Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Not only did Yu Fei disrespect the highly esteemed Jordan back in D.C., but from the very beginning of his career, he was someone who broke the rules.

He overturned the convention established during Bill Russell's and Jordan's eras—where superstars were responsible for the last shot—and the belief that the best basketball always came from the best team play.

In his five years with the Bucks, Yu Fei, with an astonishing rate of ball possession, won four championships, popularizing three-pointers and fundamentally changing the game of basketball into a different mode. He also forced the team to sign him to a short-term second contract, creating the 2+1 era, significantly shortening the League's window for teams to build rosters around a Rising Star.

Up to today, Yu Fei had basically shattered the NBA that Simmons had known since the 1980s.

Now it was a completely different era.

The world's second and third teamed up blatantly, and the third even had the nerve to nationally broadcast his act of cowardice, openly betraying his hometown elders and then cheerfully embracing Los Angeles.

And the world's number one? He was an utterly arrogant maniac.

He had already distorted the world of basketball and was now attempting to crush the greatest concept in professional basketball—dynasty.

Russell had a dynasty, Jordan had a dynasty, so they were Simmons's first and second,

According to Simmons's theory: winning the championship five times within ten years constitutes a dynasty.

Yu Fei won six championships in seven years, which theoretically made him a dynasty too, but since it wasn't with the same team, it didn't count as a dynasty.

To control the definition of a dynasty, they audaciously defined Yu Fei's brilliant achievements as "a one-man empire."

Once this perception became the consensus, there was no questioning Yu Fei's status as the greatest in history.

Why? Because Russell needed a bunch of helpers to achieve a dynasty, and even someone as strong as Jordan needed Pippen, but Yu Fei is a one-man dynasty. He was chosen by the heavens, and he alone.

This was also why Simmons was convinced that problems would arise with the Supersonics.

If even someone like him, who approached it with the mentality of a fan, couldn't stand the arrogance of Yu Fei's camp, how could Durant, a high-flying American, tolerate it?

"Exactly, SoleImperium," Simmons repeated the term, suppressing his distaste.

Sole—the only one? Frye, are you serious?

"I don't like this concept," Durant said bluntly, "and moreover, I don't know who would. I can't take pride in it. If you said we were the Supersonics Empire, I'd happily accept it, because I'm part of the Supersonics. But a sole empire? No matter who this 'one' is, it's disrespectful to everyone else. We are all part of the championship, we all shed blood and sweat for it, we all deserve the same honors."

Durant's response was exactly right in Simmons's view, exactly what he wanted to hear from him.

The interview having reached this point, Simmons had accomplished his objective, no need to ask any more sensitive questions.

As long as Durant had expressed his stance on "SoleImperium," the rest would be left to time.

Finally, Simmons asked, "How confident are you in winning a three-peat?"

"That's my ultimate goal," Durant said, "I've seen the Chicago Bulls achieve a three-peat, I've seen the Lakers achieve a three-peat, and I hope to be another player who helps the team accomplish this feat."

"And after that?"

"I will spend a summer telling everyone, there is no Sole Empire, only the Supersonics Empire."

On the fifth day of the training camp, Simmons was planning to condense Durant's interview into his column.

Just as he decided to leave, he encountered Yu Fei at the hotel, whom he had longed to see yet had not been able to meet.

He looked like he had just returned from a business trip.

"What are you doing here?" Yu Fei did not think the team would invite Simmons to the training camp.

Simmons explained, "I had an interview to do with KD."

"Oh, I see." Yu Fei did not show much interest in Durant's and Simmons's private interactions; he was about to leave when suddenly he remembered something, stopped, and turned back, "I'm sorry about Michael Redd."

Simmons tensed up.

Redd had been at odds with the team since the 2008 finals; Ainge had intended to trade him, but there wasn't a worthy target during that offseason. Coming into the new season, Redd got injured before Garnett. He then hurt himself again during the season, leading to his being ruled out.

Now, even if the Celtics wanted to trade him, they would have to wait for Redd to make a comeback and prove his worth.

"But, I guess you're used to it already," Yu Fei said hurtfully, "Tragedy is just the main theme of Boston sports, isn't it?"

Simmons flew into a rage, Yu Fei's words were indeed a stab to the heart.

Linking Boston sports with tragedy was something from the last century; since the new millennium, their sports momentum had been good, except.. his beloved Celtics.

"Want to know what tragedy is?" Simmons responded, "Tragedy is that an arrogant fool like you will eventually die in your own story!"

Hearing Simmons's curse, Yu Fei laughed heartily, "I won't be taking drugs on draft night, I won't be playing with a heart condition, I haven't been stabbed eleven times in a nightclub, and I've won six championships in the past seven years. I'll live longer than all of you. As for whether you will witness your beloved basketball team winning another championship while you're still alive, I find it hard, because Bostonians like you never learn from past failures."