Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1033 - 592 He Doesnt Need a Statue_2

Chapter 1033: Chapter 592 He Doesn’t Need a Statue_2 Chapter 1033: Chapter 592 He Doesn’t Need a Statue_2 As an influential, rational, and objective journalist within the industry, he was best suited to become the mouthpiece.

Upon hearing Aldridge’s question, Yu Fei smiled faintly, “I don’t think so.”

Aldridge’s heart tightened, could it be that the GOAT was finally about to vent his dissatisfaction with the management? Although signing Yao Ming was a superb move, many inside the league knew it had nothing to do with the Clippers’ management; Yao’s choice of the Clippers was solely because of his personal relationship with Yu Fei.

If it weren’t for the management’s blunder, the Clippers would now have the inside duo of Griffin and Yao Ming, an unrivaled advantage.

Just when Aldridge thought that Yu Fei was about to criticize the management, Yu Fei said, “I believe that through the operations this summer, we now have the strength to win the championship. So, it’s not a question of being closer to the championship—it’s that we are fully capable of winning the championship in the new season!”

No one was surprised to hear this. After all, this man had won the championship eight times in his 13-year career, and no one doubted he would increase the number of championships before retiring.

But would next season be that moment?

...

Did the Clippers really have that strength?

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Yao Ming was undoubtedly a key signing, but they lost Griffin. Plus, Yao Ming was already 34 years old, edging closer to the 35-year-old threshold where a significant decline is expected.

In terms of growth trajectory, the outside world generally believes that Yao Ming at this stage is not as good as Griffin. So, where does Yu Fei’s confidence come from?

Aldridge could only surmise that Antetokounmpo had made significant progress.

However, based on just a few hours of media day, Aldridge couldn’t be sure if Antetokounmpo had truly transformed.

Jokić, on the other hand, caused a bit of a laugh. He accused Kwame Brown of stealing his “burek,” a type of Serbian pastry.

Brown laughed, “I was just helping you to diet.”

Jokić angrily retorted, “If you steal again, I’ll steal all your meal allowances!”

This was the main takeaway for the Clippers from the draft.

They selected two players, both from Serbia.

The other Serbian rookie had already signed a two-year contract with his home team, meaning he would not join the NBA until 2016 at the earliest.

According to the plan, Jokić was also supposed to return to Serbia for a year, but the Clippers wanted him to enter the league sooner, so they bought out his contract, enabling him to come to the NBA smoothly.

When the Clippers originally made such decisions during the draft, Arne Trem was almost stripped of his citizenship. Even now, those in the media who had a negative view of the decision still don’t see what’s so appealing about Jokić.

He seemed a bit overweight, visibly lacking athletic talent, unable to control his eating habits—how could such a person succeed in the NBA?

“Do you still believe you can win the championship?”

Aldridge asked Yu Fei.

Yu Fei replied, “Those negative impressions you have about the Clippers in your minds are unreliable illusions. When the season starts, you will see that my words are true.”

That day, when the Clippers took the team photo, Yu Fei sat on the left side, owner Ballmer on the right, then from left to right in order were Rivers, Yao Ming, Thompson, Antetokounmpo, and Jokić.

The seating arrangement also reflected the Clippers’ expectations for Jokić.

Was he really that good?

It was a mystery to the reporters present.

In the remaining days of the training camp, the Clippers’ main task was to find a power forward who could develop among those without contracts.

After several days of training, the Clippers signed a power forward named Tony Mitchell just before the training camp closed.

He was a second-round pick in 2013, chosen by the Detroit Pistons.

However, the Pistons gave up on him after just one season.

The Clippers claimed his contract, but since two out of the three years of Mitchell’s rookie contract were not guaranteed, they could cut him at any time.

Mitchell was a power forward with excellent leaps and a long wingspan, but his drawbacks included a lack of skills, poor physical confrontation, and inadequate height. Although he was listed as 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm), he looked like he might not even reach 2 meters barefoot.

Such a player, with no NBA-level advantage other than leaping and reach, would not survive in the NBA for more than two years unless he received careful cultivation from the team.

It was precisely because the Clippers were desperately in need of a power forward that they claimed him.

Luckily, the Clippers’ roster was brimming with talent, not only overflowing with offensive players but also ball handlers and organizers—they just lacked someone like Mitchell who enjoyed having easy baskets fed to him.

Mitchell’s integration into the Clippers was surprisingly good. When playing with Yu Fei, he could fully exploit the GOAT’s attractiveness in defense to create opportunities by cutting to the basket.

When paired with Jokić, Mitchell seemed to return to his college days. The Serb always managed to pass the ball to him in unbelievable ways, allowing him to score easily.

Thanks to his great chemistry with the GOAT and Jokić, Mitchell made the final team roster.

For the Clippers, this addition could only be considered marginally better than nothing. The team did not expect Mitchell to bring any surprises; as long as he could hold his own for a few minutes in the power forward position, he would be worth the cost of signing him.

During the preseason, the Clippers’ “giant lineup” sparked heated discussion from the outside. The interior combo of Yao Ming and Jokić was undeniably a move against the current trend.

In today’s era of “space basketball,” the game demands more accuracy, more speed. To ensure efficient operation on the floor, reducing the playing time of big centers has become an almost inevitable choice.