NBA: A collection of super busts

Chapter 99 At least we crashed faster than OK.

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't. Playing against him is too tiring," Ye Feng said. "I have to set a very tight screen on pick-and-rolls, and when he cuts to the basket, I have to watch his speed and time my shot perfectly. I also have to give him the paint, and all I can do is shoot mid-range shots."

"You all know how much I hate my shooting."

"But if you think I should continue to cooperate with him, I can tolerate it and give in to him."

"Alright, I understand." West sighed, then said, "We need to have a serious discussion tonight. You go home and get some sleep."

"Whatever it is, let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Then I'll take Udonis and the others with me," Ye Feng said. "Their thoughts are the same as mine."

"I understand." West nodded, looking at Ye Feng.

Ye Feng knew it was time for him to take his leave. The rest was up to these two to decide.

Whether they can just make do and get by, or whether they really have to cut their losses and trade one of them, is entirely up to them.

"What do you think?" Brown asked again. "If you ask for my advice, I'd choose Leaf."

"I also wanted to draft him. This kid is more to my liking and seems more reliable, but I also know that if I told Heisley I wanted to trade LeBron, I would be fired immediately."

"This guy can make money."

Seeing West's dejected appearance, Brown said, "Don't you want to try to smooth things over and let them continue playing together, even if it's just a facade?"

West yelled, "Why don't you do it that way? You're the head coach!"

"That's because I had no other choice," Brown said irresponsibly, shrugging his shoulders. "If I had a solution, I wouldn't be here with you. Young people these days are completely different from those 20 years ago."

"Besides, aren't you experienced? Those two bastards did a pretty good job under your command."

"My secret weapon back then was to leave everything to Phil Jackson," West said. "That trick won't work now."

Brown gave a wry smile. "You mean, it's my fault?"

"I really didn't expect their conflict to erupt so quickly! It's been less than two months!" West sighed, looking up at the sky. He had originally thought that everything would be fine for at least three to five years.

While the two old men were feeling quite melancholy, James, who had left earlier, went to the home of his agent, Goodwin.

"How was it? Did you do it?" Goodwin didn't smile this time; instead, he was quite serious.

"I did it!" James stepped into the house and slammed the door shut.

When James walked into the living room, he also greeted another person who was already sitting in the room, clearly knowing from the beginning that this person would be there.

"Hello, Mr. Lynn."

Lynn Merritt!

He is a Nike executive who has been watching LeBron James' games courtside since 01 and has a very good relationship with him. He is also the person in charge of leading and overseeing the cooperation between Nike and LeBron James.

"Tell me about LeBron," Merritt said. "Or maybe grab a drink and relax a bit before we talk? I can sense you're excited."

James said, "I initiated the conflict, and as you all said, they didn't have the guts to fight back, they just barked like cowardly stray dogs. I've also spoken to West and Brown; the team can't function without them! I demand they trade me immediately!"

"Very good, just like that." Goodwin said with satisfaction, "This is the result we wanted! Let them make a scene! The bigger the scene, the better! Make them pay for everything they've done."

"You don't need to worry about what happens next; just leave it to us."

Merritt added, "I will also start putting pressure on them from all sides. This team can only keep one player!"

"Those bastards at Adidas, I originally wanted to coexist peacefully with them, develop together, let you and Ye grow together, and make money together, but recently they've posted countless damn tweets."

"Every article says that Ye performed better and that Ye is a better player."

"Praise him for getting 20+10, say he hit the game-winner, praise his defense and athleticism." Merritt's words stopped there as he looked at James, waiting.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lynn, I'm way better than him!" James was smart; he knew what he should be doing: "My stats aren't as good as his because that bastard and Williams are too close. Those two are definitely sucking up to each other!"

"Once those two are gone, the ball will be in my hands, and I'll be able to play much better than him!"

"I've always believed in you." That's exactly what Merritt wanted. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a joke if the players they signed at a high price didn't perform as well as the ones signed by Adidas?

Ultimately, they didn't care at all whether Ye Feng and James were on the same team.

What they care about is that Ye Feng cannot perform better than James.

After more than a month of competition, Nike's actuaries and analysts have basically come to the conclusion that if Ye Feng continues to play like this, he will definitely surpass James and become the best rookie of this year.

Even worse, even if Ye Feng didn't become the best, it wouldn't be James' turn either, as Carmelo Anthony of the Cavaliers also delivered a phenomenal performance.

The highly anticipated top scorer was only ranked third among the newcomers, which was clearly unacceptable to Nike.

Therefore, the team must be broken up, and they must be separated!

At the same time, West also found Haisley at a party. The two found a secluded corner, and after listening to West's story, Haisley said, "So, you're sure it's impossible for these two to coexist and stay on the team together?"

"That's true. Even if we keep trying to repair their relationship, the forces behind them definitely don't want to see these two players continue to play for the same team."

"It was my fault. I misjudged the situation and didn't expect these two to be so irreconcilable. So we should cut our losses in time and make a trade while the rumors in Neijiang haven't surfaced yet and all the problems are still in the locker room."

"If this drags on and things escalate, it will affect their commercial value, and jersey sales may even decline."

"Okay." Haisley was immediately hit where it hurt: "People from Nike and Adidas did contact me, although they didn't say it explicitly, but that's the gist of it."

"Since we can't coexist and it'll affect our profits, let's break up! Anyway, with you here, we definitely won't do any unprofitable business. I trust you, Jerry! Do you have any ideas you can share with me?"

What will we get in return?

"Cleveland would definitely be willing to send Anthony," West said. "We can ask for a little more..."

"Sorry, Jerry," Haesley interrupted him abruptly. "I've said I'd never interfere with your work, but this is an exception."

"LeBron makes me more money."

"But if we keep Ye, we'll be closer to the championship; he's a better fit for us."

"But Jerry, you know," Heisley said, "I don't really care about championships. I just want the fans to come to the games, and then they'll buy out my store when they leave, that's all."

Looking at his boss, West was speechless.

After all, when Heisley hired him, his pitch was, "I don't have any expectations for your grades, just treat this as a health retreat."

"I understand," West sighed.

He came out of retirement because this place allows him to continue playing basketball, which he loves, and also provides a place to retire comfortably.

But now that the opportunity is in front of him, he is really unwilling to give up.

The next day, the Grizzlies' practice proceeded as usual, but the atmosphere on site plummeted to freezing point, completely devoid of the team's previous harmony and laughter.

Ye Feng, along with Williams and Haslem, formed a harmonious group, occupying half of the court and chatting and laughing.

James, meanwhile, had two trainers practicing layups there.

As for the others, they just felt a little embarrassed. Everyone knew what had happened yesterday and guessed that the team was likely to undergo a major personnel overhaul.

"Should we try to persuade them?" Battier hesitated. "We still need them to reconcile."

"It's best not to mix them up." Gasol shook his head. "Neither of those guys seem like the type to listen to advice, and I heard that Jerry went to see the boss last night."

"What did you talk about?" Percy asked, joining in.

"It might really be a trade, it's only been a month!" Gasol sighed and lowered his voice, and the others huddled together.

Neither West nor Brown have appeared at the training ground yet; they are both in West's office.

"What do you mean?" Brown asked, spreading his hands in confusion after West finished recounting the whole story. "Why?!"

"Didn't we already discuss this yesterday?" West said. "Haysley isn't that hungry for a championship. Basketball is just one of his calling cards, not his passion or dream."

"Isn't that why he chose the two of us to come here? You're always ready to retire and don't want too much pressure. I've actually already retired, but I don't want to leave basketball."

"But at first, no one expected the opportunity to come so quickly."

"I don't care if there's no opportunity," Brown said after a moment's thought. "But now that the opportunity has come, are we going to split up and make a trade?"

"Actually, LeBron isn't that useless," West said. "He's one of the top rookies."

"He was a top-tier rookie, and in five years he'll definitely be an MVP-caliber superstar. But he isn't right now. Right now he can't play basketball at all. He has a lot of flaws to improve, and a lot of technical problems."

"Of course, Ye's technique is also relatively rough, but the two have different roles. Ye is the kind of player who can contribute to the team as long as he stands on the court. He is a top-notch all-rounder and piece of the puzzle who can be used immediately."

"Whether he has the ball or not, he can contribute to the team. It's easy to build a team around him, or rather, he can build a team around anyone!"

"But when LeBron doesn't have the ball, his impact on the court is less than my grandma's. To build a team around him, you need at least 5..."

It's simply impossible to achieve any results this year.

"The team can wait five years, they can wait for him to grow, but I can't wait, Jerry! I'm 70... I want to achieve results right now!"

"Hubi, that's the truth," West said. "There's nothing we can do; the boss just wants to make money."

Brown looked at West; he knew then that the matter was settled.

Then, Brown made up his mind: "If they trade Ye, I'll resign!"

"There's no need to argue, absolutely no need." West hadn't expected Brown to be so adamant: "Your relationship with Ye isn't that great either."

"It's true that we don't have that good a relationship," Brown said. "But I don't want to be treated like an idiot. I don't want to watch opportunities slip away while I'm just sitting on the team doing nothing, helplessly watching."

"I understand, I'll think about it again." West shook his head and sighed, sounding somewhat helpless.

"Let's talk to those two kids again and see what they think."

A few minutes later, James, who had been notified, went into the office first.

"Jerry, I absolutely cannot accept coexisting with Ye! Do you know that? Those three just mocked me! They even messed with me!"

The three of them filled my car with popcorn! Just now! They were even trying to hide my shoes, but I spotted them.

James immediately complained to West: "Those guys are ruining the team chemistry! Trade them, we have to trade them!"

"Otherwise, I won't play! I'll never play again!"

"Shut up!" West slammed his hand on the table. "I told you, don't threaten me!"

"Giving gifts to rookies is a long-standing tradition in the NBA; it's not bullying you at all!"

Amid West's fury, James once again chose to remain silent. He looked at West, then at Brown beside him, and after several seconds of silence, he finally mustered his courage again: "If you don't want to trade him, you can trade me."

"I'm open to going anywhere—Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, any of these places will take me."

If it weren't for work, I absolutely wouldn't tolerate this arrogant jerk for even a second!

West cursed James inwardly, then took a deep breath and slowly said, "You have no choice. I'll trade one of you, but I'm not sure who it is yet."

"But no matter who it is, they have no right to choose. I will only look at the offer they make, and I will only consider the team's interests as the sole criterion. As for your needs..."

"You have no right to make demands! Not at all. You go where the highest bidder is! Okay, you can leave now."

James was a little stunned; he hadn't expected West to be so tough.

Last night, Goodwin and Merritt both told me that they had already spoken to Hayesley and that Hayesley would definitely trade Ye Feng!

Why is it possible that I might be the one to leave now?

James hurriedly stood up; he was going to talk to Goodwin again.

Brown became excited after he left: "You changed your mind? Trade this arrogant guy?"

"No," West said. "I will still trade Ye."

"I just couldn't stand the way this bastard was, so I just wanted to teach him a lesson and scare him a little."

Brown's voice fell silent again: "Well then, all I can say is that when the deal is done, that's when I'll leave."

"Let Ye in." West had lost interest in keeping Brown, so he picked up the phone again and called Ye Feng in.

"Caramel flavor." Ye Feng pushed open the door, carrying a large bag of popcorn. "It's very sweet, want a bite?"

"I have diabetes," Brown refused.

West completely ignored his question and instead asked, "What were you thinking? Why did you suddenly stuff LeBron's car full of popcorn at this time?"

"I'm bullying him!" Ye Feng said righteously, "He said I bullied him, harassed him, and isolated him. And I'm the kind of person who can't tolerate this kind of slander."

"Since he said it, I'll do it."

"Our relationship was beyond repair from the start, and I don't intend to try."

"You little brats," West sighed, "but I regret to inform you that we will trade you."

Is there anywhere you'd like to go?

"I can still choose?" Ye Feng exclaimed in surprise. "I thought I had no choice but to accept the arrangement!"

"I'll try my best," West said. "So, where do you want to go? To Miami with your buddy Dwayne, or back to your hometown of Chicago?"

"If I could choose, I'd like to go to a strong team, like the Spurs, Lakers, or...the Timberwolves, forget it, they definitely wouldn't give me a starting position. So, the Pacers, they're alright, but Jerry, you'll have to try to convince them to trade Jermaine O'Neal for them."

"That way I can start!"

"I told you to give your offer to your potential next team, not to make wishes!" West said irritably. "You know what? LeBron just did the same thing and got yelled at by me!"

"Does he also want to go to the Spurs or the Lakers?"

Brown chimed in, "He wants to go to New York and Los Angeles."

"See? I told you this guy wasn't thinking about winning at all, just about stats and making money!" Ye Feng said. "He's not a basketball player."

"I'm in a bad mood right now," West said. "I don't mean to joke with you, but I appreciate your respect. I can prioritize your feelings and am willing to cooperate and take you wherever you want to go."

"Chicago, New York, Los Angeles." This time, Ye Feng said seriously, "I want to go to these places too!"

"Shameless!" West said. "You can leave now. I'll think about it."

"But Jerry, you need to know something else." Ye Feng stood up and said confidently, "I will achieve everything before LeBron."

"By the way, if I really have any needs," Ye Feng nodded to West and Brown, "I hope Udonis and Jason can leave with me."

"They're going to have a terrible time if they stay here."

After saying that, Ye Feng turned and left. Looking at the closed door, West couldn't help but sigh again: "I hope this won't become a stain on my career."

"It's not going to be mine anyway." Having made up his mind, Brown was quite relaxed now: "I'm quitting!"

Years later, people will only say, "Brown resigned to stop Ye from leaving," which has nothing to do with me. Watching his old friend seem a few years younger after confirming his departure, quickly returning to his state as a commentator, West actually felt a sense of jealousy.

I might as well quit myself...

That very evening, the Grizzlies released a statement.

"Haslem, Williams, James, and Ye Feng have been internally suspended by the team for violating team discipline."

Discussions among the public immediately became lively.

What exactly happened to these four people?

Did they stay out all night? Was their PC discovered? Or...did these guys get into a fight?

At this time, all sorts of rumors and gossip emerged like crazy.

Countless "insiders" and "anonymous sources"

"Grizzlies staff members" and "high school classmates of Grizzlies staff members' relatives and friends" all stepped forward to analyze and explain this matter.

Many so-called micro-expression experts, psychology masters, and lip-reading experts have also stepped forward to analyze and interpret the body movements, verbal communication, and other such things of these people in their previous competitions.

Then, everyone came to an almost unanimous guess.

James suffered terribly from being bullied and humiliated by the evil group led by Ye Feng within the team.

"What the hell is all this garbage?" In Ye Feng's rented apartment, Reid angrily threw a newspaper with the headline "Wanted Criminal Finally Attacks Teammate! He Treats the Team Like a Prison!" on the floor. "Don't these people even care about basic laws when they're spouting nonsense?"

"Damn Nike! Damn capital! FUXX! Their lies are utterly shameless!"

"Then tell me what's going on with this thing?" Ye Feng picked up another newspaper and threw it over; the front page of this one was even more outrageous.

James's advances towards Ye Feng are rejected, sparking a conflict; the "Little Emperor" is actually the "Little Empress"!

"Normal business practice!" Reed immediately regained his composure and said, "It conforms to business logic and the normal psychological pattern of high school students."

"Get lost!" Ye Feng threw the newspaper at his face. "So, I've finished my last game representing the Grizzlies?"

"Normally, that's how it is," Reed said. "Sonny and I have been working hard lately, contacting several teams in the league to see what offers they're willing to make."

"Don't worry, we'll definitely send you to a suitable place, and we guarantee you'll achieve success before LeBron does, making the whole of Memphis a laughingstock!"

"That day will surely come."

The Grizzlies have not publicly stated how many games these four players will be suspended for, but after two games, it is widely believed that there are serious problems and infighting within the Grizzlies.

This time it's no longer speculation, but confirmed.

The Grizzlies have begun publicly listening to various offers and have started discussing trade details with multiple teams.

The Grizzlies have become the first team this season to officially open their supermarket to customers. Compared to their glory at the beginning of the season, their rapid decline to this state has left many feeling regretful.

I originally thought this would be another 0K combination.

As it turns out, whether the skill level is as high as OK's is unknown, but Neijiang's speed absolutely crushed OK.

The group 0K has persisted for 7 years, and despite rumors of internal strife circulating for at least 5 years, they haven't completely collapsed and disbanded yet.

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