Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 373 Setting the Stage for the Future
Meeting Kobe felt like a fleeting moment in time.

West hosted a dinner for Chen Fang and Kobe at the old man's seaside villa.

Because Chen Fang had just undergone surgery and was advised against drinking alcohol, he drank water instead, while the old man and Kobe drank champagne to celebrate their victory.

Kobe found the champagne both sweet and bitter.

He also expressed regret for the first time, complaining to the old man, "If you had been so sure about Chen Wang back then, you should have told the Lakers, and now the Lakers would be celebrating their 17th championship in franchise history."

The old man shook his head: "Don't look at the outcome and talk about 'what ifs.' Even if I hadn't accepted the Clippers' offer, would the Lakers have been willing to use their second overall pick to sign this kid?"

Kobe could only remain silent.

Aside from Tatum being pre-selected by the Celtics, Fultz, Ball, Fox, and Jackson all have a chance to be the second overall pick.

Chen Wang's attitude during the tryouts was also discouraging. The Lakers' pride as a powerhouse team would not allow them to bow down to a draft pick who completely ignored them. In addition, Ball's father was making a lot of noise at the time, and Lakers' general manager Pelinka and president Johnson both expressed some doubts about Chen Wang.

It would be too difficult for West to overcome all opposition and get the Lakers to draft Chen Wang, and West is unlikely to go around owing favors to others.

So when the Clippers used Chris Paul, the league's best point guard, as trade bait, the Lakers' management agreed to the trade almost without hesitation.

The strategic goal of the 17 draft was to select a point guard, so why not choose Ball instead of Paul?
Moreover, Paul's star power is undeniable, making him even more attractive to big-name players.

In the end, James chose the Lakers, which was a huge advantage for Paul, so from any perspective, the Lakers' management had no problems.

However, Chen Wang was too extraordinary. He won Rookie of the Year in his first year and led his team to the playoffs. His second year was even more outrageous. He actually helped the Clippers, who hadn't won a championship in 49 years, win the championship.

More importantly, this was an undisputed single-star championship win. Excluding Chen and Wang, the remaining Clippers players were basically second or third tier in the league, with no top-tier players.

So even Kobe lost his composure.

It was a very small celebration party. The three people seemed to be closely related, but there was no conflict of interest between them. So what made all three of them take this circle for granted?
Two words: inheritance.

The legacy of West and Kobe needs no further explanation.

After retiring, Kobe Bryant regarded Chen Fang as a successor.

What was inherited? Not technique, not style, and not the team.

Three words: Los Angeles!
The greater Los Angeles area has 11 top professional teams participating in the four major American professional leagues (NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, MLS/NWSL), while the Clippers and Lakers only represent basketball.

The NFL's Bulls and Chargers, MLB's Dodgers and Angels, and MLS's Galaxy and FC.

Los Angeles has local rivals in football, baseball, soccer, and basketball, which meet the sporting needs of the greater Los Angeles population of 1700 million.

This metropolitan area has a GDP of $15000 trillion, enough to support these 11 professional sports teams.

The underlying logic behind the operation of these 11 teams is to become a mainstream sport in the daily lives of people in Los Angeles.

It cannot be marginalized; it must maintain its exposure every year and remain a primary consumption mode for people's entertainment and leisure.

This is the core adhesive that holds this circle together.

It was West who led the Los Angeles Lakers to become a powerhouse and a great team in people's eyes, and Kobe also used his youthful 20 years to maintain the Lakers' status in the NBA and in the Los Angeles sports world.

Now, it's time for Chen Wang to continue representing basketball and vie for supremacy in Los Angeles.

"Don't be complacent, don't be arrogant, the challenges are yet to come," Kobe said to Chen Fang, raising his glass in admonition.

"Understood," Chen Fang replied, raising his glass.

"Actually, the Lakers are on a strong run, and the Clippers' championship win will further stimulate them. Pelinka told me that the Buss family is willing to try the luxury tax," Kobe said.

"Oh, hehe." Chen Fang laughed, but his unconcerned expression made the two people in front of him frown.

“If we trade James away, I might be worried. But if we still build around him, I’m not worried at all.” Chen Fang’s next words made the expressions on the two men’s faces complicated.

Chen Fang's disdain for James seems like an illogical conviction. Even Kobe Bryant didn't think James was weak, but Chen Fang just looks down on him, which is puzzling.

So Kobe asked, "If the Lakers assembled an All-Star caliber starting five, could the Clippers still win?"

"Yes!" Chen Fang answered without hesitation.

There is an old Chinese saying: "One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel."

"Even with the best roster, if they have LeBron James, they might be able to put up a few dominant games in the regular season, but that won't work in the playoffs."

"I've only played in the playoffs twice, but what I've learned tells me that every game is a challenge, like a hurricane. It tests not only the sturdiness of your house, but also every window, front door, and back door."

"If even one part of the house is breached, the whole house will be torn apart."

Chen Fang's metaphor was profound; even West was moved by it.

This topic was quickly skipped. Chen Fang was no longer a greenhorn. From the moment he won the championship single-handedly, the words that came out of his mouth were very different.

The gathering was short, and when it was time to say goodbye, the old man didn't say anything like he used to, and neither did Kobe.

When Chen Fang returned to the car and had Ilya start it, he realized that he had now reached an equal footing.

No one can criticize him based on his abilities anymore.

※※※

On the morning of June 23, at 10:00 AM, the Clippers held a grand championship parade in Los Angeles.

The starting point is the Staples Center, and the ending point is the Galen Center at USC.

As they drove south along Figueroa Street, hundreds of thousands of Clippers fans lined the streets to welcome and celebrate, and millions more took to the streets to watch.

The team paid for everything out of their own pockets. According to publicly available data, the cost was close to $500 million, which was used for security, cleaning, floats, cheerleaders, and rental of double-decker open-top buses.

In contrast, the Lakers' 2010 championship parade was entirely funded by the Los Angeles City Public Fund. That event, which drained Los Angeles' finances, drew much criticism and skepticism.

Therefore, Ballmer's act of paying out of his own pocket appeared to be a display of wealth and generosity, leaving no room for criticism.

The entire process consists of a morning parade of floats, an evening flag-raising ceremony, and a city-wide light show themed around a speedboat at night.

The next day, the whole team went to Las Vegas, booked the entire hotel, and held a private party to bring the celebration to a joyful close.

The entire parade covered 5 kilometers and took a full two hours, finally arriving at the Galen Center before noon.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of USC students had packed the area around the Galen Center, and together with Clippers fans, more than 200,000 people sang, danced, and jumped around in Galen Square.

Before Chen Fang arrived, the vast majority of USC students were Lakers fans, and Kobe Bryant, after retiring, made several appearances at universities, choosing only USC.

This changed after Chen Fang chose the Clippers and became their king. Based on Chen Fang's contributions to USC basketball, he naturally had an advantage in terms of friendship with his schoolmates.

So in the past two years, USC students have gradually moved away from their divided state and, through this championship victory, have once again come together as a unified group.

Lakers fans still have a lot, but Clippers fans make up the majority, after all, who doesn't like to win?

Chen Fang has been with the Clippers for the past two years, but he hasn't helped the Lakers win a single game. Competitive sports can be about sentiment, but ultimately, rankings must be judged by results.

After the boss, general manager, and head coach spoke in turn, Chen Fang, who had been waiting for a long time, also stood up, took the microphone, faced the fans, and gave his final victory speech.

Compared to Ballmer's aggressive criticism of their crosstown rivals, the Lakers, Rivers' gentle humility and Chen Fang's composed remarks made him appear more unhurried.

"Clippers fans, this is the first one, but I promise, this is just the beginning!" Chen Fang raised the championship trophy.

"Wow!" The 200,000 fans in the stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

"I want to thank every fan, my teammates, my family! And everyone on the Clippers team, it's because of you that we have this celebration today."

"Let's applaud their efforts!" After saying that, Chen Fang clapped his hands vigorously, and under his lead, the applause was like thunder, shaking Galen Square.

"Thank you for your cooperation. I've always known I made the right choice. This city shouldn't be just one color. Competition is the best catalyst for change. Now, it's our era, the Clippers' era!"

"Clippers!" Chen Fang shouted, and the fans below the stage roared back. After three shouts, Chen Fang raised his FMVP trophy.

"This trophy is a reward for what I have done for this team, and I love it. I am also confident that I will continue to give you my best performance next season!"

He then raised the FMVP trophy high above his head, and the entire stadium began chanting "Chen Wang! Chen Wang! Chen Wang!"

This scene was broadcast live, allowing fans around the world to appreciate the charm and supreme status of Prince Chen.

A long-time fan who witnessed the Lakers' championship run over the past 10 years remarked, "This is the changing of the times, the passing of the torch from the old to the new."

"The only constant is the glory of Los Angeles, which will always stand tall on the North American landscape!"

Ellie, who was in charge of filming and recording the entire process on the float, had a different experience.

At the beginning of the season, when she heard Chen Fang's declaration of his season goals, her first reaction was that the young man was full of youthful vigor. But as the playoffs approached and she won game after game, Ellie realized that what makes great people great is that they can achieve the grand goals they set.

Just as she was deeply shocked, she discovered that King Chen, who had successfully fulfilled his promise, was very calm.

Today should have been a day of joy and even madness for everyone, but Chen Wang's calmness made the atmosphere around the floats and the crowd a little reserved.

This gave Ellie a completely new understanding of Chen Wang. He seemed to have anticipated success, so he was happy but not ecstatic. His composure under his calm demeanor further highlighted his leadership qualities.

So, Ellie handed over the microphone and couldn't help but ask a question.

"This season, you almost achieved a grand slam. If it weren't for your regular season suspension, you would have won the All-Star Weekend MVP, the regular season MVP, and the Finals MVP."

"Do you have any regrets? Will you set this goal for yourself next season?"

Chen Fang laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "I never think about that. Of course, this goal is very good. I've always felt that if I succeed, these honors will be an inevitable product of the process. If not, it must be because I haven't succeeded enough."

"Next season, there will be even more challenges waiting for us, and defending the title will be an extremely difficult journey."

"But that's the right way; a journey full of challenges makes life worthwhile."

On the 24th, the entire Clippers team arrived in Las Vegas, bringing their families and friends to attend the team's private party.

Wu Zi was poised and confident throughout. With Lin Na's help, her fashion sense was elegant and sophisticated, making her a striking presence at the party.

Chen Fang didn't use a wheelchair at all; he sat in the head seat, and guests kept coming up to greet him, exuding a high-class atmosphere.

On the 25th, Chen Fang did not choose to leave like his teammates, but instead began to enjoy a four-month vacation.

For him, a new challenge has arrived.

At noon, Chen Fang hosted Yao, who had just arrived in Los Angeles and was traveling to Las Vegas, at a high-end, private venue.

Yao immediately went to check on Chen Fang's leg and then asked him about the situation in detail.

After exchanging pleasantries, we moved on to eating and chatting.

"Brother Yao, you've worked hard these past two years and accomplished so much. Congratulations!" Chen Fang raised his glass in celebration.

Yao waved his hand, revealing a weary expression: "Every step is difficult, every step is fraught with challenges. There's been hard work, so I'll skip the congratulations."

Since taking office in 17, Yao has been working towards a major goal: the separation of government and private sector operations.

Separating the Basketball Management Center from the CBA and marketizing the league would revitalize the 20 clubs, put them into a profitable business model, and thus benefit the sport of basketball.

In layman's terms, it's about copying the NBA model. But Chen Fang knew very well that time would prove this to be wishful thinking on Yao's part.

When asked by reporters what the biggest problem was with Chinese basketball upon taking office, he bluntly replied, "The biggest problem is that there are problems everywhere."

These are all problems, and then there's the added need to make changes to the existing drawings. Anyone who's done drawing knows that it's almost impossible to succeed.

There is a core problem that Yao cannot solve.

People's hearts!

Whose heart is it? Certainly not the fans. Fans just want to see the result; the twists and turns of the process are not their concern.

People here have three identities.

I. Upper level;
The term of office is short, and the window for promotion is only 3-4 years. If you are slow to get promoted, you will be slow to get promoted. You need to see results and effectiveness. Five-year plans are no longer realistic in this era.

II. Clubs;

Running a business isn't charity. You can't keep going on just because of ideals if you're not making money. But when someone blocks your way to make money, not only is it hard to earn money, but you also have to kneel down. Nobody feels comfortable in that situation. If you feel wronged, you'll want to overturn the table and leave.

III. Players;
The vast majority of players are trained by local sports bureaus, and clubs have no right to trade or sell them, or they pay a huge price when they acquire ownership of the players.

For example, Han Dejun is a college graduate, so he can earn a high salary of 300 million yuan in Liaoning, while Yang Ming, the team's core player, only earns 40 yuan a year, simply because he was trained by the sports bureau.

Clubs lack funds for player development, so they can only recruit players from the sports bureau to form teams. The players' intentions are even more complicated. As long as they retain their status as athletes under the sports bureau, they can become officials after retirement and live a life free from financial worries.

In addition, since the sports venues in various places are all under the jurisdiction of the sports bureau, the clubs can only act like grandsons, dare not resist, make money on their knees, and then give most of it to the higher-ups, while they themselves become beasts of burden.

Local sports bureaus control the ownership of players in various clubs. Whether a player can transfer or not is not up to the player, but to the sports bureau. This has led to a strange phenomenon in the CBA: players with similar stats can receive salaries that differ by as much as 10 times.

In a professional league, if a player cannot move freely and cannot determine his own market value, can the league still develop healthily?

It can still attract capital investment? It can still be marketized? It's utterly ridiculous!

Ultimately, without resolving the issues of sports bureau jurisdiction and player ownership, clubs will find it difficult to grow.

Even though Yao Ming tried to achieve his goal indirectly by separating the club from government-run operations to help it generate revenue, he could not avoid the question of where the club's players would come from.
Youth training is the right direction, but without a large base of experienced grassroots coaches, the waiting time will be exceptionally long, the investment will not yield returns, and it will be difficult to sustain.

Local sports bureaus lack the capacity to cultivate talent in major ball sports like basketball and football, and clubs also lack sufficient resources. This creates a situation where multiple parties are entangled and mutually hinder each other, and capital is completely hesitant to enter the market due to policies and systems.

That's why Yao focused his attention on schools, relying on them to accumulate grassroots players.

In fact, given Yao's knowledge, how could he not understand? It's just that he really didn't have the ability to start from scratch, so he could only jump into this quagmire and do a futile effort with a drop in the ocean.

In Chen Fang's words, it means ignoring the Basketball Management Center altogether, mobilizing the masses to develop down-to-earth amateur leagues, and building a purely commercial basketball league over ten or even twenty years. Although this is slow, the success is visible.

(Su Chao, this is the model. To put it bluntly, these people have become detached from the masses; how could they possibly succeed?)
What Chen Fang wanted to discuss with Yao was this plan.

"This summer, Blue's second national season will begin, and we'll have to rely on Brother Yao to look after us."

"You flatter me. Azure is sharing the burden for me. It's a great model. We've been learning how to create a grassroots league that's relevant to the people." Yao seemed very happy. His words were true. Azure's existence has largely become a benchmark and a reference point.

"That's good. Next, there's something I need Brother Yao's help with." Chen Fang smiled slightly and revealed his next purpose.

"Go on," Yao said seriously, putting down her knife and fork.

"I'm preparing to launch a club, and within two years, we'll be in the CBA!"

Yao's eyes widened instantly, and it took him a while to regain his composure. He said as if in admiration, "Goodness, I knew you had ruthless ideas."

"If you put in the effort and manage the separation, you'll be halfway to success!"

"This club will be your vanguard, your elite force!" Chen Fang didn't want to beat around the bush and directly offered his benefits.

Yao's expression turned serious. He lowered his head and thought for a while before finally nodding: "It's a deal!"

Smart people don't need to spell things out. Once Chen Fang's club enters the CBA, it will become a benchmark, setting an example in everything and serving as a model class and a model home.

As long as the club starts making money, Yao's policies will have a solid basis.

In fact, this plan had been on Yao's mind for a long time. The Shanghai Sharks were a very good foundation, but in the end, when it came time to complete the transaction, he lost all power and only had prestige left.

This is also why Chen Fang wasn't worried about Yao refusing.

"Have you decided where to put it?" Yao asked.

"Shanghai!" Chen Fang's words almost made Yao choke. Then, he turned his head, thinking it over and over, and couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praise, "Very good!"

Fighting the Sharks, both openly and covertly, is under Yao's control, ensuring this show will be a resounding success.

The worries seemed to disappear, and Yao's brows relaxed. He now felt that the World Championships were not a big deal, after all, he was a person who valued the long term.

"I will try my best to make it to the World Championships, but I have a requirement!" Chen Fang then mentioned the third thing.

"Go ahead," Yao Xue said, now that he was mentally prepared.

"Li Nan won't do." Chen Fang's words were indeed shocking; even though Yao was prepared, she was still stunned.

"You want to change?" Yao was shocked.

Frankly speaking, given Chen Fang's current position, if he were to oppose Li Nan and use this as an excuse, no matter how disgusting the Basketball Association is, they would have to think twice.

Yao still lacks that kind of imposing presence, but Chen Fang is just right now.

"Why change him? What I mean is, Li Nan's level isn't high enough to match the goals I set," Chen Fang said calmly.

Hearing that they wouldn't exchange it, Yao snapped out of his daze, but the second half of the sentence made him frown and sigh again.

“We’re all players, there’s no need to spell things out. I think Yao Ming understands perfectly well.” Chen Fang grinned and stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth.

Chen Fang didn't understand before, but with experience and the people he met, he suddenly realized.

American coaches are only fit to coach Americans; European coaches can't make it in the NBA, and similarly, NBA coaches can't handle European leagues.

Therefore, whether it's Americans or Europeans, they can't actually save Chinese basketball.

The core logic behind this conclusion is just one point.

That is, the basketball environment varies too much.

American coaches' tactical systems rely on players' physical attributes, superb skills, formidable individual abilities, and high-tempo offense and defense honed from a young age.

European coaches' tactical systems rely on players cultivated through teamwork. These players' understanding of tactical coordination allows them to form a powerful fighting team.

And what do Chinese coaches have? Nothing.

Take Li Nan as an example.

Li Nan's tactical system can be summarized as "focusing on the inside, supplemented by speed, and with discipline as the bottom line," using the bullseye, diamond, and pistol five as conventional tactics.

The three-man rotation in the paint consists of Yi Jianlian (a stretch four), Zhou Qi (a rim protector), and Wang Zhelin (a low-post player), forming the core of the "three highs".

The rotation of five guards on the perimeter: the offensive and defensive performances of Guo Ailun, Zhao Jiwei, Sun Minghui, Fang Shuo, and Zhao Rui.

The selection logic is to prioritize guards, center the interior, and treat forwards as cannon fodder.

The system has very obvious weaknesses: it lacks projection capabilities and relies entirely on luck; its execution capabilities depend entirely on on-site supervision.

It's no exaggeration to say that the moment Li Nan was elected head coach, all his opponents knew exactly what his true colors were and could counter him blindly.

Getting back to the main point, the problem with Chinese players is their limited technical skills. They lack basic skills, and coupled with their inherent social niceties and factionalism, no matter how famous the coach is, they can't win games.

On the international stage, it's always a live broadcast of mishaps.

Chen Fang used to be a football fan and didn't really understand, but in the last two years, he's finally come to his senses.

Therefore, even with Chen Fang and Li Kaier, the two of them cannot bring about fundamental changes to the Chinese team. They still need to implement tactics, and the coach still needs to call timeouts. They can't control the coach like LeBron James does.

After all, cephalosporins like Walden are rare.

"So what are your plans?" Yao asked tentatively.

"Let's put it aside for now. This Summer League is a good opportunity to sober up Brother Li and make it easier to move on to the next step."

Yao nodded; he understood now that Chen Fang was playing a long game.

"Losing too badly might lead to greater losses than gains," Yao thought for a moment and then reminded him.

"No, I know what I'm doing," Chen Fang said confidently.

Given Rivers's connections, the process of the Chinese team in this summer league was not as comfortable as it had been in his previous life.

Want to win another game? You have to lose until all the fans realize that even with him and Li Kaier, the company is doomed to fail.

Yao was helpless and scratched his head in exasperation.

It is foreseeable how fierce the domestic public opinion storm will be in the coming week, and even I will be affected.

"This is growing pains. If you want to win a medal at the World Championships, you have to listen to me." Chen Fang smiled faintly, but Yao interpreted it as extremely cruel.

It seems that Chen Wang suffered greatly from his experience at the last Olympics.

Yao sighed inwardly. The selection process had been discussed many times, with the main theme being to avoid making Chen Fang uncomfortable and to choose the best among the worst. However, Li Nan still didn't seem to like him.

I wonder if Li Nan was so confident that he whispered to Yao Ming that he and Chen Fang had a good relationship during the Olympics, that he didn't kick Chen Fang when he was down, and that he even helped him out.

Does Chen Fang really care about this?

After watching the entire finals, Yao understood one thing.

Don't even think about controlling someone who's this ruthless to themselves using principles or personal relationships.

What you consider a friendship is nothing in other people's eyes.

People only value what they have. If you have no value, friendship is just empty politeness, and they'll ignore you as soon as they turn their backs.

"Oh, by the way, I have a plan for the national team's trip here." Chen Fang used the stick and immediately pulled out the carrot.

Yao took a look and was overjoyed. He looked up at Chen Fang and his eyes were full of satisfaction.

"Very good, very good, it saves me from running around and losing face." Yao said with some sadness.

That's how it is when people leave and things cool down. But in recent years, their friendship has been renewed. Yao knows why; that's just how value-based societies are.

“Don’t worry, you’re too tired in China. Take a good time to relax in the US. Although I have limited mobility, we’ll attend important occasions together.” Chen Fang’s words reassured Yao Dada.

"Things are so different with you around!" Yao said sincerely.

Chen Fang smiled slightly at this, feeling a great sense of pleasure from having power in his hands.

So honors are still important. With a championship, the whole world starts to get closer to you.

(End of this chapter)