Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 960 960 568 The Flowing Might

?Chapter 960: Chapter 568 The Flowing Might Chapter 960: Chapter 568 The Flowing Might “If this really is Frye’s last game for the SuperSonics, how should we remember these six years? I believe this period was the most dazzling in Seattle’s professional sports history. Frye not only kept a team on the verge of relocation in place but also elevated its cultural influence, economic benefits, and honors to an incredible height. Don’t cry for the coming summer, because we once had the best team and the greatest player in the world!”

The Seattle Times sounded the elegy of the SuperSonics dynasty with a passionate “Don’t cry for them.”

The New York Times, on the other hand, explored the position of the SuperSonics dynasty in NBA history.

Undoubtedly, the 2007-2013 SuperSonics dynasty did not quite match the 1990-1998 Bulls Dynasty, and of course, it couldn’t surpass Bill Russell’s eight consecutive championships.

However, a more pressing question when considering the rise and development of the SuperSonics dynasty is how to define Fei’s reign from 2005 to 2013.

In terms of duration, the SuperSonics dynasty can compare with the Bulls Dynasty, and in the number of championships, it is on par with the Bulls.

The issue is that Fei switched teams, so his supporters refer to this glory as the “Unparalleled Empire.”

Only with Fei on the court could the empire triumph; without Fei, there was no dynasty or empire.

Renowned media personalities began to reminisce about the SuperSonics dynasty.

Several experts from ESPN praised Fei in various ways.

Data analysis expert John Hollinger, through data evidence, argued that in all aspects Fei is the NBA’s historical best, a disruptive force, untouchable by Jordan and even surpassing the ancient Chamberlain after stripping away the lens of time.

Zach Lowe, who was gradually replacing Bill Simmons at ESPN, wrote in an article, “Frye gave his all to Seattle. We will never again see a superstar in his prime leave a back-to-back championship team to join a franchise that finished last in the league the previous season. He returned under the guise of a savior, and whether it was genuine or not, he fulfilled his promise. The SuperSonics’ stature in Seattle has never been more secure, with the new arena in the city center set to open before 2016, and the unfading championship banners will forever hang in Seattle’s skies. This is real-world heroism, something that has never happened before and will never happen again, ever.”

Almost every media person in the professional basketball circle wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to ride on Fei’s popularity.

Naturally, Fei’s mouthpiece would not miss out.

For years, Marc Stein has prided himself as “the man of Frye,” able to get firsthand information about Fei, entering the locker room as if he was one of their own when the Bucks and SuperSonics won championships, and he had nearly witnessed every one of Fei’s championship victories.

Now, as it seemed like Fei’s collaboration with the SuperSonics had reached its end, it was only natural for Stein to exert some force on public opinion.

In order to clarify the ins and outs of Fei and Clay Bennett’s relationship, Stein, uncharacteristically, spent several days writing a lengthy article detailing the events.

This was not Stein’s forte, as he preferred news that readers could understand within a minute.

But to clearly explain how Fei and Bennett went from being extremely close to complete strangers required him to write traditional long-form journalism like those who had left the media industry before him.

Despite stepping out of his comfort zone, Bennett still excelled at the task.

Once his article was published, it made Bennett the target of public criticism.

Even though the SuperSonics’ upper management repeatedly refuted the news as inaccurate, fans knew at least one thing: Stein, under certain circumstances, could represent Fei himself.

Without Fei’s approval, this article could not have been published.

Bennett, already detested for various reasons, instantly transformed from a heroic boss into a universally scorned figure.

No matter where he appeared in Seattle, he was booed.

The fans did not want to hear explanations or apologies. Durant was traded, Chris Bosh and DeAndre Jordan were let go, and now Fei was leaving—how could a team with four championships in six years be so unpopular?

Bennett, having no valid defense, silently endured the backlash he had provoked.

He no longer hoped for Fei to stay.

Yet Fei still managed to cause such a scene before departing, depriving Bennett of any words of blessing.

From now on, the bond of loyalty was severed, and they became mortal enemies.

Bennett didn’t write an open letter like Dan Gilbert did back in the day, saying, “I should have kicked you out from the start. Who the hell needs you? We’ll win a championship before you!” because now, no one was on his side.

At this moment, Fei had completely taken control of the narrative, with no moral debts unpaid. He had fulfilled every promise made when he first came to Seattle six years ago—it was Bennett who had let him down.

For this reason, it was impossible for Bennett to publicly respond to Fei.

All he could do was bear it silently, hoping that something big would happen in the NBA to shift the focus away from this controversy.

Then something did happen that was big enough to divert everyone’s attention.

Last summer, Fei’s former agent Arne Trem officially became the general manager of the Clippers. He had intended to use his many years of connections to make a big impact in his new position.