Outside, after reporters interviewed the Bulls and Suns, they gathered around Barkley and other super giants, and they could only accept interviews.
A reporter asked: "Charles, Hakeem, you were swept by the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Who are you supporting in this finals?"
Barkley smiled and said: "Old K and I are brothers, and Hakeem and he have a very good relationship off the court, but we are also old friends with Michael for many years, so we support everyone in this finals."
As soon as the reporter heard this, he immediately brought the topic to Da Meng and asked: "Hakim, since your rookie season, your relationship with Old K has been average. I even heard that there have been conflicts. When did your relationship improve?
of?"
Da Meng thought for a while and said: "Oh, our relationship has always been good. Yes, I even invited him to dinner in Houston."
In fact, this was just his prevarication. His relationship with Wang Tiejun improved because Lao Wang's strength forced him to let go of his super center status. Without strength, he has no right to speak. This is true in any environment. Without strength,
, who is your friend?
Next to him, Magic was interviewed along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain.
"Irvin, why do you think the Bulls lost to the Suns?" a reporter asked.
Magic Johnson didn't think too much and said directly: "I was thinking about this issue just now. The Bulls are strong on the outside and the Suns are strong on the inside. The final result of the G1 game is that the Suns, who are stronger on the inside, win.
Everyone knows that although this is an era of flying men, it is also an era of super centers. Those who can get inside will win the world.
Let's look at this time's Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference Finals has O'Neal, and the Western Conference Finals has Old K and Big Dream. Three of the four finals teams have super centers.
In addition, in the game just now, the Suns, who have the inside advantage, defeated the Bulls, which is a good proof that the team building idea of winning the world through the inside is correct."
"What do you mean, the bull will lose?" the reporter asked with a surprised look on his face.
Dameng shook his head and said: "Of course not, Mosaic was defeated by the Bulls last year. What I mean is that when the advantage of the inside is too great to a certain extent and exceeds the limit of the opponent, then the team that is dominated by the inside will
The greater the advantage, the more likely they are to win."
Next to him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nodded and said: "That's true. Old K proved it tonight. After he completely destroyed the Bulls' inside line, he dominated the opponent's penalty area. It's useless no matter how hard Jordan can play. No matter how strong he is, he can't do anything on the outside."
The efficiency is also not as good as inside."
"Wilt, what do you think?" the reporter asked again.
Chamberlain said: "My opinion is that the Bulls should not be anxious. There are seven games in the series. Old K's style of play is too strong. If it is too strong, it will be easy to break. I am more optimistic about the Bulls who are more resilient. Jordan has the ability to lead the team to the end.
The Bulls are actually a collective team that plays as a team, and I think the Bulls will eventually win the Finals."
Returning to the locker room, Lao Wang immediately soaked in the medicine bucket.
He fought too hard in this game and was very tired, especially when he had a hand-to-hand fight with two human shields later on. Those two human shields moved very hard.
“It’s so comfortable!”
Kevin Johnson and others also got into the medicine bucket.
"Kevin, can you still stand it?" Lao Wang asked.
"No problem, I won't lie down. We must kill the bull this time, otherwise I won't have the chance to fight like this in the future." Kevin Johnson nodded.
Everyone's physical fitness is different. He is not a monster like Jordan. Although he is only 29 years old, his condition is not as good as Jordan who is several years older than him. The finals are in a desperate state.
He played for more than 40 minutes today, and was physically exhausted under Jordan's defense. Fortunately, he didn't attack much and didn't have any breakthroughs, so he managed to hold on.
At this time, Westphal began to summarize the previous game outside, analyze the tactical problems of himself and his opponent, and prepare for the next game.
He said: "Except for Lao K, no one else scored 20 points today. Drexler, the second scoring point, only scored 15 points. Only three people scored in double figures.
But a total of ten of our players scored, and eight of them scored more than 5 points, which means our rotation was good.
It's just that in terms of scoring, he still relies too much on the old K. Once his physical energy is too exhausted in the series, it is likely to have adverse reactions.
So in the next game, we should add some inside tactics.
Clyde, Dan, Wesley, be prepared, you will mainly implement the cutting tactics in the end, and bear part of the scoring pressure for Old K."
"Understood." The three of them said at the same time.
Assistant coach Lewis said at this time: "Old K injured Kukoc today, and Clifford Robinson had to sit on the bench. The Bulls also suffered a lot as a few human shields. You have to be careful, don't
Injured."
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Lao Wang replied in the bathroom.
Westphal said: "Kukoc is injured, which is very beneficial to us. If Kerry plays in the next game, Green will guard him. Old K will sit in the paint area, which will not only increase the intensity of our interior defense and protect our
The basket can also control backcourt rebounds to the greatest extent. In addition, there is no need to follow up and return to defense frequently, which will also save a lot of physical energy."
Lewis nodded and said: "Yes, Old K can also limit the breakthroughs of Jordan and Pippen when he is under the basket and reduce their offensive efficiency.
But be careful, don't commit too many fouls too early. The Bulls lost a game today, and they will probably get a home whistle in the next game. The league definitely doesn't want us to sweep the Bulls."
"It's possible."
Westphal nodded.
Others also agreed that there is nothing wrong with today's whistle, but it will be different in the next game. Home whistle is too common in the league.
The atmosphere in the home team's locker room was quite heavy, almost frozen.
Jordan sat there and didn't speak. He didn't speak, and no one else dared to speak, including Pippen.
Phil Jackson broke the dead silence in the locker room and began to summarize the game.
After talking for a long time, he finally summarized the reasons for the failure. He only said one sentence: "Old K defeated us tonight alone, just like Michael solves problems by himself many times. No matter how many people we have, we can't stop him."
.”
This sentence made the atmosphere in the locker room more solemn.
Jordan also looked over. He was dissatisfied with Phil's words. They were trying to boost Lao K's momentum and depress his own morale.
But then Phil Jackson changed the topic and said: "But we have understood it a long time ago, and Michael himself also understands that we cannot win a championship if we fight alone. We can win three championships, but it is not Michael's fault."
If you fight alone, it’s the team that wins.”
Having said this, he looked at Jordan.
Jordan immediately remembered that when Phil Jackson became the head coach, he directly took the ball away from him. This made him unbearable and forced the management to get rid of Phil.
But in the end, he knew that Phil was right. After he handed the ball over to his teammates, the team won two consecutive championships. If it hadn't been for the emergence of Old K, even a dynasty would have been established.
Thinking of this, he nodded and said: "What Phil said makes sense. We must persist. We must rely on everyone's strength to defeat Old K. We have the ability."
The atmosphere in the locker room was a little more relaxed, but both Jordan and Phil Jackson knew that the problem had not been solved. They would still face a crazy low-post beast, and they were short of major generals.
If injuries occur on the inside, it will probably be even more difficult.
An hour later, both sides held a post-match press conference.
The Bulls lost the game and the atmosphere was just average.
"Coach Jackson, how do you solve our inside problem?"
The first person to ask a question was a local sports newspaper reporter who was also a Bulls team reporter. He didn't ask Jordan, but Phil Jackson.
Phil Jackson looked gloomy, organized his words and said: "This problem should be a problem that all teams, except the Suns and Magic, need to face, even the three super center teams.
I'm sorry, I failed to solve this problem through appropriate tactics. Old K used his personal ability to destroy our inside line, which hurt me very much.
We defeated the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, but everyone should know that we did not defeat them on the inside. We could not limit O'Neal. We relied on our strong outside to defeat them.
As for the Suns, their perimeter is better than the Magic's, and Old K is more terrifying inside than O'Neal, so now we are encountering difficulties.
But I believe that our coaching staff will come up with new tactics to solve the difficulties we encounter.
It's difficult, yes, but we have no other choice, who brings us up against the most terrifying and dominant beast in the history of the league?"
"Coach Jackson, are you saying that Old K is the most dominant center in the history of the league?" the reporter asked.
"Yes, don't you think so? We played five insiders tonight, from the main players to the substitutes, and he almost finished the game in one game." Phil Jackson said with a wry smile.
There was a silence in the press conference hall. Anyone who thinks about the devastating offensive ability shown by Old K tonight in the low position and his overwhelming dominance will get numb.
"Coach Jackson, is Clifford Robinson injured?" A reporter interjected from below and asked loudly.
Phil Jackson said: "The team doctor told me he can play after the game."
"Michael, what do you think of the situation in the finals?" the next reporter asked.
"We will consider all difficulties, but no one can stop us from defending the title." Jordan lowered his head slightly and said with extremely firm eyes.
"Coach Jackson, is Kukoc's injury confirmed?" the next reporter asked.
"Yes, unfortunately, one of his ribs was broken." Phil Jackson said helplessly.
"That means that the team can no longer play open tactics, and the Bulls have to deal with Old K in the penalty area on both offense and defense. This is undoubtedly a huge difficulty. How will the Bulls solve this problem?" the reporter asked.
Phil Jackson thought about it for a while and then said: "We really can't open up the tactics anymore. It will be more difficult to attack the basket and fight for offensive rebounds, but that doesn't mean we have no way."
He didn't say what to do, and the reporter didn't ask further questions. This was related to the tactical issues of the next game, and even if he asked, there was no answer.
On the 6th, the team did not train and had a rest.
At noon, Hoxman arrived in Chicago and made an appointment to meet Wang Tiejun at a restaurant.
He took Yu Feihong there and chatted for a while while eating, mainly talking about the issue of mammoths.
"Lao K, Mammoth is facing huge operational problems, making it difficult to compete with other big brands, causing operations to fall into a vicious cycle. This time I had an in-depth discussion with them about the development of Mammoth."
Hawksman first introduced the situation and then said: "If they don't satisfy me with their future development vision, I will not agree to your contract renewal."
Feeling that the agent's attitude was very tough, Lao Wang felt that Mammoth's condition was really not good, so he asked: "How much money do they lose every year now?"
"Last year, we lost US$30 million. As of last month this year, we have lost US$22 million, which is more than last year. The company has very little money left and cannot carry out any major development plans. Moreover, it has already lost 22 million US dollars."
Suspend investment in technology research and development funds. If we renew the contract, I doubt they will be able to pay for your contract at all, and they have other holes to fill." Hoxman said.
"So serious?" Lao Wang scratched his head.
Hoxman added: "Over the years, the company's warehouse has accumulated millions of pairs of outdated sneakers. More than 200 million U.S. dollars of funds have been unable to be cashed in. They have stopped the production of other sneakers and only produce yours.
branded sneakers.”
"How much do those shoes cost?" Lao Wang asked casually.
Hoxman said: "The normal sales price is about forty or fifty dollars, but now no one wants them even if they are discounted. Except for your brand shoes, other sneakers have been squeezed out by other brands and have no room for survival."
"What are they going to do now?" he asked.
Hoxman said: "Mammoth boss Roman Weeks has talked about his future plans. He is ready to restart the plan to build a factory in your country, which can help Mammoth save a lot of costs. Now there are no obstacles between the two countries.
"
“Can the company survive?”
"It's not a matter of whether it can be sustained. Now the company has no working capital. They want to build a factory there but they don't have the funds. The company already has a lot of debt and banks no longer give loans. So the problem now is that Mammoth is facing bankruptcy.
question." Hawksman said with a wry smile.
"They are almost bankrupt, and they still want to renew my contract?" Lao Wang said in surprise.
Hawksman looked weird and said: "Their idea is that after renewing the contract with you, they will use your influence in China to apply for a loan to build a factory there. And I heard that your government will grant a piece of land for free.
It doesn’t cost money.”
"No way."
Lao Wang immediately shook his head, are you trying to trick me? What good things are you thinking of using our land and spending our money?
Hawksman smiled and said: "The renewal conditions they gave are that they can give you part of the shares and make you the boss of the company."
Lao Wang quickly shook his head and said: "That's even more impossible. I am prepared to make money through endorsements. If I become their small boss, not only will I have no money, but they will lose money. I must not pay them to make up for the loss?"
"Pfft!"
Hawksman and Yu Feihong burst into laughter at the same time.
Hawksman thought about it and asked seriously: "Old K, now you and Mammoth can completely obtain equal negotiating positions. Do you really not want their shares?"
Lao Wang immediately shook his head and said: "I don't understand business, and no one in my family understands this. Besides, Mammoth is like this now, why do I want their shares?"
Hawksman nodded, but then said: "Actually, as long as they can get rid of the tens of millions of pairs of backlogged shoes and exchange for a sum of money, they can solve the problem of insufficient operating funds. If they successfully build a factory in your country, they will be greatly improved.
After reducing costs, it is still possible to come back to life.
Now Mammoth is also preparing to introduce external funds to bring operations into a virtuous cycle. If you intervene in the company at this time, it can be regarded as bargain hunting."
"I'm afraid it's a bottomless pit with no bottom at all," Lao Wang complained.
"Pfft!"
The two of them were happy again.
Hawksman saw that Lao Wang really had no interest in investing in Mammoth, but he stopped talking and said: "Mammoth really has no other choice but to accept acquisitions from other brands.
Your contract has not ended yet, Mammoth is still valuable. As long as you acquire Mammoth, you will be able to get your contract. If you renew the contract at that time, you will have an advantage.
But there are also big obstacles in acquiring Mammoth, because whoever acquires it will have to swallow up the huge backlog of products, and if it cannot be sold, it will lose hundreds of millions of dollars."
Lao Wang doesn't care, it really can't be done. When the contract is over, it will be fine if he doesn't renew the contract with Mammoth. It's not like there is no brand to sign him.
Hawksman suddenly smiled and said: "You know, old K, now Mammoth wants you to win the championship more than you want to win the championship. They point to you to lead the team to win the championship, your status will rise greatly, and they will take the opportunity to sell more shoes, so that you can win the championship."
The company will survive this difficult time."
Lao Wang was startled, then laughed.
Hoxman added: "Last year, your brand shoe sales reached 150 million U.S. dollars, and they had at least 30 to 40 million U.S. dollars in gross profit. If your brand shoes can sell 200 to 300 million U.S. dollars a year, you are the only one
People can feed Mammoth Corporation.
This does not include the untapped market in your country. Your brand shoes cannot be sold in your country yet because the price is too high. We can only wait to build a domestic factory to develop that huge market."
"Ignore them, if they can survive, they will sign with me again. The terms of the contract must at least protect my interests. Don't do it for a long time. If they go bankrupt, I won't get a dime. We must avoid this situation."
he said.
Hawksman nodded and said: "Of course. In addition, Lao K, if it doesn't work, we will sign with other brands."