Chapter 665: Fan Xi's Grand Plan for Domestic Basketball

Not long after Fan Xi won the 2017 championship, the league issued a new rule.

The media called it the "Fan Xi Clause 2."

The clause states: Any team that has Fan Xi may not sign another max-salary free agent. At the same time, the league does not allow a player ranked in the top 15 who is on a contract below max salary to join a team that has Fan Xi.

As soon as this clause came out, many fans cursed.

When James formed a superteam, you didn't say a word. Now you've directly cut off the path for other players to form superteams.

Especially Durant.

How are you supposed to let Durant live?

Durant was also shocked; it was clearly aimed at him. That day he fired off on Twitter: "Is the league so desperate to help Jie Ke win a championship that it has no shame?"

"Is it Jie Ke who destroyed the league's fairness, or LeBron? Who exactly started the superteam era?"

"Why not just enact a rule: No team may have two supermax contracts?"

"If I were Jie Ke, I'd retire right now!"

"I never intended to rejoin the Clippers anyway; I'm just speaking out in protest!"

Durant unleashed a furious tirade.

This scared Adam Silver, who called Fan Xi in the middle of the night, fearing Fan Xi might really retire.

If Fan Xi retired, the NBA's influence would drop significantly.

Although the NBA is now under Fan Xi's strong rule, the rule itself is also a kind of attraction.

Let a hundred flowers bloom; there must be one outstanding stem.

If it's only a hundred flowers blooming with a plateau but no peak, that won't do.

Fan Xi said on the phone that he would not retire and had no retirement plans for now.

Just dealing with the offseason has left him frazzled; if he really had to go home to take care of his kids, he'd be dizzy and nauseous.

Fan Xi actually had no objection to this league clause.

He never intended to form a superstar superteam; his approach has always been to mix veterans and newcomers.

This year the Greek Freak's rookie contract expired, and Fan Xi had no intention of re-signing him; he had Kupchak sign and then trade him away just to get some cash and a high draft pick.

Moreover, the league did not lock down the Clippers' rookie extensions. Any rookie who emerges from the Clippers can still re-sign for a max contract.

This also leaves a backdoor for Fan Xi.

Actually, the most crucial point of this clause is: Who gets to determine the league's top 15?

The media?

Which media outlet?

Ranking stars is inherently offensive, and it's hard to quantify player abilities.

In the end the league stipulated: All-NBA First and Second Team members, All-Defensive First Team members, top five scorers, top three assist leaders, and top three rebounders may not join a team that has Fan Xi.

Actually, this leaves considerable room for maneuver. But at least the rule is clear.

…

Fan Xi participated in New York's championship parade, then stayed in New York.

He oversaw this year's draft.

On draft night, he sent the Greek Freak to Boston via a sign-and-trade, receiving Marcus Smart, Al Horford's expiring contract, this year's third pick Jayson Tatum, and $2 million in cash.

The deal was graded an A, a win-win!

Boston now has Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Isaiah Thomas, and is about to sign Gordon Hayward; adding the Greek Freak would instantly put them among the elite.

The Clippers, meanwhile, continue their tradition of trading away soon-to-be-expiring superstar rookies, from Butler to Leonard, from Leonard to Antetokounmpo, in an unbroken line.

Nobody is surprised.

Moreover, they have always trusted Fan Xi's draft judgment.

They also dare not say Tatum will bust.

Especially after being picked by Fan Xi, Tatum became the most watched player of this draft class.

Fan Xi also used his draft picks to select Jarrett Allen at 15th and Kyle Kuzma at 21st.

These two players were used to fill the gaps in the interior and on the wing.

Whiteside left after receiving a max contract from the Heat this season.

Fan Xi was happy for him.

JR Smith also accepted a high salary from the Knicks and went to New York to mentor the rookies.

James Dolan still handles such matters decently; anyone who has contributed to him and earned Fan Xi's approval, he is willing to pay. JR Smith's return to New York is also a good choice.

With the draft concluded,

the Clippers' roster for the new season is actually mostly set.

Point guards: Fan Xi, Rubio.

Shooting guards: Tatum, Smart.

Small forward: Kuzma.

Power forwards: Miličić, Capela.

Centers: Jokić, Allen.

The small forward position still needs some reinforcement; Fan Xi told Kupchak it would be best to bring in a small forward.

But the next day, Fan Xi gave Kupchak an order to sign Ding Yuyuhang.

Little Ding has followed Fan Xi since 2012, winning a championship in London and earning merit. These years he has played domestically, becoming China's Jordan. Besides Fan Xi, he is the first person ever to do so, and he trains in Los Angeles every summer.

After Fan Xi returned to Los Angeles, he chatted with him for a while and then matched up against him for a while.

Feeling that his ability was already close to NBA rotation level, just one step away, Fan Xi simply let Kupchak give this opportunity to Little Ding.

At the same time, he also instructed Ku Pu Qie Ke to prioritize recruiting Chinese players for the upcoming signings.

When abilities are equal, give priority to Chinese players.

Even if the ability is somewhat inferior, still use Chinese players.

Fan Xi exercised his special right.

Over these years, he has not only helped the Chinese men's basketball team win two Olympic gold medals and one World Championship gold medal; more importantly, he changed the domestic men's basketball ecosystem, letting CBA's top players train for free in Los Angeles, and also letting many domestic trainers, basketball coaches, and data analysts study with the Kuaisuan.

These people will bring advanced experience back home, soon boosting the momentum of domestic basketball.

Especially Fan Xi's promoted "300 Campus Basketball Plan" has further spurred vigorous development of campus basketball.

Nowadays, China can be said to be a true basketball powerhouse. Fan Xi has transformed from a basketball idol into a genuine basketball hero.

China's basketball talent keeps emerging, not only from provincial youth training teams, but increasingly from campus basketball leagues.

The CBA draft has become lively and impressive, with more and more college athletes, even high school athletes, jumping straight into the professional league.

It has become the best league outside the NBA.

Fan Xi is very pleased to see all this happen.

Now, he is preparing to give more advancement channels to domestic top superstars.

Xiao Ding previously followed Fan Xi to London to play in the Olympics; back then he already wanted to come to the NBA, and now he has finally realized his dream.

He signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract.

Although after tax, this salary is much less than what he earned domestically.

But… this is not just about money.

It is a dream!

…