Chapter 269 The goal of the new season: the championship!
Pippen was also puzzled.
My heart says that I haven’t retired yet, so you want me to come over and teach my opponent how to play?
This season, Pippen was still playing his last part in the Trail Blazers. However, as he grew older, Pippen's performance began to decline, and the team did not perform well.
Even so, he still did not refuse Cartwright's invitation.
Because his plan is to retire next year, and in the last year of retirement, he wants to return to his roots and return to the Bulls before retiring.
In other words, he would have to ask Bull to do things in the future, and he could not eat other people's food and smash other people's bowls, so Cartwright asked him to teach Lu Yu, so he came.
After Lu Yu saw the lineup for the new season, he felt that the Bulls still have a chance to win the Eastern Conference championship this season. As for whether they can win the finals, it depends on luck.
Whether the Eastern Conference team can win the championship depends entirely on who is the Western Conference champion.
In Lu Yu's previous life, the Spurs were the Western Conference champions this season. The Lakers' OK combination could not stop the Spurs' troika. As for the Kings, who reached the Western Conference finals last year, they began to decline this season.
The reason is simply that Chris Webber is troubled by injuries.
Lu Yu originally wanted to train with Ganon Baker for two weeks to prepare for the new season. Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the arena in the morning, he saw Cartwright and Pippen chatting happily.
Why is Pippen here?
Lu Yu was a little puzzled. Cartwright called Lu Yu over and said, "You are going to start playing as an organizational forward next season. I'll call Scotty over and ask him to teach you some experience."
Lu Yu: "Teaching the essence?"
Lu Yu was not interested at all in how Pippen fell in love with Larsa, especially since Larsa frequently dated young women after Pippen retired, and even helped TT hook up with Khloe Kardashian. Lu Yu felt that Pippen
Peng doesn’t have any good experience either.
Pippen just smiled: "Lu, I know you are very good, but small forwards and shooting guards are completely different styles of play, especially organizational small forwards. You know, I am an expert in this aspect."
Lu Yu: "Okay, listen to me, thank you."
So the two began a week-long training in the arena. During this week, Pippen taught Lu Yu all his tricks and techniques for playing small forward.
A week later, Pippen came to Cartwright with a bit of embarrassment. He felt that his level was completely unable to teach Lu Yu, and Lu Yu's effect of using the same tricks was much better than his.
Even the organization he was proud of was a bit inadequate in front of Lu Yu.
After all, Lu Yu was the second player in the league in assists last season, and his passing choices are sometimes much better than Pippen.
In the past few days, Pippen's wife Larsa came over to train with Pippen. In fact, from her starry eyes, Lu Yu knew that her coming to see Pippen train was just a pretense. She just wanted to get to know him, who is now famous all over the United States.
Just Lu Yu.
But Lu Yu is not interested in this kind of woman.
In September, Lu Yu and Anta re-signed a contract worth US$70 million over three years. This contract has exceeded the endorsement contracts of all NBA players.
Not to mention, it also includes shares in Anta.
Anta is no longer the cash-strapped small company it was last year. They made a lot of money last year, and the company quickly became the largest sports brand in China, with sales approaching that of Nike and Adidas.
After this year's finals and the summer's World Championships, Lu Yu's worth has risen to a terrifying level, and several major sports brands are vying to grab him.
The one with the highest bid was Reebok, followed by Nike and Adidas. They all regretted not signing Lu Yu. Nike couldn’t sign him, and Adidas didn’t even think about it. When Adidas reacted this year and wanted to sign Lu Yu,
I found out they could no longer afford the contract.
The sneaker contract they gave Kobe was only 6 years and 48 million.
However, after this year's expiration and the end of the trip to China, there were rumors that Kobe would terminate his contract with Adidas. To be honest, Kobe didn't like Adidas sneakers very much. He thought the pair Lu Yu wore on his feet were good.
However, to terminate his contract with Adidas, Kobe will have to pay 8 million in liquidated damages and will not be allowed to sign contracts with other similar brands within a year.
Originally, Kobe wanted to sign a contract worth 200 million with Adidas. If he signed it, this contract would blow up Lu Yu's share, but he really didn't like Adidas.
Why did Kobe Bryant apply to terminate his contract with Adidas early?
The first is Adidas's scapegoat.
Kobe was an extremely serious person, and he was very dissatisfied with the team Adidas gave him.
Kobe believed that because the designer's design was so poor, his sneakers were even discounted to $40 and could not be sold. Kobe was so angry that he once described the team as "transparent people" and "useless people."
Adidas, on the other hand, believes that Kobe's influence has led to poor sneaker sales, which has also made them unwilling to negotiate a contract extension with Kobe in advance.
Secondly, McGrady’s lifetime contract. McGrady’s lifetime contract with Adidas became the trigger for everything.
He entered the league later than Kobe, but because of the good sales of his sneakers, Adidas signed a lifetime endorsement contract with Tracy McGrady in advance. This made Kobe absolutely despised and insulted, so the paranoid Kobe decided to leave and prove himself to Adidas.
So in September, Kobe and Adidas terminated their contract.
This season, Kobe cannot sign with any sports brand. He can wear any brand he wants. For him, the first choice is of course Lu Yuyi.
It can be considered as a free endorsement for Anta for a year.
Ding Shizhong called Lu Yu and asked if he could help bridge the gap. Anta was interested in signing Kobe. Lu Yu agreed, but he knew that Kobe would most likely sign with Nike.
Because in Kobe's eyes, he would never come to Anta and be second.
With Lu Yu here, Anta's number one star must be Lu Yu.
It was after Kobe Bryant rejected Adidas that Tracy McGrady became one of Adidas's main stars, gained global fame, and earned a lot of money as a result.
Kobe was originally going to sign a 200 million contract with Adidas. Guess who was Adidas' second choice after him? Anyway, I am especially grateful to Kobe because he rejected the 200 million contract so that I could sign a 100 million contract!
"Maddie said.
This summer's sneaker market, after some twists and turns, finally formed the three-legged Thai style.
Although Kobe and Nike have not signed a contract yet and will not officially sign until one year later, everyone knows that the cooperation between Kobe and Nike is a foregone conclusion.
Nike, Adidas and Anta, no one wants to lose to the other.
Especially since the three of them have similar playing styles and positions, among which Lu Yu is the most popular, Nike and Adidas are a little worried, especially since Lu Yu's popularity in the Chinese market almost monopolizes that market, as well as the Chinese market in the United States, and Anta's
The rise is the most obvious signal that they have felt threatened.
As for Iverson and Carter.
Neither of them is a threat at all.
Reebok, the company signed by Iverson, had too many black technologies and a roller coaster-like design level, which seriously affected the sales of Iverson's sneakers.
As for Carter, he is even more stupid.
In 1998, he cooperated with Puma, which was not specialized in making basketball shoes, and signed a 10-year, $50 million contract. They only worked together for two seasons before they parted ways. Puma also withdrew from the basketball shoe market in 2001.
Therefore, only Lu Yu, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady can dominate the sales of sneakers in the guard market.
And behind them are three sports companies.
Although Lu Yu signed a big contract, he still has not bought a house in Chicago. He is used to renting a house, especially since this house is next door to Charlize Theron's house.
In mid-September, Lu Yu took an excuse to go out for training and went to New York to satisfy the empty, lonely and cold Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett Johansson said with tears in her eyes that she was willing to stay safe for Lu Yu. Lu Yu secretly said in his heart that you don't have to do this...
As for Jessica, Lu Yu also took a look at her.
The feeling between Lu Yu and her was like having a campus love. When they were together, they felt very sweet. After they separated, they had to return to reality. Lu Yu wanted to play ball and Jessica had to take care of the family business.
Everyone has their own job.
At the end of September, the Bulls' new season training camp begins.
At the media day, Lu Yu was interviewed and asked about his goals for the 2002-2003 season.
Lu Yu replied: "My goal every season is the championship. I came to the NBA to play for the championship. I don't like the feeling of losing."
Lu Yu paused and then said: "As you know, the team has strengthened this summer and we have become a better team. Other teams have also undergone many changes this year. As for the final
In the end, it’s useless even if I say it. For me, all I have to do is play every game well and leave the rest to fate.”
What he said is true. His goal is definitely the championship, but this year's championship is not easy to win.
After all, in Lu Yu's previous life, this year's championship winner was able to defeat the Lakers' OK team, forcing the Lakers to form the F4 San Antonio Spurs next season.
There is a goose-like stone Buddha there, a very fast sports car, and an Argentine vulture with hair that was just defeated by Lu Yu at the World Championships this year.
The reporter asked: "Are you confident that you will play better in the new season?"
Lu Yu smiled and said: "Of course, I had special training with Scottie Pippen in the summer. He is an excellent player and an excellent coach. I learned a lot of new techniques from him. Let's wait and see in the new season.
"
Lu Yu proved this during the team's media open day training the next day.
The reporters discovered that Lu Yu was playing small forward or organizational small forward in the new season. No wonder he wanted Pippen for training.
This news made the Trail Blazers boss very angry. I paid Pippen's salary to you, but you went to the Bulls to be my sixth guard?
The performance of the new teammates also surprised the team's coaching staff. Hamilton's shooting and off-ball skills can be said to be very good. What surprised the team the most was Boozer. Although Cartwright originally intended to let Boozer start,
But I was still undecided between Boozer and Chandler.
Chandler's skills as a power forward are a bit rough, but he has the advantage of having played in the NBA for one year and has experience and body.
Who knew that Boozer's appearance would change this idea. Unexpectedly, Boozer, who had never played in the NBA, also had enough experience and was not in bad shape. Except for being a little shorter, he was simply the strongest at the power forward position.
The right player.
Cartwright tried several more tactics, whether it was the triangle offense or the pick-and-roll zipper, the players all played very well.
The reporters and fans present were all excited and waiting for the Bulls' performance in the new season.
