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When the Olympics ended in late August,
there was still more than half a month to go before the NBA preseason training camps started, allowing players who had competed for national teams to take vacations around the world.
Yu Fei went to Hong Kong, but Reebok didn't miss the opportunity to capitalize on the hype of an Olympic champion.
The Chosen One's Eighth-Generation Combat Boots, dubbed "Redemption," caused a sensation even before they hit the shelves.
This was Yu Fei's year.
In the entire sports world, only Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and the eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps could be mentioned in the same breath.
But Bolt was Jamaican, and Phelps's swimming didn't have the same overall impact as basketball.
In the grand scheme of sports, only Cristiano Ronaldo could compete. Soccer's global influence is far greater than basketball's, but Yu Fei had already transcended the sport itself.
Beneath Yu Fei, all other basketball players seemed lackluster.