Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 870 If he doesn't sell, I'll keep adding to the price; if he does sell...

"10 seconds left! Danny Granger has the ball at the top of the key. This is the Pacers' last possession. 101-102, they're down by one point against the Bobcats!" Miller's voice was full of anticipation and excitement; he was completely fired up.

"This shot will decide the fate of the Bobcats and the Pacers this season; this shot will determine which of these two teams will make the playoffs!"

"The Pacers' positioning is clear: spread out, then their star player will take the ball and isolate! Let's see if Marvin Williams can stop Granger!"

Amid Miller's excited shouts, Lin Tian and Van Gundy next to him quietly watched Miller's passionate performance without saying a word.

Even though Lin Tian played for the Pacers for seven years, his feelings for the Pacers could never compare to those of Miller, a guy who was so loyal and devoted.

This guy genuinely treats the Pacers like his son, father, or some other incredibly close relationship.

"With three seconds left, Granger made a change of direction and accelerated, pushing Williams aside! Accelerate, stop abruptly, and pull up for the shot!"

"Goal! Goal! Goal!" Miller jumped up from the bench excitedly, waving his hands wildly and shouting and celebrating.

"A perfect jump shot! Granger isn't fighting alone this time! The brilliance of his Pacers predecessors shines upon him! Lin's spirit seems to reside within him, granting him divine assistance and making him invincible!"

"Fuck Reggie, I'm not dead!" Lin Tian finally couldn't take it anymore and slapped Miller across the face. "I'm sitting right here. How could I be possessing him? Do you think I'm Yuri or something?"

"But that was absolutely brilliant! I think it's the Pacers' best shot since Lin left! Perfect moment, perfect instant!"

"Danny Granger, he lived up to the team's years of nurturing and expectations. With this game-winning shot, he told everyone who didn't make him into the All-Star Game this year: You're all idiots!"

"With that game-winning shot and his 33 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists tonight, he propelled the Pacers back to the playoffs after many years! This is the Pacers' first playoff appearance since Lin left the team!"

Van Gundy chimed in at this point: "A fantastic game-winner, congratulations to the Pacers, but we also need to see the Bobcats' hard work. They really gave it their all for their first-ever playoff run, and they were just a hair's breadth away from achieving their dream."

"But I believe that with young Rose and DeRozan leading the way, the Bobcats will definitely make the playoffs! Maybe next year."

Lin Tiandao said, "I can't help but recall when Michael first formed the team, he boasted that he would make the playoffs in two years, become a strong team in three years, and compete for and win the championship within five years!"

"In the blink of an eye, Michael has already built the team for six years," Lin Tian said, pausing for a moment before adding, "and they haven't even completed the first step yet."

"You know Michael's definitely sitting in one of the boxes at the stadium, right, Lin? He can definitely hear what you're saying," Miller said with a wicked grin. "He'll hate you."

"Why does he hate me!" Lin Tian stared wide-eyed, his face full of innocence. "If he had listened to me, the team would now have at least a star duo of Howard and Paul as the foundation, and if we were lucky, we would have Aldridge or some other top-tier player as the team's third option."

"With this roster, they're already strong contenders for the championship, let alone the playoffs, right? They're only worse than the Celtics in the East, but they should be able to go toe-to-toe with the Cavaliers, shouldn't they?"

"The Warriors have reached the top four in the Western Conference and have won 50+ games for many consecutive years thanks to Paul and Aldridge."

"Blame me? If I were him, I definitely would have sat in the private room. Otherwise, how could I face my good brother who gave me endless opportunities and took care of me, yet I couldn't seize the opportunity?"

"Speaking of which, Michael used to always sit in the front row of the court, right? When did he stop showing up there?"

"Did it start when Paul won Rookie of the Year, or when he traded Aldridge and helped the Warriors reach the top again? Or when Howard won the championship?"

"Anyway, I'll say it again: even if I were Michael, I wouldn't dare to appear in the front row of the court anymore. Wouldn't the fans curse me to death? The glory he brought to North Carolina back then has long been consumed by his terrible choices over the years."

"Then Lin," Van Gundy, who was always eager for drama, said, suppressing a laugh, "if you were to give Michael a piece of advice right now, what would it be?"

"Let's sell the team," Lin Tian said without hesitation. "When we bought it, it was probably less than three hundred million dollars. Over the years, with Michael's stingy spending, plus his shameless behavior of using his connections to get front-row seats and trick people into buying tickets, and the bonuses he gets from the league's luxury tax, all that's left is this team."

"I reckon he makes a net income of several million to tens of millions of dollars every year? It's not easy to earn that much over the years. He should sell the team now; maybe he can get 400 million?"

"Over the years, you've invested less than 300 million but made almost 200 million. What's the point of talking about passion and dreams? Just sell it already, stop being a laughing stock, and save yourself some dignity."

"So who should we sell it to? How about you take over? You're retired anyway, you have plenty of money, and more importantly, you seem to have a knack for running a team well," Miller said with a smile. "Maybe Michael can even give you a discount."

"I'm not buying. If I'm going to buy, I'll buy another team. Michael has ruined Charlotte's feng shui; it'll bring bad luck here. I don't want to," Lin Tian said with a wicked grin. "I'd rather spend 10 billion to buy the Lakers!"

"What if Buss doesn't agree? The Lakers are his lifeline," Van Gundy chimed in, adding his own witty remark.

"Then I'll offer 15 billion. If they don't sell for 15 billion, I'll offer 20 billion. I firmly believe in one thing: every person has a price, and a team has its price too!" Lin Tian said confidently, "Anyway, I'm rich."

"What if he agrees?" Miller followed up with a question. He originally wanted to ask Lin Tian how he planned to help the Lakers win the championship again if Bass agreed, but before he could finish his sentence, Lin Tian quickly replied.

"If he agrees, then pretend I never said anything, or I'll reduce the price by another 2 million. If he still sells after reducing it by 2 million, I'll reduce it by another 2 million, until he refuses to sell." Lin Tian laughed heartily, "Being a boss is too annoying. You can't say this or talk about that. It would take away a lot of my fun."

"Okay, okay, the director told me we only have 2 minutes left, and then we have to go interview tonight's hero, Granger."

Van Gundy was so amused by Lin Tian's shameless behavior that he laughed until his stomach hurt, shaking his head and saying, "We even forgot to analyze the Pacers' winning percentage against the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs."

"But it's too late now anyway. I believe the fans won't be angry, so I have one last question. If Michael doesn't sell the team, Lin, give him a serious suggestion, something truly effective."

"Jerry West is currently unemployed. Give him the best, highest, and most lucrative commissioner offer in league history and let him save the world."

"If Jerry truly loves the Lakers and doesn't want to leave, then ask Larry Bird with the same offer. If Bird doesn't come, then ask Danny Ainge with the same price. If that still doesn't work, then ask Pat Riley."

"Where there's a will, there's a way; he can always persuade someone to work for him! As for Michael, he can just be a mascot, occasionally going to the locker room to give some inspirational speeches, helping the players find technical flaws and shortcomings on the training field, and cheering them on from the front row of the court."

"Don't do anything else besides these!"

"That way, his team will definitely get better as soon as possible! I swear, this is the most reliable way."

"So, Reggie, give Michael some advice in the last 20 seconds." Van Gundy wasn't about to let Jordan off the hook. Although his Knicks' biggest rival back then was Miami, and although Jordan had won a championship alongside him.

But most of the time, Jordan and Lin Tian's teams really did bully him quite a bit.

Revenge!

"Michael, shut your damn pride and your worthless, bossy habit, and listen to that damn Lin! Got it? You stupid, idiotic black bastard! Listen to that damn, bastard Lin!"

After spewing out a string of profanities in one sentence, Miller even let out a satisfied burp.

To publicly criticize Jordan in front of fans across the United States—that feels amazing!

The important thing is that this idiot has no way to talk back.

Unless Jordan says, "If you're so good, then you do it."

Miller will definitely play!

As for how it ended up.

What does Miller have to do with that!

In any case, his goal has never been to become an excellent manager.

At the same time, in that box at the Spectrum Center, Jordan's cigar was almost crushed into pieces, but he still didn't leave. Instead, he stared intently at the three bastards who were talking non-stop on the sidelines.

His furious appearance made his assistants obediently close their doors early, as if they wanted to avoid him at all costs.

Who knows if they'll end up with fire on their heads?

It's best to stay as far away from such an undeserved disaster as possible.

"Ryan." After several minutes, Jordan suddenly walked out of the room and found one of his assistants, saying, "Call those three bastards and tell them to come up here. I'll treat them to dinner tonight."

Just as Ryan was about to open his mouth to ask which three bastards they were, his companion tugged hard at his sleeve, and the guy immediately shut up.

Asking this question now, who knows how much criticism I'll get?

As for which three bastards they are?

At this point, the Manchukuo Communist Party had only one answer.

A few minutes later, Ryan stopped Lin Tian and the other two, who had just finished interviewing Granger and were preparing to leave, and said, "Our boss would like to invite you to dinner tonight. He's waiting for you in the private room right now."

"My boss is Michael Jordan."

Ryan, fearing the three of them might cause more trouble, quickly added a sentence.

"Inviting us to dinner at this time? Didn't he hear what we were teasing him about?" Miller was curious when he heard this. Jordan, who was so petty, would invite them to dinner at this time?

"He was furious, but he still insisted on treating the three of you to dinner. I think... it's because of the friendship between you."

Seeing Ryan's extremely insecure appearance, Lin Tian said, "Your boss wouldn't have prepared 50 axemen, just waiting for us to go in so they can swarm us and beat us up, would he?"

"That's impossible. He really wanted to invite you to dinner. I don't know why, but I believe he's sincere." Ryan quickly waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't true.

Just kidding, if you big shots are fighting, please don't drag me, a nobody, into it.

"If you're sincere, have him come to our hotel. We're in room 2707 at the Hilton." Lin Tian waved his hand and said, "He doesn't even have the intention to come to our room, what kind of sincerity is that?"

After Lin Tian finished speaking, he waved his hand, not giving Ryan a chance to continue speaking, and left with Van Gundy and Miller.

"Do you know why he's contacting you?" Miller said. "Anyway, I don't think it's something as simple as just inviting us to dinner."

“I know Michael too,” Van Gundy said. “That guy’s petty, you know? Back in New York, he used to bully Patrick all the time.”

"As for the reason? It's because Patrick shouted 300:1800 at him that year to mock his low salary. I was afraid that Patrick would be beaten to death on the training field."

"That's because Patrick is too soft. If it were me, I'd rather die on the training field than be bullied like that by him." Miller snorted. "No wonder Michael has always treated Patrick as a little brother rather than a friend."

"But you, Lin, you must know why Michael is looking for us, right?"

"I know." Lin Tian nodded, certain of his statement. "He listened to what we just said!"

"He wants Jeff to persuade Riley to join Charlotte, he wants you to persuade Larry to join Charlotte, and he wants me to persuade Jerry to join Charlotte! What else could it be?"

"He's serious?" Miller stopped in his tracks, incredulous. "If I said this to Larry, he'd smash a bottle over my head."

"That guy will never leave Indiana unless he retires completely. We Indians all have that kind of sentiment!"

"Aren't you a thoroughbred Californian? Saying things like that to the Lakers is considered supporting your hometown team, but what are you saying to Indiana about us all being Indians?" Van Gundy retorted angrily.

"My second home, you know," Lin Tian said casually. "I have more than 40 second homes. As long as the fans like me, Mars can be my second home. But Reggie has more principles; he probably only has this one second home."

"If we can't reach an agreement on our respective goals, then Michael might consider our other suggestion."

"Jeff will be the head coach, and Reggie will be the shooting coach."

"You're going to be the team's president?" Don't let Van Gundy's rigidity and inflexibility as a head coach fool you; off the court, his mind works like lightning—he's incredibly smart.

"That's how it is," Lin Tian nodded. "He might be planning to recruit us all."

"Then the ESPN executives will just hire a hitman to kill him. They finally managed to get a few of us to boost the ratings and get things back on track, and then Michael poached all of that?" Miller scoffed, indicating Jordan was daydreaming. "Besides, I'm not working for him!"

"I also really enjoy being a commentator," Van Gundy shrugged. "Being a head coach is too stressful; since becoming a head coach, I've been losing more and more hair."

"So, before you became head coach, didn't you lose your hair?" Miller looked at Van Gundy's shiny bald head, completely disbelieving.

You didn't have much hair before you became head coach.

"It really doesn't fall out," Van Gundy said, rubbing his bald head. "And since I stopped being the head coach, I've almost completely stopped losing hair."

"You'd better have something to lose first." Miller rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay him any attention, and turned to Lin Tian, ​​saying, "Shall we go to the hotel to wait for Michael?"

"What's there to wait for?" Lin Tian stretched and said, "Of course, we should go grab a late-night snack and have some drinks to celebrate Indiana making the playoffs again after many years."

"As for Michael, I bet he won't be waiting for us at our hotel right away!"

"I think so too!" Miller nodded quickly, indicating that he agreed. "We could even find a place to listen to some music and see if we can find anything extra tonight!"

"Boss, they want you to go to their hotel to find them," Ryan reported cautiously to Jordan, afraid that his boss might take out his anger on him.

"Then let's go!" Jordan snorted. "I knew these bastards would cause trouble. Nobody knows them better than me!"

"Shall we set off now? I'll have the driver get the car ready." Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, his mind starting to wander.

"Get the car ready, but we're not going to the hotel. Let's find a restaurant, grab a bite to eat, have some drinks, and maybe even listen to some music." Jordan snorted, indicating there was no rush.

"But……"

"Do you really think those bastards will go back to the hotel right away? I bet you they won't. They'll be lucky if they get back by midnight!" Jordan snorted, indicating that it was impossible to fool him.

I've been a boss for so many years, I'm smarter than a monkey now! I won't fall for any tricks.

"Then I'll stand guard at the hotel entrance. If they arrive, I'll call you immediately, boss." Ryan finally got it and found himself a pretty safe job.

"Be sensible, go ahead!"

……

Thirty minutes later, in a high-end restaurant in Charlotte, Lin Tian cut his steak while pondering what to do when he saw Jordan later.

Should I agree to his request?

Should I return to the league with a completely new identity?

Lin Tian was deep in thought when suddenly a tall figure walked into the stadium.

"Michael, over here!" Lin Tian waved and called Jordan over with a smile. (End of Chapter)