Chapter 154 European Tour

During this 15-day European trip, the Steel Six Brothers had a blast.

As the saying goes, when you're out having fun, what you do isn't that important.

The key is who you're with.

Just like in Su Feng's previous life, in college, a few good roommates could have a great time at an all-night internet cafe.

Originally, Su Feng had planned to invite Iverson to join him this time, to gather a "Four Iron Kings" combo.

Unfortunately, Iverson, who has a family, was on vacation in Hawaii with his family, so "The Answer" couldn't participate in this Steel Brothers tour.

It's worth mentioning that in Madrid, while everyone was at an amusement park, Kobe successfully discovered a major weakness of Su Feng.

"Su, you're not going to try a thrilling ride like a roller coaster?"

Looking at Su Feng's face, which read "rejection," Kobe said with a sly smile.

Heh...

'Kobe, do you really think I'm afraid of this puny roller coaster?'

"I'll pass."

"I have a bit of a headache today and it's not a good idea for me to ride a roller coaster," Su Feng said firmly to Kobe, shaking his head.

Well...

To be honest, Su Feng wouldn't try things like roller coasters, bungee jumping, and skydiving, no matter how much he wanted to seek excitement.

Honestly, it's not a matter of being a coward.

Su Feng is very clear that for a "land creature" like him, the sky is not his place.

Just as Kobe was about to force Su Feng to ride the roller coaster with him...

Fortunately, Da Ben and Nash came out to stop him.

Otherwise, who knows what posture Kobe would have been sunk into the Pacific Ocean by Su Feng next season?

…

Amidst the laughter, on November 14th, the group headed to the last stop of their European tour:

—Milan, Italy.

For the city of Milan, it could be said that it was the most familiar place to Kobe besides Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Growing up watching the "Dutch Three Musketeers" play soccer, Kobe's dream as a teenager was to play for AC Milan when he grew up.

Therefore, on this return to his old haunts, at Kobe's strong request, everyone accompanied him to the San Siro "Big Vegetable Patch" to watch a Serie A match.

As a result, lucky Kobe not only successfully relived his childhood on this day...

While watching the game, he also ran into another idol on the basketball court from his youth besides Magic:

—Mike D'Antoni.

As a legendary player for the Milan basketball team, D'Antoni, who was an assistant coach for the Nuggets last season, returned to Italy after the lockout started and waited patiently for it to end.

Although the NBA stipulates that coaches cannot have contact with players during the lockout, the league couldn't prevent chance encounters like this.

Noticing Su Feng and the others with Kobe, D'Antoni took the initiative to greet them.

"This is unbelievable, I never thought we'd be able to sit together and watch a soccer game."

Kobe was very happy to meet his idol and kept introducing D'Antoni's classic battles as a player to everyone.

However, when Kobe introduced D'Antoni to everyone, apart from Su Feng, the others weren't interested in D'Antoni.

After all, the NBA is ultimately a star league.

With D'Antoni's current status, what kind of clout did he have in the eyes of these geniuses?

Originally, D'Antoni just wanted to exchange a few polite words with Su Feng, but after opening the conversation with Su Feng, he was completely shocked.

Because when he discussed tactical topics with Su Feng, Su Feng could not only guess what he was going to say next, but they could also agree on some offensive tactics.

Okay...

D'Antoni might not believe it if he said it.

Su Feng knew those tactics that he would use to coach the Suns in the future more than just like the back of his hand.

As an excellent keyboard warrior, Su Feng had even downloaded the Suns' tactical manual from a foreign website back then.

Su Feng knew that the current D'Antoni wasn't the run-and-gun fanatic of the future, and some of his current ideas were indeed very naive in Su Feng's opinion.

If Su Feng remembered correctly, D'Antoni would understand the principle that even the best tactics require players to execute them after he takes over the Nuggets' coaching position next season.

However, although the current D'Antoni was still young, Su Feng thought he was very suitable to be Davis's assistant.

You know, behind-the-scenes hints are also a skill.

If D'Antoni could be Davis's assistant, how much less would Su Feng have to worry about in the future?

To be fair, Su Feng's current research on tactics is still mostly limited to theory and the surface.

This is also why he would sometimes get a rude awakening even after planning so much during his rookie season.

Therefore, knowing that D'Antoni would suffer a Waterloo in Denver in the future, Su Feng decided to leave a good impression on D'Antoni first.

Su Feng remembered very clearly that after leaving the Nuggets in the future, D'Antoni had gone through a period of seeking knowledge for several years.

He only found the right path after meeting Nash in Phoenix.

So, if D'Antoni was willing to come and be Davis's assistant when he left the Nuggets in the future, then in Su Feng's opinion, just the Nash User Manual in D'Antoni's hands would be worth making friends with him.

"This is unbelievable!

Su, in my opinion, when you retire in the future, it will definitely be a great loss to the NBA coaching world if you don't become a coach," D'Antoni praised.

Su Feng shook his head at D'Antoni's polite words.

In fact, Su Feng wasn't interested in being a coach.

But he was quite interested in cultivating coaches.

"Mike, I think you can pay attention to the Raptors next season."

Su Feng specially reminded him when he parted ways with D'Antoni.

"I will, I like John Davis as a coach very much.

And after talking with you today, I feel even more that the Raptors will definitely usher in a new life under your leadership next season," D'Antoni said with a smile.

Su Feng knew that D'Antoni's words were still mostly compliments.

But Su Feng wasn't in a hurry.

Because he believed that when D'Antoni realized that he couldn't take the Nuggets anywhere next season, he would know that the Raptors' first assistant coach was the most suitable position for him.

…

On the 20th, after the Steel Brothers group's European trip ended, Kobe, feeling unsatisfied, even had "Boss Su" take everyone to China for a few more days.

Then...

There was no then.

Because despite Su Feng's thorough preparations, the Chinese fans would be able to recognize them all with Kobe, Carter, and the others' conspicuous skin color.

Su Weiguo, who helped Su Feng clean up a lot of messes, couldn't wait to kick him back to Toronto when he finally sent Su Feng to the airport.

"Dad, is that how you treat your lovely son?" Su Feng, who was disliked by Su Weiguo, said aggrievedly.

"Heh, get lost! Get as far away as possible!" Su Weiguo said to Su Feng after showing his fatherly love with an iron fist.

There was nothing he could do, maybe that was a father!

In fact, how could Su Weiguo want Su Feng to leave?

He couldn't wait for Su Feng to stay at home for a few more days.

However, in Su Weiguo's opinion, as a father, he had to show his stern side in front of Su Feng.

Therefore, in his Su Weiguo's words:

"Even Hu Weidong has won an NBA championship, how can you have the face to return to China before winning an NBA championship?"

Alright...

Su Feng felt that his dad really didn't understand basketball at all.

Because if the NBA championship was so easy to win, there wouldn't be so many "Uncrowned Kings" crying in the toilet in the future.

But speaking of which, this impromptu trip back to China allowed the members of the Steel Brothers group to feel the terrifying enthusiasm of the rabbit's home...

When traveling in China, Su Feng and the others caused a sensation wherever they went, and even eating zha jiang mian (noodles with savory soybean paste) would be surrounded by fans from several blocks.

In addition, although the NBA stipulates that players cannot use the NBA for publicity during the lockout, the local media in the rabbit's home didn't care about these restrictions.

And in New York, Stern adopted a policy of turning a blind eye when he learned of these interesting things.

After all, as an "impartial" president, Stern believed that Su Feng and the others' approach of helping the NBA maintain the popularity of its overseas markets during the lockout by playing on the edge was a good thing.

Of course...

Stern might not believe it if he said it...

This was not Su Feng wanting to play on the edge, it was purely because his reputation in the country at this time was too explosive.

…

At the end of November, the Steel Six Brothers returned to Toronto and continued their boring training.

And as Su Feng remembered, the labor-management negotiations still didn't have any room for maneuver.

As early as the beginning of November, Stern had already announced the cancellation of all NBA games in December.

This also included the NBA's annual Christmas game.

And as time came to December, after Stern announced that the All-Star Game for the new season would also be canceled, the players felt unprecedented pressure.

Due to the previous arbitration, the players couldn't receive a penny of salary during the lockout, and even the lower and middle-level players with contracts couldn't even go overseas to play and earn money.

NBA players themselves rely on their youth, so it's okay to make trouble for a short time, but who has the courage and boldness to continue making trouble for a long time?

In addition, facing the continuous losses, the bosses also expressed their willingness to compromise.

Although there weren't many teams in the NBA making money at this time, and managing NBA teams wasn't the main business of most bosses, the nearly 4 billion in revenue sharing was still there, so which boss would be willing to give up?

However, after the superstars led by Ewing repeatedly refused to compromise, the bosses who were originally willing to compromise became firm again.

So, the lockout continued, and the panic remained.

December 23rd.

In the Steel Home, except for Su Feng, who knew the course of development and was very calm, the rest of the people felt that the upcoming Christmas Eve and Christmas might not be good after watching the news.

Because on this day, Stern had officially issued an ultimatum to the Players Association.

Stern said that if the labor and management sides still couldn't reach an agreement before January 7, then he would announce the cancellation of the entire 98/99 season.

"Su... what do you think we should do if the next season is canceled?"

Nash, who was about to usher in his contract year next season, felt that he was going to be in trouble this time.

Because according to the regulations, if the 98/99 season was canceled, Nash would not only not receive his original salary, but also have a hard time signing another contract because he wouldn't have the opportunity to prove himself.

In Nash's opinion, players like Su Feng and Kobe didn't have to worry about their next contract.

But what kind of clout did he, Steve Nash, a water fountain manager, have?

"Don't worry, Steve, get ready, the new season is about to begin."

Su Feng smiled as he touched Nash's head.

Su Feng knew that the man who would save the world would appear in a few days.

The Players Association was on the verge of splitting after Stern's ultimatum was issued.

Su Feng knew that the reason why this lockout had been unable to be negotiated was because the high-paid players led by Ewing didn't want to take a pay cut.

Therefore, before the lower and middle-level players united, it was impossible to reach an agreement no matter how the labor-management negotiations were conducted.

However, to be fair, if you look at it from the perspective of Ewing and the others, did they do anything wrong?

It was human nature for high-paid players to seek benefits for themselves.

Therefore, this was also why Su Feng wouldn't say anything even though he knew the course of this historical development.

Because no matter what Su Feng said at that time, he would be criticized.

In Su Feng's previous life, how many young players did Jordan, who was the owner of the Bobcats at the time, offend during the next lockout?

In short...

Looking at his increasingly thick elbows, as well as the increasingly well-behaved and sensible Ca Mc brothers under his devilish training, plus tiger generals like Nash and Da Ben, Su Feng couldn't wait to tell the world...

Sky City, Toronto, it's here!

…

Perhaps, this was the most uncomfortable Christmas Eve for all NBA players.

After all, no one had thought that these labor-management negotiations would turn out like this.

Just as the American media thought that the 98/99 NBA season would be canceled, a turning point finally appeared.

Under the operation of the famous agent David Falk, the high-paid players led by Ewing completely broke with the other players.

Kevin Johnson, the captain of the Suns, even issued a public appeal:

"We can't stay in this stalemate any longer, we must all take a step back, this is not only for us, but also for the fans."

Under Johnson's appeal, more and more players supported making concessions.

And on the premise that the players were willing to make concessions, the bosses no longer mentioned the hard salary cap.

The bosses said that as long as the players were willing to accept the maximum salary limit, then they agreed to provide more salary for the lower and middle-level players.

From the long-term development of the NBA, the maximum salary limit was the most reasonable solution.

Because this was equivalent to distributing the money of the maximum salary players to the lower and middle-level players, which balanced the income distribution of everyone as a whole.

In addition to the maximum salary limit, the NBA also introduced a luxury tax system this time to avoid malicious competition and the situation of super teams dominating the NBA in the future.

In Su Feng's previous life, Stern had always disliked super teams.

Because the emergence of super teams would make the NBA lose its suspense.

Therefore, throughout Stern's era, even if some teams formed super teams through reasonable rules and won the championship, Stern would try to dismantle them.

Of course, if he couldn't dismantle them, Stern also had a solution.

That was to retire and not play anymore.

Look, you have already taken a pay cut to form a team, could Stern still tell you through "basketball reasons":

Silly child, taking a pay cut to form a team will affect your reputation?

Therefore, this was also why Su Feng only planned for five years for Toronto.

Because Su Feng knew better than anyone else that in the NBA, if you want to gain the highest reputation, if you push Stern, the general manager, too hard, you will be banned.

Take the poor number of free throws of his successor after forming a team in the future, Su Feng didn't want to lose the super giant treatment that originally belonged to him like a fool.

To put it bluntly, if you want to become the number one player in the NBA, "EQ" will always be the first priority.

…

By the way, after the time entered the new year in January, because the labor-management negotiations were only left with details to be finalized, Kobe had returned to Los Angeles, preparing to use practical actions to hammer Su, Ca Mc three in the new season.

And as Su Feng had guessed before, in this life, Jordan did not announce his retirement after only winning five championships.

Although this life's "Old Rogue" successfully completed three consecutive MVP, but...

Do you know, what people say about Jordan the most now is...

"You were beaten by Su Tie." (Su Tie=Su Feng, tie=iron)

As the saying goes, Pippen can endure, but Jordan can't.

In Jordan's opinion, if he couldn't educate Su Feng properly before retiring, he would always leave a thorn in his side in the future.

However...

In Su Feng's previous life, the reason for Jordan's retirement was not only about sports.

The share dispute between Jordan and Reinsdorf, as well as the salary that Reinsdorf couldn't give even if he wanted to after this lockout, were also one of the main reasons for Jordan's retirement.

And in this life, unlike Su Feng's previous life, Jordan and Reinsdorf didn't break up because of share issues. The reason why these two broke up was still on Pippen's contract renewal issue.

As early as the championship parade of the 97/98 season, the Bulls management was vague about Pippen's contract renewal issue.

Especially according to the new rules for the next season that have been roughly released, how dare the Bulls give Pippen the 6-year maximum salary he was asking for?

Let's not say that if the Bulls gave Pippen such a contract, they wouldn't be able to keep other players at all.

Just Pippen's age, which was already halfway into the coffin for sports, even Bulls general manager Krause would know that this contract would definitely become a bad contract in the future.

In Su Feng's previous life, don't look at the fact that the Bulls also ushered in a decline after Jordan's retirement, but if they didn't even have the courage to rebuild, then they wouldn't have any hope in the future...

They might as well just wait for death.

So...

Pippen's jealousy, which had been silent for almost two years, completely erupted with the end of the labor-management negotiations.

And because Pippen didn't die in the 97/98 season, the "Old Rogue" who loved Pippen more and more in this life, was now also becoming entangled...

Obviously, Jordan's emotional intelligence and business intelligence haven't reached their due date yet.

Just...

After the lockout ended, Jordan found that this world was no longer the world he knew before...

…

ps: First update! This chapter is the update for the 17th. Because the next chapter will enter the new season's plot, A Quiet needs to sort out the team roster and the outline.

Please remember to check the author's announcement for the current dungeon progress!