The Godfather of Basketball

The Rockets' championship parade went on vigorously. After the parade, the fans were still immersed in the joy of the dynasty.

Tang Tian's life was not easy.

Like two years ago, his phone was ringing, and even more exaggerated than two years ago, his apartment was full of people.

Every day, the management of different teams will come to him, and every day someone who has visited will ask him how he is thinking.

Although coaches can sign before the start of the new season, it is clear that everyone wants to get this done before the draft.

After all, Tang Tian has been better than most general managers in the past three seasons in terms of talent selection.

On this day, Thunder team president Sam Presti brought his assistants to Tang Tian's apartment.

"Tang, Oklahoma City needs you very much." Presti seemed to understand Tang Tian's character, and said straight to the point after sitting down.

"We still have three young people with infinite possibilities in the future, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, this will be a huge challenge, but only you can complete the challenge ,join us."

Listening to Presti's excited speech, Tang Tian felt a little numb.

I don't know how many times he heard someone say this to him. He wondered if he really wanted to make an appointment, and then waited in line.

"Yes, the Thunder is a very talented and future team, and I will take it into consideration." Tang Tian waited until Presti finished speaking, nodded and said, this is what he gave to most teams. Management's response.

"Don, can you give an affirmative answer? Or, do you have any special requirements?" Presti did not leave like other management personnel, but asked.

Tang Tian glanced at Presti, and then realized that with the exchange of news, these management people are not so easy to deal with, but it just so happens that it is also an option to put forward his request through this microphone .

"No matter where I choose in the end, I hope to have absolute say in the team's player management, which is real power." Tang Tian said.

"You mean the general manager?" Presti was a little surprised.

"At least the head of operations."

Presti was silent. He thought a lot before coming, but he didn't expect Tang Tian to make such a request.

"This...I'm afraid I can't give an answer now, I have to go back and discuss it with other people." Presti thought for a while and said.

"No problem, I'm not in a hurry." Tang Tian said with a smile.

Presti nodded with a smile, Tang Tian was of course not in a hurry, it was them, the management, who were in a hurry.

After sending Presti away, Tang Tian also took out a piece of paper, which was filled with the teams that had sought him out, the Spurs, Warriors, Rockets, Magic, Knicks, Suns...

Write the Thunder, there are at least 25 teams.

He is really hot.

After Presti went back, he didn't give Tang Tian a quick answer, and Tang Tian's request spread among the management of each team.

In the next few days, Tang Tian's apartment went directly from crowded to deserted.

Tang Tian's request touched some sensitive places of them.

Coaches and management, this is a cooperation, but more often it is a relationship between superiors and subordinates, and there is a clear line between the two.

This is like the directors and directors of a company. The directors are the bosses who take the shares, and the directors are just hired by them to do things.

Once there is an intersection between the two, the most likely situation is that the status is too high.

In other words, the existence of a head coach who also serves as the general manager, the biggest difference between him and the boss is that he does not have so much money.

This is something that many managers and even bosses can't bear, which is why it is rare to have simultaneous concurrent positions in history.

capitalist class.

And anyone who can get to that step is irreplaceable to the team, such as Popovich.

Said that Cao Cao Cao Cao arrived, Tang Tian's apartment was quiet for a few days, and Popovich came to visit that day.

"Don, I talked to Pete. You have been with the Spurs for two years. After the transition period, he will let you serve as the director of team operations." Popovich said with some confusion after sitting down.

"not now?"

"Don, this matter is more complicated than you think. You are a young coach and have never served in the team. It will definitely have a transition period, but I can guarantee that two years is the maximum period." Popovich Qi spoke in a hurry, which is very different from his usual image. It can be seen that he should have had many exchanges with Spurs owner Pete Holt.

"I see." Tang Tian didn't reply.

There are too many things that may happen in two years. If the Spurs also produce a Morey-style character, he will really be hurt.

Since he had a choice, he had to think more about himself.

Popovich left, but the old man didn't say much, after all, he was the one who made the original promise.

...

At Alexander's apartment at this time, Alexander was drinking coffee with the team's deputy general manager and the old man of the team, Keith Jones.

"Case, now the management of each team is saying that Don wants to manage the players, what do you think?" Alexander said and looked at Jones.

Jones is an old man of the team, who has served as general manager of Dawson and Morey, and has little selfishness in his work.

"To be honest, Tang has done a very good job in player management in the past three years. At the beginning, he traded Steve Blake, selected Paul Millsap, and then selected DeAndre Jordan last season. Come on Ron Artest, it's very telling."

Alexander nodded. In terms of these matters, Tang Tian's vision is really good enough.

"So I think it would be feasible for him to serve as the team's director of basketball operations if possible. After all, he has brought three championships to the city. For such a meritorious coach, we need to meet some of his requirements. "

"What do you think of Darrell?" Alexander didn't express his opinion, but asked another question.

Jones didn't expect Alexander to ask this question, and was stunned for a while.

"Tell me your true opinion, and I will forget it after hearing it." Alexander knew that he had scruples, and continued.

"Darrell's ability is fine, he's a high-energy guy, I often see him work late, and he's good at data analysis of players, and those analyzes turned out to be correct in the end, he's one of the few Got the general manager.

But he has a strong desire to control, he likes everything to develop in the direction he wants, the allowable error is too small, and he is rather arbitrary. "

Alexander nodded, what Jones said was basically fine.

"So do you think Darrell will agree to hand over the management rights of the players?"