When pride still matters

Chapter 428 The wave behind pushes the wave ahead

If there is any flaw in the SuperSonics' dream season, it is that they had to win the championship on the road.

As a team facing the risk of relocation, winning the championship can undoubtedly increase their support at home. This benefit will not be reduced because they won the championship on the road, but the lack of a cup-winning ceremony at home will give people a sense of shortcomings.

This returns to the issue of the NBA Finals format.

1984年的NBA总决赛被誉为现代NBA最伟大的总决赛，当时的赛制是2-2-1-1-1。无论怎么看，这都是一个公平的赛季，自那以后，总决赛的赛制就变成了2-3-2。

Over the years, many people have expressed dissatisfaction with the competition system, but the NBA has never thought about changing it.

The final ceremony will be held at North Shore Gardens.

David Stern presented the championship trophy to Clay Bennett, owner of the Sonics, and then selected the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Bennett excitedly held the trophy, and there were faint boos at the scene. Most of the Celtics fans had already left.

Then came the unsuspicious part.

As long as the SuperSonics win the championship, there will be no suspense in the selection of FMVP.

David Stern holds in his hands the answers that the world knows.

This is a dream season. The league's most important player left his kingdom, came from the East to the West, and revived a team in the quagmire.

But just recently, the outcome of Tim Donaghy's trial was about to come to an end.

The scandal, which the league had tried so hard to suppress, became well-known across the country.

In particular, Yu Fei's camp, in order to put pressure on the league, loudly belittled the Celtics as a home team because they lost all away games.

For Fei's team, their purpose is not to provide eye drops to the league, but a public opinion offensive, but the effect is to make Stern repeatedly emphasize that "Donaghy is the only criminal on the referee team". Ridiculous.

Fans’ trust in NBA referees has never been lower.

Especially after the Celtics really achieved a record of losing all away games, it would be impossible for them to win the championship.

If the Sonics don't win Game 6, the Celtics will be targeted in the tiebreaker at home.

Fortunately, the SuperSonics are very good, and they gave the Celtics a good death when they deserved it.

This is a happy ending.

While the damage done by Donaghy may take more time to heal, Yu Fei's story of saving the Sonics is enough to become the main theme of the league for some time to come.

"You returned to Seattle in the name of salvation and personally drove the local market. No matter what standard you are used to measure, you are a well-deserved superstar." Stern said, "To this day, you have fully fulfilled your original promise. You did your best within your ability, which is an unprecedented feat. In view of your outstanding performance in the finals, Frye, you were selected as the most valuable player in the finals!”

Yu Fei was pushed from the crowd to the stage by his teammates and claimed his fifth FMVP trophy from Stern.

I saw Stern whispering with a smile on his face: "Fry, you should know that this is just the beginning. If the financing plan for the SuperSonics' new arena does not receive the support of the city government, the team will still move."

"Isn't one championship enough?"

Yu Fei asked softly.

"As far as I know, it's not enough."

Under Seattle's latest bill, if the city wants to help sports teams build arenas through financing, the teams will need to prove their profitability and business potential.

Therefore, even if they win the championship, this will be the first year that the Sonics achieve profitability.

So Stern said, not enough.

"Are three championships enough?"

Yu Fei asked again.

Stern replied: "More than enough."

Then Yu Fei smiled, came to the stage, and accepted the interview holding the FMVP trophy.

When Stern calmed down, he realized what an incredible thing Yu Fei had said.

The SuperSonics must pass a financing bill before the summer of 2010. Therefore, if Yu Fei wants to win three championships to gain the support of the city, then he must achieve three consecutive championships with the SuperSonics.

Once he's done, his championship numbers will surpass Jordan's.

By then, will Jordan still be able to secure his throne as the best in history?
Stern couldn't help but wonder, would the best player in NBA history change hands twice during his tenure as president?
why not?
What's wrong with this? Jordan is a thing of the past, and the past cannot be pursued.

The present is what matters.

If Yu Fei can really take this step, Stern doesn't mind giving him a push.

Someone who surpasses Jordan may actually be able to turn the league away from the series of scandals that hurt fans after the 1998 lockout.

The aftermath of the championship was long-lasting.

The impact on flying is particularly obvious.

Ever since Yu Fei won his third championship, comparisons between him and Jordan have never stopped.

When he only had half as many championships as Jordan, Jordan's defenders could easily tear him apart in debate.

As Yu Fei won his fourth championship at the age of 25, the issue of GOAT became both serious and serious.

Now, Yu Fei has won five championships.

Moreover, this championship not only has a legendary backstory, but also a concept.

Two three consecutive championships are a symbol of Jordan's absolute dominance in the 90s.

Therefore, if someone wants to surpass Jordan but cannot surpass him by winning consecutive championships, he will also be questioned.

The biggest controversy about Yu Fei at present is whether his championship with the Sonics should be viewed in isolation, or should it be regarded as a continuation of the Bucks' two consecutive championships?
If it is a continuation, then this is a three-peat.

If this is isolated, then there is something de facto wrong.

Because Yu Fei actually won three championships in three years, but he won three consecutive championships by changing teams unprecedentedly, how to define it has become a hotly debated topic among public opinion circles.

This is not what Yu Fei needs to worry about, this is the job of those so-called basketball experts.

For him, the fifth championship means that he is extremely close to Jordan.

He is only 26 years old, but he already has five championships in his hands.

He still has at least ten years of winning windows. Considering the frequency of his winnings in the previous seven years, surpassing Jordan in the number of championships is something that can be easily predicted.

However, what makes Jordan's supporters very dissatisfied is that Yu Fei has openly announced that Yu Fei is the GOAT.

why? Because Yu Fei is a more comprehensive player, he can join forces with different teammates to win championships in different environments.

Everything about Jordan was with the Bulls and the 90s. He struggled in the zone defense era, and his comeback in DC was a failure.

That's his stain.

To Jordan devotees, this is ridiculous.

Jordan has long been marketed to an unprecedented level through over-saturation in culture and media, and at the same time, for fans who idolize him as an impeccable figure, it is almost impossible to see Jordan in a fresh light. , because for them, the premise of any discussion about Jordan is based on the default "you have to know that Jordan is the best in history."

There is no doubt that Jordan is an extremely great player and his value is infinite. Fans are familiar with his legend, skills and so-called killer mentality, as these aspects have been mentioned repeatedly in the media for decades. Not only that, the league and sponsors spared no effort to publicize, promote and deepen his mythical image.

However, does this make Jordan recognized as the first person in history?

No, of course it's not that simple.

Being number one in history has always been a specific proposition and narrative. No one knows what kind of players will appear in the future. However, if we want the current people to ascend to the altar, we can bury the past.

Therefore, in Jordan's era, the "merger era" emerged as an exclusive term for the NBA. It has become commonplace for writers, journalists, and media figures to discuss the record “since the merger.” As for professional basketball "before the merger," they often have a disparaging attitude. This is a necessary step to put Jordan on the throne.

Jordan's statistics are not as good as Chamberlain's, and Jordan's number of championships is not as good as Russell's. If you want fans to believe that they are watching the game of the first man in history, then ancient history must be covered with an "outdated" windbreaker. Therefore, this has become an established fact.

Through purposeful marketing, Jordan's achievements and honors were amplified, and players from before the merger era were weakened, because God was about to take the stage, and it would be rude for these old guys to stand in the way.

In the end, those people succeeded, and Jordan became a god in 1998. However, everyone who values ​​the present over the past must face the fact that time will continue to move forward. In the end, Jordan will die, and he will become an old guy who hinders others from ascending to the throne. In order to let the new god ascend the throne, Jordan's legend will be belittled like Russell and Chamberlain back then.

However, Yu Fei's rise was too fast, and Jordan's fanatical supporters are still active in the basketball world. Therefore, when Yu Fei's GOAT theory was raised, a fierce debate naturally broke out between the two sides.

This will be a protracted war.

There will be no results until Yu Fei wins seven championships.

(End of this chapter)