“Will you participate in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup in China?”

The fourth question came from a TNT reporter, echoing a concern shared by many.

“Yes, as Karl said, I’m only retiring from the NBA. I’ll still play for my national team, especially with this year’s World Cup being held in my country. I’ll help my country win this world championship.”

Tang Tian’s words stirred the audience even more.

Prior to this, the US Men's Basketball team had announced a 35-man training camp roster, featuring almost every notable superstar in the league.

In other words, if none of these players withdrew, the US team would be fielding its strongest lineup ever.

Such a US team would be virtually unbeatable.

Anyone claiming to defeat them would be considered delusional.

However, with Tang Tian making that claim, it seemed different.

Moreover, despite the element of luck, the Chinese team was, after all, the 2016 Rio Olympics men's basketball champion.

Despite the commotion, no one pursued the topic further.

Clearly, they were more interested in Tang Tian's retirement.

“Will you ever consider returning to the NBA?”

The next reporter to speak up asked.

“Perhaps. No one can predict the future. After all, I'm only 27 years old.”

Tang Tian answered with a smile.

His response reflected his genuine feelings.

If you had asked him a year ago if he would retire after winning four consecutive championships, his answer would have been the same.

Life is like a journey. Only when you arrive at a certain place do you know what choices you'll make there.

And those choices define your life.

The reporters continued to ask questions.

They inquired about Tang Tian's endorsements to Karl, the Pelicans' goals for next season to Stevens, and the team's future plans to Benson.

They provided answers to each.

Most endorsement deals wouldn't be terminated due to Tang Tian's retirement, much like with Jordan. In other words, Tang Tian's commercial value wouldn't disappear because of his retirement.

The Pelicans' goal remained a five-peat, and the team would strengthen itself in the summer free agency market.

The Pelicans' future plans remained the same as before, and Tang Tian would be involved.

…

Tang Tian's retirement had far-reaching implications, with significant and long-term effects.

Tang Tian's press conference ended, and social media crashed again.

As before, when it recovered, "Tang Tian's Retirement Press Conference" dominated all the headlines.

"As a fan, I can't accept Tang's choice, but I understand. Family is always more important than career."

"Bullshit! Giving up hundreds of millions a year to talk about spending time with family? I can't accept it!"

"I also think it's absurd. He took down Adam Silver, led the Pelicans to four consecutive championships, and now he's just quitting!"

"The key is, what about the Pelicans! It's retirement, not a trade! The Pelicans are losing a league's top player for nothing!"

"You guys are like people who don't understand why Jack Ma announced his retirement, or why Bill Gates would donate all his wealth. When you reach that level, money doesn't matter anymore. What matters is what you value."

"Exactly! Isn't being a manager more comfortable than being a player? He's already earned enough money, of course he wants to enjoy life and spend time with his family!"

"Moreover, Tang's contribution to the NBA is immeasurable. He brought down Adam Silver, expanded the influence of basketball worldwide, even his retirement."

"That's right! If you knew the championship would always go to the Pelicans, your enjoyment of watching the games would diminish. Now that Tang is retiring, next season will be much more suspenseful!"

"Now I understand why he told Giannis that the future is yours. Giannis, it's for you!"

"Honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing who wins the championship next season, and I'll definitely be watching the upcoming World Cup closely!"

"Same here. The World Cup might be our last chance to see Tang play basketball for a while, not to mention the US team will be at its strongest this time!"

"I heard that Jokic, Giannis, Simmons, Gasol, Doncic will all be representing their countries. This year's World Cup is going to be crazy!"

"Yeah, you guys, and Tang even said he might come back in the future. Let's enjoy a few years without Tang in the league, it's a good thing too!"

…

Tang Tian's retirement was irreversible. Some radical fans couldn't help but lash out, but more people were thinking about the future.

And the Pelicans fans were relatively rational, after all, Tang Tian was still with the team, albeit in management.

If the Pelicans ever really fell apart, they believed Tang Tian would definitely come out to save the team.

Just like the fans on social media were saying, they were more focused on the upcoming World Cup.

Because that might be Tang Tian's last basketball competition for a while.

Tang Tian's retirement was a huge sensation, attracting everyone's attention.

But the league's processes continued as usual.

Before the draft, the annual awards ceremony, representing the final chapter of the 2018-2019 season, took place in Los Angeles.

This year's awards ceremony was similar to last year's, but with the addition of some alternative awards.

This attracted more attendees and brought it closer to the atmosphere of Hollywood awards ceremonies.

Tang Tian also attended with Olsen and their two children. Tang San was still too young and being taken care of by the nanny at home.

His appearance attracted the attention of all the media and reporters.

A noteworthy issue was that Tang Tian had announced his retirement, and theoretically, he should have withdrawn from the MVP race.

However, according to the rules, the MVP award evaluates performance from the previous season, and his performance last season undoubtedly made him an undisputed candidate for MVP.

So the final result was full of suspense.

The awards ceremony began quickly, hosted by the TNT trio and a host.

Several important awards were presented as the ceremony progressed.

The Most Improved Player award went to Bojan Bogdanovic of the Pacers, who beat out D'Angelo Russell of the Nets and De'Aaron Fox of the Kings.

He averaged nearly 20 points per game this season, and was a key factor in the Pacers' competitiveness and playoff appearance.

The Sixth Man of the Year award went to Lou Williams of the Clippers, marking his second consecutive year winning the award.

The Rookie of the Year award was not much of a surprise, with Luka Dončić of the Clippers receiving over 80% of the votes.

Putting up 20+5+5 in his rookie season and helping the team reach the second round of the playoffs, Dončić lived up to his title of "Europe's Strongest Rookie."

The Coach of the Year award went to Frank Vogel of the Lakers.

Although he didn't ultimately lead the team to a championship, he led them to a franchise-best 72-win season, deserving of the honor.

It was slightly unfortunate for Gregg Popovich, who accomplished the same feat, but ultimately lost to Vogel due to a two-win difference in the regular season record.

After the Coach of the Year award, the Defensive Player of the Year award was presented.

It was at this point that fans noticed something.

The Defensive Player of the Year candidates: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Rudy Gobert.

No Tang Tian!

The announcement of the candidate list sparked heated discussions among fans, seemingly foreshadowing something.