Chapter 717: Chapter 492: Frye’s Etiquette Class (Unified)_3 Chapter 717: Chapter 492: Frye’s Etiquette Class (Unified)_3 This was a sudden public opinion assault.

Once Yu Fei’s fans and media friends reacted, a fierce online debate became inevitable.

Because the issue had blown up, even Yu Fei voiced his perspective on Twitter to explain that he had not directly influenced Anthony’s decision.

Yu Fei emphasized that he and Anthony would hang out during their national team commitments, and their main interactions were off the court.

As for on the court, he and Anthony didn’t really have a deep relationship.

Regardless, Yu Fei was inevitably tied to this matter.

After the Nuggets management failed to persuade Anthony, they had no choice but to reluctantly put him on the trading block.

The chain reaction triggered by Anthony shifting from an untouchable player to a tradable asset was unimaginable.

Because if the Nuggets decided to tank, many players in their roster could become reinforcements for playoff teams.

The Spurs were interested in Chauncey Billups.

The Lakers were interested in Kenyon Martin.

Most teams were interested in Anthony, but the problem was he wouldn’t go to a small city, so the options were quite limited.

Besides the three stars, the Nuggets also had strong role players like Nene and Arron Afflalo.

If the Nuggets decided to tank and rebuild, the resources they had could significantly bolster many teams.

The SuperSonics were eagerly watching.

They were very interested in bringing in Chauncey Billups, even if it meant paying the price of several first-round picks.

.Co

But with the Nuggets convinced that Anthony’s actions were influenced by Yu Fei, how could they negotiate a deal?

If they really wanted to trade, they’d have to bleed heavily, and that, in turn, would compromise their championship foundation, making it a loss not worth taking.

Thus, the SuperSonics could only watch helplessly as the Nuggets’ superstore opened.

Presti merely made a symbolic contact with the Nuggets personnel before giving up on further action.

At this moment, the League’s teams were in turmoil.

Apart from a few championship-contending teams, the rest were uncertain about their season’s prospects.

They found it hard to compete with the SuperSonics and Lakers and were unwilling to tank.

Some teams were in a daze, marking time, while others refused to maintain the status quo.

Then there were those like the Wizards, who, due to a core implosion, forcefully pressed the restart button, with Tony Parker’s trade undecided, and now with Anthony entering the market, the situation was bound to get messier.

The SuperSonics opted for stability.

They refused to chase after the market’s star players, waiting for trade deadline day to look for opportunities to stealthily strengthen; if not, scouring the free market was also an option.

The strength of the Big Three of Yu Fei, Bosh, and Durant was confirmed in their triple-header against the Lakers.

Now, what the SuperSonics needed to do was to preserve tranquility and wait for Roy’s return.

With no trade plans, the SuperSonics focused solely on their games.

Since the Lakers had lost to the SuperSonics and were then upset by the Rockets, their record now matched that of the SuperSonics.

Since the SuperSonics had won two games against the Lakers, they reclaimed the League’s top position.

They hoped to maintain the top spot until the All-Star weekend arrived.

And the Lakers, after losing to the Rockets, completely unraveled.

Because it wasn’t Yao Ming or the rising star Harden who defeated them, but Luis Scola.

Scola exploited the Lakers’ weak power forward slot, showcasing his FIBA offensive prowess, scoring a career-high 36 points with 7 rebounds, leading to the Lakers’ away defeat.

The Lakers could handle being challenged and even defeated when in good form, but they couldn’t tolerate being pummeled at the power forward position by the Rockets like the SuperSonics did.

If the Rockets could do so, other teams might follow suit, then could the Lakers still be considered a unique championship-contending team?

Generally hands-off these days, Jerry Buss issued a command to the Lakers’ upper management: “Spare no expense in strengthening the power forward position.”

From that day onward, Little Buss’s treasure, Bynum, was placed on the trading block, and Lakers’ trade talks with the Nuggets concerning Kenyon Martin made substantial progress.

On February 5, the SuperSonics hosted the Hornets at home.

The Hornets were formidable, but Chris Paul had recently been injured, and without their leader, they struggled even more and were no match for the SuperSonics.

Yu Fei scored 25 points and 12 assists, Durant had 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Bosh got 20 points and 10 rebounds; the SuperSonics’ Big Three were all in form, dominating their opponents from the first second of the game.

The final resounding victory surprised no one.

“I like our current state in the game,” Yu Fei said, “Basketball can be very simple, as long as everyone does their job, winning becomes very easy.”

This was the payback for defeating the Lakers.

The SuperSonics had found a new balance with Roy absent.

Moreover, this new balance seemed better to the coaching staff than when Roy was available.

Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only

As an organizer, Roy was excellent, but Yu Fei was great.

Especially after playing two seasons as a full-time small forward, Yu Fei’s tactical acumen had strengthened, and the domineering traits from his Bucks era had vanished.

He had become a commander with an overarching view of the game.

This enabled Yu Fei, despite reducing his shooting, to produce the strongest offensive impact of his career.

So far this season, he averaged 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists per game, shooting fewer than 18 times per game, yet leading the SuperSonics to average 119 points per game and topping the assists chart. The only player who could stop him from winning the assists title was Roy’s teammate, Chris Paul.