On the 15th, in the morning, at the Phoenix Suns headquarters, Colangelo Jr. met Kidd and his agent Schwartz in the office.

Kidd's first agent was Aaron Goodwin, who helped Kidd sign a nine-year, $60 million contract, and then the league's salary cap skyrocketed in recent years, so he fired Goodwin. , switching agent Jeff Schwartz.

   "Jason, you are the main point guard in the finals, you have won the championship as the main force, it is time to fight for better treatment.

  If you can't improve your status on the team, you will never become a superstar, and you have this potential.

  I think you have the potential to be the core of a team, and leading the team to win the championship should be your next goal. Following other people to win the championship has no meaning to you, nor can it enhance your business value. "

   These are the words Jeff Schwartz said to Kidd that evoked all his ambitions.

   He is an ambitious person in his own right. Otherwise, he would not have been in the Mavericks. He had the lowest qualifications and was in the second grade. He participated in the competition for the boss, which led to the disintegration of the team.

After this season with the Suns, he has thoroughly seen what kind of status it is to be the core of the team leader. As for Old K's status in the Suns, it is drooling when he thinks about it, and he can't wait to take his place and dream All want to be the core leader of a team.

   Now, under the stimulation of the agent, this kind of ambition, like a weed, began to soar in my heart, and it was impossible to suppress it.

  After the two sides sat down and exchanged a few words, Jeff Schwartz took the lead in starting the topic and wanted to take the initiative.

   "Mr. Colangelo, I don't know what arrangements the team has for Jason next season?" he asked.

   "Mr. Schwartz, I promise, he will be our main point guard, Kevin Johnson will enter the bench, and he will retire after next season." Colangelo said.

   "So what tactical position would Jason have?" Jeff Schwartz asked.

"Um…"

   Colangelo looked at Schwartz, hesitated, and then said: "He will get the same tactical status as the lightning last season."

Schwartz and Kidd looked at each other in disappointment, and after exchanging glances, the former said: "This is not good, Mr. Colangelo, my players want to get a higher tactical status, he has a very good organization and Passing ability, which gives him the ability to run the Suns offense.

   And I really don't understand, why does the team let a center to distribute the ball? You have the best point guard in the league, why not give him the ball?

As a point guard, that's his purview, but you've taken that power away from him now, he's become a normal guard who dribbles the ball over half court, it's a huge waste, and here's his talent No opportunity to play. "

   Colangelo smiled and said, "It's very simple, because old K led his team to two championships, and his ability has been proven."

  Jeff Schwartz and Kidd's expressions froze, this is a bit hurtful!

   "Jason, do you have an opinion on old K?" Little Colangelo turned his head and asked Kidd.

   Kidd hurriedly shook his head, do you think I'm stupid? Although I'm really not satisfied with the distribution of the team's ball by the old K, can I admit this?

   "I see, Mr. Schwartz, Jason doesn't have a problem," said Colangelo Jr.

  Schwartz was helpless for a while, and could only say to Kidd: "Jason, you go out first, let me and Mr. Colangelo have a private talk."

   "OK."

   Kidd breathed a sigh of relief, nodded to Little Colangelo, and immediately got up and went out.

   Little Colangelo shrugged, feeling helpless in his heart, it seemed that Kidd couldn't keep it.

   However, with the old K allocating the ball, the team's basic tactics are relatively simple, and Kidd's importance is not so great, so let's go.

  By Kidd, he thought of Kobe Bryant, who was a young man with greater ambition. Can the team keep it in the future?

  The team won the championship, Kidd's psychology has changed, and he wants to pursue a higher tactical status and a higher team status, so what about Kobe? Has Kobe's psychology changed because of the championship?

   When this thought rose in his mind, Kobe's agent Arne Tellem was talking to Kobe's parents and two sisters.

   Kobe's home is still in Philadelphia. Originally, he hoped that his parents and two sisters would live with him in Phoenix, but after they came to live for a while, they returned to Philadelphia and were not satisfied with the environment here.

   "Joe, are you really not going to move to Phoenix?" Tellam asked.

   "Arne, I'm used to it, but Pam and the others are not." Joe Bryant said.

   "Joe, now I have something to discuss with you about Kobe's future," Tellem said.

   "Ann, you said."

  Joe Bryant got serious, so did Kobe's mother Pam Bryant and two older sisters, who were leaning against the back of the chair, but now they're sitting up straight.

   nodded, Tellem said: "Joe, you are also from the NBA, and you have just retired for four years. You should understand that the Suns are a team completely centered on the old K.

  Whether it is the ball, or the shot, especially the tactics, he is the center, everyone else has been severely suppressed, including Kobe Bryant.

   Kobe had no status in the Suns. He just played defense when he came on the court, pure coolie. The Suns did not give him the treatment he deserved as the seventh pick in the first round, and Old K did not help Kobe.

  Joe, I think it's severely limiting Kobe's development, he's getting the ball up, Joe, we have to do something to help him. "

Joe Bryant nodded, he himself played a center, and he played in the NBA for eight seasons. Of course, it can be seen that the old K is a centralized system in the Suns. Kobe has no status in the Suns, his shots are suppressed, and he has no ball. opportunity, with little degree of freedom.

   "But, what can we do? Kobe is on a 3+1 contract with the Suns, and he has to play at least another two years before he can jump out of the contract." He said with some embarrassment.

"There is a chance now, Joe. The Lakers' general manager, Mr. West, has contacted me again. He wants to trade Kobe. As long as Kobe takes the initiative to apply for a trade, the Suns can't keep him." Tellem said excitedly. .

   "Lakers?"

  Joe Bryant knew that the Lakers wanted Kobe Bryant, but he didn't expect to be persistent until today.

   "Daddy, let Kobe go to Los Angeles, I like it there." Celia Bryant said happily.

   "It is the best for Kobe to go to the Lakers, where his commercial value is the highest." Shaya Bryant nodded quickly.

   "Joe, you should think about it."

  Pam Bryant is also very moved. Like her two daughters, she doesn't like Phoenix. It's small, surrounded by desert, dry climate, no beaches, no Hollywood, no luxury restaurants, nothing.

   Seeing the attitude of Kobe's mother and two sisters, Arndrum was delighted and continued to persuade: "Joe, Kobe has won the championship, now it's time to pursue more.

West promised me that Kobe would get the best training in the Lakers. He would become the Lakers' future core outsider, and Duncan would be the core insider. They would become the league's top inside and outside combination. Together, they could even dominate the league in the future. Ten years and twenty years.

Joe, when Kobe was not in his prime for the Suns, think about the age of old K. When Kobe grows up, he is likely to be still in his prime. Kobe is always just his little brother, he can hit Kobe at will. The head of Kobe, Kobe can't even resist, this is wrong, Kobe should leave him, and there is room for development without him. "

   "Why did old K fight Kobe?" Shaya Bryant said angrily.

   "Yeah, why did he bully Kobe?" Pam Bryant and Kobe's eldest sister also asked angrily.

  Telem shrugged and said, "Didn't Kobe worship him as his teacher? He said that according to the rules of China, it is only natural for a master to beat an apprentice.

  If I want to say, Kobe should not be a teacher, he is a guard, old K is a center, and the skills he learned from old K are useless at all. "

   "It's too much, old K is a devil, we have to rescue Kobe."

  Shaya Bryant seemed to see Kobe howling under the beating of old K, and said anxiously and furiously.

   "Yes, we must let Kobe leave his clutches." Pam Bryant and her daughter quickly agreed.

Joe Bryant felt that the words of his old friend Telem were a bit exaggerated. Kobe looked good and had a very good relationship with Old K. When he called home, he did not say that Old K was not, only that he often slept in Old K. At home, eating and drinking his own, and usually training together, how could the relationship be so bad?

   He's not a rookie either, he's an old fritter in the NBA. At this time, he couldn't help but think about a situation. Could it be an old friend of Trem who took advantage of the Lakers and wanted to get Kobe to the Lakers? This possibility is not impossible.

   However, then again, he doesn't want Kobe Bryant to stay in Phoenix.

   Phoenix is ​​too young. He prefers Kobe to play in a world city like Los Angeles. If Kobe goes to the Lakers, they will definitely move to Los Angeles and the family can be reunited.

Although he doubted Tellem, the two were good friends, and he also hoped that Kobe would go to the Lakers, so he did not intend to expose it, but said: "Ann, let's talk about it, I will first find a chance to talk to Kobe and ask him for his opinion. ."

  Terham said quickly: "Joe, Kobe is too young, and his mind is completely immature. As a father, you have to make up your mind about this matter."

   He had talked to Kobe for a long time, but he almost turned his face. Kobe didn't want to go to the Lakers at all. He just wanted to wait for the old K to fail and take over the Suns.

  Joe Bryant thought for a moment and said, "Well, Kobe will be back soon. I'll talk about it when he comes back. The trade window hasn't opened yet, and there's still time."

   Tellem nodded, and that was all.

  Phoenix, Colangelo Jr. and Kidd's agent Schwartz have already negotiated, and when the trading window arrives, Kidd will be put on the shelf.

   He also did not agree to other conditions. It is very good to let Kidd go. Now Kidd is not qualified to negotiate any conditions with the team. If there is no good trading chip, Kidd can only continue to stay in the Suns.

   But he warned Schwartz not to disclose the matter before the trade window opened, so as not to affect the team's other plans.

  …

  At noon, Comrade Lao Wang's pool party was held as scheduled.

The address of the party was arranged in a private hotel. This hotel is not big, but it has a good environment and high privacy. He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to book it here, and he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to arrange the party, which is not small. .

  Hoxman invited dozens of serious models and starlets from Hollywood. As the party went on, these beauties were taken away by two or two, and the number of people at the party was rapidly decreasing.

   These men and women don't have to leave the hotel. There are enough rooms in the hotel. One person can have a room, but they are mostly three people.

   "Kobe, you are still young, one is enough."

  Pharaoh saw that Kobe was going back to the room with two little Hollywood stars in his arms, and he shouted quickly.

   "There are two, why should I have one?" Kobe threw a word, dragged the two bikini beauties and ran away.

   "Oh, these people are too anxious!"

   Before two o'clock, Pharaoh was the only one left beside the swimming pool, soaking in the swimming pool alone.

   "Next season, I still have to bring Brother Fei here, I'm alone, I have excess energy!"

  When the beauties were there, he didn't dare to come up, he only dared to stay in the water, and now that no one was there, he dared to climb up.

   After eating a bit of food, I left the hotel directly.

That night, K Wuguan held a party at a hotel in Phoenix, inviting more than 30 local businessmen, and seven or eight other members of the state, including Governor Norkens Welling and Mayor Edward Green. .

  Old Colangelo revealed at the party that the Suns had some shareholders selling their shares, and many people immediately expressed their willingness to invest.

   "Their asking price is not low. The current venture capital valuation of the Suns has reached 90 million US dollars, but they are asking to calculate the team's market value by 1.5 billion US dollars." Old Colangelo said.

   "1.5 billion?"

   A dozen businessmen who were interested in investing in the Suns started to make a good deal, but they all felt that the price was too high.

The value of an NBA team is hard to say. For example, the Blazers met Paul Allen in 1988 and sold them for $70 million. Before that, the Bulls only sold for $15 million in 1985. Comparing the ball market, the Bulls were better than the Blazers. better, but cheaper.

  The value of the team depends on the market, the market depends on the team's record, and the team's signature star.

  The big market team is of course more expensive, but it doesn't work without a record, unless it's the Knicks or the Lakers.

  Have a record, but also have to be divided into levels, of course, the ones who can reach the finals are more expensive.

   The same is true for the team's signature stars. Those with box office appeal are more expensive than those without box office appeal.

   But no matter what, the price of $150 million is still too high.

   At this time, Governor Waring said: "Everyone, the Suns are looking for a big boss with long-term investment. The team must continue to invest in the championship, and there will be no profit in the short term.

Then I believe that all of you are people with investment vision, not the short-sighted minority shareholders of the Suns. They try to sell the old K and cut expenses to share the championship dividend. This is absolutely not desirable, a kind of short-sighted. investment behavior. "

Mayor Green went on to say: "I believe the Suns are the highest quality asset that preserves and increases value, and it definitely deserves your own. In fact, there are many people who want to buy the Suns, but we only invited local businessmen to participate today. "

   "Mr. Colangelo, how many shares are currently willing to sell?" a woman asked.

   As the host of the party, Pharaoh stood at the very edge, chatting with Hawksman.

   Of course he knew this VIP client, called Keryl John, who was only in his forties, one of the richest people in Phoenix, with a local family behind him, and a state congressman in the family, who is also here now.

She is the chairman of the John Group, which owns a high-tech communications company, a local bank, a golf course and an electrical company in Phoenix, as well as a dozen other companies, and her personal assets should be $2 billion. Above, the family has more assets, and his status in the upper class of Phoenix is ​​quite high. He is regarded as one of the top businessmen in the region.

   He spends a lot in K Wuguan, especially medicated baths and medicated meals, which he orders almost every day. He is one of the most loyal top VIP customers of Wuguan.

   "Mrs. John, if your bid is high enough, at least 60% of the shareholders are willing to sell." Old Colangelo said immediately.

   "Are you sure they would be willing to sell, rather than pressure management to trade Old K?"

  Keryl John said this, looked back at Pharaoh, and smiled: "I don't want to buy a Suns team without old K. Without old K, the Suns are not even worth 30 million dollars."

"good."

   "Without old K, the Suns aren't even worth a fraction of $150 million."

  Other businessmen who are interested in investing nodded in agreement with Keryl John’s words.

   Old Wang said with a smile: "Don't worry, they can't trade me."

   "Why?" Keryl John asked suspiciously.

  Pharaoh's expression became serious and said, "If they force the management to trade me, then I will announce my retirement."

   Old Colangelo said at this time: "When Old K came to the Suns, we paid no price, so if he wants to leave, we will not set any conditions, and he can leave freely at any time."

"this is a good idea."

   "Unable to trade old K, the value of the Suns has shrunk by more than half. I think those shareholders have no choice but to sell their shares."

   Some of the crowd exclaimed and some nodded.

  Keryl John thought for a moment and asked, "Mr. Colangelo, the price of $150 million is really too high. Is there any room for negotiation?"

   "Of course there is."

  Old Colangelo nodded and asked, "Mrs. John, are you interested in buying the Suns?"

  Keryl John nodded and said: "I recently disposed of some of the family's traditional assets, hoping to buy an asset that preserves value for the family, and the Suns are just right for my request.

   In addition, if the old K really leaves Phoenix, I am worried that he will close the branch here, which will have a big impact on me.

   Take a look at his martial arts hall. There are only four branches. He has no plans to continue to develop. If he leaves here, it is very likely that it will be closed. "

Lao Wang smiled, it is indeed possible, the Phoenix branch does not have many VIP customers, if the second sister does not take over to help him manage the martial arts hall, if he wants to leave here, there are hundreds of people who want to go back to China with him this time. , basically to close.

   "If I can talk about a price of seven to eighty million dollars, I would also like to participate in this acquisition."

   "At this price, I will also add one."

"Me too."

   Several businessmen immediately expressed their opinions.

   But then Keryl John said, "I think $100 million is acceptable."

   Colangelo immediately smiled and said: "If Mrs. John can join the Suns, I believe it will be the best result."

   Several people exchanged glances, and they all shook their heads reluctantly, and directly raised the purchase price by 20 million US dollars. Mrs. John made it clear that she did not want them to interfere.

   The strength of several of them is indeed not as good as that of each other. They had business dealings with each other before, and they did not want to offend each other because of the acquisition of the Suns. Moreover, Colangelo also made it clear that he supported Mrs. John, so they could only choose to withdraw.

  With everyone's tacit understanding, things were decided like this, and it was just a small investment anyway.

   Old Wang was relieved when he saw that things were done, and found a new owner who was willing to continue to fight for the championship, so he didn't have to leave the Suns.

   But, why does he feel that his heart can't be let go? Is there something wrong?

   "Mrs. John, are there any good investments recently?" someone asked.

   "The Four Asian Tigers are now in a very good momentum, especially the real estate market in Thailand is very hot. I have invested a lot of money and believe that there will be huge returns." Keryl John said.

  “The real estate market in Thailand?”

  Everyone you look at me, I look at you, Southeast Asia is a very unfamiliar territory to them, too far away.

  Phoenix is ​​not a big city, let alone an international metropolis. These local businessmen do local business. For businessmen in an international metropolis like New York, they are veritable hillbillies.

   They are not good at international investment, and they have no news channels. I didn’t expect that the John Group has now started to invest abroad, and it is indeed Mrs. John who made the John Group’s transformation successful.

   Next, Keryl John began to promote her real estate business in Thailand, hoping to have more capital to join. The real estate market needs a lot of capital, and she does not have the cost to eat alone.

   And she didn't want to put her eggs in one basket, so she chose to buy the Suns, which was considered a value-preserving investment.

   Old Wang also heard it, and his unease seemed to grow more and more.