Chapter 228: The NBA's Big Picture

As someone who had the script, Arthur could plan many things ahead, and supporting Clinton's campaign was certainly necessary.

Now, Arthur not only became one of his major financial backers but also helped him gain momentum in the campaign. He would surely get what he wanted in return!

"Clinton's private life is too messy, and too many reports about it have come out," Jennifer Connelly quietly reminded Arthur at the table.

Arthur smiled, "Look, even his wife Hillary doesn't care. As long as there's no concrete evidence, Americans won't care much either. By the way, how did you feel while shooting Mrs. Doubtfire? It's your first time doing a comedy, right?"

Jennifer Connelly had just finished shooting the comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire in the UK.

Now, Mrs. Doubtfire still needed post-production editing and other steps, so it definitely wouldn't be released this year.

Jennifer Connelly smiled, "It was my first time doing a comedy. The atmosphere on set was great, and we often had to hold back our laughter while filming. Robin Williams always made everyone laugh whenever he was on set!"

Arthur nodded, "This movie is slated for release next Christmas. Mrs. Doubtfire is a family comedy."

"By the way, I just saw David Geffen at the party," Jennifer Connelly whispered into Arthur's ear. "Arthur, you told me before that David Geffen is gay, and I didn't believe it. Recently, he came out publicly. It's true!"

Arthur patted Connelly's leg, "Being gay is nothing for a billionaire. It's not like he's an actor; otherwise, his career would be over."

Hollywood loudly proclaims various slogans, pursuing freedom and individuality, and supporting gay rights, but those are just slogans.

If an actor dares to come out publicly as gay, the old white men at the top of Hollywood wouldn't give them any opportunities.

"David Geffen is also one of Clinton's financial backers. I heard he donated millions of dollars to Clinton's campaign," Arthur wasn't very familiar with David Geffen, but they both disliked Michael Ovitz!

Later that evening, after leaving the Midtown Hilton Hotel, Arthur and Jennifer Connelly went to a blues and jazz club near Washington Square Park in Lower Manhattan.

Because tonight, Whitney Houston was performing.

Not only that, the lively atmosphere inside the club was surprising, as many heavyweight guests had arrived!

"The high box office of The Bodyguard has significantly boosted Whitney Houston's popularity," Jennifer Connelly said, looking enviously at Whitney Houston performing on stage.

Arthur wasn't too concerned, mainly because Houston's life was a mess, and her demand for illicit drugs was too high.

It's no wonder she died from a drug overdose before reaching 50.

However, The Bodyguard had indeed performed remarkably well, grossing $121 million domestically and $211 million overseas, for a total global box office of $332 million.

This was even more impressive compared to Basic Instinct, which grossed $117 million domestically and $352 million globally. As for Mel Gibson's Lethal Weapon 3, although it grossed $145 million domestically, its overseas performance wasn't strong enough, with a total global gross of $320 million.

The superhero film Batman Returns dominated the domestic box office with $162 million but barely crossed $100 million overseas, with a total global gross of $266 million.

"The commercial success of The Bodyguard is indeed surprising, mainly thanks to Kevin Costner," Arthur smiled.

"Now, A Few Good Men has grossed $106 million domestically, with over $50 million in the overseas market."

This summer, Galaxy's performance was shining brightly!

Subsequently, Whitney Houston invited Michael Jordan to the stage. At the recently concluded Barcelona Olympics, Michael Jordan led the US men's basketball team to a seamless victory, winning the Olympic basketball championship.

"Michael Jordan," Arthur stared thoughtfully at the two on stage, "It seems there was some bad news about Jordan after the NBA season ended this year, right?"

Michael Jordan had led the Chicago Bulls to win the NBA championship for two consecutive years and was the NBA's unique darling and David Stern's face of the league.

However, Michael Jordan's gambling scandals kept surfacing.

Jennifer Connelly softly said, "This year, Jordan's various scandals weren't any less prominent than his consecutive NBA championships. This year, the FBI arrested a drug dealer and found a $57,000 check from Michael Jordan on him. Jordan admitted in court that it was to pay off gambling debts!"

Such a situation could only involve gambling or drug trafficking.

"I read somewhere that during the White House reception for the Bulls, Jordan was absent because he was gambling," Arthur chuckled. "And during the Olympics, a nightclub owner on bail was killed at home. The police found three checks signed by Michael Jordan at the scene. Under media pressure, Jordan admitted he had financial dealings with the deceased on the gambling table!"

This year, Michael Jordan's gambling scandals were linked to drug dealers and murder, causing a huge impact.

"The NBA's deification campaign," Arthur looked at Michael Jordan on stage, understanding why Jordan would choose to retire next year.

Such huge controversies wouldn't dissipate quickly, and David Stern must have thought it through carefully to let Jordan retire!

Arthur pondered whether to buy the Houston Rockets after Jordan retires next year, securing two championships directly.

Jordan's retirement would severely impact the NBA's commercial success, prompting many team owners to sell in the next two years.

Arthur actually wanted to take over the Los Angeles Clippers from Donald Sterling since it was his hometown team. Even with the Lakers in the same city, Arthur wasn't worried.

Jerry Buss didn't have as much money as he did, and Arthur could build a modern multi-purpose arena in Los Angeles, not allowing the Lakers to use it.

As for connections, being a Hollywood mogul, Arthur's team would definitely not lack star spectators during games!

"Arthur, what are you thinking about?" Connelly noticed Arthur smiling beside her.

"Ah, nothing, just thought of something interesting," Arthur hugged Connelly and gave her a kiss.

*****

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