775: 262: Half a month is already my greatest mercy (Requesting monthly votes!)_3 775: 262: Half a month is already my greatest mercy (Requesting monthly votes!)_3 Not only did Kemp lose his flair from his Seattle days, but due to issues like illegitimate children and drug use, he became a typical antagonist, affecting the image of the Cavaliers.
This team urgently needs a new idol.
In the 97-98 season, the Cavaliers finally awaited the arrival of their Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was picked in 96, but had to miss his rookie season due to a fracture, signaling the rise of Cleveland’s next leading figure.
However, after playing one season, Big Z was sidelined for the next two consecutive seasons!
That means Big Z spent three out of four seasons in the league recovering from injuries.
Perhaps future stars like Ben Simmons and Chandler Parsons drew inspiration from him.
People lost hope in this fragile player, and the Cavaliers subsequently lost their fan base, becoming one of the teams with the least presence in the league, bringing very disappointing revenue.
Gordon Gund, who had gained control of the Cavaliers since 1983, was no longer interested in managing the team, yet he did not plan to sell all his shares outright, hoping to boost the team’s market value over a few years for a higher sale.
To raise market value, Gordon Gund had two plans: firstly, bind the image of Michael Jordan to Cleveland, gaining exposure and buzz.
Secondly, securing that kid from Akron!
LeBron James could be part of the draft as early as 2003, a pivotal year for the Cavaliers to change their destiny.
Look at the Orlando Magic, though Rich DeVos foolishly let go of Shaq and Roger, their marketing of the “Son of Orlando” was successful.
The Magic Team’s attendance has slid considerably compared to its glory days, but at least it hasn’t become as invisible as the Cavaliers.
Could Jordan + James trigger a surge in the Cavaliers’ market value?
That’s when it’s the best time to sell the team for cash.
Michael Jordan was confident about Cleveland; during the 80s, when the Cavaliers were Jordan’s arch-rivals, they were among the top teams in the league for attendance.
Cleveland may not have a big market, but fortunately, the people here have a keen interest in sports.
If the Cavaliers could be rebuilt, this team could still become one of the most profitable teams.
“Michael, have you heard of LeBron?” Finally, the two couldn’t avoid casually mentioning that name in their conversation.
“Of course, I’ve been keeping an eye on that super talent who led his team to an undefeated state championship in his freshman year.
Yesterday, he competed alongside Kwame Brown at Roger’s training camp and held his ground.
Kwame is a player I hold in high regard; he can attack inside, shoot from outside, possesses incredible athletic ability, an outstanding height and wingspan, and can dribble like a guard, even leading fast breaks, a combination of Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.
Moreover, his challenging childhood has given him a strong heart and resilience; with my professional perspective, Kwame Brown is destined to become a dominant player!
But LeBron, he’s almost as excellent as Kwame; he held his ground competing alongside Kwame too.
But you have to know, LeBron has only just entered sophomore year while Kwame is a senior.
This clearly illustrates how terrifying LeBron’s talent is!”
“Exactly, so our target is to get that guy in 2003!
Michael, that’s the beginning of our brilliance!”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll come out of retirement and play with him?” joked Jordan while puffing on his cigar.
In the cigar smoke, the hand of fate began to act on James.
The offseason passed quickly, and by the end of October, Roger began his eighth preseason media day of his career.
Jeff Hornacek and Horace Grant each held up their Hawks jerseys, officially debuting.
Atlanta Spirit LLC also sent Steve Belkin as the representative new owner to attend the media day press conference.
He unexpectedly became the focus of the conference.
“Steve, there are rumors that during the offseason the team considered removing Pete Babcock from the general manager position, but was stopped by Roger.
Is there conflict between the new shareholder team and Roger?”
“Fake news, absolute fake news!
We’ve never considered replacing Pete; he is a flag of Atlanta and a direct participant in the dynasty.
Whether now or in the future, Pete will continue to lead the team from the general manager position.
I know a saying: don’t upset real truth.” Belkin deflected in a joking tone.
“Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, and Shawn Marion’s contracts will soon expire, and judging by their current performance, their renewal contracts will definitely be expensive.
Will the team risk paying luxury tax to renew them and ensure the integrity of the roster?”
“Luxury tax isn’t an issue for us; it’s all for the fans, all for Atlanta, all for victory.”
Steve Belkin’s response was impeccable, but if Bruce Levenson were attending the press conference, his statements might be completely different.
For some reason, when a single owner speaks, Roger doesn’t believe a word, trusting them even less than the Magic’s Rich DeVos.