Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 560: Chapter 398: Everything One Could Ask For

Due to the intense competition in the Western Conference this season, although there is a difference in rankings between the lower-ranked and higher-ranked teams, the real strength doesn’t reflect as much disparity as the rankings show.

Among the four lower-ranked teams in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets could be considered the most suitable first-round opponent for the Supersonics.

Although they had put together an epic 22-game winning streak after Yao Ming’s season-ending injury, the strength of the Rockets at that time lay not in the roster but in the team’s cohesion and chemistry.

It wasn’t until they fell before the Celtics that people realized how deformed the team appeared without Yao Ming.

Their defense was practically non-existent, with the burden of scoring and organizing falling entirely on McGrady’s shoulders. The main offensive force in the paint relied on the older rookie Luis Scola; if the interior collapsed or McGrady encountered issues on the perimeter, the Rockets didn’t even have a chance to fight back.

On April 19th, the first game of the Western Conference first round took place.

The Supersonics hosted the Rockets at home.

The Rockets had Battier guard Yu Fei, while McGrady took on Roy.

Durant was matched up with the veteran Bobby Jackson.

From the start of the game, the situation fell into the control of the Supersonics.

Battier’s face-guarding defense didn’t work on Fei.

That’s because Fei’s shooting was always faster than his attempt to block the view.

For the Rockets, the most uncomfortable thing was how easily Fei quickly broke through their strongest wing defender, Battier.

With their strongest defensive point being compromised, and McGrady indulging in perimeter shooting—not breaking through his man as Fei did but instead being turned into a weak point by Roy—the Rockets were in trouble.

By the end of the first quarter, the Supersonics had secured a 10-point lead.

In the second quarter, the Rockets changed tactics.

But this change was essentially just a shuffle of matchups.

If Battier couldn’t guard Fei he’d switch to Roy, if McGrady was blown out by Roy he’d try taking on Fei.

When McGrady blew past Fei with his first step but then missed an easy layup, his opponent finally realized how much his injuries had affected him.

Fei had a “sentiment” for McGrady.

But this sentiment wasn’t from his past life, unrelated to the Yao-McGrady Rockets; it originated from his rookie season in the NBA when McGrady’s brilliance was incredibly dazzling.

He was the number one player in the Eastern Conference then, with an undefendable first step, comprehensive skills, and a cool demeanor.

Fei had imitated McGrady, but soon developed his own style.

However, this did not diminish McGrady’s significance to him.

The most realistic meaning and warning McGrady gave to Fei was that, even if one has exceptional talent and the potential to be the world’s number one, injuries can derail everything if one doesn’t adapt; once personal opportunities are exhausted, they can only endlessly circle in the so-called first-round curse.

When Fei used the same move to get past McGrady, ignoring Scola and Carl Landry’s help defense for a thunderous dunk,

McGrady’s eyes flashed with the image of his former unstoppable self.

“Tracy, the most difficult adversary in the world is time, isn’t it?”

The kid who once followed Jordan is now a person that McGrady can’t reach.

McGrady replied, “You’re absolutely right.”

The Rockets fought fiercely for four quarters but ultimately fell by a 20-point margin.

“MVP!”

“MVP…”

Key Arena erupted with the cheers of the crowd, for the best player of the evening.

Yu Fei scored 32 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists—the calls for MVP were, in some respects, campaign efforts for him.

But in reality, he no longer needed it.

According to the information he had received, the MVP award was almost a sure thing; now, all that was left was to perform well in the playoffs.

Yu Fei waved to the audience.

“Frye, this is your first playoff win at Key Arena, how do you feel?”

“No different, maybe the fans scream a bit louder?”

“Do you think the Supersonics will stay?”

“Of course, that’s why I came back.”

“So, you’re not worried at all about Clay Bennett’s proposed relocation at the League meeting at the end of the month?”

What Yu Fei knew now was that by the end of the regular season, he had already generated one hundred million US dollars in revenue for the team. Subtracting expenses, the Supersonics had already achieved profitability this season.

And it was not just ordinary profitability.

They profited like a popular, large-market team.

Bennett had already reached a tacit understanding with him, and as a businessman who could be hung by his own profits, seeing the current revenue of the Supersonics, it was hard to imagine Bennett backstabbing him under these circumstances.

“There’s nothing to worry about, trust me, everything is on the right track.”

Yu Fei walked to the sideline, ready to head through the passage to the player’s tunnel.

The frenzied fans were screaming.

“Frye!”

“We love you, Frye!”

“Frye~~!!”

“!#￥%￥”

Yu Fei intentionally stayed behind in the corridor to sign autographs for those holding jerseys.

This was something he would never do in Milwaukee.

Because each time it involved wasting half an hour of time.

But now, he was willing. From a public relations perspective, this demonstrated his approachability. For the team, having the league’s top player without airs, patient with fans, theoretically, every fan who came to the venue could have the opportunity for close contact and to get an autograph.

This is the reason Key Arena did not have a single empty seat every home game night this season.

Yu Fei spent an extra 40 minutes before leaving the venue.

“Bennett really should give you a bonus, huh?” Lin Kaiwen teased him in the corridor, “At least 50% of this season’s revenue must have been generated by you.”

Yu Fei arrogantly said, “I don’t even care for that little money.”

Thinking of Yu Fei’s private investments, Lin Kaiwen believed he was not just boasting.

“Alright, here’s the schedule for tomorrow…”

“So many schools?” When Yu Fei found out that the next day’s event involved distributing playoff souvenirs to students from multiple schools, he was shocked.

Because it practically included all the high schools near the downtown area.

“Of course, as the hero in the hearts of every Seattle teen under sixteen, you need to perform well tomorrow.”

“How should I perform?” Yu Fei asked, “By telling them how I snatched the MVP from Kobe?”

“The kids might be more interested in what you did to LeBron in Las Vegas,” Lin Kaiwen said.

“I swear, I really didn’t step over him.”

“The kids are hoping you did.”

“Such nice kids.”

The next day, while Yu Fei was busy with community activities, the NBA announced the winners of many regular season awards.

The one that generated the most conversation was the All-NBA First Team.

This season’s First Team included: Paul, Kobe, Yu Fei, Garnett, Howard.

James, who had been selected to the First Team for several consecutive years, dropped to the Second Team.

This sparked intense discussions.

After all, James averaged 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game this season, stats that would make the First Team in most other seasons.

But this year, he fell to the Second Team.

Why? Because Yu Fei, who had always been listed as a guard, was now a forward.

Garnett’s statistics weren’t outstanding, but everyone saw his team’s performance and his role within the team. Yu Fei’s stats surpassed James, and his team was first in the Western Conference. Thus, the two forward spots on the First Team were taken.

So, even if James’s camp was unhappy, the only point they could contest was why Yu Fei, who usually played guard, suddenly switched to forward.

But such accusations were bound to be laughable.

Because when Yu Fei was selected to the First Team as a guard before, those pure point guards all used to moan about it.

No matter how you look at it, a six-foot-eight man insisting he’s a point guard is just bizarre.

Apart from the controversy over James not making the First Team, everything else was relatively normal.

Roy edged out Ginobili for the Second Team spot, while Marion felt respected for the first time.

During his years with the Suns, his presence was overlooked; despite being a top-five defender in the league, he had never made a Defensive Team. But in just half a season with the Supersonics, he made the experts who ignored him rethink and willingly voted him into the All-Defensive Second Team.

However, the biggest winner was Yu Fei.

Besides being selected to the First Team for six consecutive seasons, Yu Fei also made the All-Defensive Team, which was incredulous with few disputing it.

Yu Fei was never known for his defense; he really just defended casually, relying on his talent and anticipation to block a couple of shots per game, snag one or two steals, and nonchalantly guard his man.

But his advantage in matchups against stars outweighed all the advanced defensive stats.

When voters remembered how he defeated Kobe and James and how he turned the Supersonics from a basement-dwelling team into a well-rounded league powerhouse, his influence was undeniable.

Offensive improvements could be attributed to Roy’s growth, but what about defense? Marion only arrived for half a season, yet the Supersonics’ defense had always been solid. It certainly wasn’t Kwame Brown’s doing, was it? That brazen impostor, what skills does he have?

If “being famous for being famous” is a law for celebrities like Paris Hilton,

Then the Yu Fei Law is “being considered hugely influential in every aspect due to immense influence.”

Regardless, Yu Fei is the current winner.

First Team, All-Defense, Scoring Champion.

That’s on the court.

The savior of Team USA, the rescuer of Seattle’s professional basketball.

That’s off the court.

Honor, reputation, he’s got it all.

He’s already halfway through his road to enshrinement, but to officially ascend, there’s just the last hundred meters left.

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