In the next few days, Zhao Dong didn't let up on the Heat at all. In both games, he dominated the court, closed out the series, and swept Miami clean, punching his ticket as the first team to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Over the four-game series, dude was on a mission. He averaged 41 minutes a game, dropping 45 points, grabbing 12 boards, dishing out 7.5 assists, swiping 1.75 steals, sending back 3.4 shots, with just 1.5 turnovers and 3.4 fouls per game. Man was a straight-up cheat code, carried the squad, got the job done, and secured that third system fragment.
Meanwhile, out West, the Jazz caught two straight Ls, going down 1-3. That gave the Sonics a match point and put Karl Malone's squad on the ropes, one step from getting bounced.
By noon on the 12th, the Knicks were back in New York.
At the airport, Wells rolled up and said, "Zhao, Adidas and Nike hit me up. They wanna talk. Reebok and Puma too. Big brands all lining up."
"I know," Zhao Dong nodded.
Nike and Adidas weren't just reaching out to Wells. They even rang up Hughes Wallace, GM of the Zhao Dong Sports New York branch.
"You wanna meet with 'em?" Wells asked.
"For what?" Zhao Dong raised an eyebrow. "You, Hughes, and the legal team handle it. See what they're really after."
"Bet. I'll set it up," Wells replied.
That afternoon, all sides linked up at a business hotel.
Top dogs from Adidas and Nike pulled up, along with six lawyers and some execs. Zhao Dong Sports sent in Hughes, a top barrister, two senior attorneys, and Wells. Over 20 people packed the room for the showdown.
"Manley's remarks and slander against Mr. Zhao Dong did serious damage—not just to him personally, but to Zhao Dong Sports and the Silver Demon brand."
"For Silver Demon alone, we calculated an $80 million loss in North America. Long-term losses? Could total $560 million."
"And that's not even counting the China market, where the impact hit even harder."
"Mr. Manley will be held fully accountable. If we don't get proper compensation, Mr. Zhao Dong's legal team is ready to take this fight as far as it needs to go—one year, three years, ten years, it doesn't matter. We got the money, time, and drive."
The talks dragged on till 5:30 p.m., close to the deadline Manley had given.
Later That Night – Zhao Dong's house
"Cheers!"
At 8 p.m., Zhao Dong and Lindsay popped bottles at their villa, celebrating with champagne.
Zhao Dong had officially dropped all charges against Manley and agreed not to come after him or Karl Malone.
In return? Manley had to publicly apologize on the front page of the New York Times, pay Zhao Dong $330 million in damages for slander and mental distress, and—most importantly—retire from the NBA agent game for good.
Who was covering that $330 mil? Adidas, Nike, and the other brands—collectively footing the bill.
As part of the deal, Zhao Dong would fork over $100 million to his legal team from that settlement. After taking into account the previous tens of millions he shelled out, he still walked away with about half.
But the money? That wasn't even the biggest win.
The real victory? Zhao Dong Sports planted its flag in the U.S. market. They survived the ambush from the sneaker giants and officially became a top-tier brand, holding a solid 20% market share in North American basketball kicks.
And thanks to Mrs. Dolores, Zhao Dong and Lindsay also made moves socially. They built a new high-level network and stepped straight into the North American elite circle.
The Next Day
Once the news dropped, the fallout was instant.
The entire NBA was shook.
From that moment on, nobody dared throw shade at Zhao Dong with any racial nonsense. And nobody was dumb enough to try to single him out for a urine test ever again.
When the stock market opened, shares of Nike, Adidas, and other involved brands took a nosedive.
At NBA Headquarters – Stern's Office
NBA commissioner David Stern sat in silence for a long time after hearing the news.
In his mind, Zhao Dong's presence wasn't necessarily a good thing for the league.
Zhao Dong Sports had just broken through—but what happens when they start signing star players? What if Zhao Dong starts using his clout to run the league from behind the scenes?
And let's not forget—he just bought the New York Jets. What if he starts looking at NBA teams next?
Yeah, there's a rule: players can't own shares of NBA franchises. But Stern knew—rules didn't mean much to someone like Zhao Dong. Dude could find a hundred ways around that.
He figured it was time to talk. He couldn't allow a superstar run the league promoted to also run a sports empire and possibly own a team.
Later That Day – New York
Barkley touched down in the city.
At the restaurant, Zhao Dong greeted him with a grin. "Chuck, you ain't out fishing? Found a new pier?"
"Man, forget fishin'. That's boring," Barkley said, waving him off.
Zhao Dong laughed. "Houston media said you turned down Rockets extension. What, the offer was trash?"
"Man, one year, veteran minimum? Like I'm stupid or something." Barkley looked pissed. "If they were contenders, maybe I'd bite. But they ain't."
"How much you make this year?" Zhao Dong asked.
"2.25 mil. My timing sucked, bro. I never even cracked five million a year."
Zhao Dong whistled. "That's still a solid bag. You know Ewing's makin' 20 mil a year, right? And honestly, you and him… you're not that far apart."
"Yeah, but I stay hurt. Never had a full run. My body failed me too much," Barkley muttered.
"Alright, spill it. Why you really here?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Well…" Barkley hesitated, awkward.
"You tryna join up with me?" Zhao Dong teased.
"Man, who's joinin' who?" Barkley fired back, annoyed.
Heads turned. The restaurant went quiet for a sec.
"Damn, should've picked a spot with fewer people," Zhao Dong chuckled.
"Anyway," Barkley said, "you think the Knicks need anybody?"
Zhao Dong leaned back, thinking. "Next season… we'll probably have a few openings."
"Who's leaving?" Barkley asked quickly.
"Well," Zhao Dong started, "Allan Houston—he's not getting enough touches with me here. We talked, and he's probably gonna leave and find a bigger role elsewhere.
"Oak might be gone too. We got Ben Wallace and Fordson coming up strong. Oakley's minutes are shrinking. His deal ends this year, and he'll want a fresh start.
"Buck Williams? He's probably retiring. Dude's at the finish line.
"And Charlie Ward? His contract's up too. Lost his starting gig, so he might bounce.
"If we go back-to-back this year, they're all gonna have championship leverage. It's the perfect time for them to cash out on a big contract somewhere else."
Barkley said excitedly, "Yo, I can take Oakley's spot, what you think?"
Zhao Dong laughed, "You ain't scared he'll throw hands with you?"
"Haha… man's leaving, right?" Barkley grinned awkwardly.
Zhao Dong reminded him, "He was coming off the bench all regular season this year."
Barkley sighed, frustrated, "Ain't much I can do. My body's taken some real hits. I can't start no more."
Later on, folks said Barkley joined the Rockets trying to ride their wave, but ended up being the top dog on the team. That was just Barkley clowning himself.
Truth was, once he got to the Mavericks, the injuries hit hard—he missed 145 games across four seasons, averaging over 30 games out per year.
If he came to the Knicks, he for sure wasn't starting. Oakley's in better shape than him now. Dude played 80 games this season and still had to give way to Ben Wallace and Fortson. So what chance does Barkley really got?
"Have your agent talk to management," Zhao Dong said. "I don't get involved with stuff like that."
Then he added, "You know my situation. I'm not just a player—I also run Zhao Dong Sports, and we sponsor the Knicks. A lot of guys on the team are signed with me. If I start making calls upstairs, it'd be a conflict. So I gotta keep my role here simple—just a player."
Barkley gave him a look and said, "Man, I heard you led your people into some wild investments. You gotta pull me in too."
"You tryna stack cash? You already made like $30 to $40 mil in salary alone," Zhao Dong joked. "Ain't that enough? I heard you're real frugal too."
"Barely over 30 mil in total," Barkley sighed. "That's like MJ's salary in one season. I don't got much saved up."
"MJ didn't make much until the last two seasons. Most of his money came from endorsements and his shoe line. After this season, his contract's up. Not sure the Bulls will give him 30 mil again."
Zhao Dong then smiled and said, "Charles, real talk—I got an idea. If you wanna keep making bank, hang it up early and go into broadcasting. You got the mouth for it, and the checks are solid—maybe even better than playing."
"Yo, for real? I been thinking the same thing!" Barkley said, hyped.
Suddenly, Zhao Dong's phone buzzed.
"Hello, this is Zhao Dong."
"Zhao Dong, this is Adam Silver. Mr. Stern wants a word with you."
But Silver's tone? Cold. Like dude had a chip on his shoulder.
Not surprising.
"My bad, who are you again?" Zhao Dong said and hung up right after.
"Man, screw this dude!"
Silver was so heated, his bald head probably turned red.
"You set the meeting?" Stern asked from behind his desk when Silver walked in.
"Sir, he hung up on me. Straight arrogant. I think the league should block his brand from expanding. We can't let him get too much control or he'll become a cancer in the league," Silver said, grinding his teeth.
Stern didn't say anything, but his face turned cold. That was exactly what he'd been worried about.
Then Stern's phone rang. Unknown number.
"Hello, this is David Stern."
"Mr. Stern, this is Zhao Dong. Heard you wanted to talk?"
Stern blinked, glanced at Silver, then smiled, "Yes, Zhao Dong, I'd like to chat. You got time soon?"
Silver's face dropped. This Chinese dude just big-leagued him and hit up the commissioner directly. Embarrassing.
Two hours later, Zhao Dong and Stern were sitting in a café inside NBA headquarters, sipping coffee.
They talked playoffs for a bit before Stern leaned in and said, "Zhao Dong, I heard you put money into the New York Jets. Weren't you trying to buy an NBA team too?"
Zhao Dong laughed, "My wife was tryna buy me a team, but after investing in the Jets, that's off the table. I'm not looking to own any NBA team."
He continued, "I understand how the league works. I'm already in a tricky spot—I'm a player, I own a major sponsor, and my company backs a bunch of players. If I added team ownership on top of that, it'd be a bad look. So when it comes to the Knicks and the league, I keep it simple. I'm just a hooper."
Stern let out a breath and smiled, "That's good to hear. We want more investors, but we also gotta keep the league fair. I know you get that."
"Of course. If I'm a player and I got my own brand influencing guys—or worse, I own a team—it wouldn't be fair to anyone. So I stay outta that lane. I never use Zhao Dong Sports to push players around, and I won't be buying a team, either."
Stern smiled again. "Glad to hear it. As long as that stays true, the league's happy to keep working with you."
"I'm sure we'll get along just fine," Zhao Dong grinned.
Stern then switched topics, "So what's your take on growing the NBA in China?"
Zhao Dong paused, then said, "If the league is willing to support Chinese basketball, I'll help bring the NBA deeper into China."
Even though he'd already built a training base in Beijing and brought in some elite trainers, that alone wasn't enough.
With the league's support, China's hoops scene could go to the next level.
"Oh, that's a solid idea," Stern said with genuine interest.
The two kicked it back and forth for a bit, tossing around some ideas before wrapping up the meeting.
That night, the Jazz snatched a win to stay alive.
Karl Malone bounced back strong, dropped 38 points, and carried the squad past the Supersonics.
Even with the dub, the Sonics were still up 3-2 and had a chance to close it out.
Meanwhile, the Bulls knocked out the Pacers 4-1 to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Lakers sent the Spurs packing 4-1 to move on to the West Finals.
At 10 a.m. on the 14th, Barkley's agent Wilt pulled up at Knicks HQ and met with Ernie Grunfeld as scheduled.
Ernie had already run it by Zhao Dong. The idea of bringing in a vet like Barkley sounded good—dude could bring some muscle off the bench without eating too much cap.
Zhao Dong's game plan for Barkley was simple: keep him fresh like how the Bulls used Ewing this season. Save him for the playoffs. No need to burn him out in the regular season.
The two sides were already on the same page—just waiting to make it official.
"Zhao, front office's in. Two years, five mil," Barkley said over the phone, hyped.
Zhao Dong almost cracked up. In his past life, the big guy only got $1 million next season and $9 million his final year. Now, joining the Knicks, he'd be down five mil over two years.
Still, Barkley was all smiles. He hit up his buddy Larry Johnson right after.
Those two were tight. Same build, same position. If Larry hadn't messed up his back, he might've been just as legendary as Barkley.
"Yo Charles, you good?"
Larry Johnson was chillin' at home, grinning ear to ear when he saw Barkley's name pop up.
Old dude had just gotten bounced from the playoffs again, but he was in a good spot—and maybe about to snag another ring. Larry was a little worried Barkley would be in a bad mood.
"Man, we're gonna be teammates next season! You ready for me?" Barkley said, hyped.
"What? Yo, that's crazy!" Larry lit up.
"My agent just finished the talk with the Knicks. It's basically done," Barkley added.
"Listen, OG, you should've come last season. We'd be back-to-back champs by now," Larry said with a smirk.
"Man, you flexin' on me?" Barkley joked.
"Nah, Charles, for real. Once you're here, I'll take you to meet Zhao Dong. Y'all got some tension, but trust me, I'll handle it. We cool like that," Larry said.
"I know, I know. We the New York trio—ain't no beef last long with us. You even went at MJ for Zhao. The whole world saw that," Barkley laughed.
"Facts. Plus, I got all my money with Zhao. He's helpin' me invest. Dude knows how to stack bread," Larry said proudly.
"Hook me up, man! I need in on that," Barkley said quickly.
"Just let Zhao know. You're fam. But guys like Camby? Nah, we don't rock with traitors," Larry laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. Me and Zhao are chill. Just let Oakley know what's up. I ain't scared, but give him the heads-up," Barkley said.
"No problem. I got you," Larry replied.
Didn't take long for the media to get the scoop.
"Charles, are you signing with the Knicks?" Reporters tracked Barkley down at his hotel.
"Nothing's confirmed yet," Barkley replied, clearly in a good mood.
"You think the Knicks got a shot at the title next year?"
"They might."
"What if they don't? You just chasing rings again?"
"Man, I'm a vet. My contract with the Rockets is done. I'm near retirement. I just want a ring—no shade. Why y'all actin' like I'm thirsty? Be cool," Barkley said, a little annoyed.
"Charles, thoughts on Game 6 between the Jazz and Sonics?"
"Zhao Dong let Karl off the hook. He got lucky. But it ain't gonna be easy for Utah to come back," Barkley replied.
"You think Zhao's legal team really has dirt on Malone?" a reporter pressed.
"No clue. But you can't be too much of a Malone," Barkley shot back.
"Don't be too Karl-like in life? What's that mean?" one reporter asked.
"Don't be like Karl. Last time with the PED thing—who was Manley really coming after? It was Zhao," Barkley said.
Over in another interview, Jordan was asked about Barkley's Knicks decision.
"MJ, Barkley chose the Knicks. Does that mean he believes in Zhao more than you?"
"He's blind. That's why he'll never win a ring," Jordan said, irritated.
"Don't be too Malone."
The New York Times slapped that quote across the front page the next day.
That same night was Game 6 between the Jazz and Supersonics.
If Utah pulled this off, it'd go to a Game 7.
"Karl, that fool Barkley's wildin'! Tryna ride Zhao's wave and dragging me through the mud?"
Karl Malone snapped in the Jazz training facility after reading the front page.
"Let it go, Karl. Just focus on tonight," Stockton said, trying to calm him down.
"He's a clown," Malone muttered.
That night, the Jazz beat the Supersonics and forced a Game 7.
On the 17th, the do-or-die Game 7 tipped off.
Utah leaned on the Black and White Duo and a solid bench to edge out the Sonics and lock in their spot in the Western Conference Finals.
The West Finals were set for May 19. The East Finals would tip off the next day, May 20.
All the league's biggest names—its poster boys—were in the Eastern Conference. Naturally, the East Finals had way more buzz. Way more eyes. Way more hype.
Most of the media and fans were dialed in on the East.
As for the West? The media and some league insiders called it a toss-up. Fifty-fifty.
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