When pride still matters

Chapter 542 In the Name of Love
As long as there is a strong leader in place, training camp is usually not a place where conflicts arise.

But nothing is absolute.

After all, a strong man like Jordan also clashed with Steve Kerr during the second three-peat and was even punched by Kerr.

However, there are still only a few role players like Kerr who dare to confront.

More often than not, Garnett's intra-team bullying ended Richter's NBA career. When a weak leader takes the helm of a championship team with many contradictions, new problems will continue to emerge.

Just as the infighting between Poole and Green detonated the Warriors in the 2022-2023 season, the approachable Curry could only watch from the sidelines and get angry after Poole missed an ultra-long three-pointer.

As for the SuperSonics, there is no similar situation at the moment.

The intensity of Yu Fei's training, three times a day, made everyone feel deeply stressed.

If the leader of the team works so hard, the others have to work hard to keep up with him.

Durant has not made too many demands on his tactical position, because he needs real combat to confirm where he is now.

So Roy can still sit firmly in the second position in the team.

This is not only due to his qualifications, but also because of the effect of his risky comeback before the suspension.

Every player who experienced the Sonics' third championship has respect for Roy, and even Durant himself thinks Roy's comeback was crucial.

Roy successfully recovered the ball that he had lost during his injury.

One of the main problems facing Tyronn Lue is how to construct the ball distribution under the new system.

When he took over, Roy was already injured.

Karl's arrangement before stepping down was to let Yu Fei return to the No. 1 position and let Durant play the No. 3 position.

Lu's choice was to go a step further and let Yu Fei resume his core style of play. Although this did not solve the fundamental problem, it brutally suppressed everyone's ambitions by using the latter's powerful strength.

Now that Roy has returned, Yu Fei no longer has to play the center position. He has to return to the center position. So what position will Durant play?

When Lue discovered that Durant's core strength had greatly increased, he began to try what Karl had tried but failed before - let Durant play the four position.

This arrangement came on the fifth day of training camp.

Durant doesn't want to play inside, but he also understands that if he doesn't want to return to the two position and become a big shooter, he has to try to play the four position.

The Supersonics and the Lakers before the lockout completely established the era of space basketball.

If the requirement for power forwards in the big ball era is a blue-collar worker who does dirty and tiring work, and the requirement for inside players is a big physique, the ability to stand under the basket and play in the low post, then the most obvious difference of space basketball is the blurred division of positions.

The boundary between point guard and shooting guard has disappeared. Small forwards with large physiques should try to move towards the power forward position, while small forwards should practice three-pointers and move towards the power forward position.

The center needs to switch defense, protect the rim and shoot three-pointers. A top center should have the dribbling ability of a forward, the organizing ability of a guard, and the ball-handling ability of a core outside player.

The problem is that the times often go ahead of people.

Whether in the United States or in other countries around the world, youth training is correcting the training methods of inside players. Therefore, unicorn inside players who meet the needs of space basketball will not appear so quickly.

Before that, there will be a lot of small forwards being put at power forward.

For a static Spider-Man like Durant who scores 208+228, it would be a waste of his physical talent if he didn't try to play as a power forward.

Durant accepted the arrangement.

At the same time, in order to prevent Durant from feeling that he was sacrificing himself for the team, Yu Fei also took the initiative to ask Coach Lu to play as a swingman at the three or four positions in the new season.

This makes Lu's job easier.

Yu Fei is willing to play the power forward position, what else can Durant say?
Yu Fei and Durant's statements made Lue turn his attention to Bosh.

Since Yu and Durant are going to play the power forward position, then Bosh should play the power forward position.

Everyone has not forgotten how badly Bosh was beaten by Gasol at the five position.

Bosh didn't forget.

Swingability is the hallmark of space basketball and the general trend. Bosh needs to adapt to this situation.

Three of the four All-Stars of the Supersonics chose to sacrifice themselves for the team.

This spirit is touching. Who would dare to believe that this team has so many problems?

But when you sacrifice, I sacrifice, and everyone sacrifices, how can we demonstrate the value of sacrifice?
However, sacrificing oneself to sway one's position is not something that can be done with just willingness.

The players themselves have to have that ability.

So, with the Sonics' star players setting an example and taking the lead in self-sacrifice, a very contradictory thing happened.

Logically speaking, if someone deliberately plays a position they don't like for the sake of the team, isn't this to make others more comfortable?

This is where Lu's series of changes and the problems they caused come into play.

Who feels comfortable?

No, no one said they were comfortable.

But someone wants to curse.

That is DeAndre Jordan, who is extremely talented but unable to play other positions.

The two superstars, Darren F. Kennedy and Kevin Durant, are playing at the three and four positions, and Bosh is pushed to the five position.

If Bosh really wants to play the five position, then Jordan will lose his starting position.

The new season is his contract year. Is it really a good idea to do this?

Coach Lu may not be unaware of the interests involved, but his intention in doing so is not to make anyone comfortable, but to let Durant find his own position.

For this reason, it is acceptable to force Bosh to play the center position and let Jordan, who is in his contract year, play as a substitute.

After all, the future of the Supersonics lies with Durant, who shoulders the expectations of hundreds of thousands of middle-class fans living in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Tacoma, Edmonds and other major ports in Seattle. If Jordan and Bosh suffer, he will bear the blame.

Moreover, if you think about it in detail, the only one who really suffered losses was Jordan Jr.

His starting position is gone. But the problem is that Lu never promised that Jordan would be the starter in the new season.

In last season's Western Conference Finals, Jordan Jr. did replace Brown as the starter in the last few games, but that was just a temporary measure. Does it really count?

For Lu, the person who really made the sacrifice was Kwame Brown.

He signed a minimum salary contract for the team and gave up the starting spot to Bosh. This is truly admirable.

As for DeAndre Jordan? He should manage his expectations.

Lu may not be a great coach, but he is definitely a master of office politics.

He knows who to lick, who to please, and who can be sacrificed.

Bosh? To put it bluntly, he is a mercenary. Who knows where he will go after this season. He has no psychological burden to play the five position.

Jordan? He is a young center who has proven that he can become a super blue-collar player with his talent, and he is about to enter a contract year, but the consensus within the Supersonics is that the new season will be the only season they have four maximum salaries. Clay Bennett and his partners do not want to pay more, so they put Jordan on the bench because the team needs him and weaken his status and performance so that they can lower the price when renewing his contract.

It seems that Lu is considering everything for Durant, but in fact, the premise of his decision is that Bosh and Jordan are not the certain future of the Supersonics.

Yu Fei, who had not participated in palace fighting for a long time, did not see through Lu's thoughts.

But he could sense that Jordan's edge was slipping.

The day before media day, Lu only arranged half of his usual training volume.

He asked the players to go back and have a good rest and to greet the media in their best appearance.

“DJ, what are you doing?”

Yu Fei saw Jordan staying after training to practice shooting, so he asked.

"I want to try again." Jordan also didn't understand Lu's thoughts. He felt that he couldn't start because he didn't have the shooting ability.

Yu Fei doesn't believe that someone would not be able to practice shooting, but for blue-collar players who need a lot of strength training to maintain their physique, expecting them to practice shooting is basically as difficult as asking Curry to win the dunk contest.

"It's meaningless to practice this during the season," Yu Fei said. "You can only find the balance between training with the ball and training without the ball during the off-season."

Jordan Jr. has a personal trainer, so he certainly knows this.

So he looked even more depressed.

"You are only 23 years old." Yu Fei laughed, "Why do you look like you are 33?"

Jordan suddenly said something philosophical: "Because I might be dead. I mean, even if I'm 43, I'll play like I'm 23."

"You may be right, but I prefer you at 22."

Yu Fei said: "I mean DeAndre Jordan, who made it difficult for LeBron James to score in the paint in the Western Conference Finals."

"DeAndre Jordan, 22, can't start."

"Maybe you just can't start in Seattle," Yu Fei said, "but if you continue to be like DeAndre Jordan today, you won't be able to start in any team."

At this time, the Sonics' rookie Chandler Parsons responded: "Yeah, don't hang yourself on a tree."

Little Jordan immediately understood what Yu Fei meant.

Maybe he can't start in Seattle, but if he keeps training and takes every minute of playing time seriously, other teams will see it, and he can definitely sell himself for a good price next summer.

"I know what to do, Frye." Jordan looked at Chandler, "Rookie, I'm your No. 2 pick."

Chandler nodded casually: "Yes, yes, I will learn from you." Yu Fei looked at Chandler with a smile, and couldn't help but bully him: "Ched, I like your awareness, but you haven't bought water for me and DJ yet, so I think your awareness needs to be improved."

"Right away, Fry, give me five minutes!"

Yu Fei said: "I will only wait for you for three minutes."

The Sonics' team players immediately ran out of the court.

Jordan and others knew why Yu Fei liked to tease Parsons.

There is no other reason, it's just that Yu Fei can't accept the fact that he is no longer the most handsome player in the NBA after the end of this year's draft.

What’s even more infuriating is that the new alliance ally is actually his teammate.

"Are you bullying the rookie again?"

Roy asked from a distance.

"Am I that kind of person?" Yu Fei said something he thought some people might believe. "This guy is so handsome. Considering the premature aging problem of white people, I think I need to let him move more."

Roy nodded and said, "You have a point. You know, Chade's jersey sales are already among the top five in the team, and the number of female fans who buy his jerseys is more than yours."

Parsons is back.

He gave the water to Yu Fei and Jordan.

Jordan asked in a mocking tone, "Chandler, what do you mean? Do you think two bottles of water are enough for the three of us?"

"I'm going to buy it right now!"

Parsons ran all the way again.

Roy said helplessly: "I don't want to drink water."

"Then why didn't you stop him?" Yu Fei asked.

Roy smiled and said, "Because I want to see if he is willing to make an extra trip for me."

one day later

Media day

"I'm not a champion, I'm not even a qualified Supersonics player." Patrick Beverley's words to the media are refreshing, "I'm just a hungry rookie. I don't think I have any advantages. The only thing I rely on is that I know I need to compete with others for meat."

City darling Alonzo Key believes the four-peat is not about him.

Is he isolating himself from the team?

No, his explanation was this: "I was only involved in the third of three consecutive championships. For me, the goal of the new season is to complete two consecutive championships."

Kwame Brown, who was still calling himself the league's best center last year, said he just wanted to enjoy his last moments.

Yes, he sounded like a player about to retire.

"I don't want to be sentimental, I'm not that kind of person," Brown said. "But I do feel that I've reached the point where I'm not as good as I could be. That's the mentality of a veteran. I'm already a veteran."

"But aren't you the same age as Fry?"

"How dare you take me and Flyby?"

The statements of the starting five and their plans for the future are more valued by the media.

First up is Grant Hill.

Tyronn Lue said the 39-year-old Hill will be the team's starter in the new season.

This news is quite shocking.

This was actually an accident by chance.

Yu Fei and Durant play the three and four positions, and Bosh plays the five position, so the two position is vacant.

As a combo guard, Roy fills the functions of both backcourts, but he cannot represent two starting positions at the same time.

So, the experienced Hill replaced sharpshooter Anthony Morrow as the starter.

Morrow is in his contract year like Jordan, so doing so would also undermine Morrow's morale, but Lu knows that he can't satisfy everyone.

Hill remained calm about this "surprise": "I don't think I am a real starter. We still have many outstanding young players on the team. However, now that I have come to this position, I will do my best to help the team."

Roy has more expectations for the new season.

If we put aside the few games he played in his comeback to the 2010 Western Conference Finals, he has not played a serious game since he was injured in late 2009, and it has been nearly two years.

"I hope I'm still that person," Roy said romantically. "If I can't be the best version of myself, then why should I come back?"

However, when it comes to becoming the best version of yourself, Bosh has a completely different take.

"From the day I decided to come to Seattle, I knew I had to make a lot of sacrifices." Bosh was the only starter to talk about dedication. "I am no longer myself in Toronto. I am trying to find my place in Seattle, which means I have to do a lot of things I don't like. I can't be myself. But now I have won the championship. This is the meaning of sacrifice. I think I can do more, but I also think that this state is not healthy."

Then, Bosh is also the only one among the Sonics' starting lineup who is facing contract renewal issues.

Of course, reporters asked him if he would stay in Seattle.

Bosh replied vaguely: "My door is always open."

Yu Fei and Durant were the subjects of interviews.

Yu Fei has the highest priority, followed by Durant.

Durant is as humble and easy-going as ever. The outside world believes that he will become a real superstar in the new season, but he doesn't take these things seriously.

He was discussing basketball seriously.

“The most important thing is how to play the beautiful game.”

Durant began by talking about the beautiful basketball he sees.

However, reporters want to know whether Durant, who seems to have all the good qualities, has any other desires that seem realistic like a human being besides abstracting Scarlett Johansson?
“What is your biggest goal for the new season?”

Durant is already 23 years old and his goals have always been clear.

"How is Frye doing at 23?"

Durant asked.

“Excellent.”

That was a lost year for the Bucks. The chaos at the Palace of Auburn Hills caused the team to lose its competitiveness, but Yu Fei averaged an amazing 36 points per game in the last years of his era, leading the team to revenge on the Pistons in the semifinals. However, they were unable to carry the team alone in the Eastern Conference Finals and lost to the peak Pacers.

"I want to be like Frye at 23." Durant is no longer satisfied with being the second-in-command of those greats.

Pippen, Kobe. No matter how much they have done, the people will remember Jordan and O'Neal in the end.

One of the tragedies of being teammates with the GOAT is that the outside world's attention is always on the GOAT.

The good thing is that Durant has a clear goal, and this is the first time he feels that he is close to flying.

Almost everyone has their own desires and pursuits, what about Yu Fei?
Yu Fei’s biggest problem is that he has no goal ahead of him.

He will fight to defend his GOAT status from now on.

By GOAT standards, he should continue to win championships while still in his prime.

If he loses a regular season game, countless people will pick out the rounds in which he played poorly and criticize him.

If he loses a series, his GOAT status will be questioned by countless haters.

Only by maintaining victory can we maintain everything we have now.

This does make people feel suspicious.

"I had a rare long vacation last year, which gave me a lot of time to think about what I want." Yu Fei talked to Mark Stein about his mental journey. "At first I enjoyed the break, and I even wanted to retire. No training, no competition, I can enjoy life to the fullest, it's really wonderful."

"You know what? It wasn't long before I started training again."

“Then I started missing playing again.”

"But I still had no games to play until the lockout ended," Yu Fei said. "Grant joining the team had a major impact on me. Many people have forgotten that when I was in DC, my first start was against Grant's Magic. If I didn't perform well in front of Grant, I would be removed from the starting lineup by No. 23. Guess what happened?"

Grant Hill suffered a season-ending injury during a defensive round against Yu Fei in that game, and Yu Fei played a perfect performance and took over.

This is history as it is known.

"Now, I don't need to do anything to prove myself, and Grant is at the end of his career. He could have gotten a big contract in Phoenix, but he still chose to come to Seattle to compete fiercely. Why do you do this?" Yu Fei asked himself, "Because we all love competition. This is the only important thing for the rest of our careers. I don't need to fall into the obstacles set by others for me. I just need to play my game well."

In this team where everyone has different thoughts, Yu Fei is the only one who has no complicated thoughts and desires, and publicly expresses that he is "fighting for what he loves."

In fact, he may be the only one in this league of more than three hundred players who has such thoughts.

There's nothing wrong with that, who would hate someone who loves the game?

However, Yu Fei will soon realize that what he loves is not just the game, but the pleasure of winning. Once someone prevents him from getting this pleasure, he will kill the person who gets in the way.

Ultimately, what he loves is the feeling of conquering it all.

This is the essence of passion.

(End of this chapter)