Chapter 156: The Toppled Dominoes_3

This was within Hansen's expectations; after all, such a maneuver impacted the team minimally and, more importantly, was the most cost-effective.

At that moment, Stern's "basketball reasons" officially emerged.

This triggered strong protests from Lakers fans, particularly Kobe fans.

Because the Hornets management had already accepted the offer, but Stern vetoed it for an absurd reason.

It was understood that this could have been Kobe fans' last chance to secure a sixth championship and surpass Jordan.

But with a bit of thought, it became clear this was likely vetoed by other team owners in the League.

Experts across social media analyzed the situation, hitting upon a critical point.

Would Kobe plus Paul be strong?

Indeed, they would be strong, but not so dominant that other League teams would be alarmed, especially since the Lakers would lose Gasol and Odom in the trade.

The true key was the 2012 free agent market.