Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 941 941 561 This Summers Actions Next

?Chapter 941: Chapter 561: This Summer’s Actions, Next Summer’s Fruits_3 Chapter 941: Chapter 561: This Summer’s Actions, Next Summer’s Fruits_3 They’re no longer here, and they won’t be in the future, which is why SuperSonics fans are sorrowful.

Despite such a saddening fact, the celebration of the SuperSonics’ four consecutive championships was still raging hot.

Especially when Yu Fei stepped up to the podium to give his speech, the applause and screams from the audience lasted for a long time.

Yu Fei especially thanked Durant and Chris Bosh, and he also praised his other teammates. Observant people might notice that he did not thank Clay Bennett, and he did not mention much about the future.

The core of his speech was to let the fans enjoy the present.

The present is joyful, and joyful times are always fleeting.

After the celebration, Yu Fei met the new rookie sensation the team had just drafted.

“Frye, I’ve always been a fan of yours,” Irving said, “I’ve been watching your games since I was a kid.”

Yu Fei looked deeply at Irving. In his memory, with his limited understanding of NBA history, Kyrie Irving was the most rebellious player he had ever seen.

But now, he didn’t seem at all like the person from his memory.

At least, his eyes were clear.

“I’ve also watched your games.”

Yu Fei said with a nostalgic tone.

Of course, Irving could not grasp the different emotions in his words, “That’s an honor for me.”

Then, Yu Fei noticed the conspicuous Reebok logo on Irving.

“You also signed with Reebok?”

Irving smiled, “Yes, they were very sincere.”

The fact that Nike’s appeal to the new generation of players was waning was evident. This might give Reebok a headache because having three stars on the same team could be problematic. Roy only manages not to be completely overshadowed by the GOAT because of his ‘Seattle’s Son’ label.

No matter how cool Irving’s playing style is, it stands no chance against the GOAT and local favoritism.

He will most likely encounter the same awkward situation as Durant, having the skill and national popularity but being completely eclipsed locally.

But that was no longer Yu Fei’s concern.

That night, the team held a party.

Presti took the opportunity to bring up the matter of contract renewal with Yu Fei.

Yu Fei had one season left on his contract, and if he renewed now, everyone would be at ease.

Yu Fei did not take the bait, instead deferring the matter with the excuse of not thinking about the future at this time.

July

Yu Fei, intending to keep a low profile, unexpectedly became the center of the news.

His long-time agent, Arne Trem, decided to step out of his comfort zone and transition from an agent to a management official in the NBA.

For this reason, the long-struggling Clippers extended him an invitation.

Donald Sterling hired him as the team’s President of Basketball Operations and General Manager, a brand new challenge for Trem, even if it meant working for a scumbag like Sterling, he was prepared to do it.

To enter the management ranks, first, he had to clean up his agency contracts.

Trem had been deeply entrenched in the agent industry for many years, having established his own agency, which was home to numerous sports agents, the most impressive of late being former NBA player Christian Laettner.

Laettner’s portfolio included Stephen Curry, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, and other young rising stars highly regarded by the outside world.

This made Laettner the designated successor selected by Trem, who decided to “recommend” him to Yu Fei.

The GOAT is a sentimental person, of course he didn’t want to part ways with Trem, but everyone has their own path to pursue, so instead of holding on, it’s better to let go, and he accepted Trem’s suggestion and chose to sign with Laettner.

Within a few days, the GOAT’s agent had been switched to Laettner, the man who caused NBA management headaches.

Although Laettner was relatively inexperienced as an agent, his negotiation tactics were notoriously underhanded, not only would he pressurize teams without limits, but he was also known to collude with other teams to secure big contracts for his clients, earning him a terrible reputation over the years.

Now that the GOAT had signed with him, one couldn’t help but feel a sense of “a beauty in the company of thieves.”

However, those truly inside the industry knew that this was just a show put on publicly by Yu Fei’s camp.

Trem was moving on to a management position, but his relationships and influence as an agent weren’t going to fall by the wayside. Laettner, being GOAT’s well-known henchman, signing with him was certainly also Yu Fei’s own desire.

What was really about strengthening his control over the agent team by letting Laettner act as his agent was promoted by outsiders as choosing a relatively inexperienced young agent out of nostalgia.

The Fei fans cried upon hearing this, the GOAT’s greatness goes without saying.

The SuperSonics’ management was also in tears, of all people, why did it have to be Laettner?

Although Laettner was new to the business, he had already dealt with most of the teams. During last year’s lockout, Laettner stood out and cursed Clay Bennett, who supported small market teams and rode the GOAT’s coattails to riches, by name.

This made Bennett quite unhappy for a time, claiming he would buy out everyone in the SuperSonics who was associated with Laettner.

Then, Bennett was informed that the person closest to Laettner in the SuperSonics was the GOAT, so nothing came out of it.

Now that Laettner had become the GOAT’s agent, many things Trem couldn’t conveniently do or say in the past can now be carried out. The clear signal this change sent was the GOAT had lost faith in Bennett and no longer cared about his feelings.

The contract between the two parties had only one year left, and given the SuperSonics’ weakening immediate competitiveness, coupled with this turn of events, Presti didn’t dare to imagine what would happen next summer.

As the saying goes, a dynasty on the brink of collapse must first be struck by calamity. If a dynasty were to end, there must be irreparable wounds present.

Last season, that wound already started to open, but it was suppressed by the GOAT’s extraordinary reputation and personal charm against the team’s internal struggles. However, glory is a thing of the past, and even four consecutive championships, in the grand history of the NBA, is but a brief shining moment.

The GOAT is willing to wait and start over, but what exactly is his motivation for waiting and starting anew? Seattle is worth waiting for, but Bennett is not. Seattle is worth starting over for, but Bennett is not. He has done all that he could for Seattle, now it’s time to think about himself.

Presti’s worries are valid, many things will happen next summer. However, his thoughts are too conservative. The wheels of fate have already begun to turn, and the most terrifying changes are not the ones that come suddenly, but those whose signs will show this summer, and what happens next summer will be merely the result of all that’s happened.

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“Kevin Durant is excited about New York and is looking forward to the next season.”—The New York Times

“Chris Bosh is interested in signing a 4-year, $60 million long-term contract with Cleveland.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“For the first time, the option of ‘coming home’ appears amongst LeBron’s choices.”—ESPN: NBA Insider

“The New York Knicks have offered DeAndre Jordan a 4-year, $50 million contract. The Seattle SuperSonics have the right to match it; they can match the offer.”—The New York Post

“The SuperSonics did not exercise their right to match the offer, DeAndre Jordan will go to New York to reunite with Kevin Durant.”—The Seattle Times