Chapter 714: Lockout Begins, Asian Championship Opens
After the series ended, Chen Yan turned off his phone and took Taylor Swift on a 1 week vacation to the Aegean Sea.
Sunshine, beaches, and beautiful women during the offseason were standard for NBA stars.
However, Chen Yan did not have much free time during this holiday, so after 1 week of wild fun, he decided to return to work.
Chen Yan truly enjoyed days like this, turning off his phone and isolating himself from the world.
For that week, he did not think about anything. He left every matter to his agent, Bill Duffy, and lived freely without worries.
During that time, he also kept an eye on the NBA Finals.
At the moment, the 2 teams were tied 1 to 1.
In Game 1, the Mavericks played with full force, overwhelming Miami in 3 quarters.
In Game 2, Wade scored 42 points to lead the Heat comeback, and his rampage reminded Mavericks fans of the fear they had experienced in the past.
As soon as the week ended, Bill Duffy immediately bombarded him with phone calls.
There were too many things Chen Yan needed to handle.
He needed to shoot multiple commercials, return to Wuhan to prepare for the Chinese Men's Basketball Team's Asian Championship campaign, help the Knicks front office scout key players in the transfer market, and participate in labor negotiations with the Players Union.
On June 7, Chen Yan attended a labor meeting at the invitation of Players Union President Derek Fisher. Several veteran players from around the league were also present.
The 2011 NBA labor negotiations were discussions between the NBA league office and the NBA Players Union to reach a new agreement after the 2005 to 2011 collective bargaining agreement expired.
Due to the impact of the financial crisis, the 2 sides had already started meeting as early as August 2009.
However, because the owners insisted on a hard salary cap, reducing the players share of basketball related income, and shortening contract lengths, the negotiations had not gone smoothly.
Labor and management held a 5 hour meeting, and NBA Commissioner David Stern said he was optimistic about the negotiations, but also stated that both sides had not reached any agreement.
Stern reiterated his desire for major changes to the salary structure, saying that very significant adjustments to the collective bargaining agreement were needed to allow owners to make sustained investments. He hoped to reach 5 billion dollars in revenue.
On June 8, both sides continued negotiations for 4 hours.
But after the talks ended, the Players Union stated that the league's demands had not changed.
Players Union President Fisher also admitted that the owners had directly informed the players that if these changes were not accepted, they would face a lockout.
After these 2 rounds of negotiations, Chen Yan basically understood the direction of the labor talks.
There was nothing to talk about.
Chen Yan did not participate in the subsequent negotiations.
For him, it was a waste of time.
On June 23, the Players Union issued a very strong statement.
Billy Hunter stated that team owners were trying to undermine the players solidarity.
Derek Fisher also said that they would not accept a bad agreement just to avoid a lockout.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said, "A lockout is something we have been trying to avoid. We have offered many ways to treat players fairly. We are very disappointed to hear the regrettable remarks from the union representatives."
What angered the players most was that David Stern said the players 500 million dollar income reduction was not enough. Before telling the players, he first told the media that he hoped to set a flexible salary cap of 62 million dollars.
On June 30, after 2 and a half hours of negotiations in New York, both parties officially confirmed that they could not reach a unanimous agreement.
At 12:00 AM EDT on July 1, the NBA officially entered a lockout.
This saved Chen Yan a lot of trouble.
He did not have to rush to help the Knicks scout new recruits, and he did not have to negotiate a contract extension with the Knicks for the time being.
In mid July, Chen Yan returned to China to prepare for the Asian Championship.
Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming also returned with him.
For the Chinese team, bringing this kind of lineup to the Asian Championship was simply like beating up children.
However, for Chen Yan, this was beneficial for maintaining his form, since the NBA lockout would last for a long time.
Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming had similar thoughts.
"Yi Jianlian, what are your plans during the lockout?" Chen Yan chatted with Yi Jianlian after training.
"Guangdong Southern Tigers. Even if there was no lockout, I would probably return to the CBA this year," Yi Jianlian said with a shrug.
"So eager to retire and relax?" Chen Yan teased.
Yi Jianlian looked helpless.
"It is not retirement. It is that no 1 wants me anymore."
Yi Jianlian had not performed as expected after joining the Warriors. His statistics last season were very poor, and he was largely marginalized in the latter half of the season, becoming a bench warmer.
"That is because you have not found a suitable team," Chen Yan said. "The Knicks are short on power forwards right now. Are you interested?"
Yi Jianlian smiled.
"You are putting a lot of pressure on me. If I join the Knicks, people will definitely say I got in because of my relationship with you."
Chen Yan patted Yi Jianlian.
"Why care about what outsiders think? Your playing style does fit our team's characteristics, but whether you get playing time depends on your own performance. I am only responsible for introducing you to the team."
Yi Jianlian scratched his head.
"That is for sure. If I do not perform well, I would not even need the team to kick me out. I would be too embarrassed to stay."
"Hahaha!" Chen Yan laughed heartily.
"By the way, A Yan, what are your plans during the lockout?" Yi Jianlian asked.
"I have not decided yet. Maybe I will go to the CBA too."
Just then, Yao Ming, who had just finished training, walked over with a towel.
"What are you 2 chatting about? You look so happy."
Chen Yan smiled and said, "We are talking about going to the CBA."
Yao Ming smiled.
"Take me with you."
Chen Yan smiled back.
"If the 3 of us return to the CBA together, it will probably cause an earthquake. If we bring some other NBA teammates to the CBA, we could probably turn the CBA into the world's number 1 league."
After Chen Yan finished speaking, all 3 of them laughed.
The 3 of them seemed very relaxed.
The upcoming Asian Championship would not put any pressure on them.
The Chinese team's 1st game was on September 19 against Syria.
This opponent posed no pressure for the Chinese Men's Basketball Team.
After all, Syria was a country ravaged by war, and their players had not received systematic training for a long time.
The Chinese Men's Basketball Team was not the national football team.
They could not possibly lose to such a country.
Chen Yan and Yao Ming only played 1 quarter, while Yi Jianlian played longer, staying on for half the game.
Ultimately, the Chinese Men's Basketball Team easily defeated their opponent 92 to 72, securing an opening victory.
The 2nd game came 1 day later.
The schedule was tight, but it had little impact on the core players because they could win without exerting full effort.
In the 2nd game, Chen Yan played 3 quarters, while Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian only played half the game. The Chinese Men's Basketball Team crushed Jordan by 35 points.
In the 3rd group stage game, the Chinese Men's Basketball Team continued its stable performance, crushing Japan 102 to 62.
In the end, the Chinese Men's Basketball Team easily advanced from the group stage with a perfect record.
The media widely reported that China's group stage opponents were relatively weak and posed no threat to them.
Chen Yan felt that this statement was inaccurate.
It was not that China's group stage opponents posed no threat.
It was that there was no opponent in the entire Asian Championship that could threaten them.
.....
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