When pride still matters

Chapter 348 The gods are gone

On July 2007, 7, the Milwaukee Bucks announced: "We are still in contract extension negotiations with Frye, and we promise to make every effort to bring him back."

But this is basically a diplomatic statement, and the Bucks don't want to let fans down prematurely.

After the championship celebration, Yu Fei informed the team through his agent that he would "test the waters" of the free market. If there are other options, he may come back and leave through a sign-and-exchange, thus leaving the last bit for the team. assets.

The top brass of the Bucks naturally understood that those behind Yu Fei who wanted him to leave Milwaukee finally succeeded.

But what they never understood was that maybe Yu Fei wanted to leave. Even Yu Fei doesn't have an accurate answer to this point.

A large street extending from Broadway Road to the East River in southern Manhattan, New York City, is only one-third of a mile long and only 11 meters wide.

Here is the most famous street - Wall Street.

Yu Fei will negotiate with Clay Bennett, the current owner of the Sonics, here.

Long before the negotiations began, Bennett arrived at the agreed location 20 minutes early.

Because the person who ran this game was the "Oracle of Omaha" whom Bennett respected very much.

"Every time I see you, I always wonder, how can there be such a strong guy in the world?"

After a brief exchange of greetings, Buffett got up and went to the bathroom, giving Yu Fei and Bennett a chance to talk.

It's not difficult at all.

Will the Chosen One, who has just ushered in another peak period in Milwaukee, really give up the prosperous Chosen Country and come to Seattle, where the future is uncertain?

Bennett, who had sharp eyes like an eagle's, said, "I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Presti asked, "What's going on?"

Then, Presti took the topic to the next stage: "Fry, as far as I know, you can test the free market this summer. Can I think so, you are preparing to leave Milwaukee, and our meeting today is a De facto recruiting negotiations?”

Of course he knows what kind of influence Yu Fei has on professional basketball.

Yu Fei and his team showed up ten minutes before the appointed time.

Buffett joked.

"Boss," Presti asked, "is the news true? Frye really plans to come to Seattle?"

"Don't worry, Sam." Trim pushed back Presti's question, "Before we start talking about this matter, Frye wants to confirm something."

Although Presti has been involved in professional basketball for many years, he is a rookie in the position of general manager.

Tellem asked directly: "Does Mr. Bennett still think the Sonics will stay in Seattle?"

"Haha!" Buffett laughed, "I bet he doesn't look as strong as you."

Clay Bennett is middle-aged, with short hair, a square face, over 1.9 meters tall, and as strong as an ox. He doesn't look like a billionaire, he looks like a redneck from the southern countryside. .

There are only three people, namely Yu Fei, agent Arne Traim and assistant Lin Kaiwen.

Yu Fei first congratulated the SuperSonics on selecting Kevin Durant in the draft. He said it was a wise move, and Bennett also praised Yu Fei's performance in the Bucks.

Bennett looked at the empty seat opposite him: "I heard that there is a guest who is stronger than me today?"

Because it was related to team affairs, Bennett called on the Sonics' new general manager, Sam Presti, who he spent a lot of money to lure from San Antonio.

What would it mean if he came?

Presti didn't have time to think about it before he saw Bennett standing up, with a flattering smile on his usually serious face: "Warren, long time no see."

"We remember that when Mr. Bennett bought the team last year, he promised with Schultz Howard that he would continue to make the SuperSonics a cultural totem in Seattle. We want to know, does this sentence still hold true?"

Unfortunately, this is an area that Presti, a mere general manager of a mediocre team, cannot enter.

To him, Bennett was the boss and he was just the general manager. As long as Bennett pays him a salary and believes in his professional abilities and doesn't dictate, he has no problem even if Bennett wants to move the team to Darfur.

Unable to answer the question, Presti turned to look at Bennett.

Bennett stared at Yu Fei like a predator: "Why do you want to know this?"

"You know." Traim said confidently, "Fry will not leave Milwaukee easily. It is his kingdom and the place where he founded his dynasty. The only factor that can take him away from Milwaukee is one - Save the Sonics, who are on the verge of relocation. This is the wish of 300 million hometown folks, and he must respond to these wishes. But he wants to know if it's still too late."

"Humph"

Bennett snorted with great disdain. Although the sound was slight, both Yu Fei and Trem heard it clearly.

"There are not 300 million people." Bennett said calmly. "I can guarantee that there are not that many Seattleites who have this desire, not even half."

Yu Fei said: "How many people do you think there are?"

"Up to 90." Bennett did not say where his data came from, he was so confident, "This also includes those guys who are only willing to pay lip service, but are actually willing to pay nothing!"

"90?" Yu Fei smiled lightly, "This is already more than the total population of Milwaukee. It's worth what I do."

Bennett's expression changed, and Yu Fei continued: "Mr. Bennett, please answer me honestly, has the decision to relocate been implemented?"

Even an Oklahoma City businessman like Bennett has heard of Yu Fei's name and knows what kind of person this person is in the professional basketball world. Of course, he also knew that Yu Fei had quadrupled the Bucks' market value in five years.

Why have the Bucks been so wealthy in the past two years? On the one hand, it is to prove to Yu Fei that they are willing to spend money, but on the other hand, the money they make on Yu Fei is much more than what they spend.

There is no team that doesn't want Yu Fei, unless they have trouble with money.

But there is no businessman in the world who can't get along with money.

Bennett had an answer in his heart, but he knew that Yu Fei would never like this answer.

This businessman, who looked extremely powerful despite his appearance, found it difficult to respond to Yu Fei's question.

"No, we haven't reached that point yet." Bennett controlled his thoughts and hid his true thoughts. "I never wanted to let Seattle people lose the SuperSonics, but it is difficult to maintain this commitment. of."

Trem asked: "What's the difficulty?"

Bennett mentioned the cliché: "Key Arena is no longer suitable for the modern NBA business model. Due to the considerations of modern NBA economics, we need a larger, more versatile, and more profitable complex." stadium."

Yu Fei already knew this news.

He didn't need to hear it again from Bennett.

"I know these things." Yu Fei said, "But our lease with Key Arena will not expire until 2010, which means there is still time before that."

Since Yu Fei entered the NBA, he has been known both inside and outside the NBA for his talkativeness and poisonous tongue. He has two extremely famous sayings. One is "victory is the only thing" after defeating the Lakers in his rookie year, and the other is about leading his team to defeat the Lakers last season. After the Mavericks regained the championship, they responded to Dirk Nowitzki's so-called "let everything go to time": Is there still enough time?

Bennett understands NBA economics, but that's not why he insists on moving the Sonics. Moreover, he doesn't understand NBA star economics, so he doesn't know why Frye Yu is willing to risk everything and give up. A team that had a great chance to help him win three consecutive championships turned to a Seattle team that was surrounded by enemies and in the midst of a rebuilding period.

Bennett doesn't understand this and doesn't need to understand this.

Do you know what he knows? As an NBA owner, he knows that if his team has a chance to sign the league's first player, then he must find a way to sign him.

But he believed that Frye Yu's heart-wrenching questions would one day fall on him.

"Yes, we still have time." A stiff smile appeared on Bennett's fierce-looking face, "Maybe we can work together."

Yu Fei winked at Treme, and the two parties began to formally negotiate on the signing issue.

It was said to be a negotiation, but in fact the content of the discussion had nothing to do with Fei himself.

Trem told Yu Fei's request.

The Sonics need to sign George Karl as their head coach.

The Sonics need to sign Kwame Brown with a mid-level or above contract, and then use another mid-level or above contract to pursue LaGar Bell.

The Sonics need to reserve a maximum salary space for Vince Carter, and the recruitment work is completed by flying in.

Yu Fei will join the team on a signing basis.

During this period, Buffett came back and wanted to know whether the two parties had reached an agreement.

Yu Fei smiled and said: "Next time I may invite you to come to Seattle to watch football."

"I believe the viewing experience there will definitely be better than in Milwaukee." Buffett laughed.

Bennett said: "Not necessarily."

Then everyone laughed.

A negotiation concerning the future and destiny of the Bucks and SuperSonics came to an end, and Yu Fei's camp and the SuperSonics reached a verbal agreement.

That night, Kevin Lin gave Yu Fei an idea: "Since we want to make a noise, we can make it louder. How about doing a national live broadcast like LeBron did?"

"I would rather leave without saying hello." Yu Fei said.

"why?"

"I do not like this."

Yu Fei didn't give a reason. If he wanted to say why, the reason might be very hypocritical, that is, he didn't want to further hurt Bucks fans.

If he publicly broadcasts his decision to move to Seattle, it will leave a permanent scar because the video will remain on the Internet forever.

He has ended his career with the Bucks in the most ideal way, so why should he give them a knife before leaving?

The matter was settled as it was, with no follow-up.

Before the free market opened, Bucks fans had been looking forward to the team's official announcement that they and Yu Fei had reached a contract extension.

However, what fans were waiting for was the league’s official announcement: “The Milwaukee Bucks sent Frye Yu to the Seattle SuperSonics in a sign-and-trade in exchange for Earl Watson and Damir Wilkin. Swap the 2008 first-round pick and the 2010 and 2012 first-round picks."

Like a death that was foretold in advance, Bucks fans had a premonition of this a year ago, but until it happened, they didn't believe that Yu Fei would leave. But now, the plane bound for Seattle has taken off, and it will enter the clouds. A faint roar can be heard, but that is not the sound of the plane's engine, but the roar of Milwaukee. When the world returns to silence, the people of Milwaukee have understood that The god-like young man is really gone. Will probably never come back.

(End of this chapter)