Mountain Peak System: a Path to NBA-Chapter 539 - 179: The Dallas Incident, the real GOAT! (Begging for subscriptions and monthly tickets!)
"Will the Warriors break the Bulls’ record of 72 regular-season wins this season?"
On the night the Warriors narrowly defeated the Lakers 116-114 on the road, A-Smith threw this question to the entire basketball world at ESPN.
As of now, the Warriors have garnered a total of 45 victories in the 47 games they have played.
Although the difficulty of the Warriors’ schedule will increase significantly in the second half of the regular season, many believe they have already laid a solid foundation for breaking the myth.
In the fortunate land of Los Angeles, Qin Yue continued his outstanding form, where every visit to Angel City would seemingly trigger his Celestial God Descending mode.
However, unlike the past when he led the team to defeat the Lakers on the road and would celebrate greatly afterward...
In this game, after hitting the winning shot for the Warriors in the fourth quarter, Qin Yue hurriedly left the Staples Center.
Before the labor negotiations during the All-Star weekend, Qin Yue needed to meet a senior figure.
This senior always regarded Qin Yue as his successor in spirit.
And Qin Yue always held great respect for him.
"It should’ve been me visiting you personally." In a Los Angeles café, Qin Yue said to Oscar Robertson, "But I didn’t expect to trouble you to take the time to guide me."
Upon hearing this, Robertson, patting Qin Yue’s solid shoulder, laughed and said, "Kid, I told you, whatever you need, I will always be here to solve your doubts."
The bond between Qin Yue and Robertson began in that season of averaging a triple-double.
Although triple-doubles were not a recognized concept when Robertson was in the league, it was merely a posthumous redefinition of that great record.
But after Qin Yue, in his second career season, became the second player in NBA history to achieve a season average of "30+" triple-doubles...
To this day, he would often remind the public not to forget the young players like him...
Qin Yue had long become the eternal inspiration in Robertson’s heart.
Seeing this, Qin Yue did not waste any time reminiscing but directly delved into the imminent labor negotiations.
Upon hearing this, Robertson’s expression immediately became serious.
"Kid, you might not know what the league was like when I first joined." Robertson said solemnly, "Back then, NBA players didn’t have health insurance, and on road trips, they could only stay in poor hotels without any transportation provided by the team." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
After pausing, Robertson said, "At that time, players could only renew contracts with their original teams, having no initiative in negotiations, therefore lacking bargaining power over their salaries."
"It was an era when Bill Russell was discriminated against in Boston daily, Wilt Chamberlain was seen as a freak, and Elgin Baylor, for bringing two other Black teammates to watch an exhibition game without prior application, led to the entire Lakers team being expelled."
As is well known, where there is oppression, there will naturally be resistance.
Thus, in the 1960s, NBA players, who could barely make a living playing basketball, collectively pressed the league under Robertson’s leadership before the 1964 Boston All-Star Game to resist the long-term inhumane practices by the league’s management.
This pressure tripled in time, winning NBA players an $8 daily stipend and a pension plan agreed upon by the league.
But this collective pressure was just the prelude to Robertson and many NBA players’ uprising.
In the 1970s, to further secure players’ benefits, Robertson once again united with 13 other players, including Bill Bradley, John Havlicek, and Wes Unseld, to sue the NBA.
Under the rationale of these veterans, the league was even forced to postpone the pre-planned NBA-ABA merger and officially implemented, in 1976, the rule that allowed players to become free agents after the rookie contract, thus liberating the then-exploited NBA players physically and financially.
It can be said that today’s NBA, becoming a player-first league, stems from the great struggles of those former veterans.
However, Robertson paid a heavy price for this.
For a long time, this player, highly respected by countless athletes, not only became the target of united suppression by management but also, after retirement, had no NBA team willing to hire him as a coach or consultant.
In fact, if it weren’t for Qin Yue’s groundbreaking average of "30+" triple-doubles in his second season, how many contemporary fans...
Would still remember this former triple-double king?
"To defeat management, you can only be tougher and more united than them," Robertson said to Qin Yue in a wise tone, "Kid, I didn’t expect to still see our spirit in you today. I think this is why people call you ’Messiah.’"
Under Robertson’s words, Qin Yue gradually realized that compared to the old GOAT corrupted by capitalism, it was indeed seniors like Robertson who commanded more respect.
Perhaps, when people called him "the Golden Big O," Qin Yue used to feel reluctant.
But at this moment...
Qin Yue found that to truly live up to the name of the Golden Big O, he is still unworthy.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
