Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 389 - 251: I Stand with Sprewell_2

Chapter 389: Chapter 251: I Stand with Sprewell_2

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Karl gave a bitter smile and said, “You’re calmer than I thought.”

“No, I’m not calm at all,” Yu Fei said, “I want to kill everyone on the Pistons, but that’s only wishful thinking…”

Then, Yu Fei left.

Karl watched Yu Fei’s retreating figure in a daze, and after a long time, he shook his head.

Three consecutive championships… It might have been his only chance in a lifetime, and it was taken away from him because of a terrible farce.

Yu Fei was too young; in the past three years, he had already won everything that a player could win, so naturally, he wouldn’t feel the same unwillingness and pain as Karl.

Karl believed that Yu Fei would have another chance to go for three consecutive championships, but what about himself?

The next day, the media gave all kinds of comments on last night’s brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Participants from both sides also spoke up in interviews to defend themselves.

Yu Fei made a statement for Sprewell: “If I were sitting alone and someone smashed a cup of Coke with ice on the back of my head, I think I would do the same.”

Sprewell claimed he was acting in self-defense.

Larry Brown said, “No one would want to hurt others when the game is almost over, so something unusual must have happened last night.”

“If you watched the game, you’d know who was holding back their anger. The real instigators were the Detroit, but now, the world’s headlines only show Sprewell’s photo, which is really unfair!” Karl fired at the Pistons directly, but it was to no avail.

No words were as impactful as the photo of Sprewell choking a fan.

At ten o’clock in the morning, the League announced the decisions regarding The Palace brawl.

Latrell Sprewell was suspended for one year and charged with minor assault and battery.

Robert Horry was suspended for 30 games, with the same charges.

Udonis Haslem was suspended for 30 games, charged with the same offenses.

Christian Laettner, who took advantage of the chaos to attack Billups and ran out from the bench, got his sentence increased a degree and was suspended for 15 games.

Yu Fei was suspended for 8 games.

On the Pistons’ side, Ben Wallace was suspended for 8 games, Chauncey Billups was suspended for 5 games, Tayshaun Prince was suspended for 3 games, and Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman were each suspended for 1 game.

The fan who threw the Coke at Sprewell was permanently banned from entering The Palace of Auburn Hills to watch games.

When the League announced the decisions, a reporter asked the spokesperson, “Is Ray Allen innocent for starting World War III?”

“He didn’t do anything,” the spokesperson said, “The punishment only targets those who were physically involved.”

Many players from the Bucks were looking at a period of forced vacation.

Although it was involuntary.

The League hoped to minimize the impact of the situation, but with a star like Yu Fei involved, the incident was destined to be deeply remembered.

A few days later, the world approached the last month of 2004.

The Bucks offered Yu Fei an early contract renewal once again.

They thought that an un-watered-down max salary extension contract would make Big Fei feel grateful during this special period.

But when Yu Fei received the contract, his first question was, “Did Sprewell renew his contract?”

Little Harris’s expression changed slightly and he said, “No, Frye, Sprewell’s career is over.”

“What do you mean?” Yu Fei asked, “Explain.”

“…It means it’s over. For a veteran like him, not playing for a year, only God knows his competitive state next year. Even if he wants to come back, no team would want to sign him. His actions at The Palace of Auburn Hills only proved that he has never changed.”

“Are you saying that if you watched your teammate being bullied on the court, you wouldn’t stand up for him?” Yu Fei asked coldly, “Are you saying that if someone hit you from behind with something, you wouldn’t defend yourself?”

“Frye, that’s a different matter.”

“Then I’ll tell you what’s the same,” Yu Fei said in a straightforward, rough, and direct manner. “Only if Sprewell gets a renewal will I renew. If you doubt my resolve on this, then we’ll wait and see. I won’t sign the renewal, I can sign a qualifying offer next summer and then leave. Of course, you could trade him, and then you could trade me as well. That way you’d minimize the losses.”

“Frye, things haven’t gone that far yet!”

“If Sprewell can’t play here next year, then as far as I’m concerned, they have.”

Yu Fei looked unwaveringly at Little Harris.

“If you can’t give a decent retirement contract to someone who stands up for his teammates at all times, I don’t know what else is worth serving for in such a team.”

And so, the Bucks finally realized how determined Yu Fei was to keep Sprewell.

But this was not a decision Little Harris could make.

“I’ll talk to the boss about it. When the time comes, he will make the decision.”

“I can wait.”

The second contract negotiation between Yu Fei and the Bucks ended.

This matter had a significant impact on those in Fei’s camp.

They thought Fei would distance himself from Sprewell after such a scandal, but to their surprise, Big Fei firmly stood by The Madman.

Lawson said it showed loyalty.

But Tim Grover had some additional thoughts.

When he was alone with Yu Fei, he said, “Frye, do you know Charles Oakley?”

Yu Fei asked, “Why bring him up all of a sudden?”

“When the Bulls traded Oak, MJ was strongly against it, but he couldn’t stop the trade from happening,” Grover said, “that was the beginning of his feud with Jerry Krause.”

Yu Fei didn’t know why he brought up this matter all of a sudden.

“MJ was mad not because he lost Oak, but because his words no longer mattered to management,” Grover laughed, “Are you supporting Sprewell to test whether your words carry weight or is it really for the so-called loyalty?”

Yu Fei fell silent for a while.

Lawson came back with some food in his hands.

“Does it really matter?” Yu Fei said, “Anyway, I will make sure Sprewell signs a retirement contract. As long as that happens, it’s enough for me.”

Grover watched as Yu Fei took a chicken sandwich from Lawson’s hand, no longer concerned about the recent talk.

It reminded him of Fei’s various displays when he was with the Wizards.

It was hard to say whether Fei and Jordan were incompatible because he disapproved of Jordan’s style, or if it was simply a case of like repelling like.

At least one thing was certain, Jordan had left an indelible mark on this young man.

The all-powerful Wizard Jordan showed Yu Fei what kind of power a player could possess.

It was the example left by Jordan.

But looking back at Jordan’s time with the Bulls, his say was actually far less than Fei’s now.

He couldn’t keep Oakley, nor could he decide on the draft picks.

If even Jordan only feuded with Krause over Oakley, could Yu Fei really risk his reputation and future for Latrell Sprewell?

The answer was obvious.

Grover believed Fei wouldn’t do such a thing, but then, why was he so sure the Bucks would comply with his wishes?

Grover chose to wait and see, as this was an interesting matter and might fill the gap he had before becoming Jordan’s trainer.

Afterward, the Bucks entered a difficult period.

Although Yu Fei was only suspended for eight games, with Sprewell and others like Horry receiving long bans, the Bucks were already greatly weakened.

As the team’s temporary absolute core, Ray Allen faced another issue: no one treated him as the core.

He was isolated.

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