New York, Manhattan. Top-floor conference room of the Knicks Group.
The deathly silence erupted completely the instant the call ended.
The management, who had been tense for three whole days, instantly cast off all their pressure.
Their stiff shoulders relaxed, and their stifled breathing finally eased.
The team's general manager held his phone, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
He looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse with obvious excitement.
"Gentlemen, it's done."
"Michael Jordan has officially agreed to join the New York Knicks."
Those few words crashed through the elite conference room like thunder.
After a brief silence, the entire room erupted into deafening cheers.
The gloom that had hung over them for days was swept away in an instant.
The frustration of Sabonis leaving just days earlier vanished completely.
The dynasty that had seemed on the verge of collapse had suddenly turned the tide and undergone a full-scale upgrade.
Everyone rose to their feet, high-fiving and embracing one another, unable to hide their wild joy.
The director of operations slammed a fist onto the table, his face full of exhilarated laughter.
"We lost the second option in our system, but gained a historic superstar!"
"This isn't damage control—it's an epic upgrade!"
The executives chimed in one after another, and the mood in the conference room grew even more fervent.
Compared with the bitter reality of Sabonis leaving in his twilight years for a huge salary—
Jordan's arrival directly elevated the Knicks to an entirely new level.
James Dolan, seated at the head of the table, had long since shed his usual composure.
The man at the helm of New York's sporting powerhouse leaned forward slightly, his eyes blazing.
The corners of his mouth kept rising, his long-practiced businessman's mask of calm utterly shattered.
No one knew that pursuing Michael