Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 402 New Season, New Beginning

10 month 22 day.

Staples Center.

Today is a memorable day for the Los Angeles Clippers, as fans, management, and players gather here to celebrate the raising of the team's first-ever championship banner.

Meanwhile, the coaching staff and players will receive the championship rings in front of 18,000 people in the arena.

At the NBA championship ring presentation ceremony, key players, management, and head coaches all give speeches.

The championship ring took three months to make, from design to production, and was handcrafted by hundreds of people, resulting in a dazzling appearance.

The material is usually made of 14K white gold or yellow gold, with the white gold typically weighing more than 2 ounces. The ring is set with a large number of diamonds, which greatly increases its value.

The cost of making NBA championship rings is shared by the NBA and the winning team, but the league reimburses $4 per ring and limits the number of rings to 15.

Therefore, the vast majority of the expenses are borne by the team owner himself.

After all, the rings are not only given to players, but also to coaches and staff, although they differ slightly in style and material.

Even among players, rings are categorized into different tiers, with the best custom-made versions awarded only to key players to acknowledge their outstanding contributions to the team's championship victory.

When the Mavericks won the championship in 2011, owner Mark Cuban spent an additional $140 million to create the championship ring.

The 2015 Warriors championship ring, its premium version, was estimated by experts to cost over $100 million to produce.

As a true tycoon, Ball, having finally won the championship he had been longing for, naturally became even more generous, arbitrarily raising the production cost to 300 million.

The ring given to Chen Fang is also known as the king of rings.

With a base of pure gold, sapphires and diamonds are set to depict the players' names and numbers, the team's logo, and the year of their championship win. In particular, the 5-carat diamond on the Clippers logo on the front of the ring makes the cost of this special royal ring soar to millions.

It can be said that Chen Fang's ring alone accounted for one-third of the team's total ring production cost.

This also reflects Ballmer's affection for Chen Fang, but who would be jealous? Because without Chen Fang's iron-fisted efforts in the finals, no one would have gotten anything.

Moreover, in addition to the championship ring, the Clippers will also receive a quarter of the playoff prize pool, amounting to $7 million. According to the established profit-sharing ratio, even fringe players can receive $15.

There is a clear difference between the roles of starting players and substitutes.

Starting players receive an average of 60% of the total bonus, key rotation players share 20%, and fringe players share the remainder with the coaching staff.

In addition, some players' contracts include championship bonus clauses, which are paid out separately to the individual players.

Based on a rough estimate, from the moment Chen Fang wins the championship, he will receive a reward of tens of millions of yuan, and he won't have to pay taxes.

The entire awards ceremony proceeded in the following order: team owner - team general manager - team head coach - player.

Each person goes on stage, gets a microphone, and begins introducing the next person.

The first person to go on stage was the boss, Ballmer. His first words were a complaint about Lawrence, saying he was a very annoying person who would often call him in the middle of the night and wake him up. He said, "Damn it, isn't this your job? What did I hire you for?" Lawrence replied, "But boss, I don't have any money. All the money is in your hands."

His witty remarks drew laughter from the audience. Amid the laughter, Lawrence walked onto the stage with a grin, the two embraced, and Ballmer gave him his seat before walking off.

Lawrence echoed Ballmer's sentiments: "I know very well how the boss feels, because someone called me in the middle of the night and asked in a hoarse voice: 'Hey, I have a new idea, let's talk about it.'"

The crowd burst into laughter. Lawrence made a helpless shrug, then pointed to Rivers, who was smiling not far away, and said loudly, "This is Doug, the coach in the entire league who knows best how to deal with players and management. His success tells us that basketball coaching is a comprehensive subject. You not only need to understand basketball, but also how to manage team relationships."

Next, Doug came on stage. He playfully responded to Lawrence's words and then thanked all the coaching staff, support staff, and Lou Williams, Harrell, and Beverley, who were unable to attend today.

Finally, he called out Rose's name: "I will always remember how important the spirit you brought to the team was. In this young team, you are the undisputed locker room leader. Your words and actions, and your hard work on and off the court, inspire each and every one of us. Let's cheer together."

"Derrick Rose!"

Rose stepped into the spotlight, took the ring from Adam Silver, put it on, walked over to the head coach, hugged him, and then took the microphone.

Tears welled in his eyes. After wiping them away, Rose let out a long sigh and said, "Thank you to everyone for helping me rediscover my love for basketball here."

"The atmosphere here is youthful and passionate, and it ignites my desire."

"Let me introduce the worst man in Los Angeles. Many people may hate him, but if he's your teammate, you'll fall in love with him."

"Dilron Brooks!"

Dillon, grinning broadly, went to collect his ring first, then walked onto the stage to hug Ross.

His opening remarks were very much in line with his public persona: "I know a lot of people don't like it, including many players in the league."

"But I don't care. I get paid, I take on the tasks assigned to me by the coach, and my job is to help the team win. As for the rest, it doesn't matter."

"Now let me introduce a senior player who has always taught me how to defend and deal with those really good players. In my opinion, he is the best defender in the league!"

"Ju Holiday!"

Holiday emerged from the darkness, receiving his first championship ring, which he kissed and carefully put on.

He walked onto the stage, took the microphone, his voice was a little choked up, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"My defense seemed to be lacking when I came to the Clippers. There are a group of people with defensive talent here, and I have received more wing protection. It's a great experience. There's always a big man supporting me behind me."

“Ivica Zubac! My little brother!”

The order of all the speakers was arranged in advance, and everyone had prepared an introduction, except for Chen Fang.

Because he was the final person to perform.

When Sangwell called out Chen Fang's name, the cheers from the entire audience reached a new height, lasting for more than twenty seconds, making it an extremely grand occasion.

Chen Fang took a deep breath and stepped out of the darkness. This time, the spotlight shone on him alone, one, two, three lights, until the entire stadium was lit up. This was still a surprise carefully prepared by the lighting technician for Chen Fang.

Chen Fang walked up to Xiao Hua, who extended his hand to him and congratulated him, saying, "You did it. You contributed the most important part of the strength to this alliance."

"Thank you, sir. I will continue to work hard and contribute to this alliance."

With their hands clasped tightly together, Xiao Hua was very satisfied. Chen Wang's appearance had revitalized the alliance, which had been somewhat lacking in stamina, and his valuation had also broken through previous records. This was very good news, and Xiao Hua was very optimistic about Chen Wang's future development.

At an internal meeting of the alliance, he publicly designated Chen Fang as the face of the alliance and to receive preferential treatment in all aspects.

"The transition between generations must be consistently implemented. Times are changing, and the new generation prefers stars who are closer to their age. We must be clearly aware of this." This was a requirement he repeatedly emphasized at the meeting.

Chen Fang took the ring box from Xiao Hua, and when he opened it, he had to admit that his breathing became heavier.

Even though I had seen the renderings before, the feeling of holding it in my hands in real life was quite different.

Chen Fang put the ring on the middle finger of his right hand, then raised his hand to show it to the audience, once again winning cheers from everyone.

The camera lights shone like stars, complementing the diamond ring on Chen Fang's hand. At this moment, Chen Fang's image was radiant.

He walked to the podium, hugged Thornwell, and then took the microphone.

He coughed, which served as an opening remark.

"First of all, I want to thank my teammates. No victory can be achieved by one person alone. Our efforts have been rewarded."

"I also want to thank our opponents, who taught us that this precious glory is hard-won." "Finally, I want to thank the coaching staff and all the Clippers personnel. You are all unsung heroes. With your support, we have the strength to compete with strong opponents."

"I just heard everyone's remarks, and I know that you all have something left unsaid."

Chen Fang paused for a moment, then raised the microphone and shouted loudly to the 18,000 people in the audience: "This season, let's win another championship, and at this time next year, let's gather again, everyone, not one less!"

The deafening cheers echoed throughout Staples Center, and even the Lakers, who were quietly waiting in the away locker room for the ring presentation to end, could hear them clearly.

This is a sign of respect for the home team, and it's also an NBA tradition.

The away team's players and coaching staff will wait in the locker room until the home team's ceremony is over, and then return to the stadium to start the game.

If we're talking about who has the most complicated feelings, it's probably Kawhi Leonard.

The Clippers snatched the ring from his hands; Chen Wang's game-winning three-pointer shattered the Raptors' championship dream.

Peeking closely, I noticed Leonard receiving a massage from the team doctor with his eyes closed, maintaining muscle vitality and keeping his competitive form in check.

If we're talking about the most awkward game to play in the first match, it would be against last season's champions. And if we're going to add some more flair to that awkwardness, it would be this situation right now.

Of the Lakers' Big Three, besides Davis and Chen Fang's friendship through gaming, James and Leonard have an intractable feud.

Now that Prince Chen is enjoying his success outside, leaving them stuck here, their emotions are rising very quickly.

Vogel observed the diverse reactions with great interest. Before becoming head coach, he had studied under renowned college coach Rick Pitino. In Kentucky, he learned how to organize training sessions, edit game footage, and manage details.

He was brought to the Celtics by Pitino and began his NBA coaching career. After ups and downs, becoming the Lakers' head coach was, frankly, a very unexpected turn of events.

He built his career on defense, and the current problem is how to get these guys, who are better at offense than defense, to commit to the defense he has set up.

In Vogel's vision, Leonard is the core of perimeter defense, and Davis is the defensive anchor in the paint.

James initiates transition offense and defense, Howard protects the rim, and Rondo orchestrates the offense, forming a complete offensive and defensive system.

The problem is that having James play the 3 or 4 position creates defensive weaknesses. So, on offense, he plays the 3 position, but on defense, he can only be used as a shooting guard.

Having Leonard and Rondo help him on defense will definitely cause some problems.

So Vogel has always wanted to sit down and talk with James to discuss defense.

But we need to find the right opportunity; perhaps the Clippers today will help bring something.

Vogel wasn't really interested in the much-hyped city derby; his goal was the championship, and he treated the regular season as a trial-and-error process, using his opponents to identify problems and ultimately become invincible in the playoffs.

This is what he wants to do.

While he was lost in thought, the final climax arrived on the field.

Everyone stood together, including the coaching staff and management, and everyone raised their fists, showing off their championship rings for a group photo.

Right in front of them, the Los Angeles Clippers' first championship banner was being raised, and everyone was watching with bated breath.

Chen Fang was muttering something to himself, but no one could understand what he was saying.

"This is not the last time we'll see each other; this is just the beginning!"

When the celebration ended, the players went straight back to the locker room. The festivities were over, the honors were reset, and the journey began anew.

Rivers and the coaching staff have been planning for two whole weeks to beat the Lakers, constantly adjusting, setting challenges, and preparing backup plans.

Back in the locker room, Rivers announced today's starting lineup.

“朱霍勒迪1、陈放2、巴特勒3、小贾伦4，祖巴茨5。”

“Leonard is yours.” Rivers pointed at Butler, then said to Holiday, “James is yours.”

“Davis, you come here.” He pointed at Jaren, then looked at Zubac: “I don’t want you to get destroyed by Howard.”

Chen Fang has no plans yet; he is now a free agent in the Clippers' system, playing both offense and defense.

His primary responsibility is to provide defensive support.

"We don't know how the Lakers' new head coach Vogel will play his hand, but one thing we all know is that."

"He can't control James."

"At least for now, James' actions on the court are predictable."

"When we're attacking, we need to pay extra attention to James' side. If we attack that side more, we'll get more open looks."

"On defense, we need to protect the paint. If the paint is crowded enough, then James will only be able to score from the outside."

"Leonard and Davis will be our trouble, while James will be our happy drink."

"Come on, let's play the first half of this game and see how strong the Lakers are."

Rivers laid out the tactics in a relaxed tone. He glanced at Jojo, indicating that he would be in charge of explaining the tactical arrangements in detail.

Twenty minutes later, the Clippers players stood in the player tunnel, waiting for the final moment. Rivers suddenly shouted to Chen Fang, "First game of the new season, say something."

Chen Fang thought it made sense, and he turned around to look at everyone.

"Guys, the new season is here."

"Some brothers left, and some new friends came. Let's play well in every game and get big contracts to earn more money than we can spend in this lifetime."

Everyone was surprised, but then became even more excited.

Chen Fang's words were very pragmatic, without any formalities, and full of hard truths.

Rivers was also surprised to notice the change in Chen Fang's language, which showed that he also understood a certain principle.

When a team wins a championship, the players quickly lose motivation, and no amount of high-sounding words will necessarily move them.

“That’s right, let us make more money!” Butler laughed. Although he had watched the entire awards ceremony and it would be a lie to say he wasn’t envious, the incentive mechanism in the contract was what he cared about most.

Only by winning a championship and becoming an All-Star player can one reap the greatest benefits.

Everyone was visibly excited, and with Chen Fang, they rushed out with strange shouts.

With this start, the Clippers' new journey begins. They will face more challenges and difficulties, but will bravely strive to reach the other side.

As he watched the players walk away, Rivers thought to himself.

"The new season is here!" Rivers smiled and raised his fist as he looked at Mazura.

Mazura responded seriously with his fist, his gaze unwavering. He knew that Rivers would be giving him more authority this season, and he was well aware that his time was running out.

"I'll be ready!" he thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)