Losing the G3 game gave the Suns a match point and a high probability of being swept. The entire Bulls team, from top to bottom, from the coaching staff to the players, from the boss to the management, felt like they had lost their souls.
They were all very confused.
From the moment the game ended, Jordan felt completely empty, from his mind to his body.
He put his hands on his knees, panting heavily, and pours of sweat dripped down his chin and onto the floor, and soon gathered into a small pool of water.
Hearing the huge roar that swept the Bulls, he raised his head and looked at the crazy American West Arena, and then looked at the crazy celebrating Suns, his eyes were very blank.
A few meters away, Barkley looked at his friend Jordan and said with emotion to Da Meng beside him: "I have never seen such an expression on Michael's face. He looks very confused and helpless."
"Me neither."
Dameng responded and added: "Even when he was suppressed by the bad boy army, he never felt like this. At that time, he was still full of fighting spirit."
"Do you two idiots have the right to pity him? His honor can crush you to death." Next to him, I thought of Larry Bird's voice that he didn't deserve a beating.
"Especially when there are people who are empty-handed." Magic Johnson's even more unbeatable voice sounded.
The veins on Dameng's forehead almost exploded. He glared at the Magician fiercely and said angrily: "Erwin, don't even think about getting old K to the Lakers. The Suns will not let him go. The finals are consecutive.
50. Do you think the Suns management are all fools?
Old K won't go either. He will win the second championship soon. He will win another championship in the future. With the three championships in hand, he will personally build his home team into a giant. Phoenix will definitely erect a statue for him. It is better than going to the Lakers to continue your glory.
Too much."
Magic Johnson's face twitched. This old bastard seems to have a point. Should he suggest that the management get O'Neal?
At this time, some reporters came over to interview several people, and they readily accepted the interview.
"Larry, do you think it's possible for the Bulls to make a comeback?" a reporter asked.
Hearing this question, Larry Bird couldn't help but laugh, and then said: "In this finals, God is wearing jersey No. 33, and he is playing as the center of the Suns."
"oh!"
Those who heard it immediately exclaimed.
"So Larry, do you think the Bulls have a chance of avoiding a sweep?" another reporter asked hastily.
Larry Bird thought for a moment before answering this question, and then said: "It depends on the opportunity. After all, it is Michael's team, and he has the ability to win from this Suns team."
"What opportunity are you referring to?" the reporter asked.
Larry Bird said seriously: "Comparing the lineups of the Suns and the Bulls, of course they are stronger, but what is the key to victory?
As for the inside line, in front of Old K, the Bulls' inside line can only be described as bad. This is the most important point of victory, but it is not the key point.
If the Bulls had faced the Suns instead of the Mosaics in the Finals last year, even without the glider, the Bulls would have had to work hard to beat the Suns.
Of course, we should still be able to win, because Jordan and Pippen should be able to lock down the Lightning, and Old K is not as strong as he is now.
But this year the Suns have an extra glider. This is a change, the most critical point. The Bulls can no longer lock down the Lightning. He has a helper.
The opportunity I'm talking about is that unless the Suns have problems on the outside, such as injuries, cold hands, etc., it will be difficult for the Bulls not to be swept."
"Why don't you think the Suns will have injuries inside the team?" the reporter asked again.
Larry Bird smiled and said: "Because Old K has never been injured in the past three seasons, the possibility of injuries this time is also the smallest.
And I don’t consider his touch problem. If the Bulls hurt another meat shield tonight, who can stop him from attacking the basket in the next game? He doesn’t need the touch at all, he can just put the ball into the basket.”
Over there, a reporter asked Barkley: "Charles, do you think Michael will be swept?"
Barkley couldn't help but glanced in the direction of Jordan, and there was no one there. He looked at the Bulls' bench again, and there was no one either. He shook his head and said: "With the current state of the Suns and the current state of Old K,
I’m afraid it’s difficult, Old K probably won’t let go of the opportunity to sweep the Bulls and sweep Michael.”
"If the Suns sweep the Bulls, do you think this team will be the best team in history?" The reporter asked again.
There was a look of envy in Barkley's eyes, and he shook his head and smiled: "Last season, the Bulls had the best regular season record in history with 72 wins and 10, and they are already known as the best team in history, and their lineup this year has not changed much.
, and some enhancements have been made.
Therefore, the Suns can now be called the strongest team, because the Bulls have no chance of comeback, and this Suns team does not need to sweep the Bulls to be considered the strongest team in history."
Dameng and others beside him couldn't help but nodded, agreeing with Buckley's statement.
O'Neal muttered: "But the Suns' regular season record did not exceed the Bulls' record last season."
Everyone couldn't help but nod, and Magic Johnson said: "This may be the only flaw."
But he paused and added: "It's just that if the Suns complete a four-round sweep and win the championship, then I think they will undoubtedly be the strongest in history."
As soon as this was said, everyone couldn't help but nod, and even O'Neal had nothing to say.
On the sidelines, after Wang Tiejun celebrated with everyone, he also began to accept on-site interviews.
"Old K, congratulations on winning the G3 battle."
"Thanks."
"The Bulls have another injury inside, and now you have an even greater advantage inside. So in the next G4 game, will you really sweep the Bulls?"
Lao Wang smiled and said: "There is no doubt that I will not be merciful, because the best way to respect your opponents is to do your best to destroy them and defeat them, and the Bulls are the opponents we should respect."
When all the reporters around heard this, their eyes shrank.
They felt a great cold cruelty, the feeling of wanting to trample their opponents on the floor and turn them into ashes, which made their hearts tremble slightly.
They looked at Wang Tiejun's smiling face and his teeth that glowed white from time to time, as if they saw a ferocious beast biting and devouring his prey.
"Old K, just now Barkley said that you are already the strongest team in NBA history. What do you think?" a reporter asked.
When Lao Wang heard this, he immediately laughed and said with a smile on his face: "Really? If I say no, wouldn't that mean I'm not giving Charles face? Well, I'll give him face. What he said is right. We
This year is the strongest team in history.”
"Hey, old K, Erwin said that if we can win the championship in four rounds, we will be the strongest team."
At this time, Barkley and his group finished the interview and came over. After hearing these words, Dameng said loudly.
When Lao Wang heard this, he said without thinking: "Then sweep them away."
After saying this, he shouted to his teammates who were being interviewed not far away: "Brothers, sweep the Bulls and we will ascend to the throne of the strongest team in history."
"Sweep them!"
Lightning and others shouted excitedly.
"Sweeping bull...ouch!"
The glider Drexler was the most excited, his teeth were chattering, and he accidentally bit his tongue when he shouted excitedly, which caused tears to flow from his eyes.
"Sweep the bull! Sweep the bull..."
Countless Suns fans who were still lingering in the arena cheered.
After the interview ended, Wang Tiejun and Yu Feihong said a few words, and after saying hello, they went back to the locker room with their teammates.
In the visiting team's locker room, it was a June day. The air conditioner seemed to be turned on too high, the atmosphere was as cold as ice, and no one spoke.
Outside, general manager Jerry Krause had no idea of going in. He didn't want to face Jordan's face at this time.
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf stood aside, also not wanting to go in.
"Jerry..."
Klaus signaled, and the two walked to the other end of the corridor and started talking.
"Jerry, I..."
Klaus hesitated for a moment, then said: "I want to dismantle this team."
"What?"
Jerry Reinsdorf was startled and felt a little dazed. Is this team, which was known as the strongest team in history last season, about to be dismantled?
"Jerry, what exactly do you have in mind?"
But he trusted Klaus' ability and asked after forcing himself to calm down.
After sorting out his thoughts, Krause said: "We successfully won three championships by building a strong outside force, but times are different now. The dominance of giants like Old K in the low post is too strong and has completely
Exceeding the three super centers has completely eliminated our advantage on the outside. If we do not build a strong inside lineup in a targeted manner, we will lose our competitiveness for the championship."
Jerry Reinsdorf frowned and asked: "Can't we just strengthen the inside line?"
Jerry Krause sighed: "We don't have any good picks at all, so we can only dismantle this lineup and trade. If we want to get a center that can compete with the old K, it is impossible without enough chips. Small vs. small."
It's impossible to make a fuss. And we don't have much time left. Michael is not young and his contract expires next year. Before then, we must complete the reconstruction as soon as possible."
Jerry Reinsdorf couldn't help but nodded, as if that was indeed the case.
Klaus added: "My idea for team building is to build a dual core, both internal and external..."
Having said this, the door to the locker room opened and Phil Jackson walked out.
He really couldn't stand the cold atmosphere inside, and Jordan's way of going crazy but refusing to say a word made him unable to stay any longer, so he just came out to breathe.
"Phil, come here."
After Jerry Reinsdorf saw it, he said hello, and Phil Jackson hurriedly walked over.
Krause actually doesn't want to talk to Phil Jackson about rebuilding the team now, or even reveal the news.
Although he was the one who brought Phil Jackson to the Bulls as an assistant coach, and he was the one who promoted him to the position of head coach, as the team has continued to win championships in the past two years, Phil Jackson has demanded more and more power.
Interfering with the scope of authority of the general manager, the relationship between the two is no longer good, and there are many gaps.
Moreover, the relationship between him and Jordan has always been very bad, and Phil Jackson and Jordan are on the same team. If the news of the reconstruction is revealed to Phil Jackson now, Jordan will definitely know about it soon. He cannot predict Jordan's reaction after knowing it.
But the boss spoke, and he couldn't object, so he could only nod towards Phil Jackson who came over.
Jerry Reinsdorf glanced at Krause and said to Phil Jackson: "Phil, Jerry said he wants to rebuild the team, and you should listen to his ideas."
Of course he is aware of some contradictions and conflicts among his subordinates, but as the boss, the team is likely to be swept away. He urgently hopes that his subordinates can work together as a team. At this time, he can no longer control their contradictions. Who dares to influence
Team, he won't be polite.
"What?"
Just like Jerry Reinsdorf's reaction just now, Phil Jackson was also startled when he heard this sentence.
"Is this going to be rebuilt?"
His mind suddenly wandered, as if he had seen the glory of defeating Mosaic and winning the championship last season.
Krause coughed and had no choice but to continue: "My idea is to build an internal and external core. Only with this lineup can we have the possibility to fight against the Suns."
"Dual-core inside and outside?"
Phil Jackson quickly calmed down. If the boss decides to rebuild, he must get involved and seek the best interests.
Now the team may be swept, and even if it is not swept, there is no hope of a comeback. I'm afraid Michael also supports the rebuilding of the team?
If it were in the past, when Michael was still young, he might not support reconstruction and would continue to wait for the team to slowly strengthen. But now that he is 32 years old, he no longer has time to wait for gradual reinforcement, so he should support it.
of.
At this time, Klaus continued: "With Jordan as the core on the outside, this is unchangeable. On the inside, I hope to trade for a super center, or someone of a similar level. In other positions, there will be a few good main players.
players.”
Phil Jackson shook his head and said: "It's difficult. There are just a few. It's impossible for the three super centers to leave the team, right? O'Neal still has one year of contract, and the possibility of Old K leaving the Suns is very small. And, Mr. Krause, have you considered it?
Is there cap space? Do you expect them to take a salary cut and join the Bulls?"
Jerry Reinsdorf couldn't help but nod.
The current salary of this lineup is not bad, because Jordan only has an annual salary of 4 million, and Pippen is even lower, but it definitely cannot accommodate a super center. If there is no space, he cannot be signed.
If you want to sign a free agent, you must consider salary space. If you exceed the salary cap, you cannot sign.
(The NBA currently does not have a luxury tax. It only started in 1999. Now you cannot sign a contract if it exceeds the salary cap. There is no limit on the player's maximum salary, but the team's salary cap cannot be exceeded.)
When it comes to salary, he can't help but think of Jordan.
Jordan only has one year left on his contract and has no intention of renewing it in advance. What kind of contract will he give Jordan this time next year?
He had a conversation with David Frank before, and Frank made it clear that Jordan's annual salary in his next contract could not be less than 20 million.
This is a bit high. On average, Ewing's contract is only 10 million a year.
If the last dynasty that won three consecutive championships, Jordan was worth 20 million, but failed to win, such a high contract would be a bit artificially high.
It's not that he is unwilling to give up. With Jordan's influence, as long as he stays, he can earn back the ticket money and peripherals every year.
But in addition to this contract, he also needs to ensure that he builds a lineup with championship competitiveness. This is the key point.
When he thought about this, he couldn't help but have a headache, because his annual salary was tens of millions of dollars, which was heartbreaking!
There is no need to consider the salary cap when signing Jordan, because the Bulls have Jordan's Bird Rights and can extend the contract beyond the cap. As long as he can afford it, he can pay as much as he wants.
If other teams want to grab Jordan, it won't be that easy, because they don't have Jordan's Bird Rights. If they want to sign Jordan, they can't exceed the salary cap.
However, it is not ruled out that some teams will use other methods to make up for the shortcomings of the contract, and he must guard against this.
At this time, Krause said: "The Knicks just extended Ewing's contract for two years. Next year, it will be more than 18 million, but only 3 million in the second year. Why is this? I think they are playing with Jordan's ideas."
"What?"
Jerry Reinsdorf was stunned, and then angry. Those bastards from the Knicks actually dared to take advantage of Michael?
The reason why his Bulls can make a lot of money is because of Jordan. Without Jordan, how much value would the Bulls have left?
Phil Jackson frowned, glanced at Klaus, and couldn't help but admire his keen thinking.
He naturally knew the Knicks' intentions. Jordan told him that the Knicks wanted to recruit him to New York.
Klaus observed the reaction of the two and then continued: "So we have no time, we must start rebuilding the team immediately, otherwise we are likely to lose Jordan this time next year."
Jerry Reinsdorf nodded repeatedly. At this time, he no longer had any objections in his heart. Reconstruction was inevitable.
As for how to renew Jordan's contract next year, the worst he can do is give him an annual salary of 20 million, but this is also his bottom line and cannot be more.
"Jerry, who exactly do you want to recruit? Is it possible for Old K? Didn't you just want to get him here before?" he asked hurriedly.
Klaus shook his head regretfully and said: "The contract I gave was too small at that time, and I underestimated Mr. Colangelo's courage."
Having said this, he calmed down and said: "Old K should be able to skip the last year of his contract this time, and Colangelo should also be more courageous. The possibility of us recruiting Old K is not high.
.
Old K played for the Suns for three years. After he became a free agent, the Suns had his Bird Rights. As long as Colon Grocken gave him, he could get any contract, but we couldn't.
Unless we compensate for the shortcomings of the contract in other ways, and you, the boss, offer Old K a super-big contract that he is satisfied with and Colangelo cannot accept."
Reinsdorf quickly shook his head. Jordan's contract next year will cause him to bleed a lot. If he brings another old K, he must not go bankrupt? He wants to make money with the Bulls, not to go bankrupt.
Krause continued: "In addition, next season we will face more than one Suns team. Even like the 1993/94 season, our main opponent is likely to become the Mosaic team again."
"You mean Drexler?" Phil Jackson also had some information of his own and asked sensitively.
Nodding, Klaus said: "Dameng recruited Glider many times. During the last trade, Mosaic also participated in the transaction. In the end, the Suns succeeded. This also made this Suns team a success. Otherwise, we would not have lost to them."
."
The other two couldn't help but nodded repeatedly. If the Suns didn't have gliders, their outside strength would be reduced by half and it would be impossible to compete with Jordan Pippen. Then they would most likely be able to successfully defend their title. Thinking of this, they all sighed in unison.
Klaus said: "Drexler's contract will end when it is over, and the Suns have renewed K's contract, so there is no room for him, so it should be a foregone conclusion that he will leave the Suns. So where will he go?
One target is his hometown of Houston."
"We can't let him go back to Houston." Phil Jackson reacted instinctively.
Klaus glanced at Jackson, feeling that heroes saw something similar, but this was also what annoyed him, because Jackson was trying to seize his power.
After letting go of this thought, he nodded and said: "We really have to prevent him from returning to Houston. If Houston can't get the glider, then Da Meng may go crazy. He is not young. If he doesn't win the championship, he will have no chance."
“Trading dream?”
Phil Jackson and Jerry Reinsdorf were in high spirits at the same time.
Krause showed a fox-like smile on his face and said: "Yes, if we prevent the glider from returning to Houston, we will have a chance to trade the big dream.
Dameng, like Jordan, still has one year of contract left, and it seems to be US$5.3 million next season. After we clean up the inside, we will have salary space to accommodate him next season."
"Then what kind of contract extension are you going to give him? You know we have to renew Michael next year. There is no big space left for him. We don't have his bird rights." Jerry Reinsdorf reminded.
road.
Nodding, Klaus only thought about next season's issues. There are still other issues that need to be considered. If you don't think about it clearly, you won't be able to convince Dameng to join the Bulls.
Dameng almost fled Houston in 1992 because of contract issues. He definitely wanted a big contract. If he didn't agree to a big contract, he wouldn't come.
He had thought that Dameng would take a salary cut and renew his contract because of the championship. If that were the case, it would be perfect. He just needed to contact Dameng's agent to find out if it was possible.
The three of them communicated together for a while, and then Phil Jackson returned to the locker room.
He still has a press conference to prepare for. The Bulls are about to be swept. Tonight's press conference will be a difficulty for him.
"Jerry, you want to trade Pippen for Dream?" Jerry Reinsdorf asked immediately after Jackson left.
Klaus nodded and said: "Jerry, we have no other bargaining chips. The future first-round picks, Pippen, Clifford Robinson, Kukoc, anyway, except Jordan, everyone else needs to be our bargaining chip."
Jerry Reinsdorf sighed and said nothing more.
His mind is very messed up. Things like reconstruction and Jordan's contract extension next year will be very difficult for him in the past two years. In short, in order to build a championship lineup, he must be prepared to bleed a lot, otherwise he will not be able to keep Jordan.
