warrior godfather

Chapter 303 Labor Negotiation (5000)

Oakland, Glenview neighborhood.

Zhang Yu reclined comfortably on the large sofa at home. On the coffee table in front of him were messy pieces of fried chicken, hamburgers, leftover packaging of French fries, and a small half bottle of Coke. The championship awards ceremony was broadcast on the TV screen.

Today he improved his taste and ordered takeaway instead of asking Tina to cook.

"4:1, the Heat still won one less game. If it wasn't for the tiebreaker with the Bulls, the Heat would not have lost so quickly. It seems that the Mavericks should thank me. Although I cut Tyson, I also reminded Rose strengthened his shooting, which is equivalent to weakening the Heat, and the Warriors lost the Western Conference Finals 1:4, giving the Mavericks veteran enough time to rest. Should I ask Cuban for a championship ring... ..." Zhang Yu laughed at himself in a low voice.

Watching Nowitzki receive the championship trophy from David Stern, he smiled and was sincerely happy for Nowitzki.

He is not a fan of Nowitzki, nor is he a supporter of the Mavericks, but seeing a superstar who has experienced failure finally reach the top, Zhang Yu has nothing but admiration and respect for him.

The 2003 Western Conference Finals, the 2006 Finals, the first round in 2007, the first round in 2010... Nowitzki has fallen too many times, but he survived them all, never lost his enthusiasm for basketball, and chased the NBA Finals. The original intention of the champion has never changed, and he has been making up for his technical weaknesses, and finally became the offensive insider with the strongest shooting ability in NBA history, realizing his long-cherished wish.

As he said after being blacked out in last year's playoffs-"I will stay here for long-distance running and pursue my goals."

He did it.

Snapped.

After witnessing Nowitzki receive the FMVP trophy, Zhang Yu turned off the TV, stretched, stood up from the sofa, and walked to the bedroom on the second floor:
"Ha--this season is completely over, and the next is the draft. I hope there will be good news from Larry. Well, there will be labor negotiations. This will definitely be good news..."

The two years when Zhang Yu took over the Warriors coincided with the opening of a new round of labor negotiations, but he did not participate in it much. He just handed over the communication with the league office to Larry Riley, and other team owners. They maintain a consistent position.

On the one hand, this is because his skin color and nationality are more sensitive, and on the other hand, it is also because he is too busy to think about these things.

Moreover, both labor and capital are divided internally. The demands of superstars and middle and low-level players are naturally different, and the interests of each team are also divided.

Big teams don't mind making concessions, they have a huge ball market to pay for the high team salaries, and they are very happy to offer huge maximum salaries for superstars, while small and medium teams don't make much money themselves, and want to lower it a bit The benefits of the players, and some compensation from the luxury tax of the big teams.

The Warriors also belong to the ranks of "big teams". The Bay Area is densely populated and close to Silicon Valley. There are a large number of middle-class and high-income groups who like to watch the NBA. The Warriors have a strong fan base here.

It’s just that in the past ten years, the Warriors’ performance has been too poor, so the income has not been high, but even so, Chris Cohan has never lost money. In 2007, the Warriors entered the playoffs and the black eight succeeded. A very astonishing profit was made.

But this was only a flash in the pan. The Warriors' decline in the next two years completely drained Chris Cohan's interest and patience in running the team. He transferred the team to Zhang Yu before the start of a new round of labor negotiations.

But then, the Warriors rose rapidly, reaching the playoffs last year and the Western Conference finals this year, and a new generation of superstars like Curry were born. Transformed into a huge football market, coupled with the commercial benefits brought by Chinese fans, the market value and profits of the Warriors have risen at an alarming rate. Last year, they ranked among the top five in the league. The specific results of this year have not yet been calculated, but Definitely in the top three.

Therefore, Zhang Yu is not concerned about labor negotiations. He hopes that the salary of the players will be increased, which will make it easier for the Warriors to sign people in the free agent market.

"Hurry up and stop the game, I can't wait... Well, just take advantage of this time to find a professional team manager..." Zhang Yu whispered to himself, and slowly walked up the stairs.

……

On June 6, New York, a small meeting room in the NBA headquarters building.

"Billy, you should be clear that it is impossible for the league to agree to such a request. A hard salary cap must be set. This is the bottom line of all bosses and the bottom line of the league!" David Stern looked at Billy Hunter in front of him. Said solemnly.

Silver and his assistant sat next to him, and across from Billy Hunter, the executive director of the players union, and his casual staff.

It was a small meeting without team owners and players involved.

Seeing that his request was sternly rejected by David Stern, Billy Hunter also said with a serious face:
"Mr. President, let me say it again. The players union represents all players to make the following appeals—abolish the establishment of the hard salary cap, increase the player's share of the league's revenue, and cancel the non-guaranteed contract. This is the labor agreement between the players union and the league. Consensus basis, not request!"

David Stern took a deep breath, shook his head slowly and said:

"Sorry, I can't see the sincerity of the players' union. Let's get here today. The hard salary cap is absolutely impossible to cancel. I hope you can seriously consider the league's proposal. This is conducive to the development of the league and the income of the players. Increase."

"Okay, Mr. President, please go back and consider the demands of the players' union. Players are the basis for the existence of the league, and we have the right to share the benefits brought about by the development of the league!" Billy Hunter nodded calmly.

He had expected this result a long time ago. If the labor and management want to reach a consensus, it must go through a long period of repeated negotiations and dragging. Billy Hunter, as the executive director of the players union, is ready for a protracted battle.

He stood up, shook hands with David Stern, and was about to leave.

"Billy, don't rush away, let's have a meal together, and we can talk again." David Stern's serious expression eased, and he smiled.

"Next time, I need to go back and report the results of today's meeting to the trade union to prepare for the formal negotiations tomorrow." Billy Hunter also refused with a smile.

He came to the NBA headquarters today to communicate for the official negotiations tomorrow. Obviously, the communication between Billy Hunter and the league failed.

Afterwards, the two seemed to have forgotten the tense atmosphere between each other just now, and changed from negotiating opponents to old friends for many years. After talking and laughing, David Stern personally sent Billy Hunter away.

Watching the back of Billy Hunter leaving, David Stern narrowed his eyes and was silent for a while before whispering:
"The comers are not kind, the players union is getting more and more difficult..."

Xiao Hua next to him heard it and asked:

"David, do you want to call the owners of the teams to discuss the negotiations with the players union? The loss of the lockout is too great, no matter which party it is for."

"Go ahead and do it. The trading market will be opened in less than half a month. I hope that the negotiations can be settled before then... By the way, please keep an eye on the matter of the draft. I have no time to do it yourself. You must To be fully prepared, this is also to accumulate experience for you in the future." David Stern urged in a slow voice.

"No problem, I will definitely do it well." Xiao Hua nodded and said softly.

Afterwards, Xiao Hua sent David Stern back to his office, seeing the old man's slightly hunched body and distinct silver-white hair, Xiao Hua was silent for a while, and reminded in a low voice:

"David, even if the lockout is really suspended, the players union will definitely compromise before us. They are not a cohesive whole, so there is no need to worry too much."

David Stern paused before continuing to move forward, and said in a slightly tired voice:

"Adam, the NBA is my child. I have raised a child for nearly 30 years. Now, it has finally grown up. In order for it to continue to thrive in the future, I will arrange everything and hand it over to you. "

Xiao Hua was silent.

In October next year, the NBA board of directors will vote for David Stern's successor after he stepped down as the league president in 10. Under the strong control of the old man, Silver, as his default heir, will definitely win the vote.

After the vote, Xiao Hua will exercise his power ahead of schedule, and in fact take over the position of NBA president, preparing for the 2014 takeover.

David Stern is now devoting his mind to solving the problem of labor negotiations as soon as possible, allowing Silver to take over a stable and prosperous NBA, so that he can develop his ambitions without any worries.

This is why David Stern wants to implement a hard salary cap. If he wants a decent retirement, he can take a step back, put aside the dispute, and reach a consensus with the players union.

But David Stern wants to use the prestige he has accumulated over the past [-] years to reach a labor agreement that is most beneficial to the league and pave the way for Silver.

This is the last gift he left for Xiao Hua.

"Thank you, David." Xiao Hua said softly.

He is well aware of David Stern's good intentions.

David Stern chuckled:
"This is one of the few things I can do. As the president of the NBA, I have only one responsibility: to make the NBA develop better and let the bosses make money. I hope you can also remember this sentence... we Just professional managers, the NBA doesn't belong to me, it doesn't belong to you, it doesn't belong to the players, it doesn't even belong to the fans, it just belongs to the owners of the teams."

His old voice was plain with a trace of coldness, Xiao Hua nodded solemnly.

The NBA is David Stern's painstaking effort, but he has never forgotten his duty to pursue commercial gains. This is his instinct as a Jew. He believes that Silver also has this instinct.

……

The next day, labor negotiations between the league and the players union finally made some progress. The owners no longer insisted on implementing non-guaranteed contracts, but the players warned that this was not enough, because the league still required a hard salary cap.

At the same time, the league informed the players that the 2011 Las Vegas Summer League was cancelled.

On June 6, both employers and employees held negotiations for more than three hours.

During the meeting, the players union first submitted a proposal. They hoped to maintain the current soft salary cap system, but agreed to reduce the total player salary by $5 million-$1 million per year for the next five years.

The management immediately put forward the opposite proposal, they hoped to sign a 10-year agreement instead of the 5-year agreement proposed by the players.And it is recommended to implement a "flexible salary cap" system, allowing the total salary paid to players to be at least 20 billion U.S. dollars per season.

The league also made some concessions on the salary exception, retaining the Bird clause and the midlevel exception, though they haven't set a cap on team salaries.

However, the players union believes that this is still a hard salary cap, which will limit the overall salary growth of players, and strongly opposes this.

On June 6, the players union made very tough remarks. Billy Hunter said that the team owners are trying to destroy the players' alliance. Accept a bad deal.

To the players' displeasure, David Stern said the players' $5 million pay cut wasn't enough and told the media he wanted a "flexible" salary cap of $6200 million before telling the players.

6月24日，劳资谈判没有任何进展。球员和老板们会面了4个小时，他们同意在6月29日或6月30日再次开会进行谈判。

About 50 players took part in the negotiations, all wearing the same gray T-shirt with the word "stand" emblazoned across the chest, expressing their tough stance to the league -- sticking to the five-year reduction proposed by the players' union. billion dollar proposal.

Among the 50 players, there was not a Warriors player, and Zhang Yu did not attend this negotiation. He has more important things to pay attention to-the draft conference will be held on the same day as this negotiation.

The attention paid to the draft this time is far less than that of previous drafts. Most people’s attention is drawn to the labor negotiations. The NBA is about to be suspended. Who is in the mood to pay attention to a young draft?

Therefore, under the couple who paid little attention, the 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 6 at the Prudential Center Arena in Newark, New Jersey.

……

"Boss, these are the two most sincere offers. The Kings are willing to offer the 7th, 35th, and 60th picks. The Rockets are willing to offer the 14th, 23rd, and 38th picks. Low." In a VIP box at the Prudential Center, Larry Riley reported to Zhang Yu carefully.

Zhang Yu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass windows visible from one side of the VIP box, with his hands in his pockets, quietly overlooking the messy arena, nodded slightly, and then asked:

"Who do you think we should trade with?"

"Rocket!" Larry Riley said without hesitation, "According to the news I got, although Dennis Robertson used your name as boss to promote Leonard, few teams are optimistic about Leonard's potential. Only the Spurs are interested in Leonard, but they only have George Hill as a bargaining chip, and there are not many teams interested in George Hill. Only the Pacers and the Spurs are in contact. The Pacers have the No. 15 pick, even if the Spurs If we really trade up, the Rockets' No. 14 pick is enough for us to pick Leonard, and the King's No. 7 pick is a bit of a waste. Trading with the Rockets will allow us to get two first-round picks, maximizing the benefits!"

Larry Riley analyzed the situation for Zhang Yu in great detail, and this is one of the few places where he can reflect his own value as the general manager of the Warriors.

He doesn't have decision-making power, but he's well-connected around the league and can make a nice deal.

After listening to this detailed analysis, Zhang Yu did not answer right away, but was silent for a while before slowly opening his mouth and saying:

"No, we make a deal with the king!"

"Okay, I'll contact Morey now... what? The king?" Larry Riley suddenly woke up and looked at Zhang Yu in surprise.

Still overlooking the hustle and bustle below, Zhang Yu replied affirmatively:

"That's right, it's the Kings. The No. 14 pick is not safe enough. We want the Kings' No. 7 pick."

Larry Riley opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but he heard a kind of determination from Zhang Yu's calm tone, and agreed instead:
"Uh...Okay, I'll contact Petri right away."

He has already made it very clear that the most likely to trade with the Spurs is the Pacers holding the No. 15 pick, but since Zhang Yu expressed his intention to make a trade with the Kings, even if his reasons are a bit far-fetched, even if Larry Riley feels that I don't understand, and I can't say anything more.

When Larry Riley walked out of the box to contact Kings general manager Geoff Petrie, Zhang Yu said to himself in a subtle voice:
"I will never make a deal with Mogou, ever!"

Soon, Larry Riley completed the negotiation with Petrie, returned to the box, and said to Zhang Yu:

"Boss, the No. 7 lottery is ours."

Zhang Yu nodded slowly and didn't say much.

At this time, in another box, Spurs general manager Buford was communicating with people on the phone:

"...that's it, Larry, you take Leonard with the 15th pick, and then we'll make the deal...yes, that's it..."

Finally, he finished communicating with the person on the other end of the phone, hung up the phone, and made another call:
"Greg, I've already negotiated...well, I see...Okay, I'll contact you after the deal is completed."

"Huh..." Buford put down his phone and let out a long breath.

10 minutes ago, Popovich finally made up his mind, adopted Budenholzer's suggestion, traded George Hill for the Pacers' No. 15 pick, and gambled on Leonard's potential!
After receiving Popovich's call, Buford immediately contacted Larry Bird and negotiated the pending deal with the Pacers.

He felt a burst of relief, stood up from the soft sofa, picked up a glass of water on the round table in front of him, went to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, took a sip, and looked down with a relaxed expression.

At this time, the 2011 NBA Draft finally kicked off after a hectic period.

The Cavaliers chose Irving with the first pick without any suspense, and the Timberwolves followed closely, picking Derek Williams with the second pick, and then, the Warriors selected Bismack Biyombo with the third pick.

Buford gave a light snort:
"It's rare for Coach Z to choose a center with only physical talent at such a high position..."

But soon, his attention was attracted by the Cavaliers who took Tristan Thompson with the fourth pick.

Subsequently, the Raptors selected Jonas Valanciunas with the fifth overall pick, and the Wizards picked Jane Veseli with the sixth overall pick.

Next, is the King's seventh pick.

David Stern took the envelope with the Kings logo on it, pulled out the letter paper, slowly unfolded it, then raised his head, smiled and read the name on it:
"The 2011th pick in the first round of the 7 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings selected Kawhi Leonard! He is from California and plays for San Diego State University!
Whoa!

Buford's right hand trembled, the water glass brought to his mouth tilted, and the water spilled out, but he didn't notice it, he just stared at David Stern below, letting the water wet his cuffs, his face full of pain. The color of confidence!

　Ask for a monthly ticket, recommend a ticket~

　　
　
(End of this chapter)