Chapter 260: Raising the Flag (1)
Outside Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, crowds packed every inch of space.
Chen Yilun had to squeeze and push his way through before finally making it inside.
“Everything’s set?”
He found Peja waiting for him in the staff hallway.
“All set.”
Peja hurried alongside him, rattling off the updates in a quick-fire report.
“Commissioner Silver and Vivek are already resting in the VIP lounge. The flag is up, and the remaining rings are in the vault—you’ll need to take them out.”
This year’s ring ceremony would mainly feature NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and team owner Vivek Ranadive.
Chen Yilun and the rest of the team executives were essentially there for support.
“The entrance is completely jammed.”
Still walking, Chen Yilun issued instructions.
“Send some staff outside to clear things up. If the crowd gets stuck, that’ll be embarrassing.”
He made his way to the vault deep inside the arena, took out his key, and went through a series of tedious steps to unlock the thick vault door.
The moment it opened, the people gathered around couldn’t help drawing in a collective breath.
Inside lay rows of gleaming rings, perfectly arranged.
At the center of each ring was the Kings logo, pieced together from precious metals. Above the emblem sat a pure-gold crown, sculpted into the shape of an actual royal crown.
Two stars flanked the top of the logo—signifying the Kings’ second championship.
And encircling the emblem were exactly 69 small diamonds, representing the franchise’s 69-year history.
This was the first production batch, meant for players and team executives. The rings for regular staff would come in the second batch.
“Let’s get everything ready—the ceremony’s about to start.”
Chen Yilun smoothly directed the staff, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Divac walking in.
They exchanged a look before Chen spoke.
“Keep an eye on things here. I’m going to the VIP lounge to see the boss.”
Divac nodded. “Go ahead. I’ve got this.”
With that assurance, Chen Yilun turned and headed for the VIP lounge.
“Well, well! Our hero has arrived!”
The two bigshots sitting on the lounge sofa stood up with grins when they saw him enter.
Chen quickened his pace, greeted Ranadive, then turned toward Adam Silver.
“Commissioner, welcome to Sacramento.”
Although Chen Yilun held a high-ranking position in the league, his relationship with Silver had always been lukewarm. They rarely interacted, and during league executive meetings, Chen was famously quiet, almost never speaking up.
This was their first time meeting one-on-one.
“I’ve been wanting to talk with you,” Silver said warmly as he shook his hand.
“You’re a key pillar in the league’s management. The league’s future will rely on young leaders like you.”
Silver had never had much of a problem with Chen Yilun. Chen kept a low profile—unlike a certain Dallas executive who called Silver’s office every time he felt even slightly unhappy.
Chen had never caused issues or embarrassment.
The only annoyance was that Chen wasn’t firmly aligned with him, and his meteoric rise had thrown Silver’s plans off course.
But now that things were settled—and the league had seen the enormous potential of the Sacramento market—there was no point dwelling on the past.
“Vivek and I were just talking,” Silver said with a smile.
“You should be the one to present the rings.”
“Me? Absolutely not!”
Chen Yilun immediately waved his hands.
“With you two here, how could I possibly be the one presenting?”
“You have to,” Ranadive chimed in.
“Everyone knows this team was built through your hard work. Now that the fruits are here, you expect us to be the ones picking them?”
Ignoring Chen’s protests, Ranadive pulled him onto the sofa and lowered his voice.
“Come to my office after the ceremony.”
He winked at Chen Yilun.
After a bit of casual conversation, a staff member knocked and entered.
“Gentlemen, please prepare. The ceremony is about to begin.”
The three immediately stood, straightened their clothes, and headed out.
...
...
“Ladies and gentlemen!”
The lights in the Kings’ home arena dimmed, leaving a single spotlight illuminating center court.
Normally, the ring ceremony would take place during the season opener, but this year was an exception.
A massive wave of superstar movement in the offseason had already made opening night a spectacle, so the league scheduled the Kings for a road opener and postponed the ceremony to their second game.
Several cheerleaders carried out a small platform loaded with rings.
The rings formed a circle, surrounding the O’Brien Trophy like stars around the moon.
As the DJ announced each name, the players stepped forward to greet Commissioner Adam Silver and owner Ranadive, then moved behind them to Chen Yilun to receive their ring—the symbol of the highest honor in basketball.
It felt like a full-team reunion. Even Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam—who hadn’t played a single playoff game in the G-League—showed up.
Even Murray, still rehabbing, arrived on crutches.
After the fringe players received their rings, the rotation players stepped up.
First came Richardson, Oden, and Young—then the starters.
Booker was the first starter to go onstage. The young hotshot couldn’t help himself: after taking the ring from Chen Yilun, he jumped up and hugged him excitedly.
“Get off me, you brat!”
Chen laughed as he pushed Booker’s head away.
“You’re wrinkling my clothes.”
Next was Jokić. This year, the little chubby finally had time to return home and enjoy the horse races. Divac, in a rare show of generosity, had granted him the time off.
But whether it was pent-up frustration from Sacramento or something else, Jokić ate himself into a frenzy at home and came back a month later noticeably heavier.
It upset Divac so much that he couldn’t sleep for days.
After Jokić came Gay.
Though Gay was starting to fade from the spotlight, his age and standing still put him third in line.
When he took the ring from Chen Yilun, a rare flicker of emotion crossed Gay’s normally unreadable face.
“I knew it,” Gay murmured, wrapping an arm around Chen’s shoulder.
“Rolling with you was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
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