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Chapter 847 847 530 Ascension to the Throne_2
Chapter 847 847 530 Ascension to the Throne_2
?Chapter 847: Chapter 530: Ascension to the Throne_2 Chapter 847: Chapter 530: Ascension to the Throne_2 “The Washington Post” began revisiting Yu Fei’s rookie season in D.C.
They were “surprised” to find that signs of Yu Fei’s greatness had been evident early on.
At that time, however, no one could realize it.
“Frye could have led D.C. to win seven championships,” said one insider, “how long will it take us to recover from the loss of that trade?”
“Sports Illustrated” was the most direct of the media outlets, selecting Yu Fei as the cover person for the final issue of June, with the cover boldly proclaiming: THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME.
Moreover, they sent out Gary Smith, who made Yu Fei a household name with his article “The Chosen One” nine years prior, to write another feature article on Yu Fei.
For this, Smith contacted Yu Fei to conduct an exclusive interview.
Yu Fei readily agreed.
Throughout his career, many people helped Yu Fei, and Smith was one of them; without the latter’s momentum-building back then, it would have been impossible for him to enter scout’s radars after just one explosive year, ranking in the top ten draft picks.
Various promotions and public opinions officially placed Yu Fei on the highest pedestal.
On the NBA’s official website, within Yu Fei’s nicknames, “GOAT” precedes “The Chosen One,” becoming his biggest label.
Although some of Jordan’s die-hard fans tried to defend Jordan’s divinity, the foundation of Yu Fei’s rise was based on surpassing Jordan in all areas.
In terms of the number of championships and various MVP awards, Yu Fei had surpassed Jordan.
Although Jordan had more scoring titles, Yu Fei held the record for points scored in a single playoff game and had recently accomplished the feat of scoring at least 50 points in three consecutive games during the Western finals.
In fact, scoring champion was the only advantage Jordan’s supporters could claim. In terms of versatility, Yu Fei not only led in rebounds and assists but also had three seasons averaging a triple-double.
In the playoffs, Yu Fei’s average points, rebounds, and assists were all superior to Jordan’s. Record-wise, from scoring 71 points in a single game against James to his recent display of scoring 50 points in three consecutive Western finals games, Yu Fei far surpassed Jordan.
Speaking of game impact, Jordan had at most changed the perception of point guards, while Yu Fei’s “space basketball” had altered the way basketball games were played and their logic.
The revolution of basketball gameplay had been gradual since its inception. The logic of winning in Jordan’s era was not much different from that in George Mikan’s era; however, in Yu Fei’s era, space and pace determined everything.
Then there’s what was mentioned earlier—Yu Fei reached greater heights in less time.
This was a standard, indisputable way of surpassing Michael Jordan.
In every statistical category on the basketball court, Yu Fei surpassed Jordan.
Even the cultural influence, which Jordan’s fans proudly claim, is hard to say who holds greater sway.
Because the African American group Jordan represented has had superstar athletes in every era, whereas Yu Fei represented Asians, a traditionally sidelined group in American sports.
Yet it was this underprivileged group that produced a Giant God.
In just a few days, the consensus was that new GOAT was Yu Fei.
What about Jordan, the former GOAT?
He intended to keep a low profile, but it was not possible.
Because of his rivalry with Yu Fei, the more glorified Yu Fei became, the more of a laughingstock Jordan became in public discourse.
Jordan had to speak up for himself.
And he had to do so without seeming too deliberate.
In mid-June, Jordan took part in a high-profile golf celebrity tournament in Charlotte and “casually” accepted an interview from a local television station.
He talked about many things.
“For me, the most important thing is to succeed as an owner,” Jordan said, “but first, we need to create a healthy operational environment.”
He then lightly touched on the topic of the GOAT.
“I don’t like that term,” Jordan said, showing distinct disdain when he mentioned “GOAT,” “It embarrasses me because I’ve never competed against some of the greats like Jerry West and Oscar Robertson—I wouldn’t want to be called ‘GOAT’ under those circumstances.”
“Moreover, if you want to be the ‘Greatest Of All Time,’ I think it definitely requires some criteria.”
“For instance, in my era, with me and my contemporaries, excellent players, we increased the average salary of players tenfold over ten years, it was a great era.” Jordan said proudly, “I believe a true ‘Greatest of All Time’ should do similar things, not just personal success but leading the whole industry towards success.”
Finally, the reporter asked, “How do you feel about Frye saying after winning the FMVP that he wouldn’t mind if people said he was better than number 23?”
“I don’t mind either,” Jordan stated plainly, selling out his little brother, “He indeed is better than LeBron.”
Jordan’s response stirred up some ripples in the debate over the Greatest of All Time.
But the result won’t change.
Those who are die-hard fans of Jordan will never admit that Yu Fei is the Greatest of All Time; what matters most is what the neutrals think.
And the reality is, the neutrals also think Yu Fei is the Greatest of All Time.
So, the debate is over.
From now on, there will be no discussions about whether Yu Fei or Jordan is the Greatest of All Time, only topics about how this Greatest of All Time, Yu Fei, is doing wonders.
While the outside world was in turmoil, Yu Fei was on vacation.
He wanted a few days off.
Meanwhile, the management of the SuperSonics had little time to celebrate their three-peat and the approved financing plan.
Sam Presti started preparing for this year’s draft immediately after the season ended.
A major issue that became apparent for the SuperSonics in the playoffs was the lack of shooters.
However, the Lakers’ failure made Presti realize, pure shooters are too prone to misfire in high-stake games, 3D players might be the real answer for space basketball.
Therefore, the goal for the SuperSonics in the draft was to recruit 3D players first, then shooters, and lastly a backup point guard.
However, strengthening the team was not an easy task, as the SuperSonics only had the 29th pick in the first round and the 29th pick in the second round, and it would take luck to find a potential star in a draft where the talent was top-heavy but thin on the ground.
While all the team managements were focused on the draft, undercurrents were stirring in the League.
The conflict between labor and management had become extremely sharp during the All-Star weekend.
At that time, the two sides reached no consensus.
Management had intended to wait for the new TV broadcasting agreements to take effect next season before showing their cards, but SuperSonics’ blockbuster $500 million financing plan and the financial reports that followed the season shook those struggling small-market teams.
According to financial reports, after deducting basic expenses and a considerable luxury tax, the SuperSonics earned the most money in the League during the playoffs, reaching a net profit of $140 million for the season.
Keep in mind, these profits did not need to be shared with other teams.
In this situation, Clay Bennett, owner of the SuperSonics, actually advocated cutting costs and taking money from labor’s pocket during the All-Star weekend on behalf of the large-market teams?
During his vacation, Yu Fei received a call from the union.
“Frye!” Union President Derek Fisher said urgently, “We need to prepare for the worst!”
Yu Fei asked, “What is the worst-case preparation?”
“When necessary, we must have the determination and belief to lock out,” Fisher said, “That’s our biggest card.”
“I understand,” Yu Fei replied, “You do what you need to do.”
In Yu Fei’s memory, the NBA had indeed locked out during the 2010s, but he did not remember the exact timing because he was only 4 years old when the lockout occurred in his previous life.
So, he only had a vague impression, he did not know how the lockout started or ended, and even less so he knew that because of his presence, the NBA’s timeline had completely changed, the SuperSonics did not move, the League had signed a larger-than-expected TV broadcasting contract last year, and the existence of upstarts like Bennett greatly provoked the dispute between labor and management.
This was a storm brewing.
On the surface, everyone was calm, methodically preparing for the upcoming 2010 NBA draft.