Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Jim Gray had been a sports journalist for over 30 years. He had handled countless major sports news stories. He was the first reporter to announce Jordan's retirement in 1993, the first to break the news in 1996 that Shaquille O'Neal would join the Lakers, and the first to make Rodman cry with an unbeatable moral high ground during a national broadcast. More than thirty years of experience had woven Gray's network throughout the sports world. He could get inside information on Jordan, access to Shaquille O'Neal, and even a private one-on-one interview with Kobe in Eagle County after his suave performance, and crossed over to a more private interview with Tom Brady... His reach was pervasive. However, over all these years, Gray's network had never penetrated the Chosen Empire. The conclusion of the 2009 NBA Finals marked the end of an era for Gray. The post-Jordan era, and the era of the so-called 96 golden generation who saw Jordan as the ultimate goal, was coming to an end. The decade of the 2010s would be inscribed with the name Frye. This was definitely an underestimated night. Gray wanted to schedule an interview with Yu Fei but was told, "Everyone but Marc Stein needs to make an appointment in advance." Marc Stein? That King of Fluff on the ESPN news webpage? Working at ESPN, Gray certainly knew who Stein was, but he didn't appreciate the latter's way of working. Stein's approach of using tidbits and a massive workload to achieve performance was fundamentally different from his own method of probing the souls of his interviewees through one-on-one interviews. "Hey, Lin, I interviewed him before his first professional game, I interviewed him when he won his first championship, and I've interviewed him many times in the past," Gray tried to make Kevin Lin understand that he wasn't some idiot trying to leech off The Chosen One, but a big-name media figure, and their collaboration would be a win-win. "Frye never asked for an appointment." Lin Kaiwen appeared impatient, "Jim, this isn't about you, our rules aren't set in stone." "But in the past..." "The past is the past, now is now." Gray was denied the chance to interview Yu Fei tonight. Meanwhile, that king of fluff Marc Stein walked straight into the players' tunnel, giving him a smug look on the way. Gray told himself to stay calm, now was not the time to lose his temper. "How do I make an appointment?" Gray asked, "I'd like to do a 30-minute interview show with Frye." Lin Kaiwen said, "I'll let him know." "Just like that?" "Yes." Gray began to fume, barely believing that Lin Kaiwen would actually relay his interview request to Yu Fei. In fact, Gray guessed right. Lin Kaiwen wouldn't be telling Yu Fei about it. Because Yu Fei was about to run out of the locker room to receive the award, followed by interviews, and even more interviews. After the external interviews were over, he would be hosting a big party. All the Hollywood celebrities present tonight would attend, where he would have a "temperature-testing" negotiation with several sneaker brands. In other words, Yu Fei wouldn't have any time to accept Gray's interview in the coming days. But the lack of time wasn't the issue. The key was that people in the Chosen Empire thought there was something wrong with Jim Gray's stance. In the "44 VS 23" debate, although Gray didn't completely take Jordan's side, his position was quite clear. He believed that the influence Jordan had in transforming the NBA from a regional league for American entertainment into an international super league was something later generations couldn't surpass, regardless of how many championships they won. With such a slanted media figure, was it really necessary for Big Fei to waste his time? Therefore, Lin Kaiwen arrogantly brushed off Gray. As one of the most influential media figures in the industry, Gray was rarely treated with such disregard. What made him angry was that even though Lin Kaiwen was so disrespectful, he still had to put on a smiling face. Because Lin Kaiwen, as Yu Fei's assistant, was the key for all the media people to gain access to Yu Fei. This was the abnormal hierarchical system unique to the sports world. When a player's energy surpasses the industry they're in, even their assistant becomes a revered figure. Afterward, the SuperSonics returned to the court wearing their championship T-shirts. SuperSonics' owner Clay Bennett, in an awkwardly fitting commemorative shirt, yelled to the Milwaukee fans: "Sorry, Milwaukee, I assure you, you're not the second victim, nor the last!" Then Yu Fei lifted his sixth FMVP trophy with statistics of averaging 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. Yu Fei began his victory speech. Watching his interview subject on the court, Gray was unable to get him on his show for one-on-one interview. Gray felt a deep sense of defeat. As a media person, he had decided to commit his life to it. To that end, he remained child-free. He didn't want children because they would distract his focus and time; he wanted to devote his entire life to the media career. Just like his mentor David Halberstam. If he couldn't get the interview opportunity, there was no point in staying. Gray prepared to leave. Then he saw one of the "Four Horsemen", Maverick Carter, sitting with several Nike executives. Gray knew Carter; he was the CEO of James's LRMR company, specializing in James's media work and external marketing. Due to writer Buzz Bissinger's open backstabbing of King for co-authoring James's autobiography, Carter now found himself in a tough spot. It was his idea to have Bissinger co-write the autobiography, and it was he who found the man. As a result, this man betrayed them. Carter was here only because James's camp needed to keep up-to-date on the negotiations between Nike and Fei. For James's camp, the scariest thing in the world wasn't the confirmation of Delonte West's affair with James's mother, but Fei's decision to switch from Reebok to Nike. Just imagine, if Fei said to Nike's people, "I can sign with you, but LeBron has to get lost," what would Nike do? Indeed, while LeBron was still Nike's poster star, both his brand value and commercial appeal, whether in the United States or worldwide, couldn't compare to Fei's current standing. If things really came to that, Nike would not hesitate to discard what needed to be discarded. This could not happen. That was why Maverick Carter came here; he needed a chance to atone for his sin. "Maverick," Gray greeted, "What do you think of the upcoming free agency market?" Carter responded with the official line, "It's very good. A lot of things are going to happen, and I know many people are watching closely." After some idle chat, Gray knew he might not be as in demand as Fei, but he couldn't be picky. He asked bluntly, "Can I be the first to interview LeBron after he makes his decision?" Carter's response darkened Gray's vision, "I'll pass the message along." Yes, Gray had heard this phrase not so long ago. He didn't know if this was some sort of subconscious copy. He instinctively said, "I've interviewed him in high school, during his draft, during his first game against Frye. I've interviewed him many times." "I know, Jim," Carter said. "You don't need to explain this to me." Gray suddenly realized that James's decision might be the biggest news of the upcoming summer. Even though he wasn't of Fei's stature, he was unanimously regarded as a superstar, possessing top five league prowess. If he decided to leave Cleveland, it would surely alter the league's landscape. At that moment, Gray knew a simple interview request wouldn't sway James's camp. Suddenly, he remembered his colleague, ESPN's biggest internet sensation—Bill Simmons. At the beginning of the year, Simmons received an email from a fan that read, "What if LeBron announced his next team during a live ABC broadcast for the 2009-2010 season? How high would the ratings be?" The whimsical idea struck a chord with Simmons. Ever since, Simmons had been sharing the idea with his ESPN colleagues. ESPN internally had even discussed the feasibility of the concept, but it required LeBron's approval, so it had never been greenlit. Suddenly, Gray felt this was his chance to grab the summer's headline. So he said to Carter, "LeBron is one of the league's best players, and a man like him shouldn't leave quietly. Even if he isn't carrying the mission to save a city like Frye, the whole world should know about it. We could do a TV show—let LeBron announce his decision on the program." This suggestion struck a chord with Maverick Carter. He could almost envision the scene of LeBron announcing his decision on a nationwide broadcast; it would surely become a classic. "We must have control over the program," Carter said. "Otherwise, LeBron won't agree." "Of course," Gray knew he had taken the bait. "You produce the show, and of course, you own it. I can represent ESPN to offer a platform to broadcast the program." Carter excitedly said, "This will be the greatest offseason decision in NBA history!" ※※※ Inside the visiting team's locker room at the Bradley Center, the celebration continued. The SuperSonics had opened their locker room up to select reporters. Tyronn Lue, cigar in mouth, told reporters, "I'm going to retire. There couldn't be a better ending for me." "Do you have any plans after retirement?" "Yeah," Coach Lu said humorously. "Big Fei can't live without me, so I reluctantly agreed to stay on as an assistant coach." Michael Finley wept in the locker room. He had given up tens of millions of dollars in income for the championship. But he wiped away his tears, "It was worth it." Fei didn't like smoking cigars or spraying champagne. After the festivities, he held a half-empty bottle of champagne, taking a gentle sip. "Fei, do you have any plans for the summer?" Marc Stein asked. Fei laughed, "I plan to join Marvel as Iron Man's sidekick of justice." "That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard," Stein said, not a fan of superhero movies, so he assumed Fei was joking. "No, there's something even dumber," Fei couldn't stop laughing. Stein asked, "What is it?" "Like, let's say I'm unhappy in Seattle, so I decide to leave. But I don't want to wrap things up with a simple press conference. I arrogantly want the whole world to know what I'm doing and where I'm going to. So I decide to do a national broadcast, where I will announce my decision." Fei said, "Even though it would tear apart the hearts of millions of Seattleites, I could absolutely create an explosive news event, and history will remember it." Stein felt Fei really was drunk. "I take back my words. That has to be the stupidest plan I've ever heard," Stein said. "It won't happen in a million years."