Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 882 882 541 Basketball Issue_3

?Chapter 882: Chapter 541 Basketball Issue_3 Chapter 882: Chapter 541 Basketball Issue_3 Even after being fired for poor coaching performance, there would still be weak teams that would give him a second chance based on his resume.

Moreover, Lu had a perfect start in Seattle.

He led the team to a threepeat despite internal and external strife.

This made him walk with an air of confidence; he genuinely felt his position was very stable.

“George, how’s your health?”

Lu asked with a smile.

“Very well.” Karl still couldn’t believe he was unemployed because of Tyronn Lu. “I feel healthier than when I was 20.”

Lu smiled harmlessly, “That’s great, George, we can’t proceed without the wisdom of our elders; you are a treasure of Seattle.”

Karl wondered if Lu would be willing to step aside for the treasure, but it was unlikely.

“I’m glad I can help,” Karl said insincerely, “Hope I can help even more.”

“There will be an opportunity.”

Lu left; he was heading to the court to meet with the entire team.

Karl just watched his back.

Before the lockout, they got along well, and Karl was very willing to advise Lu, who was then in a tough spot.

But when Lu won the championship, things changed.

Lu knew he had the foundation to replace Karl.

After that, only superficial courtesies remained between them.

Just as Karl resented Lu for taking his job, Lu was equally worried that Karl might oust him.

Because Fei’s relationship with Karl was too close.

Of Fei’s seven championships, six were linked to Karl.

Lu had no doubt that if Fei declared he wanted Karl back, he would lose everything he currently held.

Why didn’t Fei do it? Because there are rules in everything.

Lu hadn’t made any mistakes, he had completed his work so far, and his relationship with Fei was also good.

Even for his own reputation, Fei wouldn’t force Lu out.

But his not doing so didn’t mean he didn’t have the ability to do it.

Fei’s close relationship with Karl deeply worried Lu until the team gave him a contract, confirming he was part of the long-term plan, and he could finally relax.

Karl was still his potential biggest rival, but the advantage was his, as long as he didn’t make mistakes, Karl would have no chance.

Lu arrived at the court, and the players were already lined up in two rows.

At a glance, there was Fei, Roy, Chris Bosh, Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Brown, Hill, Moro, Beverley, Chandler, Wallace, Collison, Livingston—fourteen contracted players encompassing superstars, stars, all-stars, mid-career players, veterans, and rookies, everything one could ask for.

Could there be a better combination?

Lu couldn’t imagine one.

“Do you know?” Lu said loudly, “I see a team in front of me that could easily achieve a fourpeat.”

Could the word “easily” really be linked with fourpeats?

“However, it’s like the winter of 2002, when Phil Jackson also thought the OK Lakers could easily complete a fourpeat,” Lu continued, “What happened later, you all know. Our obstacle isn’t New Jersey or Los Angeles. The enemy is ourselves.”

“If we don’t want to follow the old path of the Lakers Team, we must bravely forge a new one,” Lu confidently said, “and we can certainly do it, because leading us forward is the Greatest of All Time basketball player!”

Everyone glanced at Fei.

Fei, feeling that Coach Lu was a bit long-winded, spoke up to tease him: “I’m starting to miss George’s preseason talks.”

This made Coach Lu laugh nervously, “Then let’s start training!”

Coach Lu was truly nervous, and couldn’t help but wonder if Yu Fei’s earlier statement implied something.

A few days later, he found that nothing had changed and that he had overthought it.

However, it wasn’t that there were no changes at all. The changes in Durant were quite conspicuous. Although not yet 23 years old, Durant had made notable progress compared to before the suspension. He had gained some weight, but more importantly, his core strength had increased. He was no longer the skinny pole that could be limited by intensive defense from powerful forwards.

He still didn’t look muscular, yet his strength had increased dramatically in a way that most people couldn’t understand.

This strength in his ball-handling offensively further enhanced the completeness of his attacking skills.

A most direct indicator was that in the past, he always got dominated by Yu Fei in team scrimmages.

Now, he was able to respond.

Their previous nine-one situation had now changed to a seven-three or even six-four situation.

Of course, this was also because Yu Fei had not yet returned to his best condition.

But Durant’s superstar quality was already undeniably apparent.

Such a Durant required a higher tactical status and more shooting rights, but the long break caused by the suspension allowed fragile players like Roy to recover fully.

The SuperSonics were all in good health.

This was terrifying, as well as tricky.

Even if all the legendary coaches in history were to join Coach Lu’s coaching staff, they could not possibly devise a perfect strategy that would allow the SuperSonics to maximize their team power without hindering Durant’s pursuit of superstardom.

To be a superstar, you need the ball, and to have the ball, others must sacrifice.

The Greatest of All Time cannot make sacrifices.

Roy was unsure whether he should sacrifice.

Chris Bosh had already made enough sacrifices and, likewise, as it was his contract year in the developing season, after winning a championship with the team, he had to consider his own future.

Suddenly, the SuperSonics felt like a political scene.

When a regional scandal emerged, everyone said they were willing to take responsibility.

And when everyone took responsibility, it resulted in no one taking responsibility.

If everyone needed to sacrifice their ball rights to achieve Durant’s stardom, the end result might be that no one would be willing to make even a slight sacrifice.

With some time left before the season started, Tyronn Lue was already feeling the headache.

This was the cost of steering an aircraft carrier.

Certainly, it started high and made achieving honors easier, but correspondingly, the problems encountered in an aircraft carrier were basically the hardest a coach could face.

On the surface it appeared to be an issue of ball rights, but in reality, it was not.

This was a basketball issue.

And the most difficult basketball problems in the world always occur off the court.

George Karl suddenly felt a pleasure in observing from afar.

Before the suspension, injuries not only affected the SuperSonics’ championship competitiveness but also greatly reduced the internal conflicts brought about by ball rights.

Roy’s injuries allowed others to shine.

Two years later, today’s Durant was more outstanding, Chris Bosh had achieved his championship aspirations, was unwilling to continue sacrificing, and Roy, having regained his health, had no clear concept of how much he should sacrifice; the problem plaguing Karl had become even more complex.

This was an unsolvable problem.

What should have exploded in Karl’s hands now fell into Tyronn Lue’s.

So it goes—life give you something and it takes away something else.

Karl suddenly felt satisfied with his own situation.