When pride still matters

Chapter 579 Unsettled Soul
It is December now and 12 is coming to an end.

At the beginning of the month, the Clippers embarked on a difficult five-game road trip in the Eastern Conference.

They will first go to Charlotte to challenge the Bobcats, then move to Indiana to play the Pacers, and then go to Miami, Orlando and New York in turn.

The Bobcats are a mediocre, bad team, and if their owner wasn't named Michael Jordan, they would have rotted away silently like the Kings.

In an era where Yu Fei's GOAT status has been established, Jordan's influence seems to be no longer so strong. However, the media is still happy to play the Jordan card.

Since taking full control of the team, Jordan has suffered repeated failures. He was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch a team that he would never have watched as a player, which once again plunged him into an inner vortex. Jordan's emotions were sometimes intense and sometimes suppressed, mostly shrouded in the shadow of anger, ranging from angry roars to silent burning. He went from a businessman who just got home from work - "Honey, I'm home!" - to a person burning with anger.

It all started with an ESPN show about the NFL that discussed a seemingly impossible, slightly ridiculous debate that was unlikely to have a clear answer anytime soon: Joe Montana or Tom Brady, who is the better quarterback?
Jordan publicly expressed his thoughts on the show: "People are going to say Brady because they don't remember Montana anymore," he said. "It's amazing."

The outside world naturally extended similar debates to Jordan.

However, since Yu Fei won his seventh championship, led the team to four consecutive championships and won the eighth championship, the topic of "who is the greatest player" seems to have no suspense in the basketball world.

Although this controversy sparked some discussion after it was provoked, it did not enter the mainstream media's field of vision until the GOAT came to Charlotte.

Before the game, a reporter asked Yu Fei what he thought about the game against the Bobcats.

“Nothing special will happen unless the guy in the box puts on a jersey,” Yu Fei replied.

The game started immediately.

Do Charlotte fans have any illusions about the game? Will they pray for the team to defeat the strong opponent?
No, that didn't happen. Instead, Charlotte made a more realistic choice - rather than supporting their own team that had let them down, they switched sides and supported the Clippers.

So, at the Bobcats' home court, a scene that was enough to destroy morale occurred - the Clippers received more support than the home team.

When Yu Fei stole the ball from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who had already disappointed Charlotte fans, and rushed to the basket to complete a 360-degree turnaround dunk, the scene had become a pilgrimage site for GOAT.

"Fry!!!!"

"Fry!!!!"

"Fry!!!!"

This is undoubtedly a direct humiliation to the team owner.

In the owner's room, Jordan was furious: "Find those bastards! I'm going to permanently ban them from watching the game!"

Jordan's assistants were in a dilemma because based on the reaction on the scene, it seemed that the audience was the one who started the booing.

Are they banned from attending games just because they support the opposing team? If that were the case, their opponent tonight would have gone out of business long ago.

For a long time, the Clippers have been selling tickets by using the gimmick of "watching other NBA teams at a low price."

As a weak team, there is no shame in doing this.

Jordan was clearly taking things personally.

There was no suspense in the game, and the Clippers beat the Bobcats on the road with a 32-point advantage.

Yu Fei played for less than 30 minutes, but he efficiently scored 30 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bobcats' poor defense is no longer news.

Before Yu Fei, Carmelo Anthony scored 60 points against them, and then Kobe also scored 50 points here.

The Bobcats' poor defense gave their stars a reason to let loose.

They all know that if they don't score points now, they don't know when they will meet a team with such poor defense again.

However, when Yu Fei heard the audience shouting his name like crazy fans, he did have a somewhat different feeling.

This was even more evident when he passed Jordan on his exit.

There was no communication between the two sworn enemies, and the two most influential people in basketball history appeared in the same corridor, and the aura between them was enough to silence everyone else.

Yu Fei noticed that Jordan had obviously gained weight. He still remembered that Jordan once said in his speech at the Hall of Fame that he might be able to make a comeback when he was 50 years old?

Oh, that's impossible. Jordan is old.

When people age, they lose a lot of things, not just vision and mobility. For superstars, the cost of aging is even more severe - they have to watch their achievements being surpassed by those who came after them, and hear disparaging comments from young fans who have never seen them play. The former heroes can only call themselves achievers, believing that history should remember them and the sports world should remember their greatness. However, what is the reality?

They no longer have any influence in popular culture. Most retired stars live a reclusive life, and when they die, their presence fades with them. They are eventually forgotten. Everyone goes through this process at different speeds, some slower, some faster, but the ending is almost the same.

Yet for those few who achieve the highest honors and achievements in a generation, there is often a mirage that looms upon their retirement: immortality.

They began to believe it.

So when Jordan retired in 1998, he was convinced that he would be remembered forever. If he died at that moment, his tombstone would read: "Here lies the greatest basketball player of all time."

However, just a few years later, fans began to compare him to Kobe; Carter's dunks looked more amazing than Jordan's; and the talented McGrady was also seen as having the potential to surpass him. Jordan's inability as a team manager and his competitive desire to prove that these younger generations were not enough to be compared with him made him make that decision - he wanted to come back. He believed that kind of tenacity was a shield against aging.

Then, he met the young Yu Fei.

The flamboyant Yu Fei, the fearless Yu Fei, the Yu Fei who didn't take him seriously at all. They could become close friends who cherish each other in a fairy tale, but in reality, of two equally powerful forces, only one can reach the top.

In order to maintain his dominance, Jordan chose to trade Yu Fei.

This decision led to his tragic end in Washington, DC.

At this moment, Yu Fei walked through the locker room with a big victory. Jordan glanced at him and fully felt the other party's arrogance.

To Jordan, Yu Fei looked like an ancient Roman general riding his horse through the streets in a victory parade.

But is there a beggar beside him reminding him that “all glory is short-lived”?
Jordan knew that probably no one would remind Yu Fei.

Because Yu Fei is so confident that he thinks he can do anything, he will choose the Clippers.

Jordan believed that this would be Yu Fei's end. Every person who is worshipped as a god will eventually be knocked down. Every myth in the American sports world has to go through such a stage. This may be the most ironic thing about Yu Fei - he personally chose a place to bury his legend.

At this moment, Jordan could no longer tell whether he hated Yu Fei or was gloating over his misfortune.

He only knew that the closest he came to immortality was when he chose to retire in 1998. In the days that followed, he was surrounded by only gradually weakened legends and myths, and only people's doubts about his historical status, until Yu Fei completely surpassed him.

Now it's Yu Fei's turn. As long as he fails with the Clippers, his previous success will be questioned, his seemingly perfect resume will have gaps, and newcomers will have the opportunity to surpass him.

"You don't have anything to say to MJ?"

After returning to the locker room, Yu Fei's teammates were still excited about the scene of meeting Jordan and his team just now. It was not because Jordan was the former GOAT, but because of the legendary feud between him and the current GOAT.

I thought the two would erupt like a volcano, but in the end they were just competing with each other's aura and nothing happened.

"Oh, is that MJ?" Yu Fei said sarcastically, "He's so fat that I can't recognize him."

Mentioning MJ, Pierce immediately became interested.

"Do you remember when you came to Boston to play?" Pierce said proudly, "You were a substitute at that time."

Yu Fei snorted coldly: "That's because that fat bastard used his privilege to suppress my status."

"Then how did you become a starter?" Pierce asked in surprise. "I remember it wasn't long before you became a starter in DC."

Talking about these past events, Kwame Brown, as an eyewitness, couldn't help but interject: "Frye certainly won't let anyone push him around. Later, in the team's internal training game, he seized the opportunity to beat our then-starting player and publicly demanded the starting position, otherwise he would be traded."

"!￥!￥"

Such explosive inside information instantly aroused the desire of the locker room to watch the show.

Although this is old news, the matter has been kept secret for many years.

Even Rivers wanted to know the truth: "Frye, is that true?"

"Almost." Yu Fei was too lazy to review these old things.

But his admission made the locker room boil. After the team's translator told Antetokounmpo about the incident, the Greeks shouted excitedly: "Ubuntu! I want to learn from you!"

"Who was the person you beat up back then?" Griffin's focus is always so inexplicable.

Yu Fei shrugged: "I forgot."

"Da Fei, how could you forget this?" Brown shouted, "Isn't this your current agent?"

"Christian Laettner?"

"Wang Defa!!!?"

Seeing them so startled, Yu Fei truly felt that his mentality was getting old.

People like Griffin's generation grew up listening to those stories, and it is quite shocking for them to hear the protagonists of the stories tell the inside story of that year in person.

However, for Fei, the things that needed to be settled have been settled. If there is anything worth summarizing, it is Jordan's ending.

But this ending is not Jordan's ending in DC, but Jordan's ending in Chicago.

If Yu Fei had heard during his rookie period that Jordan wanted to own shares in the team and participate in management after retiring from the Bulls but was kicked out, he would have gloated and lamented that the Bulls owner was really good at judging people, but now, his perspective on the issue has changed.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf spent millions of dollars to buy the Bulls.

Then, when Jordan retired in 1998, he boosted the franchise's value to $4 million.

No matter how you look at it, Jordan made the most money for Reinsdorf during his career.

So when Jordan retired, he didn't even want to give shares in the team?

You know, when Magic Johnson retired, old Buss directly gave him 5% of the team's shares.

Jordan's experience with the Bulls reminded Yu Fei of Clay Bennett's decision to dismantle the team in Seattle in order to save money. These were all actions by the investors who disregarded the interests of the team and the feelings of the stars for purely personal gain.

Since they have done this, the stars themselves must also weigh the pros and cons.

The inherent advantages of being a time traveler make Yu Fei believe that he can succeed anywhere, so the overall quality of the boss is his main consideration.

Steve Ballmer is qualified in every way.

He was like old Bass in some ways, and, besides, he was much richer than old Bass.

Playing for him, at least he doesn't have to worry about Ballmer breaking up the team to save money.

As long as it can produce results, Ballmer is afraid to spend anything.

A boss who is rich and willing to delegate power is the best boss Yu Fei can find. This is the best situation a superstar can have. If he wants to go to the next level, he can only become his own boss after retiring like Jordan did.

A day later, the Clippers arrived in Indiana.

The Pacers are an average team in the Eastern Conference.

They're not as bad as the Bobcats, but they're not good enough to make the playoffs.

This kind of team is the most embarrassing in the league, and the logic behind their struggle is simple.

Because the basketball market is small, they dare not give up. They need to maintain a certain level of results to attract fans and use the draft to select the core players. However, unlike the 76ers who threw their face on the ground and lost without restraint, the probability of expecting a miracle to fall from the sky is very small.

The Clippers defeated their opponents without any trouble.

Then came the tough opponent - the Miami Heat.

So far, the Heat have only lost two games: one was knocked out by the talented Warriors, and the other was a surprise defeat by the Timberwolves due to their carelessness.

"Frye, I admit that you are the greatest player of our generation." Before the game started, the proud Wade said to Frye, "But Michael is the GOAT in my mind, and you can never replace him."

"When you put it that way, I really can't tell whether you are talking trash to me or just acting like a spoiled brat," Yu Fei said.

Wade responded: "I just share my opinion. Now that I am a member of the championship club, I have the right to say what I want to say."

"OK."

This was the last sentence Yu Fei said to Wade before the game.

It’s only been two years since Yu Fei last won the championship, but new champions like Wade are no longer in awe of him.

Humans are indeed forgetful creatures.

Yu Fei told himself not to get angry, otherwise he would be like Jordan.

He won't become a competitive monster like Jordan, always eager to prove his invincibility.

However, the countless successes over the years, the arrogance brought by eight championships, and the inflated ego caused by being portrayed as an idol have completely changed his attitude towards people and things that do not respect him.

Yu Fei thought, has Wade forgotten the experience of being kicked in the ass by me? Well, I will kick him again!
Some people need to be defeated again and again before they can remember their painful past.

As soon as the game started, Yu Fei quickly got into the game.

He assisted in blocking Wade, and then assisted Antetokounmpo for a fast break dunk.

From the first round, the Clippers showed a defensive intensity that exceeded the regular season standard. However, the Heat did not take them seriously.

For a team that wins the championship, the biggest challenge is not the targeting from other teams, but the inner demon that arises after winning the championship, which is bigger than the championship. This inner demon will make the champion satisfied with the result, take the future lightly, and feel dissatisfied with what is happening around them. Most defending champions die because of this.

Today, the most obvious thing about the Heat is arrogance.

It was not until Yu Fei scored 16 points in the first quarter and led the Clippers into the second quarter with an 11-point advantage that the Heat began to get serious.

However, the Clippers, who held the lead, would not give up the lead easily. Yu Fei would launch a name-calling tactic in every round, forcing Curry or Yao Ming to play one-on-one.

Yao Ming was not in good shape tonight. Not only was his defense full of loopholes, but he also had trouble finding his touch on offense. The disadvantages of weight loss and spacing were fully exposed in this game - once his outside shooting was not good, it was difficult to adjust back because the Heat generally did not use him as the core of the offense.

Curry could have responded with a three-pointer, but his problem was that Wade was pressing on him. Only when he got enough ball possession could Curry's energy fully explode.

Even if the Heat understand this, it is still difficult to make a decision. Although Wade is old, he just won the double MVP last season and is in his prime. Let Wade step down and promote Curry? This is a hugely risky option, and no one dares to make the final decision.

It is this situation where it is difficult to distinguish between the primary and the secondary and the talent is inflated that makes it difficult for the Heat to exert their full strength.

Yu Fei made Yao Ming foul out in three quarters, and then he called out Curry, who was beaten on the defensive end and could not get enough ball possession to respond, and his mentality gradually became unbalanced. Wade, who was not as efficient as Yu Fei in singles, also gradually lost control of the game.

The Heat trailed by 11 points in the first quarter, but by the fourth quarter they were trailing by 21 points.

When Curry was repeatedly provoked by Yu Fei and finally lost control, made violent pulling movements and was called for a flagrant foul, the Heat's last breath also dissipated.

"If I were you, I would let that damn Filipino let me be the main point guard!" Yu Fei said when Curry left the court.

"You are not me," Curry said. "I am not you."

After Curry left the court, the game officially entered garbage time.

Yu Fei made the free throw, bringing his personal score to 50 points, and was then substituted off the court.

In the end, the score was fixed at 119 to 102. The Clippers defeated the seemingly invincible defending champions by 17 points on the road.

Yu Fei made headlines with 50 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists.

What attracted more attention than the statistics was his speech after the game.

"Before the game, Dwyane said a few words to me as a member of the Champions Club," Yu Fei said. "Here, as a member of the Eight Crowns Club, I refute his words and warn him never to speak to me in the same tone again."

Then, Yu Fei smiled and said, "It's just a joke, Dwayne, you know I don't mean that."

Yes, he knows.

(End of this chapter)