Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1057 - 600 On the Road_2

Chapter 1057: Chapter 600 On the Road_2 Chapter 1057: Chapter 600 On the Road_2 As long as Yu Fei is still playing, Wizards fans can’t help but think to themselves “what if…” And the more “what ifs” there are, the deeper their resentment toward Jordan becomes.

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Meanwhile, they would also place the blame on the decision-maker of the trades at that time, Abe Pollin, even though Pollin had passed away six years ago.

This state of stagnation caused the Wizards’ approval rate in D.C. to continue to decline.

After losing to the Clippers, the Wizards finally reflected deeply and decided to make significant changes.

This season, the 76ers had been plotting a trade for John Wall. Acquiring Wall from the Cavaliers was an attempt to buy low in the first place. However, even though Wall showed potential as a core organizer, he failed to adapt to the trends and improve his shooting ability, which gradually lowered the 76ers General Manager Sam Hinkie’s evaluation of him.

Wall was no longer considered a part of “the process.”

Moreover, Wall himself did not want to continue wasting time in a team that seemed to be perpetually rebuilding. Therefore, both sides were eager to reach a trade agreement as soon as possible.

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The Wizards needed someone who could ignite the brains of Bill and Cousins, and Wall was the perfect candidate.

The 76ers were willing to dump Wall and even accept a bad contract. For Hinkie, draft picks were of utmost importance. As long as D.C. was willing to offer enough draft picks, Wall would be on a plane to D.C. tomorrow.

In the end, the Wizards gave up Josh Smith and first-round picks for 2015, 2017, and 2019, plus a 2020 first-round pick swap, and got John Wall from the 76ers.

Looking at the star power of the lineup, it seemed the 76ers had built their own Big Three. Although this “Big Three” didn’t have the same league-wide intimidation as other teams, it was at least a squad that could aspire to reach the semifinals.

This trade also kicked off the pre-trade deadline period, opening the 76ers’ “supermarket.”

For Hinkie, apart from Julius Randle who was out for the season, there were no untouchables on the team. As long as there were teams willing to give up draft picks, other players could become trade assets.

The Clippers were also looking to make a move before the trade deadline. Currently, the one thing missing from their lineup was a reliable backup point guard.

After searching, Arne Trem found a target—NBA’s oldest rookie, a member of Argentina’s golden generation, Pablo Prigioni.

Old veterans like Prigioni might not stand out on weak teams, but if they came to a top team like the Clippers, their experience and skills would play a significant role.

Prigioni’s playstyle is simple; he doesn’t hog the ball, can move off the ball, can hit the open three-pointer, excels in pushing the fast break, as well as masterful in intercepting passes. His flopping skills are just like Ginobili’s, his passing is unpredictable, and his ability to direct his teammates should not be underestimated.

Ever since Billups left, the Clippers’ bench had been missing a playmaker with enough grand vision. If Prigioni joined, the Clippers’ second unit could transform.

To acquire Prigioni, the Clippers went into multi-day negotiations with the Kings Team and finally settled the trade details. The Clippers sent undrafted Brandon Davis and second-round picks for 2015 and 2017 to successfully trade for Pablo Prigioni.

Then came a flurry of various chaotic trades.

However, few trades had the potential to affect the League’s landscape like Wall heading to D.C.

The last two influential trades of 2015 were the Celtics acquiring Isaiah Thomas at a low price, and the Detroit Pistons sent the underachieving Goran Dragic to the Kings Team at the buzzer.

Aside from the Clippers acquiring a backup guard, the other potential championship contenders made no moves.

However, no action doesn’t mean that everything remains unchanged.

For instance, after the All-Star weekend, the Miami Heat took advantage of Wade’s injury by giving Curry all the powers a core guard could have.

Curry then erupted with a fierce force within him, leading the Miami Heat to consecutive victories, starting to threaten the Knicks’ first place in the Eastern Conference.

And then, on February 22nd, the Clippers went to Cleveland to challenge the Cavaliers.

Yu Fei facing off against James had always been a high-profile battle.

However, today, the spotlight was stolen by another blockbuster news from the Cavaliers.

“The Cleveland Plain Dealer” reported that after a detailed examination, doctors diagnosed Cavaliers forward Chris Bosh with blood clots in his lungs. Such a condition typically means the end of the season.

Soon after, the Cavaliers’ official confirmed this news.

The official statement revealed more details: over the past few weeks, Bosh had felt fatigue, accompanied by shortness of breath and chest pain, but it was not taken seriously at the time. It wasn’t until Thursday, local time, when Bosh felt unwell during training, was sent home to rest and then hospitalized for examination, that the severity of the problem was discovered.

The Cavaliers praised Bosh’s professionalism in their statement. Despite being aware of his severe illness, he still participated in the All-Star weekend events, winning the shooting star title for the third time in a row, and continued practicing before the diagnosis. Ultimately, the merciless injury prematurely ended his season.

In Yu Fei’s previous life when he followed the NBA, Bosh was already a retired NBA legend.

Now hearing this news, he could roughly guess how Bosh might have retired.

The Cleveland Sports Circle was covered in sorrow. Blood clots are destructive to an athlete, not only affecting the current season but also difficult to recover from in the future. This means Bosh’s professional career might have ended prematurely.