358: 145: Sometimes, we really can’t afford to upset Roger (requesting monthly tickets!)_4 358: 145: Sometimes, we really can’t afford to upset Roger (requesting monthly tickets!)_4 After getting off the plane, each went back to their own home.
Roger caught up on some sleep, and when he woke up, it was already evening.
Feeling a bit hungry, he decided to go to the living room to find something to eat.
Upon entering the living room, Roger habitually turned on the TV.
There was a commercial playing, but what stunned him was the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen:
“Shaquille O’Neal has rejected the Magic’s seven-year $69 million offer.
His agent, Leonard Armato, has made it clear: Now, we are willing to listen to offers from all teams.”
At that moment, Roger almost burst into laughter.
In an era when both Mourning and Juwan Howard had signed contracts worth over a hundred million, how could they have the nerve to offer just seven years at $69 million?
Your creativity is truly perplexing.
Roger knew this was just a tentative offer.
The Magic were afraid to bid too high, so they wanted to start with a lowball offer and then gradually increase it as Shaq counter-offered little by little.
But the problem was, this tentative offer was also quite insulting.
Jerry West was equally bewildered; he had thought that after the Magic won the championship, his chances of getting Shaq were slim.
Yet, with the Magic management’s current move, they were practically pushing Shaq out the door themselves.
Does anybody in this world really do that “use their own wife to set up a nest” kind of thing?
Jerry immediately picked up the phone: “Prepare a private jet to Orlando for me immediately, the sooner the better!”
Roger also immediately made a call to Shaq: “Don’t worry, Shaq, I will make them correct this mistake.”
Roger had already expressed his support for Shaq in front of the media before, and now he reaffirmed it.
But John Gabriel seemed to think he really had boundless authority and could ignore the voices of the stars, whether in the draft or in contract renewals.
Very well, Roger would let him know where he really stands.
The next day, John Gabriel was still full of confidence in his plan.
Because across the entire market, there weren’t many teams with the cap space to offer O’Neal a big contract.
Start with a very low offer, then add a little “to show sincerity,” and you’re sure to secure Shaq.
It’s the opposite of selling something: when you’re selling, you can start by calling out a high price and then pretending to give a discount, but the price after the discount is the real value of the product.
The customers don’t know that; they just think they’re getting a steal and promptly pay up.
A team couldn’t afford to keep two players worth $120 million each.
Gabriel had to save expenses for the DeVos family.
If he did well for the boss with this task, a promotion and a pay raise would be waiting for him.
Once in the office, John Gabriel had his secretary make him a cup of coffee.
Next, he had to busy himself with the championship parade.
The parade was tomorrow, and he had to make sure nothing went wrong before then.
Just then, the executive director of entertainment and events, Michelle McComas, who was responsible for coordinating this with Gabriel, stumbled into Gabriel’s office in a panic.
She was holding her high heels in her hands, apparently having run in barefoot.
Her hair was a mess from the running, and she looked completely disheveled.
Michelle had always been a very refined and proper lady; Gabriel had never seen her look so unkempt.
with the parade!” Michelle’s voice was trembling.
Eric Fleisher, Roger’s agent, called me this morning and said…
Roger won’t be attending tomorrow’s championship parade.
Not only that, he will refuse to participate in any off-court activities of the team unless the team re-signs Shaq within 24 hours.
Poor Michelle started to stammer; she didn’t understand why Roger’s agent would call someone like her, a little shrimp, with such damning news.
Of course, she wouldn’t understand.
Eric Fleisher’s move was to indirectly tell Gabriel that they were not on the same side, so direct conversation was unnecessary.
Keep talking!” Gabriel was so angry his head was spinning.
then trade my client too.
If you block our three-peat, we’ll see what happens.”
“Sir, your coffee.” The secretary, still unaware of what was happening, walked into the office offering the steaming hot coffee.
“Damn it!” Gabriel grabbed the coffee cup and hurled it to the floor.
The sound of the cup smashing on the carpet, the screams of the women, filled the entire office.
For the next few hours, John Gabriel and the team owner, Rich DeVos, were unable to contact Roger or Shaq.
They learned through backchannels that Lakers’ Jerry West had already met with Shaq in Orlando.
Rich DeVos was also furious.
During the regular season, Roger had jokingly mentioned a trade, but now he wasn’t even pretending anymore.
John Gabriel was beyond angry; he thought he was the one calling the shots on the team, yet now Roger was openly defying him.
Now he understood why one of Michael Jordan’s conditions for his return was trading Roger.
He suddenly empathized with Michael Jordan!
If you want to have complete control of a team, Roger can’t exist!
“Why should we be scared by him, he’s just a player who plays for us!” Gabriel looked at the boss, Rich DeVos.