Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Gregg Popovich dismissed Yu Fei's provocation as nothing significant and conveyed the following instructions to Bowen, "Unless he hits consecutively, there's no need to make changes."

Bowen obeyed the command.

The Spurs had studied the Bucks, wanting to understand how this team had transformed from not making it to the playoffs to becoming the first in the League.

It was clear that the transformation wasn't due to Sprewell and Ratner.

Yu Fei, like a genetically mutated white tiger in a zoo, captured the Spurs' attention.

Upon further research, the Spurs discovered that Yu Fei had the highest ball possession rate in the league, and he also had the highest ratio of turning ball possession into scoring opportunities.

Moreover, when Yu Fei had the ball, the Bucks were always in a winning position (with a positive plus-minus).

Therefore, disrupting Yu Fei's rhythm, severing his connection with teammates, and making him hesitant on the offensive end was the Spurs' strategy.

Popovich liked to use "sweetness" to test those with genius-like creativity.

Generally, the Spurs wouldn't block their opponents' teammates and would leave enough space on the offensive end, forcing them to hesitate.

This tactic worked wonders on James during his time with the Miami Heat.

Unfortunately, it wasn't effective against Yu Fei.

Remember? In his former life, he began seriously following basketball in 2015. He might not know what James was like before that, but having grown up in the era of small-ball, he knew what people thought of stars who got open shots and didn't dare to take them.

So if the Spurs dared to leave him open, he was willing to shoot, at least he had a 36% three-point shooting rate and a 42% pure jump shot success rate. Especially with his jump shot rate, which was only 2 percent lower than the Spurs' team average, if they dared to let him shoot, he had the confidence to shoot them to death.

Then, Stephen Jackson broke through and made a behind-the-back pass to David Robinson.

The Admiral soared for a dunk inside the restricted area.

Experience tales with empire

5 to 6

The Spurs took the lead with a one-point advantage, and Stephen Jackson said to Yu Fei, "Hey, sophomore, you can try to luck out on one more shot."

Yu Fei glanced at Ray Allen, who was preparing to dribble past the mid-court line.

It meant, if someone says that, how could I not respond?

"People who can't stay calm never achieve greatness," Ray Allen said before passing the ball to Yu Fei.

In this world, you can always find a maxim that contradicts another.

Not to mention that Ray Allen, someone who had nothing to do with "greatness" his whole life, hardly had any right to define what greatness was.

To Yu Fei, it meant if the other side provoked you, you respond until they shut up.

The scenario that reflected Yu Fei's "I will crush even an ant that bites me into a thousand pieces" mindset happened on this play.

Bowen still gave Yu Fei a large amount of space.

But Yu Fei didn't immediately take the second shot, instead, he called for Sprewell to set a screen. He wanted to force a defensive switch from the Spurs and go against Stephen Jackson in a mismatch.

Yu Fei chose to drive in, using his body to push inside. He nearly carried Jackson's body as he caught the ball at the free-throw line, started his drive, and scored with an air-switch layup.

Since Jackson had taken up the defensive position, Duncan and Robinson could only interfere from the side, but Yu Fei avoided them with a hand switch.

Of course, as the league's rising star, Yu Fei had an extra advantage in this battle.

Dick Bavetta called a defensive foul on Stephen Jackson.

"Are you kidding me?" Jackson yelled, "That was just normal contact!"

"If that's normal contact, no wonder the Dallas People are complaining about you guys playing dirty on my radio shows," Yu Fei darkly said, "I'm starting to suspect you did it on purpose, hurting Dirk..."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Bavita cut off Yu Fei's taunt, "Frye, shut up and shoot your free throw!"

"No problem, sir."

Getting on good terms with Bavita was essential for every star player.

Because this man was the League's favored director. If the League wished to extend a playoff series by a game or two, then Bavita would make a grand entrance, wager his lineage, and blow calls that would make Sacramento fans scream, "How could God allow this?"

The advantage of having a good relationship with him was that he'd look after you ordinarily, and then on those "special" nights, he made you feel like an untouchable God.

Anyone who experienced those kinds of games would shout like Barkley that there was plenty of time to rest after death.

Yu Fei hit the and-one, scoring a total of eight points.

8 to 6

Afterward, Parker drove in, attempting a layup but was blocked by Yu Fei who had backtracked into the paint.

Unfortunately, the rebound was controlled by the Spurs.

Duncan grabbed the offensive board, easily shrugged off Anthony Mason as if he was guarding air, raised high and scored with a soft layup.

No trash talk.

As the Spurs' core, Duncan was usually the quietest person on the team.

After Shaquille O'Neal's downfall, there was no doubt that the number one in the league was Duncan.

This was the strongest opponent Yu Fei had faced so far.

Yu Fei decided to go head-to-head with Duncan.

Seeing Yu Fei play this way, George Karl furrowed his brow.

Although the Spurs were deliberately giving Yu Fei shooting space, he shouldn't be this literal, right? If others let you shoot, you just shoot? When had Big Fei ever been so compliant?

Fortunately, Yu Fei hadn't lost his reason.

Yu Fei shifted his position from the role of organizer to an attacker, then Sprewell became the playmaker, with Ray Allen initiating the tactics. It all seemed very abstract, but that was the Bucks' offensive posture after the opening.

Aside from the initial few plays, Yu Fei did not handle the ball every possession; he would cool down for a play or two after completing an attack.