Chapter 626: Chapter 193: Fat Guys ×2_2
Logo Man looks calm and collected, but in reality, his vest was already soaked with sweat.
He waited for over a month, missing out on so many quality point guards. They could have smoothly built a championship contender through bolstering the backcourt, but no, he needed to form the strongest frontcourt duo ever, even stronger than the Rockets’ Twin Towers back in the day to feel at ease.
This is a high-stakes gamble!
O’Neal really wanted to refuse; he wanted to consult with his agent, but then remembered how his agent would advise him to continue partnering with Anfernee Hardaway and accept the five-year, $56 million contract.
There’s one more thing: if he didn’t go to the Lakers, he might face them as contenders. Thinking about the Lakers’ center, staying with the Magic, there was really no one to help relieve the offensive pressure he faced. Having Barkley and Zhang Hao was different, even though both of them really annoyed him.
He felt his hand was out of control, reaching for the pen Logo Man placed nearby...
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After the free agency market opened, Zhang Hao continued training. On July 10th, Alan Houston, after negotiations broke down with the Pistons, temporarily stopped considering contract matters. He agreed to Henry Thomas’ alternative plan—to wait for the Lakers, to wait for Jordan, and come to Los Angeles to train with Zhang Hao.
Half a month had passed, as he watched quality guards switch teams one after another, Zhang Hao began working on a second plan.
At this point, Zhang Hao had already guessed what management wanted to do.
So Zhang Hao devised two plans for Alan Houston. Initially, Henry Thomas wanted to continue haggling with the Pistons, but Zhang Hao knew Jordan wouldn’t leave the Bulls, and ultimately Alan Houston would go to the New York Knicks.
With many things changing and uncertainty about another big man’s arrival, Zhang Hao decided to keep a backup plan. If the other big man chose another team before Jordan completed his re-signing, he would notify the Lakers to sign Alan Houston.
There would be absolutely no problem.
If Jordan re-signed with the Bulls first and the New York Knicks were willing to offer an average annual contract of $10 million, then let Alan Houston go and continue patiently waiting for Logo Man’s move. If the Knicks weren’t willing to offer, then continue to wait.
Though the risk was significant, if you’re going to gamble, patience is required, even if you end up losing everything... that’s the most dominant center ever!
By July 28th, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar returned to Los Angeles, and after two weeks of training alongside Alan Houston, Zhang Hao started the "Quick Catch and Shoot Simulation Training" mode and then continued learning from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Initially, he thought he’d start a learning mode related to the Celestial Hook, but instead activated "Jabbar’s Health Care Secrets," earning the "Health Care Master" Bronze Medal...
49-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose physical condition seemed still fit for the NBA, dominated Zhang Hao and Jason Williams in training.
What Zhang was learning in terms of skills were Kareem’s hook shots and low-post backdown techniques, but in a few days, the learning mode hadn’t triggered. However, when following Kareem’s post-training self-care regimen, suddenly the learning mode activated, earning him the "Health Care Master (Bronze)"...
"Health Care Master (Bronze): When worn by players, if they follow Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s therapy methods after each game, they’ll maximize avoidance of regular sprains, strains, and other basic injuries."
The medal is a good one; it’s pretty effective, although its name makes him long for his thermos...
However, after just a week of interaction, Zhang Hao found Kareem difficult to communicate with... the other seemed like he was reluctantly doing business.
During this period, the Olympics had already begun. Seeing the news of the Chinese Team heading to Atlanta and the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team defeating the South American powerhouse Argentina Team to reach the Olympics quarter-finals for the first time... so envious! Really envious!
But there’s no choice, given the national circumstances, he’ll have to wait for an opportunity. He wants to create that opportunity, ensuring that next time, whether the Basketball Association likes it or not, they can only invite him to the national team!
By August 5th, the Bulls announced Jordan’s re-signing, and the New York Knicks were already notified to match the contract, $30 million a year. This was the largest contract the Knicks were willing to offer, and upon being matched by the Bulls, they realized they couldn’t continue competing with the Bulls. Thus, they chose to approach Henry Thomas, who had been already contacting the New York Knicks under Zhang Hao’s direction, offering Alan Houston a five-year, $50 million deal to strengthen the backcourt.
Seeing Jordan complete the re-signing and getting a call from Henry Thomas learning that Alan Houston already signed a contract with the New York Knicks for an average annual salary of $10 million US Dollar, and seeing only the Spurs, Mavericks, and Lakers yet to sign any players, even rookie contract players haven’t been signed, just some trades made, Zhang Hao became a bit anxious.
How much longer must this wait last?
However, his anxiety barely lasted two hours; he had just returned home after filming when he received a call from Logo Man...
Then, the girls and two little ones inside the house heard the sound from the yard: "Beale, Beale, Just Beale..."
Stepping outside, they saw Zhang Hao starting the sing-and-dance rap mode again!
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In the morning, he had just had an argument with the team’s general manager Jerry Krause. After offering a 1+1 player option with a starting salary of $30.14 million US Dollar, Krause squeezed out one sentence: "I think I’ll surely regret giving you such a contract."
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