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Chapter 41 Jiang Chen's Decision! The Wind From the West Coast Cannot Reach the South Coast

"If Yao and McGrady are healthy next season..."

Morey continued to talk to Jiang Chen about the future.

After hearing Jiang Chen's words, he was stunned.

He rubbed his ears, thinking he had heard it wrongly.

"Jiang, what did you just say? You won't consider Team Rocket?"

Morey said in disbelief.

"Yes!"

Jiang Chen said, very directly.

"Don't you want to play with Yao Ming in the NBA? Do you want to disappoint Yao Ming's expectations of you?"

Morey said, using Yao Ming to pressure Jiang Chen again.

"I want to play with Yao Ming, but I don't want to play with the Rockets."

Jiang Chen said lightly.

The Rockets are indeed the memory of a generation of Chinese fans, but that is only because of the presence of Yao Ming. After Yao Ming retired, the attention paid to the Rockets in China plummeted.

Morey calmed down, his eyes darkened, and he said in a cold voice: "Jiang, I hope you won't regret this decision in the future."

After saying that, he slammed the door and left angrily.

Kupchak, who was waiting outside the door, was delighted when he saw Morey's look, thinking that there was one less competitor.

Unexpectedly, the Rockets, who had the best chance of signing Jiang Chen, were the first to be eliminated.

He walked into the room and sat in front of Jiang Chen.

"Jiang, can you tell me what conditions Riley gave you?"

Kupchak asked with a smile, not playing the emotional card like Morey, nor throwing out a trump card at the beginning like Riley!

He is the steady type.

His style is to plan before acting.

Jiang Chen did not hide anything and told Kupchak all of Riley's conditions.

Deep down, he still prefers to stay with the Lakers.

After all, the Lakers were kind to him and gave him a minimum salary, which allowed him to stay in the NBA and gave him a chance to play in the finals, thus starting this great story.

Even if he is a water dispenser manager, he is still an NBA player!

Kupchak looked surprised. He never expected that Riley would offer such generous conditions.

Previously, he was planning to use a multi-million dollar middle-class contract to keep Jiang Chen in the Lakers, but now it seems that he was thinking too simply.

Kupchak was thinking quickly, not only about the team's salary space, but also about the adaptability and compatibility of the team's lineup.

I thought of what the boss Jerry Buss said when he gave him the task, to sign Jiang Chen at all costs!

At all costs!

"My friend, the biggest contract I can offer you is 3 years and 50 million. The last year can be a player option. This way, after you have played for the Lakers for three years, you can opt out of the contract and sign a 5-year maximum salary contract with the Lakers."

"I can also give you the right to veto a transaction, to give you a guarantee!"

"As for the position of core player, you need to fight for it yourself. After all, the Lakers have Kobe. If you are stronger than him and can make him admire you, then I believe you two will get along very happily."

"Kobe has worked with historic superstars like O'Neal before, and he knows how to find this balance."

Kupchak said this with a serious look on his face.

He doesn't know whether Jiang Chen can grow into a superstar, but judging from the current market conditions, he already thinks Jiang Chen has the potential to become a superstar.

"Besides, Kobe was just chatting with me and expressed his willingness to cooperate with you.

He can teach you a lot on the court.

When you are able to stand on your own, his career will also be coming to an end.

Maybe you will become the new signature star of the Lakers and pass on this great legacy!"

Kupchak added, staring at Jiang Chen with fiery eyes.

This last sentence reveals so much.

Kobe is already 30 years old, how many years can he stay in his prime?

I think if Jiang Chen really becomes a superstar and reaches his peak, it will take at least three or four years.

At that time, Kobe was already 34 years old and could completely retreat to the second line, giving the position of team leader to Jiang Chen and letting Jiang Chen lead the Lakers to move forward.

Jiang Chen couldn't help laughing after hearing this.

How many years will it take to be independent?

I am confident that I can become a superstar next season and make a name for myself in the NBA.

It seems that Kobe will retire early...

Jiang Chen has already made a decision in his mind, which is to stay with the Lakers. After all, the contract offered by Kupchak is very good.

The annual salary is nearly 17 million US dollars, which is only 2 million US dollars less than the contract offered by Riley.

And there is another important point.

By joining the Lakers and becoming Kobe's teammate, he can maximize the impact of his butterfly effect in the NBA on Kobe.

In this way, Kobe would not have to rupture his Achilles tendon while fighting for the team to enter the playoffs, and he would not have been so miserable in the later stages of his career.

Maybe Kobe would not retire at the age of 36.

If fate is completely rewritten like this, can the disaster be avoided...

Thinking of the tragedy of Kobe's plane crash in his previous life, Jiang Chen's face became a little gloomy.

That was a day that is still fresh in my memory and full of sorrow.

In this life, if he has a chance, he must prevent this tragedy from happening.

Seeing Jiang Chen's expression change, Kupchak felt nervous. Was he going to choose the Heat?

Yes, the Heat's conditions are really good!

"Man! I decided to keep my talents with the Lakers."

Jiang Chen said, his voice was not loud but very powerful.

Um???

Kupchak's pupils shrank slightly, and then he showed ecstasy. His mood was like a roller coaster, experiencing ups and downs.

"Great! This is a very wise decision."

Kupchak said excitedly.

Jiang Chen also smiled and decided on the next stop of his NBA career. Things became much simpler after that. He just had to wait for the free agent market to open and then sign with the Lakers.

"Then you can rest early and leave the rest to me."

Kupchak said, leaving the room ecstatically, and then reported the news to owner Jerry Buss immediately, and also told Kobe.

...

Since he has decided to stay with the Lakers, there is no need to continue dragging the Heat.

Jiang Chen looked at the business card left by Riley on the table and dialed the number on it.

"Jiang? Have you made your decision?"

Riley said in surprise, his tone becoming serious.

"Yes! I like to act decisively and don't like to drag things out!"

"What is your choice?"

Riley asked cautiously, with a bad feeling in his heart.

"Sorry, I chose to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers."

Jiang Chen said lightly.

"Why? Even if you don'0 choose the Heat, there will be other teams pursuing you. You shouldn't agree so rashly!"

Riley was a little surprised.

He thought he would have to wait until the free agent market opened in July to get the results.

It is definitely not a wise choice to make a decision now.

And how could the Lakers possibly offer conditions that could match the Heat?

In his previous prediction, if Jiang Chen rejected the Heat, he would definitely choose the Rockets.

Jiang Chen looked out the dark window, his eyes becoming blurry.

"There is no team that suits me better than the Lakers. This is where my career started, and I hope it will also be the end of my career."

"As for turning down the Heat..."

"No matter how hard the wind blows from Los Angeles on the west coast, it can never reach Miami on the south coast!"

???

Riley was stunned. What the hell was going on?

He understood one thing clearly: Jiang Chen's contract renewal with the Lakers was a foregone conclusion.

"In that case, I wish you a successful career."

Riley said, and hung up the phone.

At this moment, he and Wade were sitting in a taxi on the way to the hotel they had booked.

All I heard was Riley yelling angrily: "Within three years, I will build a championship-winning team that is even better than the current Lakers team!!"