! Crush them! Give them a defeat that will forever be etched in their team history!"
"Kill them!"
Upon hearing this, the Knicks players immediately woke up, waving and roaring to show that they were ready.
Kill those damn Charlottes!
"Let Michael Jordan know that he's a piece of shit! And the team he built is a piece of shit!"
"A pile of shit!"
"Dry them to death!"
"Alright, let the music start! Come on, guys, let's have some fun!" Lin Tian roared, ending the brief pre-match meeting.
Charlotte is destined for a disaster tomorrow night because Jordan stood them up.
That night, some Knicks players even chanted "FUXX! Charlotte" while doing their business, showing just how much these beasts liked and longed for beating people to death.
For no other reason than simple joy and pure enjoyment, fading out is the purest form of passion.
On the other side, Jordan was in high spirits. He drank a glass of red wine early in the morning, then lay down on the bed and fell into a good sleep.
I slept without any dreams and had extremely high-quality sleep.
The last time he slept this well was when the team was officially signed, confirming that he would have such a team.
Jordan successfully outmaneuvered Lin Tian, making him feel incredibly satisfied from the bottom of his heart.
The feeling was like someone who had been constipated for three months finally sitting on the toilet seat and, with a "plop," unleashed a torrent of diarrhea, releasing all the pressure, pain, and waste from their stomach.
comfortable!
The next morning, Jordan was in high spirits and full of confidence, as if the team had already won the championship. He happily arrived at the training facility and returned to train with the players after a long absence.
In fact, after becoming the team owner, Jordan often came to train with the players. It felt great to be called the boss wherever he went.
However, after discovering that the Bobcats' current roster was so bad that it was unbearable to look at, and that there were really few, or rather none, potential stars that Jordan would take notice of, and that it was so bad that there was no way for them to turn things around, Jordan stopped coming to the training facility to participate in training.
Dirty eyes!
Jordan really couldn't stand it anymore.
But he remained confident.
After all, apart from Okafor, who was a talented rookie drafted by the team, the rest of the Bobcats' roster that year was all filled through the expansion draft.
This is also how every new team is built after joining the NBA.
The so-called expansion draft is when a brand new team wants to enter the league, all the other teams need to submit a list to the league, which contains 8 protected players and 7 unprotected players.
The new team can choose any of the seven unprotected players provided by each team. The players selected will come to their team free of charge and become members of the new team, thus forming a completely new team.
Of course, while it's said to be a free choice, seemingly offering a wide range of options, each team still has eight protected spots. This means that the first wave of members for the new team will most likely be either too old, too young, disabled, or useless.
If you can pick a few 'ordinary' players, then the selector has a good eye for talent.
But clearly, Jordan's judgment was not only not good, it was absolutely terrible.
The team he assembled this year wouldn't win 25 games, even if it were Phil Jackson, Carlisle, Larry Brown, or any other famous coach!
It's rotten to the core.
So, on the night of the competition, when Lin Tian and the others arrived at the Spectrum Center, and when Lin Tian saw Jordan grinning broadly at him and waving for a hug, Lin Tian was somewhat bewildered.
This guy really has no idea what he did?
Should I remind you?
"Did you have fun yesterday, Lin?" Jordan hugged Lin Tian tightly, looking at him with a victorious air. "I fell asleep. Sorry, I didn't mean to skip it."
Seeing Jordan's barely suppressed smile, Lin Tian said, "Last night was alright, but definitely not as fun as tonight."
"Would you like to hear our match plan?"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he looked at Jordan with a wicked grin and said, "Our plan is to kill you all!"
"That kind of all-out, historic battle, remember that game we played to get revenge on the Washingtonians? How many points did we win that night? 70 or 75?"
"Oh, and one more thing: I've decided to play a little longer tonight, no matter how the game goes."
"My fans always complain that I don't play when we're leading to pad my stats, so I've decided to give them what they deserve tonight! Tonight, I'm going to set some historic records. Michael, you better think about how to defend me!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he looked at Jordan, whose smile had completely frozen and whose expression had become completely stiff, and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "I swear, this is not revenge for you standing me up last night, nor is it any personal grudge. It's just that I want to give back to the fans."
"So, you understand?"
Can you understand?
That's a load of rubbish!
Jordan regretted it.
I deeply regret it.
Why would I provoke this bastard, whether there's a reason or not?
Do you really expect him to go easy on you or not retaliate after you've been tricked?
Jordan's frozen expression lasted for at least 30 seconds before finally returning to normal. He looked at his players, diligently warming up and carefully shooting on the court, and then at the Knicks team opposite him, who were dunking wildly and showing off their skills with endless high jumps and low jumps...
This is not just a matter of the future being uncertain.
Jordan was already thinking of running away. He wanted to get back on his feet immediately, get away from the court, and then stay out of the public eye for a month, regardless of anything related to the team, until the matter was over before returning.
Hopefully, by then, both the public and I will have forgotten what happened that night.
"You're not thinking of running away, Michael!" Lin Tian, who was still standing next to Jordan, glanced at Jordan's expression and directly exposed his thoughts: "If you just run away like this, don't blame me for bringing this up for the rest of your life—"
"Michael got scared away again."
After saying this, Lin Tian patted Jordan on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Lin Tian believed that, given Jordan's thick skin and personality, Jordan would definitely not leave early tonight. Even if he had tears in his eyes, Jordan would watch the whole game and then shout a few harsh words at him.
"Don't underestimate a middle-aged person's potential!"
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river!"
Everything's ready!
When it comes to things like NTR (Netorare), it's only exciting when the real person is involved.
Otherwise, the fun would be reduced by at least half.
This adds extra motivation to the competition!
"How's it going, boss?" As soon as Lin Tian returned to the Knicks' territory, Anthony and the others stopped their flying and darting around and quickly surrounded him.
They remembered the game strategy Lin Tian gave them last night.
Beat them to death!
They were incredibly excited and looking forward to it.
After all, most of the time, the NBA still values personal relationships and social niceties. Without any real grudges, there are rarely opportunities to go all out and beat the other person to a pulp.
But tonight, maybe I can have a complete release?
"Plan remains unchanged." Lin Tian's answer didn't disappoint his men. He clapped his hands and encouraged them, "Kill them all!"
"Also, I suspect Michael won't leave the stadium tonight; he'll be watching from the sidelines as we utterly crush his team!"
"He's too weak to take revenge on you now, how about that, aren't you even more excited?"
"I'm so excited!" Anthony pounded his chest, exclaiming excitedly, "He still has to pay me! I can beat my boss up now! This feels amazing!"
As Anthony spoke, everyone noticed the pair of Air Jordans he was wearing.
Although Nike is essentially the one paying him the endorsement fee, wearing AJ while playing MJ definitely feels even better!
Lin Tian even considered changing his shoes on the spot, so he could wear AJ shoes and beat up Jordan.
I'm stepping on you, and I'm beating you up too. How fun!
At this moment, Jordan next door was hesitating whether to hold a meeting with his players to tell them about tonight's game and to get them ready so they wouldn't be beaten senseless by Lin Tian and his gang.
But after looking at that group of people, Jordan tried to stand up from his seat several times, but then sat back down.
Let's forget about it... There are only a few of them. If I remind them myself, it might just make them more scared and cause them to perform even worse.
Stay away from them, at least you can maintain a good mood before the game starts!
As long as you haven't started to beat me up, then I haven't been beaten up.
I'm not going to make myself uncomfortable!
It's not surprising that Jordan was so pessimistic and desperate.
He couldn't do anything about it.
The Bobcats' current roster is really terrible!
The team's core player is this year's number one draft pick, Imeka Okafor, the NCAA king whom Jordan selected against all odds. This guy is averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this season, which is worthy of his draft position. But the problem is, as Lin Tian said: this guy's potential may really be limited.
With an offensive field goal percentage of only 45%, this efficiency is extremely low for an inside player. Coupled with his less-than-stellar physical attributes and mediocre basketball IQ aside from his size, Jordan is increasingly convinced that Lin Tian might be right again.
If Okafor can still be considered the team's hope and core player, then the rest of the Bobcats are truly not worth mentioning.
Primoz Brezek, who partnered with Okafor in the frontcourt, was a soft, white player whose best single-season performance before this year was only 2+1 per game. His advantage was his height, his characteristic was his height, and his selling point was his height, but apart from that, he was almost entirely a disadvantage.
It was with the Bobcats that he was able to play 30 minutes per game, while averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds.
Then there's Kareem Rush, the short shooting guard the Lakers didn't want; Brevin Knight, the even shorter point guard the Bucks didn't want; and Keith Bogans, the short small forward the Magic didn't want.
Simply put, most of the players on this team are fringe players that other teams don't want.
Even the strongest player on the team, Gerald Wallace, was absent from the Bobcats' roster for various reasons and ended up playing directly against them.
Misfortunes never come singly!
(End of this chapter)