Chapter 73

Tiandao Jingyan and Hara Zawakede parted ways not long after.

He didn't agree directly, but said he would consider it.

Hara Zawakede looked at the now-empty seat in front of him, thought for a moment, and understood the meaning of Tiandao Jingyan's words.

"The competitiveness between geniuses?" He sighed.

He understood this kind of thinking.

When he was selected for the national team, he also had similar thoughts.

To outperform the other star players on the team and become the undisputed leader.

The world of basketball is actually a world with clear hierarchies.

There can only be one lead star, one second-in-command, and one third-in-command on a team.

Jordan and Pippen were, and O'Neal and Kobe were the same.

Jordan could coexist with Pippen because Jordan was strong enough to firmly suppress Pippen.

Plus, Pippen didn't have much ambition and had some issues in his brain.

During the Bulls' championship years, Jordan was already taking a league-leading $30 million salary.

And as the undisputed second-in-command, the best small forward in the league at the time, Pippen's annual salary was less than $3 million.

Was this Pippen's ability issue? Or the Bulls' management issue?

Neither.

All of this can only be blamed on the short-sightedness of the "Second Master" himself!

Pippen's rookie contract was 6 years for $5 million; by the 90-91 season, the Bulls had won their first championship.

The Second Master also happened to reach the time when he needed to renew his contract with the team.

And that time happened to be the era when Jordan dominated the league, started his own era, and NBA ratings skyrocketed.

Anyone with vision could see that NBA salaries would likely undergo earth-shaking changes in the near future.

The Bulls' general manager was actually quite nice and even advised him at the time to sign a short contract to facilitate future salary increases.

Who knew the Second Master had no grand ambitions, plus his back injury was acting up, and he was terrified that if he became paralyzed, the team wouldn't give him money for retirement.

After Jordan's earnest advice failed, the Second Master finally signed a 7-year, $20 million contract with the Bulls.

As a result, less than two and a half years later, NBA salaries skyrocketed, and any random rookie dared to demand a $100 million contract, refusing to sign with the team if they didn't get it.

This made the Second Master's teeth ache so much he couldn't eat.

You have to know, the Second Master was already one of the best small forwards in the league at that time, and had a championship under his belt, yet his salary wasn't even as much as a rookie's remainder.

It was simply unbelievable!

Getting off track.

Hara Zawakede sorted out his thoughts and understood the meaning of Tiandao Jingyan's words.

Many combinations have been born in NBA history, but most of them wouldn't be like Jordan and Pippen, who could still be of one mind after achieving success.

O'Neal and Kobe are examples.

Two proud geniuses, for the sake of team status, ended up parting ways—such cases are everywhere.

That was exactly what Tiandao Jingyan meant.

He, Midorima, Aomine, Akashi, and Murasakibara are all such geniuses.

And competitiveness already exists between them; by high school, it is absolutely impossible for them to play together again.

There will be a winner and a loser.

This includes Nijimura Shuzo as well.

Tiandao Jingyan clearly didn't intend to cooperate with Nijimura Shuzo again in high school.

If he were on the same team as Nijimura Shuzo in high school, with an old captain around, how could he be the boss of the team?

Thinking of this, Hara Zawakede could only shake his head helplessly.