Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Yu Fei held the advantage, Yu Fei took down LeBron, Yu Fei began to dominate. The start of tonight's game basically matched the fans' impression of a James showdown. Although James's resistance was not as fragile as it seemed on the surface, he had already lost to Yu Fei twenty-six times in a row. In terms of time, his losing streak to Yu Fei had lasted a whole five years. During the timeout, the team physician examined the spot where James was elbowed by Yu Fei. One had to admit that Yu Fei's move was "properly measured," he was simply aiming to strike at James. "LeBron, it's time to respond!" Mims said excitedly, "We trained hard all summer, wasn't it for this moment?!" Mike Brown looked far-sighted and expressed his concern to James, "LeBron, are you okay?" James replied, "I have no problem." Then, Bread Coach adjusted the Knights' play. In the past few minutes, the Knights had mainly played around O'Neal inside, but Yu Fei had no sense of sportsmanship and had come up aiming to slay the king, crossing their bottom line. They wanted James to regain control of the court, therefore it was essential to clarify the primary and secondary roles in the offense. O'Neal wasn't surprised by this news; even though he was in great form, the Knights were James's team. He even admitted he was just a bodyguard—could he possibly take the spotlight from others? But O'Neal's understanding of a bodyguard differed from others. In the eyes of most, a bodyguard is someone who protects VIPs, but in O'Neal's view, a bodyguard is responsible for conquering territories for important figures. If they don't need him to do so, then he would be useless. Could anyone really expect him to defend, box out, guard the rebound? He might just protect the rebound, and that only incidentally— he only protects the rebounds that fall on him. Expecting him to do the dirty and tiring work like Dwight Howard, the so-called fake Superman, would be wishful thinking. After the timeout, neither side made any adjustments to their lineup. However, the Knights immediately showed their hand by playing James right off the bat. When the court opened up, even though Yu Fei enjoyed the superstar privilege of hand-checking James in the era that prohibited it, James's penetration ability was historically T1 level strong. With the instant burst of physical strength plus the impact of his weight, James tore through Yu Fei's defense in a flash. But the advantage of being able to hand-check allowed Yu Fei to closely follow him even after losing his defensive position. However, once James charged up, the defense basically failed, especially since he also had his footwork as insurance. James charged into the paint like a train, stepped thrice, and scored with a mid-air hand switch layup, also drawing a foul from DeAndre Jordan. Yu Fei hadn't said anything yet, but George Karl exploded. "Isn't that a fucking travel?" Karl roared at the ref, "How can you allow this to happen?" James's so-called four-step layup had a long history; two years ago, his layup The Shot against the Wizards became notorious for the first time, but James himself explained it as "crab dribble," adding a comedic effect to the dark side of professional basketball where superstars abused privileges. Since then, James's travels seldom made it to the mainstream view, because James, who should have been at the peak of the Knights 1.0 in those two years, had his role usurped by Yu Fei. When James could compete with Yu Fei, the media paid attention to him. But now, in many people's eyes, he was just an overambitious fool, so naturally, no one would scrutinize him. Karl's intense reaction was something the referees couldn't accept, and they immediately called a technical foul on him. "What the hell are you doing?" Clay Bennett stood up, pointing and cursing at the referee, "Do you want to become the second Donaghy?" Boos and curses rang out in Key Arena. Stern was present at the scene. The shadow of Donaghy's scandal once again haunted him, reminding him of the image problems that had plagued the league for years. The Supersonics were no longer just a regular contending team. They were a bit like the Bulls after 1996. With the so-called best player of all time, backed by an international metropolis, sophisticated media machinery and commercial operations made them the center of the basketball world. Tonight could be considered a major celebration for the Supersonics. They were to celebrate last season's championship here for one last time. The battle between Yu and James was just a small part of the attraction; if it led to controversy, it would be a loss of face for the league. Stern looked at his deputy beside him, Adam Silver, whose complexion was as pale as a vampire. The commissioner didn't say a word, just gave a look. As Stern's handpicked successor, Adam Silver immediately understood the commissioner's meaning. He quietly left the scene and made a phone call. However, the favorable decisions that the Knights had just received were not going to be retracted. James's free throw plus the two free throws from the technical foul allowed the Knight to attempt three free throws. Karl, fuming to the point of steam seemingly rising from his bald head, said, "What I don't understand is why the League indulges that guy!" "Don't rush," Yu Fei said. "We can work with a zone defense against him." "Of course!" Karl agreed with Fei's suggestion, "Zone defense it is! His breakthroughs are useless against a zone defense!" In the eyes of the future godfather of small-ball, George Karl, James's 012-step layup was even more heretical than his own brand of small ball. Fei couldn't help but wonder if Karl would vomit blood if he saw Harden's mastery of the rules with his step-back moves. James made two out of three free throws, yet the possession remained with the Knights. After the last offense, James's confidence improved greatly. Facing Fei again, even knowing that a zone defense was waiting for him, he charged directly inside. However, Fei was not set on completely shutting him down. He was only responsible for delaying James's speed on the drive; as long as he could hold him up, the zone defense would naturally take effect. To James's surprise, the intensity of the Supersonics' zone defense was higher than he had anticipated. DeAndre Jordan just needed to do what he could with his physical gifts to be an excellent center. Defense was the foundation of Marion's career in the NBA. But Durant's help defense was undoubtedly an off-season transformation. Up to the end of last season, Durant had still been someone who relied on his physical gifts to provide help on defense. However, becoming teammates with Fei not only changed his role but also his growth trajectory. Durant didn't follow the path of averaging 20 points, then 25 points per game, becoming a scoring champion and then joining the ranks of the stars that he had in his past life. Last postseason, being benched multiple times made Durant realize how far he had to go if his offense was to truly excel, but with his talent, couldn't he quickly develop some defensive skills? That was the other aspect Durant had been working on during the off-season. He assembled a training team to work on his ball-handling and defense, and in his spare time, he watched a lot of Garnett's game footage. Through targeted training and studying the defensive habits of a master, he greatly improved his understanding of defense. Although his one-on-one defense was still a weak point, the effectiveness of his help defense had greatly increased. James's drive was enveloped in a trap and subsequently disrupted by Durant's long arms. Fei picked up the ball, and the Supersonics' counterattack was instantly launched. The Knights' transition defense was quick, but the overwhelming talent of the Supersonics' speedy trio was dominant. Fei, Durant, Marion – no team possessed a stronger wing lineup than theirs. Fei's feint pass fooled James, after which he bounced the ball between his legs. Durant caught the ball and gracefully leapt up, slamming it home for the score. "Kid, you're doing great." When Fei found out that Durant and Curry were born in the same year, he instantly decided, if he could call Curry 'kid,' then he could call Durant 'kid' as well. After all, KD and Kid sound pretty similar, don't they? Durant wasn't bothered by it. Fei was six years older than him. Imagine an 18-year-old calling a 12-year-old 'kid'; what's the big deal? But when he heard Fei complimenting his performance, Durant became wary, not knowing if this was a prelude to another test. "No, I still have a lot to improve on." Durant showed a composed demeanor. Fei felt reassured. At least for now, their relationship was like that of a great teacher and a good friend; a positive energy flowed between them. This reminded James of the time when he and Fei were respectful like brothers. Reality often made James question whether that time had truly existed, as he no longer remembered Fei showing him any kindness. But he did not regret that their relationship had reached this point today. If he didn't end the relationship, he would always be trapped within it, having to respond with a smile to the slaps from both sides, pretending that it was a form of encouragement from a big brother. It never was. It was just absolute suppression by a ruler who refused to allow challenges to his authority. Seeing Durant now, James was reminded of his former self. How long can this relationship last? How long can KD stand the mistreatment before he snaps? In a fresh offensive round, James faced Durant in a mismatch. Receiving the ball and seeing his earnest expression, one of fear of disappointing Fei, James suddenly pulled up and sank a three-pointer in front of Durant. "Let me tell you something," James said calmly, "What you are going through with him today, is what you will go through tomorrow."