Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 975 975 573 We Are Great Because of Others

?Chapter 975: Chapter 573: We Are Great Because of Others Chapter 975: Chapter 573: We Are Great Because of Others The Clippers had decided to set up their preseason training camp in Los Angeles, which meant that players no longer had to stay in the camp or nearby hotels, but could go back to their own homes.

This was undoubtedly good news for those players who had already signed guaranteed contracts.

It was Yu Fei’s suggestion.

He wanted to spend more time with his family before the new season officially started, especially since the first words his son had learned were “daddy”, which sounded like an adorable version of “daddy”.

With a grandson, Yu Fei’s mother, Yu Fenglin, had also brought the “Yu’s Catering Chains” to California. She even moved away from Washington, where she had lived for decades, just to be with her extraordinary grandson and enjoy family happiness.

Yu Fei found that family ties had never affected him so deeply before.

He had become someone who often mentioned “family” and increasingly cherished every moment with them.

Sometimes, he even fantasized that Vin Diesel should invite him to play a villain in the “Fast and Furious” movie series, and then turn his character good in the later movies. After all, the theme of “family” in that movie series resonated with his current state of mind.

However, Yu Fei also understood that Vin Diesel, like Jordan, was an egotistical person with a strong superiority complex who would never allow someone with more influence than him to appear in the cast. So, even if Yu Fei wanted a cameo, he could only appear in an insignificant scene at most; becoming a lead was almost impossible.

Of course, Yu Fei was just jokingly fantasizing. He was not interested in the “Fast and Furious” series of movies, which could not compare to a single hair of Marvel’s cultural influence.

In late September, the NBA’s preseason training camp began.

This was a sign that the new season was approaching.

Before heading to the training camp, Elizabeth playfully said, “By the time you get back from the training camp, the baby might not say ‘daddy’ anymore.”

Yu Fei knew that Elizabeth was somewhat fixated on this. After all, she had been pregnant for ten months, had endured childbirth, and had lovingly cared for their baby, had given all her love to the child, yet the little guy’s first word was “daddy”?

Yu Fei gently took Elizabeth’s hand, tenderly said, “I’ll be back tonight.” After speaking, he lowered his head and kissed his fiancée’s soft forehead, then he left the house.

The bodyguard had been waiting downstairs for a while, and Yu Fei handed him his things before getting into the car and settling in the back seat.

Along the way, Yu Fei saw numerous posters of Griffin.

For this city, that was nothing unusual. After all, Griffin had once elevated the Clippers’ market presence to a level almost competitive with the Lakers, becoming a phenomenal new star.

However, the fans in Los Angeles were realistic.

Although players who dunk spectacularly are not common in the NBA, they are not rare either. Griffin, while a highly entertaining player, had not been able to meet the Clippers’ most pressing need—improving their record.

Following his stunning rookie season, the excitement for Griffin’s dunk displays gradually began to fade.

People realized that although Griffin’s performances were impressive, the Clippers had not rapidly escaped their dismal state with his arrival. They remained the same: unable to achieve a winning record greater than 50%, unable to make the playoffs, always losing playoff hopes by mid-season, and then pinning their hopes on the lottery draw.

This was Griffin’s most embarrassing aspect. He could not lead the team to the playoffs, but he managed to win a few inconsequential games based on his personal abilities.

The result was that the Clippers’ record was neither bad enough to secure a high draft pick nor good enough to make the playoffs, trapping them in a vicious cycle.

Excluding Griffin’s rookie season, which he missed due to injury, and the season lost to a lockout, in the two seasons Griffin played, the Clippers always fell into the lottery zone, but with an unfavorable draft position. In the 2012 draft, which was claimed to have historically deep talent, the Clippers, buoyed by Griffin’s performance, only managed to get the tenth pick. The team management used this precious lottery pick to choose Meyers Leonard, but in his recent rookie season Meyers had averaged only 2 points and 2 rebounds.

Although people often say rookies need three years to fully develop, the potential of some rookies is clear after just one year. In this past season, with Yu Fei’s influence, the Clippers opted for Giannis Antetokounmpo despite him not being a high lottery pick and no one yet knowing the potential of the “Greek Freak”; it was a choice looking toward the future.

Griffin’s leadership results were ultimately disappointing.

The first year was sensational, but the second year did not meet external expectations for leading the team into the playoffs.

Now, he no longer had a third year to try.

With the addition of Yu Fei, Griffin’s situation had become as awkward as John Wall’s had been—a star of historical significance to the franchise who, before he could exert more influence on the team, never got the chance again.

However, Griffin was ultimately luckier than Wall.

After all, he and Yu Fei did not have a direct conflict in terms of playing style; on the contrary, if coordinated properly, he and the newly arrived boss could potentially create a good chemistry. It should be known that before becoming the Greatest of All Time, the first legend Yu Fei surpassed was “Magic” Johnson.