On Saturday, June 28, 2008, the sky above the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda seemed exceptionally blue, causing the golfers to occasionally burst into cheerful laughter.
Unlike the adjacent Congressional Country Club, this club was not only open exclusively to men, but also had a membership of only around 600 people.
The club primarily served business and political figures, and a quick look at its honorary members would reveal the names of past presidents and Supreme Court Justices.
Even more interestingly, the club could be said to openly discriminate against women, not even allowing female Secret Service agents to enter.
Only if a female Supreme Court Justice were to emerge in the future would the club compromise.
Women were only permitted to enter the pro shop in December each year to purchase items for their husbands, yet such open discriminatory behavior was rarely reported by news media, which symbolized democracy and freedom.
Perhaps this was the allure of power.
The outgoing George W. Bush, dressed in a white golf suit, was smiling happily at this moment.
With the blue sky, white clouds, and green grass, and having escaped from his "busy" official duties, the old man's body seemed to have regained its vitality:
"I finally understand why everyone likes to play golf with you, Lee. I have to say, your golf talent has been abandoned by God!"
As a member of the neighboring Congressional Country Club, Lee also had to praise the environment of this club.
To some extent, it indeed satisfied the emotional needs of these old men.
"I'm just not as good at short game as you. In fact, my swing posture is quite good, even recognized by Woods."
Lee, also in a white golf suit, was holding his hat, showing his "desire to win," which made George W. Bush laugh even harder.
John Boehner, who was behind them, also couldn't hold back.
His flattery was no less skilled than George W. Bush's.
George W. Bush's short game was also terrible, but Lee's was even worse, making the President appear to be a "master" by comparison.
As the House Majority Leader, Republican Party member John Boehner knew that this gathering was mainly to introduce Lee and Axe Capital.
He hadn't known much about them before, but after a morning of interaction, he found that Lee was more like a politician than the previous sycophantic Washington governor.
Not only was he well-informed about party information, but he also understood the trajectory of world development.
John Boehner had called his friends before and mostly received positive reviews.
Given Axe Capital's impressive returns last year, he also felt that Lee was indeed good, seemingly exuding a pleasant aroma.
"I had intended to invite you to Beijing with me to watch the Olympic Games. You know Barbara really likes you, but David told me you still have to prepare for the Securities Committee investigation, so I gave up on that idea."
"Although we lost control of the House of Representatives, John can help with this!"
George W. Bush, finishing his swing, turned to look at John Boehner, who also showed a self-satisfied smile.
Paired with his meticulously groomed short grey hair, John Boehner looked somewhat "benevolent":
"I have good relationships with some lobbying teams. If it's a Goldman Sachs issue, I don't think the Securities Committee will make things difficult for you."
"We plan to hold an investor conference at Christmas. Now I'm relieved. It seems I can open champagne early!"
Lee smiled brightly.
The other party saying he had good relationships with lobbying teams meant he had to pay, but problems that could be solved with money were now considered worthwhile.
John Boehner, dubbed the sixth most powerful congressman, discovered another side of Lee.
Just as the information he had received suggested, Lee was generous, spending money on their very first meeting even though they had no prior relationship.
George W. Bush, in high spirits, pulled the two men along, and surrounded by the crowd, prepared to return to the club for lunch.
With another income stream at the end of the year, this was even more profitable than drilling for oil:
"Try the club's barbecue. Since I came here from Texas, this club's barbecue is the best!"
"Stay here for the weekend. Barbara can take you around Washington."
Hearing the old man's nagging, Lee was speechless.
He came to the White House every year, and Ivanka had attended college here, so she was very familiar with the city.
An excellent basketball player couldn't get many resources, but large sums of money allowed Lee to access another side of the system.
As for whether the other party would always treat him as a cash cow, that would depend on whether these old men could maintain their influence in the future.
The club's buildings also had a country style.
By the small lake, a group of old men ate barbecue and boasted, bathed in the sunlight, as if they had entered a "movie scene."
Perhaps he was too happy today, George W. Bush showed his uninhibited side, sucking the sauce from his hands and actively teasing the Donkey Party candidate:
"I think I should award Lee a Presidential Medal of Freedom!"
Among the few people behind, Bret Baier, the Fox News Channel anchor and White House correspondent, who had always had little presence, smiled and directly raised his glass to Lee, saying:
"To the recipient of the Medal of Freedom!"
None of them liked Obama much.
He played the identity card heavily, swaying the entire NBA to switch allegiance.
Lee, however, was indifferent, raising his glass along with them, a smile on his face, but inwardly complaining:
"This medal is quite expensive."
Most sports media only reported on Lee's wealth, but never delved into why Axe Capital was so profitable.
Wall Street knew it was based on "insider trading."
For such a low-tech method, established investment banks expressed disdain, occasionally making sarcastic remarks.
Elites are graduates of prestigious schools, relying on economic theories and model algorithms.
Although they also pay money, they will not compromise with power.
Of course, this is just the opinion of some star traders.
As for management, they are all pretty similar, just like Lehman Brothers, where the company had "top investment experts" from various political parties.
On Monday, the 30th, with only a month until the Olympic Games, as mainstream media coverage increased, the public's attention began to refocus on sports stars.
Businesses had already prepared lucrative endorsement deals for Olympic champions, and various talk shows began inviting "gold medal candidates."
As the country with the most advanced pharmaceutical technology on this planet, the Olympic Games were the moment for the United States to flex its muscles.
To some extent, it was also a "major test" of technology!
The public in New York was more concerned about the offseason situation.
The NBA's moratorium this year lasted until the 9th, after which next season's salary cap would be announced.
James Dolan promised fans at the championship parade that he would not abandon his "family," and soon New York reporters received real news about the New York Knicks:
"A starting salary of $5 million, with a player option in the fourth year, JR Smith has already received an offer."
This contract was decent.
If JR Smith could be more consistent and less problematic, he would most likely get a bigger contract.
Diaw's statistics were not great, but through advanced data analysis, the coaching staff concluded that the Frenchman could help the team win when on the court, while JR Smith was likely a fair-weather player.
Considering that the New York Knicks rarely faced adversity and the data sample was too small, Donnie ultimately offered $5 million, feeling it was an overpayment.
After the offer was announced, no one in the market had matched it.
Ever since the Chicago Tribune floated the "New York black shop" theory, many teams had become more cautious, but on Monday afternoon, a Denver Post reporter broke the news on Twitter:
"The Denver Nuggets are considering trading Allen Iverson, and George Karl is interested in JR Smith."
Many sports reporters were already accustomed to using Twitter.
With Lee's promotion, everyone found this social tool very useful, as they could get feedback from fans immediately.
The comments below quickly exploded.
Iverson was a big star, and trading away a core player meant rebuilding.
Many Denver Nuggets fans could not accept such a result.
Reporters from the Los Angeles Times were also not to be outdone.
An hour after this tweet was posted, they also broke the news:
"The Los Angeles Lakers are actively clearing salary cap space, and Kupchak has already made an offer to Raja Bell."
Turiaf and a few others seemed to have been abandoned by the team, but the Los Angeles Lakers fans didn't react too strongly, only offering their blessings in the comment section, as they recognized Raja Bell's strength.
JR Smith, who received an offer, is a restricted free agent, while Raja Bell can wait for a better deal, as the free market has just begun, and he can definitely wait for a big contract to come his way.
NBA teams have shown a trend of 'involution' in recent years.
Kevin Garnett recently brought his teammates to a mini-training camp organized by the Boston Celtics, and it's said that Marbury trained 12 hours a day.
The Miami Heat were no different; immediately after the draft, Michael Beasley was dragged to the training ground before he even had a chance to 'play ball'.
It was said to be preparation for the Orlando Summer League, but many of the Miami Heat's starting players were there, and Beasley was dumbfounded when he arrived at the training camp.
The Head Coach was Spo, and he suspected he'd be training for an entire holiday.
On tuesday, July 1st, the Miami Herald broke a piece of news that left Miami Heat fans laughing and crying:
"Michael Beasley, participating in the mini-training camp, suffered an elbow injury during training and is expected to rest for a week."
"Coach Spo stated that this would not affect the upcoming Orlando Summer League, and he greatly appreciated Beasley's training attitude."
Wade's recovery and readiness to participate in the Olympic Games was also big news.
After Coach Krzyzewski handed the captain's hat to Kobe Bryant, Miami sports reporters started fanning the flames:
"Dwyane Wade is more suitable to lead this team! He performed on par with Clay Lee and even demonstrated his leadership qualities!"
"..."
Since last year, measuring the strength of NBA guards has suddenly become about their head-to-head stats against Lee, and the first advocates were the Miami sports media, who always found angles to praise their core player.
"The player with the best Defense against Clay Lee among active players."
"On the offensive end, he's on par with Lee, with shooting percentages and efficiency far exceeding other players at the same position!"
Looking only at Excel, Wade was indeed good.
At least, after using screens, he could break free from Lee's erratic drives and score, which was much better than Kobe's poor performance in the NBA Finals.
Wade, who had been recovering from injury, never expected that leading his team to the worst record in franchise history would actually improve his public perception.
He won by doing nothing!
On the afternoon of the 1st, at the Miami Heat's mini-training camp, a sweating Wade seemed to have undergone a slight change from the past.
After more than two months, his cheeks seemed to have puffed out a bit.
His whole body 'gained a circle of muscle', looking closer to Lee's physique.
The injured Wade had turned into a heavy tank, which deeply moved the Miami reporters, as their core player had been consistently training.
Noticing everyone's gaze, Wade was also a bit smug.
Everyone said he was done, but having obtained the latest technology, he firmly believed he was close to catching up to Lee!
NBA players all possess excellent physical talent, but for top players to take another step forward, besides hard training, they also need to leverage the power of technology.
Wade always felt that Lee was unnaturally strong, and was even defensively broken down at one point, until he changed his 'core technology' and gained greater 'power', only then did he regain his confidence.
"Wade, it seems you've overcome your knee injury. We've noticed some changes in your body. Will this affect your speed?"
Wade, hands on hips, firmly patted his chest.
His loose training shirt couldn't hide his obvious six-pack, and he also showed off his biceps to everyone:
"I feel great! You know, in the past few years in the playoffs, it was difficult for me to compete against Lee. He was too strong, and he certainly taught me a lesson."
"The NBA is different from college basketball. Perhaps you think today's game lacks physicality, but the truth is, without a strong body, you simply cannot limit Lee."
"So I chose to appropriately gain muscle. I've been working on this for the past few years. Injuries affected my body, but fortunately, all that is in the past!"
Wade's physique currently exuded immense presence, which greatly increased his persuasiveness.
After all, the body doesn't lie.
Marbury was also strong, but he was bruised all over from Lee's elbows.
A good body is the foundation.
Perhaps Wade's confidence infected everyone, and soon the Miami sports reporters started another buzz:
"Wade, will you serve as the captain of the United States Mens National Basketball Team? We believe you are more suitable to lead this team!"
Wade didn't humble himself in response.
After watching the NBA Finals, he believed his strength far surpassed Kobe's, especially since Lee hadn't been able to completely limit him in the Eastern Conference Finals in previous years:
"If Coach Krzyzewski approves, I will accept the captain's position. There are many young players on the team, and I am willing to share my experience in international competitions!"
"..."
With the 'core technology' enhancement, Wade became more confident than ever, and sports reporters loved such competition.
The next day, the Miami Herald began to build momentum:
"The True Captain America — Dwyane Wade!"
The article not only included NBA statistics but also Wade's performance in international competitions.
As for not winning championships before, that was all the Head Coach's fault.
The team should have been centered around Wade!
Bored onlookers quickly joined the discussion online after surfing the internet.
Wade's performance against Lee was indeed better than Kobe's, and the pranksters expressed their support.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers changed their Head Coach, LeBron James and Dwight Howard were also very busy.
They were deeply involved in team building and also got along well with Mike Brown.
Van Gundy and Thibodeau's grueling training was replaced.
Currently, the Cavaliers' training camp for the Summer League was in 'happy basketball' mode, with veterans and Rookies mingling, everyone was a brother!
In another week, they would report to the United States Mens National Basketball Team, and the local Cleveland sports media were also very 'concerned' about the captain issue, believing that the The Chosen One and Howard should lead the team.
One inside, one outside, the United States Mens National Basketball Team had both internal and external cores.
Playing around James and Howard was the best option given the limited training time.
At noon, the Cavaliers' training center was filled with laughter and noise.
Howard cheerfully encouraged the Rookies, and seeing James surrounded by reporters, he finally joined them:
"Are you talking about Kobe? Come on, I won't acknowledge him as captain. During the Americas Championship, he didn't even talk to us!"
"Why not choose me? Everyone likes me. Maybe I won't score many points, but I can guarantee the team's rebounds and direct the Defense. That's what a captain should do."
Noticing James's gaze, Howard laughed, showing his white teeth and putting an arm around his teammate's shoulder:
"Of course, I also support LeBron. This guy is excellent on both offense and Defense, and he can play any position on the court!"
James was not yet aware of his good friend's transformation into a 'tank'.
He had been busy communicating with the coach. In the new season, he wanted to become a 'ball-handling forward,' completely abandoning his role as a 'point forward.'
Noticing that many reporters were looking at him, James didn't humble himself.
He patted his teammate, then raised an eyebrow, saying confidently:
"We must win the gold medal. I can unite the team. Once training camp begins, I will discuss this issue with everyone!"
"You know, basketball is a five-person game, and when you have such excellent talent around you, what I need to do is integrate them."
"..."
As James eloquently spoke about team basketball, the Cleveland reporters nodded in agreement, believing the The Chosen One made sense, and also eagerly anticipated James's role change in the new season.
Seeing that he was once again upstaged, Howard seized the opportunity and, smiling, interjected again:
"Why does a team only have one captain? I think there can be several. Everyone can play different roles and lead the team from different aspects."
"..."
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)