MTL - The Rest, Only Noise-Chapter 25 New Era
The negotiation between the Celtics and Bird was a protracted battle.
They have plenty of time to spar before the draft begins.
Bird's agent, Wolff, wanted to get him the biggest fat contract in league history, and Auerbach wanted to sign him without paying such a large sum of money, and at the same time, he couldn't insult Bird, He said in the press that Bird hasn't scored a point in the NBA and he can't give that price without proving himself.
Does this mean that the future can be expected?
Having said that, Bird's demand for a million-dollar salary has damaged his personal image.
"The Boston Globe" included a cartoon with a picture of the cartoon character "Big Bird" with Bird's head on his head and two bags of money at his feet, with the headline "He didn't even play a game."
Whether it was the scoops that Louie continued to give reporters or Auerbach's use of media power to put pressure on Wolff and his camp.
Shortly after, Wolfe held a news conference in which he claimed he and his family had been harassed on the street and in the workplace because of Auerbach, whom he called a "dictator." He accused the latter of putting extra psychological pressure on him and his family, and warned that if the intimidation continued, he would lodge a complaint with the league and the players' union.
In May, boss Harry Mandrian acted as a peacemaker, easing the relationship. He had previously promised to sign Bird, even if he needed to raise money for it.
Soon the two sides began to take a middle ground, eventually reaching an agreement in principle.
Bird can't accept 300,000 annual salary, and Auerbach can't meet his dream of a million annual salary. The two sides took an intermediate value.
The annual salary of 650,000 is not the largest contract in NBA history, but it is the largest contract signed by all rookies who have entered the league in history.
On the day the two parties were to complete the signing, Louis was on the scene, and Auerbach intended him to be involved in these internal affairs.
This is far more than the treatment of a senior scout.
And Louis was very interested in this. Although he was one of the helmsmen behind the scenes before the crossing, he was only doing scouting work. Negotiations and coaching were far away from him, and no one would ask him to do these things.
Suddenly, he had the opportunity to step into areas he had never known before.
There are many people in the office, in addition to those from the Bird camp, the Celtics include Auerbach, deputy general manager Jane Walker, and owner Mandrian. In comparison, Louis is a small figure.
The annual salary of 650,000 has reached Bird's acceptable sideline, and the two sides have no problem with numbers.
Next, Bird's agent Wolff pulled out a list, declaring, "These additional terms must be added to the contract as well."
Auerbach was very impatient, he didn't know what demon the other party was going to do.
"Tell me about it." Auerbach said angrily.
It seems that Wolff saw this list for the first time. He took a careful look at it and confirmed that there were no obvious violations before he dared to read it out.
Louie's attention to this detail suggests that the additional terms were requested by Bird himself.
Moreover, it is likely to be temporary.
What legitimate advice could this hillbilly from Frenchrick have?
As far as Louie was concerned, the magical light that Bird had cast on him in his previous life was fading. 99% of Chinese fans haven't watched Bird's games and don't know his past, but they basically know the story of him playing 13 on the court. This adds some divine light to him.
That thing is called brute force.
He is very high in the eyes of fans. In this negotiation that lasted for two months, he basically did not make a sound, and maintained a sense of mystery in front of Louis, the transmigrator.
Without this list...
Wolf read aloud: "Whenever Larry's family wants to be there to watch him play, the Celtics have to pay for their airfare, lodging, and three meals a day."
Louis could feel that the atmosphere in the office changed after the guy said the first sentence.
It's not the kind of solemnity that "good guy, you really dare to speak up", but the helplessness of "you've been making trouble for a long time just to take advantage of this? That's all?"
A smile appeared on Mandrian's mouth.
Even Wolf felt that these proposals were ridiculous, and his breath was much weaker.
To be precise, it was the first time Louis observed this middle-aged white man's bald head for two months that his voice was so weak.
"If Larry decides to go back to Indiana to finish his studies, the Celtics will have to pay for his tuition." Wolff couldn't believe the words he saw. "It's important."
Louie felt his stomach twitch.
Someone was tickling him, and he had to control himself.
"The Celtics are going to provide him with a car for his travels."
"If he doesn't have the money to buy a house in the future, the Celtics will provide him with an interest-free loan."
Every time Wolfe recited a paragraph, Auerbach's mouth twitched once, his eyes were erratic, and he didn't know what he was doing.
The last request basically destroyed Louie's endurance.
"If he ends up making the All-Rookie Team, the Celtics will offer 10% of his annual salary as his bonus."
"Hahahaha~~~~~~"
Such a solemn and solemn thing could have such an oolong development.
Louie's laughter and Auerbach's anger happened almost at the same time.
"What's so funny?" Bird stared at Louie dissatisfied.
Louis clutched his stomach and tried to control himself.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it..." Louis struggled to control his smile, "Do you think that the person who made Reed pay the highest rookie salary in history can't make the best rookie team?"
Auerbach was overjoyed to see Bird's face red.
Louie spoke his heart, and that was what he just wanted to say.
What a **** bullshit!
Wolff was also ashamed, he felt it was wrong, but it was Bird's request and he had to do it.
Although Auerbach hated Wolff, he knew that this man was a decent person and could not do such a thing.
His eyes locked on Byrd and he said loudly, "Listen, Larry, I'm in this business. I'll give you as much as I think you're worth! I'm not playing tricks, I'm not going to try to cut it. You pay half the price, and then I will haggle with you. But I don't sell cars, I don't open a bank, I won't pay you tuition fees, and I won't sit here and watch the game with your family for 300 dollars. The dollar plane tickets are bullshit! You **** sign this contract now and you can get what you want! If you play well enough, you can earn more! Now I'm asking you if you sign it or not! A contract, I won't agree to this **** list!"
This is even more interesting than imagined. Watching a hall-level superstar with a tall image in memory make an oolong in order to take a small advantage, it is completely beyond Louis's imagination.
At the same time, this reminded Louis of the process of digging Zhou Qi from Liaoning for Xinjiang.
It's almost the same as today. Originally they didn't have any chance. Zhou Qi was from Henan, but he grew up in Liaoning, where he had his friends and mentors. His talent was blind to the eyes and he was destined to go to the NBA. . However, the senior members of the Liaoning Sports Bureau refused to even give his family a suite, and Zhou Qi signed a training contract with the sports school, and when it expires, he will be free, which gives them the opportunity to take advantage of it.
When Zhou Qi went to the United States for special training, Louis also rushed to the United States, opened a contract that could not be refused, and successfully stole the best post-90s generation in Chinese basketball into Xinjiang. And the reason for all this is just because Liaoning refused to give his family a house.
Compared with the NBA, the CBA has too many places to be unprofessional.
And now in 1979, the NBA also has a lot of unprofessionalism.
After Auerbach finished speaking, Bird looked at Wolff and nodded in agreement.
Louie's harsh laughter still seemed to be echoing in his mind. After signing the contract, he glared at Louie, then walked outside with a faint smile and announced the completion of the contract with the team.
A new era is coming.
Please ask for a ticket `~~~~
