Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 414 - 273: Frye Does Not Fight Unprepared Battles

Chapter 414: Chapter 273: Frye Does Not Fight Unprepared Battles

In August, Yu Fei officially kicked off his Asian tour this year.

Due to his unique image and skin color, the Asian market has always been Yu Fei’s stronghold. Reebok made more profit from Yu Fei in Asia than in the United States.

Therefore, the annual Asian tour is also a way to consolidate his fanbase there.

Just as Yu Fei left the United States, and the center of public opinion, NBA teams were eager to try out the new rules.

The recently passed collective bargaining agreement included not only the “Yu Fei Clause” but also the special amnesty provision known as the “Allen Hughes Clause.”

The purpose of this provision was to help teams suffocated by the salary cap due to injury-plagued maximum-salary players to be unbound, allowing them to avoid luxury tax penalties and provide them with flexible salary space.

When the rule was first introduced, it seemed as though it was tailor-made for Allen Hughes.

But in the end, the Knicks did not amnesty Hughes.

The first batch of players to be amnestied included Michael Finley of the Mavericks, who was the most capable.

Finley’s amnesty was not just due to declining skill, but also because the Mavericks needed to reduce their tax burden; after all, Cuban’s money did not grow on trees.

Finley, now a free agent, sought to restart his career with another championship-contending team.

The Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Suns made one call after another to Finley’s agent.

As a fellow contender, the Bucks abstained from the intense competition for signatures.

Indeed, Finley was coveted, but the Bucks already had an oversaturated wing rotation, and they already had their hands full with developing young players — they truly had no opportunities or space for Finley to prove himself.

Days later, Finley made a completely different decision from his previous life.

He turned down the Spurs, who were desperate for his talents, because they could not offer him a starting role.

Meanwhile, the Suns were willing to let Finley start.

This was a chain reaction triggered by the Suns missing out on Raja Bell.

Despite being championship contenders, even if Finley admired the Spurs’ system and style, he had to consider how he would fit in with a new team.

The Suns’ promise of a starting position was enough to offset his preference for the Spurs.

Thus, Finley joined the Suns for a veteran’s minimum salary.

The other teams then had to focus on other players on the amnesty list.

Besides Finley, there were other noteworthy players who were amnestied.

For instance, Doug Christie and Brian Grant, but their situations differed from Finley’s.

Finley still had gas in the tank but was optimized out by the Mavericks.

Doug Christie and Brian Grant were old veterans occupying a big chunk of the team’s salary space but barely contributing.

After scouting them, the strong teams disregarded their existence, except the Bucks, who, out of nowhere, signed Brian Grant to a veteran’s minimum salary to bring him back home.

Afterwards, there was silence from the Bucks.

For this summer, Yu Fei’s 2+1 contract was like a sword hanging over their heads, compelling them to make moves.

Despite being scorned by the conservative faction of the professional basketball community, Yu Fei’s actions indeed reaped rewards.

As the Bucks claimed, “Let the world know we are ready to spend money!”

They truly filled their salary cap with cash, completing the roster before the pre-season training camp, focusing solely on team cohesion by then.

However, this summer wasn’t filled with only good news for them.

At the end of last month, bad news made everyone concerned about the Bucks incredibly anxious.

The team’s coach, George Karl, who always appeared robust, suddenly announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

At the end of July, Karl underwent surgery.

Luckily, Karl’s surgery was a success.

If all went well, he would be able to return before the new season started.

For the Bucks, it was a great fortune amidst misfortune.

Without a doubt, Karl was the most suitable coach for the Bucks; his offensive system tailored for Yu Fei helped the team succeed, and his harmonious relationship with Yu Fei was seen as a model for the industry.

Starting in August, Yu Fei became a busy and happy person.

According to Reebok’s plans, he would hold basketball camps and business events, and accept media interviews in cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Manila, which seemed like an arduous task.

Of all the NBA stars embarking on an Asian tour, only Yu Fei’s footsteps covered China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.

For those in Yu Fei’s camp, it was a journey of liberation.

The Asian market is not only huge but also enthusiastic and generous.

The Korea-Philippines region, in particular, always made people hesitate to leave.

If it hadn’t been for Yu Fei’s firm schedule, Lawson and the others would have wished to spend the entire month of August in Seoul and Manila.

At the end of August, because of Hurricane Katrina, Reebok arranged for Yu Fei to return to the United States ahead of schedule.

Whenever a major disaster occurs, celebrities need to put on their show titled, “I’m kind-hearted, I cannot bear to see people suffer from disasters.”

Reebok planned to assemble its contracted players to organize an exhibition game to raise funds for the disaster-affected areas.

However, Nike proactively approached Reebok, hoping to lead the Bucks and the Cavaliers to participate in a charity gala held by Jay-Z in New Jersey, in the name of Fei Yu and James.

The plan was massive, requiring numerous connections to be smoothed out, and Reebok had to be cautious as well.

Generally speaking, competitors like Nike and Reebok wouldn’t collaborate since neither wanted to drive traffic to the other.

As for the NBA market, while Nike dominated in the United States, since Iverson’s peak in the summer of 2001, only Fei Yu posed a threat to Nike.

But as fate would have it, both Nike-endorsed athletes, James and Fei Yu, shared a close bond, and the world had grown accustomed to seeing them as contemporary Ying and Yang.

With such an intriguing angle, it would be a shame not to use it, especially for a good cause that could enhance both of their reputations. It was a win-win for both sides.

Reebok consulted Fei Yu for his opinion.

Upon hearing the news, Fei’s first reaction was to call James, “Is this your idea?”

“Frye, don’t you think it’s a good idea?” James said with a tone of compassion, “Let’s do something good for those poor suffering people.”

The reason Fei Yu directly guessed the “mastermind” behind this was because the charity match was just one of the events at Jay-Z’s gala.

As a superstar in the music industry with a deep friendship with James, and given Nike wouldn’t simply connect the dots without reason, it had to be related to James.

Fei Yu thought for a moment and said, “I can’t guarantee that our team will be complete.”

“No problem, I can’t guarantee it either,” James declared confidently, “As long as we show up, we represent the entire team.”

While that was true, Fei Yu still wanted to lead a formal Bucks team into the match.

Fei Yu texted his teammates and the young players, such as Martin, Granger, and Ariza, who were in intense training, all agreed to come, while the veterans unsurprisingly declined.

Therefore, Fei Yu invited retired players like Ratner and Mason.

Though they were retired, they were still Bucks legends.

September 4, 2005, New Jersey, Continental Airlines Arena.

Fei Yu believed the Cavaliers would tremble with James’s participation in the charity gala.

Considering James’s relationship with Jay-Z, coupled with the fact that Jay-Z was a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, wouldn’t he want to lure his little brother to New Jersey?

Due to the concert requirements, the court for the charity game was smaller than a regular one, and both sides only played for 10 minutes with basically no defense.

Thus, it was a showcase for Fei Yu and James.

Both players dribbled to the frontcourt, facing only nominal defense, and with a burst of speed, they dunked at the rim.

In terms of the performance itself, Fei Yu was the more eye-catching one.

While little LeBron was still showing off his dunks, Fei Yu had already started shooting ultra-long threes.

In the final minute, Fei Yu’s three-pointers became progressively longer in distance, and he made all of them.

The atmosphere in the venue went from sizzling hot to an ultimate frenzy.

You see, because of Fei Yu’s checkered past with the Brooklyn Nets, James was more popular in New Jersey, almost like it was his home court. But by the end of the charity game, Fei Yu won the crowd’s complete acclaim.

“Shit! This Chinese guy is really something!” said Puff Daddy excitedly backstage, “He’s like the child of Magic Johnson and Larry f***ing Bird!”

With celebrities everywhere, only Beyonce, who had attended NBA events multiple times and had contact with Fei Yu, knew of his temperament and said with a smile, “Diddy, you best not say that to his face.”

“Shit,” said Puff Daddy nonchalantly, “The kid would be over the moon to hear me talk about him like that!”

The atmosphere was incredibly vibrant, but James’s friends couldn’t quite share in the joy.

Although the charity game was inconsequential, it was clearly LeBron’s home ground.

However, Fei Yu was that kind of player who excelled more in showcasing his abilities.

Everyone who watched the charity game would remember the unique Generation Five sneakers on Fei Yu’s feet.

Nike’s executives also intended to promote James’s new signature shoes through the game, but Reebok’s preparations were apparently more thorough; they prepared a special pair of mismatched shoes for Fei Yu.

“Frye really doesn’t fight unprepared battles,” Rich Paul commented meaningfully.

James wasn’t as calculative as his entourage. Like Fei Yu, they were just playing the game as a performance.

It’s just that Fei Yu’s skills were better suited to entertaining an audience.

“See you later,” James said, “I want to introduce you to some of my friends.”

“Jay-Z?”

“And others.”

The inner circle of the black community impressed Fei Yu with their strong alliances. As he understood, James had met Jay-Z before entering the NBA.

Jay-Z naturally brought James into his circle, and once James established himself in the NBA, his status in Jay-Z’s circle was solidified.

In the United States, Fei Yu had met quite a few Asian and Chinese stars making a name for themselves, but their interactions were usually just smiles, nods, and photos. A gentleman’s friendship is as light as water, and that was it.

After all, Asians/Chinese were already at a disadvantage in Hollywood, lacking a leading figure like Jay-Z to pave the way,

Now that LeBron was willing to introduce Fei Yu to Jay-Z’s circle, how should he reciprocate? Score fewer points against the Cavaliers next time? Forget it, such an act goes against sports ethics. Although Fei lacked much sportsmanship himself, he still had to maintain a basic standard.

Maybe he should take LeBron to one of Paris Hilton’s parties for a good time instead?

PS: Chapter 2 will be a bit late

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