Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

``` When the Olympics ended in late August, there was still more than half a month to go before the NBA preseason training camps started, allowing players who had competed for national teams to take vacations around the world. Yu Fei went to Hong Kong, but Reebok didn't miss the opportunity to capitalize on the hype of an Olympic champion. The Chosen One's Eighth-Generation Combat Boots, dubbed "Redemption," caused a sensation even before they hit the shelves. This was Yu Fei's year. In the entire sports world, only Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and the eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps could be mentioned in the same breath. But Bolt was Jamaican, and Phelps's swimming didn't have the same overall impact as basketball. In the grand scheme of sports, only Cristiano Ronaldo could compete. Soccer's global influence is far greater than basketball's, but Yu Fei had already transcended the sport itself. Beneath Yu Fei, all other basketball players seemed lackluster. Kobe quietly returned to Los Angeles, announcing he would undergo finger surgery. This meant he had been using conservative treatment on his injured finger since the end of the season, postponing surgery until after the Olympics, which would cause him to miss the preseason camp and the first month of the new season. Even so, Kobe's dedication would not garner extra praise. Because it was Frye's world. LeBron James was one of the first in the world to understand this fact. These past few months, James had been avoiding news from the outside world, especially anything related to the Olympics. But the news was like a virus; he couldn't escape it. Especially after Team USA won the championship, all media were reviewing the journey of the Redeem Team. Everyone began with last year's story of Yu Fei joining the Dream Team. NBC even produced a special 30-minute documentary. The documentary's opening infuriated James: it showed the Dream Team's 2004 failure in Athens. At the time, a not-yet-20-year-old James told reporters he would lead Team USA to rise again. Then, the scene shifted to 2008, the Dream Team's victory. "Everyone wants to talk about the self-indulgence, arrogance, and personality of NBA players," Frye told reporters. "But what you saw today was a team unified in victory as we leave here." That was enough for James to see. He didn't need to watch any further. NBC had cast him as the fool who boasted and was ousted by Yu Fei from the Dream Team. While Yu Fei was portrayed as the savior who led the Dream Team back to greatness. In just five years, James had gone from darling to outcast. No one compared him to Yu Fei anymore. In September, James went to Toronto for the International Film Festival. There, his high school documentary "More Than a Game" was screened, which he saw alongside his high school teammates and coach. For 105 minutes, James reflected on his glorious past, when his peerless high school career hinted at his boundless future to the basketball world. In the summer of 2003, the whole world thought he was "the next one." When you are immediately compared to Michael Jordan at the outset of your career, you're supposed to know you're special. But what about now? James was empty-handed, no longer the leading man of the basketball world. When the film ended, tears were in James's eyes, and his high school teammates and coaches were crying too. For them, James reaching this point was already remarkable. Their joys and sorrows did not relate, but their tears resonated in unison. Watching them, James began to reflect on his situation. Why could he succeed in high school but struggle in the NBA? Was he not as good as Yu Fei? Was he worse than others? That was not an acceptable explanation. He had not received adequate support in Cleveland, he couldn't be the best version of himself; that was his thought. But he wouldn't say it out loud. Until the time came to make a decision, he had to play the role of the city's son well. At least in the realm of basketball, James temporarily lacked the power to chase the throne. However, his team had identified another path. They believed that if this path were followed to the end, even without dazzling basketball achievements, he could still stand shoulder to shoulder with Yu Fei. That path could be summarized in one sentence: "LeBron is more than a basketball player." After leaving Toronto, James and his wife went to New York and hosted a cocktail party for his foundation. It was a star-studded event, attracting athletes, artists, and TV personalities –from Jay-Z to Charlie Rose, to Serena Williams, who had just won her third US Open a few days earlier. Beyond the party, James had another agenda, which was to lend support to Amero-Aztec Ocean View. "Growing up, if you told a black guy he could be president," James recalled, "I would have said, 'Are you crazy?'" James's aspirations aligned with those of Jay-Z and others. As African Americans at the pinnacle of their respective fields in the United States, none had ever touched the highest office. But now the opportunity had come. Why couldn't black people be kings and queens? They all wanted to support Ocean View. While James was using another event to take the spotlight in a special way, Yu Fei had just returned to the United States from Hong Kong. ``` Yu Fei's first thing upon returning to the United States was to set up his own social media account. In mid-September, Yu Fei posted his first tweet, "Hi there, the one tweeting is a five-time NBA champion, five-time Finals MVP, four-time regular season MVP, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, and the host of Michael Jordan's retirement ceremony—Frye Yu!" Fans flocked to his account. Someone quickly asked, "Is destroying LeBron James not worth mentioning?" Yu Fei replied, "He's still alive, so it's not worth mentioning." "What's your take on LeBron James giving up on beating you on the court and instead taking a political path?" another person asked. But Yu Fei didn't answer. "Buddy, you're already the savior. Since you can save Team USA and Seattle, why can't you save your radio listeners? It's been over two months without a radio show from you, without your station, I even feel constipated..." Yu Fei responded to him, "Exactly, those are my fans." With a few days left before the preseason training camp, Yu Fei chose to rest at home. During these days, there was no news exposure of him. But the news about the Supersonics never stopped. Because Sam Presti's negotiations with Shawn Marion on a contract extension had reached a deadlock. Typically, a championship team would suffer from the championship syndrome. The most significant side effect of this syndrome is salary issues. For an average team without solid results, aging players either get overpaid and poached by others or accept a pay cut. But it's different for a championship team. "I've exerted effort and sweat for the championship, I should get more." Marion's contract had one year remaining. His salary for the last year was as high as 17 million US Dollars. Marion wanted a near-max salary extension contract. His agent quoted 4 years, 60 million US Dollars. After Marion joined the Supersonics last season, he averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game, which was actually a decline compared to his time with the Suns. Presti felt that Marion's competitive state was already on the decline. For his spider-man-like physique, which relies a lot on physical condition, once he ages, he would deteriorate year by year, giving him a 4-year, 60 million deal would inevitably be a huge mistake. But Marion was a championship merit holder, occupying the moral high ground, making it hard for Presti to move forward. The Supersonics' salary cap space was still relatively healthy. Although Big Fei triggered the Yu Fei clause, signing a 3-year, 60 million US Dollar contract (taking up 35% of the salary cap), there were only Marion's max contract and Kwame Brown's mid-level contract besides him in the team; the rest were either rookie contracts or veteran minimums, making for a very healthy salary structure. However, if they gave Marion a 4-year, 60 million US Dollar deal, the team would have no flexibility to bring in a big-name player during the great free agent market in the summer of 2009. Presti relayed the situation to Clay Bennett. Bennett's response was, "You're the expert, you can make the decision on this matter, but it would be best to ask Frye's opinion." At that time, Yu Fei was resting at home when he suddenly received a call from Presti. Yu Fei knew Presti well, as someone who wouldn't visit unless there was something important. Presti straightforwardly spoke about the team's dilemma in renewing Marion's contract. Since Marion's team was firm on the numbers, Presti thought it best to put off the extension. Yu Fei, however, had no position to criticize Presti or to ask Marion to take less money. After all, he himself was on a super-max contract, and Presti's concerns about Marion were based on long-term thinking. Why the long-term thinking? Wasn't it for the sake of Big Fei himself? If Presti struck a 4-year, 60 million deal and renewed Marion's contract instantly, it might solve the problem immediately, but it would lock up the Supersonics' salary space, and in a couple of years, as Marion's competitive condition dropped, it would seriously impact the team's strength. "I don't know, Sam." Yu Fei and Marion had a purely professional relationship. When the latter first arrived in Seattle, he was worried about being overlooked, but Yu Fei ensured he received attention, the reason he was selected for the defensive lineup last season, and together, they won the championship. However, this doesn't mean that Yu Fei was obligated to fight for a big contract for Marion. Their relationship had not yet reached that point. That was the business of Marion's agent. The most Yu Fei could do was not take a stance. "This is management's business, please make your own decision—I'm still on vacation," he said. The attitude of major figures is always hidden between the lines. When Yu Fei made it clear he was not involved, it meant he wasn't standing with Marion. This was Marion's tragedy because whether he could get a retirement contract was never up to him. It mostly depended on the owner's and Yu Fei's attitudes. When the owner asked Presti to seek Yu Fei's opinion, Yu Fei's answer could decide everything. So when Yu Fei said "it has nothing to do with me," it was as if he was telling Presti "do not renew." "I understand," Presti now knew Yu Fei's stance, "Rest well, I won't bother you anymore."