Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1024 - 589 I Thought It Was 2003 Now_2

Chapter 1024: Chapter 589: I Thought It Was 2003 Now_2 Chapter 1024: Chapter 589: I Thought It Was 2003 Now_2 They were willing to team up with James, but not in Cleveland.

That summer, the cold shoulder the Knight received reminded James of why he had resolutely left this place years ago.

Indeed, it seemed as if the team was cursed. But the problem wasn’t just the team; they were also in a declining city—a city with insufficient commercial development value, unable to attract star players.

James had abandoned them in a way that was difficult for ordinary people to understand. As Cleveland’s darling, what he did to this city that deeply loved him was like what Edison Chen had done to Nicholas Tse.

Then, he did just one thing—return—and he won back their hearts.

Why? Because Clevelanders also knew their city was terrible. That someone like James, who could have stayed far away, chose to return, was truly moving.

However, how long could this sentiment last?

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When the Knight missed out on all the major stars that summer, turmoil inevitably stirred within James.

Then, Howard ended the suspense first.

His agent Dan Fegan announced, “Dwight will join the Houston Rockets as a free agent!”

The Rockets’ history is a history of legendary centers, and Harden is not only the league’s best point guard but also the most adept scorer and passer currently active. Howard believed he could find joy in basketball next to Harden.

Next was Carmelo Anthony.

Initially, he had chosen to form “The Big Three” in New Jersey to become a big shot like Yu Fei and James.

Three years had passed, and Anthony was unsure if he had achieved his goal.

Was he a big shot?

Had people’s views of him changed compared to three years ago?

These questions seemed subjective, hard to answer definitively.

But one thing he was very clear about—he liked playing in big cities.

After experiences in Denver and New Jersey, he had decided never again to play in small cities, as it didn’t fit his personality.

Thus, entering the free agency, although he outwardly expressed willingness to listen to all teams’ offers, he was only genuinely interested in teams from big cities.

Anthony’s first choice was the Clippers.

Durant and Griffin had become big shots next to Yu Fei, and Anthony believed he could replicate this success.

He had watched the Clippers’ games last season and thought of himself as an upgraded version of Paul Pierce, fully capable of bringing the firepower the team needed.

Moreover, he and GOAT had been close during the Dream Team; they even formed a group called the “Night High Alliance.”

Though GOAT had only participated in that Dream Team, the “Night High Alliance” continued to be active under Anthony’s leadership.

In terms of personality and interests, Anthony considered himself a true friend of GOAT, perfectly in tune with him.

Therefore, Anthony was convinced that at the end of the season, GOAT would contact him first.

However, Anthony didn’t receive a call from GOAT, but instead, he got the news of Yao Ming’s joining.

It turned out, Yao Ming matched GOAT’s “scent” better than Anthony did.

Yao Ming became the third top-salaried player for the Clippers, completely shattering the possibility of signing Anthony.

The Clippers could have bought out the remaining year of Danny Granger’s contract to offer Anthony a contract that, although not a max, was close.

If only GOAT had been willing to call and catch up with a weary Mr. Da An, the Clippers would have been very likely to form a formidable team.

Unfortunately, Yu Fei had never considered Anthony.

It wasn’t because his relationship with Anthony wasn’t as good as the latter had imagined, but because he had never seen Anthony as an ideal teammate.

Yu Fei wasn’t very familiar with Anthony, but through their interactions during the national team period and over the years, he had made his judgment.

Anthony was capable of balancing offense and defense, but out of a star’s pride, he often only exerted effort on offense and only took defense seriously when facing an opponent capable of driving him—like someone as stubborn as Kobe. This attitude was typical of a negative mindset, not appreciated by winners.

Moreover, although he had the experience of forming teams with multiple superstars, he essentially wasn’t someone who liked to share the spotlight, and this was key to why he and Paul didn’t get along.

For a star who was confident enough but not accountable enough, and who craved the limelight, the most sensible thing was to keep your distance. You could have fun together, but never try to work together seriously.

Anthony had indeed made a wrong bet.

Yu Fei had never reached out to him, and he wasn’t willing to lower himself to ask if the other party was willing to team up. As a superstar in his prime, he had plenty of options.

But wanting to play only in big cities severely limited those options.

In the end, Anthony made a decision that was expected—he signed a four-year contract with the Lakers.

This not only fulfilled his desire to play in Los Angeles but also gave him a chance to rival GOAT.

By comparison, Paul was much more rational. He seriously weighed the possibility of winning a championship and, like James, played the “I’m coming home” card.

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Although New Orleans wasn’t his hometown, it was where his basketball dream started. If it weren’t for the good performance he led the Hornets to achieve, perhaps New Orleans would no longer have an NBA team now.

Now, the Hornets were history, and the Pelicans had the rising star Anthony Davis. But the Brow was young; he needed a master-level point guard to guide him forward, and no one was more suitable than Paul.