The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1620 - 1: Troubled Waters

Under the new labor agreement, there will be more stable salary income, simpler and clearer standard contracts, a standardized rookie contract template, new clauses to protect the rights of free agents, and a foundation to safeguard the retirement life of players, etc.

During the meeting, Gan Guoyang used security forces to isolate all the agents, sponsors, and others of the superstars, and forbade players to communicate with the outside during the meeting.

In this situation, without the support of the outside, without agents, sponsors, and fanfare, there is no difference between superstars and ordinary players; everyone is just a laborer playing for the NBA.

The superstars, who originally had the least numbers on social media but the loudest voices, suddenly became the minority at the conference, and their voices were completely drowned by ordinary and grassroots players during the exchange of opinions and voting process.

The meeting started at 9 a.m., with a break at noon, and no one was allowed to leave until the meeting ended at 3 p.m. The labor side unanimously passed the resolution, agreeing to the content of the new labor agreement negotiated with the management in 1998.

The meeting concluded successfully with rounds of applause. Gan Guoyang stood on the podium and said: "The working environment and treatment of NBA players will now enter a new era. We will play in a more stable and hopeful environment to create the life we want. Of course, we must not forget the predecessors of the league, who were playing and striving here before we were born, paving the way and creating the conditions for everything today. Thank you, thank them."

Gan Guoyang invited Jerry West, Russell, Walton, Robertson and other older generations to the site as honorary participants.

These veterans absolutely stood on Gan Guoyang’s side, having long been displeased with the luxury and greed of the current superstars.

Although they did not have voting rights, their right to speak and suggest at crucial moments had a significant impact.

Led by Ewing, the superstars and their agents and sponsors were utterly defeated, crushed at the meeting without any room for resistance.

David Stern was very pleased with this situation. As he said, with Gan Guoyang leading the Players Union, the league will surely be stable and prosperous.

After the integration of internal differences in the Players Union, negotiations between labor and management formally began in September.

Although the labor side had given a unified opinion, it did not mean that they would completely compromise and stop fighting for anything during negotiations with the management.

The meeting continued in New York, and Gan Guoyang once again implemented the "endurance" tactic, conducting continuous high-intensity, frenzied sessions, harassing the management non-stop for 24 hours.

Even though the management had learned from the 1996 lesson and was prepared, how could they compete with Gan Guoyang in terms of stamina?

David Stern was kept up for three days straight, developing dark circles and stubble.

Finally, on September 3rd, the labor and management sides reached a final agreement, with the labor side securing a satisfactory share ratio and various preferential terms.

The new measures such as the maximum salary clause, mid-level clause, minimum salary clause, luxury tax, and rookie standard contract were officially added to the new agreement.

The management took advantage of the situation as Agan returned, and they indeed made a lot of money, especially overseas and broadcasting revenues, earning handsomely.

Without the burden of those super large contracts, the owners could make money, the players could play, and everyone could coexist harmoniously and prosper together, so why not?

Meanwhile, the players also realized that they must unite and find a strong negotiating representative to counter the experienced and shrewd management.

In the past, this person was Larry Fleisher, but now it is Agan, a consensus among most players that only Agan has such ability.

Therefore, when the negotiations succeeded and Gan Guoyang expressed his intention to resign as the president of the Players Union, neither the management, the labor side, nor the league office agreed.

"The NBA needs you!"

"The players need you!"

"We’ve already lost Michael. We can’t also lose you... I know you’ll still play ball, and you must also be the president!"

Everyone worked to keep him, and Gan Guoyang had no choice but to continue serving as the union president.

After the new labor agreement was confirmed, Gan Guoyang ended his record-breaking $100 million contract with the Trail Blazers.

He signed a new three-year maximum salary contract in accordance with the new agreement, with a starting salary of only $11.5 million and a total value of $38 million.

Afterward, Gan Guoyang dove into preparations for the 1998-1999 season and participated in the annual Trail Blazers rookie training camp.

In the 1998 draft, the Trail Blazers gained nothing because their draft picks had all been used in previous trades.

The Trail Blazers indeed didn’t need rookies at the moment; just cultivating Kobe, Little O’Neal, and Ben Wallace was enough for them.

The Los Angeles Clippers held the first pick and selected a center, Michael Olowokandi, a compatriot of Olajuwon from Nigeria.

The Clippers hoped that this seven-foot giant wearing number 34 could bring about a qualitative change, pulling the Clippers out of the abyss and quagmire of being a weak team.

The Grizzlies chose strong guard Mike Bibby with the second pick, while the Nuggets selected the white center Rick Lafrentz, showing no signs of learning from the lesson of selecting high white centers over the past decade and a half.

The Raptors selected Antoine Jamison, but immediately traded with the Warriors for Vince Carter from North Carolina with the fifth pick.

Canada had its own North Carolina flyer.

The Raptors were clearly more aware than the Grizzlies that a rookie who played attractively and had popularity was more important than strength.

Especially for a newly established NBA team.

In later drafts, the Dallas Mavericks, through trade maneuvers, acquired the German Dirk Nowitzki, who Nielsen had long coveted.

The Boston Celtics used the 12th pick, obtained from a trade with the Cavaliers, to select the scorer Paul Pierce from Los Angeles.

Bobby Berman’s team-building plan continued to proceed methodically. With Jordan’s retirement and the Bulls’ disintegration, the Eastern Conference was about to return to the Celtics’ era.

After the labor agreement was confirmed, Scottie Pippen officially bid farewell to the Bulls, with his top team choice based on who could offer the largest contract rather than the championship.

The New Jersey Nets were undoubtedly the most qualified team to brandish the checkbook. They had prepared in advance, clearing over $20 million in salary cap space, waiting for the arrival of a superstar.

Pippen unhesitatingly signed the large contract offered by the Nets—a five-year deal with a starting salary of $11 million and a total value of $61 million, finally satisfying Pippen.

Even Agan’s contract was only as good as this.

The Nets were not satisfied with this; they quickly signed Derek Harper and, in a three-way trade with the Rockets and Kings, acquired Mitch Richmond, boasting an instant boost in strength.

Chris Weber, in this three-way trade, went to the Sacramento Kings to start his new career, while the Rockets gained a bunch of draft picks.

After exchanging future picks for the present, the Nets also planned to bring Charles Barkley to New Jersey to form a "Big Four" with Olajuwon, Pippen, and Richmond!

Barkley was in a dilemma. His contract with the Heat had expired, and he originally planned to go to Portland to hold onto Agan’s coattails to snatch a championship.

But the 1998 season Trail Blazers were simply too successful; a 77-win team might be overstepping a bit if he rushed to contribute more.

Thinking it over, Barkley called Jordan for advice, and Jordan simply said, "If you go to Portland, I will never respect you."

In the end, on September 26th, Barkley officially announced joining the New Jersey Nets, forming a "Big Four" with Olajuwon, Pippen, and Richmond.

To contend with Agan and the Trail Blazers, another super team was born in the East.

Paul Allen wanted to invite Phil Jackson to coach the Nets, but Jackson, who had resigned from the Bulls, didn’t want to get involved in such a mess.

The "Big Four" appeared powerful, but the core lineup was significantly aging, especially Olajuwon and Barkley, who were both at the end of their run.

Both combined barely matched Agan’s strength, and with the renewed rise of the Celtics and Pacers in the East, the Nets might not have an easy time.

So Jackson chose to retire temporarily, observing quietly, and only planning to make a decision once the situation became clear.

Desperate Paul Allen, following the Trail Blazers’ example, turned his eyes towards the other of the 80s’ two stars:

Magic Johnson.