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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
Please give it a go š
***
On July 18, 2003, after the ESPY Awards, the NBA's freeze period ended, and the free market officially began.
In previous years, sports media would likely have leaked some rumors in advance to spark discussion among fans.
But this year, the situation was completely different.
Kobe and Vanessa were scheduled to hold a press conference at Staples Center to answer all questions regarding the Eagle County case.
Reporters covering the ESPY Awards didn't need to rush around anymore.
Everyone waited in Los Angeles for two days, then grabbed their 'long guns and short cannons' and flocked to the press conference venue.
To the surprise of some reporters, although Vanessa, who attended the press conference, looked dispirited, she still held Kobe's hand tightly, expressing her support.
However, the two still underestimated the malice of some media reporters.
An ESPN sports reporter eagerly asked:
"Kobe! What we want to know is, did you really have relations with Katelyn?"
The question of whether he did or not made many people show mocking gazes.
At this moment, many just wanted to see the drama, because Vanessa was right beside Kobe.
Subconsciously tightening his wife's hand, Kobe, wearing a dark gray T-shirt, pursed his lips as if he didn't want to speak, but noticing that many people were already impatient, he finally said seriously:
"Yes, we did have relations, but I swear, I never forced her!"
A large number of reporters below could see Vanessa's face growing increasingly grim, but at this moment, no one cared about their feelings, and soon another Denver Post reporter asked:
"Kobe, can you explain how Shaquille O'Neal got out of a similar situation back then?"
"Can we assume you are lying? Katelyn insists on her version of events!"
"Have you used money to toy with other girls in the past?"
The questions became increasingly embarrassing.
Kobe could feel Vanessa's hand trembling, and after he endured his discomfort to answer these questions, someone asked:
"Vanessa, has your relationship broken down? Will you two break up after this incident?"
Vanessa wasn't sure which reporter was asking, her eyes were a little red, and she whispered into the microphone:
"No, for the sake of our child having a better upbringing, I will face this incident together with my husband."
"..."
The press conference was not very successful.
Kobe simply couldn't deny his illegal entry.
He could only emphasize that it was consensual, and there was no evidence to support either his claim or Katelyn's claim of being forced.
Everyone knew Kobe would certainly not go to jail, but that no longer mattered.
No matter what the legal ruling, someone would always pin the label of illegal entry on him.
The public's heated discussion did not subside.
Instead, it intensified because Kobe personally admitted it.
Kobe's fans firmly believed that scheming bitch seduced their idol, while those who enjoyed the drama latched onto the 'sexual assault' accusation, which had already become a label for the Champion Guard.
After the press conference, under the media's attention, Kobe, seemingly feeling some guilt, spent millions of dollars to buy a super large diamond ring for Vanessa.
However, such a gesture did not bring positive influence to Kobe.
Instead, it labeled Vanessa as a 'materialistic woman.'
On the afternoon of the 18th, besides following the drama, the New York Times broke a piece of news: Karl Malone seemed interested in joining the New York Knicks.
Sports reporters quickly interviewed Karl Malone in Manhattan, and the veteran seemed to be looking for a house.
When asked about the trade rumor, Karl Malone did not deny it.
Instead, he actively showed goodwill:
"Next season will be the last season of my career, and I want to pursue a championship again!"
"Clay Lee is a great player. We played against each other in the Finals, and we admire each other."
"Manhattan is also great. My family loves it here!"
During the interview, Karl Malone also brought his wife and son.
The whole family was out, making it seem like joining the New York Knicks was only a matter of time.
However, as soon as the news broke, Lee's agent appeared in Manhattan that evening, immediately refuting it.
Mark Bartelstein had received instructions from Lee and naturally knew that his major client didn't like veterans.
Facing questions from a New York Post reporter, he flatly denied the matter:
"Recruit Karl Malone? No, Lee's schedule is very full recently, and he doesn't want to interfere with the team's work."
"In my opinion, the New York Knicks have excellent talent, and Lee is very satisfied with the current roster."
As an agent who had worked with him for many years, Mark Bartelstein's words essentially represented Lee's wishes:
"Chasing a championship? Fulfilling a veteran's dream? Absolutely not!"
Karl Malone didn't expect the refutation to come so quickly.
He had even engaged in some mutual flattery!
The next day, when New York sports media tried to interview the iron-blooded power forward, they found that he had already left.
On the 19th, Heat fans, still following the drama, saw news in the newspaper that the Nets had reached an agreement with Alonzo Mourning, signing the iron-blooded tough guy for 4 years and $20 million.
After this news broke, it caused dissatisfaction among Heat fans.
Alonzo Mourning had always been loved by the fans.
The tough guy trained hard, played fiercely, and playing while injured was common for him.
His kidney failure injury was actually related to the Heat's training and medication.
Alonzo Mourning's muscles were enhanced by some 'technology.'
He dedicated the peak of his career to the Heat, and fans hoped Alonzo Mourning could finish his career with the team.
Even if his body failed, he could still be a good atmosphere guy.
Alonzo Mourning, who had just undergone surgery, did not choose the Heat, perhaps to pursue a championship, or perhaps Pat Riley did not offer a suitable contract.
The Heat was not Alonzo Mourning's team, or rather, after Pat Riley took over the Heat, this team had always been Pat Riley's!"
No matter how the Heat fans and local sports media reported it, Pat Riley never gave a response.
For him, perhaps it was just a minor matter.
At this time, the Champion Coach was organizing the Heat's training camp.
The Summer League was over, and players shouldn't relax, they had to continue extra training!
Dwyane Wade didn't expect to have to train so much after entering the NBA, but as a Rookie, facing this big shot, he could only become a 'good boy.'
On sunday, July 20, in South Palm Beach, Florida, at the family estate, Ivanka was directing the service staff to prepare lunch.
Since returning home, Ivanka's life had become more refined.
Of course, it might also be because she was no longer constrained by her father, and she was the boss here, so she indulged herself freely.
At another private golf course in West Palm Beach, Lee, dressed in a white golf suit, drove a small car, taking Bobby to 'play a round.'
"Old guys always like to show off in places like this. How many shares of Manchester United have they acquired?"
Lee turned to ask Bobby beside him, who pouted and gave a precise answer:
"3.17%, it cost almost ten million pounds. Our acquisition in the secondary market must have disrupted their plans."
"Whether the acquisition succeeds doesn't depend on the secondary market. Perhaps they think we're taking money from Ken Griffin and Ziff Brothers because of insufficient funds."
The weather had been great recently, and Lee was in a good mood from practicing golf every day.
He immediately laughed when he heard this, saying he wouldn't cooperate with others if it weren't to reduce obstacles.
75-year-old Malcolm Glazer was still full of energy.
After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the 37th Super Bowl championship trophy, the successful Jewish businessman reappeared in the public eye.
Old Glazer, with his good sons, saw Lee and Bobby arrive and immediately went forward to greet them.
The two sides had met two days prior at the ESPY Awards.
After they swung a few clubs, Malcolm Glazer quietly twitched his lips upon seeing Lee's powerful golf skills.
Perhaps unaccustomed to discussing business with young people, after some small talk, he realized that Lee was not in a hurry at all, and Bobby, on the other side, was happily chatting with the caddies here.
Finally, the old man simply leaned on his club, and with a gentle demeanor, got straight to the point:
"Clay, perhaps your desire to acquire Manchester United is just an impulse. Operating a sports industry is more complex than you imagine!"
"It took us over 5 years to succeed in the NFL, and the return on investment in the sports industry is not high."
Noticing his good sons looking at him, Lee also leaned on his club and responded with a smile:
"I know, but I don't care. I'm simply optimistic about the Premier League."
"I have other ways to make money, in other words, this is just my personal hobby, a small attempt."
"Imagine, after winning the Champions League, lifting the trophy under the gaze of the fans, that feeling is amazing!"
Old Glazer and his sons looked at each other after hearing about the Champions League.
They didn't care about football, didn't even understand the rules of football.
The acquisition was merely to expand their influence and for pure investment.
"Clay, let's both take a step back. After the Glazer Family completely controls this club, you can become the largest individual shareholder."
"You can join the board of directors just like my sons and enjoy the team's dividends together."
Seemingly feeling that he had made a great concession, Malcolm's face lost its smile.
He stared arrogantly at Lee and said seriously, while his sons also watched.
"You seem to have forgotten that I have already initiated an acquisition. I am now the largest individual shareholder of Manchester United!"
"Who gave you the confidence to put on such a condescending pose? Oh! I almost forgot, you've served the George W. Bush family!"
"Give up early, I can consider giving you some shares after Manchester United is relisted in New York, so you can enjoy the club's dividends together."
Lee still had a smile on his face, staring at the guy and saying slowly.
His sons seemed a bit angry.
In their eyes, Lee was just a basketball star who had made a lot of money, and the acquisition was just him biting off more than he could chew.
"Why? Clay, we can clearly achieve a win-win!"
Malcolm seemed to have difficulty understanding Lee's confidence.
Soon, he heard an answer that left him dumbfounded:
"Because I have a lot of cash!"
Lee saw old Glazer's family fall silent, and he burst out laughing, then swung his club forcefully, and the golf ball turned into a meteor, flying across the sky.
Bobby deeply disliked these old families, which seemed to remind him of unpleasant past experiences.
Seeing the talks break down, he immediately leaned over and raised an eyebrow, saying:
"I like competition. If you continue to acquire shares in the secondary market, we will accompany you to the end."
After Lee tossed the club to the caddy, he didn't care about the other party's grim expression.
He motioned for Bobby to get in the car and slowly drove away.
"Damn it, how dare he..."
Joel Glazer seemed to want to rush forward and curse a bit, but quickly realized that this wasn't their territory.
Instead, old Glazer didn't speak.
He continued to swing his club, then instructed his sons, saying:
"We need to get the shares of the individual shareholders!"
The few of them exchanged glances and nodded.
Having already reaped the benefits of the sports industry, they naturally wouldn't give in easily.
Lee's mood wasn't affected as he drove the small car.
Instead, Bobby couldn't stand the old man putting on a condescending pose to show off:
"Let me think, they invested in food, energy, and of course, those real estate businesses, and it seems there's also a family fund."
Acquiring Manchester United was easy for the well-funded Haax Capital, and with the cooperation of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Bobby hadn't expected anyone else to interfere.
Lee knew the partner's intentions and shook his head, smiling as he said:
"Perhaps this is a good thing for us. I don't want to pay those high interests. It's good if we can reduce some."
"However, the Ziff Brothers know my background. They won't let go. At most, they'll make a gesture and reduce some loans, and Griffin is the same!"
"Find out where they borrowed the money from. I don't believe they have that much cash."
Bobby thought for a moment but realized he hadn't paid attention to such small matters before.
Leaning back in his seat, he responded:
"I'll keep an eye out, but as long as there's an opportunity, I still plan to make a profit from them."
"Ha! I don't mind either, I like dollars!"
...
At lunchtime, Bobby, back at the club, was busy having a meal with investors.
In the restaurant, Lee noticed Ivanka occasionally glancing at the old man at the next table, and couldn't help but follow her gaze.
Perlmutter, the owner of Marvel Entertainment, noticed Lee's gaze and said nonchalantly while cutting his steak:
"Clay, Ivanka just doesn't like me frequently bringing people here to enjoy fine food!"
This Jewish tycoon had long been labeled as stingy, but Perlmutter seemed to enjoy this public image.
"The club welcomes everyone, I just worry that today's lunch isn't to your taste!"
Ivanka smiled politely.
David Maisel, sitting across from Perlmutter, had long talked himself hoarse, but still failed to impress the stingy tycoon.
Seizing this opportunity, David Maisel quickly changed the subject and actively struck up a conversation with Lee:
"Clay, do you like superhero comics? I remember you attended the premiere of Spider-Man!"
Having once served as a Disney executive and being a well-known figure, upon hearing David Maisel's question, Lee merely said politely:
"I like it very much. I've watched the movie Spider-Man many times!"
David Maisel immediately smiled, seemingly re-energized, and said to Perlmutter across from him:
"Times have changed. The movie market is no longer about American conspiracy theories as in the past. Patriotic superheroes are the future direction."
Ignoring David Maisel's incessant speech across from him, Perlmutter, who had finished eating, merely said calmly:
"I can't pay your high salary, and I don't have money to make those boring movies. We've already sold off the good roles."
Facing this stubborn old miser, David Maisel was almost exasperated.
Seemingly to ease the awkward atmosphere, David Maisel waved to Lee nearby:
"Clay, what do you think of the character Captain America?"
"Uh, sorry, I haven't read the Captain America comics!"
Hearing Lee's straightforward answer, Maisel was instantly stumped and could only let out a few dry laughs, unbuttoning the top of his collar to ease the awkward atmosphere.
No longer paying attention to what the two people on the side were discussing, Lee and Ivanka finished lunch and prepared to leave.
Maisel seemed to have achieved his goal and now came over with a smiling face:
"Clay, it's good to see you! Thanks for bailing me out. Oh, by the way, perhaps we'll have opportunities for future cooperation!"
Lee politely agreed, though he didn't think there would be any cooperation between them.
Seeing Maisel leave, Ivanka took Lee's arm and whispered a reminder:
"They've been circling investment firms these past few days. They definitely want to raise capital!"
Realizing that the other party must have taken him for a rich sucker, Lee shook his head.
Investing in movies wasn't something an outsider like him could get involved in.
On July 21st, a piece of news made Lakers fans boil with excitement!
The Lakers officially announced the signing of free agents Karl Malone and Gary Payton.
This news immediately made the Lakers a major championship contender again.
Although they were just two veterans, their stats last season were indeed good!
The superteam of 4 combination also piqued the interest of sports commentators.
Sports programs had new material!
Having just flown back to Manhattan, Lee was once again surrounded by sports media when he arrived at the Tarrytown Training Center.
A New York Times reporter had recently been interviewing the New York Knicks, and upon seeing Lee, became a mouthpiece again:
"Lee, will the Lakers' roster cause us trouble next season?"
"Of course not. I really enjoy playing against veterans. I can learn more useful skills from them during games."
"But in terms of strength, the Lakers have already fallen out of championship contention. They should sort out their locker room issues before talking about a championship."
"In short, we will continue to win next year. No one will be our opponent next season!"
Lee patted a few familiar reporters, left a smile, and quickly walked towards the office area.
The New York Knicks staff naturally heard these words, but everyone was already used to it.
They greeted Lee proactively, and everyone's face was calm.
Instead, the Rookie reporter from Yahoo Sports secretly gasped, seemingly completely unprepared for Lee's immense confidence.
Seeing the young reporter remain silent, only looking at Lee's back, a few New York Times reporters chuckled and joined in the boasting:
"What Superteam? They're just a losers' alliance. Shaquille O'Neal has been clamoring to fight Kobe Bryant recently. Perhaps they'll even fall in the first round this season!"
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)