Chapter 731: Chapter 496: The Final Advice_2 Chapter 731: Chapter 496: The Final Advice_2 Moreover, this might be a blessing in disguise for the Supersonics.

An AMVP in the grand scheme of NBA honors might only be the size of a fly’s leg, but even such a small honor could spark competition. If Durant obtained it tonight, would he feel content?

No, it’s like the actresses from the dark side of the Japanese film industry, whom the fans expect to try as many things as possible until there are no more limits. Their desire won’t decrease just because of a little satisfaction.

That Durant couldn’t have his first MVP experience tonight was his misfortune, but it might be the Supersonics’ luck.

“After all, this is Dallas,” Karl said with a light smile, “Dirk is the crowd’s favorite.”

Yu Fei couldn’t deny it; Durant’s luck tonight was indeed bad.

Then, Yu Fei asked, “George, didn’t you have something to talk to me about?”

Karl didn’t plan to keep it a secret; he wanted Yu Fei to be the first one on the team to know.

“At the beginning of the year, I found a small lump on my neck,” Karl said.

Yu Fei nodded: “I heard about it.”

No one took it seriously because Karl was older, didn’t exercise much, and like many other Americans, it wasn’t strange for his body to become bloated due to excess fat.

“I went for a checkup before coming to Dallas and got the results today,” Karl’s tone was calm, as if it wasn’t a big deal, “It’s throat cancer.”

Yu Fei looked at him in disbelief.

It was as if a good friend, whom you’ve worked with for many years, had just come out of an annual carnival, ready to share today’s events, but then suddenly became serious and said to you, “I might be dying.”

Yu Fei was completely unprepared for this news.

He remembered that Karl had previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago, but now, he had throat cancer.

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“You’ll be okay, right?” Yu Fei asked.

“It’s hard to say,” Karl said, “the doctors told me that if everything goes well, my survival rate for the next five years is between 30% and 50%.”

As he spoke, Karl made a joke: “Like KD’s three-point shooting percentage tonight.”

Once the diagnosis was confirmed, some things became certain.

At least for this season, Karl wouldn’t be able to return.

For the Supersonics, which were aiming for a third consecutive championship, this was a bolt from the blue.

Many media people think that the coach is not important, the players are key. However, the same people have also said George Karl was very important for Fei’s empire.

They had worked together for eight years, since 2002.

From Milwaukee to Team USA, and then to Seattle, eight years of rapport, mutual understanding, and support. Karl only needed to look at Yu Fei’s expression to know his mood, and by looking at his offense, he could generally gauge his state for the day.

Whenever Yu Fei showed signs of losing control on the court, Karl would call a timely timeout.

He was recognized as a “Butler,” a nanny who had a countless positive impact on Yu Fei but never threatened Yu Fei’s privileged status above the rest of the team.

Those who cling to the coattails but have limited talent are called Kwame Brown.

But Karl, who not only clung to coattails but also had a significant impact on the game, was given more respect.

Just like tonight, Karl’s move to help Durant snatch the AMVP showed that his in-game micro-management had become very astute, simply disrupting the rotation of James and Yu Fei, achieving the effect of having them compete separately.

Moreover, even if the parties involved knew Karl had this in mind, they couldn’t say much because Karl’s reasoning was legitimate.

Finding a successor for Karl was a tougher problem than losing him.

This was almost only possible by choosing from Karl’s coaching staff, because only the original team could maintain the system. Otherwise, bringing in a control freak with a bit of ingenuity like Paul Westhead could not only cause a severe clash with Yu Fei but also lead to the downfall of the Supersonic empire.

At this time, Yu Fei was in turmoil, and the good mood that had emerged during the All-Star weekend had vanished without a trace.

He frantically recalled information about George Karl from his previous life, but he just couldn’t think of it because Karl had already faded from the basketball frontline by that time. But this made Yu Fei think of something unpleasant–could it be that Karl would…?

“When do you plan to announce this?”

Yu Fei asked.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Is there anything else you want to do?”

“Of course,” Karl said, “before I start treatment, I want to have one last big meal. I’ve made arrangements with Chef Simms at ChoLon.”

“I’ll join you for that,”
Two days later
Everyone reassembled and Karl announced his condition to the entire team at the Furtado Center.

This immediately caused various upheavals within the Supersonics.

General Manager Sam Presti found it hard to control his emotions; he knew too well how rare it was to find an experienced coach like Karl who also had an extremely harmonious relationship with Yu Fei.

They were nearly impossible to come across.

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It was unlikely they would find a replacement for Karl who matched his abilities or the rapport with Yu Fei.

Owner Clay Bennett publicly promised that Karl would always be a part of the Supersonics. His existing coaching contract would be converted into a formal management contract, and if he recovered in the future, he could return to the coaching staff anytime.

After that, everyone one by one wished Karl well.

Durant’s statement was the most touching; his eyes reddened as he thanked Karl, taking five minutes to talk about Karl’s significance to him.

The scene was so moving that even Yu Fei, who had known the news earlier, almost couldn’t hold back his tears.