Jim Bass ended the call with Zhang Guan, lay on the massage chair in the office, and fell into deep thought.
To Jim, Zhang Guan is like Cheng Yaojin who came out halfway, but Jim has no doubt about Zhang Guan's acquisition ability and sincerity.
With Zhang Guan's wealth, 50 million US dollars can definitely be obtained. Compared with others, Zhang Guan's acquisition can also give the Bass family peace of mind.
For the Buss family, Zhang Guan is a foreigner. He has no foundation in the United States, no foundation in Los Angeles, no foundation in the NBA, and no foundation in the Lakers. If we insist on a relationship, the Lakers back then Selecting Zhang Guan with a second-round pick is his only relationship with the Lakers.
Without a foundation, this is where Jim Bass feels most at ease, and Jim Bass believes that his father Bass Sr. will also be very relieved. Compared with other people with acquisition intentions, Zhang Guan is more like a pure investor. He poses no threat to the Buss family's control of the Lakers. He is even safer than those guys on Wall Street who have never been involved in the sports industry.
More importantly, Zhang Guan put forward an additional condition, an additional condition that made Jim Buss' heart beat.
"I am willing to complete the contract with the Lakers when necessary. I don't mind bringing enough business value to the Lakers in a certain period of time in the future."
These are Zhang Guan’s original words.
Commercial value, this is what Jim Bass values most.
After all, the NBA is a business. For team owners, winning is secondary and making money is the most important. Of course, being able to win and make money at the same time is the best result.
The current Lakers are a team that can win and make money, but Kobe is already 32 years old, and Phil Jackson is also clamoring to retire all day long. The Lakers cannot always maintain this strong posture. Even Jim himself feels that maybe starting next season, the Lakers will go downhill.
The Lakers own Kobe, so no one can appreciate better than Jim how much benefits superstars bring to the team, not to mention this is Los Angeles! And how can a team with no record and no stars make money
"Kobe will always get old and retire. Maybe we should really find someone who can replace him. The Lakers can live without Kobe, but they can't live without stars!" Jim thought of this, picked up the phone, and dialed his boss. Si's phone number.
…
"As a legendary star of the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson is also a minority shareholder of the Lakers and owns part of the Lakers' equity. But now Johnson has officially sold his shares to the famous athlete Zhang Guan. At this point, Johnson and the Lakers no longer have any equity. relationship. The Lakers officially announced the news on Monday, US time."
"As a player who has played for the Lakers for 13 years and as an equity holder of the Lakers for more than 10 years, I have always been treated with great courtesy," Johnson said in his statement. "I appreciate it. Team owner Buss can give me such an opportunity to express my feelings from the deepest part of my heart. I will continue to work with the Buss father and daughter, continue to cooperate with general manager Mitchell Kupchak, and build and maintain the best team in the NBA. For me and my family, this decision is bittersweet, but I guarantee those lovely and loyal Lakers fans that after I make such a decision, it will not affect my continued By supporting and contributing to the Lakers, I am and will always be a Laker for the rest of my life."
"The 51-year-old Johnson was the first overall pick of the Lakers in 1979. In his 13-year career, he led the team to five championship trophies. In 1991, Johnson tested positive for HIV. Tested positive for COVID-19, and he announced his retirement soon after. However, Johnson still appeared in the 1992 All-Star Game and won the All-Star Game MVP. In 1996, he returned to the game again, playing 32 games before winning the award. The Lakers announced their official retirement. In his career, Johnson averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 assists per game. In 2002, he officially entered the Basketball Hall of Fame as an NBA player."
Looking at this ESPN report, Phil Jackson shook his head helplessly. He only learned of the news not long ago. Before that, Magic Johnson was more inclined to the side of Jeanie Buss. Now that Zhang Guan has become a minority shareholder of the Lakers, Phil Jackson has also lost a big help. He knew that his request to enter management would most likely be dashed.
"Maybe you really should leave!" Phil Jackson murmured to himself.
Leave the Lakers? Of course Phil Jackson will feel reluctant to let go. He became the coach of the Lakers in 1999. Although he left for a while midway, he received enough glory while with the Lakers. But he was not satisfied with a coaching position.
"Perhaps it would be a good choice to take a break and find a place to take a vacation." Phil Jackson comforted himself.
…
Zhang Guan also received something nice, which is a package of VIP seats for the Lakers home game next season.
As a minority shareholder of the team, Zhang Guan certainly has some privileges that others do not have. For example, he can sit in the front row of the Lakers' home court, enter the team's locker room, etc.
But Zhang Guan doesn't care about this, and his focus is not on the NBA. Kobe is still the boss of the Lakers now, and it will be like this in the next few years. Kobe will never be inferior to others, and neither will Zhang Guan. This means that Zhang Guan will not join the Lakers in a short time.
At the same time, Zhang Guan also knows that next season, the Lakers will enter decline. Zen Master will retire and leave, and Jim Buss will work hard to sign Howard and Nash. The "New F4" formed by them has become a joke in the NBA. , then Kobe was injured and reimbursed, Gasol went to the Bulls, and asked the coach to change coaches. The Lakers became a lottery team and entered a long rebuilding process.
"If I go to the Lakers now, I can only be regarded as a cat and a dog under Kobe. But in a few years, when the Lakers are at their weakest, I will become the savior of the Lakers!" Zhang Guan's eyes revealed a sense of confidence.
At this moment, Zhang Guan's cell phone rang.
"It's Leader Gong from the men's basketball team!" Zhang Guan immediately picked up the phone and asked, "Hello, Leader Gong!"
"Zhang Guan, I'm looking for you mainly because I want to make an appointment with you. You have to make time for me from February 5th to February 10th next year!"
"February 5th to February 10th? It's almost the time for the Chinese New Year, right?" Zhang Guan asked.
"That's right, from the third to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year." Leader Gong said.
"There shouldn't be any games during the Chinese New Year, right? Is it an event? From the Basketball Association?" Zhang Guan asked several questions in a row.
"It's an event, and it's a big event, but it's not from the Basketball Association." Leader Gong continued: "You must be familiar with the Lawrence Awards Ceremony!"
"I'm familiar with it. I still have several Laureus statuettes at home. But in previous years, the Laureus awards were held in March and April. Could it be that this year it was moved forward to February?" Zhang Guan asked.
"Yes, this year's Laureus Awards will be held on February 7th. The location is in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates." Director Gong replied.
"Have I been nominated again? No, it shouldn't be me! I've already won the Lifetime Achievement Award! I shouldn't have anything to do with the Lawrence Awards in the future!" Zhang Guan said.
At the Lawrence Awards Ceremony in the first half of this year, Zhang Guan received a Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is usually only available to retired athletes, but the Lawrence Chairman Committee awarded this award to Zhang Guan.
Zhang Guan has made amazing achievements every year, so he has won the best male athlete award every year, and he has won awards in different events. In the end, the organizer of Lawrence couldn't stand it anymore and specially consulted with Zhang Guan, hoping that he could give other athletes a chance. Zhang Guan's current achievements and status do not need to use awards to prove himself, so he readily agreed. So in the award ceremony in the first half of the year, the organizer gave Zhang Guan a Lifetime Achievement Award as a kind of compensation.
During the phone call, Team Leader Gong said: "You did not have a nomination this year, but we did! Our men's basketball team was nominated for the Best Team Award. The General Administration has already started operations, and there is a high probability that we will win the award! So wait until February. Then, let’s go to Abu Dhabi to receive the award together!”
The second chapter has been delivered, and there are additional updates. I am currently writing it. Please give me a guaranteed monthly ticket.
(End of chapter)