When pride still matters

Chapter 153 "Fart in Face" Treaty

The tension between the Bucks and the Nets seems to go beyond the game itself.

Kenyon Martin is still making excuses, but as long as Yu Fei keeps blowing him away, his excuses will become fewer and fewer.

Sooner or later, he'll look back with the most emotional fondness on their first-round elimination of the Wizards.

For the Nets, Yu Fei is like an uncontrollable X factor.

When he was with the Wizards last season, the Nets could still use zone defense to restrict Yu Fei.But now, they don't have much to do with Yu Fei.

Could it be that after only half a year, Yu Fei had opened up the Ren and Du channels and completely mastered the magical skill?The answer is not that simple.

Yu Fei's shooting stability has indeed improved, but as a forward-style point guard who holds a lot of the ball and constantly confronts opponents, it is difficult for him to stabilize his handle at a very high level.

This requires long-term training and actual combat. What makes Yu Fei difficult to defend is that his current assistants are far stronger than those during the Wizards period.

Especially the firepower support from the outside. Ray Allen in the starting lineup and Michael Reid on the bench are both top shooters with a three-point shooting rate of more than 40%. Sprewell, Laettner, Devin George and others They are all above-average shooters, and their outside threats caused far more interference to the Nets than expected.

Nets coach Byron Scott even has a feeling that if the Bucks' team is given to Yu Fei in his rookie season, they might lose that series.

A Yu Fei whose shooting is even more unstable than he is now can lead the Wizards to a win over the Nets in the first round. Then can a Yu Fei with a more stable shooting and many shooters defeat the Nets?
The answer to this question already existed some time ago.

But the Nets, led by Kenyon Martin, still said that they were just careless and unprepared, and that Yu Fei and the Bucks were overrated.

Tonight, Yu Fei scored five points in a row in the opening game and completed an extremely brutal dunk on Martin's head, which severely damaged the latter's morale and connected the team.

Although his organizational skills and on-the-spot planning are not comparable to those of a master commander like Kidd, his basic talent is so high that he does not need to run a complex tactical system like Kidd.

The tactics led by Yu Fei are often simple and crude, breaking through with the ball, creating chaos and then passing the ball to open teammates.

The Bucks played like this on many rounds.

It seems simple and brainless, but it has an indescribable coordination and smoothness.

It’s a style both familiar and unfamiliar to Byron Scott.

Since ancient times, basketball game styles have been divided into two types: half-court offense that emphasizes court control, and full-court run-and-gun that ignores discipline.Since the days of George Mikan, teams with giants have been staunch supporters of the half-court offensive system, while teams lacking great inside players will find ways to find inside players. If they cannot find them, they will resort to running and gunning.

Until the 80s, the genius Magic Johnson first subverted people's understanding of point guards, and then subverted the "half-court offense" and "run and gun".

The Showtime Lakers can play a half-court offense. They have the most stable two-point hook in history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and they can also play run-and-gun. Magic's signature is their one-stop counterattack by grabbing backcourt rebounds.However, with the evolution of Magic, the Lakers' game gradually evolved into a different style - they would use quick transmission and cuts to turn the half-court offense into a fast-break attack.

The reason why Scott found Yu Fei's style of play familiar was because he saw the shadow of a magician in it, but he was not exactly a magician.

Yu Fei's game is more irregular than the magician's.

It was a completely chaotic positional battle.

就是这样的打法，让于飞半场攻下15分7篮板6助攻，又一个三双之夜正在向他逼近。他得到了全面的数据，并且帮助雄鹿以58比46半场领先篮网12分。

According to league regulations, the head coaches of both teams need to be interviewed by the media.

"Coach Karl, your team leads the Nets by 12 points at halftime. This is an amazing result on the road. Why do you look unhappy?"

Karl responded: "I'm not unhappy. You don't have to show it to be happy."

"Three times throughout the first half, you and the Nets had the game suspended due to player disputes. How do you view these conflicts?"

The anger flashed across Karl's face: "Oh, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm glad that most of the players can stand up for their teammates."

By the time the interview ended, the image of Ray Allen's aloofness was still lingering in George Karl's mind.

Time and time again, Ray Allen reminds George Karl of another player, one the world has forgotten but will never forget - Joe Barry Carroll, the No. 1981 pick in the [-] NBA draft. .Early in Carr's coaching career, he coached Carroll with the Warriors.

Carroll's cold, cerebral, detached world view drove Karl crazy, and when they met Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers in the playoffs, Carroll was doing nothing on the court.Karl asked him to fight hard, and Carroll said: "Stop yelling, we can't beat the Lakers at all."

It is true that the Warriors can't beat the Lakers, but Karl will not accept this premature giving up.After that game, he tore Carroll's locker into pieces, and his out-of-control rage nearly set the locker room on fire.After his temper almost ended his coaching career in the NBA, he spent time in Europe before getting a coaching gig in Seattle.

Since then, Carr has worked hard to channel his anger into coaching energy.

If he is dissatisfied with a player, he will usually point it out in front of the opponent and the media. However, when dealing with a Carroll-like person like Ray Allen, it seems that no matter how he is guided, he will not care.

What happened tonight, and Carr's longstanding dissatisfaction with Ray Allen, has pushed his anger past the threshold, and he won't take it any longer.

When Karl walked into the locker room, what awaited Ray Allen was a nightmare he had never imagined.

"I'm glad that at least three people stood up for their teammates when Kenyon Martin was violent. This is what you should do. If you back down at this moment, our opponents will have a psychological advantage!" Karl turned Ray Allen, “Only a weak bitch would ignore something like this.”

Ray Allen's expression changed.

Yu Fei also raised his head suddenly. He knew who didn't take action just now.

Mason and Sprewell hadn't yet understood what Karl was saying, but they soon understood what was happening here.

Because Karl wasn't going to beat around the bush anymore, "Ray, where were you when Frye and Spree stood up for Anthony?"

When Karl gave up bad-mouthing in front of the media and went directly to the real person, how should the real person who pretended not to hear the bad words deal with himself?
Ray Allen said defensively: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't know what I'm talking about? You don't fucking know what I'm talking about?" If Allen really didn't know what Carl was talking about, then Carl would go crazy.No, he was already going crazy. "You shameful coward! Why do you act so arrogant? Why can't you fucking stand up when your teammates are in trouble? Why do I need to remind you of something as basic as this? What do you think of the team? What? Or do you think you are the fucking chosen one? Don’t these people in the locker room deserve you to stand up for them?!”

Well said, Yu Fei nodded and shook his head - labor and management are the chosen ones.

It can be said that Carl's rampage was completely without warning, and both Mason and Sprewell were stunned.

In their opinion, what a big deal, right?

Ray Allen's self-esteem is on the verge of being shattered.Growing up, he almost never fought with others or stood up for others. He always behaved appropriately and strictly restrained himself. He neither needed others to stand up for him nor wanted to stand up for others. This was a way of behaving. From his life to the field.

All of a sudden, this is a problem?

George Karl actually wanted to break up with him over this?

Ray Allen was in a humiliation that he could not defend himself. He gritted his teeth and said with difficulty: "This is who I am (person), and I won't change. If you don't like it, you can trade me. "

Although Yu Fei doesn't agree with Ray Allen's way of dealing with this kind of thing, he won't blame him for it. People are different.

Just when Karl stated that he wanted to trade Ray Allen, Yu Fei stood up and said, "George, your reaction is a bit excessive." These words almost made Karl stop thinking.

"What?" Karl asked in disbelief.

"Your criticism of Lei is a bit excessive." Yu Fei said, "He did not stand up, and he may not stand up in the future, but we don't need him to stand up."

Karl stared at Yu Fei, wondering what he meant.

Yu Fei said: "You can't ask me to reconcile with Michael, nor can you ask Anthony (Mason) to never behave willfully when he gets the ball, nor can you ask Spree to resist choking the opponent's neck when he is insulted by the coach. Impulsiveness, in my opinion, these things determine what kind of people we are. If Ray doesn't want to take action, then he doesn't have to do it. There is nothing in his contract that says he needs to fight for his teammates on the court."

"Are you kidding? Four of you were involved in the conflict, and he was the only one standing behind. Do you still think this is reasonable?"

"Why is it unreasonable?" Yu Fei glanced at Ray Allen and publicly expressed his support for him, "This is Ray. We have known for a long time that he is such a person, and we will not be disappointed with him. The only thing he needs is All he does for us is shoot those damn three-pointers!”

"We'll only be disappointed in him if he can't do it."

Yu Fei clearly painted how everyone feels about Ray Allen.

It also made Karl realize the fact from the side that he didn't know his players as well as he thought.

"That's what you all think?" Karl asked.

"That's right, Ray just needs to make a damn three-pointer!" After Sprewell finished speaking, he looked at Yu Fei, "Also, I once swore that I would never pinch anyone's neck again, so don't mention that thing again. It’s over!”

Yu Fei asked innocently: "If I continue to mention that matter, will you strangle me?"

Then, Mason also had some "little objections" to Fei, "I haven't 'acted willfully' as you said for a long time. Why did you say that? Is this how you view my selfless dedication?"

"Selfless dedication? How dare you speak, old man!" Yu Fei retorted, "If you hadn't been selfless, you would have been traded long ago. Without me, that beast Kenyon Martin could sit on your head and shit. You deserve to dedicate yourself to me!"

Hearing this, Mason's chest seemed to be blocked by a big stone, and he held it in for a few seconds before shouting: "You are my fucking nightmare!"

George Karl looked at Yu Fei, and he stood with Ray Allen again today.

However, he did not break up with himself because of Ray Allen.

Yu Fei seems to have saved this almost broken situation.

"If you don't have a problem with it, I don't have a problem with it either," Carr said.

This matter should be nearing its end by now.

But Yu Fei didn't want to miss this hard-won confession, so he immediately asked Ray Allen, "Rey-ray, since George has no problem with you, what about you? Do you have a problem with him?"

Karl frowned and looked at Yu Fei with unclear meaning.

what's the situation?
Does this kid still want to live a good life?
Aren’t you going to be the peacemaker?Why are you making trouble now?
Karl knows exactly what he did to Ray Allen. Can BYD have no objection to this?

If the matter ends like this, perhaps the contradiction will disappear temporarily, but Ray Allen's dilemma will still remain.

Yu Fei feels that they have wasted too much time in this corner. If they don't seize the time to quell the internal troubles, this season will be ruined again.

"Of course I have opinions!" Ray Allen said eloquently. "Since the fall of 2000, he criticized me 45 times in front of the media regardless of the occasion. He made the media think I was incompetent and the fans felt that I didn't do my best. Responsibility, I have been burdened with a lot of undue pressure, if he had not said those words, I would have been better!"

Isn’t it a bit perverted to remember how many times you have been criticized?

Yu Fei usually likes to tease Ray Allen, but he doesn’t know if this guy has a notebook of “How many times has this kind person like Fry Yu bullied me?”
Carl defended himself: "I did that just to make you better!"

"You mean, you mocked me in front of the media for being a delicate boy, told the fans that I was irresponsible, and said everywhere that I would hide and cry when I got hurt, just to make me better?" Ray. The more Allen talked, the angrier he became. When his emotions reached their peak, the tutor disappeared, "FUCKKKKKKK!!! I can't stand this anymore!"

Speaking of this, other people began to express their opinions.

Sprewell said: "I was criticized when I didn't play well. Why can't I say it to my face?"

"And me!" Mason wanted to say that he had definitely been criticized by Karl in front of the media more times than Ray Allen, and then Yu Fei blocked him with one sentence, "Just shut up, you are complaining that you don't have the ball." Is it a few times?”

"It's a fact that we don't have the ball!"

"It's true that you play XJB!"

"Damn it, why do you always have to go against me?"

"As long as you do the right thing, I will never fight you again."

Mason shut up angrily, and Yu Fei said to Karl: "George, you saw that everyone doesn't like some of your ways."

Karl's eyes widened and he asked dissatisfiedly: "Do you want me to say those words to you face to face?"

"this is the best."

"If you have anything to say, it's best to say it clearly in person."

The atmosphere suddenly became chatty, and in the end, the players had an agreement with Karl.

From now on, no one can communicate internal affairs of the team to the outside world without permission.

Sprewell calls this the "in-your-face" treaty.

After careful consideration, Karl agreed to sign a "fart in front of your face" contract with the players.

The premise of "signing" this treaty is that Karl will not apologize for the past.

It was an ordinary night for other NBA teams, but for the Bucks, it was extraordinary.

The signing of the "If you fart in your face" contract symbolizes that the artificial internal barriers of the Milwaukee Bucks are falling apart. From now on, anyone who has a problem or has an opinion against anyone can raise it in person. It may be difficult to solve the problem. But there will never be peace if the problem is bottled up.

So, remember today, it's Christmas 2002.Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, today’s significance will surpass that of the day the Bucks won the “coin game” to acquire Lew Alcindor from the Phoenix Suns more than 30 years ago and become the most important day in Bucks history. day.

"It's almost time."

said head assistant coach Ron Adams.

"Then," Yu Fei, standing in the middle, said loudly, "let us go out and kill them all!"

(End of this chapter)