Chapter 633: No time to meet
The 2017 championship allowed Yu Fei to win the eleventh championship in his career.
This also allowed him to enter the 11th crown club owned by Bill Russell for nearly half a century.
This is certainly a symbolic moment.
And, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finish.
The Clippers won three consecutive championships and established a dynasty, and Yu Fei is almost 35 years old. As he has said over the years, he is likely to end his career this year like Jordan did in 1998.
"Whether to leave or stay, 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 has arrived as scheduled.
The No. 1 pick fell to the Suns, who selected the much-anticipated Markelle Fultz. The Magic, who received the second pick, selected Lonzo Ball, while the Celtics, who held the Cavaliers' first-round pick, selected the No. 3 pick. Jayson Tatum. Subsequently, De'Aaron Fox went to the Kings, and Josh Jackson was taken down 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 Trim.
Therefore, the Clippers selected a player from Josh Hart with the 29th pick in the first round.
That's the only thing the Clippers did in the draft.
Although this year's draft is called a big draft year, it will take at least four or five years for these rookies to realize their talents. Therefore, the league's pattern will not change in any way.
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 number one 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 award ceremony is particularly important.
June 27
The day finally came.
The NBA held an awards ceremony during the offseason for the first time, successfully putting the player award ceremony on television as a commodity.
From now on, you will no longer see fans listening to players' sincere speeches at the scene. Instead, there will be a lively reality show. The players knew it was a show and the fans knew it too. So where is emotion placed? It's all in the ticket.
How many emotions do you have? How much are you willing to pay to see your favorite player win?
It's all up to you.
Just as on purpose, TNT arranged Yu Fei's FMVP award ceremony at the end of the show, starting with the smallest awards.
Seeing the award-winning contestants walking back and forth on the stage like Victoria's Secret models, Yu Fei could only rejoice. Fortunately, there was no such arrangement in the Stern era.
Otherwise, he would have to suffer for it every year.
However, although this activity is deeply disgusting, most of the respectable people in the league came to the scene.
Even players who don't win will try to get tickets.
The seating arrangement between the stars is also very particular.
The Warriors, last season's losers, have their entire team here.
James, who had been out of the draft and missed the MVP, was chatting freely next to Curry, seemingly not caring that his limelight was completely stolen.
Yu Fei chatted with the people in the team for a while, and then went backstage.
He met Durant.
Adu looked worried.
Yu Fei asked: "Is there anything you can't think about?"
"My contract with Nike expires this summer. They want me to renew, but Reebok is also fighting for me." Durant asked, "What do you think I should do?"
Yu Feixiao asked: "What position do you think I should take to answer this question?"
"The position of a leader." Durant said, "I have moved forward under your guidance. Those years are as precious as gold to me. I hope to get your advice on this matter."
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Besides Anthony Davis, Durant is the first player of the Mesozoic generation owned by Nike.
Once Durant is poached, the blow to Nike will be no less than when Nike poached Kobe Bryant from Adidas.
Although Yu Fei doesn't care much about the fights in these shopping malls, he is still willing to lend a hand if he can help the company.
"Nike is rotten." Yu Fei said, "Most young stars are under Reebok. If you want to make a big splash in New York, you have to join a camp with brighter stars. I can't tell you which path is the best. Right, I just know that Nike is going downhill and Reebok hasn’t reached its peak yet. 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 take the stage, and his last words to Durant were. "Because I can still kick your ass!"
Under the watch of everyone, Yu Fei finally came to the front desk and answered the questions that had been bothering the outside world for a long time.
"I will not retire."
"I will play for another year."
This time, there is no suspense, no room for ambiguity, not even room for leeway.
"I can safely say that next season will be my last, and I'm happy to be here to share the 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 don't know the end of this road, why don't we blame Fry 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 easy.
Yu Fei wants to play 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.
By then, if the Clippers can complete four consecutive championships, it will be a perfect handover of the scepter.
Yu Fei's decision to play another year will have a profound impact on this offseason.
But that's not the only big story.
In early July, superstar Kevin Durant, who Nike 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 when breaking the news, the impact on the industry was extremely terrifying.
Durant's departure means that Nike has lost a brand in the basketball field.
Moreover, this is the biggest sign that James has been unable to overpower Curry in Miami after Kobe retired.
Anthony Davis is trapped in New Orleans. Although he is a big name, because he is in an inside position that does not sell shoes, his status is different from that of a true superstar.
Reebok who gets Durant will not have a qualitative change, but Nike who loses Durant may face a comprehensive failure in the basketball field.
The ripple effects of Durant signing with Reebok followed immediately.
Kyrie Irving, the leading guard of the SuperSonics, was fed up with being alone in an empty city. With the last year of his contract left, he chose a self-destructive deal.
Not only does he have to leave, but he also has to designate a new player. If the team does not trade him to the Knicks, he will not give any new player a contract extension commitment.
In this way, Irving exhausted his character, but also left the team with no choice but to negotiate with the Knicks.
Under Durant's guidance, the Knicks also began to operate actively.
In the end, the Knicks exchanged Andre Iguodala and three first-rounders and two first-rounders for Irving from Seattle. At this point, the Knicks finally got another top star.
Just as the free market was raging in New York, the Lakers announced that Kobe Bryant had confirmed to play for another year.
Similarly, Kobe's camp also announced that the 2017-18 season will be Kobe's last season.
Although Kobe's influence is far less than that of Yu Fei, his 22 years in the basketball world are enough to make fans miss his various achievements in the 20 years on the court.
Two heavyweight players will usher in the last year of their careers in the new season, and the league will naturally want to make good use of this gimmick.
At the end of August, after the new season schedule was released, people discovered that the season finale of the Clippers and Lakers coincided with each other.
That’s what’s interesting about the schedule.
In addition to creating confrontations between old enemies and bloody battles between enemies, it can also bring in a bit of emotion.
When the preseason training camps of each team began, someone contacted Xiao Hua and wanted to know whether the league would hold a series of activities for the retirement seasons of Yu Fei and Kobe.
Xiao Hua did not reveal any information.
The Clippers made their goals for the new season clear on the first day of training camp.
Before Yu Fei became the GOAT, Jordan's GOAT status was unquestionable because he led his team to complete three consecutive championships twice in the 1990s.
Yu Fei surpassed him through his 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.
Completing four consecutive championships will not only turn the Clippers from a dynasty into an "empire", but also allow Yu Fei to surpass Bill Russell and become the only person in the club to win twelve championships.
For the already unshakable GOAT, what could be greater than this ending?
After the goal was clear, Antetokounmpo took the lead in increasing the intensity of confrontation in the training camp.
The Greeks could no longer hold themselves back.
He had thought about the day he would take over, but now, the opportunity had come.
His goal is to win GOAT recognition this season and then take over the team's dominance from Yu Fei.
The 37-year-old Yao Ming is the only person on the Clippers team who can openly mess up.
He is older, has a higher status, and has a reputation as a man of merit. It can be said that as long as he does not commit some mistakes that go against the political correctness of American society, he can play with 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 are 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's like to have power and monopoly. Are you really willing to let go of this?"
Yu Fei didn't say much and answered him with only two words: "I'm willing to give up."
Most things in life cannot escape this word.
Because Yu Fei had received enough, he was willing to leave.
But in a few years, will his mind change?
No one can say for sure.
Jordan was convinced in 1998 that he would not come back, but didn't he show up again in D.C.?
Maybe 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 feedback brought by the fame accumulated over more than ten years.
What is certain is that when the new season starts, he will receive local blessings and gifts every time he unlocks "Last time playing in XX".
This is the treatment a superstar with influence of the era deserves.
In the Clippers' training camp, they couldn't see the signs 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 GOAT's retirement season. They hope to use their own strength to give GOAT a happy ending.
As a result, Clippers training camp is filled with excitement.
They can't wait for the new season to start right away.
Training camp, media days, preseason
Every schedule was so familiar to Yu Fei, and soon he no longer had to think about these things.
The opening game of the new season starts at the Clippers' home court.
This is a special moment.
The Clippers raised their third championship flag at the Staples Center. Although there is still a gap compared to the rich Lakers of their ancestors, people today live in the present.
Only those who are dissatisfied with the status quo will be immersed in thoughts of remembering the past and looking forward to the future.
Adam Silver awarded championship rings one by one.
When he walked up to Yu Fei, he couldn't help but joked: "These are your eleven rings. Do you want to wear them on your feet?"
"This suggestion is worth considering." Yu Fei responded with a smile.
Later, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer gave a speech at the scene.
As the owner of the franchise, he certainly doesn't want Yu Fei to retire after finishing this season. But now that Yu Fei has decided, the team must also make good use of this gimmick.
In return for flying, Ballmer announced that the Clippers' new arena will be named "Frye Arena" while retaining naming rights.
This is not a grand name, but it is just like UCLA's Poly Arena. A stadium carrying a great heritage does not need a grand name to highlight its own legend.
As a dynasty team in its heyday, what they have to do is something Milwaukee and Seattle can no longer do - Yu Fei's name is firmly tied to the team.
After the opening game, the Clippers' season entered a fast pace.
Yu Fei didn't do whatever he wanted just because this was his last season.
No, he did the exact opposite.
He gave Antetokounmpo and Jokic more opportunities.
As a result, the Greeks averaged 26 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the first month of the season.
The media shouted: "Giannis' data is approaching Frye's in Milwaukee!"
Jokic's scoring average finally exceeded 20 points per game, with 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
Yu Fei averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game under extremely restrained circumstances.
It can be seen that this season is indeed the dividing point for the Clippers.
Antetokounmpo and Jokic are ready to go and are always ready to hit the superstar level, but they are too young and have not experienced many setbacks. Without Yu Fei to lead them, I am afraid it will be difficult to continue the Clippers' legacy. dynasty.
It's different with Yu Feizai.
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 and led the team to a 3-point victory over the opponent.
"If we beat Frye in the Finals, maybe he won't retire."
Durant said this after the game.
In the Christmas game that followed, the Clippers showed how a talented team could slaughter its opponents when in hot form.
Without making any big mistakes, the Warriors were scored 135 points in front of others. They "only" scored 121 points and lost the game by 14 points.
Then, time comes to the end of the year.
Yu Fei celebrated his 35th birthday.
The real farewell journey also begins.
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 in distress.
James came and went. The first time he humiliated them on national live broadcast. Although the second time he left simply, he also left when the Cavaliers overdrawn their future.
This year, their draft picks are still in the hands of the Celtics, but they still have the bottom record in the league.
How can this situation be so embarrassing?
Probably to disgust James, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert gave Yu Fei’s family a lifetime VIP seat at Quicken Loans Arena, and said: “I have had such a dream-if we chose Frank in 2001, If Lay hadn't traded him to D.C., professional basketball in Cleveland would be completely different. When I woke up, I suddenly thought, what does it matter that Frye played for the Cavaliers? Some people played here for ten years, but he left nothing. Even if Frye didn't play a game for Cleveland, he made a huge contribution to professional basketball-without a doubt, he is the greatest player of all time. I don't even want to see another player in the league. Others are wearing jersey No. 44”
Yes, Gilbert is calling on the league to retire No. 44.
The first to respond were the Bucks.
Nearly eleven years have passed since Yu Fei's Milwaukee era, but the Bucks still believe they are qualified to be the first team to retire Yu Fei's jersey.
When Yu Fei visited Milwaukee for the final time as a player in late January, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, followed by a touching video tribute. Cheers of "Fry!" and "G-O-A-T!" rang out, and the atmosphere was electric. At the end of the game, there were cheers and standing ovations again.
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 announced this, the Washington Wizards also began to release news: "The team is considering retiring the No. 44 jersey."
Yu Fei only played for them during his rookie season.
A hasty playoff trip, no championship, and an unpleasant breakup. For many years, D.C. has always been a knot in Yu Fei's heart.
But, how to say it? Time will dilute all minor hatreds and beautify all good old times.
The D.C. media said: "Washington has witnessed the rise of Frye. When we saw how the 19-year-old Frye faced off against MJ, we should have known that he would be extraordinary. As a witness to those years, the No. 44 jersey should Retired in D.C.”
At a time when teams closely related to Yu Fei are scrambling to discuss retiring Yu Fei's jersey, the Seattle SuperSonics remain awkwardly silent.
They cannot take a stand.
Of course they also want to retire No. 44, but Yu Fei said as early as the year before last that he did not want to have his jersey retired by 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.
Subsequently, in the 2018 All-Star Game, Yu Fei became the starter in the Western Conference with the leading vote count.
Kobe Bryant, who was also on a retirement tour, was also selected for the All-Star Game, but it was difficult for the Fireflies to compete with the bright moon, and Yu Fei was the protagonist of the All-Star Game.
From the start of the All-Star Weekend to the end.
He has always been in the media spotlight.
In the All-Star Game, Kobe played 16 minutes and scored 10 points. Then, his story ended.
Yu Fei accepted all games that "pay tribute to the predecessors".
The young stars took turns finding him for singles.
Western Stars teammates threw passes to him.
In the end, he led the Western Conference Stars to victory with a game-high 44 points, winning the insignificant but unqualified AMVP.
Then, the farewell journey 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 photo album of all the live posters published in the Times since he transferred to Seattle as a gift.
When Yu Fei came to D.C. for the last time, the current leader of the United States, King Chuan, came to the scene and said: "Frye is not only a hero for Asian Americans, but also a hero for all Americans, and a hero for the world. How can the United States Great again? When someone like Fry appears again!”
D.C's farewell was touching. The cheers that GOAT received when he left the stage reminded the man who had 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 in the regular season, the Heat gave him an air conditioner with the words: "Please be cooler in the Finals."
Toronto gave Yu Fei a dinosaur fossil because they didn't know where they heard that GOAT liked paleontology.
Finally, it’s April.
In the last game of the regular season, the Clippers faced the Lakers at Staples Center.
Yu Fei VS Kobe
2001-2018, the last showdown in seventeen years.
From the beginning, the Lakers were determined to allow Kobe to take unlimited shots. As a result, Kobe made 26 of 50 shots and scored 64 points.
However, Yu Fei's three-point rain in the last few minutes defused Kobe's God-possessed curtain call performance.
,
Yu Fei made a 25-foot long shot first and hit the target.
He then hit a 26-foot step-back shot and continued to hit.
After missing a 27-foot shot, Yu Fei started again close to half court and hit again!
“GOAT!!!!“
The audience cheered in unison and stood up in unison, the sound reaching a deafening height.
"You'll never see a show like this again! You'll never see a matchup like this again! This is the last time! Frye VS Kobe, this is the last time! Can we engrave this game in history? ”
The announcer shouted excitedly.
Suddenly, the divide between Clippers fans and Lakers fans disappeared.
They all want to keep the peace in this game.
In the end, Yu Fei took away the victory and Kobe took away the data.
"Mambaout!"
At the end of the game, Kobe said this at the end of his curtain speech.
He did come to an end.
In a 22-year career, from the age of 18 to 40, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record has been dusted. He has many regrets, but this is all he can do.
"I have never liked Kobe because he is so tricky." Yu Fei told reporters, "It is a blessing to have such an opponent."
Kobe is over, Yu Fei is not.
He still has the playoffs.
But can any team really resist the Clippers?
They recorded 72 wins and 10 losses this season, completely lacking the signs of decline that a team chasing four consecutive championships should have.
On the contrary, the young people in the team are excited because they are about to take over, while the old people who are about to leave want to explode all their energy while staying.
Yu Fei was on full fire in the first round and easily swept the Rockets. He reached the semifinals and faced the Spurs again. He also spared no effort and averaged 33 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists with a super high shooting rate. The Clippers easily entered the Western Conference. top.
"He can play until he is 45, as long as he wants to." Popovich commented on Yu Fei's competitive state, and then added, "Thank God, fortunately he doesn't want to!"
The top of the Western Conference, the Warriors are here.
They couldn't stop the Clippers.
They have fallen to the same opponent for four consecutive years, is this time still behind them?
The Clippers beat them hard, 4-0.
Such a failure can break people down and make them wonder whether there is any point in maintaining the status quo?
However, there is one thought that could keep the Warriors hanging on.
"That person will be gone next year."
The opponents in the finals are the same as last year.
The Warriors eliminated the Knicks in six games, but the only expectation they faced in the Finals was to "win one game against the Clippers."
For the King of the East, this was a huge insult.
In the end, they discovered that this was not an insult, but a reality.
The Heat are the only team that can compete with the Clippers with talent.
But they still lose because of a 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 cannot be suppressed in the face of the same great talent.
When Miami's sharpest two stars are unable to unleash their huge potential in the face of the Clippers, it is only a matter of time before Miami's flames are extinguished.
1 to 0
2 to 0
3 to 0
The Clippers don't even want to lose a game.
The greatest players deserve the greatest finale.
In the fourth game of the Finals, Yu Fei came to Miami as a player for the last time and scored 32 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
Although the Heat continued to resist, it was difficult to survive in such a deadly situation.
That's it.
124 to 105
4 to 0
Yu Fei entered the ultimate palace.
This is his twelfth championship.
The league also awarded him the twelfth FMVP trophy.
Finally, the microphone was handed to him, and the world expected him to make a final summary of his 17-year reign.
"Michael Jordan ended in disgrace in D.C. and OK disintegrated like a fallen meteor. Tim Duncan? Did anyone call him the greatest power forward of all time? Trust me, he was. Dirk Nowitzki? I remember that Allen Iverson, the No. 1 softie in the NBA in the 21st century? I like their toughness than LeBron James today. James has more historical heritage, which still surprises me." Yu Fei suddenly fell silent, and then said, "I don't need to summarize, my resume is made of champions, and my championship is made of the above-mentioned people. Failure made it happen. I destroyed them without any regrets. If there is anything I will never forget about these seventeen years, it is still my rookie year in D.C.”
"At least today, I can say that."
"If I were to leave, I would leave completely."
"We will never meet again."
PS: I will write another short postscript about what happened a few years after Yu Fei retired. What is certain is that I will not be able to write a Hall of Fame speech. I can’t write anymore.
(End of chapter)