As the NBA Christmas ga and the NFL regular season finale approach, the sports arena in North Arica has been bustling with activity, with hot topics changing rapidly every day.
Last night, the "Streak" and his teammates had an ’internal conflict’ causing the Magic Team to suddenly collapse in a bizarre defeat, their record was surpassed by the Bobcats, failing to hold the second spot in the East, while Zhang Yang scored over 40 points in a single ga... but that didn’t stay a hot topic for long, as it was overshadowed after the Bull Team vs. Mavericks ga ended.
Duncan shot 16 of 24 from the field and 10 of 15 from the free throw line, scoring 42 points, leading the Spurs to a narrow victory of 133-128 over the Mavericks in overti.
Since the Spurs’ record has been diocre, going 9-7 in the first month and just 15-11 after defeating the Mavericks, their presence hasn’t been felt much this season, but this ga allowed Duncan and the Spurs to steal so spotlight.
This was the first ti Duncan scored over 40 points in a ga in 5 years, the last being on December 5, 2003, against the Jazz Team when he dominated old Malone with 46 points.
Moreover, after this ga, Duncan’s average score rose to 21.5 points, a new high in four seasons. After the 04-05 season, his athletic ability was shattered by plantar fasciitis, and over the past three seasons, his average score had gradually declined, but this year he’s back on track!
The Spurs’ average score increasing to 102.8 points was also surprising. News articles note this as the highest in 13 seasons since the 95-96 season, accurately saying that the Spurs’ average score was below 100 in the past 12 seasons.
However, the heated discussion about Duncan and the Spurs’ offensive performance was limited to last night. Before it could fernt and spread, a new topic erged this morning—the weekend battles in the NFL impacting playoff berths.
Yet, Zhang Yang’s contract renewal with the Bobcats overshadowed the upcoming NFL weekend playoff race battles, and as soon as the news was announced, it quickly beca the focal point of discussion among sports fans.
The dia and fans have been following Zhang Yang’s renewal closely. Just in its second year, the Bobcats started turning a profit, the fastest among NBA teams to do so since revenue statistics have been kept, without exception.
Previously, the team that beca profitable the fastest after establishnt was the Magic Team, which turned a profit in its fifth season, 93-94, mainly because Jordan’s three-peat and the Dream Team expanded the NBA’s influence, leading to a significant increase in overall NBA revenue. The Magic Team had just ford the popular duo of O’Neal and Hardaway to capitalize on that era’s dividends.
Most teams with a short lifespan haven’t even been profitable, like the Grizzlies; the only profitable season in the Toronto Raptors’ history was the 00-01 season, the year after airman Carter beca a dunk legend in his most popular season.
The teams that applied to join the NBA in the mid-90s, hoping to ride the wave of the NBA’s revenue surge, joined just after those revenue spike periods ended.
When the Bobcats were established, the market environnt was actually worse than when the Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, and other teams were established. The US had just gone through the internet bubble, and the real estate bubble had also reached its peak. Fans’ assets were largely invested in the stock market and real estate, leading to significantly reduced disposable inco and spending on hobbies, leaving most teams, except for a few like the Knicks Team, Lakers, and Rockets, with stagnating or even declining revenue growth.
Actually, after completing its first season, the Bobcats’ market value plumted by a third, with the lowest TV ratings and second-lowest attendance...but in the second year, they grew against the trend and turned profitable, and in the third championship year, net profits surged into the top five in the league, all thanks to Zhang Yang!
Before Zhang Yang’s comrcial value was realized and the Bobcats’ market value was still declining, Jordan decisively bought the Bobcats for more than their market price, which was considered the best investnt in North Arican sports over the past 30 years.
The last ti there was an investnt as impressive was when the Buss Family bought the Lakers in 1979 for $67 million.
As for when Jas Dolan bought the Knicks for $30 million US dollars in 1997...in 1996, the Knicks were willing to offer Jordan a $30 million annual salary. That was really just shifting assets from one hand of the Dolan family’s company to another, as Dolan didn’t want other family mbers ddling with what he considered his ’big toy.’
A good number of netizens hope Zhang Yang wouldn’t want to play in a small city... they just want to see Jordan have bad luck, hoping that Jordan becos the next Aleksandar.
When the player is already a legend, and as an owner, wins the championship in the third year of the team’s establishnt, why so?
In the 06-07 season, the Rockets were out in the first round, but their net profit was higher than the champion Bobcats, ranking third in the league. The market value of the Rockets was also fifth in the league. After Yao Ming left last season, even though the Rockets’ profit remained considerable, it was solely supported by low salaries and unexpired brand sponsorships, and the market value dropped from fifth to seventeenth, and this season, they will inevitably experience another double decline.
However, to their disappointnt, Zhang Yang didn’t even test the free market and completed his renewal early, while Yao Ming listened to the Lakers’ offer in the sumr of 06.
Of course, the main topic surrounding this matter is related to the championship race. Felton had renewed his contract early last season, Okafor’s new contract is now in effect, and Zhang Yang has also renewed early. Including this season, the Bobcats are seen as a hot candidate for the next 4-5 championships...
While people were eagerly discussing this, Jordan was hosting a celebratory banquet at his mansion, the main guest being, of course, the cash cow Zhang Yang others were talking about.
Of course, Zhang Yang was not the only guest at the banquet; the entire team was there. Jordan not only celebrated Zhang Yang’s renewal but also threw a team party to celebrate Christmas early.
When Zhang Yang toasted Jordan, he saw that Jordan’s expression was a bit sour, and he joked, "Michael, you don’t seem very happy with my renewal. How about we tear up the contract and tell the dia it’s fake news, and I’ll test the free market next July?"
Jordan gave a cold shoulder shake and responded, "I’d love to do that. Anyway, I have the matching rights. When other teams offer you a maximum of 6 years, I can just match it. But Bernie and Rick were eager to finalize the renewal with you, so I had no choice but to sign my na on that damn contract."
Zhang Yang had already inford Tellem to discuss the renewal back in September, but it was Jordan who dragged his feet on signing!
The starting salary and raise, there’s no disagreent. Based on this season’s salary cap of $62.33 million, using the "bad boy privilege," calculated as a 7-year veteran, the starting salary occupies 30% of the salary cap, $18.7 million, with a 10% incrent growth as per the latest labor agreent for 7-year bird rights veterans.
It’s just that Zhang Yang wants a 3 1 totaling 4-year $86 million renewal contract, while Jordan wants to offer a 5 1 totaling 6-year $139 million contract.
Tellem and Jordan have talked many tis, but they still couldn’t agree. Jordan insists on offering the largest single contract in history, while Tellem insists on a short contract.
But the arm couldn’t twist the thigh, in this renewal negotiation, Zhang Yang is that thigh. Public opinion, managent, coaching staff, and even team mbers are all focused on Zhang Yang’s renewal, continuously pressuring Jordan, who eventually had to compromise.
Seeing Jordan still looking furious, Zhang Yang decisively took back what he just said, "I won’t tear up the contract. Next season’s salary cap is likely to shrink. Testing the free market, I’ll definitely earn a lot less money."
Not only the NBA, but North Arica’s four major sports leagues have seen salary caps shrinking over the years, which ans total revenue has declined.
The earliest occurrence was in the 04-05 season when inco growth in the four major leagues stagnated.
However, by the 06-07 season, while the total inco of the other three major leagues started to decrease, the NBA still saw a slight increase, which had sothing to do with Zhang Yang, but not too much. It was mainly due to Stern’s overseas market developnt plan.
By last season, the other three major leagues saw revenue fall by 5-10 percent due to the subpri crisis, and the salary caps fell accordingly. Yet NBA’s single-season revenue soared by 10.6%.
This ti Zhang Yang played a significant role, half because he led his team to a coback championship in the 06-07 season, and the other half due to Kidd, Kobe, Garnett forming the ’Three Giants,’ and Yao Ming joining the Chicago Bulls, which gave NBA last season’s revenue a shot of adrenaline.
But the market stimulus brought by the ’Snake,’ Yao, and the ’Three’ couldn’t be sustained. This year, the subpri crisis has fully erupted. Even with the Dream Team winning the Olympics and the Chinese n’s Basketball Team historically winning an Olympic dal, NBA’s various revenues have inevitably declined.
Next year’s salary cap definitely won’t be as high as this year’s. Keeping the $60 million mark would already count as a success.
Jordan naturally understands this, but he doesn’t care that much. The Bobcats’ revenues have increased this year, as have those of the Lakers, Knicks Team, and Chicago Bulls.
After complaining, Jordan wondered, "You know the salary cap will shrink, and you can see that its growth in the next few years isn’t optimistic. In 3 or 4 years when you renegotiate, the starting salary certainly won’t reach the 4th or 5th year of this contract, like Garnett in 2004. So why don’t you sign for two more years? Do you really plan to leave after the second contract?"
Zhang Yang pondered and replied, "Having a private chat with you, Michael, I won’t play riddles. It’s not that I want to leave. I just want more control. And for the salary, of course, I’d be happy to earn more, but compared to having autonomy over myself, it’s not as important. As long as my salary is a maximum salary, and it maintains face. You know very well, the team’s salary isn’t my main inco."
When Jordan heard this, the corner of his mouth twitched. This guy’s biggest inco outside the court is from sneaker endorsents, and it’s his own brand, which is like him digging a small pit for himself.
Zhang Yang continued, "And isn’t a new labor agreent supposed to be signed in 2011? By then, my contract will just have finished its second year. Theoretically, I could beco a free agent in just one year. I guess the other teams will definitely unite to trouble you, making it harder for to renew with the team, like setting a clause allowing to earn a higher salary."
Jordan hadn’t thought of this issue before. Hearing Zhang Yang ntion it suddenly made him feel a little stressed. He felt like this might indeed happen!
He asked in a negative tone, "In your opinion, am I that hated?"
Zhang Yang: "Be confident, don’t doubt yourself. During your playing days, the star players under those team owners couldn’t beat you. Now that you’ve beco an owner, they find they still can’t beat you. Of course, they will target you hard."
This bit of teasing actually improved Jordan’s mood a lot.
He asked again, "Since you don’t plan to leave, and I can’t possibly trade you, what’s the point of needing authority?"
Zhang Yang: "What if one day you sell the team? Judging by your expression, I’m right, aren’t I? You must be planning to sell the team before I leave to maximize your benefits. If I leave, the value of the team would drop by at least half."
Jordan: "..."
Zhang Yang: "Don’t worry, I’ll definitely let you know in advance before I leave, helping you dupe so buyers... However, I won’t be leaving any ti soon. There is still sothing I need to accomplish for the fans of this team and this city."
Jordan couldn’t hide his embarrassnt over his little strategy being exposed and asked curiously, "What is it?"
Zhang Yang: "It’s about my basketball dreams."
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