Chapter 105 Temptation
The next afternoon, He Zhongqiu and his party arrived in New York, and Zhang Heli also met Xia Song.

On the 12th, after losing to the Warriors at home, the Knicks won their 28th victory.

On the 13th, the Knicks started a six-game road trip.

On the 14th, the Knicks defeated the Suns on the road and got their 29th win.

With a 58% winning rate, they surpassed the New Orleans Hornets and rushed to the fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but they only had half a win more than the Hornets.

On the 15th, the Knicks arrived in Los Angeles for their second consecutive away game.

This is He Zhongqiu’s second visit to Los Angeles. The first time he came from China and stayed here for one night.

On the same day, Xia Song came to Los Angeles from New York.

I have contacted Del Harris by phone before and the conversation went very well. Harris is very willing to help the Chinese men's basketball team, and we are preparing for an interview this time.

He planned to meet Dazhi in Los Angeles first and then go to Dallas.

The country hopes that Dazhi will return home after the end of the season. Now Dazhi is still out of touch with the relevant departments. This time he plans to act as a middleman to establish contact between the two parties.

In addition, he wanted to sign Dazhi to the Zhongqiu Culture and Sports Company and become Dazhi's agent again, so that he could better solve Dazhi's problems.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, he arrived at the hotel where the Knicks were staying and found He Zhongqiu's room.

"Zhongqiu, what you did on the All-Stars is fermenting." He said with a smile on his face when we met.

"I didn't do anything?" He Zhongqiu didn't react.

"You didn't do anything, but the Ashley brand is willing to pay you tens of millions of dollars to be their spokesperson?" Xia Song said with a smile.

"Oh……"

He finally reacted and asked, "What's fermenting now?"

Xia Song explained: "I have received several inquiries from Hollywood producers who are interested in inviting you to participate in their films."

"Really?"

He Zhongqiu was delighted.

Xia Song said: "These movies are either action movies or gun battle movies, but they are all small productions, so I rejected them."

"Refused?"

He felt a little regretful. He didn't mind playing a big role in a small production.

Xia Song explained: "You have changed your career now. It is different from before. You are mainly focusing on the NBA..."

"Of course." He nodded immediately.

Xia Song continued, “So you have to prioritize your work. You can act in movies, but your offseason time is limited and you can’t waste it.

With your current popularity, it is not cost-effective to star in those small-scale productions. It is a waste of time and energy. Moreover, you are not the protagonist. The highest salary is only one million US dollars. It is even more unnecessary. "

"The protagonist?"

He Zhongqiu felt itchy. Li Lianjie had been the protagonist since his debut and had always been the protagonist, but he had never played the protagonist before. The biggest role he had played was the fourth male lead. A few months before changing his career, he returned to the ranks of extras. It can be said that he was getting worse and worse.

Xia Song said: "My idea is that it's best to star in a big production, so that it can have an impact. What do you think?"

He Zhongqiu thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'm doing OK in the NBA now. Filming is just a thought for me. I have to make the most of the offseason to practice basketball. I really don't have time to waste."

……

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Xia Song took He Zhongqiu to have afternoon tea and met Dazhi in a cafe.

"Dazhi, long time no see."

"Hello, Teacher Xia, and hello, Zhongqiu."

"Hello, Dazhi."

This was the first time Xia Song had seen Dazhi in two years, and it was also the first time He Zhongqiu and Dazhi had met. The three of them exchanged greetings.

After just one meeting, He Zhongqiu felt that Dazhi's personality was much more introverted than Dayao, and he seemed very shy and restrained.

In terms of relationship, Xia Song is Dazhi's former agent. Since they are so familiar with each other, Dazhi would not be so shy in front of Xia Song.

In terms of age and experience, he is far superior to herself, so she has no restraint when facing him.

So we can only say that being shy and introverted is part of one’s nature and cannot be changed.

After ordering coffee and snacks, Xia Song said, "Dazhi, we are not outsiders, let's open the window and speak frankly, do you still believe me?

If you still believe in me, you can sign with me again, and the Zhongqiu Sports and Culture Company that Zhongqiu and I co-founded in Yanjing will also set up a branch in the United States. "

He was still as hesitant as before and remained silent.

Xia Song had no idea what the number one player of the Chinese men's basketball team in front of him was thinking or what he was hesitating about.

Yes, in his heart, even if Yao Ming is now elected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA, Dazhi is still the undisputed number one in Chinese basketball, because Yao Ming has never beaten Dazhi.

He had no choice but to continue: "You are silent. I guess you are worried about your country, right?"

Dazhi, who was stirring the coffee cup with his head down, reacted and looked up at Xia Song.

Xia Song continued calmly: "The country does hope that you will go back during the off-season and return to the men's basketball team. This is clear, whether it is the new director or the General Administration."

"I don't want to play in the Asian Championships." Dazhi finally spoke.

Xia Song breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at He Zhongqiu who was eating snacks without saying a word, and said, "The country did agree to Zhongqiu's request, but your situation is different from his.

You were trained by the country, from Shougang to Bayi, and then to the national team. You are also a soldier, and you should play for the national team during the off-season.

But Zhongqiu is not like that. He has never received any training from the state. He is different in management, and this is also agreed by the General Administration. "

Everyone fell into silence again.

Xia Song added: "Yao had already made an agreement with his country before he participated in the draft. He will go back to play in the Asian Championships. If you insist on not playing, I'm afraid I can't help you."

The silence continued.

Xia Song said again: "Actually, for you, you don't have many opportunities to play in the Clippers right now, and your physical fitness is not a problem at all. Why don't you want to play in the Asian Championships during the offseason?"

"I want to play in the summer league, I've said that a long time ago," Dazhi said.

"Summer League?"

He Zhongqiu finally spoke because he didn't know what league this was.

"It's the lower-level league of the NBA, and the level is actually not that good." Xia Song said.

He Zhongqiu asked doubtfully, "Since your level is not that good, why are you playing in the summer league? Why not let Brother Xia help you get traded to a team with ball to play on, isn't that better than playing in the summer league?"

He didn't mention returning to China to participate in the competition, but Dazhi was stunned, as if his head was hit by a stick and he changed his mind.

In the final analysis, what he is really struggling with is not that he doesn't want to play for the national team. In fact, he is not opposed to playing for the country.

He didn't have a chance to play in the NBA, so he wanted to improve his strength and get more playing time through the summer league.

And because the summer league schedule conflicts with the national team's game schedule, a series of conflicts arise.

If he can be traded to a team with a ball to play, then the summer league will not be attractive to him, and there will naturally be no conflict with the domestic situation. He will definitely be willing to return to the country to participate.

"How is it?" Xia Song asked.

"Yes, can we trade..." Dazhi asked with some anticipation.

Xia Song waved his hand and said, "Whether it can be done depends on the opportunity. I certainly can't guarantee it. But Dazhi, you have to have an attitude first, right?

At least I have to have a legitimate reason. If you don't want me to be your agent, how can I help you?"

Dazhi thought about it and nodded.

Chen Weimin had been advising him not to contact the country, but as Xia Song brought He Zhongqiu to the Knicks, and He Zhongqiu subsequently achieved such great success, even becoming the starting center for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, this greatly stimulated him, and he now doesn't quite trust Chen Weimin.

"it is good."

Seeing that Dazhi finally nodded, Xia Song also breathed a sigh of relief.

February 2th, Staples Center.

When He Zhongqiu appeared on the court, he saw many familiar faces. Almost all of these stars had watched games at Madison Square Garden.

Lakers owner Buss was sitting on the sidelines, next to him was Lakers general manager Kupchak. After He Zhongqiu came on the court, the two began to talk about something.

"Mitch, do you think the Knicks are willing to trade Wolverine for O'Neal?"

"Shaq is still in his prime. His offensive power, especially in the playoffs, is totally incomparable to the current Wolverine. Even if Wolverine's growth does not meet expectations, he will never be able to get close to Shaq's level. It's worth a try."

"Where do you think Wolverine will grow?"

"According to the Knicks' evaluation of him, his ceiling is Ewing. But I actually think his ceiling is Dream. Dream is very strong and good at confrontation, which is more in line with Wolverine than Ewing."

"So you think it will take him a few years to grow up?"

"Three years. In three years, he should be able to become a first-rate center who can do both offense and defense. Three years later, when O'Neal is old, the Wolverines' dominance in the offensive end of the basket can even reach the top of the league."

"Then try to trade him."

“Okay, boss, I’ll find a chance to talk to Scott Layden, Mr. James Dolan’s trust in him should be limited.

In addition, I have sources who say the Knicks are likely to change a head coach, which will weaken Layden's power in the Knicks front office."

Kupchak knew that He Zhongqiu had a player option for next season, but he did not think of directly using a maximum salary contract to poach him.

The reason is simple, because the Knicks are richer than the Lakers, the Lakers can offer a maximum salary contract to the Wolverines, and the Knicks can match it, so they can only seek a trade.

In this game, O'Neal was absent due to injury and Kobe was unable to carry the team alone. In the end, the Knicks completed a double kill of the Lakers at home and away and won their 30th victory.

30 wins and 21 losses, currently ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Without O'Neal to match him, He Zhongqiu used his offensive skills under the basket to defeat the Lakers' backup center Samaki Walker.

He played for 31 minutes, made 12 of 10 shots, 10 of 7 free throws, efficiently scored 27 points and 9 rebounds, and also had two blocks and two steals.

But turnovers and fouls are still problems he cannot solve at the moment, with as many as 4 turnovers and 4 fouls.

On the defensive end, he prevented Samaki Walker from making 4 of 0 shots and scoring no points.

"I hope his name will appear on the Lakers roster next season." Buss said to Kupchak at the end of the game.

After playing the Lakers, the Knicks flew to Portland overnight and will play a back-to-back game against the Trail Blazers tomorrow.

In this game, the Knicks' winning streak was interrupted due to poor form. They are now 30 wins and 22 losses, still ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

After losing to the Trail Blazers, the Knicks seemed to be on a bad run, suffering four consecutive losses, losing to the Supersonics, Warriors and Kings successively.

30 wins and 25 losses, a winning rate of 54.5%, sixth in the Eastern Conference.

On the afternoon of the 24th, the Knicks returned to New York with a record of wins and losses.

Although the team did not play well on the road and suffered four consecutive losses, the record of sixth in the Eastern Conference is much better than the previous twelfth place in the Eastern Conference, so neither the New York media nor the fans have shown much dissatisfaction with the team for the time being.

Xia Song drove to pick him and Philip up at the airport. After getting in the car, he asked, "Brother Xia, how is the men's basketball coach going?"

"Harris has already agreed to an annual salary of $80," Xia Song said with a smile.

"Where's Coach Thibodeau?" he asked again.

"He still needs to think about it, but I don't think it's a big problem. After all, he's just going to China to work for a few months during the offseason. An annual salary of $50 is actually not bad. This is also the annual salary he made in the Knicks," said Xia Song.

"Brother Xia, how is my house going?" he asked.

"Oh, the training room has been finished. The exterior painting has been completed. The interior is being decorated and the training facilities are also being installed. We can move in in half a month."

"Then move in when the renovation is done."

Soon after, they arrived at the hotel where Mosaic was staying and took Dayao to Chinatown in Manhattan.

There are at least 700,000 Chinese people in Chinatown, not counting the black market population. There are now three Chinatowns, including more than 30 streets, which have annexed several surrounding communities, such as the Jewish district and the Italian district, which have become part of Chinatown.

The three drove to East Broadway, next to New York City Hall and Broadway, close to Wall Street, and on the edge of Chinatown.

It was only four o'clock, and the three of them did not go out to eat immediately. Instead, they went shopping and bought some Chinese items that could only be bought in Chinatown.

The two of them were so famous, especially He Zhongqiu, who was known to everyone in New York, so after only a short while, a large group of people followed them.

"Houston's Chinatown is also big, but not as big as here," Yao Ming said.

"This is my first time in Chinatown, and I don't have time to go out and play."

Looking around during the Mid-Autumn Festival, I saw Chinese faces everywhere and signs with Chinese characters everywhere, as if I were back home.

The three of them couldn't go any further after visiting two Chinatowns. They were annoyed by being surrounded by people all the time. They also bought a lot of things, which were inconvenient to carry, so they simply stopped shopping.

While the group was shopping, Layden received a call from Lakers general manager Kupchak.

The two exchanged a few brief greetings, and then Kupchak got straight to the point.

"Scott, there is a big business. Do it well. I think Mr. James Dolan will thank you."

"Mitch, what do you want to say?"

"Haha, listen up, Scott, I want to congratulate you, you have a chance to get a big shark."

"what?"

Layden was a little shocked. The Lakers actually wanted to trade Shaquille O'Neal for Wolverine?

Kupchak didn't say what he wanted, but since he was using the Sharks as bargaining chips, he must have wanted Wolverine, there is no doubt about that.

Temptation, this is a huge temptation.

Who is O'Neal? The core of the Lakers' three consecutive championship dynasties, the team leader, and still the best player in the league.

Would the Lakers be willing to give up such a treasure?

O'Neal + Kurt Thomas in the interior, one offense and one defense, and the mid-range shooting king + madman in the outside. Once this lineup is realized, the Knicks will definitely soar on the spot!

His mind was racing, calculating.

The Wolverines' contract is 1+1, with a player option for next season. If they want to trade him, they can sign first and then trade.

But even with the maximum salary, according to current rules, the Wolverines can only get a maximum salary contract of $1100 million.

O'Neal's contract for next season is $2500 million, which means the Knicks still have to fill a $1400 million hole.

Such a big hole can only be filled by the main force, either the madman or the mid-range shooting king.

The mid-range shooting king (Madman) + Wolverine, trading O'Neal, is it possible?
He took out a piece of paper and wrote down the names of O'Neal, Wolverine, Madman, and the Mid-Range Shooting King on it with a pen.

First of all, he confirmed one thing: neither the mid-range shooting king nor the madman was as important to the Knicks as Wolverine.

The Jordan era is over, and unless the next guard like Michael Jordan emerges, the center will inevitably be more important.

What's more, the Knicks didn't even make it to the playoffs last year. Without Ewing, neither the mid-range shooting king nor the madman could prove their ability to lead the team.

That is to say, if Wolverine He Zhongqiu is traded, both the mid-range shooting king and the madman can become partners.

After thinking it through, he crossed out the names of Alan Houston and Sprewell, leaving only the names of O'Neal and He Zhongqiu on the paper.

The second thing is, who is more suitable for the Knicks, O'Neal or Wolverine?
O'Neal was born on March 72, 3, and was 6 years old. In terms of age, he was at the end of his peak, and in terms of condition, he was indeed at the end of his peak.

贺中秋出生于83年8月17号，19岁，小奥尼尔12岁。

He wrote down the number 12 on the paper and immediately felt that the number was quite glaring. This number made him feel that the Great Sharks were not so attractive.

And he would have to take on one of the mid-range shooting king and the madman, which made him feel even less attractive.

"The madman is 32 years old, the mid-range shooter is 32 years old, their ages..."

He immediately considered the issue of age. The mid-range shooting king and the madman were the players of the same generation who best matched O'Neal. The three of them were at the end of their prime, while Wolverine was not.

If we wait a few years, after Wolverine grows up, the mid-range shooter and the madman will definitely be no longer effective, so by then...

Scott Layden is faced with another problem: should he pursue short-term benefits, squander and gamble on the team's future, or rebuild the Knicks with the Wolverines as the core of the future?

From his personal interest point of view, it is more cost-effective to take a gamble. If he achieves results, his boss will trust him more.

But as a professional manager, he knew the latter approach was better.

Besides, if you take a gamble, what if you lose?
After losing the bet, he had only one outcome: he was fired by his boss.

He began to analyze the probabilities of winning and losing.

The Wolverine's partner can be replaced by other role players, plus one or two future draft picks. The Lakers should agree, and then the Knicks can keep the core lineup of O'Neal + Alan Houston + Sprewell.

How far can this lineup go? How long can it last?

It is undeniable that this core lineup is indeed very tempting to him.

(End of this chapter)