Chapter 957
All 8 Teams Wanted? NBA Commissioner Stunned
The three entered the elevator, went down to the lobby on the first floor, and walked out of the Citibank headquarters building.
The driver had already parked the car at the entrance. Seeing Lin Haoran come out, he quickly opened the car door.
Lin Haoran bent down and got into the car. Liu Xiaoli sat next to him, and Li Weidong sat in the passenger seat.
A short while later, Li Weiguo also walked back quickly from the direction of the hotel and got into the bulletproof car behind.
The car slowly drove out and merged into the Manhattan evening traffic.
Night had fallen, and the streets of Manhattan were ablaze with lights, neon signs flashing in a dazzling array of colors.
Long lines formed outside Broadway theaters, advertisements played on the giant screens in Times Square, and pedestrians thronged the streets, filling the city with energy and hustle and bustle.
However, police cars would occasionally sirens blaring as they chased after street thugs, adding a touch of unease to this bustling city.
However, Lin Haoran was already used to this. New York's security had never been anything to brag about, especially in this day and age.
The car stopped in front of The Four Seasons restaurant. Lin Haoran got out of the car, looked up at the modernist building designed by the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and stepped inside.
At the entrance of the lobby, Li Guowei was already waiting. When he saw Lin Haoran enter, he immediately came forward to greet him.
“Boss, most of the Citibank executives are here. Walter Riston and Mr. John Reed are in the private room. There are three others who haven’t arrived yet,” Li Guowei said as he led Lin Haoran to a private room.
Lin Haoran nodded and followed Li Guowei through the corridor to a spacious private room.
Li Guowei pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Lin Haoran in.
The private room was softly lit, and the long table was filled with exquisite tableware and fresh flowers.
More than half of Citibank's dozen or so senior executives had arrived, and they were chatting quietly in small groups.
Walter Riston was standing by the window, holding a glass of red wine, talking to John Reed.
Upon seeing Lin Haoran enter, the two turned around simultaneously, smiles appearing on their faces.
“Mr. Lin, welcome, welcome!” Walter Riston quickly stepped forward and warmly extended his hand.
Lin Haoran shook hands with him and said with a smile, "Mr. Walter, you're too kind. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
“Not at all, it’s our honor to have you here,” Walter Riston said with a smile, then stepped aside to lead Lin Haoran to a chair.
John Reed also came over and sat down next to Lin Haoran, whispering, "Lin, there are still three senior executives on the way. They're stuck in traffic. You know how it is during Manhattan's evening rush hour."
In addition, NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien is also on his way to the restaurant. He has some business to attend to at the New Jersey Nets this afternoon and will need some time to get there. Our banquet can begin now.
These banquets in Europe and America are different from traditional Chinese banquets. They are more accustomed to the first person to arrive starting the meal, eating and waiting, mainly for socializing, unlike in China where everyone must be present before starting to eat.
Lin Haoran had lived in Hong Kong for many years and later frequently traveled between Europe and America, so he was already used to this kind of social habit.
Lin Haoran smiled and said, "No rush."
When the main character of the evening arrived, other senior executives from Citibank stepped forward to chat with Lin Haoran.
Some wanted to build rapport, while others wanted to ask questions about finance.
Although Lin Haoran is not usually in the United States, these executives dare not underestimate him.
Putting aside everything else, Lin Haoran's numerous past achievements in cooperating with Citibank, his position as an executive director of Citibank, and his role in joining forces with John Reed to oust executive director Richard Miller from Citibank's management a year ago are enough to earn him the respect of these seasoned veterans who have been navigating the financial world for decades.
What's more, this young man accurately predicted last year's stock market crash, making him famous on Wall Street. No one present could achieve such a feat.
Lin Haoran responded to each question one by one, speaking little but hitting the nail on the head, which secretly impressed everyone present.
This young man is no ordinary person.
The dinner proceeded in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, Lin Haoran chatted with Citibank executives about the market, the economy, investment, and cooperation.
Their topics ranged from the Federal Reserve's monetary policy to Reagan's economic recovery plan, from the Latin American debt crisis to the overseas expansion of Japanese capital, and from the commercial real estate cycle to the future of technology stocks.
Although Lin Haoran is not formally trained in the field, his knowledge gained through the internet in his previous life, combined with his practical experience over the past few years, has given him insights that are more profound than those of many others present.
Walter Riston, holding a wine glass, sat opposite Lin Haoran, listening to his conversation with another Citibank executive, and nodded inwardly.
This young tycoon is not only rich, but also intelligent.
No wonder they were able to accumulate such a huge fortune in just a few years.
At that moment, Walter Riston had a premonition that as long as Citibank remained tied to Lin Haoran, Citibank's future would always be secure.
This intuition didn't come out of thin air; it was the result of his decades of experience as a banker. Some people are born winners, and Lin Haoran is one of them.
Although he already had plans to retire, Citibank was the culmination of his life's work, and he naturally hoped that it would remain highly competitive after his departure.
Lin Haoran was the key figure in his eyes who could help Citibank maintain its leading position in the future.
Therefore, he was pleased to see his successor, John Reed, form an alliance with Lin Haoran.
The three Citibank executives who were absent arrived one after another. Each of them apologized to Lin Haoran, explaining that they were late due to traffic.
Lin Haoran naturally wouldn't fuss over such a trivial matter. He smiled, shook hands with them, and exchanged pleasantries, defusing their awkwardness with just a few words.
Citibank executives noticed this and held the young tycoon in even higher regard for his emotional intelligence.
Around seven o'clock in the evening, Walter Riston received a phone call.
Six months ago, New York became the third city after Hong Kong and Chicago to commercialize mobile communications, making it increasingly convenient for wealthy people in New York to communicate with each other.
Soon after hanging up the phone, he said to Lin Haoran, "NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien has arrived at the restaurant. I'll go out and meet him."
Lin Haoran nodded but did not follow him out.
After all, it's the other party who wants him to invest now, not the other way around.
Given his current status and wealth, he has absolutely no need to personally go out to greet a president of an alliance who is in trouble.
Walter Riston was well aware of this, so he simply said he would pick him up himself and did not invite Lin Haoran to come along.
About five minutes later, the door to the private room was pushed open.
Walter Riston walked in first, followed by an elderly man in his sixties with gray hair, a thin face, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He had a refined and composed demeanor.
“Mr. Lin, this is NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien,” Walter Reston said with a smile, stepping aside to introduce him.
Lin Haoran quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Mr. O'Brien, I've heard so much about you. Thank you for coming all this way."
Larry O'Brien, a prominent American politician, wields considerable influence in American politics. Although he has retired from politics, his network and influence remain formidable.
Although Lin Haoran doesn't need to deliberately flatter him, it's appropriate to maintain sufficient respect and courtesy.
Larry O'Brien quickly extended his hand to shake hands with Lin Haoran and said with a smile, "Mr. Lin, you're too kind. It's my honor to meet you."
Lin Haoran led him to an empty seat next to him, and the waiter immediately poured O'Brien a glass of red wine.
Larry O'Brien didn't rush into the topic, after all, he knew that tonight's banquet was a welcome dinner for Lin Haoran hosted by Citibank executives.
If he came over and immediately started talking to Lin Haoran about the NBA, it would seem very tactless.
So Larry O'Brien first exchanged pleasantries with the Citigroup executives present, chatting about political anecdotes and the history of Citigroup's partnership with the NBA, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Lin Haoran wasn't in a hurry. He held his wine glass and sipped it slowly, occasionally interjecting a word or two, behaving neither impolitely nor overly enthusiastically.
Time flew by, and it was almost 8 p.m. By then, some of the Citibank executives had already left, and the number of people in the private room quickly dropped to less than half.
At this point, Larry O'Brien felt it was about time, and he was eager to talk to Lin Haoran about acquiring an NBA team.
He raised his glass, first toasting the nearby Citibank executives, then turned to Lin Haoran and said directly, "Mr. Lin, I'm sure Mr. Walter has already mentioned to you that I'm here to talk to you about the NBA."
Lin Haoran picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, nodded, and said, "Mr. O'Brien, please go ahead."
"I wonder if you'd be interested in owning a team, like the New Jersey Nets?" Larry O'Brien asked bluntly. "The Nets are in a tough spot right now, but they have a great location, backed by the huge New York market."
As far as I know, Mr. Lin's companies own many products, such as the Langwei Group, which owns many well-known fast-moving consumer goods brands. If you successfully manage a sports team, it will greatly benefit your brand promotion.
Lin Haoran was slightly taken aback, then laughed.
Although Mr. O'Brien comes from the political arena, he has a good understanding of business.
He's right. Owning an NBA team is indeed an excellent platform for brand promotion, provided that the NBA becomes a sports league with a huge influence.
But the NBA today clearly doesn't have that.
Its influence, or rather, its hot potato.
Drugs, brawls, racial discrimination, plummeting ratings, massive losses for sports teams...
These labels attached to the NBA will not only fail to promote the brand, but may even drag it down.
One team is naturally not enough to satisfy Lin Haoran's ambition.
He said with a smile, "Mr. O'Brien, before you came here, I specifically consulted Mr. Walter. He told me about the current situation and difficulties of the NBA league. As far as I know, acquiring an NBA team now is not a worthwhile deal."
Larry O'Brien's smile froze slightly upon hearing this.
He didn't have high hopes for this trip, since the NBA is rotten to the core, and the whole of America knows that.
Otherwise, so many teams wouldn't be struggling to find buyers.
He came with a try-it-out mentality, after all, Lin Haoran was one of the most powerful potential investors he could contact.
"Mr. Lin, you're right, the NBA is indeed in a bad state right now, I don't deny that."
Larry O'Brien put down his glass and said sincerely, "But that's precisely why now is the best time to get involved. Once the league gets out of its predicament, the teams' valuations will be much higher."
I believe you understand this better than anyone else; your judgment in the financial markets is known to everyone on Wall Street.
Lin Haoran picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and didn't say anything.
Seeing this, Larry O'Brien felt a little uneasy, but he still forced himself to continue, "Mr. Lin, to be honest, the Nets' owner, Mr. Taub, can't hold on any longer. He just wants to get rid of the team as soon as possible. The price is negotiable, $800 million, or even lower."
While Cleveland Cavaliers' Ted Stepien is asking for $1200 million, it's negotiable.
There are also teams like the San Diego Clippers, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Kansas City Kings, and Golden State Warriors. If you're interested in any of them, we can discuss it. I can connect you with them and help you get the best price.
He was genuinely anxious.
With so many teams facing financial crises, if one team can't hold on any longer and announces its disbandment, a domino effect will immediately take hold.
Sponsors will withdraw their investment, TV stations will break their contracts, fans will completely abandon the league, and the entire league may even be suspended due to incomplete teams, which would be a real catastrophe.
At that point, it won't just be a problem for one or two teams; the entire NBA will collapse.
Lin Haoran naturally knew that Larry O'Brien's anxiety was not feigned.
He had read in his previous life that the NBA in the early 1980s was indeed on the verge of life and death.
If it weren't for David Stern taking over and turning the tide, this league might have completely collapsed during those years.
“Mr. O’Brien, I understand your difficulties.” Lin Haoran put down his wine glass, his tone softening. “However, I’ve never been one to do things on a small scale. The investment in a team is simply too small for me, and it doesn’t interest me at all.”
Larry O'Brien frowned upon hearing this.
Could it be that Lin Haoran is rejecting him?
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
If Lin Haoran really wanted to refuse, he could have simply said "not interested," without going through all this trouble.
This young tycoon probably means that he genuinely thinks the team is too small.
“Mr. Lin, so what do you mean…” Larry O’Brien asked tentatively.
Lin Haoran glanced around. Besides the two of them, there were four other people in the private room: John Reed, Li Guowei, Liu Xiaoli, and an executive director with whom Lin Haoran had a good relationship.
Walter Riston had already taken his leave a dozen minutes earlier.
So he smiled and said to the group, "John, Guowei, and Mr. Henry, the banquet is almost over. Why don't you go back first? I'd like to have a private chat with Mr. O'Brien in the private room."
Upon hearing this, John Reed immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Okay, Lin, then we won't bother you any longer. See you at Citibank headquarters at 10 a.m. tomorrow."
After saying that, he nodded to Larry O'Brien, turned around, and walked out of the private room.
Li Guowei and Liu Xiaoli also got up. Li Guowei walked to Lin Haoran's side and whispered, "Boss, I'll wait for you outside." Then he and Liu Xiaoli left.
The executive director, Henry, also tactfully got up to leave, and soon only Lin Haoran and Larry O'Brien remained in the private room.
Seeing that only the two of them remained in the private room, Lin Haoran didn't beat around the bush any longer and said directly, "Mr. O'Brien, what I mean is, if the league allows me to take over multiple teams at the same time, I can consider making a move."
For example, I could take all eight teams you mentioned: the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Diego Clippers, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Kansas City Kings, and Golden State Warriors.
Furthermore, I can promise that for the next three years after taking over, there will be no player trades between teams, completely dispelling the league's concerns about game manipulation.
Larry O'Brien was stunned when he heard this.
His eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Eight teams? All of them?
This young tycoon's appetite was far greater than he had imagined, so much so that even this seasoned veteran of decades in politics and sports could hardly believe his ears.
He shook his head and said, "That's impossible. NBA rules don't allow one person to control multiple teams. Even if I agreed, other team owners would never agree!"
If one person controls eight teams, wouldn't the league become his personal fiefdom?
How can other bosses compete?
Larry O'Brien was anxious, but not to the point of losing his mind.
The core clause of the league's charter is that any individual, partnership, company, or other entity that directly or indirectly owns, controls, or has the ability to exert substantial influence over the operation, management, personnel, transactions, or finances of two or more teams is strictly prohibited.
The purpose is simple: firstly, to prevent conflicts of interest, such as the same owner manipulating game results, trades, drafts, and salaries;
Secondly, it is about maintaining fair competition;
Thirdly, it is necessary to avoid market monopolies.
This is considered a red line for the NBA.
Lin Haoran naturally knew the weight of this clause.
He had read NBA historical records in his previous life and knew that in the early 1980s, some people did try to circumvent the rule, but they were all blocked by the league in the end.
For example, when Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien had just acquired the Cavaliers in 1980, he was in high spirits and wanted to buy another weak team at the same time, but was directly rejected and warned by the league.
However, after two or three years of messing things up, the Cavaliers owner has left the team in a mess, losing money every year. He has long lost his original ambition and now just wants to get rid of the team as soon as possible.
The conditions he just proposed were clearly far more unreasonable than those of Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien.
Larry O'Brien took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said, "Mr. Lin, your request is outrageous. Let alone eight, I can't even convince the other bosses to accept two."
You need to understand, the NBA doesn't belong to me alone, nor to any one person. League decisions require a vote from all the owners. How can you possibly agree to control eight teams by yourself? (End of Chapter)