So, a few days later, the negotiations broke down again.
NBA Commissioner David Stern announced the cancellation of the regular games for November.
An entire month of games being canceled meant that every person in the league, whether owner or player, had lost 1/8 of their income.
"We all share this hope, but in light of the breakdown of negotiations, we won't have a complete NBA season," Stern said.
He also reiterated his warning that the longer the lockout dragged on, the more severe the proposals could become, as the league needed to compensate for the loss of hundreds of millions of US dollars.
"We are going to have to recalculate just how severe the losses are," Stern said. "The next proposal will reflect the huge losses that are stacking up right now."
For Yu Fei, what had happened and what was about to happen felt like a surreal dream.
He indeed had brought the NBA back to its pinnacle last season.
