When pride still matters

Chapter 633 No time to meet again
The 2017 championship gave Yu Fei the eleventh championship in his career.

This also allowed him to enter the eleven-crown club that had been monopolized by Bill Russell for nearly half a century.

This is undoubtedly a symbolic moment.

And, it looked like the perfect opportunity to finish.

The Clippers won three consecutive championships and established a dynasty, but Yu Fei is almost 35 years old. As he has said for many years, he is likely to choose to bow out this year like Jordan in 1998.

"Whether to stay or leave, I will announce the final decision at the awards ceremony at the end of the month."

Yu Fei gave a clear time point.

Before that, the 2017 draft arrived as scheduled.

The first pick went to the Suns, who selected the popular Markelle Fultz. The Magic, who got the second pick, chose Lonzo Ball, and the Celtics, who had the Cavaliers' first-round pick, selected Jayson Tatum with the third pick. Later, De'Aaron Fox went to the Kings, and Josh Jackson was taken by the 76ers...

The Clippers only have the 29th pick in the first round this year.

They didn't know who to choose.

Yu Fei mentioned a name to Arne Trem.

So, the Clippers used the 29th pick in the first round to select a player from Josh Hart.

This is the only thing the Clippers did in the draft.

Although this year's draft is called a big year for the draft, it will take at least four or five years for these rookies to realize their talents, so the league's landscape will not change as a result.

However, before the free market opens, Yu Fei's decision will change the pattern of next season in advance.

As last season's best team player and FMVP, it can be said that he is still the best player in the league.

Although the progress of Antetokounmpo and Jokic is gratifying, they are still not superstars.

In this case, letting Yu Fei lead them for another year is the safest choice for the Clippers. If Yu Fei retires this summer, the Clippers will most likely not be able to defend their title.

Therefore, Yu Fei's decision at the awards ceremony was particularly important.

November 6st

This day is finally here.

The NBA held an awards ceremony during the offseason for the first time, successfully turning the players' awards ceremony into a commodity and putting it on television.

From now on, you will no longer see fans listening to the players' heartfelt speeches on the spot, but instead a lively reality show. The players know it's a show, and the fans know it too. So where is the emotion? It's all in the ticket price.

How much emotion do you have? How much are you willing to pay for a ticket to see your favorite player win?
It all depends on you.

As if on purpose, TNT scheduled Yu Fei's FMVP award ceremony at the end of the program, starting with the smallest award.

Watching the winning contestants walking back and forth on the stage like Victoria's Secret models, Yu Fei could only be thankful that there was no such arrangement during the Stern era.

Otherwise, he would have to suffer for it every year.

However, although this activity was deeply hated, almost all the important people in the alliance came to the scene.

Even players who didn't win the award will try to get a ticket.

The seating arrangement among the stars is also very particular.

As the loser last season, the Warriors have all their players present.

James, who was not selected for the first round and missed the MVP award, chatted with Curry and seemed to not care at all that his limelight was completely stolen.

Yu Fei first chatted with the team members for a while, and then went backstage.

He met Durant.

Adu looked worried.

Yu Fei asked, "Is there anything you can't get over?"

"My contract with Nike expires this summer. They want me to renew, but Reebok is also trying to get me." Durant asked, "What do you think I should do?"

Yu Fei smiled and asked, "What do you think is the position I should take to answer this question?"

"Leadership," Durant said. "I have been guided by you, and those years are as precious to me as gold. I hope to get your advice on this matter."

Apart from Anthony Davis, Durant is the first Mesozoic player under Nike.

Once Durant is poached, the blow to Nike will be no less than when Nike poached Kobe from Adidas.

Although Yu Fei doesn't care much about these business struggles, he is still willing to lend a hand if it can help the company.

"Nike is already rotten," Yu Fei said. "Most of the young stars are under Reebok. If you want to make it big in New York, you have to join a team with more stars. I can't tell you which path is right. I only know that Nike is diving down the mountain, and Reebok has not yet reached the top. That moment may not come until I retire."

Durant was silent for a while and asked, "Are you ready to retire?"

"Of course not." Yu Fei was about to go on stage, and his last words to Durant were, "Because I can still kick your ass!"

Under the watchful eyes of the public, Yu Fei finally came to the front desk and answered the questions that had been bothering the outside world for a long time.

“I’m not retiring.”

“I’ll play for another year.”

This time, there is no suspense, no room for ambiguity, and not even room for maneuver.

"I can say with certainty that next season will be my last and I'm so happy to share this news with you all!"

In the following days, Yu Fei's remarks about retirement made headlines in major newspapers and social media.

Although that day will not come until the end of next season, many media people who have witnessed Yu Fei's career can't help but sigh: "When we didn't know the end of this road, we blamed Frye for not announcing it. Now, we know the answer, but we feel inexplicably sad. Yes, we know there will never be another Frye!"

This is the biggest news of the offseason.

The Clippers can rest assured.

Yu Fei will play for another season.

Although the news that Yu Fei will retire after next season is sad, the extra year is enough for Antetokounmpo and Jokic to mature gradually.

By then, if the Clippers can complete their four consecutive championships, it will be a perfect handover of power.

Yu Fei's decision to play for another year will have a profound impact on this offseason.

But that wasn't the only big event.

In early July, Kevin Durant, the superstar that Nike had spent countless resources and operations to promote, decided to change his flag and sign with Reebok after careful consideration.

Although the ESPN reporter only used a short line of words to break the news, the impact it caused to the industry was extremely terrifying.

Durant's departure means Nike loses a brand in the basketball field.

Moreover, this is the biggest signboard after Kobe retired and James has never been able to surpass Curry in Miami.

Anthony Davis is stuck in New Orleans, and while he is a big name, his status is not as high as a true superstar because of his position in the paint where shoes don’t sell.

Reebok will not undergo any qualitative change if it gets Durant, but Nike may face a complete failure in the basketball field if it loses Durant.

The chain reaction of Durant signing with Reebok was immediate.

The Sonics' star guard Kyrie Irving was fed up with guarding an empty city alone, and with only one year left on his contract, he chose a self-destructive trade.

Not only does he want to leave, he also wants to specify his next team. If the team does not trade him to the Knicks, he will not give any contract renewal commitment to the next team.

In this way, Irving exhausted his own reputation, but also left the team with no way out but to negotiate with the Knicks.

Under Durant's instructions, the Knicks also began to operate actively.

In the end, the Knicks traded Andre Iguodala and the third first-round pick to Seattle in exchange for Irving. At this point, the Knicks finally got another top star.

Just as the free market was in full swing in New York, the Lakers announced that Kobe had confirmed he would play for another year.

Similarly, Kobe's camp announced that the 2017-18 season would be Kobe's last season.

Although Kobe's influence is far less than Yu Fei's, his 22-year foundation in the basketball world is enough for fans to miss his achievements in his 20 years on the court.

Two heavyweight players will enter the last year of their careers in the new season, so the league will naturally make good use of this gimmick.

At the end of August, after the new season schedule was released, people found that the Clippers and the Lakers' season finale games happened to coincide with each other.

That’s what’s so interesting about the schedule.

In addition to creating a showdown between old enemies and a bloody battle between enemies, it can also bring a bit of sentimentality.

When the teams' preseason training camps began, someone contacted Silver, wondering if the league would hold a series of events for Yu Fei and Kobe's retirement season.

However, Xiao Hua did not reveal any information.

The Clippers clearly defined their goals for the new season on the first day of training camp.

Before Yu Fei became GOAT, Jordan's GOAT status was unquestionable because he led his team to three consecutive championships twice in the 90s.

Yu Fei surpassed him with four championships in five years with the Bucks and four consecutive championships with the Supersonics. Now, another opportunity for four consecutive championships is before them.

Winning four consecutive championships will not only turn the Clippers from a dynasty into an "empire", but will also allow Yu Fei to surpass Bill Russell and become the only member of the 12-championship club.

For the already unshakable GOAT, what could be greater than an ending like this?
After the goal was clear, Antetokounmpo took the lead in increasing the intensity of the training camp.

The Greeks could no longer hold back.

He had thought about the day when he would take over, and now the opportunity had come.

His goal is to win the recognition of GOAT this season and then take over the leadership of the team from Yu Fei.

The 37-year-old Yao Ming is the only one on the Clippers who can openly play badly.

He is older, has a high position, and has a good reputation for giving way to others. It can be said that as long as he does not make mistakes that violate the political correctness of American society, he can play for the Clippers as long as he wants.

However, he really didn't expect that Yu Fei would retire earlier than him.

"I thought you would play until you were 40," Yao Ming said. "It seems I was wrong."

Yu Fei replied: "Because you are not me."

"Of course I'm not you." Yao Ming smiled mysteriously, "But I know what it feels like to have all the power. Are you really willing to give it up?"

Yu Fei didn't say much, and answered him with just two words: "Willing to give up."

Most things in life cannot escape this word.

Because Yu Fei had already gained enough, he was willing to leave.

But in a few years, will his thoughts change?

No one can tell.

Jordan was also sure that he would not come back in 1998, but didn't he make a comeback in DC?

Perhaps in a few years, the 38-year-old Yu Fei will oppose the 35-year-old Yu Fei, but that is not now.

Now, he just wants to enjoy his final season.

Enjoy the rewards brought by the fame accumulated over the past decade.

What is certain is that when the new season begins, every time he unlocks “The Last Time Playing in XX”, he will receive local blessings and gifts.

This is the treatment a superstar with epoch-making influence deserves.

In the Clippers' training camp, there is no sign of the decline of a dynasty team.

Because most of these people are young people under the age of 25, and the older Klay Thompson is only 27 years old, which is the best period for basketball players. They play under the wings of GOAT, and now they are about to usher in the retirement season of GOAT, hoping to give GOAT a happy ending with their own strength.

Therefore, the Clippers' training camp is full of passion.

They can't wait for the new season to start.

Training camp, media day, preseason
Each schedule was so familiar to Yu Fei that soon he wouldn't have to think about these things anymore.

The opening game of the new season was played at the Clippers' home court.

This is a special moment.

The Clippers raised their third championship banner at the Staples Center. Although there is still a gap compared to the wealthy Lakers, people today live in the present.

Only those who are dissatisfied with the current situation will indulge in thoughts of reminiscing about the past and looking forward to the future.

Adam Silver presented championship rings one by one.

When he walked in front of Yu Fei, he couldn't help but joked: "Here are your eleven rings, do you want to wear them on your feet?"

"This suggestion is worth considering." Yu Fei responded with a smile.

Afterwards, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer gave a speech on the spot.

As the owner of the franchise, he certainly doesn't want Yu Fei to retire after this season. But since Yu Fei has made the decision, the team must make good use of this gimmick.

As a reward for Frye, Ballmer announced that the Clippers' new arena would be named "Frye Stadium" while retaining the naming rights.

It's not a grand name, but just like UCLA's Poly Arena, a stadium that carries a great heritage does not need a grand name to glorify its own legend.

As a dynasty team in its heyday, what they have to do is something that Milwaukee and Seattle can no longer do - firmly tie Yu Fei's name to the team.

After the opening game, the Clippers' season entered a fast pace.

Yu Fei did not act as he pleased just because this was his last season.

No, what he did was exactly the opposite.

He gave Antetokounmpo and Jokic more opportunities.

Thus, the Greek averaged 26 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists per game in the first month of the season.

The media shouted: "Giannis's data is infinitely close to Frye's in Milwaukee!"

Jokic's average points per game finally broke through 20 points, and he had 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

Yu Fei averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game while being extremely restrained.

It can be seen that this season is indeed a dividing point for the Clippers.

Antetokounmpo and Jokic are ready to hit the level of superstars at any time, but they are too young and have not experienced any setbacks. Without Yu Fei leading them, it will be difficult to continue the Clippers' dynasty.

It’s different with Yu Fei here.

Even though Yu Fei's statistics are approaching the lowest level of his career, no one dares to underestimate him.

In mid-December, Yu Fei scored 50 points against the Knicks, leading the team to a 3-point victory.

"If we beat Frye in the finals, maybe he wouldn't have retired."

Durant said this after the game.

In the Christmas game that followed, the Clippers showed how a talented team could slaughter their opponents when in hot form.

The Warriors did not make any major mistakes throughout the game, but were still outscored by 135 points and "only" scored 121 points, losing the game by 14 points.

Then, time came to the end of the year.

Yu Fei celebrated his 35th birthday.

The real farewell journey also began.

The first team to say goodbye to Yu Fei was the Cavaliers.

In early January, the Clippers came to Cleveland for the first and last time this season, a team that was in dire straits.

James came and went. The first time he humiliated them on national television, and the second time he left cleanly, but that was when the Cavaliers had overdrawn their future.

This year, their draft pick is still in the hands of the Celtics, but they still have the worst record in the league.

How can one bear this situation?

Probably to disgust James, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert gave Yu Fei's family a lifetime VIP seat at Quicken Loans Arena and said, "I had a dream - if we hadn't traded Frye to DC after selecting him in 2001, professional basketball in Cleveland would be completely different. When I woke up from the dream, it suddenly occurred to me, what does it matter that Frye played for the Cavaliers? Some people played here for ten years, but he left nothing, and even if Frye didn't play a game for Cleveland, he made a huge contribution to professional basketball - there is no doubt that he is the greatest player of all time, and I don't even want to see anyone else in the league wearing No. 44 jersey!"

Yes, Gilbert is calling on the entire league to retire the No. 44 jersey.

The first to respond were the Bucks.

It has been almost eleven years since Yu Fei's Milwaukee days, but the Bucks still believe that they are qualified to be the first team to retire Yu Fei's jersey.

When Yu Fei made his final visit to Milwaukee as a player in late January, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, followed by a moving video tribute. The atmosphere was electrified with shouts of “Frye!” and “GOAT!” At the end of the game, there were another round of cheers and a standing ovation.

Yu Fei scored 28 points, blew a kiss to the audience, patted his heart, saluted the fans, and then walked off the court.

After the game, the Bucks announced that they would retire Yu Fei's No. 44 jersey next season.

Just after the Bucks made this announcement, the Washington Wizards also began to release news: "The team is considering retiring the No. 44 jersey."

Yu Fei only played for them in his rookie season.

A sloppy playoff trip, no championship, and a not-so-pleasant breakup. For many years, DC has always been a thorn in Yu Fei's heart.

But, what can I say? Time will dilute all minor hatreds and beautify all the good old days.

The DC media said: "Washington witnessed the rise of Frye. When we saw how the 19-year-old Frye fought against MJ, we should have known that he would be extraordinary. As a witness of that period, the No. 44 jersey should be retired in DC!"

At a time when teams closely related to Yu Fei were discussing retiring Yu Fei's jersey, the Seattle SuperSonics remained awkwardly silent.

They couldn't express themselves.

Of course, they also want to retire No. 44, but Yu Fei said as early as the year before that he did not want to retire his jersey on Clay Bennett's team.

Therefore, as long as Bennett is still the owner, they cannot retire the No. 44 jersey.

The wave of discussions about retiring No. 44 symbolizes that the farewell tour has reached a climax.

Later, at the 2018 All-Star Game, Yu Fei became the starting player for the Western Conference with a huge lead in votes.

Kobe, who is also on retirement tour, was selected for the All-Star Game, but the light of a firefly cannot compete with the bright moon, so Yu Fei is the protagonist of the All-Star Game.

From the All-Star Weekend to the end.

He has always been the focus of media.

In the All-Star Game, Kobe played for 16 minutes, scored 10 points, and then his story ended.

Yu Fei accepted all the games to "pay tribute to predecessors".

The young rising stars took turns looking for him for singles.

His teammates on the Western Conference All-Stars team passed the ball to him.

In the end, he led the Western Conference All-Stars to victory with a game-high 44 points and won the insignificant but unquestionably deserved AMVP.

Then, the farewell tour continues.

When Yu Fei returned to Seattle for the last time, he did not receive an official tribute, but fans spontaneously came to the scene to pay tribute to him.

The Seattle Times specially prepared a candid album of all the on-site posters published in the Times since he transferred to Seattle as a gift.

When Yu Fei came to DC for the last time, the current leader of the United States, Chuan Wang, came to the scene and said: "Frye is not only a hero for Asian Americans, but also a hero for all Americans and even a hero for the world. How can America be great again? When people like Frye appear again!"

DC's farewell was touching. The cheers that GOAT received when he left the stage reminded him of many things, having experienced countless cheers. He waved to the audience.

In addition to touching farewells, there are also humorous farewells.

When Yu Fei came to Miami for the last time during the regular season, the Heat gave him an air conditioner with a message on it: "Please keep it cool in the finals."

Toronto gave Yu Fei a dinosaur fossil because they heard from somewhere that GOAT liked ancient fossils.

Finally, it was April.

In the last game of the regular season, the Clippers faced the Lakers at the Staples Center.

Yu Fei VS Kobe
2001-2018, the last showdown in seventeen years.

From the very beginning, the Lakers were determined to let Kobe take unlimited shots, so Kobe made 50 of 26 shots and scored 64 points.

However, Yu Fei's three-point rain in the last few minutes dissolved Kobe's God-like farewell performance.

,

Yu Fei first made a 25-foot long shot and hit it.

He then made a 26-foot step-back shot and continued to hit.

After missing a 27-foot shot, Yu Fei took another shot near half court and made another hit!
“GOAT!!!!”

The audience cheered in unison, rising to their feet in unison, the sound reaching a deafening height.

"You'll never see a show like this again! You'll never see a match like this again! This is the last time! Frye vs. Kobe, this is the last time! Can we make this game go down in history?"

the announcer yelled excitedly.

Suddenly, the divide between Clippers fans and Lakers fans disappeared.

They all hope to keep peace in this game.

In the end, Yu Fei took the victory and Kobe took the data.

"Mamba out!"

At the end of the game, Kobe said this at the end of his farewell speech.

He did reach the end.

After 22 years of professional career, from the age of 18 to 40, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record has been sealed. He has many regrets, but this is all he can do.

"I never liked Kobe because he was so difficult," Yu Fei told reporters. "It's a blessing to have such an opponent."

Kobe is finished, but Yu Fei is not.

He still has the playoffs.

But is there really any team that can stop the Clippers?
They have a record of 72 wins and 10 losses this season, showing none of the signs of decline that a team chasing a fourth consecutive championship should have.

On the contrary, the young people in the team are excited about taking over, while the old people who are about to leave want to burst out all their energy while they are still here.

Yu Fei was in full force in the first round, easily sweeping the Rockets. In the semifinals, facing the Spurs again, he also spared no effort, averaging 33 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game with a super high hit rate, and the Clippers easily reached the top of the Western Conference.

"He can play until he's 45, if he wants to." Popovich commented on Yu Fei's competitive state, and then added, "Thank God, he doesn't want to!"

The Warriors are at the top of the Western Conference.

They couldn't stop the Clippers.

They have lost to the same opponent for four consecutive years. Will this time be another one?

The Clippers crushed them 4-0.

Such a failure will make people collapse, and they can't help but wonder whether it still makes sense to maintain the status quo?
However, there is one idea that keeps the Warriors going.

“That person won’t be around next year.”

The opponents in the finals are the same as last year.

The Warriors eliminated the Knicks in six games, but the outside expectation they faced in the Finals was just to "win one game against the Clippers."

This is a great insult to the King of the East.

In the end, they discovered that this was not an insult, but reality.

The Heat are the only team that can compete with the Clippers with their talent.

But they will still lose due to lack of talent.

Curry has the best skills and James has the greatest talent, but the former's skills are not enough to defeat the greatest talent, and the latter's great talent is also unable to suppress the equally great talent.

When Miami's sharpest duo was unable to unleash their superstar potential against the Clippers, it was only a matter of time before Miami's flame was extinguished.

1 is better than 0
2 is better than 0
3 is better than 0
The Clippers don't want to lose even a single game.

The greatest player deserves the greatest farewell.

In Game 32 of the Finals, Yu Fei came to Miami for the last time as a player and scored 7 points, 5 rebounds and assists.

Although the Heat continued to resist, it was difficult for them to survive in such a deadly situation.

This is the end.

124 is better than 105
4 is better than 0
Yu Fei entered the ultimate hall.

This is his twelfth championship.

The league also awarded him his twelfth FMVP trophy.

Finally, the microphone was handed to him, and the world was waiting for him to make a final summary of his 17-year rule.

"Michael Jordan ended up in disgrace in DC, and OK disintegrated like a falling meteor. Tim Duncan? Did anyone call him the greatest power forward of all time? Believe me, he is. Dirk Nowitzki? I remember the guy you guys called the No. 21 softie in the st century NBA. Allen Iverson? Kevin Garnett? I like their toughness. Dwyane Wade still surprises me that he has more of a legacy today than LeBron James. And..." Yu Fei fell silent, then said, "I don't need to summarize. My resume is made up of championships, and my championships were made up of the failures of the above-mentioned people. I destroyed them without reservation and without regrets. If there's anything I still remember from these years, it's still my rookie year in DC."

"At least today, I can say that."

"If I'm going to leave, I'm going to leave completely."

"We will meet again indefinitely."

PS: I will write a short postscript to talk about what happened a few years after Yu Fei retired. What is certain is that I will not write a Hall of Fame speech because I can’t write anymore.

(End of this chapter)