"Malone? Who is Marlon? On July 16, 2002, on the first day of the NBA league lifting the free agent signing restrictions, the Lakers officially announced that Karl Malone, the former core of the Utah Jazz, two-time regular season MVP, and 14-time All-Star power forward, joined the Lakers as a free agent, and the two sides will sign a two-year contract with a contract amount of $3 million. It seems that Malone and the Lakers have been in contact for a long time. And Stockton, who was far away in Miami Beach, was obviously stunned for a moment after learning the news from the reporter, and then shrugged his shoulders at the reporter who interviewed him, and said sarcastically.

"You bastard, you said you would retire together, you said you would win the championship for Salt Lake City together, you bastard, you bastard." After hearing the news that Malone had joined the Lakers, Stockton, who was basking in the sun on the beach, immediately lost his mood, and returned to the seaside villa where he lived angrily, grabbed everything he could catch at hand, slammed it to the ground, and vented frantically, "Bastard, you bastard, you actually left me, Jerry, Salt Lake City, I curse you that you will never win the championship, forever." ”

After venting, Stockton sat on the ground as if he had lost his soul, still muttering: "Bastard, you bastard, isn't 17 seasons of fighting side by side worthy of a small ring?" ”

"I'm sorry, John." Ma Long, who was holding a Lakers jersey to be photographed by the Los Angeles media, said softly in his heart that with the gradual increase in age and the getting worse and worse of the Jazz's strength, Malone moved to leave the Jazz and chase the championship. And when Malone saw the tears on Reggie Miller's face after winning the championship, as well as the excitement and satisfaction when he lifted the O'Brien Cup, Malone, who was still a little wavering, immediately made up his mind to bring a championship ring and retire.

"Larry, no, no。。。。。。" As the office door slammed open, Lester Connell panicked and stormed into Larry Bird's office.

"Lester, why are you panicking like this?" Larry Bird, who was sitting on the sofa, touched his chin with one hand, and turned his head very calmly to look at Lester Connell, who was a little unaware, and the TV not far away was playing the Lakers' general manager Mitch Kupchak, who was playing the picture of a press conference held in Los Angeles, Kupchak was introducing the new member of the Lakers to the media in Los Angeles, Karl Malone.

"Lakers, Lakers... After seeing the picture on the TV in Larry Bird's office, Lester Connell swallowed the words again.

The Lakers, who originally had O'Neal and Kobe, were already one of the strongest teams in the league, and the Pacers were able to defeat the Lakers in the Finals, in addition to Meng Xu's almost anti-heaven play, there were some factors of luck, and now with the addition of Payton and Malone, there is no doubt that the Lakers are the strongest team in the entire league, and there is no one, perhaps in the entire history of the NBA, the Lakers with O'Neal, Kobe, Malone, and Payton are the most powerful one.

Malone and Payton, although both of them are no longer at their peak, but last season, Malone averaged 22+8.6+4 per game, and Payton averaged 22+9+4.8 per game, these two are still the top players, so when Malone and Payton join the Lakers, with the addition of O'Neal and Kobe, the Lakers' starting lineup will have 4 players with an average score of 20+ per game, especially O'Neal and Kobe, who average 30+ per game.

"Carl is a great player, his arrival is incredible for all of us, I'm still a little bit unbelievable, Shaq, Kobe, Carl, Gary, maybe we can dream of a championship right now, of course it won't be settled until June next year, but we have the quality and the foundation, so we only have one goal for next season, and that's the championship." The successive signing of Payton and Malone has made Mitch Kupchak unable to calm down now, this guy who has been an errand boy for Jerry West for more than ten years, after becoming the general manager of the Lakers, is desperate to prove himself and prove that he is no worse than Jerry West, so after only a month in office, Mitch Kupchak, who completed two great signings, is now obviously a little fluttering, and announced the Lakers' championship declaration in advance at the live press conference.

"This anti-bone boy is too arrogant!" Seeing Mitch Kupchak's invincible expression on the TV, Lester Connor was directly rude, and as time went by, the inside story of Jerry West's resignation gradually leaked out, and the intrigue with the Bass brothers and sisters, the suppression of Phil Jackson, and the loss in the finals were not the key to Jerry West's resignation, the key to Jerry West's resignation was precisely because of the betrayal of Mitch Kupchak, who had been sixteen years old, Mitch Kupchak switched to the Bass brothers and sisters. is the key to Jerry West's resignation, although from the boss's point of view, Kupchak's choice is normal, the Bass family is the boss of the Lakers and the master of the Lakers, Jerry West only works for the Bath family no matter what he says, but in the NBA's manager circle, Mitch Kupchak is still labeled as an anti-bone boy, and Lester Connell is obviously very shameful of what Kupchak has done.

"Lester, this is normal, as far as the Lakers' current lineup is concerned, it is really my NAINAI who can win the championship, so he still has arrogant capital." Larry Bird laughed uncontrollably when he said "NAINAI", and Larry Bird grabbed a cigar, but instead of lighting it directly, he put it under his nose and sniffed it.

"So, Larry, what are we going to do? You can't just wait for that, can you? Compared with the calm Larry Bird, Lester Connell is obviously very anxious, and since the second day after the Finals, the Pacers have been preparing to defend the championship, so as the Lakers continue to strengthen, the Pacers naturally can't sit still.

"38 million for 4 years, 12.5 million starting salary, 6.5 million in the last year, you go and call Dibeken's agent." In this year's free market, except for Mutombo, there are really no big fish, so the Pacers can only increase the price of Mutombo, after Larry Bird personally called Mutombo, Mutombo expressed his willingness to join the Pacers, but about the specific details of the contract, the two sides have been arguing for almost a month, Mutombo's agent said that the annual salary can be reduced, but must be signed for 4 or 5 years, the average annual salary is not 15 million, but more than 10 million.

But the Pacers are reluctant to give Mutombo too long a contract, on the one hand, Mutombo's age is too big, 4 years later will be 40 years old, and from next season, the Pacers will face huge salary pressure, next season Jermaine O'Neal and Hamilton's contracts will expire, according to the performance of the two last season, as long as there are no injuries and too large a decline this season, Jermaine O'Neal 7 years 100 million, Hamilton 6 years 70 million is considered a friendship price. Mutombo, who has an annual salary of tens of millions, may be a poison contract after two seasons, and when Meng Xu, Jermaine O'Neal, Hamilton, and Mutombo 4 people, at least 55 million, and when Meng Xu's contract expires, he will definitely sign a new contract that is bigger than Jermaine O'Neal, according to the current salary cap level, the 20 million luxury tax can't be fought at all.

However, the continuous reinforcement of the Lakers is equivalent to forcing the Pacers to a dead end, and Mutombo does not have the same consciousness as Malone and is willing to join with a base salary, so Larry Bird can only choose to increase the price now, increasing the contract period from 3 years to 4 years, and the total contract amount has also increased to 38 million, but unlike the previous contract of 10 million per year, the new contract provided by Larry Bird for Mutombo is a decreasing contract, 4 seasons, 12.5 million in the first year, and 10.5 million in the second year, 8.5 million in the third year and 6.5 million in the final year, which will greatly reduce the salary pressure on the Pacers.

"Four-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-Star Dicam Mutombo joins Indiana Pacers." On July 17, 2002, the second day of the Lakers' F4 formation, Mutombo, holding the Pacers' No. 55 jersey, appeared on the sports section of major media.