The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 543 - 45 Patch

The labor negotiations progressed quite smoothly, and a result was reached before the playoffs began.

Both sides did not want to affect the normal operation of the NBA playoffs, they reached an agreement early so that players could play with ease and deliver good performances.

Many players with expiring contracts rely on their outstanding performances in the playoffs to drive up the price of their new contracts.

If the labor agreement is not settled, the players will be anxious.

Now, not only has a new agreement been reached, but the restrictions on transfers have also been canceled.

After their contracts expire, players can transfer freely without being held back by their original teams, unable to accept offers from other teams.

This gave many a huge incentive to perform well in the playoffs.

It also gave the teams a strong sense of crisis, as keeping their star players became even more difficult.

After the new agreement was reached, the Trail Blazers’ management was anxious and in a rush to start renewal negotiations with Gan Guoyang and Drexler, hoping to renew their contracts before the playoffs and give Portland fans some peace of mind.

However, both Gan Guoyang and Drexler rejected the management’s renewal requests, stating they would discuss contract matters after the season during the offseason.

The reluctance of the team’s two core players to renew early made Portland fans uneasy. Could it be that after the new labor agreement was signed, they would lose both cores at the end of this season?

If that were really the case, it would be quite ironic, so in March and April, fans kept writing to Gan Guoyang, hoping he would stay and remain in Portland.

What Drexler was thinking, Gan Guoyang was not clear. Drexler, having found a new girlfriend, had been busy dating and dealing with a lawsuit involving his daughter, with very little communication between the two of them.

The reason Gan Guoyang did not renew early was that he was waiting for Larry Flesher to officially retire, not because he did not want to stay in Portland.

After reaching the agreement, Fleisher announced his retirement through the media, setting his timetable for June 1988, after the season ended.

Before then, Fleisher would stand his last post, complete the search for his successor, arrange the affairs of the union, and then be freed up to seek the most suitable contract for Gan Guoyang according to the new labor agreement.

The news of Fleisher’s decision to leave union work caused quite a stir in the All-America sports world.

This man, who made major contributions to the professionalization of American sports, laid down his power at the height of his career to become an agent exclusively, which is undeniably impressive.

Impressive as it may be, his departure undoubtedly cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future development of the union.

Firstly, Fleisher and the union faced trouble on the issue of succession.

Since 1968, the union had adopted a dual-leadership system, with a union president chosen from among the players and an executive in charge at the union’s board, who could be referred to as a consultant or president.

The union president represented the collective will of the players, the face of the players to the public, who actually did not have to make too many decisions.

The person in charge, on the other hand, had to communicate directly with the owners and was the real brains of the operation.

Currently, it seemed that no one was capable of filling Fleisher’s role.

Not long after the agreement was reached, the union’s legal advisor Jim Quinn, furious, found Fleisher in his office and said, "Larry, you’ve been secretly interviewing candidates since January, haven’t you?"

Fleisher was reviewing summaries of the regular season’s games; the Trail Blazers had just defeated the Boston Celtics, securing a 10-game winning streak. However, the newspapers still pointed out that Ah Gan and Drexler’s reluctance to renew was causing anxiety among Portland fans.

Putting down the newspaper, Fleisher took off his glasses and wiped them before replying, "Yes, I started preparing last year, preparing to retire and leave the union to focus exclusively on being an agent."

"If you had made that decision so early, you should have told me, rather than surprise everyone at the All-Star meeting. Back then you were talking about possibly continuing for two years, three years, or even five, but now you’re telling the media that you will retire in June. And now I find out you were considering stepping down as early as January!"

Quinn and Flesher had been working partners for many years and good friends on the battlefield. Quinn was very angry that Flesher had started preparing for such a significant decision without consulting him.

"Relax, I didn’t want to impact your work. Besides, the agreement has been reached; what’s the point of me clinging to the president’s position?"

"The agreement may be reached, but a lot of work has only just begun. You’ve been looking for a successor since January, is there a result now?"

Shaking his head, Flesher said, "No, I’ve interviewed quite a few candidates. I really want to find a black person to become the next union leader. The NBA is now dominated by black players, and a black leader would better understand how to communicate with the players and know what they want."

"Larry, you’re being too idealistic. You can’t just promote a black person out of nowhere to take over as the union leader. I’m telling you, once you retire, it’s highly probable that the position will fall to Grantham, and he’s black. But do you think Grantham is fit for the job?"

Charlie Grantham, the union’s executive vice president, was the nominal second-in-command to Flesher and played a significant role in the negotiations. He was a key figure in liaising with the players.

Grantham, who once served as the admissions director at the Wharton School of Business, began working part-time at the union in the late ’70s before joining full-time in administrative and marketing director roles.

Ambitious and intelligent, Grantham’s black skin color made it easier for him to connect with black players.

As the union’s number two, he had always aspired to replace Flesher.

"Grantham has long wanted to replace you, but look at his work. Most of his time is spent currying favor with players and engaging them socially. He’s eloquent and can give stirring speeches, but he’s always lacked insight into complex and serious legal issues. He can’t make accurate judgments, and he lacks the firm willpower that is most crucial," Quinn said. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Quinn didn’t trust Grantham, and his evaluation of him was accurate and pointed.

Donning his glasses, Flesher admitted, "You’re right, Jim. I was negligent. I thought I could find a qualified replacement, but I underestimated Grantham’s qualifications and his prestige among the players. Even if I chose a successor who met all the criteria, Grantham wouldn’t let him take the union leader’s seat."

Flesher had indeed been careless. Although he and Quinn felt Grantham was not quite suitable for the union leader’s position, Grantham didn’t see it that way, and neither did the players who supported him.

He had been cultivating his network in the union for many years and had a great relationship with the players.

After Flesher’s retirement, the election for the union leader would involve voting, and Grantham was almost certain to win, regardless of the candidate Flesher put forward.

In this regard, Flesher wasn’t as shrewd as his old rival, David Stern.

If David Stern were to retire, he would certainly arrange his successor clearly and start grooming them early, and not let the second-in-command take over on the strength of his prestige.

That Flesher had only started looking for and interviewing successors since January was indeed too late.

Quinn said in a hurry, "If that’s the case, then you might as well not retire. Delay it for another two years until you’ve trained a new candidate, then it won’t be too late to retire."

Waving his hand, Flesher said, "How can I just take back what I’ve already announced? What would that be? Clinging to power?"

"If Grantham takes over, the NBA will surely face big trouble in the future."

"I know, which is why didn’t I tell you? I’m leaving you with an iron-willed successor as union chairman. When there’s a problem with the union negotiations, you need to push him forward, let him take the lead in the negotiations, and hold the power of discourse. Then it doesn’t really matter whether Grantham or even you are in charge."

Realizing what Flesher meant, Quinn came to understand that Flesher had already patched up this issue. He had promoted Gan Guoyang to the position of vice-chairman, so that one day Ah Gan could confront the league as the union chairman in tough negotiations.

He had already made his arrangements.

After saying all this, Flesher stretched languidly, "I can’t wait for June to arrive, so I can retire from my responsibilities as the leader and start my full-time career as an agent. I’m going to Eastern Europe, to the other side of the Iron Curtain, to bring outstanding players like Sabonis and Petrović to America! To make the NBA truly a global league!"

"And remember, Grantham may lack insight on negotiation issues, but he’s an excellent communicator. You can’t just focus on negotiations and legal matters; you need to broaden your perspective, Jim."

"Okay, I understand, Larry."