When pride still matters

Chapter 342 I decided (two in one)

(2-in-1)

This season, the league has reduced a lot of publicity and marketing about the "two heroes".

Because the honor gap between James and Yu Fei at this stage is too huge, there is no need to compare.

Even Nike no longer ties Yu Fei to promote James, because no matter how loud the momentum is, the benefits will go to the winner.

2006 is the year that belongs to Yu Fei.

He averaged a triple-double per game and won the championship. While he was so popular, the only black spot was that he did not play for the national team. However, the only national team game where James could have a chance of making a comeback in public opinion unexpectedly lost to Greece. As a result, fans have already developed savior expectations for Fei.

They hope Yu Fei will make American basketball great again.

In view of this, Nike can only reduce the pressure on James and promote its number one player Tiger Woods to offset the impact of Yu Fei. However, Yu Fei and Woods' professional fields are different, and they are far less impactful than Yu Fei's Reebok in the basketball field.

Therefore, Nike now not only hopes that James will rise, but also hopes that Kobe, who is at his peak, will stand up.

James ended the Pistons and led the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals again after 31 years.

But what about LeBron? He is the embodiment of the United States. He is the perfect man who never makes mistakes. He should sign the letter based on the values ​​and spirit of "giving the world a little love", even if the cost is to lose the Chinese market.

Unfortunately, James currently sees no possibility of rising, and Kobe's Lakers have only pretended to build a championship team for Kobe in recent years, but have actually done nothing.

Over the next few days, one news outlet after another — NPR, Fox, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe — weighed in. Experts at the Brookings Institution and other foreign policy analysts began speculating about his motives. For the first time in James' life, he was seen through political lenses. And this was the first time in his career that he seemed caught off guard.

At least this can solidify his image and differentiate him from an extreme egoist like Yu Fei.

Because the Cavaliers' lineup structure is not as good as the Bucks.

In fact, James' passing selection is exactly the magic weapon for the big core to restrain the Pistons' iron barrel formation.

Some NBA players who did not want to be named said: "Compared with Frye, who puts interests first, I am more afraid of hypocrites like LeBron."

⑴It is improved compared to the actual data.

Although he didn't know where Darfur was on the world map, Newbel resolutely wrote a letter to Lao Zhong, and he hoped that his Cavaliers teammates would sign the letter.

Suddenly, a trial begins surrounding James.

James never thought that "Fry Hell" would appear here.

This is the way to death for the Pistons, and it is also the reason why the Iron Bucket Formation will eventually be swept into the trash heap of history.

This kind of negative public opinion that has the potential to destroy the fan base in the United States has given James' camp some subtle thoughts.

The challenge off the court is key.

Unwilling to be ordinary, Newbell decided to do something big and resounding, just like the future George Hill who shouted a strike in anger after learning that the Minnesota police had launched a "secret technique: shocking kneeling" on his black compatriots in the park. However, what Newbell did was far more profound than the impact of Hill's enthusiasm.

James' technical characteristics are also far inferior to Yu Fei's, who seems to be born to fight against the iron barrel formation.

After the playoffs began, the damn Darfur problem broke out within the Cavaliers.

In the sixth game of the semifinals, the heartbroken Pistons lost their minds. Not only did they not adjust their playing style, but they increased the frequency of double-teaming James.

When the score was tied at 2-2, the two sides came to the battle of Tianwang Mountain. Just like what happened to Yu Fei in his previous life, James performed an immortal performance and single-handedly scored the Cavaliers' last 25 points (actually the Cavaliers' last 30 points). 29 points), just like Yu Fei in 2005, he single-handedly destroyed Detroit and silenced the Palace of Auburn Hills.

For a while, "Fry Hell" disappeared from his life.

Then, the Cavaliers ushered in the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pistons.

Except for James, almost everyone else on the Cavaliers signed the letter.

When Da Fei refused to participate in the Darfur incident by saying "Chinese people also buy shoes" and "I have no conscience", some people were furious, but more people expressed their understanding, because Da Fei is such a person, and people are always complicated. , Da Fei can hold charity exhibition games for the poor during the offseason, and can serve as DC's anti-alcohol ambassador, but he can also ignore the occurrence of so-called genocide for his own personal interests.

Moreover, people actually got tired of Frye's "vacillation" because he appeared "real" enough.

But this pressure on the court will not break James. In fact, as a star who emerges once in a decade, he has a spring-like character like all well-known superstars. The Darfur news outside the court is still raging, and the court The "Fry Hell" on the Internet has made a comeback, and his wonderful life is about to be destroyed in one fell swoop. However, James has played better and better in the next three games. Just like Yu Fei back then, he has noticed the natural power of the iron barrel formation. defect.

"I have a problem with the best player on the field not taking action in critical moments," TNT commentator Charles Barkley said. "If I'm the best player on the court, I have to take the last shot. That's not a criticism, it's a fact."

There, Yu Fei and the Bucks have been waiting for a long time.

James performed well throughout the game, but was criticized by the outside world for passing the ball when he was double-teamed at the last moment.

Because the Pistons' defense has been aimed at one-on-one attackers since its inception. Once the ball holder can take care of both offense and passing at the same time, they don't know how to defend. The problem is that James' teammates failed to seize the opportunity. As the best player in the series, choosing to pass the ball at the last moment will undoubtedly be disappointing.

The Cavaliers captured Tianwang Mountain and stepped into the gate of the Eastern Conference.

The reduction of "Two Heroes" publicity and the reduction of Nike's marketing efforts have all reduced the pressure faced by James.

The Cavaliers have a veteran named Ira Newbell. Throughout his NBA career, it can be said that he has done nothing. If normal development continues, Newbell will be naturally eliminated by the NBA in a few years. This is the most common replacement of old and new players in professional sports. By then, no one will remember his name.

Before the series started, mainstream media and experts basically concluded that the Cavaliers could not break through the Pistons' defense.

This incident quickly triggered international controversy, and James's move of not signing put him in the whirlpool of public opinion. For Americans, this was the first moment that James' image of Mr. Perfect collapsed. Since his debut, the little emperor has always been a high-quality idol. This is what completely distinguishes him from Da Fei.

However, the challenges on the court are only part of what troubles James.

"Fry would never" comments were plastered across the media.

For Fei supporters, this is another opportunity to attack James.

This allowed James to play lightly, averaging 27+8+8⑴ per game, leading the Cavaliers to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference with 51 wins and 31 losses. Defeated the Wizards in the first round, then came to the semifinals and unexpectedly encountered the hardest rock in the East.

Maybe LeBron should sign that letter.

Just sign your name, no big problem.

The Bucks easily swept the Bulls in the semifinals, and unlike the Mavericks, who seemed to be in the right place at the right time to get into top shape, the Bucks looked like a team of destiny.

So far in the playoffs, they have led other teams with an astonishing offensive performance of 115 points per game. Their terrifying offensive ability makes their loss of nearly 100 points per game seem inconsequential.

Yu Fei's statistics have increased slightly with the arrival of the playoffs, averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists per game. However, James has just improved in a series in which he averaged 26 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Therefore, the outside world It is generally believed that this year will be the first year of full competition between the new generation of duos.

For James, the biggest benefit is that the outside world no longer cares whether he signed the letter.

The league, Nike, and Reebok all built intense hype surrounding the battle between the two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Especially for Nike, the way James destroyed the Pistons gave them full confidence. Even if the Cavaliers lose to the Bucks, James will get out of the haze of being scored 70 points by Yu Fei last year.

Before the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, an ABC reporter asked James: "How much have you grown compared to last year?"

"You know, I'm not a person who likes to boast." James said with a smile. "I won't stand here and tell you how much stronger I am than before. I will prove everything in the game. I hope that I Could have a real fight with Frye.”

Yu Fei calmly walked to midfield and shook hands with James, then turned back to shoot.

He didn't say a word.

He was not in the mood, and his close relationship with James was in the past.

For him, the only thing worth focusing on is winning another championship for Milwaukee.

As for off-site publicity, hype and momentum building, it has nothing to do with him.

This fact may make James' camp angry, but Yu Fei really didn't take the Eastern Conference finals seriously.

As Yu Fei’s trusted media man Mark Stein said: “As a fan, you shouldn’t even pray that the Cavaliers win in the Eastern Conference Finals. The only thing you can look forward to is whether LeBron can win Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. State brought to Frye."

Although this is a media person who once unreservedly predicted in an article that the Bucks and Mavericks will compete in this year's finals, his judgment about the Cavaliers was not wrong.

Defeating the Pistons and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals is undoubtedly a great breakthrough for the Cavaliers, but the Bucks and Pistons are at different levels.

In order to limit James' offense, the Bucks adjusted the lineup to last season's classic starters: Yu Fei, Martin, Bell, Granger and Kwame Brown.

Bell defends James alone, and Brown protects the basket.

This style of play looks like a greatly weakened version of the way the Spurs suffocated James in 07 with Bowen on the outside and Duncan on the inside.

It is almost impossible to let James average 22 points per game with less than % shooting in a series like the Spurs did, but it is more than enough to limit him.

Different from the strategy used when meeting the Cavaliers before, George Karl prepared an extra package for James tonight - allowing Yu Fei and Granger to use their athletic abilities to block James' passing routes and cut off the connection between them at the root. connect.

Once the ball-carrying core cannot play the core role of the One Belt and Four, he will basically be no different from a traditional one-on-one outside star.

Tonight, James only got 3 assists. Although he relied on his strong physical talent to score 25 points, the entire tactical system was completely chopped up by the Bucks.

Yu Fei scored 35 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals, leading James in all aspects.

The statistical gap between the two is like the score gap between the Cavaliers and Bucks.

The Bucks easily won by 18 points and won Game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"I don't think anything has changed about the Cavaliers." When George Karl talked about his feelings against the Cavaliers for the second time in the playoffs, his words were sincere and embarrassing. "The people are still the same people, even LeBron is the same person as before. LeBron, do you want to say that they have changed a lot? Do you think this is a game? They defeated the Pistons, so they gained experience from Detroit and grew as a result? I think, is it possible that Detroit has become weaker? "

Carr's outspokenness is bound to make opponents angry and embarrassed.

This can bring a lot of unnecessary emotion into the next few games.

But this is the consensus within the Bucks.

Not only the people around Yu Fei, but also his teammates and his coach don't like to hear the hype about the "two heroes". This is not just because of Yu Fei's injustice.

The more hype the "Two Heroes" get, the easier it is for the outside world to overlook the other players involved in the Eastern Conference Finals.

They are also NBA players, and they are also playing in the spotlight. Why should they be drowned in this nonsensical hype?

If this was a close matchup like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, OK, everyone could accept being a supporting actor in this drama, but it never was.

On the way back to the hotel, Kevin Lin suddenly asked: "Do you know who is predicted to be number one in the latest mock draft?"

Yu Fei asked humorously: "China Yi?"

"I admit that the Chinese is talented. He could have become the number one pick last year, but this year, you know, there were originally three candidates, but now there are only two." Lin Kaiwen said with a smile.

Lawson asked: "Could it be the kid who once asked Fry on the radio if he wanted to drink Kate Winslet's footbath?"

Lin Kaiwen was shocked: "Is there still such a thing?"

Lawson shrugged, "That kid is such a freak."

Lin Kaiwen said: "Yes, the latest draft prediction is Kevin Durant."

This is not surprising at all.

Ever since Yu Fei called out the Spurs in the 2003 Finals, a revolution that eliminated traditional insiders has already taken place. As the Bucks won the championship again, more and more research has been done around Yu Fei. Relatively speaking, people like him Young people who play this style are also becoming more and more popular.

If Durant's original chance of challenging Oden for the top pick was less than 10%, then now the two are basically evenly matched.

Oden is still considered the best inside player since Tim Duncan, and Durant's reputation as a smaller player has spread throughout the basketball world.

Although "Oden or Durant" has been one of the hottest topics in the basketball world in recent months, Yu Fei lacks interest in it.

However, will the Sonics win the No. 2 pick like they did in previous lives?

This is what Yu Fei is more concerned about.

"When does the lottery start?" Yu Fei asked.

Lin Kaiwen replied: "May 5."

Yu Fei counted the time. If they could sweep the Cavaliers, he would be able to watch the lottery show with a relaxed mood.

It seems that he has another reason to sweep the Cavaliers.

One day later, Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals was still played at the Bradley Center. Yu Fei played step by step. His purpose was just to win, so he maintained a normal game rhythm throughout the game.

But the normal rhythm of the game does not mean that he has no intensity.

The intensity is still there, and for the knights, this intensity is still too high.

The most unfavorable situation for the Cavaliers occurred on the scene.

The Bucks, who have been criticized for taking a lot of three-pointers, shot 50% from outside tonight.

The Cavaliers' defense collapsed before halftime.

The game entered the third quarter, and the Bucks led the Cavaliers by 28 points.

In the last attack of the third quarter, Yu Fei used variations to get rid of James' defense, and then hit a step-back three-pointer, bringing the point difference to 31 points.

The fourth quarter basically became garbage time.

Yu Fei's data is not explosive, but just enough to cover James's data.

The two unsuspecting slugs disappointed the media who originally expected sparks between the two heroes.

In the past, people were tolerant of James because the Cavaliers' overall strength was not as good as the Bucks. But now, the Cavaliers who reached the Eastern Conference Finals have proven that they are the second best team in the Eastern Conference, and James also proved in the semifinals that he can dominate the game. So, why can't he perform the same in front of the Bucks?

From the first game on, every question James heard from the media was related to Yu Fei.

Are you afraid of Fry?

Why don't you challenge Frye?

You look weak. What did Fry do to you?

What made James break his guard was a question from a non-sports reporter: "Why can't you admit like Frye that you turned a blind eye to the genocide in Darfur for the sake of the Chinese market?"

"I can't sit here and listen to you talk about things I don't understand at all!" Even on the verge of an explosion, James' mind can still compile a set of official words for him, "Unless there is a large amount of information basis, otherwise I I won’t judge something I don’t understand!”

Later, Randy Mims, who was next to James, said to those around him: "We will no longer accept interviews from this man! He is not welcome!"

The reporter didn't seem surprised by the reaction of James' camp, and left muttering something like "What a hypocrite".

James' heartbeat is beating faster. There is actually no difference between public opinion in the sports world and that of celebrity fans. They are both turn-based games. The person who has the upper hand will not be blamed in any way.

When James single-handedly buried the Pistons, he didn't have to comment on Darfu because he proved that he could compete with Yu Fei.

However, once he was defeated in front of Yu Fei, the evil wind suppressed by the domineering spirit that broke out in the semi-finals would come from all directions again. That's what Yu Fei's life has been like for the past few years, and it's what Michael Jordan faced when he was mired in a gambling scandal in 1993.

Only victory can silence these people, because this is a contract between the God of Sports and the Devil.

Only if they keep winning will the devil disappear temporarily in their lives - remember, it is temporary, because when the glory fades, Jordan, who chooses to retire at the peak of his career, will be saddled with "the gambling debt is too heavy to retire to avoid the limelight" and "the gambling debt is too heavy." Yu Fei, who is at his peak, only has the right to breathe in public opinion when he wins. This position is what James has been craving for the past few years.

Now, he's climbed up with a great game.

However, the scenery here may not be what he wants to see.

Because Yu Fei doesn't want to share the throne of the top with anyone, he will kick down whoever climbs up.

James returned to the locker room, where he unexpectedly met Rich Paul. Why an accident? Because Paul should now learn the agent business from his agent Leon Rose. In the future, he has other plans for Paul.

But tonight, he came without warning.

James asked: "What happened?"

Paul glanced at Mims, who gave him a look of approval, hoping he would speak.

Paul took a deep breath and said, "Nike has agreed to your signature on that letter."

James' face was as dark as water and he asked coldly: "I don't understand what this means?"

As the outside world said, James did not sign the letter for the same reason as Yu Fei, because Nike has a huge business in China. As a representative of Nike's new generation in the basketball field, he must not easily express his position on political issues in the international community. .

"It's just an attitude." Paul said, "You will not lose the Chinese market. We are simply opposed to the genocide in Darfur. This has nothing to do with China."

James still doesn't understand why Nike wants him to risk losing Asia's largest market to express his attitude this time. This is not his style.

"Don't they know that I go to China every summer?" James said angrily. "I have fans there, and those fans support me just as much as the fans in the United States. If I sign that letter, I will lose my place in the past few years (in Everything done there) no longer makes sense!”

Paul doesn't know whether James cares about China's interests or the feelings of Chinese fans. It doesn't matter anymore.

"LeBron," Paul said, "we can't get you as good a team as Frye right now, so we have to catch the only crack he has."

James was silent.

Political incorrectness is the main reason why Yu Fei is destined to have a villain image. When his opponents are temporarily unable to defeat him on the court, it is normal to seek other means off the court.

Frye not playing for the national team? Then LeBron is a man born for the national team, you know, he has a strong sense of national honor.

Frye's private life is corrupt? Then LeBron is the only good man in the NBA.

Frye is arrogant, LeBron is humble;

Frye is aggressive, LeBron is thrifty and courteous;

As long as he becomes the opposite of Frye, even if LeBron is not as good as advertised, he can still occupy a place in public opinion.

Now, Frye is blatantly refusing to speak up for the suffering people of Darfur for personal gain? Then LeBron becomes the embodiment of selflessness like Michael Jackson who sang "We are the word". He can offend the powerful Eastern countries for the sake of the suffering people, he can give up that market, and he can lose countless fans.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals moved to Cleveland.

Before the game, Nike created a grand atmosphere to build momentum for James.

They claim that James will announce an important decision after the Eastern Conference Finals.

Since James forced the Cavaliers to sign a 2+1 contract extension last summer, the outside world does not know what James' decision was.

Returning to the home court of the Cavaliers, the trend of the game did not change at all.

The Cavaliers' defeat was doomed. They could not compete with the Bucks whose chemical reaction was perfect.

In Game 40, Yu Fei scored 35 points, and the Bucks beat the Cavaliers by points in an away game.

The Cavaliers' defeat is basically a foregone conclusion.

The Bucks are on the verge of winning their fourth NBA Finals ticket in five years.

Before the start of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers announced that LeBron James would miss due to injury, which seemed to explain James' sluggish performance in Game 3.

However, the outside world is now more curious about James' decision.

Nike invited ESPN to broadcast the event live. A loser who was about to be swept out suddenly enjoyed the attention of a winner.

"I have learned all about the humanitarian tragedy in Darfur, I know where my blood comes from, and I will not sit back and let it happen. I have all the information I need. Yes. , I decided to sign my name on that letter. This is not directed at any country or person."

Yu Fei learned the news at the hotel. At first he didn't believe it, then he watched the live replay on ESPN.

This fundamentally destroyed all his good impressions of James.

As a time traveler, he had a good impression of James, which was why he chose to befriend him at the ABCD training camp. Although he was still very young when the Darfur incident occurred in his previous life and did not understand it, based on his understanding of James, he would never take sides on this matter, let alone Ira Newbell. Feng signed the self-righteous "Letter of Complaint to the Elderly and China and the Olympic Committee".

You said you are not targeting any country, but this letter will clearly be sent by Newbel to Laos, China and the Olympic Committee, and it will become an international incident. No matter how beautifully you say it, the consequences will be huge and bad.

What makes Yu Fei furious is that the direct reason why James chose to take sides so recklessly is because he can't get what he wants on the court, so he is looking for support from public opinion off the court. Through straightforward statements and sides, the media outside the sports circle can be mobilized to cheer for him, thus reversing the defeat on the court and achieving victory in the field of public opinion.

From this point of view, James has completely regarded Yu Fei as an enemy.

This is a completely opposite confrontational stance.

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals is on schedule.

James was absent due to injury, and the Cavaliers directly became a mess, and the letter writer Ira Newbell got a lot of playing time.

Yu Fei couldn't find James to vent his anger on, so he tried his best to beat Nubell by name on the court.

Face-to-face thrust;

A crushing layup after a dribble break;

An intentional hit with the ball sent Newbell flying out of bounds;

Finally, the superstar's legal low-shoulder attack broke the corner of Newbell's mouth, and blood dripped from his mouth onto his jersey.

"Your jersey is my blood letter to LeBron!" Yu Fei said to Newbell, "Tell him that he can hide for one game, but not for two. If he really doesn't dare to go on the court and face me, he can choose to retire. , this is his only way to escape!"

The Cavaliers were defeated, not only unable to form an offensive, but also unable to mount a reliable defense.

Failure to attack and defend will result in tragedy.

A 30+ defeat in the last game is not the limit. In the last game of the season, the away Bucks beat the Cavaliers by 58 points without mercy, eliminating them in the most insulting way.

Post-match interview

"He can sign whenever he wants. What's the point of broadcasting this decision live?" - George Karl complained about James' "decision".

"You know, we don't care where Frye plays next season, the important thing is that he is still in Milwaukee." - George Karl talking about Yu Fei's future.

"I watched the live broadcast, and I'm willing to bet my salary today that LeBron is not injured at all." - Kwame Brown questioned James' injury.

"LeBron used the live broadcast to convey such a message to us - although he decided to sign the letter, he did not want to anger the Chinese, so he was just condemning the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. So in fact he He didn't do anything, and he actually invited ESPN to broadcast the whole thing live for this trivial matter, and he missed the Cavaliers' last game of the season because of it. What do you think I can say? I very much agree with what the media said some time ago. Frye never will!" - Latrell Sprewell on LeBron James.

"Fry Yu deliberately hurt me on the court. He insulted me and said some outrageous things about LeBron!" Ira Newbell told reporters. "This is why he will never condemn Siris. The reason is because he is basically as evil as those Sires who sent weapons of mass destruction to South Sudan to launch genocide!"

"LeBron is really injured." Mike Brown emphasized to reporters, "He is not the kind of person who runs away when he encounters trouble."

Yu Fei came to the media interview room. As before, there were still a large number of reporters here.

"Ira Newbell accused you of physically assaulting and characterizing him on the court. He also said... you are an evil person."

"How evil?" Yu Fei sneered, "Is it more evil than an old loser unknown in the NBA who suddenly decided to write a letter and use moral kidnapping to force the entire team to sign it to make himself famous?"

"Don't you approve of Ira Newbell's letter?"

"I'd rather spend five minutes watching Ivy than one second reading that shit."

"However, Ira is acting out of conscience and..."

Yu Fei interrupted him: "That's enough, I have no conscience."

Another reporter asked: "What do you think of Mike Brown's accusation that you still don't replace the main players when the victory is already determined?"

"I don't know." Yu Fei sneered, "Maybe George has no sportsmanship like me."

“What do you think about LeBron’s live broadcast?”

"Who?"

The Cleveland reporter who asked the question looked at Yu Fei in surprise. Why did he act as if he didn't know LeBron?

"LeBron."

Yu Fei's dark side was taking over his body and mind, and the name aroused his strong revulsion and desire to vomit.

"Who?" Yu Fei asked in disbelief, "Who is this person?"

The reporter thought Yu Fei was just joking because the atmosphere of the previous questions was really too tense.

So, the reporter said something everyone knows: "Your little brother, LeBron James."

However, what responded to the reporter was not Yu Fei's smile and the baggage he had prepared for a long time, but a negation that was so cold that it made people feel chills down their spine: "He is no longer."

⑵ Before the start of the NCAA 2006-07 season, the top two picks in the 07 draft were Oden and Noah. KD joined KD after the start of the season, and then scouts felt that Noah had not made much progress, and the market went down.

Lao Zhang: Don’t connect the Lao Zhang in the book with the real Lao Zhang. One more thing, the real Lao Zhang only goes to “I want to sign, I want to sign, I really want to sign (but Actually, I didn’t sign it)” step. Then he played the Super God Tianwangshan against the Pistons in 07. After that, the circle was no longer interested in this matter.

This chapter is two in one. I am too lazy to separate the chapters, so I posted them together, which means that there is no update at 12 o'clock.

(End of this chapter)