Malaysia Airlines incident also attracted widespread attention across the ocean. Reeves empathized with it: "I read the news and was very worried. You should know that professional players spend a lot of time on planes every year, playing games all over the world, and many players have flight phobia. But there is no way. As professional players, flying by plane is an indispensable part of life." NBA players are veritable airmen. They not only have to fly around above the basket, but also complete real flights in the aftermath. They are one of the few jobs that can compete with flight attendants for flight miles.
The Lakers were almost robbed
Aircraft is recognized as the safest mode of transportation. The rapid development of technology has also gradually improved the safety level of the aircraft. However, the most outstanding manufacturers cannot guarantee zero risk. People are drifting in the world, so how can they not be beaten? People fly in the air in the NBA frequently shuttle over the United States, and the scene of terrifying air is inevitable.
On January 17, 1960, the Lakers lost the game 119-135 in St. Louis, ushering in a four-game losing streak. The exhausted player rushed to the airport after the game. The poor record has made Lakers players more superstitious. Jim Krebs is a famous pessimist in the team. He always talks about not being able to survive 33 years old. This nervous guy carried a divination board with him. That day he found that the plane was parked on the tarmac No. 13, which felt very unlucky. Therefore, he did a fortune in the dining area of the airport and told his teammates not to fly that day. However, his thoughts did not attract enough attention.
Shortly after the DC-3 aircraft took off, the lighting system failed, the heating system followed closely behind, the radar, fuel gauge and compass were paralyzed one after another, and the only one that was still working was the vacuum pressure level indicator. All communication systems went on strike, and the plane and the ground were completely lost contact. Given that St. Louis airport was too busy, the pilot gave up his turnover plan and continued to fly to Minnesota. In order to avoid bad weather and other planes shuttled under the clouds, the non-compression-resistant aircraft climbed to an altitude of 17,000 feet, ten thousand feet above the average flight altitude, and the pilot could only adjust the course with the help of the faint light of the Big Dipper.
Fear and cold are two-pronged. Lakers players have wrapped themselves into rice dumplings with blankets. After learning that the plane's radar has failed, the atmosphere in the cabin has become extremely tense. Tommy Hawkins asked Bobby Leonard, who was sitting next to him: "Are we really going to die? I'm afraid of dying like this." Elgin Baylor recalled: "The cabin is full of prayer to God."
The plane hovered like a headless fly in the blizzard for several hours, and finally ran out of fuel. After obtaining the players' consent, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing, and the roar of the propeller woke up nearby residents. Hadley said: "I heard the pilot countdown, but it repeated several times. The moment after landing, there was a silence, and the cabin was so quiet that it could hear the sound of knees trembling. Before landing, Baylor had left his seat and sat on the floor at the rear of the cabin."
This master plane plunged into a cornfield in Carol Town. All the drivers and passengers were safe and sound. The Lakers players who survived the disaster rushed out of the cabin and were excited as if they won the championship. Krebs said: "Everything is normal. God heard our voices, and we ended the losing streak on the plane."
Afterwards, each Lakers player raised $50 in a share of money to thank the pilot for his life-saving grace. However, a few days later, they saw the terrifying DC-3 again when they rushed to the away game. Lakers owner Bob Shawte gives Lakers players two choices: either get on the plane or get out of here. "They made sure everything was OK, so we flew to Cincinnati to finish the race," Baylor said.
However, on the way back, the plane was in a state of condition again, and after only a few hundred feet of liftoff, it made an emergency landing because of a leak in the fuel tank, causing the engine to burn.After that, the Lakers moved home to Los Angeles, but the fate of Lakers players with this unlucky plane has not ended. Two years later, they rushed to the Midwest to play a friendly match and rented a DC-3 at Butler Airlines in Chicago. After getting on the plane, they felt extremely familiar. In the spirit of digging into the bottom line, Baylor asked questions to the pilot and the owner, and finally found that the former owner of this DC-3 was the former owner of the Lakers Bob Shawte.
This aerial adventure of the Lakers is the closest case in NBA history to a family-killing disaster. The air crashes of other sports have long been a lesson for the past. The four major sports leagues in the United States have their own emergency plans. The NBA stipulates that if a team has 5 or more players killed in an accident, the disaster clause will be initiated. The team can conduct emergency expansion. Only 5 players on the other teams are protected, and the remaining players are available for the expansion team to select at will. However, as New York Times commentator Gerald Esconasi said, it is a clause that no one wants to touch.
NBA aircraft evolution history
In 1952, Pistons owner Fred Zorner, who is famous for spending money without blinking, purchased a DC-3 aircraft for the team. The Detroits called it The Flying Z, the first team special plane in NBA history. This famous model during World War II can provide 42 seats, which is a bit shabby compared to today's luxury aircraft, but having a team's dedicated plane in that era was already the most worthy capital for Pistons players to show off.
In the ancient times of the NBA, it was extremely painful to go out to play games. Most teams took trains or even buses to the away game. Even if they had the conditions to take a plane, the players did not have special treatment higher than ordinary passengers. The air journey without any comfort makes the players miserable. Gale Goodridge said that the past is unbearable to look back. As a rookie, he not only has to help the big brother carry the luggage, but also has to carry training balls and ice bags. Every time the team starts, he and another rookie are like couriers, running around with big bags and small bags on their backs. On the plane, the privilege that Wilt Chamberlain can enjoy is just to occupy special seats for the big man, or to give priority to choosing seats with larger space. When Nate Thurmond was a rookie, he could only wait for his teammates to finish his job and find an ordinary empty seat and stuff his huge body in it, making him as funny as a man wearing his girlfriend's high heels.
NBA bosses are mostly rich and rich, but not everyone is as generous as Zorna. Teams with special planes are always minorities. With the promotion and popularity of the NBA, players are in trouble when riding on ordinary business planes. Giants are compromising in the cramped space, and at the airport they have to deal with the bombardment of the media and the left and right attacks of fans and fans at the left and right.
In order to provide players with safe and comfortable travel services, the NBA launched a charter program. The league signed a seven-year contract with General Electric in the 1997-98 season, with aircraft provided by Northwest Airlines. During the season, the Boeing 727, which can accommodate 160 passengers, will be converted into a luxury charter flight with only 56 seats. In the first year of trial, seven teams, including the Lakers, Clippers, Spurs, Pacers, Rockets, Nuggets and Warriors, joined the charter program, and increased to 13 teams in the 2000-01 season. The plan also provides emergency services to teams with chartered flights.
Now, the NBA has established partnerships with major American airlines. Take Delta Air Lines as an example. The NBA is their largest sports customer, accounting for 20% of its annual turnover, flying 2,500 flights per year, and is estimated to cost between $1 million and $3 million per year. In return, Delta provides high-quality services to NBA players. The Airbus A319S, which can usually accommodate 124 passengers, has been converted into a special plane with 54 luxurious leather chairs, with a seat spacing of 60 inches. Players can rotate their seats and play cards face to face to enjoy. "It's incredible to have such a large space," Marvin Williams said. "We've been spoiled for nine months of the season."
However, according to Cuban's standards, the NBA's charter plan is no different from going out to take a taxi. From the first day he bought the Mavericks, he vowed to let players feel the warmth of home, so he couldn't stand the love affair with low-end public service and swallowing unnutritious junk food on ordinary charter flights.Cuban, who made his fortune with the IT industry, is a trendsetter of the times. In 1999, he spent $40 million to purchase a Gulfstream V-business passenger plane online. Guinness World Records determined that this was the largest e-commerce business to date.
In order to give players full rest during long-distance travel, Cuban spent $46 million to buy a Boeing 757. The plane has a power room, all physiotherapy facilities are available, the toilet is so big that it can be equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the players are equipped with oversized leather chairs that can allow the 7-foot giant to lie down and rest. Each player's seat includes a personal entertainment system, and the exclusive nutritionist can meet any of the players' ordering needs. Whenever I talk about the details of this luxury special plane, Cuban wants to say something: "If I tell you, I must kill you. This is a secret, and the players and I swear. I can only say that this is the only aircraft in the world designed specifically for NBA teams."
Cuban believes that using a special plane has many advantages, such as saving time, convenient travel, more comfortable travel, and more importantly, it can ensure the safety of players to the greatest extent. Unlike ordinary business planes, the special plane eliminates suspicious strange passengers, and only teammates, coaches and team reporters on the same plane as the players. The companies that provide charter flights are also constantly improving safety processes, regularly training maintenance personnel, and requiring them to strictly follow the operating manual to implement safety regulations, including how to maintain the aircraft, verify and verify passengers and luggage. Operators also need to do a lot of background assessments to ensure that their employees are not on the US Traffic Safety Administration blacklist. On the other hand, charter pilots are generally higher than ordinary business aircraft. For example, if you want to get a flight certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, the captain or deputy captain only needs to fly 250 hours and receive simulator training once a year. The top charter flight company requires the captain to fly at least 3,500 hours, and the deputy captain must fly at least 2,500 hours, and receive simulator training twice a year, which far exceeds the Federal Aviation Administration's standards. Such strict selection requirements are enough to allow players to get the highest level of safety assurance.
Private jet? Some people can drive fighter jets. Flying is risky and you need to be cautious when traveling. However, the NBA has never lacked adventurers. Teams charter planes seem to be unable to satisfy their desire to fly. It is more satisfying to fly in the sky by taking a private plane. As the saying goes, if you are poor and have a car, you can play with watches. When neither of these things can show your status or identity, a private jet becomes the best choice.
Legend has it that McGrath is the first person in the NBA to take a break. In 2004, he purchased a white Falcon 2000 Jet extension. The specific price was not disclosed to the public. F1 car king Michael Schumacher also owns the same model, with a price of about 20 million US dollars. Michael Jordan's car is like Cuban. Among the more than 100 aircraft in service, the Gulfstream V-shaped aircraft is recognized as the safest, most practical and most comfortable commercial aircraft in the world. Jordan personalized the aircraft, using the traditional light blue and white painted color scheme from the University of North Carolina, the words N236MJ are printed on the back of the fuselage, and there is a huge voyage logo at the rear. NBC reporter Michael Herring commented: "Michael Jordan's plane is simply too Michael Jordan." The losers of the Celestial Dynasty were envious of Tony Leung occasionally flying to London to feed pigeons. I wonder what they thought about Jordan's story of flying to Anguilla Island and fighting with Yankees Captain Derek Kitt and Minka Kelly for lunch?
On the court, Kobe looked like Jordan, but he took a different approach in choosing a private plane. Instead of buying a luxurious and comfortable business jet, he chose an R44 Raider 2 helicopter with a speed of up to 140 miles per hour. For Kobe, this plane is a pure means of transportation. Anyone who has been to Los Angeles has experienced the congestion of the 405 Expressway. It only takes 4 minutes to get from Kobe's home to Stamps by helicopter, and only 1
Compared with Stockton, the above are all weak. Few people may know that the floor flow on this court is the real aviator. He is the only NBA player with a supersonic fighter pilot license. His hairstyle that has remained unchanged for thousands of years is the Air Force head that is fake. If you are interested, you can appreciate the ambition of Stockton on YOUTUBE.
If you like @Bachelor's content, please click [Subscribe] to contribute the best NBA content every day. If you have any ideas, you can comment and respond to the problem below. Everyone's support is the motivation for me to stick to it.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-