When pride still matters

Chapter 600 On the road

The 2015 All-Star Weekend was perfect for the league.

The only two veterans left are Kobe and Nowitzki.

The Mesozoic stars are still strong and control most of the league's voice, but the impact of the new generation can no longer be ignored.

Westbrook won the AMVP award, beating many famous superstars. He became the focus of the court in an extremely dazzling way, just like Kevin Johnson with a tank-like body.

What is even more surprising is that over the years, players with high self-esteem like GOAT have been unwilling to lower their status to participate in the dunk contest, causing this historically glorious event to gradually become a stage for unknown people.

Those talented stars have long become spectators on the sidelines, which means that most contestants lack absolute talent and can only rely on tricks to win. Back then, Griffin brought out a sports car to shock the audience, but he chose to jump on the front of the car, which greatly reduced the difficulty. In the end, this action became a performance with more gimmicks than actual effects.

However, this year, Lakers rookie Zach LaVine is just like Kobe Bryant in the past, and he is famous for his amazing jumping ability during the draft. Generally speaking, such players do not want to leave the impression that they can only dunk, but LaVine never hides his dunking talent, even during the All-Star Weekend.

Kobe said he saw a bit of himself in LaVine.

LaVine then lived up to expectations and participated in the dunk contest. Although he did not use his full strength, he still won the competition without any suspense.

While the media cheered that LaVine saved the dunk contest just like Vince Carter did in the past, they also lamented that he had not met an opponent who could bring out his limits.

Only Yu Fei knew that it was simply not the right time.

In any case, various signs indicate that the alliance's transition from old to new is happening much faster than expected.

This is exactly what Adam Silver wants to see.

Smartly, what Silver wants to see is also what the Clippers want to achieve.

In professional basketball, a change of dynasty means the old pattern is broken and a new king ascends the throne. If this scene is accomplished by an underdog team, it will be even more dramatic.

After flying back to Los Angeles from New York, the Clippers are fully prepared for the game. Rivers' most common phrase recently is: "Keep a sense of urgency!"

Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't like this slogan, he prefers "Ubuntu" - this is the first special word he learned after coming to the NBA, full of special meaning.

In order to recapture this memorable slogan, Antetokounmpo has a fixed mantra:
“Is there Ubuntu here?”

He would ask that in the locker room.

“Is there Ubuntu there?”

He would say the same thing before eating.

“Where do we go to find urgency and Ubuntu?”

One day, Kwame Brown couldn't help himself and yelled at the Greek, "Stop being so stupid, okay?"

Antetokounmpo responded: "If Frye is like you, he doesn't know what Ubuntu is."

Brown rolled his eyes, looking helpless.

Even though the Greek had been in the United States for nearly two years, he was still curious about this flashy new world.

His constant mention of "Ubuntu" was just a way for him to express his curiosity about new things.

Yu Fei didn't have much feeling about "Ubuntu". In his opinion, it was just a means for Rivers to deceive young people.

After a few days of adjustment, the Clippers ushered in their first game after the All-Star Weekend.

They traveled to DC to challenge the Wizards away.

The Wizards are a mediocre team.

Their record is not good, but not so bad that they can aim for the No. 1 pick because they have DeMarcus Cousins ​​and Bradley Beal on their team.

Both of them are star players with impressive abilities, but they also have their own problems.

Bill is a pure scorer who can score points and lose points. He is a good knife, but he needs someone to lead him.

Cousins ​​is a rare core center in the United States in recent years, but his emotions are unstable. When he is happy, he can lead the whole team, but when he is unhappy, he will receive two technical fouls at the speed of light and leave the field.

It is difficult for such a person to lead the team forward.

Cousins ​​was in a bad mood tonight.

Yu Fei tricked him with just a few fake moves, and he was like a naughty kid who had been exposed doing bad things on the court.

The referee did not indulge him just because he was playing at home and quickly ejected him from the game.

"Wasn't there a penalty for being sent off? Why was he so impulsive?"

Antetokounmpo didn’t understand.

Yu Fei smiled and said, “If he was as calm as you, DC would be more than that.”

Tonight, the Clippers did not give the Wizards any chance, suppressed them throughout the game, and finally won with a 28-point advantage.

Yu Fei scored a triple-double and was named the best player of the game.

"Frye, how does it feel to play in Washington?"

"I don't feel anything special," Yu Fei said. "It's been many years since those things happened. I've let them go long ago."

When Aby Pollin squeezed out Jordan's last bit of value, he kicked the flying man out, which caused dissatisfaction among some fans. However, as Yu Fei achieved great success in Milwaukee, those Washington fans who originally supported Jordan gradually became the biggest opponents of Jordan. Because they understood that Yu Fei's achievements in Milwaukee could have happened in Washington.

Throughout the 2000s, DC has been paying the price for its mistake in choosing Jordan.

As Yu Fei said, it has been many years since that incident. Looking back on the past, Yu Fei can only smile indifferently, but many people still can't get over it.

As long as Yu Fei is still playing, Wizards fans can't help but think "what if...". And the more "what if" appears, the deeper their resentment towards Jordan becomes.

At the same time, they will also put the blame on Aby Pollin, who made the transaction decision, even though Pollin died six years ago.

This state of stagnation has caused the Wizards' support rate in DC to continue to decline.

After losing to the Clippers, the Wizards finally learned their lesson and decided to make major changes.

This season, the 76ers have been planning to trade John Wall. The trade with the Cavaliers for Wall was originally an attempt to get him at a low price. However, although Wall showed the potential of a core organizer, he failed to follow the trend and improve his shooting ability, which made the 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie's evaluation of him gradually decline.

Wall is no longer considered part of “the process.”

In addition, Wall himself is unwilling to continue wasting time in a team that seems to be forever rebuilding. Therefore, both parties hope to reach a deal as soon as possible.

The Wizards need a brain that can activate Beal and Cousins, and Wall is the perfect candidate.

The 76ers are willing to sell Wall and accept a junk contract. For Hinkie, the most important thing is the draft pick. As long as DC is willing to offer enough draft picks, Wall will board a plane to DC tomorrow.

In the end, the Wizards sent Josh Smith and the first-round picks in 2015, 2017 and 2019, plus a swap of first-round picks in 2020, to the 76ers in exchange for John Wall.

Judging from the star power of the lineup, the 76ers seem to have formed their own Big Three. Although this "Big Three" is not as deterrent as other teams in the league, this is at least a team that has the potential to reach the semifinals.

This transaction also kicked off the trading deadline, and the 76ers' "supermarket" officially opened.

For Hinkie, except for Julius Randle, who was out for the season, there was no one on the team who was not for sale. As long as there was a team willing to send out draft picks, other players could become trading chips.

The Clippers also hope to make some moves before the trade deadline. Currently, the only thing missing from their roster is a reliable backup point guard.

After some searching, Arn Tellem found his target - Pablo Prigioni, the oldest rookie in NBA history and a member of Argentina's golden generation. A veteran like Prigioni may not stand out in a weak team, but if he comes to a top team like the Clippers, his experience and skills will play a huge role.

Prigioni plays concisely, does not stick to the ball, can move without the ball, can hit open three-pointers, is good at promoting counterattacks, and is proficient in intercepting passes. His fake fall skills are exactly the same as Ginobili's, his passes are even more elusive, and his ability to command teammates should not be underestimated.

Since Billups left, the Clippers have been lacking a second ball handler with a good overall view on the bench. If Prigioni can join, the Clippers' second lineup is expected to be reborn.

In order to get Prigioni, the Clippers and the Kings held several days of negotiations and finally finalized the details of the transaction. The Clippers sent undrafted Brandon Davis and second-round draft picks in 2015 and 2017 to successfully exchange for Pablo Prigioni.

What followed was a chaotic hodgepodge of transactions.

However, few trades have the potential to impact the league's landscape as much as Wall's move to DC.

The last two impactful trades of 2015 were the Celtics' low-cost acquisition of Isaiah Thomas and the Pistons' last-minute move of the frustrated Goran Dragic to the Kings.

Among the potential championship contenders, except for the Clippers who brought in a backup guard, the other teams did not make any moves.

However, no action does not mean that everything remains the same.

For example, after the All-Star Weekend, the Heat took advantage of Wade's injury to give Curry all the power a core guard could get.

Curry then unleashed his inner strength, leading the Heat to victory after victory and beginning to threaten the Knicks' position as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.

Then, on February 2, the Clippers traveled to Cleveland to challenge the Cavaliers.

Yu Fei's match against James has always been a focus.

However, today, the focus was stolen by another big news from the Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that after a detailed examination, doctors confirmed that Cavaliers forward Chris Bosh had a blood clot in his lungs. Such a condition usually means the end of the season.

Soon, the Cavaliers officially confirmed the news.

The team's official statement revealed more details: Bosh had been feeling tired, short of breath and chest pain over the past few weeks, but he didn't take it seriously at the time. It wasn't until Thursday local time that Bosh felt unwell during training and was sent home to rest and then hospitalized for examination that the seriousness of the problem was discovered.

The Cavaliers praised Bosh's professionalism in a statement. Despite knowing he was seriously ill, he still participated in the All-Star Weekend activities, won the Shooting Star three consecutive times, and insisted on training before the diagnosis. In the end, the ruthless injury ended his season early.

When Yu Fei paid attention to the NBA in his previous life, Bosh was already an NBA star.

Now that he heard the news, he probably guessed how Bosh retired.

The Cleveland sports world is shrouded in sadness. Blood clots are devastating injuries to athletes, affecting not only this season but also the future. This means that Bosh's career is likely to end early.

It brings to mind the old saying: "God hates Cleveland."

After James' return, the Cavaliers quickly put all the chips they had accumulated over the years into play in exchange for immediate combat power. With the addition of Bosh, the Cavaliers quickly became a top-tier team in the Eastern Conference.

But momentum came and went quickly.

The Cavaliers failed to beat the peak Heat in the past two years and failed to break out of the Eastern Conference. Now, the core lineup that was once pieced together is old, young, and injured, leaving only James to fight alone.

The most worrying thing is that most of the draft picks for the next seven years have already been traded, and James' contract with the team will expire in the summer of 2016.

There is almost no way for them to continue to strengthen before then.

For James, who is over 30 years old but has no championship, is it the right choice to accompany the Cavaliers in their rebuilding?
This is impossible. He has already left once. If there is a first time, there will be a second time.

A verbal commitment to live out your life in Cleveland is probably less binding than toilet paper.

Once James leaves again, a long winter will be waiting for Cavaliers fans.

Before the game started, Yu Fei called Bosh.

Bosh is optimistic about his comeback, and Yu Fei can only wish him good luck. When Bosh left Toronto and came to Seattle to join forces with Yu Fei, the two had a close relationship. However, a lot of things happened in Seattle, and their friendship is no longer as deep as it was at the beginning.

Looking back, Yu Fei thinks the only thing he did to let Bosh down was that he chose to support Durant in the competition between Bosh and Durant in Seattle.

However, Yu Fei didn't have much choice.

No matter how much Bosh contributed to the Sonics dynasty, he was ultimately just a mercenary, while Durant was the symbol of the team's future at the time.

As the team leader, Yu Fei had to consider the future of the team. Although it was later proved that these considerations were unnecessary, even if the Supersonics completed the modern NBA's four consecutive championships, the team would still be disbanded due to the boss's whim.

However, being in different positions requires making different decisions, and Yu Fei has no regrets.

Today, past glory is no longer important, and Bosh's professional basketball career is coming to an end.

That night, Cavaliers fans were surprised to find that Yu Fei was wearing the No. 4 jersey instead of his usual No. 44.

Then everyone realized that this was Bosh's number.

This is both a tribute to Bosh and a prayer for him.

Yu Fei had a strong desire to attack tonight, as if he wanted to get Bosh's data as well.

Such performance made James feel uncomfortable. Bosh was obviously his teammate, and he should bear these emotions, but he didn't expect that the limelight was stolen by Yu Fei.

Bosh was absent, the Cavaliers' overall strength dropped significantly, and the game was not suspenseful. The competition between Yu Fei and James made the game full of excitement.

In the end, both players scored 40+ triple-doubles, but the Clippers won the game 119-104.

"I don't mean anything else, I just hope Chris understands," Yu Fei told Cleveland media after the game, "Without No. 4, there would be no achievements made by No. 44 in Seattle."

Time does have the power to heal.

Bosh was so moved by Yu Fei's move that he tweeted: "Man, I only made a small contribution, but those years were really the best time!"

"Agreed," Brandon Roy replied on Twitter.

Then, members of the Supersonics dynasty took to Twitter to wish Bosh well and reminisce about the glorious days of the past.

Durant is still on the road, so he won't consider those years in Seattle to be the best of his career.

"Chris, you have to get back on the court. I want to dunk on you."

Durant said so.

Fans expected Yu Fei to respond on Twitter, but he didn't.

He simply liked and retweeted Bosh's tweet.

Kwame Brown finally showed up: "Excuse me, Frye is chasing his ninth championship and doesn't have time to talk to you guys."

Yu Fei, like Durant, is still on the road to competing for the championship.

Therefore, they don't have much time to reminisce about the past.

Only when vision, pattern and ambition stay at a certain moment will people begin to miss the past.

As for Yu Fei, that moment has not yet arrived.

He will retire before that time comes.

(End of this chapter)