noveldrama
Chapter 985 985 576 Its Not About You_2
Chapter 985 985 576 Its Not About You_2
?Chapter 985: Chapter 576: It’s Not About You_2 Chapter 985: Chapter 576: It’s Not About You_2 The money needed to recruit the talent necessary for creating a database could be ten times what it costs to buy the equipment; for a poorly managed team, this is a substantial amount of money.
But clearly, Ballmer didn’t care about the immediate loss.
The funds were quickly approved.
Following Yu Fei’s suggestions, Trem started to assemble the Clippers’ internal data team.
Yu Fei demanded that team members not only excel in their respective fields of expertise but also have a deep understanding of basketball. Although these strict standards slowed the recruitment process, they greatly enhanced the team’s professionalism.
Once these details were ironed out, Media Day arrived as scheduled.
The Clippers’ Media Day garnered the same level of attention as the Lakers’ for the first time since the team relocated to Los Angeles decades ago.
It was Yu Fei’s first time appearing in front of the media cameras wearing a Clippers jersey, and his number 44 jersey was as impressive as ever. The media were all eager to know if, after his journey from Washington to Milwaukee and then from Milwaukee to Seattle, there would be a next stop now that he had arrived in Los Angeles—a journey that had spanned 12 years.
“If anyone tells you they are certain about what the future holds, they’re probably lying,” Yu Fei said, “I won’t lie. I once thought I’d play in Seattle until I retired, but things just happen.”
“So your future in Los Angeles is uncertain?”
“No, what I mean is, I don’t know what will happen in the future,” Yu Fei answered, “However, barring any accidents, Los Angeles will likely be my last stop in my career. I won’t play till I’m 40. To me, 35 seems to be the most appropriate age to retire, as it has been the final glorious season for many great players. If I do retire at 35, you can already foresee that day now.”
Hearing the GOAT talk about retirement felt strange; he had just been selected to the first team All-NBA the previous season and won his fourth scoring title, with no signs of decline. Was he seriously talking about retiring at 35?
Although he was not yet 31, if he did decide to retire at 35, that day seemed foreseeable. But would he really do it? Was it a joke, or a prelude to retirement?
The reporters continued to ask, “What do you think is the biggest change from Seattle to Los Angeles?”
“Coming from a team with a 100% support rate to a team with only a 15% support rate is definitely challenging,” said Yu Fei, “But I can handle it.”
Before Yu Fei’s arrival, only 6% of Los Angeles People acknowledged the Clippers as Los Angeles’s team. Most considered them an obstinate presence, like “squatters.” That 6% came only after Griffin joined the team. Before Griffin, what did the Clippers’ games mean to Los Angeles People? For most, apart from the rare die-hard Clippers fans, the team was simply a means to watch other NBA teams play at a lower cost.
Yu Fei’s arrival brought a 9% increase in support for the Clippers.
The Los Angeles Times called it “a transfer akin to the 21st century Wayne Gretzky”!
Ironically, the Los Angeles Kings immediately lodged a protest with the Los Angeles Times, claiming their situation back then was much better than the current Clippers.
This only underscored the shock of Yu Fei’s transfer to the outside world.
While a support rate jump from 6% to 15% was remarkable, for the GOAT, it was still far from enough. Yu Fei had never played for a team with mere 15% local support.
“Blake Griffin is a young star with exceptional talent; do you think he or Brandon Roy is more suited to your style of play?”
“You know, Blake is a great athlete, his dunks are incredible, and playing with him is a very pleasant thing,” Yu Fei smiled, “As for Brandon, I wish him all the best in his future.”
“And what about Giannis? How much do you know about him? His English doesn’t sound very fluent; how do you plan to lead him forward?”
However, Yu Fei did not directly answer the reporter’s last question.
“I don’t need to lead him forward.”
“Why not?”
“He doesn’t need it.”
It wasn’t a perfunctory remark.
That was Yu Fei’s opinion of Antetokounmpo—he was primarily motivated by encouragement, and this man, who once had nothing, knew how to claw for meat in the social Darwinist tide of the United States.
Clippers owner Ballmer also appeared at the event. He looked like a fan who had blundered into a training camp, greeting everyone cheerfully.
When asked by reporters what he had done for the team over the summer, he proudly replied, “I brought Frye to Los Angeles.”
The reporters had nothing to say.
Indeed, achieving just that was already better than most general managers in the League.
Then, Ballmer talked about his other moves, which mainly involved spending money.
After buying the Clippers, he was particularly dissatisfied with three things.
First was the Clippers’ training facility, which was so rudimentary that it was almost unbearable. To put it kindly, it might be described as having vintage 1980s charm; to put it unkindly, the old training hall should have been demolished long ago.
However, the era of major infrastructure buildouts in the United States had long since ended, and building a new training center from scratch would not only be costly but would also take a long time. Therefore, Ballmer had to make do for the moment and start with addressing the other two issues.