MTL - The Rest, Only Noise-Chapter 24 High-priced people and low-priced levers

In April, Bird announced the signing of prominent sports agent Bob Woolf, and getting Bird in the draft last year seemed to be just the beginning.

Only by successfully signing Bird can it be considered a success.

In May, the NBA playoffs have reached a critical juncture, and the Celtics have begun negotiations with Bird.

On the day of the negotiations, Louis had an argument with John Kirillia in Auerbach's office.

The Celtics have no first-round pick this year because of the Bob McAdoo trade. Their poor record has cheapened the Knicks.

The Knicks have both the third and ninth picks in the first round this year. Among them, the ninth pick came from the Celtics.

The trouble is, the Celtics have already traded their second-round pick in this draft.

However, before the restructuring, the draft can choose a total of ten rounds.

There are as many players as you want to be drafted, but starting in the third round, there are not many worthy players. The point of contention between Louie and Kyrilla was the use of the ninth overall pick in the third round.

Kyrilla took a look at Duke's senior guard Wayne Kreklow.

Louie suggested picking Bill Laimbeer, whom he had been following for almost a year.

Or even, if necessary, trade a second-round pick to intercept Hu.

Regarding the proposed trade, Auerbach's opinion is: "There is no need, Bill has no market at all, we can select him in any position."

"Then let him wait until the fourth round." Kyrilla looked arrogant. "We selected him with the ninth pick in the fourth round, and this can also further depress his contract."

His suggestion made Auerbach's eyes shine.

This old guy always likes advice that saves him money.

The problem is that this is not his money, save a chicken?

"I don't know Wayne, but I know Bill, he's got a place on a team of great talent, and Wayne is struggling with a weak Duke, even Bob Ortegel. The coaches didn't say anything about his immediate ability, just that he was a hard worker."

"Reed, this is a red flag," Louie said solemnly. "If this guy had other strengths, his coach would never say that!"

Kirillia scoffed: "Does Bill have any other strengths? You haven't highlighted his mental attributes on the scouting report."

"Okay! Stop!" Auerbach patted the table. "What do you think of this? Wait until the ventilation starts!"

The expressions of Louis and Kyrilla were wonderful.

With just a few draft picks this year, do you need a briefing?

A group of bigwigs gathered around to discuss who the ninth pick in the third round should be? wow, that scene...

At this time, the handyman from the Greek Academy came in and said, "Larry and his agent are here."

"Let them come!" said Auerbach.

"Then I'll go back and study it again." Kyrilla hurried away as if afraid of meeting Bird.

Louie sees this as an opportunity to get acquainted with the core players of the Celtics in advance and doomed.

"Are you trying to stay and help?" Auerbach didn't mean to leave.

Louie said politely, "If there's anything I can do to help, please be welcome."

"Don't worry, Larry is a hillbilly and Bob is an arrogant bastard. These two people never know what politeness is." He said this in front of Louis.

After meeting later, he was eager to confess Bird.

Bird and his agent Wolf walked into Auerbach's office at the same time.

Bird wasn't as bird-like as it had been years later. At first glance, he was very young, with golden curly hair like pickles, a young white man in jeans and a shirt. Wolf next to him gave Louis a bad feeling at first, like a villain full of bad water.

"Would you like something to drink before the negotiations begin?" Louis asked.

Auerbach's office had a refrigerator with everything Louis could use.

"Bring me a bottle of Heineken." Bird opened his mouth to drink.

And it's a more expensive wine, but Auerbach has only blue ribbons here.

"No Heineken." Louis pretended not to know before opening the refrigerator to answer.

Wolf frowned dissatisfiedly: "Why don't you even have wine?"

"Are you here for a drink, or for a contract?" Auerbach knew that Wolff was pressuring, but was he pressuring a 19-year-old? He must have been confused about the situation.

"Forget it, just give us a glass of water." Wolfe touched Bird with a smile, "Larry, did I say so? You really can't expect too much from them."

Bird nodded slightly, agreeing with him.

Louis prepares a little while Auerbach and Wolff begin to argue.

Before 1995, there was no standard rookie contract in the NBA.

As a result, rookies looking to become stars tend to sign max salary from their first contract.

Negotiations were tense from the start, as Auerbach said the $300,000 annual salary was an unexpected figure that made Bird blurt, "How much?"

That's a far cry from the numbers Bird and Wolf expected.

Interestingly, when Louis came over with two glasses of water, he carefully gave one to Byrd and one to Wolfe.

His approach was simply prudent.

This made Auerbach suspect that one of the cups had been poisoned, and he wanted to poison Wolff.

Louis stood by, ready to be dispatched.

Bird took a sip of water, but nothing was different.

When Wolfe did the same thing, his expression changed quickly, as if he had eaten shit, and roared in disgust: "What is hot water?"

Drinking warm water has gradually become a unique habit of East Asians, and in westernized countries like Japan and South Korea, the younger generation has long been accustomed to drinking cold water. Warm water is disgusting for these people.

Wolff didn't spit it out, so he was self-sufficient.

"Sorry, I'm Chinese..."

Although Louis is very troublesome, Auerbach really likes this kid at this moment.

Wolfe gave Louie an uneven look, "Why is Larry ice water?"

"There is a saying in Chinese culture that we respect the old and love the young. Larry and I are both young people and can adapt to ice water, and old men like you and Reed should drink more hot water for the health." Really a caring person.

But he made Wolff more and more sick.

"Let's continue!" The disgust brought by the warm water made Wolfe have no good tone. "My client asks for a salary of no less than $1 million per year..."

Then Louis heard Auerbach's loudest roar since he joined the Celtics for more than half a year: "How much!!?"

When one party proposes an annual salary of $300,000, while the other party demands a million-dollar annual salary that is unique in the entire league, the demands of the two sides are not just differences, but generation gaps.

It's like a senior movie fan who likes **** asking for resources, but you give him Airi Hijima's work, he will undoubtedly be disappointed with you, and you expect him to praise Hijima-sensei's beautiful response .

This will of course lead to conflict.

Auerbach and Wolff are no longer negotiating, but quarreling.

Bird was not happy at first, but later he was worried that Auerbach would fight with his agent.

Although Louie was surprised by their performance, he was not at all worried about the two fighting.

Auerbach and Wolf are old rivals.

Celtic legend Havlicek is represented by Wolff. In the early 1970s, Wolff used the ABA team to raise the price, forcing the Celtics to give Havlicek a worthwhile contract. Auerbach had a heart-to-heart exchange with Havlicek on the phone, and he complied with all the latter's requirements, while at the same time forming a relationship with Wolff.

The negotiation went on for two hours without a result, and the two sides broke up.

There are many journalists outside the Greek Academy.

"We didn't come to an agreement," Wolfe declared.

At the same time, he said that his client does not rule out returning to the draft so that the Celtics can't get it.

"Hmph, I want 1 million unless he kills me!" Auerbach was still furious in the office.

At present, the average total salary of NBA teams is 1.75 million US dollars, let alone 1 million, that is, the previously proposed 300,000, which is the highest salary in the history of the Celtics.

"What if they go back to the draft?" Louie asked. UU reading www. uukanshu.com

"Do you believe this kind of nonsense?" Auerbach vowed. "Even if Larry enters the draft again and gets him either Los Angeles or Chicago, even Los Angeles is unlikely to meet his requirements, Chicago...I don't. Think they'll give a higher number than us!"

Just as Louis was about to leave, Auerbach reminded him: "If a reporter asks you later, just tell the truth!"

"Including the offer we made?"

"Don't say that..."

It appears that $300,000 isn't Auerbach's reserve price.

Louis smiled: "I see."

Shaking the news out is to put pressure on Bird's team. It is unheard of for a rookie to dare to ask for a million-dollar salary, and it will be heavily criticized by public opinion. Conversely, if they had spoken out about Auerbach's offer, it wouldn't have had the same effect.

"NBA players are overpaid" is the common view of Americans. Auerbach will not be scolded for such a low price, but will also be praised.

When Louis announced that he had witnessed the whole process of the negotiations, he immediately became the focus of reporters.

However, exclusive information can only be given to one, and the one with the highest price will get it.

On the premise that the other party promised not to write his real name, Louie sold the exclusive information to the "Globe" reporter Will McDonough (Will McDonough).

Louie described the first negotiations as "full of swearing and blasphemy".

McDonough was shocked when he revealed that Bird's party asked for a million-dollar annual salary.

Seeing the other party's expression, Louie can foresee how exciting tomorrow's headlines will be, but what's even more exciting is the $1,500 exclusive news fee, which he didn't expect to make money.

I want a ticket~~~~~