When pride still matters

Chapter 429 The most privileged player on earth
All over Seattle, from First Avenue to Fifth Avenue, from Pioneer Square to Belltown and Cherry Hill, fans rejoiced. In Pioneer Square, crowds poured into the streets, hugging each other, high-fiving each other and even clinking glasses with beer cans in celebration. Alcohol flowed in the streets and everyone had a smile on their face. A local auto parts chain spent $5 printing full-color posters that read "Seattle SuperSonics - NBA World Champions" and hired a van to deliver them amid the chaos, hoping to reach more people. See.

Mayor Greg Nichols officially designated June 6 as SuperSonics Day.

Many older and veteran Sonics fans said: "I never expected to see the Sonics win another championship in my lifetime."

When these old people were interviewed on the street, they did not act frivolous like those excited young people. They were extremely serious and serious.

But considering what Seattle has experienced this year, it’s not difficult to understand.

Less than a year ago, the SuperSonics had lost popular support in Seattle. The team looked likely to move at any time. The Northwest's most famous basketball team was about to become a basketball desert. Professional basketball in Seattle was dead.

After the arrival of the new century, the SuperSonics' situation has deteriorated. Years of poor management and turbulent franchises have continued to lose local popularity. These old people are actually ready for the team to leave.

One of the hardcore fans named Joe Kennedy claimed that Yu Fei gave him three Sonics souvenirs. He showed his season tickets and Bob Ruhl's jersey during the interview.

“It’s been twenty years since we last won the championship. I have renewed my season ticket every year for those twenty years. Although we have had some glorious moments, more often than not, what I have experienced is disappointment and disappointment. Not hope. My family once didn't understand why I would keep supporting a team that didn't bring me happiness. But now, they understand that I just want to see the shadow of the 1979 team again. Now, they finally show up, and this team is even greater than the SuperSonics in 1979," Kennedy finally got excited at this moment, "because they defeated the Celtics, and that was Bill Russell's team. !”

Then, Kennedy's son showed up, and then his grandson, and three generations wore SuperSonics jerseys.

They were choked with emotion just like the other fans on the street.

"Seattle Times" columnist John Davis walked into a bar called "Fraser's" to celebrate the victory with a group of jubilant Sonics fans. He drank a few celebratory beers, accepted about 25 invitations to drink from strangers, and had a series of excited conversations with everyone in the bar, all centered around "Can you believe this?" No one really They all seemed incoherent with excitement as they knew what to say.

Such conversations are happening everywhere and everywhere in the streets of Seattle.

"Are you the world champion?"

"I'm the world champion!"

"Baby, we are world champions!"

At twelve o'clock the next morning, the Sonics returned to Seattle.

Not surprisingly, there was a long queue of fans waiting outside the airport to pick up the plane.

The Sonics players looked tired as they celebrated last night in Boston.

Many people stayed up late.

In the end, it was Yu Fei who stood up and accepted the enthusiasm of the fans.

Seattle-area media swarmed.

In just one night, they turned from Yu Fei's supporters to believers.

The first shot of Yu Fei's "GOAT" momentum was fired by the media in the Seattle area.

The media asked a few general questions.

The most important issue is Yu Fei's contract renewal.

Last summer, in order to ensure flexibility, Yu Fei signed a 1+1 two-year contract with the SuperSonics. He can opt out of his contract this summer.

"No matter how my contract is handled, I will stay in the end." Yu Fei reassured the media and fans, "Some people say that a real king will not abandon his kingdom. But I am not a king, I am just a returnee. After this year, I found that I love my family more than I thought, so please rest assured that there is no problem in renewing the contract. I will sign the contract no matter how much money the boss gives me.”

Yu Fei's statement made the Seattle media extremely excited. Of course they knew what Yu Fei's promise to stay meant.

As long as Yu Fei is there, the SuperSonics will be the favorite to win the championship.

With the assistance of Roy and Durant, they will be the main competitors in professional basketball in the next ten years.

After that, it was a grand marketing and momentum building.

The Seattle Times insisted on identifying Yu Fei as the GOAT, and started a debate with the Chicago Tribune. This is a battlefield without gunpowder, so I won’t mention it further for now.

Before the SuperSonics' championship celebration begins, they still have one important job to do, which is to prepare for the 2008 draft.

In the season that just ended, the Sonics ranked third in the league, so they have the 28th pick in the first round and the 28th pick in the second round.

Although the depth of the 2008 draft is good, selecting available talent at this pick requires not only vision, but also luck.

Once the season ended, Presti was busy.

The team's ending was obviously sweet, but Presti felt that the burden on him was heavier.

Both Yu Fei and Kwame Brown need to renew their contracts.

Josh Childress's rookie contract expired. He wanted a big contract and his attitude was firm and unswerving.

Next season is Shawn Marion's contract year.

Considering that Roy is about to enter his third year season and Durant's second contract will be in the future, if the Sonics do not want to explode their salary space, they must be cautious in every step.

Presti targeted Syracuse University freshman center Donte Greene C as his first-round pick.

Although this person is seven feet tall, he is thin and likes to shoot. In his first year at NCAA Syracuse University, he averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds per game and shot 35% from three-point range. Since the three-point line in the college game is shorter, this person's outside shooting ability will definitely be compromised in the NBA.

However, Channing Frye is about to enter his fourth season. Champions can cover up all problems, but the essence of the problem is that champions also bring all problems.

Everyone feels that they have contributed to the championship, so they will ask for more money in the next contract.

Childress was like this, and Channing Frye will be no exception.

In order to prevent Frye from being retained in the future, it is feasible to reserve a space five that can also shoot three-pointers.

This was Presti's idea.

He's not worried about Green's level.

Because he believes in Yu Fei's ability to lead inside. If Da Fei can make people believe that Kwame Brown is the league's top big man - so much so that Brown actually made it into the Dream Team - then is there a problem in bringing out Dante Green like he brought out Frye?

Presti is not in the mindset of picking good prospects right now. What he wants to do is to find and fill in the gaps.

Although he believed in Yu Fei, he was still uneasy about this decision.

Suddenly, he remembered certain legends.

There have been rumors in the league that the Bucks were able to rise quickly after experiencing a devastating event like the Palace of Auburn Hills because Yu Fei played a major role in the draft.

Some reporters who are closely related to Yu Fei even stated with seriousness that Kevin Martin and Danny Granger were both selected by Yu Fei.

Presti couldn't help but wonder, should he listen to Yu Fei's advice?

The idea struck him as ridiculous.

When it comes to the draft alone, it's not that Presti is arrogant. He really feels that he has no opponent in the league.

Back then, he dared to guarantee his future and let the Spurs draft Tony Parker, which ultimately established his reputation as a management genius.

Now you actually want to ask the players for their opinions?

No, if he asks Yu Fei, it will appear that he is unprofessional. More importantly, it will set a bad precedent in the team, that is, it will make people think that he is Yu Fei's puppet, just like the Bucks Like the management, they have no ability or qualifications to make decisions independently.

Just when Presti was about to conduct an in-depth investigation of Dante Green, Yu Fei actually took the initiative to call.

Preston thought that he was on vacation right now and should not be in the mood to care about the team's draft.

But he was wrong.

Yu Fei was very concerned about this matter.

"Sam, are your draft targets determined?"

Presti said casually: "Not yet, do you have any good recommendations?"

"I do."

Presti only felt his eyelids twitch. Here he comes, the most privileged player on earth waving the privilege of "You must listen to me, otherwise you will be ready to change jobs."

"tell me the story."

"DeAndre Jordan from Texas A&M University." Yu Fei said: "He is the most physically outstanding player in this draft. If we can get him, our interior depth will no longer be a problem."

Presti smiled.

There are not many high-quality insiders in this draft. One is Brook Lopez, who is locked in the top ten, and the other is DeAndre Jordan. He is a destined lottery pick and cannot be picked with the 28th pick in the first round.

At this point, Presti was basically sure that Yu Fei was joking with him.

"Okay, Frye, I will extend a trial invitation to DeAndre Jordan, although he may find it an insult." Presti said with a smile, "Because we only have the 28th pick in the first round."

"how could be?"

Yu Fei remembered that DeAndre Jordan was a missed pick in the second round by the Clippers. How could he look down on the 28th pick in the first round?

Presti was busy and in no mood to entertain this privileged man who paid no attention to the draft.

In his opinion, the less Yu Fei cares about the draft, the better. It's not that he is afraid of causing trouble, but that his power as the general manager will be encroached upon.

Therefore, Presti did not explain Fei's confusion and ended the call with just "Okay, Fry, I have a call coming in. I wish you a happy holiday."

Yu Fei looked at his phone and wondered.

holiday? Where's the vacation? If he hadn't been concerned about the draft and attending the championship celebration, he would have gone to Las Vegas to participate in the training camp of the US team.

With the SuperSonics' salary space, their competitiveness in the free market is limited. If they want to strengthen the inside in a short time, DeAndre Jordan cannot be missed.

Yu Fei was worried and decided to pay close attention to the team's draft before committing to the next big mission.

　Thanks to Yuyan, bosstang, Zuishui, and Shuyou20190525002548537 for the reward

　　
　
(End of this chapter)