The negotiation, as both parties expected, was quite tough. They were not willing to compromise on certain conditions, leading to intense contention.
In terms of intensity, this negotiation was no less than an NBA Finals, testing both parties physically and mentally.
The main points of contention were twofold: first, Stern demanded that Las Vegas suspend all basketball-related betting projects.
This was obviously unacceptable for Las Vegas, as basketball betting is a major part of gambling, and axing it would significantly reduce Las Vegas's profits and turnover.
Gan Guoyang proposed the establishment of an oversight committee, with other league staff serving concurrently in committee positions, to set up an office in Las Vegas to monitor the flow of gambling funds and ensure betting does not affect the game results.
Stern naturally disagreed with this suggestion, believing that a committee could not prevent gambling from infiltrating the games.
Moreover, an office in Las Vegas would inevitably get corrupted, so the best choice was to cut off the threat and stop it.
The parties were entangled in this issue, spending the entire morning in a battle of offense and defense.
Overall, Gan Guoyang was on the offensive, and Stern, as the defender, was slowly retreating.
In the end, Gan Guoyang revealed his trump card, saying, "David, if NBA teams don't come to Las Vegas, gambling will still exist. Why must gambling disappear if the NBA comes to Las Vegas? That doesn't make sense. The influence of gambling has always been there; the key is how to control it. I bet the league has referees and players gambling, which has nothing to do with whether there's a team in Las Vegas or not."
"On the contrary, the NBA coming to Las Vegas can better manage and control the gambling issue. So, the NBA should establish a gambling oversight committee headquartered in New York to oversee gambling-related business without affecting NBA players and practitioners. Then we sign an agreement to share part of the annual NBA gambling revenue with the NBA, spreading it across each team. How about it?"
The morning negotiation touched the core, still the issue of economic interest distribution.
With such massive gambling turnover and profit, can Stern loosen up without taking a share for the NBA?
Gan Guoyang had already discussed this trump card with Oscar Goodman and the Las Vegas industry association.
Of course, the discussion process was equally painstaking, as touching interests is always much harder than touching souls.
Gan Guoyang eventually convinced the industry, proposing that if cooperation doesn't happen now, it will become increasingly difficult in the future, and the NBA's asking price will go up.
Considering long-term interests, the industry association finally agreed with Gan Guoyang's proposal and was willing to cooperate in revenue sharing with the NBA.
Everyone understands that once an NBA team settles in Las Vegas, it will surely spur the whole city's tourism and gambling industry to flourish.
Stern, having received a satisfactory answer, didn't immediately provide a solution, slyly saying it was lunchtime, let's eat and rest, and continue in the afternoon.
Gan Guoyang didn't mind, rising to say, "I also have a proposal—suggesting Adam Silva to serve as chairman of the oversight committee. I believe he's capable of this role."
Sitting beside Stern, Silva had a complex expression on his face, uncertain whether to be happy or embarrassed.
Stern glanced at Silva, also stood up, nearly losing his balance and almost fell sideways.
Silva hurriedly supported Stern, asking, "President, are you alright?"
"It's nothing…I just feel a bit dizzy being inside too long…the air is stuffy…it's nothing."
This was the result of Gan Guoyang's marathon tactic, a morning of high-intensity confrontation, the water was hot, and the air conditioning broke, making Stern dizzy and lightheaded.
"Do you need me to call 911 for you?" Gan Guoyang, noticing Stern's dizziness, didn't forget to show concern.
Stern's forehead twitched. Hearing the numbers 911 now made his heart race.
"No, thank you, I'm fine." Stern gritted his teeth as he left the conference room, feeling much better outside.
At lunchtime, Gan Guoyang was generous, treating the NBA delegation to a sumptuous Chinese meal.
Stern didn't hold back; after a morning of exertion and with more battles possibly stretching into the afternoon or even tomorrow, he needed to eat more.
Meanwhile, the NBA delegation privately discussed and were satisfied with the conditions Gan Guoyang offered.
Although over the years the NBA had clawed out of bankruptcy and loss, capital is never satisfied.
In the 2000-2001 season, the NBA's total revenue was around 2.5 billion US Dollars, down significantly from 3 billion US Dollars in the 2000 season.
This was the first major drop in total revenue under Stern's tenure as NBA president, and the impact of Gan Guoyang's retirement could not be ignored.
Though 2.5 billion US Dollars in total revenue was still substantial, with league profits above 500 million US Dollars, quite considerable too.
But in the world of capital, growth is always desired over decline, and 500 million US Dollars was directly eroded from last season's profits.
Now, it's still uncertain whether a new Las Vegas team can bring in revenue, but gambling dividends are solid gains.
Once this partnership is established, they can collect some money each year, who wouldn't be happy with that?
By this point, even Stern couldn't refuse the popular opinion, making a unanimous decision during lunch to agree.
Thus, the first major issue was resolved.
