Chapter 1097: Chapter 615: The Seal Loosened by Time Chapter 1097: Chapter 615: The Seal Loosened by Time Losing the third game before the end of 2015 was not unacceptable for Yu Fei, but losing a game after a birthday always leaves a memorable impression.

He felt that his birthdays might come with some bad BUFF, because in his memory, he always lost after them.

Nonetheless, they had to cast these stray thoughts aside and march into 2016 with their heads held high.

Rivers set a small goal for the players: “We can’t lose to those teams that don’t make the playoffs anymore!”

That statement definitely came from the heart.

The Clippers had lost two out of three games to non-playoff teams so far.

Then the Clippers headed to the Eastern Conference to challenge the team that had risen strongly due to trade deadline deals in the middle of last season.

In terms of lineup, the Wizards Team wasn’t much different from the main timeline, with Wall and Bill as their core, but the problem was that the most genuine Wizard at present was the babyish DeMarcus Cousins.

Followed then by Wall and Bill.

Last season, Wall was traded to the Wizards, immediately activating their offense.

Although Wall’s skills might not precisely fit the times, a core guard with the ability to clearly pass the ball, who also has a size advantage and fierce speed for his position, is enough to secure his place in the League.

Currently, the Wizards are fourth in the Eastern Conference, which can be said to be a front-line team.

The Clippers, having just lost to the Pelicans, were not willing to accept a losing streak, and came to D.C. fully focused.

When Yu Fei entered the Wizards’ home court, a special three-minute tribute video was played for him, which was quite unusual.

You see, not long ago, Yu Fei harshly criticized Clay Bennett over the issue of whether he was willing to retire his jersey in Seattle. Although he had made great contributions to the SuperSonics, he clearly stated he did not wish to retire his jersey for Bennett’s team. These words meant that unless there was a change in ownership, or Bennett passed away, the jersey of the greatest player in SuperSonics history would never hang in their home arena.

How much better was Yu Fei’s separation with D.C. compared to his experience in Seattle?

Perhaps even worse.

In nature, the decision by the Wizards might have disgusted him more–they chose a 39-year-old Jordan over a 19-year-old Yu Fei. But that was fifteen years ago. Although the Wizards Team was the main character in that event, the people Yu Fei despised are long gone. Jordan has become the vice Greatest of All Time, and Abe Pollin, who made the final decision back then, passed away many years ago.

Watching the tribute video, Yu Fei found the young man dashing across the court in the footage somewhat unfamiliar.

“Did I used to run that fast?”

“Why does my shooting form look so awkward?”

“What’s the difference between a 19-year-old me and Ben Simmons?”

“Oh, I’m playing in an era where a Ben Simmons is about to enter the League.”

The video captured all the precious moments from the early days of his career: The Shot against the Knicks in his rookie season, how he overwhelmed Grant Hill in his first start, and the game that decided the direction of the season–the buzzer-beater against the Lakers Team. The video also featured many familiar faces: Kwame Brown, Tyronn Lue, Chris Whitney, Jastide White, Doug Collins, and…Michael Jordan.

Yu Fei remembered that he had once talked to Carter about similar things.

Two years ago, when Carter returned to Toronto, it coincided with the Raptors’ 20th anniversary. The fans in Toronto prepared a tribute video for him, even though their boos had never stopped. But Carter’s approach was different–no matter where he went, he always praised the fans in Toronto, day in and day out, almost to the point of sappiness. Was this approach effective? Often it was not, but over time, even the deepest initial heartbreak can evoke pleasant memories.

When a bearded Carter returned to Toronto, the video of his “half-man, half-god” self moved him uncontrollably.

Those Toronto fans who had prepared to boo him were stunned. Suddenly, applause broke out, and the commentator started praising Carter’s contribution to basketball in Canada.

Yes, those Canadian boys who grew up watching Carter were becoming hot prospects in the NBA draft.

Would it have happened without Carter? Carter himself might not have anticipated such an impact.

Back then, Yu Fei had asked Carter if he regretted leaving in that manner.

“I never regretted leaving,” Carter said, “but maybe it could have been done in a better way at that time.”

Now, a similar scene unfolded before Yu Fei.

For a long time, he had deliberately downplayed his rookie season, never actively mentioning D.C. On the contrary, D.C. always referenced his success, engaging in a self-torturing game of “what-ifs.”

They loved to speculate: “If we hadn’t traded Yu Fei back then, would the Wizards of the 2000s have been as glorious as the Bulls of the 90s?”

The deeper this fantasy went, the more intense the reality’s pain became. And Yu Fei had long sealed away those memories. The only thing he could do was to keep winning victories, making D.C. feel that pain.

Today, he no longer needed to prove anything to anyone. With many years having passed, in the face of this sincere tribute video, certain emotions quietly eased.

Yao Ming came over and said, “How come you have tribute videos wherever you go? It’s like you’re about to retire.”

“That’s the advantage of having played for many teams,” Yu Fei said. “If you want, I can suggest to the management to trade you, so you’ll get a tribute video when you return to Los Angeles next season.”