Chapter 752 - 677: Charity Plan

Chapter 752: Chapter 677: Charity Plan

"By the way, Stu, what brings you here?"

Chen Yu looked at Stu Jackson.

He had come on short notice.

He used to be in charge of the Development Alliance, but after it got on track, he handed it over to Phil Evans.

Stu Jackson was still in charge of his original duties.

"I came to see how things are going and to discuss something with you," Stu Jackson said.

"Go ahead."

Stu Jackson and Chen Yu stepped to the side. "David was supposed to come, but you know he’s in China preparing for the China Game, so he had me come instead."

Chen Yu knew about that.

Last year’s China Game had been quite successful.

And this year, Yao Ming had reached the finals with the Lakers as a key player.

This situation had caused the NBA’s popularity in China to skyrocket to frightening levels.

So naturally, Stern had to strike while the iron was hot, organize another China Game, and continue expanding the NBA’s influence in China.

That’s why he had gone to China to inspect and prepare for the event.

"Chen, your show last year was excellent, and its impact was huge."

Chen Yu’s show last year was a hit across the United States, and it served as incredibly positive publicity for the NBA.

Moreover, its influence was far-reaching.

For instance, the show introduced many kids across the country to NBA training methods, which would be a tremendous help for their future development.

"You’ve done something for these kids who might one day enter the NBA, and inspired by that, we want to do something similar."

"Chen, we’re planning to set up a charity program."

He sat down, took a proposal out of his briefcase, and handed it over.

"Injuries?"

Chen Yu was slightly taken aback.

Stu Jackson nodded. "You know that for a professional player, the greatest enemy is always injury. Many players suffer from injuries in college, or even high school, which directly affects their future development."

There were countless examples of this.

Like Wade, TJ Ford, and Oden.

"So our plan is to set aside some funds, find some donors, and then have all parties contribute. Finally, we’d come to you to help them solve their injury problems."

Chen Yu saw it.

’Charity work, in the end, it all comes down to money.’

The proposal detailed the sources of funding.

There were three channels.

First, the league would contribute a portion of its annual revenue.

Second, just as Stu Jackson had said, they would find wealthy individuals passionate about charity to secure sponsorships.

Lastly, the Players’ Union. The Players’ Union was also willing to provide some funding.

Chen Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Davis is quite ambitious. He really wants to get things done."

The Players’ Union had new leadership this year.

It was now Antonio Davis.

He was a capable guy, at least more so than his two predecessors. The first major thing he handled after taking office was this year’s collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Just like his style of play, he was tough. He told the owners directly that if they didn’t agree to the union’s demands, there would be a lockout.

That single sentence was his entire negotiating strategy.

In the end, the owners had no choice but to agree, which led to the salary cap increasing by a full 5 million this year.

Of course, as far as Chen Yu knew, the main reason the owners agreed so quickly was because the league’s revenue was increasing.

The future forecast was good, and there was money to be made. It wasn’t like in ’98, when the owners weren’t making a profit and were naturally unwilling to compromise.

The money was secured.

And their plan was to have Chen Yu provide the treatment.

As for Chen Yu, he would have to contribute as well.

For example, by waiving consultation fees and using insurance whenever possible.

Many students had health insurance.

But it was usually purchased by their schools, and the coverage was limited.

The main issue was those without insurance.

Because many NBA players, to put it bluntly, were dirt poor before they made it to the league.

If they weren’t desperate to defy their fate and change their lives, would they really train themselves to death?

Coming from poor families, often with divorced parents and no one to look after them, how could they possibly afford adequate commercial insurance?

In such situations, forget about going to a top-tier hospital; even a visit to a regular clinic could ruin them.

This charity program was primarily designed to cover this group of people.

For his part, Chen Yu would reduce fees as much as possible. It wasn’t about making a profit; he would cover the cost of his medical staff, be frugal with medication, and only charge a basic fee for surgical supplies.

This was equivalent to Chen Yu contributing a portion of the funds himself.

"This is an excellent plan. I have no objections." After reading the proposal, Chen Yu agreed immediately.

His business was growing, and he was making more and more money.

’Under these circumstances, it’s about time I spent some money to build my reputation.’

’Besides, donating some money to charity will get me a tax deduction later.’

"That’s wonderful," Stu Jackson said, overjoyed.

Whether this plan could be implemented didn’t hinge on who was providing the money, but on whether Chen Yu was willing to give his own time to treat these players.

Getting an appointment with Chen Yu was the hardest part.

After a moment of consideration, Chen Yu added, "I suggest that the players ultimately selected should be those with relatively serious conditions—the kind that could affect their professional careers. Treating those cases has the most value."

With Chen Yu’s nod, the plan was considered set.

Chen Yu didn’t have to worry about the specific implementation; the league would establish a charitable foundation with a dedicated person in charge.

And with so many players across the country, there would certainly be a selection process.

Chen Yu’s point was to raise the selection criteria.

After all, the investment wasn’t huge, and his own time was limited.

’Most importantly, if it’s just a minor illness or injury, they should find a solution themselves. There’s no need to come to me.’

Stu Jackson nodded, took note, and asked if Chen Yu had any other thoughts.

The two of them discussed the details for a while before Stu Jackson left.

Chen Haitao and the others left as well.

The selected players would have their contracts handled uniformly by Chen Yu’s company, which would then arrange for them to report to various teams in China.

Chen Yu would be taking an agent’s fee.

Just like NBA agents, it was four percent.

For the time being, Chen Yu stayed in Phoenix.

Things on the China side were basically settled and just needed to proceed step-by-step.

The only remaining matter was on the soccer front, with Baggio.

He would arrive in China in October to participate in a series of events, and Chen Yu would inevitably have to make a trip there.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s program was quickly announced to the public.

They were, of course, enthusiastic about a charitable endeavor that would also boost their reputation.

「Late September.」

Seattle, Washington.

Inside the Hec Edmundson Pavilion at the University of Washington, a young player was training.

The only sound in the gym was the rapid rhythm of his dribbling.

"Brandon, take a break."

Just then, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline walked into the gym and stopped the young man.

"Coach."

The young man, already covered in sweat, looked toward the newcomer.

It was Omar, the head coach of the University of Washington.

The University of Washington was renowned in academia, but its basketball team had always been a perennial underdog. That only began to change when Omar arrived in ’02.

Nate Robinson was one of Omar’s protégés, and this year he became the first player in the university’s history to be drafted into the NBA, in the first round no less.

And this young man was another one of Omar’s favorite players, Brandon Roy.

"Brandon, take a look at this," Omar said excitedly, handing him a newspaper.

It was a copy of the Seattle Times.

The sports section reported that David Stern had launched a charity program on behalf of the NBA.

It was accompanied by a photo of Stern and Chen Yu unveiling the organization together.

"They’re going to put up some money to provide free treatment for players who haven’t made it to the NBA but are plagued by injuries. Most importantly, they’ll be treated by Chen Yu, the best sports medicine doctor on the planet."

Roy read the article. ’It sounds like a great program,’ he thought, ’but what does it have to do with me?’

Omar pointed to his knee. "Brandon, I’m talking about your knee."

Speaking of his knee, Omar shook his head slightly.

This star player of his had certainly had a difficult fate.

He came from a poor background but was blessed with basketball talent. He might have been able to use basketball to change his destiny, but then he unexpectedly injured the meniscus in his left knee during his senior year of high school.

He had surgery at the time.

Because of that, his stock took a hit.

In ’02, after graduating from high school, he had originally planned to enter the draft directly. He even went to try out for the Pioneer.

But he ultimately withdrew from the draft, and it was hard to say that injury didn’t play a role in his decision.

Then, he finally made it to the University of Washington, only for his injury troubles to follow him.

Last year, during Roy’s junior year, it was his right knee this time—another torn meniscus. He had surgery and spent a long time recovering.

"Brandon, this is an opportunity. The doctors in Seattle aren’t good enough. Chen is the best in the world. He can even give you a meniscus transplant. Look at Duncan, he’s playing great!"

"You’ve injured both of your knees, and I know that a meniscus injury only gets worse over time. You graduate next year and will be entering the draft. Having a potential injury risk like this will definitely affect your draft stock."

"But if you get treated by Chen, then it won’t be a problem at all."

NBA teams look at injury risks, but they also consider who provided the treatment.

If the treatment was done by Chen Yu, they would default to assuming there was no lingering injury risk.

"Most importantly, it’s free!"

Omar said, slapping the newspaper.

Roy was still hesitant. He felt like his recovery was going well and that he was pretty healthy.

’Besides, it’s not like I can go just because I want to. They might not even pick me.’

Seeing Roy’s hesitation, Omar said, "Alright, that’s settled. I’ll sign you up. I can’t just stand by and watch injuries ruin your future."

Without giving Roy a chance to object, he turned and left.