thefictionvixens Chapter 372 Master Lin in Peril! The Closest Moment to Death
Chapter 372 Master Lin in Peril! The Closest Moment to Death
Chapter 372 Master Lin in Peril! The Closest Moment to Death in His Life!
The next day at noon, Lin Tian got out of bed with a great sense of satisfaction.
As soon as he woke up, he felt excruciating pain all over his body.
Tyson's punches are really heavy. Yesterday, when he was in a state of excitement, he didn't feel anything, but today, after completely relaxing, Lin Tian really felt like his body was about to fall apart.
"Richards? Richards? I need your help." Lin Tian lay lazily on the bed. Since his whole body ached, he decided to simply stay still, just like last night!
Well, although Lin Tian couldn't remember many things from last night because of his fight with Tyson, drinking to celebrate, and being very tired, there were some things he couldn't forget. Charlize Theron was so dashing last night!
Theron felt sorry for Lin Tian, worried that he would feel pain if he moved.
What a thoughtful girl!
However, after calling out several times, Lin Tian found that no one paid any attention to him, so he reluctantly got out of bed and wandered around the hotel room.
Then, Lin Tian discovered that the girl had left.
Not only were their luggage and clothes gone, but a note was also left on the table.
"I'm leaving, don't look for me."
Good heavens, Lin Tian is really something, are you playing this trick on me?
Then, Lin Tian saw what was under the note, and his whole body went numb.
A marriage certificate and a wedding photo.
I'm numb, completely numb.
I'm...married? Are American public servants really that hardworking?
Yesterday, after Lin Tian finished boxing and attending the press conference, he went to a bar and had a good time drinking. By the time Theron insisted on dragging Lin Tian out for a walk, it was already past midnight. At midnight, you guys are still working?
Are all civil servants in capitalist countries working 007?
Fortunately, Lin Tian didn't need to recall what happened last night, nor did he need to worry anymore. The thoughtful Theron added a line of text on the back of the note.
"As long as you don't go to a church to register the ceremony, that thing doesn't have much legal effect. It's just a commemorative edition, a Las Vegas specialty. You can continue to have fun. I'm happy. Bye."
Good heavens, Lin Tian is good heavens again!
He wasn't numb anymore, but he just wanted to know what had suddenly gone crazy about Theron.
Holding the wedding photo, Lin Tian looked at it over and over again. Theron was beautiful and had a great figure. If only she had been wearing this outfit when she was riding a horse last night.
Bah! What nonsense!
Now is not the time to think about this! I, Lord Lin, am not that kind of person!
The main question is, where did Theron go? Did I call her by the wrong name last night?
It's all Tyson's fault, that bastard!
Next time, I'll throw him like a sack again!
As Lin Tian pondered this, he noticed the newspapers scattered on the table.
Then, Lin Tian understood!
Hollywood's rising star spotted in Las Vegas! Suspected to be in a relationship with Lin Tian!
That's it? Keep flipping through!
Lin's influence extends throughout Hollywood! You can question his character, but you can't question his taste!
Hmm. This is a bit dangerous, but it doesn't have to be!
A list of actresses who have been romantically linked to Lin: diverse styles and a constellation of beauties! The oldest is nearly 40, the youngest is under 20!
Well... Bellucci should be the one who's angry, why is Theron so angry?
Lin Tian was looking through the articles, searching for clues, when he found the report that might have led to Theron's departure.
Reporters photographed Lin and Theron strolling on the Las Vegas Strip. Lin stated that Theron is not his girlfriend and they are just friends.
This is it!
Lin Tian slapped his thigh, indicating that the case was solved!
Now that the case is solved, we need to find the real culprit!
Make him pay the price for his actions!
Find that paparazzi, beat him up, stuff him in a sack, tie him to stones, and sink him into the Pacific Ocean—what a load of rubbish!
Mr. Lin plays basketball, he's not an arms dealer, he's not cut out for this.
Since the main culprit can't be dealt with, we have to start with Theron.
Lin Tian confidently took out his phone and called Pelinka.
"Rob, I need Charlize's assistant's phone number."
"How could I have that?" Pelinka spread his hands, indicating that he didn't have it.
"Stop talking nonsense. Her assistant is at most 20 years old, with blonde hair and big waves, and she even does yoga. You don't even have her number?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes. Pelinka probably knows the brands of other people's toilets perfectly well. What is she trying to prove by pretending to be a big shot?
"Okay, okay, but I haven't even gotten my hands on Catherine yet, you can't be so unfair! You already have Charlize, aren't you? Do you have to steal my assistant?"
"Can you hurry up, you son of a bitch?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes, too lazy to argue with this guy who was so eager to follow him around and drink soup.
Pelinka noticed Lin Tian was out of sorts and, while reading out a phone number, asked curiously, "Did something go wrong?"
"We got our marriage certificate," Lin Tian said, then hung up the phone and immediately blacklisted Pelinka's number.
Let that bastard guess the truth for himself! I bet you're not impatient.
I'm here to teach you a lesson for your tricks, you bastard!
Having settled things with Pelinka, Lin Tian started calling Theron's Catherine. Surprisingly, this girl, Theron's personal assistant, didn't even know where Theron had gone!
He simply said that his boss had suddenly given him a break, allowing him to rest for a few days.
"Where does your boss go when he's in a bad mood?"
"Dallas!" This time, the assistant answered without hesitation, "The boss's mother lives in Dallas. She owns a ranch there, and she spends time with her mother every year."
"The exact location!"
Another case solved!
After getting the detailed address, Lin Tian wasn't in a hurry. He called the hotel service and then lay back down on the bed.
He was really tired and in real pain.
Anyway, Theron won't be lost. She can rest for 1-2 days and get back to normal before going. By then, Theron will have calmed down and will be much easier to appease!
Three days later, at Dallas Airport, Da Zhi, who had just led his team to victory in the Asian Championships, excitedly waved to Lin Tian and said, "Brother, what brings you to Dallas? Is there anything you like to do here?"
"No," Lin Tian said without hesitation. "This crappy place is only slightly better than Cleveland and Salt Lake City. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't have something to do. I'm here to find someone, so you have to take me somewhere."
"Alright." Dazhi took the note Lin Tian handed him, and without saying a word, he drove off with Lin Tian in tow!
The drive took about four to five hours, from morning until the sun was almost setting, before finally stopping. Then, pointing to the huge farm across the street, they said, "This is it!"
"Thanks, bro." Lin Tian got out of the car, stretched lazily, and said, "Wouldn't it be incredibly unfair of me to tell you to just go back and not wait for me?"
"Driving for 10 hours straight, I'd die in the car." He rolled his eyes and said, "But I'm not bothering you, Brother Lin. There's a small town up ahead, I'm going there to check it out and find a place to stay. If we're going back together tomorrow, give me a call."
After giving a brief explanation, without further ado, he stepped on the gas and drove off.
Look at that! That's what true brotherhood is!
No fuss or nonsense, just do what you're told, no matter what it is, one sentence is enough!
It's a pity he's too honest and doesn't like to play!
Otherwise, Lin Tian insisted on taking him to experience the charm of the whole United States!
However, seeing Da Zhi looking so smug now, Lin Tian was happy for him. He had heard that this guy had just renewed his contract with the Mavericks this summer, signing a new 3-year, $1200 million contract.
With this contract as a guarantee, it's highly likely that the terrible incident that affected his life won't happen again next summer.
Of course, given the current situation of the Chinese men's basketball team, even without this contract, that situation would most likely not have occurred.
I, Lord Lin, am here!
Lin Tian didn't bother to say much about who was right and who was wrong in that matter.
If I had to put it bluntly, it would be that officials only care about their authority and face, while journalists only want to make money and create hype, and they generally don't know how to express their own thoughts at all. What could have been resolved by sitting down and having a chat almost ruined one of the most talented big men in the history of the Chinese national team.
It's not worth the risk!
Without thinking twice, Lin Tian strode over the fence like a Dongguan native and headed towards the lonely house in front of him.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, Lin Tian felt a gust of wind rush past his ears, followed by the unpleasant smell of gunpowder. When Lin Tian looked down, he saw a crater less than two meters in front of him.
"Take one more step and I'll slap that awful face of yours off! Now, right now, get out of my ranch! No guests are welcome here!"
A middle-aged woman with short, ear-length hair, dark skin from being constantly exposed to the sun, a stocky build, and dressed in a standard Texas-style denim outfit appeared before Lin Tian.
In Texas, in the Dallas countryside, it's perfectly normal to see a woman dressed like this; it's one of the hallmarks of the area.
However, it would be somewhat abnormal if she were holding a smoking shotgun and pointing it directly at Lin Tian's head.
"I'm Charlize's friend, I'm just here to chat with her!"
"Bang!"
Another muffled thud. This time, Lin Tian was almost hit in the face by the pebbles and dirt that bounced off the ground. Although he didn't see a bullet hole, Lin Tian was certain that the bullet was no more than 1 meter away from him!
That's a crazy woman!
Lin Tian quickly formed a definition for this middle-aged woman in his mind.
"I get five bastards every week claiming to be Charlize's friends! Guess what? You're lucky! Because I haven't been drinking today, and my gun is spot on!"
"Just last week, some unlucky guy got his knee shattered by a single shot!"
At this point, the woman suddenly unbuckled the leather belt at her waist, took out a bottle that was most likely alcohol, and gulped down several mouthfuls.
"So now, what do you think of my alcohol tolerance? Is it enough to miss my target after one sip, or ten sips, hmm?"
"I really am Charlize's friend. You can let her out. Just one look at me and I guarantee the misunderstanding will be cleared up!"
Faced with the crazy woman holding a gun, Lin Tian was very obedient.
Just kidding, American Iaijutsu + Texas cowboy + a sip of beer, who the hell dares to mess with me?
Especially when someone looks like they have excellent marksmanship, it becomes even more dangerous.
Who knows if she was actually drunk?
The middle-aged woman gulped down another mouthful of wine and said, "Your statement is very unoriginal. I see at least five of Charitz's friends every week. By the way, my hands start to shake a little after drinking."
"Are you sure you're not leaving?"
"I won't leave until I see Charitz!" Lin Tianyi declared righteously, indicating that he wouldn't leave today!
"Bang!" The third gunshot rang out, and Lin Tian felt the warmth of the bullet on his foot.
Meanwhile, his entire body was covered in mud splatters from bullets hitting the ground, making him look filthy.
That guy has amazing marksmanship!
My head hurts!
But Lin Tian still didn't leave. He raised his hands and said, "I just want to talk to Charlize. She really knows me, and you probably know me too. My name is Lin, and I'm an NBA player."
"Why don't you say you're a White House press secretary or European royalty? That might scare me even more." The woman took another sip of her drink, the gun still motionless, pointed at Lin Tian's head.
This was absolutely the most dangerous moment of Lin Tian's life!
However, he still didn't leave and remained standing there motionless.
As for the reason?
About 200 meters away, there was a faint figure swaying in the house. The girl's cowboy hat was pulled low, but you could tell that she was looking this way!
Judging by his build, it's most likely Charlize Theron!
Therefore, Lin Tian was certain that he was very safe. Regardless of the relationship between this woman and Theron, Theron knew that she had come looking for him with a gun, so Lin Tian was convinced that this was a test from Theron for him!
I'm perfectly safe!
Lin Tian mentally reinforced this idea, then glanced at the girl in the cowboy hat in the distance.
"I've never seen anyone so shameless! You really think I wouldn't dare blow your head off, huh? I'll count to three, and if you don't turn around and get out of here, I guarantee you'll never be able to leave Texas for the rest of your life!" The middle-aged woman's patience seemed to have finally run out. She cursed and raised her gun again, starting to count!
This is definitely the final test!
Lin Tian told himself to hold on!
"2!"
It's impossible for them to actually fire!
Wait, where the hell is the 1?
"Go to hell, kid!"
No sooner had the swear word been uttered than a gasp of surprise rang out.
"Lin? Mom? What are you doing?"
It's here! It's finally here!
"Bang!"
Suddenly, another gunshot rang out, this time extremely close to Lin Tian!
Lin Tian even felt something leaving him!
The hat! It was the hat! The Indiana-colored hat had been reduced to pieces and disappeared from Lin Tian's head. Lin Tian even smelled a burnt smell.
He quickly reached out and patted his head, extinguishing the tiny spark that had just appeared.
Then, Lin Tian saw Theron dismounting from a horse. Theron was no longer the dashing female knight she once was; her face was full of worry as she quickly ran to Lin Tian's side.
"Are you alright? Were you hit? Are you feeling unwell? For example, tinnitus, dizziness, or other symptoms of concussion?"
"I'm hit." Lin Tian was incredibly cowardly at this moment; his legs went weak, and he collapsed into Theron's arms. "You've hit my heart!"
After delivering that cheesy pickup line, Theron's face visibly flushed, and she shoved Lin Tian away, saying, "I thought I'd made myself clear enough; it's over between us."
"No, I have absolutely no idea," Lin Tian shook his head. "In fact, I came here specifically to ask you what you mean!"
"Let's not talk about that now." Theron shook her head, turning to her mother, who was a bit larger than her, but whose features did resemble hers somewhat. "Why did you shoot at someone again? What if you actually hit them?"
"No, my gun is very accurate! He's perfectly safe unless he actually attacks me." Theron's mother, Gerda Theron, shrugged, looking confident.
At this moment... Lin Tian remembered something else that terrified him.
The girl he had been watching, a hundred meters away, was still standing there.
In other words... Theron suddenly returned from somewhere else, we don't know where.
In other words... if Theron hadn't arrived in time, I might really be doomed.
Damn it, what a huge loss! I almost lost my life chasing after a girl!
"You hit him in the head!" Theron's voice rose noticeably. "If it had been two centimeters off, he might be dead!"
"That's all your fault! He's the bastard who hurt you, isn't he, Lin?" Gerda snorted.
"Um...maybe there's some misunderstanding between us." Lin Tian touched his still slightly burnt hair and interrupted the mother and daughter, saying, "Can we go inside and talk?"
"Do as you please, you're not my guest." Gerda glared at Lin Tian, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards her house.
"Let's talk as we walk." As for Theron, she took the reins of her horse and, with a worried expression, walked alongside Lin Tian, asking, "Why did you come here?"
"I came to find you!" Lin Tian said matter-of-factly.
"What I mean is, why don't you leave? My mother wouldn't just shoot someone; she must have warned you countless times! Why don't you leave first?"
"Because I haven't seen you yet." Lin Tian said, but what he was thinking was: Because I thought I had already seen you.
"You're a damn bastard," Theron shook her head, then continued, "but you shouldn't have put yourself under a stranger's gun, never! How did you know who she was?"
"I think she looks a lot like you. I think she's a good person and won't really shoot!" Lin Tian continued to make up stories.
The two of them had already reached the house, and then Lin Tian saw the 'girl' who had almost killed him.
A scarecrow dressed in a full denim outfit!
If I had known earlier that this thing wasn't you and was a scarecrow, I guarantee I would have run away after the first shot!
If I'm a step too late, my Lord Lin's character "Lin" will be written upside down!
But now, Lin Tian believes: it was a mistake!
This is the chosen one!
Not only was Laozi unharmed, but he also showed Theron a moment of incredible bravery.
The two didn't talk much after that, but walked into Theron's room. Theron helped Lin Tian take off his mud-covered clothes, checked his head to make sure he was alright, and then found a set of clothes to change Lin Tian into.
Lin Tian flipped over and pinned Theron beneath him: "Why do you have men's clothes in your house?"
"This is for you," Theron said resignedly. "I've been waiting for this day. You come to my house, I formally introduce you to my mother, and then we'll have a meal together, ride horses on the ranch, herd sheep, and stuff like that."
"I didn't expect your first meeting with my mother to be so unpleasant. I should have known better than to speak ill of you in front of her."
Hearing Theron's heartfelt words, Lin Tian couldn't help but close his eyes and gently lean closer.
After a long while, Lin Tian pointed to a wedding dress and a suit on the wall and asked, "Are these the clothes we wore on that day?"
"Yes, but to you it's just a costume, right? Just think of it as acting in a play with me." Theron shrugged. "You want to know why I'm leaving? It's because I've realized I can't live without you."
"You still have so many girls around you, and maybe there will always be so many girls, but I'm gradually becoming dissatisfied with just being one of those girls!"
"Now at least I've been married to you, even if it's fake, I'm still very happy. My wish has been fulfilled, so I should leave. It's that simple."
"But you shouldn't have told your mother untrue stories, stories so untrue that she almost blew my head off." Lin Tian couldn't help but touch his head again; it was terrifying!
American-style iaido, how terrifying!
"Actually, I didn't tell her anything. She just collected all the news reports about me that she could find, and my mother knew it was you very easily." Theron sat up and looked at Lin Tian.
"And now? Are you still going to leave me now?" Lin Tian continued to ask.
"No." This time, Theron was resolute and unwavering. "If a man is willing to risk his life for me, I don't know what reason I would have to leave him!"
"Lin, I won't leave again unless you kick me out!"
Seeing the almost drooling look in Theron's eyes, Lin Tian decided to exercise again!
My head almost exploded. If I don't do it again, how can I face myself?
"I don't care what you two are doing in there, but now it's time to eat!" Gerda's voice came at the crucial moment, still very impatient and with a hint of disdain.
Indeed, what kind-hearted person could accept their daughter spending an hour in a room with a man without any attempt at concealment?
The fact that Gerda didn't just barge in with a gun shows that she's a well-educated, polite, and civilized person!
Lin Tian, recalling Gerda's appearance with a gun, quickly stood up, dressed, and asked, "Shall we go eat?"
Lin Tian's obedient and timid appearance made Theron burst out laughing: "That's great! If you hadn't come to me, I might never have seen you like this in my entire life!"
"Don't be afraid of my mom, she's very reasonable!"
"Reasonable? If I were holding a hunting rifle, I'd be perfectly reasonable too!" Lin Tian was still shaken. "Does she point a gun at strangers like this every day?"
“Every day, because people always break into our house trying to take pictures of me,” Theron shrugged. “But she’s almost never fired a gun!”
"Then why me?" Lin Tian was dumbfounded!
They basically never fire a gun? That's bullshit! One of those two is definitely lying!
I almost died as soon as I entered the ranch!
You're kidding me!
"Because she knows you." Theron pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table. "She's read so many of my reports, and of course she's read some of yours as well. She already knows about our relationship, and she knows who you are and what you look like."
"So she's been targeting you from the very beginning!"
Good guy!
Lin Tian exclaimed, "Wow!"
Now she knows who Charlize Theron learned her acting from! Lin Tian gives Gerda a 90 out of 100 for her performance in that scene! He'll also give the shotgun a 95! And award the Best Actor trophy to the shotgun!
Good buddy! The trajectory is really stable! Even a slight deviation... ouch, that would be terrifying!
"I was just standing up for my daughter," Gerda said, sitting down with her food. "When are you leaving?"
"Mom! I want to stay with you for a few more days!" Theron immediately pleaded.
"Come on, I want to shoot that bastard every time I see him. For his safety, you two had better leave first thing tomorrow morning, otherwise I'm not sure if my next shot will be that accurate!"
Gerda waved her hand impatiently, then lowered her head and began to eat. She didn't say a word for the entire meal, and as for Lin Tian, he didn't dare to speak.
I'm genuinely trembling with fear!
However, despite his fear and cowardice, after dinner, Lin Tian and Theron took a walk around the ranch and returned to their room. Lin Tian quickly reverted to his true nature.
He pointed to the wedding dress hanging on the wall and said, "How do you look in this!"
The main theme is "daring to be bold and fearless!"
The next morning, just as Lin Tian and Theron finished packing and were about to leave together, Gerda walked up to them. She looked at Lin Tian with a gloomy face and said, "Kid, I'm handing Chariz over to you, but if you make her angry again and make her come back here crying..."
"I don't care what the reason is, I promise I'll shove a gun in your mouth and blow your head off! Understand?"
"Mom! We're just friends!" Theron snorted, replying with a statement that even Lin Tian found unbelievable!
Friend? What kind of friend? The kind of close friend you sleep with at night?
"I don't care how you young people play, or what your relationship is. I don't care about that." Gerda ignored Theron and continued to stare intently at Lin Tian: "I'm asking, do you understand?"
"Okay! I understand!" Lin Tian nodded quickly, showing the most obedient side of himself in his life.
Then, Theron finally stepped on the gas and drove off!
He survived! He made it out alive!
This was what Lin Tian was thinking.
"She must really like you." Theron was clearly in a very good mood. "If she didn't like you, she wouldn't have said so much to you!"
"She likes to joke around too," Lin Tian said with a smile. "I just hope that next time she jokes, she won't just open her mouth and say something like 'smash your head,' or close her mouth and say something like 'smash my face.'"
"Gerda is probably the least likely person to joke with in my entire life!" Theron suddenly tilted her head and said, "I dare say, she's absolutely serious!"
Seriously.
Really
of.
Looking at Theron's serious face, Lin Tian suddenly remembered something else—
Then he believed Theron's words.
Gerda, you're absolutely serious!
At the very least, Theron's father must have thought Gerda was joking back then.
Lin Tian would never make such a mistake!
Lin Tian swallowed hard. He suddenly started to hope that the system would give him some good stuff again, like the kind of skill that allows you to disarm someone with your bare hands, dodge bullets 100% of the time, or something similar that can save your life.
Otherwise, that would really be a bit scary.
"Alright, Lin, you don't need to worry too much." Theron couldn't help but laugh as she watched Lin Tian's rare moment of cowardice. "Just make sure she doesn't find out when you're messing around. My mom basically doesn't read entertainment news except for things related to me."
"That's good, that's good! I'm relieved." Lin Tian patted his heart; he was safe!
"F*** you! Lin, you're a damn bastard." Theron rolled her eyes. At this point, she couldn't quite figure out what kind of piece of trash Lin Tian was.
"Shouldn't a normal person at this point say they absolutely wouldn't look for other women to reassure me?"
"Darling, you need to know, this is difficult! But I swear, I will never lie to you!"
Lin Tianyi spoke with righteous indignation and it was only natural that he was shameless!
After that, Lin Tian and Theron simply drove around Texas, visiting many tourist attractions. During this time, they were naturally spotted and caught by many reporters, paparazzi, and fans.
But these two have clearly reached an unspoken understanding: no matter who asks or who conducts the interview, they will give the same answer: just friends!
Even when a reporter published a photo of the two walking hand in hand along the shore of Lake Medina, they still said: "Just friends!"
Very assertive!
The main point is that if they don't film us doing something, then it's definitely just us being ordinary friends—that's shameless of them!
After spending almost a week traveling around Texas and having a great time, the two parted ways in Houston, with Theron returning to Los Angeles to continue his work.
As for Lin Tian, he also had to return to Indiana.
The training camp for the 2001-2002 season is about to begin!
However, Lin Tian never expected that as soon as he got off the plane, he would be surrounded by countless reporters!
More than half of them are not sports reporters but entertainment reporters!
"Lin, you and Charlize are engaged, right?"
Is Charlene pregnant?
"We heard that Charlize turned down all the sex scenes in his new film and declared that he will never film any sex scenes again. Is this for your sake?"
"Have you two secretly gotten married?"
"Alright, alright everyone, alright!" Lin Tian spread his hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down, before saying, "I told you, we're just ordinary friends!"
"But someone saw you walking hand in hand!"
"Someone even saw you kissing in a bar on the street!"
Seeing the persistent reporters, Lin Tian decided to use his ultimate weapon! He stretched out his hand again and said, "Gentlemen, I don't deny anything you've said, and it has all happened."
"But what do all this prove? We really are just ordinary friends!"
"We walk hand in hand, travel together, and even took a photo in a wedding dress—I admit it all! But that doesn't mean we're married or dating."
"This only proves that we did do it together, but it proves nothing else!"
Awesome!
Even though the reporters below had seen countless big scenes and interviewed many difficult people, they had never seen anyone as shameless and brazen as Lin Tian before!
So you admit to everything, but also admit to nothing?
Seeing the astonished looks on the reporters' faces, Lin Tian was extremely satisfied!
Sure enough, magic attacks are the most invincible attacks!
I, Lord Lin, will use one move against Tang Niu... no! Young Master Lin's inequality, how will you respond?
response?
We can't handle it! The version is 20 years behind! Even 20 years later, there's no way to counter this move; it's completely unmanageable!
After easily dealing with the reporters, Lin Tian finally returned to his long-lost home in Indiana!
He can finally relax completely and have a good rest for a few days!
Of course, it will only last a few days.
The team's training camp will officially begin next Monday!
Then comes the preseason, regular season, playoffs, and finals.
After a busy summer comes an even busier season!
In addition, after finally having some free time, Lin Tian contacted Bird, Pelinka, and others to learn about the Pacers and the entire league.
For the Pacers, whose goal is a three-peat, the most important thing they did this year was to maintain a stable roster!
Bird retained Christie, a key player in the team's three championships in the past four years, on a three-year, $18 million deal in the summer!
In Bird's words, Christie made significant concessions in terms of contract amount and length by staying on!
It is said that Sacramento and several other teams have offered him a four-year contract worth around 32 million!
But after much deliberation, Christie decided to stay!
Stay with the Pacers and create a true dynasty!
Besides re-signing Christie, another thing Bird did was not to re-sign Carter and Harrington, two players who were getting better and better!
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he simply couldn't withstand the pressure from his boss.
Originally, the two owners wanted to take advantage of the offseason, when their contracts were low and their trade value was high, to sell these two rookie players whose contracts were about to expire in exchange for some future assets!
They want to start saving money!
But Bird used his silver tongue to discuss the matter with his two bosses for almost the entire summer.
Ultimately, the Simon brothers conceded that they would not participate in the team's management or force the team to make trades.
But their requirement was simple: save money!
Luxury tax can be paid, but the maximum is $1500 million. Any more than that and they will ask Bird to clear salary cap space!
Apart from Christie, the Pacers did not bring in any other free agents on minimum contracts or above this year. They continued to sign players on minimum contracts and then re-signed their existing teammates to form their roster for the new season!
Meanwhile, with the start of training camp, the league also announced the salary cap and luxury tax threshold for this season!
Perhaps because of the early addition of Chinese players like Lin Tian, Yao Ming, and Wang Zhizhi, the league's revenue has improved slightly, so this figure is higher than the one Lin Tian remembered, but still lower than Bird's ideal estimate.
(End of this chapter)