When pride still matters

Chapter 332 Saitama Autumn

The first stop of Yu Fei's Asia trip this year is China. What is different from previous years is that in addition to participating in business activities, this time he also held Reebok's training camp here.

In recent years, the rise of Yu Fei has led to the rapid expansion of Reebok's Asian market.

In Asia, Yu Fei's sports products can compete with many Nike stars.

Speaking of China alone, it is even more impressive.

This has allowed Reebok to increase its investment in the Chinese market, and Yu Fei proposed sponsoring and organizing sports competitions in the name of Reebok this year. Reebok readily agreed, but what puzzled them was that Yu Fei proposed to hold the event in Sichuan, in early May.

The reason is that Yu Fei's ancestral home is Sichuan, although he cannot speak a word of Sichuan dialect, and the date of the event is because his mother Yu Fenlin was born on May 5, both of which have special meaning to him.

Although Reebok wanted to promote it in some more economically developed areas, due to Yu Fei's strong request, the venue was still chosen in Sichuan. Moreover, although Reebok funded it, Yu Fei sponsored the event.

After completing the China trip, Yu Fei went to the Philippines and South Korea. If he could do some serious things in China, then it was just for fun in these two countries.

Kevin Lin and Lawson who were accompanying them were even more reluctant to leave, so much so that as the World Championships were approaching, they felt no need to go to Japan.

But as a "patriot", Da Fei "deeply regrets" his absence from the World Championships due to injury. How could he not go to the scene to support his teammates on the US team?

"Don't worry." Yu Fei said to them, "President Shimura has said hello and he will treat us well this time."

"Call me again and I will really play!" Yu Fei retorted with a smile.

"If I play, the American team can win the championship." Yu Fei's arrogance made Yao Huang sigh, "Now they might not even be able to enter the finals."

Afterwards, Yao Huang went back to warm up, and people from the US team came to say hello one after another.

Coach K was the second to last person and asked about Yu Fei's recovery from injury.

8 April

This is the end of their Asia tour this year.

"It's almost better." Yu Fei said, "I'm sorry that I couldn't catch up with the World Championships."

But Yu Fei said: "If I can't make it, there will still be a difference."

They believe that the aura of "Fry Yu's Gossip Girlfriend" will give Erica a bright future in the industry.

"It's okay if you don't make it." Yao Huang still looked at it openly, "Let's treat it as a win if we lose less."

Lawson asked: "The one who drew the approval slip?"

Seeing Yu Fei's female companion, Yao Huang came over to say hello with a playful smile, "Cena, is your groin okay?"

"What do you mean?"

As an American, Yu Fei hoped to watch the American team play in Hiroshima, but the organizer seemed to have a grudge and refused to arrange for the American team to play in Hiroshima.

When Yu Fei appeared with Erica, all the shots on the scene seemed to be attracted by magnetism in an instant and turned to their location.

Yu Fei didn't mind the scandal, and he didn't mind even more when he heard that the other party hadn't officially debuted yet. Most importantly, Erica was beautiful and had a gentle personality, so he decided to keep her with him during his stay in Japan.

Lawson understands the truth, but isn’t the president of the company, who is a teacher in the action industry, the one who draws the approval slips?

In mid-to-late August, on the eve of the World Championships, Yu Fei and his party arrived in Japan.

Yu Fei frowned, "What's the matter with you? I'm the president of a serious brokerage company."

It was a mixed-race beauty named Erika Kurisu. Needless to say, she was naturally recommended by President Shimura. Yu Fei was not interested in people in the industry, but President Shimura said that Erica was still in the "packaging stage" and the company was in the process of Build momentum for her.

During the event, except for the close friends who accompanied him, Yu Fei was always alone, but after coming to Japan, he gradually gained a female companion.

Yu Fei and others came to Sapporo, where the American team will compete with the Chinese team tonight.

Coach K said: "No regrets, there will be opportunities in the future."

The last person to say hello was James.

Since the semifinals, Yu Fei and James have not called each other.

Now, as one of the co-captains of the Dream Team, James walked up to Yu Fei and said, "Fry, is your injury okay?"

"Thank you for your concern. I'm almost feeling better." Yu Fei teased, "Captain, can we win the championship this time?"

James seems preoccupied. Ever since Kobe Bryant withdrew from the national team due to knee surgery, the outside world has continued to question the Dream Team.

Their main concern is that all three co-captains look too young.

And James has to face all kinds of questions related to Yu Fei.

He was very annoyed by this. At this time, when he heard that Yu Fei had doubts about whether the Dream Team could win the championship in Japan, he immediately said: "Of course, we will win the championship."

"Really?" "Of course."

"Okay, in that case, I will stay here until the end of the World Championships." Yu Fei said lightly, "I hope Erica and I can drink your celebration wine."

James returns to the court.

He seems to have another reason to win the championship from Yu Fei.

But I don't know why, James can't feel confidence in the American team here in Yufei.

Yu Fei gave him a very obvious mentality of watching a drama.

As if Team USA was bound to make a fool of themselves in Japan.

Yes, James gradually understood the hint on Yu Fei's face.

"If you don't make a fool of yourself, then I'm here for nothing."

That was the subtext on his face.

But, how could they lose? In James' eyes, the only threat at the World Championships is Spain.

Other teams are not worth mentioning, including the Chinese team tonight.

There was no suspense most of the time in this game. After the first quarter, the US team already led by 15 points. In the second half, the American team increased its defensive intensity and forced the Chinese team to make three consecutive mistakes. With Joe Johnson's chasing three-pointer, the point difference reached 30 points.

The cheers about "USA" at the scene made people doubt that this was the home field of the American team.

Yu Fei no longer knew whether this was a spontaneous act of supporting the strong, or whether it was the consciousness of disgust at work. Unless Lao Zhong throws their own little boys and fat men into this land as the victorious nation in the future world war, he cannot have the answer.

A few days later, the World Championships ushered in the last day of the group stage, and Yu Fei had two games to watch today.

One is China vs. Slovenia at noon, and the other is the United States vs. Senegal.

Yu Fei knew the results of these two games, especially the first one.

There were no additional factors on the court to interfere, so the game went to the end as Yu Fei understood. Slovenia scored a goal in the paint, while Wang Shipeng of the Chinese team dribbled the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt and scored the national basket. The greatest goal in history.

More than ten years later, Wang Qi would keep mentioning this goal in the commentary box, so much so that the fans were bored.

But for all Chinese fans who experienced this goal in person, this is a supreme experience that will be difficult to experience again in the future.

Yu Fei, who was at the scene, had several thoughts at the time. Did the 7-year-old Luka Doncic watch this game? Was Xiaodongzi stimulated? Has it ignited the belief of "playing for the rise of Slovenia"? If so, does Slovenia still want to thank Lao Zhong for killing him? Well, there is no need to thank him, it is enough to count 1/3 of the World Cup championship that Dongzi won for Slovenia to Lao Zhong.

After the knockout rounds came, the good days of the Chinese team were over. They were stifled by Greece, and the main point guard Liu Wei was prevented from death by the opponent's full-court press. This formed in the minds of generations of fans "Liu Wei meets the full-court press." Can’t make it past halftime” impression. However, Liu Wei never said: "The American team can't pass either!"

The semi-finals were held in Saitama. This city reminded Yu Fei of One Punch Man, but since time traveling, he didn't like bald heads, so he didn't like this city.

But tonight is the game between the United States and Greece, and Yu Fei knows what will happen, so he has to come.

Greece's game plan is impressive. They let the substitutes start, so that the starters who sit on the substitutes have the physical strength to last until the end of the game. In addition, the Greek sharks suppress the inside, the outside touch explodes, and the US team, in addition to Anthony's shooting performance, which was against the basket, created the biggest upset in international basketball events since the Munich Olympic men's basketball finals.

In Munich, the Americans could blame the whistle. In Athens two years ago, they could blame the superstars who dropped out midway, causing Larry Brown to have to bring a group of people with no chemistry to the Olympics. But this year, the U.S. team won three games in three games. Under the leadership of the young superstar who claimed to be the redeemer of the American team, Greece was defeated, and it was a complete defeat from a technical and tactical perspective. There was no excuse.

At the moment the game ended, FIBA ​​officials pointedly showed the camera to Yu Fei on the sidelines.

"101 to 95, the Greek team defeated the American team!" the FIBA ​​commentator said, "LeBron cannot redeem the United States. The person who can truly redeem them is sitting off the court!"

"But the question is, will he?"

Yu Fei stood up, and many media at the scene wanted to ask him what he thought of the game.

He has not forgotten how these people used his absence from the US team due to injury to create hype. Now that they have eaten up this wave of black traffic, they can't blame him, Da Fei, for taking advantage of their loss. flow.

"This outcome is regrettable."

“I don’t know why we’re so lacking in resilience.”

"You know, the three-point line in FIBA ​​is much shorter than in the NBA, which means there are a lot of people who can't make three-pointers in the NBA and can become shooters here, but what do we see? Only Melo can make consistent shots. Three points.”

"Without skill, resilience, and competitiveness, how can a team like this be redeemed as a dream team?"

Then, the reporter asked: "If you were a member of this team, would you have the ability to change the outcome of this game?"

"You know, I fully respect the performance of the Greek team. They deserve this victory, so I won't say that I can change the outcome of this game." Yu Fei laughed, "But, I won't be 20 feet (NBA is 23.9 feet) from the three-point line."

(End of this chapter)