Review of the largest yin and yang contract of the NBA from the Leonard incident. Plastics are not only sisters but also brotherly love.

Recently, another big melon was revealed in the NBA. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was investigated by the league for suspected Yin-Yang contracts. The storyline is generally disclosed. In August 2021, Leonard and the Clippers reached a four-year, $176 million maximum salary contract. In 2022, a company called Aspiration's main business is carbon neutrality and signed Leonard as its spokesperson for 28 million. This matter is strange. Although everything is environmentally friendly now, what does it have to do with carbon neutrality and playing basketball? Environmentally friendly basketball? What the hell?

There is a reporter from the United States named Pablo Tore. He felt that something abnormal must be true. After careful investigation, he found clues. Clippers boss Ballmer injected up to US$50 million into this environmental protection company as early as September 2021, becoming the company's largest shareholder. He also announced that Clippers want Aspiration to establish a strategic cooperative relationship with a total value of more than US$300 million in 23 years. What's strange is that no one has ever heard of this huge event.

What's even more strange is that Leonard never stood up for Aspiration in public and fulfilled his endorsement obligations. The social media of the two have no mutual contact with each other. The only connection between the two in the past three years was that on June 29, 2013, Aspiration issued a message to wish Xiaoka a happy birthday, and Xiaoka did not even reply to an expression.

Judging from Leonard's previous urinary nature, the Yin-Yang contract is most likely true. Aspiration is a leather bag company, and its main business may have, but it is definitely not as large as the $50 million injected by Ballmer. Perhaps when Ballmer negotiated with Leonard with a four-year, 176 million maximum salary contract, he had already used the 4-year, 26 million endorsement contract of a company in the future as one of the bargaining chips. As for whether this company plays carbon neutrality or plays with exhaust pipes to release exhaust gas, it doesn't matter. It's mainly whether it can hide it from the people in the NBA office.

In fact, the anger of fans towards Leonard is not a yin-yang contract, but he gets the team's high salary every year but doesn't play anytime. As soon as the team enters the playoffs or the game becomes more intense, he wears his "Benny Road" jersey. To be honest, there is a feeling that he is no longer able to do it in recent years, but he still wants to rely on his few shining points and his glamorous resume to try to squeeze out some oil and water from Lao Bao. Lao Bao followed Leonard like a magical and walked into the ditch. The same script happened year after year, but he was reluctant to cash out Leonard.

At the beginning, I looked at Brother Bao. He was a true business tycoon, a human elite, so smart that his hair was full of wisdom. But since I got involved with Leonard, I looked at Brother Bao again, and I actually felt that he was so golden and jaded on the outside but shit on the inside...

Of course, this article is not about Leonard. I really have no good feelings for this extremely exquisite and self-interested person. Let's take advantage of Leonard's incident to talk in detail about the biggest Yin-Yang contract incident that happened in the NBA. It is no exaggeration to say that that incident directly rewritten Kevin Garnett's career.

Time is back to the Eastern Conference playoffs in 1998. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in the ninth year of their team building. They have entered the playoffs for two consecutive years after last year. However, unlike last year's 0:3 loss to the Rockets in the first round, this year's Timberwolves have reimbursed an All-Star power forward Tom Gugliotta, and they still fought with the powerful Seattle Supersonics in the first round to win the fifth battle (at that time, there were three wins in five games at the first round). The two sides fought for 48 minutes, and the Timberwolves finally lost in the fourth quarter.

This season is only the third year of Garnett's career. Although he is only 21 years old, he can average 18+10+4 plus 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks in the regular season. He has been selected for the All-Star lineup for two consecutive years. Although the Timberwolves' new team was eliminated in the first round this year, the team's progress in the past two years can be seen from the naked eye. The Timberwolves' management has begun to look forward to and enjoy the playoffs next season. The Timberwolves' kills all over the world, and the thrill of money is filled with pleasure in the pockets.

However, the Timberwolves in the offseason have a feeling of storm coming, the mountains are full of the buildings, and the buildings are green and the buildings are outside the buildings, and the towers are half of the scenery in the previous dynasty. The scenery is nodding in the poem - don't ask me what this poem means, I made it up.

The Timberwolves' inside line has become the priority for management to strengthen. Don't you think Garnett always likes to whine when playing, but in that era, his style of play was relatively soft, because in that era when he still advocated the confrontation of inside muscles, Garnett's slender body could not withstand the revolving damage of muscles and sticks. The ideal combination is Garnett's fourth position, and a center with enough height and excellent defensive ability was arranged to wipe Garnett's butt in the fifth position.

But the problem is that after G1 in the just-concluded series with the Supersonics, substitute center Stanley Roberts failed the urine test. This is his third time touching the red line this season. The NBA office immediately gave Roberts a severe punishment of banning all this season's playoffs and next season.

Become a free agent's substitute center in the offseason, and Cheroki Parks, who has excellent inside defense ability, joined the Vancouver Grizzlies for 3 years and 6 million. The Timberwolves' management all hopes are placed on Gugliotta, who also becomes a free agent, and has offered him a five-year, 55 million contract. However, Gugliotta made a public statement, expressing his unwillingness to cooperate with Steve Marbury, the team's super defender, and turned around to sign a six-year, 58.5 million contract with the Suns. This is really a spit on the Timberwolves management before leaving..

Timberwolves lost 20+8 per game, and the guardian of the inside penalty area who was excellent in strength and could resist. With Gugliotta's departure, the Timberwolves' inside was instantly vacuumed.

Offs season, the Timberwolves' management's first priority is to strengthen the inside. They used a four-year 11 million contract that far exceeds their value to leverage the second-round short center Dean Garnett in the second round. In 1998, the 17th pick in the first round of 1998, the defensive center Rassey Nestrovic, who was tall, and then it disappeared...

For N For BA players, if it weren't forbidden, who would have come to this small place with snow and ice, the results of these two signings were also quite tragic. Dean Garnett was not surprised to become an LJ contract, and even the ones who wanted to be the top deal were not wanted. He averaged 2 points and 2 rebounds per game and had to last four years with the Timberwolves. The rookie who was fat in the inner season was even worse. He played only two games and had a severe sprain in his knee and was reimbursed for the season. Of course, this is all a story.

It was at this moment that the Timberwolves suddenly made a shocking signing - signing Joe Smith with a minimum salary of 1.75 million yuan in one year. As soon as this signing was released, the league was in an instant!

Then the question is, who is Joe Smith?

He was in 1995! Yuan! show! When he joined the Timberwolves, Xiao Qiao was only 24 years old, 208 cm tall, and had excellent physical talent. He could hold the moon in nine days above, catch turtles from five oceans below, fight, fight, run and jump. He played for two and a half years at the Warriors at the beginning, and contributed 18.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks in the second year of his career. He is a perfect superstar seedling. In order to retain him, the Warriors offered him a 4-year, 36 million contract.

But Comrade Xiao Qiao is more willful. His home is in Norfolk, on the seaside at the easternmost point of the United States. It is more than 1,200 kilometers away from the Warriors' home city of Oakland. It has to take five hours to fly. The distance between home and home is only a secondary aspect. The main aspect is that Xiao Qiao is not satisfied with the salary contract.

It’s not that the Warriors are reluctant to pay, but that the NBA was in a stage of rapid development at that time. When he first started playing in 1995, his salary cap was only 23 million, and four years later it had risen to 35.5 million. The amount of the salary cap was directly linked to the player’s contract. Therefore, the smart Xiao Qiao decided to extend the contract renewal time as much as possible, so that he could maximize his own interests.

He told the team that he would not renew the Warriors' contract, but would only go to the Eastern Conference team to play. The Warriors were helpless in persuading him, and forced to trade Xiao Qiao to the 76ers. At that time, the 76ers were in an extremely chaotic period. Iverson and Coleman were fighting openly and secretly for the team's status. The innocent Xiao Qiao was squeezed out of the two forces, averaging only 10 points and 4 rebounds per game. After the game, he received 35 million 5 years and 35 million from the 76ers' management.

Comrade Xiao Qiao became popular all of a sudden. He is so meow, this is not as good as his ex! Come on, you can become an ex!

Just when everyone was staring at me and wanted to see how much money Xiao Qiao could get as a free agent, Timberwolves general manager McHale announced that Xiao Qiao had a basic salary of 1.75 million yuan a year, and joined the Timberwolves, which suddenly blinded everyone's 24K ultra-pure titanium alloy dog ​​eyes. What is the level of

1.75 million? Let’s put it this way, Xiao Qiao’s rookie won 2.47 million in the first year! The price of this contract is not as high as Xiao Qiao's rookie contract!

This contract that is seriously incompatible with Xiao Qiao's value naturally aroused discussion among fans and players, but Xiao Qiao's explanation is "a thousand miles away to send warmth" -

My little brother Garnett lived too hard in Minnesota. My mother doesn't love her uncle and doesn't love her. I really can't bear it, so I came over to support him temporarily and left after helping me. Although the reason for

seems quite far-fetched, there is still a little reason. Garnett knew Xiao Qiao when he was in the first year of high school. The two of them quickly became close friends. After entering the NBA, both of them once called each other their best friends in public.

After joining the Timberwolves, Xiao Qiao seemed to have fulfilled his promise to assist Garnett. He worked diligently to be a blue-collar worker. He became the best green leaf around Garnett. He averaged 14+8 and 1.5 blocks per game in just 33 minutes. What’s important is that Xiao Qiao’s upper limbs are excellent. Garnett can safely hand over the heavy responsibility of defending the inside line to Xiao Qiao, and focus on offense. This season, Garnett averaged 20 points for the first time in his scoring career.

However, just as the season began, Marbury forced the team to trade himself. According to Marbury's future statement, it was because the team could no longer provide himself with a maximum salary contract after renewing Garnett for 126 million yuan in six years. That being said, but in fact, everyone knows it. Marbury grew up in the big city of New York since she was a child. She was not used to being in a small place, couldn't sleep well, and couldn't eat well. After finally, her teammates asked him to do a foot massage. He was still regular foot massage. Who wouldn't get angry?

Although there was no Marbury, Garnett still led the Timberwolves to enter the playoffs for the third time in history. However, in the first round, they unfortunately encountered the Spurs, which were stronger inside, and were eliminated in the first round for three consecutive years. It is worth mentioning that in the only game when the Timberwolves won, Xiao Qiao took 10 rebounds, including 6 frontcourt rebounds, and also sent 2 blocks. After the season ended, everyone's eyes were staring at Xiao Qiao who became a free agent. Now the brotherhood is almost done. It's time to get your big contract. Xiao Qiao said decisively -

No, Garnett no longer has his good brother Marbury. This is the time when he is lonely and cold inside. If I leave too, how should he live this life! Since I have to repay the brotherhood, I have to repay it thoroughly. I have to do it. I have to pursue Garnett to repay my brotherhood!

In this way, Xiao Qiao signed a 2.1 million yuan basic salary contract with the Timberwolves.

Nestrovic, who was reimbursed last season, was resurrected in full blood. Old fans may have heard of this old man's name. Although he doesn't run fast, he doesn't jump high, and he doesn't know how to attack, he has a good body, 213 cm tall, weighs more than 120 kilograms, and is fierce in playing. He is not afraid of death when playing basketball. He is the best at picking up rebounds and blocking explosives. He does a three-pointer than Xiao Qiao.

So after a brief adjustment in the new season, the fat man and Garnett became the starting inside duo, and Xiao Qiao became a substitute, and averaged only 25 minutes per game to contribute 10 points and 6 rebounds.

This year, Garnett led the Timberwolves into the playoffs and was eliminated 3:1 by the Trail Blazers in the first round. In the four games in the playoffs, facing the luxurious inside group composed of Old Sabonis, Schramf, and Roaring Tianzun Wallace, Xiao Qiao almost became a spectator, and averaged 20 minutes per game, contributing 4.5 points, 3 rebounds and 4 fouls.

It's another offseason, and everyone thought that Xiao Qiao should get a big contract this time, but Xiao Qiao said-

no! I didn't play well last year. At this moment, I don't think my good brother Garnett will sit idly by! My brotherly love for him will never be enough! I have to pay it back!

NBA Office: You can do it, you can do it!

Xiao Qiao signed the Timberwolves with a basic salary of 2.35 million. It was precisely because Xiao Qiao signed the basic salary that the Timberwolves was able to sign Chauncey Billups with a 2-year contract of 4.7 million, strengthening the defender lineup.

However, Xiao Qiao's abnormal signing of the contract for three consecutive years finally attracted the attention of the NBA office. They set up a special task force to dig deep into the ancestral grave between Xiao Qiao and the Timberwolves management. Finally, two months later, a shocking melon was dug out!

It turned out that from the beginning, Xiao Qiao reached a secret agreement with Timberwolves general manager McHale - Xiao Qiao signed a team with a minimum salary for three consecutive years. After three years, the team had Xiao Qiao's bird rights and could renew the contract on the hat. At that time, Xiao Qiao's compensation was a maximum salary contract with a total period of 7 years and a total amount of 86 million!

Garnett was stunned when he heard the news, and his eyes immediately became clear-

No, what about the promised brotherhood? … …

In fact, the NBA has always had suspected secret contracts before. For example, in 1993, the Trail Blazers were suspected of signing a Yin-Yang contract with center Dudley, but the NBA has not self-destructed for two main reasons. One is that the amount involved is not large, and the other is that they have not caught it. But this time it is different. The amount involved is as high as more than 80 million. More importantly, the NBA's imperial envoy found a paper secret contract in black and white in McHale's office! Now I can’t even blame him!

I have to say that Xiao Qiao has a strong concept of rule of law. He has to establish a paper contract first for anything. Everything is subject to the contract...

In this matter, Xiao Qiao's agent Fleished, Timberwolves owner Glenn Taylor, and general manager McHale are all insiders, but Xiao Qiao stood up as a White Lotus and said that he didn't know anything. Everything was done by the agent in private. I said you are going to the grave to burn newspapers - fooling around. You have been in the NBA for so many years. Can you not know how much money you should get in your performance? Don't you think there is anything wrong with getting a basic salary every year?

You don't really think you are here to repay Garnett's brotherhood...

Finally, let's talk about the subsequent impact of this matter.

First of all, Xiao Qiao, the party involved. After the Yin-Yang contract case was revealed, the $2.1 million contract signed by Xiao Qiao and the Timberwolves was torn apart. Xiao Qiao forced himself to become a free agent and flow into the free market. However, because Xiao Qiao's scandal was at the forefront, public opinion was everywhere, and the poor performance of 4 points and 3 rebounds per game last season's playoffs, the most bid was the Detroit Pistons' 2.25 million in one year. His meow was not as high as the 2.35 million in the Timberwolves Yin-Yang contract. When the Timberwolves heard it, his brain immediately shorted, and the CPU was burned and he didn't figure out what the problem was...

Speaking of this, I have to mention a mouthful. The Timberwolves' contract spirit was. When they learned that the free market had given a maximum of 2.25 million US dollars, the Timberwolves even wanted to use a regular way to sign Xiao Qiao back...

Don't laugh. After Xiao Qiao fought in the Piston for a year, the Timberwolves really signed Xiao Qiao for 6 years and 34 million yuan in 2002. The contract spirit is really great. No matter if you are from the underworld, I will have to fulfill the words I signed. Although the total amount did not reach the 86 million written in the contract, it finally allowed Xiao Qiao to get the biggest contract in his career, and it was guaranteed for the rest of his life.

And this contract with an annual salary of nearly 6 million yuan, Xiao Qiao did not make him an LJ contract in the end. Although Xiao Qiao suffered some minor injuries in the past six years, his overall attendance rate was still good. After his physical fitness was not good, he developed a small jump shot from free throw line with a good shooting percentage. He was able to maintain a level of 10 points and 5 rebounds per game. After the contract ended, he signed several short contracts and did not retire until 2011. He earned a total of 61 million in his career. Others involved in the case, Xiao Qiao's agent Fleished was revoked, Timberwolves owner Glenn Taylor was banned from participating in the team's operations for one year, and fined US$3.5 million, depriving five first-round draft picks from 2001 to 2005 (later the draft picks were restored in 2003 and 2005) General manager McHale was suspended indefinitely, and later transferred to the grassroots level to work as the Timberwolves' head coach.

During the contract time of Xiao Qiao's Yin-Yang, Kevin Garnett was the one who was most injured. This matter had nothing to do with him, but he became the biggest victim of this incident. Garnett was at its peak, but the team was fined three first-round draft picks at this time. The team's signing can only rely on free market signing or trading..

You should know that draft picks are completely different from free market signing. The free market is waiting for a price. It is generally clear what kind of performance you can perform. Except for some people who are wrong with creating an LJ contract, it is generally not much different. However, most of the players in draft picks have much higher abilities than their salaries, and rookie contracts are therefore called "child labor contracts". Moreover, the contract period is four years long. Even if it is used for trading, the transaction value is definitely not comparable to that of the signed players.

What's even more heartbreaking is that there are not many superstars in the 2000, 2001 and 2004 draft picks, but they have produced many high-quality role players with strength between the mid-range and All-Stars. Let's take a brief look at what kind of teammates will Garnett meet if the Timberwolves' three draft picks are still there?

2001, the Timberwolves scored eighth in the Western Conference the year before, and they are likely to win a 14-18 pick. At that time, the Timberwolves' lineup list was very likely to have more Black Bears Randolph, the Timberwolves' most short-term defense big center Brandon Haywood, and Elvis Gerald Wallace's name.

2002, the Timberwolves scored sixth record in the Western Conference in the first year, with a high probability of 18-24 pick. The Timberwolves are very likely to win three-point shooter Kareem Rush, the little prince Tyshaun Prince, and the all-around forward John Salmons.

2004, the Timberwolves scored the first record in the Western Conference the year before, and could only get a draft pick with an estimated 25-30 pick at the end of the first round. Don't be too low in this pick, it's all good, such as Tony Allen, the defensive gate with the 25th pick, Kevin Martin with the 26th pick, the shooter Vujacic with the 27th pick, the traditional old-school point guard Ben Yudri with the 28th pick, David Harrison with the 29th pick, and Anderson Valaijo.

You can also see from the Timberwolves' record before the draft. Coincidentally, at the time when the Timberwolves were confiscated three draft picks, the Timberwolves' management seemed to have been enlightened overnight, no longer dizzy, and their thinking became clear, and even their eyes became clear. Excellent transactions followed one by one, directly helping the Timberwolves led by Garnett to reach the Western Conference Finals. Just imagine, if this Timberwolves, who had the strongest Timberwolves in the history of the team at that time, and with the above names, would it be possible for the Timberwolves to win the championship?

Dig deeper. If the Timberwolves had won the championship at that time, Garnett would never have left Boston. Minnesota would have been for sure. The NBA is another love story that touches people's heartwarming love story. At the entrance of the Timberwolves' home goal center, a white jersey wearing No. 21, pounding their chests while snarling.

Okay, that's all for this article. I wonder how the top brothers on the list evaluate Joe Smith's Yin-Yang contract incident? Let’s discuss it together in the comment area. Every day at 8 o’clock in the morning, Fireworks brings the freshest NBA stories. Clicking on follow and likes can let Fireworks’ articles be pushed to you as soon as possible. It will be updated regularly at 8 o’clock in the morning every day, don’t miss it!