On August 2, the NBA league announced that a new round of labor negotiations had failed again.

On October 9, the league's preseason was about to start at this time of the year, but because the seventh round of labor negotiations broke down again, the league announced the cancellation of the preseason.

On October 29, the 8th collective bargaining broke down again, and the NBA officially announced that the regular season of the 98/99 season was suspended, and the league's players were not allowed to enter the team's training facilities for training, and no wages were paid during the shutdown.

On November 8, Zhou Quan accepted Lewis's challenge and defeated him again in the rematch to complete his first quadruple title defense.

"I'm tired of waiting, waiting, the shutdown is really boring, and I've decided to retire."

At noon on December 10, Michael Jordan and his agent held a press conference in Chicago to announce their retirement.

"What?"

This incident directly knocked David Stern down, fainted in the office after receiving the news, and was taken to the hospital.

"The only pillar that supports the NBA retires, and the NBA officially collapses!" New york times.

"With Jordan's retirement, the NBA will most likely be out of the competition for the big four professional sports leagues." Los Angeles Times.

When Zhou Quan received the news, he was also a little surprised.

Jordan's competitive state is okay, but he didn't expect to choose to retire because of the shutdown, but Jordan is 36 years old, and now he has won another championship, and retirement is not bad.

Under the influence of Jordan's retirement, both labor and management in the NBA are anxious, knowing that they can't drag it on, and if it drags on, everyone in the labor side will lose their jobs, and the management will also lose a lot of money, and some of the remaining sponsors and NBC, the TV broadcaster, have also come to problems, and the two sides have to speed up the negotiation process.

Fast forward to 1999, when the NBA shutdown continued.

On January 6, Zhou Quan attended the inauguration ceremony of his sculpture.

In addition to inviting a large number of media, the supersonic also invited the mayor and many Seattle celebrities and billionaires, and countless supersonic fans and his personal fans flocked to the city.

The sculpture eventually takes a passing pose, using a non-looking back pass, and is erected in the center of the plaza in front of the New Center Gymnasium.

On January 27, labor and management finally reached an agreement, and the league announced that the regular season would begin on February 5, with a total of 50 games.

At the same time, the league announced that the salaries of all executives and referees will be cut by another 30% and expenses will be cut to reduce operational pressure.

In March, Zhou Quan made a cameo appearance in Tom Cruise's movie, Disc in Disc 2, which was his first electrocution.

The character is himself, and the screenwriter deliberately added a short plot to allow him to have an interaction with Tom Cruise, that is, in less than two minutes.

For this scene, the filmmaker paid Zhou Quan a salary of 10 million US dollars.

This season's NBA entered a new TV contract, but because of the absence of Jordan, the NBA's ratings fell sharply again, with an average of only 1.2 million viewers in the regular season, the lowest in nearly 15 years, and miserable NBC TV and sponsors.

In the end, the Spurs won the championship, and Tim Duncan, who debuted for two seasons, shined, and achieved the status of a top star in just two seasons.

But the ratings of this Finals series have also fallen into the pit, with an average of only more than three million, and the box office revenue of the Finals is only one-third of last year, one-tenth of the year before, and David Stern is no longer angry.

The day after the Finals, David Stern returned to New York and received a call from NBC Television Chairman John Green, asking to meet him at NBC headquarters right away.

Stern couldn't refuse, and after rushing to NBC headquarters, the first thing he said when they met, Greene said directly: "Mr. Stern, the NBA league must bring Iron Fist back, otherwise I'd rather fight a lawsuit with the NBA than stop that damn broadcast contract." ”

"I'd like to get him back, too, but Chairman Green, I've tried everything." Stern sighed.

"Is it because boxing makes more?"

Thinking that Zhou Quan is two or three hundred million dollars a game, and two games a year, that is, four or five hundred million dollars, John Ringer is actually not sure that Zhou Quan will return to the NBA.

Stern said: "The reason why he retired from the NBA was because of the public opinion environment, and secondly, the league executives who had been purged by me targeted him and racially discriminated against him.

Last year I purged those who were racist in the league and invited him back several times, but he still refused.

I have carefully analyzed the reasons for his refusal to come back, boxing is more profitable is one reason, and the second reason is that he is probably worried that after he returns, the American media will continue to target him. ”

"Then solve both of these problems." John Green said firmly.

"How to fix it?" Stern asked.

John Green sneered and said, "In the last year, when your NBA was at its worst, he completed the unification battle, and defeated Lewis, Holyfield, and Ricdick Bow, and successfully defended the quadruple title three times.

He won three PGA Tour titles, finished third in the PGA Tour overall prize money, and won the US Open.

According to media analysis, Tekken is likely to play more sports, such as baseball, tennis, etc., and the media has taken photos of him training for these sports.

Now the status of Tekken in the world of sports is not second to thought, achievements, appeal, influence, topicality, no one is higher than him.

Mr. Stern, in the last year, after he finished his heavyweight boxing fight, have you seen how many American media outlets have targeted him? ”

Stern was stunned, and after thinking about it, there really wasn't.

"He and his wife also own a $6 billion publicly traded company, he's the second-largest shareholder of Amazon.com, and with a huge stature in the sports world, his international community and international influence are no longer comparable to those he had before he retired from the NBA," John Green said.

Such a person is no longer a person that can be easily targeted by the American media, even if he is a yellow-skinned Chinese. ”

Stern said thoughtfully: "Even if you don't consider the problem of public opinion, how can you solve the problem of money?" There's no way we're going to give him hundreds of millions of dollars a season. ”

"Is he short of money?"

John Green looked at Stern with idiotic eyes, and then said in a tone of some anger: "It can be said that he was forced out of the NBA league by the idiots you purged, and I think that to ask him back, you have to show more sincerity." ”

"Greater sincerity?" Stern fell into deep thought.

He was definitely not an idiot, as a Jew, he was very good at thinking, and soon, he had ideas.

Not only NBC Television and his desperate desire for Tekken to return to the NBA, but also all the team owners in the league, all the players, executives and referees who are paid less than half of what they used to be, and countless NBA fans, he decided to mobilize everyone and bring Iron Fist back.

……

Zhou Quan has successfully defended the title three times in the past year since winning the quadruple title, held the quadruple for more than 12 months, and won five more titles in golf, and recently plans to return to China for some rest.

The Olympics are only a year away, and he actually has some ideas.

On June 15, 99, he and Zeng Li, as well as Zhou Jun and Zhou Ye, who had been on summer vacation, returned to the capital, and Zhou Jianguo picked up the airport.

As Zhou Quan's agent in China and the vice chairman of Jazz Coffee, Zhou Jianguo is now in the capital for more than half of the time, looking like a successful person in the business world, wearing a suit and leather shoes, and his waist circumference has been increased three times.

"Dad, why are you so fat?" Seeing his father's big belly, Zhou Quan was startled.

"At least 200 pounds." Zhou Jun stared at his father's big belly and said.

"It's okay, I'm fine." Zhou Jianguo said happily.

"Okay, I look at your belly, fatty liver is for sure. Fat and sugar are converted into each other, and people with fatty liver have a high chance of getting diabetes, so you should go for a check-up later. Zhou Quan said.

"I think I'm in good health." Zhou Jianguo was a little reluctant.

"In this way, after Xiao Yezi's college entrance examination, you and my mother will go to the United States together, first control your weight, and nourish your body." Zhou Quan said again.

"What about domestic affairs? You two are not in the country, I won't help you watch a little? Zhou Jianguo asked unwillingly.

"If the earth is missing, everyone will take care of it, and the NBA will not play if it is missing me? Dad, it's better to leave those things to a professional manager, and let's just enjoy life ourselves. Zhou Quan said with a smile.

Zhou Jianguo glanced at Zeng Li, and asked, "Don't talk about me first, didn't you two say that you were pregnant with one this year two years ago, why haven't you moved?" Xiao Yezi will take the college entrance examination soon, and your mother has nothing to do, so she will take her grandson. ”

"It's almost there, it's ready." Zhou Quan said with a smile.

"That's good, this talk counts?" Zhou Jianguo asked uneasily.

"Of course it counts." Zhou Quan and Zeng Li nodded hurriedly.

After staying in the capital for three days, Zeng Li, as the chairman of Sir Brown, inspected the headquarters in the capital and inspected several stores.

Jazz already has 35 stores in Beijing, and with the rapid changes in the capital, the number of Jazz stores in Beijing continues to increase.

On the 20th, the family of three returned to Changsha.

Zhou Ye is about to take the college entrance examination, the time is July 7th, and now is the final review time.

……

"Erwin, there is a very important matter in the alliance now, which is related to the life and death of the alliance, and it needs your strength."

On this day, David Stern contacted Magic Johnson.

"Mr. Stern, tell me what I'm going to do."

Although Magic Johnson has retired, he still has to rely on the NBA to maintain influence and make money, so he immediately made an attitude that satisfies Stern.

"We are going to China to visit the Iron Fist King, and we hope you will join us." Stern said.

“……”

The magician was silent for a moment, then said, "OK, I can do anything for the sake of the Alliance." What's more, there is no contradiction between me and Iron Fist. ”

"That's best, the Alliance will let you know when it's time to go." Stern said.

Then he contacted Larry Bird, and Larry Bird agreed, and he couldn't stand the current state of the league anymore, and the ratings were not as good as his time.

Then he invited Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Reggie Miller, Bill Wharton, O'Neal, Drexler, Rodman, Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumas, Schramf and other stars who have a good relationship with Zhou Quan.

A large number of active and retired 50 superstars were also invited, such as super center David Robinson, who just won the championship, Russell, The Lord of the Rings, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and so on.

He even wanted to invite Jordan, but eventually dismissed the idea.

……

On the 22nd, just a few minutes after eight o'clock in the evening, Ballmer suddenly called.

"Iron Fist, David Stern and the executives at the league's headquarters, as well as some of the referees' committees, and the owners of all the teams, as well as dozens of current and retired league stars, will visit you in China the day after tomorrow." Ballmer said.

"What?" Zhou Quan was stunned.

This year's draft is about to take place, so come here at this time?

"Iron Fist, the alliance can't hold it anymore, they have to come and ask you to go back." Ballmer said.

Zhou Quan smiled, with such a big move, it seems that the alliance really can't hold on.

"Steve, are you coming too?" He asked.

"I don't have much time, but Stern has begged me again and again, and I'll have to make a trip just one time." Ballmer said.

"Also, Iron Fist, Stern has sent his special assistant, Chris White Kane, as a forerunner, and he will contact you."

After hanging up the phone, he told Zeng Li about the matter, and Zeng Li teased: "Husband, the Olympics are only a year away, you probably want to go back, right?" ”

Zhou Quan smiled.

Next year is the Olympic Games, the last chance to complete the task, of course he has to fight, if he can complete the task, increasing 100% immunity is very good for him, he may not get sick in the future, and his life span may be increased.

But he hasn't played basketball for two years, and he hasn't had formal basketball training, so his strength has definitely dropped a lot, so now he also needs the opportunity to play, and returning to the NBA is one of the best options.

On the 23rd, more than a dozen executives from the NBA league headquarters, including three senior vice presidents, and eight senior referees, arrived in Los Angeles under the leadership of David Stern.

At the same time, the owners of more than a dozen NBA teams, as well as many current and retired stars, arrived in Los Angeles one after another.

Under the deliberate publicity of David Stern and NBC TV, the news that the NBA league will organize a delegation to visit the Iron Fist King in China and invite the Iron Fist King to return to the NBA has spread all over the United States and the world and to China and China before noon.

"These guys ......"

When Jordan saw the news, he was very depressed and a little sad.

He has worked hard for the league for so many years, and after retiring for a year, the ratings of the league have also gone crazy, why don't you see these guys forming a group to invite him out of the mountain? I only know the stinky feet of the Iron Fist King, is it interesting?

"Michael, if Tekken comes back, do you want to come back?" David Frank called and asked.

"No, I've got four championships and it doesn't mean anything to come back. What I want most now is to be the big boss of a team, not to make a comeback. Jordan said.

His actual thoughts were, what are you doing when you come back, I'm getting old, and I'm still running back to be abused by that guy with Iron Fist?

……

(End of chapter)