Chapter 521: Recruiting Soldiers
Yang Mo spoke in a very arrogant manner, as arrogant as ever, as if he was commenting on two ordinary teams rather than the finals team.
However, no one in the broadcast room thought there was anything wrong with his words, because this guy had indeed defeated the Lakers and the Celtics. He had done it single-handedly. He was the only one in the league who could say such things without anyone finding them out of place. This was Yang Mo's current status in the industry.
While the rest of the locker room remained silent, Yang Mo began to explain to himself, "Oh, Kobe shot that shot well, and Pierce couldn't even keep up with him. Pierce's pressure on defense is pretty average, but his footwork is a bit poor, especially in the left and right swings. So, every time he comes to guard me, I can easily find the angle where his ankle can't twist, and then leisurely pass him, as if it were a stroll in our backyard."
Yang Mo's words were calm, but the other two commentators had no idea how to respond. Only Yang Mo dared to say such things, because he had actually done them. Barkley and Kenny Smith, on the other hand, didn't dare to provoke such talk. What if Pierce said, "If you can do it, go for it!" But Yang Mo wasn't afraid. He really could do it, and he did.
"Well, Kobe's shot is great, but a little difficult." Charles Barkley said this after a few seconds.
"Well, it's a little difficult. But he didn't do it well. His jumping height is already very bad. If it were me defending him, he wouldn't even have space to shoot. He could only pass the ball. If he wanted to force a shot, I would easily knock his shot to the back half of the court."
"Uh..." Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith's expressions froze again. How could they respond to such a question? They didn't want to offend Kobe, that paranoid guy. It would be bad if they got into a war of words.
"Yang, what do you think of the current tactical systems of these two teams?" Collins was smart. He quickly changed his commentary on the players to commentary on the tactics, so that other commentators would not be unable to keep up the conversation.
"Tactics? Both teams' tactics are very conservative right now. In fact, none of the players on the court are following their tactics. Their movements are disorganized." Yang Mo said directly, "The Celtics are defending according to their inertia, while the Lakers... their offense has always been controlled by Kobe."
After Yang Mo said this, they were even less able to get a word in, because the court was indeed quite chaotic, and at the beginning, they had not yet gotten into the rhythm.
"So which team do you think will get into the game first?" Collins continued.
"The Celtics, after all, they don't have Kobe Bryant." Yang Mo smiled slightly, unconsciously making fun of Kobe.
"Then why do you think the Lakers will win?" Collins asked puzzledly.
"The Celtics are a very tough defensive team, but they are afraid of offensive players who are tougher than them. Obviously, besides me, Kobe Bryant is the second toughest player in the league." Yang Mo said with a faint smile.
Well, Yang Mo's arrival completely shattered their original chemistry, because Yang Mo and them were simply not on the same level. Yang Mo could freely criticize two championship teams, but the others couldn't. Although they were very free with their words, they... could never dare to reach Yang Mo's level.
However, for the directors, chemistry wasn't important. They were already beaming at the ever-increasing ratings. Fans loved Yang Mo's brash tone, even believing it was her true self. To them now, it felt like Yang Mo was meant to be brash and arrogant.
Because Yang Mo's level of expertise prevented the other commentators from getting a word in, he essentially provided the finals commentary alone. He offered insightful and concise insights from the players' perspectives. While his tone was a bit cocky, he spoke the truth, and there was nothing to dispute. Ultimately, the game played out as he had predicted at the start of the game: the Lakers defeated the Celtics, with Kobe Bryant's 43 points being the most crucial factor in the victory.
"Kobe played well tonight and was the key to victory. He scored almost half of my points tonight, so if I had the Lakers as a team, would I still have won the championship?" Yang Mo concluded the program with another recruitment pitch: "Come on, those who are willing to make history, join the Knicks. We may not offer you the highest salary, but you can get so much more from this. You can become a history maker, you can maintain the highest exposure, and you can earn exponentially more advertising revenue. If you are interested, please contact Knicks General Manager Isaiah Thomas. As long as I approve your application, you can get a contract here. This will definitely be the most important offer of your life. The opportunity to change your destiny has arrived. What are you still hesitating about?"
Yang Mo's commercials were eloquent and evocative, and almost every player whose contract was expiring had a glimmer of desire to join. After all, who wouldn't want to make history? To put it bluntly, who wouldn't want to cling to Yang Mo, the league's most powerful figure? And working with him, even if the salary was a bit lower, what did it matter? The advertising money would definitely pay for it. After all, the New York Knicks are the most-visited team in the league right now.
So, that evening, Isaiah Thomas received at least ten calls from agents, all of whom hinted at their players' willingness to join the team, but also cautiously presented their offers, which were almost in line with market value. But…Isaiah Thomas flatly refused: "Sir, we are the ones making the offer , not you making the offer for us? All the players are heading to New York now. We are giving you a chance to achieve glory, okay?"
Isaiah Thomas felt confident, as this was Yang Mo's order. He'd always been taken advantage of, even known as a money-grubbing idiot in the brokerage world. Now, he'd finally stood up and taken charge. He'd always been bullied by customers, but now he finally got a taste of the bullying. It felt so good, so fucking good!
Isaiah Thomas was incredibly happy, but Yang Mo rushed to the set the next day; he still had to film. After all, his downtime was scarce. After finishing the film, he still had to compete in the World Championships for the national team. He'd promised to do so, so... there was no reason not to go. Furthermore, while he was already the undisputed number one in Chinese basketball history, winning a world championship would... make the honor even more glorious.
On Yang Mo's first day on the team, Isaiah Thomas sent him two names: the Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire and the Hornets' Tyson Chandler. Yang Mo hesitated, then decided that these two players, one offensive and one defensive, were indeed very good. So he immediately gave his price: Tyson Chandler, five years, $60 million; Stoudemire, five years, $70 million.
When Isaiah Thomas received the offer, he couldn't help but be stunned. He asked cautiously, "Tyson Chandler's price is reasonable. But, isn't Stoudemire's price too low? His last contract in Phoenix was higher than this. He should be worth around $90 million ."
"In my heart, he is worth 70 million for five years. Tell him that I have doubts about his knees, and his poor performance on the defensive end has greatly reduced his points. If he is willing to accept this contract, then come over. If not... just wave goodbye." Yang Mo's answer was very straightforward. Although Stoudemire can enrich the Knicks' offensive tactics, he is not indispensable.
"Um, okay." Isaiah Thomas quickly took the order and turned around to make an offer to their agent.
Tyson Chandler readily agreed to the offer without hesitation. He was moved by Yang Mo's words and knew what he wanted. Furthermore, even if other teams offered him a few million more, he could definitely earn it back through advertising in New York. And who wouldn't want to be a legendary center for a dynasty team?
Tyson Chandler agreed quickly, but Stoudemire was at an impasse. Stoudemire's agent called Isaiah Thomas a vampire, but Stoudemire himself said he needed to reconsider. There was no doubt that Yang Mo's offer was compelling enough.
After about two days of hesitation, he gave his answer. He offered Isaiah Thomas a three-year contract worth 50 million.
When Isaiah Thomas received this offer, he was extremely happy. He thought that this short-term contract was a good deal. The next three years happened to be Stoudemire's peak period, and it was only 50 million . It was such a good deal.
However, Yang Mo replied coldly: "Only 42 million for three years. However, I can guarantee him that he will win at least one scoring title and two championship rings in these three years. After three years, when he has fully demonstrated his worth, he can get a bigger contract from other teams."
When Isaiah Thomas conveyed Yang Mo's original intention, Stoudemire agreed to Isaiah Thomas' double-teaming without any hesitation and quickly bought a plane ticket. He couldn't wait to come to the Knicks for a physical examination and then sign the contract.
After dealing with these two people, the Knicks' inside line is basically worry-free, and they will no longer be as weak in offense and defense as last season.
