Chapter 464 . P

On the first day after the draft, there was still some time before the free agency opened.

But the Seattle SuperSonics' four-year, $60 million verbal deal with Chris Bosh still shocked the league.

"A team that went 73-9 in the regular season and won all the playoffs signed an All-Star power forward in his prime while retaining the top three players on the team. Is there anything on earth that can stop Frye Yu from winning his seventh championship in eight years? ”

The New York Times' question is thought-provoking.

Facts will prove that the world is balanced.

When a force, or ambition, is too strong, there is always a force that comes out to balance.

LeBron James is happy with where he is.

He is about to make a big decision, and there are many people waiting outside.

At this time, James was filming a commercial in Los Angeles, but Nike arranged for a writer to come to him.

That man was J. R. Moehringer, an expert in the profiling of sports stars, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and wrote an autobiography of Andre Agassi that became popular.

Nike wanted Morelinger to be by James' side before he announced the decision and write an article about the decision-making process.

James, who had just experienced Buzz Bissinger's backstabbing, didn't want to come into contact with these writers, but it was arranged by the company, and he accepted it.

Today, James wears a sleeveless shirt and a pair of sunglasses.

Mohringer asked, "Are you stressed about the decision that is coming?" ”

"On the contrary, it was a very exciting time for me," James said. ”

Mohringer's gaze flickered.

The 24-year-old superstar looks very precocious.

The way he handles stress is not like what a person of his age should have.

It reminded Mollinger of a quote from the 19th-century journalist Margaret Fuller: I learned early on that the only thing in life is growth.

But is LeBron really mature enough to handle this pressure?

This is not only pressure from the outside world, but also from within. James was born in Ohio, where his home is and where his core group is, but six consecutive years of losing have taught him that if he wants to win a championship, he has to go elsewhere and play with other stars.

So he said to Moehringer: "My feelings for Cleveland won't affect my final decision." ”

Then, Morelinger wondered if James' powerful friends had an influence on his decision.

James denied it.

Molinger went further: "What do you think of the criticism of your performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals? ”

"I understand what they're thinking." Speaking of this, James pursed his lips and gave Morelinger a surprised answer, "I've spoiled a lot of people with my performance over the years. ”

Molinger could be sure that the man was nowhere near as precocious as he might seem.

Does he know how much impact this statement will have?

James realized there was something wrong with his words and immediately made amends for himself: "I mean, I love Cavaliers fans as much as I love my family. Even my family is spoiled by what I do on and off the field. ”

James then characterized those who criticized him as "spoiled by his excellence over the past six years," which he was puzzled about: "It keeps me humble because I know my background, I know what my mother went through, and I never get too excited about my stardom or what I can do." My mom always said, and my friends always said, 'You're a sober person and don't need us to tell you what to do.'" ”

"You look like the opposite of Fry." "Frye often forgets certain things in front of the media, and when the media points out mistakes, he gives them a thanks," Mollinger said. ”

Morelinger didn't mention Yu Fei for no reason, he knew that the name meant a lot to James.

Sure enough, a subtle expression flashed across James' face when that name sounded.

James didn't say anything, just pushed his sunglasses above his head.

Years of writing for sports stars have taught Morelinger that great stars are always driven by anger, Tyson's anger is notorious, Jordan plays with crazy energy, Yu Fei escalates his anger into hatred, Brady gets an unprecedented dip in the draft, and he wants to prove everyone wrong.

But was James angry?

"A lot of people don't think you have the killer instinct like Frye, and you've said you don't want to be that kind of player. ”

"Now, has your opinion changed?"

"Yes, I feel like there is a change because for the first time in years I rejected my mother's advice." "A few days ago, I got a tattoo on my back. ”

Morelinger asked, "What was written at the door?" ”

"King James."

In addition to the Cavaliers, there are five other teams that have pursued James fiercely.

They are the Bulls, Heat, Knicks, Nets, and Lakers.

James turned down the Bulls in the first place because they weren't competitive.

Second was the Knicks, and while it felt great to play at Madison Square Garden, they were silent when James asked Knicks management how they cobbled together salary space for the other two star players.

The Nets let small owner Jay-Z play the emotional card to lobby James.

But James had already decided that he would choose his next home realistically, and he would not let his personal feelings affect it.

So, the Nets can't be the king's next stop.

And then there's the Heat.

After trading Maddy, the Heat had two All-Star salary caps, but James and Wade were not familiar enough and lacked the connection and track during the national team, when Riley put the ring in front of James and asked him to make a decision.

James said: "The Lakers have more rings. ”

July 3 at 11 a.m

James and his men walked into the Bath building.

This will be the last decisive negotiation he will take.

Today's negotiators are Lakers owner Jerry Buss, head coach Phil Jackson, general manager Mitch Kupchak, vice president Jim Buss and team legend Magic Johnson.

"LeBron, before this negotiation begins, I want you to understand." Buss Sr. stood up and said, "Your main goal is the only goal of the Lakers in its 60-year history. ”

James stared into old Bass's eyes as if they were the only two people in the room.

"That's my only goal." James said.

At this point, Jackson spoke: "LeBron, we think you and Kobe Bryant can do something special. ”

James agreed.

Kupchak then talked about the team's long-term goals and gave a short video presentation.

The Lakers have a great franchise history and an unrivaled market, and playing here will bring James' already withered commercial value to life.

The James camp knows this very well.

However, this decision is not easy to make.

James didn't know how to get along and position himself with Kobe.

Who is the first person on this team? Who is the one who can speak loudly in the locker room? Who are the leaders? Whose opinion prevails in the event of a disagreement?

And, does Bryant share his dedication?

"I guess you'll have to meet with Kobe to make a decision."

The magician, who had been in charge of warming up, said suddenly.

James said: "It's a big decision and we really deserve to meet. ”

Three hours passed.

It's two o'clock in the afternoon, and the Magic says to James, "LeBron, you can go and meet with Kobe right now." ”

James was stunned.

"He's waiting for you downstairs."

Nike's nightmare was that two of their highest-grossing stars had to play on the same team.

This will bring extremely fierce internal competition to the marketing market.

However, when Yu Fei is determined to stay in Reebok, and SuperSonics also introduces Bosh and is bound to hit the triple championship today, this internal competition is no longer a problem.

The market sales of the Chosen are expected to exceed $2 billion this year.

This is a super brand that can be compared to AJ in terms of commercial potential and development.

If Yu Fei wins the seventh crown, his honor will surpass that of Jordan, thus forming an official ascending to the gods, so that his brand will create a sales myth like AJ in the last century.

To curb Yu Fei is to curb the development of the Chosen One and Reebok.

If this goal can be achieved, even if it is to have 23 and 24 join forces, it will be acceptable for Nike.

But it still needs to be a heart-to-heart resonance between James and Kobe.

Sure enough, James met Kobe Bryant downstairs, and they found a nearby restaurant.

"I want to be your opponent more than my teammates." "But, I knew I couldn't possibly be alone against Frye, KD and Brandon Roy. ”

James made a joke: "If I join the Lakers, No. 44 will hate you as much as he hates me." ”

"He eliminated me three times in the playoffs, do you think I don't hate him?" Bryant asked rhetorically, "Or do you not hate him enough for you to join us?" Do you think a twenty-eight losing streak isn't enough? ”

Kobe Bryant is serious and serious, and he knows very well that if they want to beat the SuperSonics, they need a superstar who can coordinate the whole situation and allow him to focus on offense.

James is the only candidate.

His caustic rhetorical question made James lose his mind of small talk, and he knew that Kobe Bryant was so straightforward.

"Give me a reason." "I've been teammates with Shaq and basically, I think he's a good guy and I want to know how you, who can't get along with him, can beat No. 44 with me," James said. ”

Bryant said, "Unless you're as lazy as that bastard, you shouldn't have two worries. I can give you two reasons. ”

"RIP has agreed to join."

"I'm the best scorer in the world, you're the most versatile player in the world, and with Rip, we're going to be the strongest Big Three ever."

On that day, James didn't promise the Lakers.

It was only that night that he sent a text message to Kobe.

"When RIP was officially announced, it was we who said to No. 44. P. ”

(End of chapter)