When pride still matters

Chapter 142 I, a two-day veteran, will always stand by your side.
Jordan's reaction to Yu Fei-related questions was priceless.

That proves just how much the contrast between the Bucks' good momentum and the slumping Wizards irritates him.

This makes people look forward to the first meeting between the two teams in early December.

Before then, the Bucks still have some games to play.

Their next opponent is the Miami Heat, currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. This may be the worst team Pat Riley has ever owned. At first glance, there is no star player.

The Heat are currently 1-7 and can be said to be one of the earliest teams preparing for the 2003 draft this season.

Since his opponents were not strong, Yu Fei naturally wanted to practice with them.

In the game against the Heat, Yu Fei shot 27 goals. Due to a large number of step-back jumpers and low post plays, his shooting percentage was not high, but he still led the team with a team-high 34 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

"Those are all good shots." Yu Fei said after the game about his number of shots and hits, "It's just that I didn't invest."

Although George Karl didn't like Yu Fei's style of play tonight, he couldn't say anything because the Heat were too weak.

Facing such a weak team, what happens if the stars act willfully?
However, Ray Allen nodded to Yu Fei's name like a big brother, "Frye was a little selfish tonight. He took too many shots."

For Allen, this is a normal criticism.

But if this kind of criticism occurs in a big city like Los Angeles, New York, or Washington, the media will definitely take advantage of it.

But in the Bucks, no one would take it seriously.

Everyone paid less attention to Ray Allen's criticism of Yu Fei than to Yu Fei's evaluation of the Wizards.

When a reporter asked Yu Fei what he thought of the Wizards, who currently only have a [-]% winning rate and are ranked tenth in the Eastern Conference, a subtle expression appeared on Yu Fei's face.

"I really don't like talking about other teams, but you asked me this and I have to answer it, right?"

The media are looking forward to Fei's next words.

Because it is impossible for Yu Fei to leave any face to DC.

This is a man who takes revenge.

"I think this fully shows that they traded me out of personal grudges rather than basketball reasons." Yu Fei said bluntly, "This further shows that I was the one who helped them enter the playoffs last season, not the person who also played the role of Old man of players, coaches, general managers and owners.”

Just like that, tomorrow’s headlines are here.

Everyone is looking forward to the game between the Bucks and Wizards on December 12.

Within the Bucks, the grievances between Yu Fei and his old club did not cause too many waves.

After beating the Heat, the Bucks' next opponent is the Golden State Warriors.

I thought it would be another big victory, but the Warriors broke out. Seven players on the team scored in double figures, and the Bucks' winning streak was interrupted.

After two days of offseason, the Bucks went on the road again. This time the destination was Los Angeles, and their opponent was the Lakers.

This is the Bucks' first nationally watched game of the season.

Not only because of the Lakers' gimmick, but also because Yu Fei and the Lakers also have some "origins."

In the second match between the Wizards and the Lakers last season, Yu Fei defeated the Lakers in an away game when both Jordan and Hamilton were reimbursed for the season. It can be said to be a big upset at the time.

Yu Fei not only conquered his teammates in that game, but also continued his grudge with O'Neal, and contributed a quote after the game that can be written into an epitaph.

Now, the Bucks, who are gaining momentum, face the Lakers, who have won three consecutive championships. The media hopes that this brand-new Eastern Conference team can give the already somewhat stale Lakers some freshness and shock.

A bad pregame omen for the Lakers this season is the death of legendary announcer Chick Hearn.When people are tired of the Lakers' "back-to-back-to-back" hype, when it seems OK's bickering will never push the boundaries again, when Phil Jackson tirelessly preaches his Zen philosophy, Even people in Los Angeles are feeling numb. The only thing that touches people's hearts is Hearn's death.

Surprisingly, Shaquille O'Neal, who has always been well-versed in the world, absented himself from Hearn's funeral citing a "family emergency", while Kobe quietly became a Laker member who accompanied Hearn's family. .In addition to Kobe, there are also Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, Riley, and West. At this moment, every member of Laker Nation will be with Hearn’s family.

If you are absent from this moment, it means you do not belong here at all.

But as Bill Plaschke wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "Those who attended Hearn's funeral quickly forgot that Kobe Bryant was there and O'Neal was not."

Because O'Neal knows how to control the power of the media far better than Kobe.

But missing Hearn's funeral isn't the worst thing O'Neal has done in recent times. The worst thing he has done is have toe surgery shortly after Hearn's funeral, which will put him out for nine weeks starting at the end of August. By the time Jerry Buss was enraged, he didn't understand why O'Neal was delaying the surgery until before the start of the season.

O'Neal's reasoning enraged the rest: "This is my vacation, my day off, I'm not lugging a cast around, and I should use work time to recuperate from injuries I sustained on the job."

This is why the Lakers are currently ranked tenth in the Western Conference with 4 wins and 9 losses. Looking at the record alone, it is really difficult to imagine that this is a team that has won three consecutive championships.

But tonight is special because Shaquille O'Neal is coming back for his first game of the 2002-03 season.

This is a reason for champion honeys to cheer up.

They must believe that as long as O'Neal returns to the lineup, everything will be fine for the Lakers.

After more than half a year, I returned to the Staples Center again, and the atmosphere was still the same as before. Although there was no pepper on the sidelines who liked to make a splash, and there was no fat warmth that Yu Fei loved, but no matter when, Jack Nickel Sen will always stand in the most conspicuous position.

Tonight, when Yu Fei was warming up on the sidelines, Nicholson shouted: "Yu, damn, you're here again!"

Yu Fei asked back: "Do you miss me?"

"Everyone here hates you!" Nicholson said plausibly. "Besides, you guys are unlucky tonight, Shaq is coming back!"

It’s no wonder that old scores are being cleared: “Wasn’t he not here when I beat the Lakers last season?”

Only the truth hurts the most.

Nicholson could only keep talking, "That's because you're lucky," "We still won the championship," and "Three consecutive championships! Three consecutive championships!" The Bucks' court was filled with the Oscar-winning actor's harsh words. The breath of joy.

20 minutes before the game started, the Bucks returned to the locker room.

George Karl asked the assistant coach to close the door tightly, and then said to everyone: "I don't care who comes back, we must win this game tonight!"

Are there any games we don’t “necessarily” win?
Yu Fei asked this year's newcomers: "Is there any special reason?"

"Of course, if you need to know the reason to win this game, I will tell you." Karl looked at Yu Fei and said in shock: "Phil Jackson is my old enemy, this is the reason."

"Old enemy.?"

Yu Fei suppressed his laughter.

"Yes, Phil and I were rivals." George Karl truly believed what he was saying, and for good reason. "Phil lit incense and lanterns in the locker room, and I lit the players. Passion; Phil's triangle offense emphasizes a smooth rhythm of the game, while I focus on allowing players to disrupt the rhythm; Phil's ideal game is fast and agile, while my ideal game is brutal melee; Phil requires players to be rational and indifferent, while I We need your passion, crazy passion!" "On the court, we are two irreconcilable styles. As an old enemy, I must win this game!"

Before his brain shut down due to Karl's shocking speech, Yu Fei had to clarify some things.

It is known that Phil Jackson won nine championships as a coach, while George Karl's highest honor was the overall runner-up, and he only won it once.Although Jackson defeated him that time, does this mean they are old enemies?If this is the old enemy, then the number of old enemies the Zen Master has will be staggering.

Although it is a bit unreasonable for Karl to claim to be the Zen master's old enemy, it is not unacceptable.

Yu Fei would never laugh at Karl.

Everyone must have dreams.

If Carl's dream is to become Jackson's old enemy, then why did Yu Fei tell him the truth?

5 minutes later, the Bucks returned to the court.

The two sides practiced shooting for a few more minutes. Then, the lights dimmed and the DJ began to announce the starting lineups of the two teams. There was an obvious change on the Bucks' side, which was to let Christian Laettner come on as the starting four.

With Carr's emphasis on defense, starting Laettner would seem highly unusual.

Nothing has changed for the Lakers - that's for Fei - but for Lakers fans, O'Neal is back, which frees them from the nightmare of Soumaila Samake C.During O'Neal's absence, Samaki was urgently signed by the Lakers as a supplement to the inside.As a result, the Lakers lost one defeat after another. Although Samaki only played less than 10 minutes in each game, fans will still blame him.

Looking at O'Neal up close, Yu Fei could feel that he was a lot fatter than last season, and his face was obviously much rounder.

This is a sign of lack of exercise.

If he returns to the court before his body has fully recovered, how much strength can he regain?
Later, O'Neal lost to Dan Gazulic on the jump ball due to his slow reaction.

Yu Fei received the ball and quickly moved forward, and the Lakers asked Rick Fox to match him.

Fox adopted rough defensive pressure. In the NBA, which does not allow defense outside the three-point line (it is okay inside the three-point line), this is undoubtedly a foul.

But this is the Lakers' home court, and they have the privilege of starting from beyond the three-point line.

Yu Fei was not afraid of Fox's harassment at all. He turned his back against the opponent's body, suddenly turned around, and threw the ball towards Ray Allen outside the right three-point line.

Ray Allen caught the ball and made a three-pointer.

0 is better than 3
"Hey," Yu Fei asked Fox in a "friendly way," "Did you develop this defensive habit in that series against the Kings?"

Fox just responded to Yu Fei with a cold face.

Then, the Lakers, like all teams with a dominant inside line, always let the inside line take the first shot at the start.

Compared with O'Neal, the Bucks' starting center Dan Gazulic is really not large enough.

O'Neal caught the ball, pushed back and reached a deep position, and then turned around and hooked without leaning in any further.

2 is better than 3
This is a player who has just recovered from toe surgery, but his low post threat is still infinite.

Yu Fei can understand why teams are crazy about increasing the thickness of the inside line for O'Neal. For them, this is the only way.

The Bucks might have the worst big man of any playoff contender.

However, they are also the team that makes the Lakers feel most powerless.

Because when Yu Fei calls Laettner to pick and roll on the outside, they will think of the game against the Wizards last year.

At that time, the Wizards did not have many three-point threats, but Laettner's shooting range was enough to give Yu Fei space.

But in the Bucks, Laettner is not the only shooter Yu Fei can rely on.

And he still has to use Laettner's spatial attributes. Can O'Neal get out?The answer is not.Because the person opposite Laettner is Samakie Walker, a fourth position who serves as a false starter for the Lakers.

Yu Fei directly accelerated past Walker's defensive switch and collected the ball outside the paint area for a throw.

O'Neal's help defense had no effect.

"Boom!"

2 is better than 5
"Big fat pig, does this count as assisting defense?" Yu Fei laughed, "Or are you unable to come out in time because of a 'family emergency'?"

O'Neal, who was exposed to Yu Fei's face, was so ashamed and angry that he could only vent his anger on his teammates: "Samaki, don't let him break through so easily!"

Poor Samaki Walker, you should give this sentence back to him: Fat pig, don't let the chosen one score so easily!
Seeing O'Neal's face full of black lines, Dan Gazulic felt that disaster was about to happen. When he returned to defense, he helplessly said to Laettner: "Frye really likes to make his opponents unhappy."

If he wasn't playing, Laettner would let Gazulic know that there is no NBA player in the world who understands Yu Fei's character better than he does.

O'Neal ran to the frontcourt with a murderous face, angrily came to the low post, forming a triangle with Fisher and Kobe.

He leaned over Gazulic and yelled, "Give me the damn ball!"

Fisher handed the ball to Kobe, meaning he would pass it to O'Neal.

However, Kobe showed off a picturesque fadeaway when O'Neal was already in position.

"!￥#!@￥"

O'Neal cursed Kobe loudly, "You damn selfish bastard!"

"Shut up!" Kobe shouted back, "You are the only one who has no right to say that to me!"

Kobe's fadeaway shot went out of bounds, allowing Yu Fei to appreciate the "team culture" of the OK Lakers up close.

how to say?There was a sense of "harmony and mutual assistance" between him and Jordan last season.

So this is how others feel when they see him arguing with Jordan?

What could be more interesting in the world than this?
Seeing Kobe and O'Neal spraying back from the frontcourt to the backcourt, Yu Fei silently supported Kobe in his heart.

That's it, damn dog!I, a two-day veteran, will always stand by your side!

Off the court, on the Lakers bench, Phil Jackson's face flashed with a haze that no one could see clearly.

⑴Some people may want to ask, "Is it such a coincidence? O'Neal happened to come back against the Bucks?" It is such a coincidence, O'Neal happened to come back against the Bucks. This was not even a plot I set up specifically. It just happened to match up.

(End of this chapter)