noveldrama
Chapter 896 896 546 Unexpected Events Dont Wait for
Chapter 896 896 546 Unexpected Events Dont Wait for
?Chapter 896: Chapter 546 Unexpected Events Don’t Wait for Anyone_2 Chapter 896: Chapter 546 Unexpected Events Don’t Wait for Anyone_2 For a team with high traffic like the SuperSonics, even the smallest issue gets infinitely magnified by public opinion once they lose a game.
Some noticed that Yu Fei made a disgusted face at Roy at the end of the game.
Then, a journalist boldly speculated, “Fei is very dissatisfied with Brandon’s performance.”
After that, a group of unknown fans went to Roy’s Twitter account and started posting outrageous comments.
At the post-game press conference, Fei simply said, “We let the opponent shoot 50% from the three-point line; discussing anything else is meaningless under these circumstances.”
Fei just objectively stated the reason for the loss, but after people interpreted his words, it turned into Fei being dissatisfied with the team’s perimeter defense.
The scariest thing was that detail-obsessed fans began poring over the game footage frame by frame, looking for any unusual moments.
Fei scored a spectacular goal, but Durant’s reaction was lukewarm.
“KD, is it that hard to stand up and cheer for your leader?”
When Durant performed a dunk, Fei looked around and didn’t notice.
“Fei, who has seen big games, doesn’t think KD’s moves are worth celebrating.”
A typical characteristic of the social media era is the ability to deconstruct everything.
Even something that happens in an instant can be structured into countless meanings; human tragedies can become hellish jokes, traditional terms can be endowed with new meanings, and once these deconstructions approach their limits, abstract culture is born.
The phenomenon of finding faults frame by frame is a specialty of the sports world.
The meaning conveyed within two frames in the same second can be entirely different.
When Fei realized how people were interpreting his comments from the press conference, he truly felt the uniqueness of the social media era.
Under such circumstances, what kind of language can one use to ensure not a drop leaks out?
Clearly, there isn’t any.
Because a correct statement is correct in today’s context because you won, and people can’t find fault with it. But if you lose, then the once correct words will become boomerangs striking you back. “The internet has no memory” is the biggest lie because netizens do remember.
As Fei was grappling with the turbulent undercurrents of the social media era, Durant, who seemed beyond reproach, made a minor mistake.
Tonight, Durant made 9 out of 18 shots, securing 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist with a 50% shooting rate.
He actually completed the task given to him by the team.
Apart from those who nitpick on elusive details, nobody else could fault him.
Yet, this rising superstar failed to fulfill his media obligations on a night of defeat.
What are media obligations? At the turn of the millennium, Stern, aiming for players to be more relatable, required NBA players, except those DNP, to visit the media room for interviews after game nights.
This could increase players’ visibility, let fans understand their thoughts, and if lucky, have someone like Iverson provide a self-destructive quote in front of the media, bringing in traffic.
(1) Iverson: Practice @!?#@?
But Durant, who has always respected the media, refused to meet his obligations on a night they lost?
This made a journalist named Ethan McNeal very angry.
He was from Seattle, and among the few media personnel in the Seattle area with the credentials to enter the SuperSonics’ locker room for interviews before the game started.
These days, he had been criticizing Durant.
He believed Durant was “all show.”
Durant had the physical qualities of Garnett but played like Nowitzki, yet he couldn’t protect the rebounds like Nowitzki or guard the basket like Garnett.
So, what was the difference between him and Rashard Lewis or Antawn Jamison?
Fey even switched to playing Power Forward for his sake; why couldn’t he share some of the pressure off the court?
If Durant were present tonight, McNeal wouldn’t hesitate to ask him about his feelings concerning Mavericks’ Small Forward Alonzo Gee hitting six three-pointers over his head.
But Durant didn’t give him the chance.
This person, always talking about responsibility, courage, and perseverance before the games, had chosen to flee in the face of defeat?
McNeal didn’t care about the family matters that prevented Durant from fulfilling his media obligations that night; he cared only if Durant had enough character to take on Fey’s empire.
It seemed he didn’t.
He decided to publish a scathing article to give Durant a wakeup call.
What McNeal didn’t know was that besides him, there were many others ready to do the same.
Overnight, articles questioning Durant sprung up like mushrooms after rain.
Some questioned why he couldn’t be more versatile, others doubted his defense, and some questioned if he had truly improved at all.
But these queries didn’t sting Durant as much as McNeal’s did.
In his front-page article titled “Kevin Durant Is Unqualified” in the popular Seattle sports newspaper “Seattle Sports News,” McNeal blasted Durant’s hypocrisy, pretense, and irresponsibility.
“Kevin said he would carry Seattle’s future on his shoulders like Fey, but we’ve seen no such signs in recent games. He’s struggled to adapt to the four-position, so the SuperSonics have Fey play there. It’s puzzling. We all know Fey is one of the greatest players of all time, but he truly shines at the three-position. We can’t expect Kevin to become an all-defensive team member like Fey or to average a triple-double like him. He plays the same at the four as he does at the three. This young man who unceasingly talks about responsibility, courage, hope, and Seattle’s glory doesn’t understand the weight of the empire.”