The Pelicans' championship parade came to a roaring end.

For all Pelicans fans, it was their most exciting and celebratory day.

However, observant fans may have noticed that at the end of the parade, neither owner Benson nor head coach Stevens mentioned continuing their championship streak as they had in the past.

This seemed like just a coincidence, but the next day, a message posted by Tang Tian on Twitter shocked everyone.

"Thank you to all the fans who have supported the Pelicans in the past, present, and future. I will be temporarily retiring from the NBA and moving into the team's management, spending more time with my family. I have always been with you."

The content of this tweet was short, but it exploded in the league like a bomb.

Tang Tian announced his retirement from the NBA right after completing a four-peat!

This move was comparable to Jordan's retirement after his first three-peat!

Social media crashed the moment this tweet came out.

When it recovered, almost all the trending topics were covered by the news of Tang Tian's retirement.

"This is fake news, right? Tang is retiring at 27 after winning four championships in a row?! That's impossible, his account must have been hacked!"

"It must be fake. Tang Tian would definitely hold a press conference to announce such a big event! No one announces it directly on Twitter!"

"I also think it's impossible. You guys don't know how many commercial endorsements Tang has now, and how many of those require him to play as a player!"

"Agreed, no one would pass up money. Tang's commercial value would be cut in half after retirement. No sane person would choose to do that!"

"I even think Xiao Shuai hacked Tang's account!"

"That's very possible. Jealousy makes people twisted, and Xiao Shuai is so good at using burner accounts, it's probably him!"

"Even if it's not Xiao Shuai, it could be someone else. The Pelicans completed a four-peat, other team fans must be furious, and there are bound to be some hackers among them!"

"Right, right, there wasn't any news about this beforehand, and Tang was having a blast at the championship parade. Retirement? No way!"

"Everyone, let's just disperse. Tang himself will come out and clarify soon. We're still looking forward to him bringing us a ten-peat!"

"Instead of this obviously fake news, let's talk about when Xiao Shuai will come to the Pelicans!"

…

The messages on Twitter also reflected the true feelings of most fans.

Like Davis, they found it incredible that Tang Tian would retire at the peak of his career at 27 after winning four consecutive championships.

However, later that day, Woj and Shams both released news confirming Tang Tian's retirement, and that the Pelicans would hold a press conference the next day.

This stunned fans all over the world.

Some fans even angrily cursed Benson and Tatum.

"They don't know what losing Tang will mean!"

Such words became the hottest topic.

Tang Tian was the number one player in NBA history, surpassing Jordan. His retirement would definitely be a major blow to the NBA and even world basketball.

This was something that fans couldn't accept at all.

How many people started watching the NBA again because of Tang Tian, and how many people watched TV just to see Tang Tian!

But no matter how the outside world commented, Tang Tian's retirement was definite news.

Fans and the media could only focus on the press conference that the Pelicans would hold the next day, hoping to get more information from there.

The 2018-2019 NBA Finals had just ended, but this day's press conference attracted more attention than the Finals.

The Pelicans' official team anticipated the grand scale of the press conference and rented the Saints' adjacent venue.

The venue, which could accommodate more than five hundred people, was packed.

There were even many media reporters who wanted to get in but couldn't, waiting outside the door.

When Tang Tian appeared outside the stadium, the reporter group was in an uproar.

Fortunately, the stadium had made preparations in advance. There were many security guards on the scene to maintain order, ensuring Tang Tian safely entered the press conference venue.

Tang Tian was accompanied by Pelicans owner Benson, head coach Stevens, and his agent, Carl.

When they appeared together, most reporters were already sure that Woj and Shams' news was correct.

Tang Tian was really going to announce his retirement from the NBA.

Tang Tian sat down with a smile on his face, looking quite relaxed.

The press conference began, and Carl first made a statement on behalf of Tang Tian.

The content of the statement was similar to what was announced on Twitter: Tang Tian would temporarily retire from the NBA and join the team's management.

When Carl finished speaking and the question-and-answer session began, all the hands below were raised.

Carl randomly selected a reporter.

The reporter stood up and introduced himself as a local New Orleans media reporter.

"Why did you choose to retire? We all know that you just completed a four-peat and are only 27 years old."

The question asked was obviously what all the reporters were concerned about.

"I want to spend more time with my family. I've always said that life is more important than basketball, so I've made this choice now."

Tang Tian hadn't finished speaking when there was already a commotion below the stage.

Obviously, such a reason could not satisfy them.

"Spending time with family can be done in other ways, such as family members coming to the games. What I mean is, with your current influence, retiring at the age of 27 would be a huge loss for yourself and for the league."

The second reporter to get the opportunity to ask a question was from ESPN, and he followed up on the previous question.

"I don't think it's a loss. Everyone has the right to choose. The so-called choice is weighing the importance of things in your heart. I think family is more important than my career now, especially in the past few years, my family has sacrificed a lot for my career."

Tang Tian didn't say too much, because as he said, he felt that family was more important, which was something others couldn't understand.

The commotion continued below the stage, showing that they really couldn't understand Tang Tian's choice.

"And for me, there are no more challenges in the league now."

Tang Tian's next words stopped the commotion.

Perhaps this was a more realistic reason in their eyes.

Tang Tian felt a little dumbfounded.

He suddenly understood why Jordan said similar things when he retired.

This was forced boasting!

"You said that you will join the Pelicans' management after you retire. What specific work will you be doing?"

The third reporter to get the opportunity to ask a question was from Fox, and he asked about other aspects.

"I have already discussed this with Ms. Gayle. I will purchase 10% of the team's shares in accordance with the additional terms of the previous broadcast contract, and join the team's management, engaging in team operations. I will still be a member of the Pelicans."

Tang Tian's answer was very thorough.

Benson also nodded in agreement.

Although Tang Tian's retirement would be a huge loss for her, Tang Tian also gave her a promise that could soothe her wounds during their conversation yesterday.

But that promise could not be said yet.