noveldrama
Chapter 879 879 540 Who Still Has Dreams_3
Chapter 879 879 540 Who Still Has Dreams_3
?Chapter 879: Chapter 540 Who Still Has Dreams_3 Chapter 879: Chapter 540 Who Still Has Dreams_3 Finally, the Lakers used this incomplete mid-level exception on the veteran Jason Richardson.
Afterward, the Lakers needed to sell dreams with a minimum salary contract just like before.
Who has championship dreams?
But was the Lakers really the place to fulfill those championship dreams?
After the 2010 Western Conference Finals, that dream had shattered.
Now, the Lakers weren’t even in the top three favorites for the championship next season.
They were no longer the first choice for the skilled veterans.
In the meantime, the retirement of star players caught the Lakers off guard.
First came Big Z, who had joined LeBron in Los Angeles. As another giant plagued by injuries at 220cm, he was injured even during his time with the Lakers. The injuries continued even during the suspension of the league.
After two surgeries, doctors believed he could no longer cope with the high demands of basketball games.
So, Big Z decided to retire.
However, LeBron was probably the only person who would feel sad about Big Z’s retirement.
Because that was his only confidant in Los Angeles.
Yet, Big Z’s retirement didn’t make much noise on the public level.
It was like Wang Feng being overshadowed by something more significant.
Or rather, a more important person had retired.
That person was Shaquille O’Neal, a 39-year-old veteran.
Career highlights?
He created the OK Dynasty with Kobe.
The last season before the suspension, Shaquille O’Neal had spent with the Cavaliers.
During the suspension, Shaquille O’Neal accepted a TV channel’s invitation to become a media personality, quickly realizing that his later life would be closely related to this. He was a natural TV personality with an innate sense of variety and humor.
He only had one concern, would Kobe get his fourth ring?
If Kobe did, Shaquille O’Neal had no doubt that the man would say something like “I have one more ring than Shaq.”
So, surprisingly, in the battle between the Lone Empire and the Evil Empire, Shaquille O’Neal was Yu Fei’s staunchest supporter.
In front of the TV, Shaquille O’Neal cursed the Lakers countless times, and eventually, the curse took effect.
Kobe failed.
The League then fell into suspension.
That was the peak of the Lakers, and also the most vulnerable time for the Supersonics Empire.
It could be said that was the Lakers’ only chance.
Since the Lakers missed that chance, there wouldn’t be another.
On the Supersonics side, Chris Bosh was still around, Durant was set to be up a notch or two stronger in the 2011-12 season, and Roy would regain his health.
And Yu Fei… as a GOAT, a fundamental criterion is never losing a favorable battle.
Shaquille O’Neal could retire peaceably.
He believed Yu Fei would not let Kobe get that fourth ring.
At the press conference announcing his retirement, Shaquille O’Neal appeared quite composed.
“I’m old,” Shaquille O’Neal said, “I know the longer I play, the less fans will remember what I looked like when I was young. That’s not what I want. Since I can’t be my best self anymore, it’s better to end it early.”
Then, he couldn’t resist taking a dig at LeBron: “I really love this place (Cleveland), everyone here has been so welcoming to me, they were so kind and caring. I love this city, but unfortunately, like LeBron, I couldn’t bring any honor to this city.”
Finally, when a reporter asked him, “Do you have anything you want to say to Kobe?”
Shaquille O’Neal said with a smile, “Kiss my ass!”
This may not mark the end of an era because Shaquille O’Neal was not representative of any era.
At least in this era, the rulers of the 2000s were not Shaquille O’Neal, but Kobe and Duncan.
The man who dominated that era was Yu Fei.
But one thing was certain, Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement marked the beginning of the end of an era.
Starting with Shaquille O’Neal, then Garnett, Kobe, Duncan… they entered an era dominated by Jordan, charged with the historical mission of taking over the League after Jordan’s retirement.
To this day, thirteen years have passed, Shaquille O’Neal dominated for three years, Duncan for two years, and the remaining years bore the name of Yu Fei.
Shaquille O’Neal left, his career began at the peak of the Bulls Dynasty and ended in the era when Yu Fei ascended as the new Greatest of All Time.
Over 19 years, witnessing the rise of two Greatest of All Times, was both his fortune and his sorrow.
He will be remembered by contemporary fans as a superstar center who was trampled underfoot by Yu Fei.
No insightful journalist would question Yu Fei about Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement.
If the conflict between Yu Fei and Jordan was an office disagreement, which had now become a fierce battle for status—and Yu Fei had already won—then the conflict between Yu Fei and Shaquille O’Neal was purely personal.
Before entering the NBA, Yu Fei made remarks that earned Shaquille O’Neal’s lasting enmity, which made their first meeting in the NBA very unpleasant. Later, Shaquille O’Neal petty-mindedly launched racist attacks on Yao Ming, who had more All-Star votes than he did, crossing Yu Fei’s bottom line.
Over the years, even as Yu Fei firmly suppressed Shaquille O’Neal, leaving him unsuccessful, Shaquille O’Neal never bowed his head.
This was a grudge that could not be resolved.
Yu Fei ignored the news of Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement, and after the public reminisced about Shaquille O’Neal’s peak for a few days, they turned their attention to the latest sports news.
Major moves by the teams continued, capturing big targets one by one, and the pattern for the new season became clear.
The big three in the West, the big three in the East.
Western Conference’s top three were the Supersonics, Lakers, and Spurs, whereas in the Eastern Conference, it was the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, and Bucks.
Yet, among them, the Supersonics were still recognized as the strongest.
Because their core lineup hadn’t changed.
Even before the lockout and when the lineup wasn’t complete, they had eliminated the Lakers and achieved a three-peat.
Now with a full roster, they should be even more unstoppable.
Even so, they had some personnel changes.
Jermaine O’Neal had left the team, having won a championship; to him, having a championship was sufficient, the rest was about making more money while he still could play.
He accepted a full mid-level exception contract with the Warriors.
Larry Hughes and Michael Finley retired.
Nick Collison re-signed with the Supersonics for a minimum salary.
The Supersonics recruited cautiously.
After keeping Collison, Presti signed the big shooter Steve Novak from the free market for a minimum salary.
Presti tightly held onto the incomplete mid-level exception, starting to sell dreams to uncertain veterans.
Big Ben Wallace faced a choice between two options.
Return to Detroit to retire, or follow his nemesis Yu Fei and see if he could snatch a championship.
Back in the day, the Bucks and Pistons were old rivals in the Eastern Conference, and the Palace of Auburn Hills brawl in the winter of 2004 cut off Yu Fei’s chances for his first three-peat.
Big Ben believed that Yu Fei, being petty, surely still remembered.
Thus, Presti asked Yu Fei.
“I do remember,” Yu Fei said, “I remember it was Tayshaun Prince who threw punches at me that year.”
Yu Fei told Presti: “Tell Big Ben, in the past eight years I’ve won seven championships. I can let a lot of things go.”
With that, Ben Wallace confidently signed a one-year minimum salary contract with the Supersonics.
Eventually, the mid-level exception of the Supersonics was used on Grant Hill.
Also a veteran, Hill had played full season for Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, a rare all-around role player.
The repeatedly victorious Supersonics became the most popular team on the veterans market.
Hill accepted their offer, giving up a one-year, 6 million US-dollar contract with the Suns to accept a two-year, 6 million US-dollar contract with the Supersonics.
This forced Sam Presti to ask the free market: “Who else has dreams?”