At this time, far away in Los Angeles, Lakers owner Jerry Buss was on the phone at his home.
He called general manager Jerry West and said: "Jerry, I think it's time. Contact O'Neal's agent. We will initiate a transaction immediately. The entire Lakers team is a bargaining chip."
"Okay, Jerry."
West on the opposite side was not surprised at all. This was something the two of them had discussed long ago.
The two have two plans. The first one is the best. After O'Neal's contract ends and he becomes a free agent, the Lakers offer a 100 million yuan contract, plus the huge attraction of Los Angeles and the Lakers, they can directly bring O'Neal.
Going to Los Angeles, with the Magic's consistent performance against O'Neal, they will definitely not be able to match the contract.
The second plan is the current situation. The Magic has obvious internal strife. In order to prevent other teams from attacking O'Neal, the Lakers must take the lead.
Although this plan will cost a lot, if we can get a giant beast that can compete with Lao K, then all the costs will be worth it.
At the same time, Miami, Pat Riley is also making final considerations, should he keep Alonzo Mourning, who was just traded, or trade Mourning for O'Neal?
"Do it!"
In fact, he didn't need to think too much. He quickly made up his mind. Although Mourning was good, who would want Mourning with O'Neal?
Instead of giving Mourning a 100 million yuan contract, it is better to give O'Neal. This choice is not difficult.
…
Soon, Magic general manager Pat Williams, who was still at the American West Arena, received a call from Jerry West.
When he saw the number, he knew what the other party's purpose was, and strangely, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had not yet made up his mind, but at this moment, under the influence of external forces, he actually decided.
"Hello, Jerry."
"Hello, dear Pat, good evening."
The two exchanged pleasantries on the phone, and Pat Williams said impatiently: "Okay, Jerry, just tell me what your purpose is."
"readily!"
After complimenting him, West immediately said: "Give me O'Neal, whatever you want, the Lakers have it, just take it."
At this time, the cell phone of the assistant next to him rang. He walked to the side and answered it. It turned out to be Pat Riley. He immediately said a few words to the other party, then came to Williams' side and whispered: "Mr.
, Pat Riley is willing to use Mourning as the main coordinator in exchange for Shaq."
Williams was startled. The call came so quickly. Pat Riley also wanted to take advantage of it?
However, Mourning had been having conflicts with Larry Johnson in the Hornets. He was not a good guy and had a much worse temper than O'Neal. He also demanded a 100 million yuan contract, but the Hornets were unable to offer a second 100 million yuan contract before letting him go.
Now that the Magic want to trade him, they can't offer him such a big contract. If they can offer him, then why trade O'Neal?
So at the first opportunity, he ruled out the possibility of a trade with the Heat. Pat Riley couldn't deceive him.
"Reject him, we have no room for Mourning." He briefly ordered.
Miami's Pat Riley was a little disappointed, but he just gave it a try to see if the Magic management's brain was broken. Looking at it now, it's not completely broken.
Next, Pat Williams began discussing trade chips with Jerry West.
The Lakers' lineup is still good. They have actor Divac and Elden Campbell on the inside, both of whom are good. They have Ceballos and Eddie Jones on the outside, and Nick Van Exel at the first position. These are the main bargaining chips.
But the Magic can't ask for them all, because the Lakers can't really give them all to the Magic, and the Magic's salary space can't accommodate them.
The two talked for a while, and then ended the phone call. Magic still had to think carefully about the next step, but it was not done for a while. There was still time before the transaction window closed, leaving room for regrets.
…
With 31 wins and 3 losses, the Suns are alone in first place in the Western Conference. The second-placed Spurs have already won 5 games, and the Jazz have won 6 games. The Big Three have suffered from injuries one after another, and have lost consecutive games in recent games. This is not the case.
Very good, ranked fourth.
In the Eastern Conference, the Bulls had 32 wins and 3 losses before this, ranking first in the league with one more game than the Suns.
The Magic are second in the Eastern Conference. They lost tonight's game and are 6 games behind the Bulls. The Pacers and Cavaliers behind them are even further behind.
As the regular season progresses, the two teams from the East and West begin to show their dominance.
It's just that the Suns have a lot of injuries and the main lineup is also weak. The media generally believes that their strength cannot last long. Once K's physical reserves are consumed too much, the record will definitely decline, and it will even affect the playoffs.
Some media even believe that the Suns have given up on the playoffs and will try their best in the regular season for the sake of Old K's desire to win the MVP award.
Although the Bulls also suffered some injuries, Jordan and Pippen were in good condition and rarely missed games. Only Rodman among the main players suffered injuries. The media basically believed that they could continue to be strong and even have a chance to break 93/9.
A record of 72 wins in the 1994 season.
The regular season continues, and Wang Tiejun is also struggling to persevere, trying his best to maintain the record before the lightning comeback.
After the Suns defeated the Magic, they defeated the Trail Blazers on the road, and then returned to home and defeated the Kings again, starting an eight-game road trip.
They lost the first game against the Pacers and suffered their fourth defeat of the season.
Reggie Miller exploded with three-pointers, making 6 of 8 shots. He scored 40 points with a shooting percentage of 75%. He defeated the Suns with an extremely efficient performance.
Wang Tiejun was also tired. He was in poor condition in this game, was unable to attack, and his shooting touch was not good. He made as many as 5 turnovers and only scored 31 points and 13 rebounds.
But then the Lightning returned from injury, the Suns' main lineup was restored, and they won consecutive games against the Timberwolves and Bucks, achieving a record of 35 wins and 4 losses, still ranking first in the Western Conference.
At four o'clock in the afternoon on January 27, the Suns arrived in Chicago.
Previously, the Bulls had 37 wins and 3 losses, one more game than the Suns, and ranked first in the league.
Therefore, this away game is very important to the Suns and Lao Wang. If we can win it, we will lose the same game. With one less game, we will only be one win short of it, and we will hopefully catch up.
At the request of the media, the Suns held a press conference in the hotel at five o'clock.
A reporter from Chicago Sports News asked: "Old K, although the Suns' current record looks very good, when facing strong teams, their performance is average and they can only beat weak teams.
For example, the Magic, when O'Neal was on the court, the Suns fell behind, which shows that the Suns can only win the Magic without O'Neal.
Another example is Mosaic. When the Big Three are in good condition and the Suns are defeated by a big score, you can only defeat the three Big Three who have diarrhea.
So what do you think about this issue? Do you think the Suns are only a strong team in the regular season, not a strong team in the playoffs?"
"Let us let the data speak for itself." Lao Wang said disdainfully.
The reporter was speechless. Aren’t rogue methods exclusive to us? How could you use them?
"Old K, you swept the Bulls in the finals, so how confident are you that you can win the current Bulls in tomorrow's game?" a reporter from the New York Times asked.
"With one more Rodman, can the Bulls win?"
Anyway, regardless of whether you can win or not, you can't lose in a quarrel, Lao Wang said with a chuckle.
The reporter reminded with a smile: "It is true that they only have one more Rodman, but you are missing two generals, Dan Malley and Drexler."
"So what? We are still number one in the Western Conference."
There was a fighting spirit in Lao Wang's eyes and he said seriously: "If the bulls want to defeat us, it depends on whether their bones are hard enough and their teeth are sharp enough."
"hiss!"
As soon as these words came out, a large number of local reporters gasped and started talking.
"Is this old guy going crazy again? How many big men did the Bulls suffer under him in the finals? It's just the regular season now, is there any need for this?"
"He wants to compete for MVP, but the lineup is not strong. How can he get it without going crazy?"
"It's not cost-effective. If two of them are injured by him, we will be in big trouble. The Suns may not have a chance to reach the finals. There is no need for us to fight them to the death in the regular season."
At this time, in the locker room of the Bulls headquarters training base, a group of players had just finished their afternoon training and had just returned to the locker room.
The TV on the wall was on, and the channel was Chicago TV, which happened to be the news of the Suns' press conference.
When more than a dozen players saw this, the outside players were fine, but the inside players suddenly changed their expressions.
Their expressions really changed, because Wang Tiejun's words instantly made them seem to have returned to the finals half a year ago, the finals that were brutally dominated by Old K. How many ribs did they break in total? After playing four finals
, how many of them are lying in the hospital? How many of them are still standing?
Two, six insiders, four went to the hospital, but the last two were still standing and walking off the court.
Now when they hear Old K's name, they feel cold in their hearts and cannot feel the will to fight. Old K's name seems to have become a taboo in their hearts.
But now, they have to face that ferocious beast again.
"Michael, what do you think?" Phil Jackson asked at this time.
Jordan stared at Wang Tiejun on the TV with sharp eyes, but did not answer immediately.
Pippen, who was next to him, said: "This guy is serious. He hasn't won the MVP yet. It will be difficult for the Suns to compete for the championship this season. He is determined to fight in the regular season. We really don't have to fight him in the regular season."
.”
Jordan immediately turned to look at Pippen, his sharp eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Pi Laoer immediately shut his mouth, for fear of angering the tyrant.
"Michael?" Phil Jackson asked again.
Only then did Jordan speak: "I'm afraid those three old guys from Mosaic won't be able to do much. They are suffering from injuries one after another. We must be prepared to face Old K again in the finals."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the locker room looked bad.
Especially for several insiders, huge pressure instantly hit their hearts, making them unable to breathe smoothly and under great pressure.
Jordan originally wanted to say that since there is a possibility of meeting Old K again in the finals, he should try the strength of this Suns team now, but at this time he noticed that the atmosphere in the locker room was not right, and the faces of several inside teammates changed.
, they immediately realized that before Old K appeared in front of them, his name alone had already formed a psychological suppression on his teammates.
At this time, his heart was also raised and he felt bad.
If the inside players are timid in front of Old K, no matter how strong they are on the outside, they can't do it. What should we do?
At this time, Phil Jackson analyzed: "You can't underestimate the Big Three. The Mosaic team may be holding back. Dreams have always had few injuries. This season is just about halfway and has already been out for eight games. Barkley's
The injury may be real, but it may not be that serious. He rested more. Drexler, on the other hand, seldom took a truce in the past. This time he was really injured, and the injury was a bit severe."
When he said this, Jordan also thought it was reasonable and nodded: "Three old and cunning guys, you really need to be careful."
But in this way, he felt great pressure, because if the Big Three can stay healthy, such a strong lineup will be even more difficult to handle than the Suns.
…
At five o'clock in the afternoon, ESPN's NBA channel's five o'clock news suddenly broke a big news, which shocked the league.
"Yes, I received inside information that the Magic are making a big trade with the Lakers for Shaquille O'Neal..."
The reporter who broke the news is named Rock Hanks. He is a senior NBA reporter from ESPN and has a wide network of contacts. His news is about the Magic.
"Who did it?"
At Magic headquarters, general manager Pat Williams was furious when he saw the news.
The Lakers were even more angry. Boss Buss and general manager West were furious. The latter immediately called Williams and demanded that the deal be finalized immediately to prevent changes.
…
At this time, in New York, NBA headquarters, David Stern was in his president's office, thinking about the feasibility and changes brought about by the O'Neal trade.
There is no doubt that he supports O'Neal leaving Orlando. Orlando has Jordan's successor Hardaway, whose commercial value is very high, and there are no problems in the ball market. Since O'Neal cannot be retained, then O'Neal can go to another big city.
What he has to consider is whether O'Neal should stay in the East or go to the West, which one is more beneficial to the development of the league? He has to achieve a balance in this.
If it were an ordinary superstar, he wouldn't waste this brain cell, but O'Neal is not. He is the only beast that can compete with Old K, so his whereabouts are particularly important.
If you stay in the East, of course you will go to a big-city team. Only in this way can you help the ball market grow.
The Bulls, Jordan and O'Neal can easily complete a dynasty, but it is no longer possible. There is no space at all, and they can easily create a dynasty with a strong lineup. That dynasty has little value and cannot reflect the greatness and power of a superstar.
Only a dynasty built through thorns can be the glory that people look up to.
For the Knicks, if Ewing and O'Neal are swapped, that's fine. Ewing is a bit old, and this team needs a super center to take over in order to keep the team afloat.
Thinking of the Knicks, he felt a little regretful. This team had spent a lot of effort on him, but it had never been able to break out of the Eastern Conference. However, it did not disappoint him either. The Knicks now firmly ranked first in the league, bringing great benefits to the league.
big benefits.
In addition, Philadelphia, which failed to rebuild in the past few years, can also do it. There is enough space and ball market to accommodate a giant beast.
After much deliberation, he decided that these teams were suitable.
As for the West, the Lakers are of course the most suitable. If you want to go there, of course go to Los Angeles. Both the market and the team's salary space are the most suitable.
Staying in the East will hinder Jordan, because Jordan is still in his prime. With the Bulls' current lineup, there is still a chance to create a dynasty. So let O'Neal go to the West?
When Stern thought of this, he couldn't help but think of the Suns' tyranny in sweeping the Bulls last season.
The Suns are in the process of rebuilding, but this season, with an ordinary lineup, Old K actually reached first place in the Western Conference, and even tied for first place in the league with the Bulls. This shows that its strength has reached a point where it has to be limited.
Most of the big bosses require the league to introduce restrictive rules.
Moreover, the Suns have three first-round picks in 1996, namely the Hornets and Cavaliers, as well as the Suns' own. Once the draft is successful, in the next five to seven years, if Old K can stay healthy, there is no doubt that
The Suns will dominate the league.
Thinking of this, he felt a little regretful that Old K actually chose to renew his contract with the Suns. The Phoenix market was still too small. If he went to the Lakers, he would definitely support it with both hands.
"Just stay in the east."
At this time, he made the decision to let O'Neal stay in the East.
Jordan should be able to hold on for a few more years, and O'Neal's team can just use this time to complete the lineup construction. After Jordan gets old, O'Neal and Old K will compete again, and then a pattern of two behemoths competing for hegemony will be formed.
, so as not to destroy the balance of the alliance.
Thinking of this, he hopes that the Magic will trade O'Neal now, because the trade window is about to close. If O'Neal does not leave the Magic this season and enters the free market as a free agent as soon as the contract is over, it will be very difficult for him to interfere.
.
"Didn't Nelson say that he hoped to trade Ewing for O'Neal?"
He suddenly thought of the news. After Pat Riley left, Nelson took over. Of course, his idea aroused some public opinion, but now that he thinks about it, it is a very good idea.
