When pride still matters

Chapter 589 I thought it was 2003

Chapter 589 I thought it was 2003

"Yao's arrival saved Arne Tellem's career which was in danger!"

Because the current public opinion in Trem is extremely bad, Yu Fei downplayed his role in the recruitment of Yao Ming.

Of course, there are some credits that he can't take just because he wants to.

After all, many things that have nothing to do with him will be attributed to him by the power of public opinion. For a major event like this that almost impossible not to have his participation, how could it be true that Tellem was the key to Yao Ming joining the Clippers as the outside world publicized?

Are Trem and Yao Ming familiar with each other?
However, the friendship between Yu Fei and Yao Ming is well known to everyone inside and outside the circle.

The only reason Yao Ming is willing to come to the Clippers is because of Yu Fei.

However, this view is only popular among the fans.

At the media level dominated by public opinion, the media close to the Clippers will maintain consistent voice with the team, while the media in Yu Fei's camp will remain silent. As for those third-party media that try to make an objective analysis, even if they can come up with a lot of reasons, due to the lack of substantial evidence, they are just empty talk and are difficult to be convincing.

Tellem managed to keep his job.

If he hadn't produced some results, Steve Ballmer might have replaced him long ago.

Ballmer didn't move him before because Yu Fei made great contributions to the team by bringing in Tellem, but this contribution was not enough to offset the "mistake" he made before bringing in Yao Ming.

Ballmer doesn't care about the pros and cons of the operation. As long as it affects the team's market value and commercial value, he should be liquidated.

However, Tellem successfully brought in Yao Ming, which offset the previous losses.

At 34, Yao Ming remains one of the most commercially appealing basketball stars in the world.

With Yao Ming and Yu Fei, Ballmer can already foresee the day when the Clippers will stand out in the distant Eastern market.

Yao Ming understood the Clippers' situation, so at the official press conference announcing his joining, he particularly emphasized Tellem's role.

A reporter asked, "What role did Frye play in this?"

Yao Ming responded humorously: "Frye played the role of Frye."

The reporter asked: "Is this an answer?"

"Yeah, only Fry can be like Fry."

Afterwards, Yao Ming talked about the significance of transferring to the Clippers.

He admitted that the Clippers were his fourth team in his career and would probably be his last. Despite this, he was not here to retire, and he still had great ambitions.

"I believe the future has endless possibilities, and I also believe it's possible for me to finish my basketball career as a Clippers player," Yao Ming said. "My biggest wish is to be like Frye and win three consecutive championships after changing teams!"

In the past, Yu Fei's three consecutive championships after changing teams caused a lot of controversy.

But when the Sonics won four consecutive championships, such doubts disappeared.

The "only empire" with six championships in six years has become a consensus.

Yao Ming expressed his desire to accomplish a similar feat like Frye, which undoubtedly makes Clippers fans full of expectations for the new season.

Klay Thompson also came to the Clippers with Yao Ming, and his arrival was much more low-key.

Originally, Clippers fans were furious about Tellem trading Griffin for Thompson and Evans, but with Yao Ming joining the team, the emotions gradually calmed down.

Once he calmed down, Thompson's strengths became apparent.

Judging from the statistics, he is the most popular 3D player at the moment. Putting aside the fact that Griffin was traded for him, the Clippers got Thompson and Yao Ming, the inside and backcourt were strengthened, and the team's space was greatly improved. There will no longer be a ridiculous situation where the whole team can only rely on Fei to open up space.

However, if you look at it from another perspective, Griffin could have stayed and Yao Ming would still have come.

The Clippers could have had the combination of Griffin + Yao Ming.

Thinking of this, some people clenched their fists inexplicably.

Arne Triem remains unforgivable!

However, these complaints are no longer able to cause much trouble.

At least judging from the results, the Clippers have had a successful offseason, and what they need to do next is to make targeted reinforcements based on the team's needs.

The offseason has officially arrived.

The Clippers signed Yao Ming before the free market bidding war began, ending a major suspense of the summer.

But summer is far from over.

After the breakup of the Nets' Big Three, they collectively flooded into the free market, making those teams that had salary space but lacked stars jealous.

However, the stars flying all over the sky come and go quickly.

Although there is no strong decision-maker this summer, other free market superstars are contacted again to gather in a city and create a super team out of thin air.

But no one wants to turn the signing into a pee-holding battle.

Especially when there aren’t many choices.

The defending champion Heat have made it clear that they are not interested in star players in the free market.

The Spurs, who lost in the finals for two consecutive years, believe that Yao Ming's departure is their best chance to take revenge next season, and they decided to keep the original lineup unchanged.

The Warriors got Griffin, and they also have Joe Johnson and a number of other contracts, so they don't have the space to sign a third star, nor do they need it.

After the Clippers acquired Yao Ming, they no longer had the salary space to sign a third star.

Looking at the free market, the only team with space and competitiveness is the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, Anthony and Paul, who have a good personal relationship with James, and Howard, who is devoted to the pursuit of happiness in basketball, all think that the Cavaliers are a good team, but they all agree that Cleveland is not a good place.

They are willing to team up with James, but not in Cleveland.

This summer, the Cavaliers' neglect reminded James why he was determined to leave here.

Yes, the team is cursed, but the problem isn't just the team. They're also in a failing city -- a city that lacks commercial development value and is difficult to attract stars.

James had abandoned them in a way that was difficult for ordinary people to understand. As the darling of Cleveland, what he did to the city that loved him deeply was just like what Edison Chen did to Nicholas Tse.

Then, he just did one thing—returned—and won back people’s hearts.

Why? Because Clevelanders know their city is terrible. It's touching to see someone like James, who could have stayed away, choose to come back.

However, how long can this relationship last?

When the Cavaliers missed all the big-name stars this summer, James was bound to feel emotional.

Then, Howard took the lead in ending the suspense.

His agent Dan Feigen announced: "Dwight will join the Houston Rockets as a free agent!"

The history of the Rockets is the history of legendary centers, and Harden is not only the best shooting guard in the league, but also the best passer and scorer in active service. Howard believes that he can find the joy of basketball again with Harden.

Next is Carmelo Anthony.

He originally chose to form the "Super Trio" in New Jersey in order to become a big shot like Yu Fei and James.

Three years later, Anthony is not sure if he has achieved his goal.

Is he a big shot?

Has people's perception of him changed since three years ago?
These questions may seem subjective and difficult to answer.

But there is one thing he is very clear about - he likes playing in the big city.

After his experiences in Denver and New Jersey, he decided he would never play in a small city again because it didn't fit his personality.

Therefore, when entering the free market this time, although he expressed his willingness to listen to offers from all teams, the only teams he was really interested in were big city teams.

Anthony's first choice is the Clippers.

Durant and Griffin have successively become big figures beside Yu Fei, and Anthony believes that he can replicate this success.

He watched the Clippers' games last season and believed that as an upgrade over Paul Pierce, he could bring the firepower the team needed.

Moreover, he and the GOAT had a close relationship when they were on the Dream Team, and they even formed a small group called "Nightclub Hi-League".

Although GOAT only participated in that Dream Team, the "Night High Major League" organization continued to be active under Anthony's leadership.

In terms of personality and hobbies, Anthony believes that he and the GOAT are true friends with like-minded people.

Therefore, Anthony is sure that GOAT will contact him first after the season ends.

However, Anthony did not wait for the call from GOAT, but waited for the news that Yao Ming joined.

It turns out that Yao Ming is more compatible with the GOAT than Anthony.

Yao Ming became the Clippers' third maximum-paid player, and the possibility of signing Anthony was completely shattered.

The Clippers could have bought out the remaining year of Danny Granger's contract and offered Anthony a contract that was close to the maximum salary, although not quite.

As long as the GOAT is willing to make a phone call and reminisce with a tired Mr. Da'an, the Clippers have a great chance of fielding a formidable team.

Unfortunately, Yu Fei never considered Anthony.

This is not because his relationship with Anthony was not as good as the latter imagined, but because he never regarded Anthony as an ideal teammate.

Yu Fei and Anthony did not have much contact, but through their time together in the national team and their understanding over the years, he still had an opinion of this man.

Anthony is capable of achieving a balanced offense and defense, but due to his star pride, he is often only willing to work hard on the offensive end. Only when he encounters an opponent who can drive him, such as Kobe, will he defend seriously. This attitude is a typical negative attitude and is not appreciated by winners. Secondly, although he has a resume of forming a multi-giant team, he is not a person who is willing to share glory and spotlight. This is the key to his incompatibility with Paul.

For a star who is conceited but not responsible enough and loves the spotlight, the most sensible thing to do is to keep a distance from him. You can have fun with him, but never work with him.

Anthony was indeed wrong.

Yu Fei had never approached him, and he was unwilling to condescend to ask if he was willing to join forces. As a superstar at his peak, he had enough choices.

But if you only want to play in big cities, the options are much smaller.

In the end, Anthony made an expected decision - he joined the Lakers with a four-year contract.

Not only would this satisfy his desire to play in Los Angeles, but it would also give him a chance to compete with the GOAT.

In contrast, Paul was much more rational. He carefully weighed the possibility of winning the championship, and then, like James, played the "go home" card.

Although New Orleans is not his hometown, it is where his basketball dream began. If he hadn't led the Hornets to achieve good results, perhaps New Orleans would no longer have an NBA team.

Today, the Hornets are history, and the Pelicans have a superstar Anthony Davis. However, Davis is still young, and he needs a master point guard to guide him forward, and no one is more suitable than Paul.

Paul's selection won wide acclaim, and even Davis was excited about it. He knew very well how Paul could help him.

The four big stars in the free market returned to their respective positions, making the three playoff teams more competitive and helping another team hovering at the doorstep of the playoffs gain the confidence to reach the semifinals.

While the Nets' Big Three made the free market lively, the Clippers were not idle. They were not in the mood to watch the fun.

With Spencer Hawes being poached by the Timberwolves with a generous mid-level exception, the Clippers' top priority is to retain those competitive veterans and use the mid-level exception to compete for an immediate player.

Based on the Clippers' current lineup, Tellem believes that the team lacks a main rotation on the front line, so he has set his sights on Gerald Green.

This last batch of high school players, known for his "nine fingers", was once hailed as "McGrady's successor", but unfortunately he only has McGrady's body but not his skills. Can a McGrady who can't dribble still be called McGrady?

Green has been with seven teams in the past nine years. Last season, when he played for the Suns, he had the best performance of his career, averaging 15 points and 4 rebounds per game, 70% of his shots came from beyond the three-point line, and his hit rate was as high as 39%. As a substitute who focuses on scoring, these data are extremely valuable.

Green accepted the three-year, $3 million contract offered by the Clippers without hesitation.

After signing Green, the Clippers' next target is Trevor Ariza, who emerged off the bench last season.

At the same time, the Clippers also confirmed that Serbian center Nikola Jokic, selected in this year's draft, will enter the NBA one year ahead of schedule in the new season.

Then, the Clippers and Cavaliers faced off in the battle for Richard Jefferson.

Both teams want this veteran who clearly still has some potential.

The Cavaliers offered a higher tactical position and contract, while the Clippers were selling a dream.

Tellem said that the Clippers' goal for the new season is to win the championship, while the Cavaliers only want to win the championship on the surface.

Jefferson was skeptical.

Later, Tellem asked Chu Fei to invite Jefferson personally.

Yu Fei officially sent out the invitation on behalf of the team, which made Jefferson's mind tilt towards the Clippers.

Finally, he made his decision.

And, he vehemently denied that it was because he wanted to play in Los Angeles.

"It was a heartfelt decision," the 34-year-old said. "When Yu Fei called me, I realized we were destined to play together."

Reporters were curious about what was going on.

As soon as Jefferson opened his mouth, he turned back the clock to 12 years ago.

That was the 2001-02 season, which was not only Yu Fei's rookie season, but also Jefferson's rookie year. At that time, Jefferson played for the Nets and eliminated Yu Fei's Wizards in the first round of the playoffs.

"Frye told me that DC was the only team he played for in his career that didn't win a championship, and I was the reason for that," Jefferson said. "I think he has a point, and I owe him that."

After Jefferson said this, the basketball world was in an uproar.

Jefferson led the Nets to knock out the Wizards in 2002? That was Kidd's team. Besides, why do you owe him anything? Just because you knocked out the GOAT?

According to this, how should the GOAT repay Kobe for giving him a complete defeat?

Ultimately, people realized that Jefferson was just following his own heart.

After all, he was choosing between Los Angeles and Cleveland.

Would any normal person give up Los Angeles and choose Cleveland? Probably not. So, this is just a decision that conforms to human nature. As for those "heartfelt" words, they are just part of human nature.

At this point, the Clippers' core lineup for the new season is basically formed.

Yu Fei, Yao Ming, Thompson, Antetokounmpo, Green, Jefferson, Jokic, Pachulia.

This is a very competitive eight-man rotation that has everything except a pure point guard.

As for the point guard, the Clippers are unable to solve it.

Billups signed a one-day contract with the Pistons and plans to retire after a brief appearance in the new season.

After losing Billups, the Clippers do not intend to waste money looking for a regular rotation point guard.

They decided to let Yu Fei and Antetokounmpo take turns as point guard in the new season.

After signing Jefferson, the Clippers' summer operations have basically come to an end. Next, it depends on whether they can find bargains in the free market.

The Cavaliers are undoubtedly the biggest losers this summer.

They failed to sign a third star, nor did they grab the role player that James wanted, and finally had to sign Chandler Parsons with a big contract.

When the Cavaliers offered Parsons a four-year, $4 million contract, no one followed through.

There’s an old saying among NBA executives: “There’s always a damn asshole!”

This phrase is often used to describe premium contracts that disrupt market equilibrium.

But this time, no one blamed the Cavaliers, they just "broke the defense."

By the end of July, the operations of each team were basically completed.

For most teams, summer is over.

Teams that don't win can console themselves with the GOAT's famous quote: "Summer will come back."

But Cleveland can't.

Because their summer is always so bleak.

"I am a patient man and I will not rush things, and my commitment to Cleveland will never change."

James said in the interview.

New fans praised James' attitude, while old fans were wondering whether this was paving the way for "Decision 3.0."

At the same time, Yu Fei accepted Yao Ming's invitation and organized a performance team to go to China to participate in the annual Yao Foundation Charity Game.

The team includes Yao Ming's old teammate Sean Battier.

Battier followed Yao Ming to Miami and won two championships. This summer, he rejected the Heat's one-year veteran minimum salary and decided to retire.

However, Battier did not announce his retirement in the United States, but chose to give a retirement speech to Chinese fans in China.

That night, Yu Fei returned to the hotel and received another text message.

"Ray Allen said he's not going to play anymore."

"What does 'no more fights' mean?"

Yu Fei has always hoped that Ray Allen would join the Clippers. Although he is nearly 40 years old, he still has a great role to play as a shooter.

"Maybe he wants to retire."

So Yu Fei called Ray Allen personally, but the other party had already made up his mind.

"Listen, I'm not retiring, I'm just not playing anymore," Ray Allen said very seriously.

"Does it make any difference?"

Yu Fei asked helplessly.

"Retirement is the 'death certificate' of a professional player. I will never retire." Ray Allen said, "Now it is my initiative to give up this sport, not it abandons me, do you understand?"

"clear."

"Is there anything else?"

"I don't think so."

Yu Fei replied.

"Take care of yourself," Allen said. "You're not getting any younger."

"Thanks for the reminder, I thought it was 2003."

“I like that year, too,” Allen said, “but that was 11 years ago.”

Yes, eleven years.

(End of this chapter)

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