Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

"I mean, if they're bringing in their starters, we should make a change too," Yu Fei said, so as not to give the impression that he could decide the on-court lineup.

It must be said that Mr. Yu truly had a high EQ when it came to adaptability.

Karl glared at him fiercely, "Shut up, Frye, I don't need you to teach me how to make substitutions"—after saying that, he turned to Ray Allen and Latrell Sprewell, "Ray, Sprewell, you're in for Kevin and Dan."

Fine, if you think that saying it like this will save your face...

Although Karl saved a bit of face, Yu Fei's confrontation with him was no less daunting, and his meddling with the lineup terrified many.

George Karl's nickname was "Mad Coach," both reflective of his coaching energy and his hard-nosed style.

A coach like that usually had absolute autonomy.

And yet Yu Fei dared to meddle with the rotation?

Newcomer Latrell Sprewell was still pondering the implications of this, while Ray Allen, who had worked with Karl for years, knew this was highly unusual.

"Why would George let you defy him?" Allen eyed the second-year player who claimed to be here to support him.

Because he knows who's the boss... oh wait, that's not polite to say.

"Why wouldn't he allow it?" asked Yu Fei with a smile, "Rey-ray, you could try defying him, you might be surprised by what you discover."

Yu Fei's words sent shockwaves through Ray Allen; indeed, he had never defied George Karl.

No, more accurately, he had never defied any elder, a form of respect instilled in him from childhood.

Though Karl insinuated he was soft on the outside, Allen still wouldn't embarrass him.

His upbringing wouldn't allow it.

Then, Ray Allen thought perhaps being the second-in-command always meant being disobedient.

From afar, there was Scottie Pippen, who requested a trade during a quest for a threepeat, to the near, with Kobe selfishly not content under the guidance of the number one player and the historical number one coach. Ray Allen couldn't fathom their thinking—they preached team spirit but acted selfishly. However, he had to admit that there's no P with no Scottie and no O without Kobe. Thus, if the Bucks wanted to succeed, they would have to accept Yu Fei's "rebellion."

And just like that, Ray Allen convinced himself.

If Yu Fei knew about Ray-ray's thought process, he would definitely give the guy a thumbs up.

Lord Ray's awareness was both high and tough!

On the Brooklyn Nets' side, they indeed switched back to their starters.

And when they saw the Bucks' lineup, they too were taken aback.

Ratner wasn't usually the regular starting center for the Bucks; even playing power forward was barely tough enough for him, yet now he was on as center?

And the Bucks' power forward was Yu Fei, who had been thriving at small forward.
Stay updated with empire

Scott was still curious about what trick the Bucks had up their sleeve, and Kenyon Martin, who usually didn't get along with Yu Fei, couldn't help but pop the champagne, "I've never seen anyone as oblivious to death as you!"

Yu Fei "he-he'd" sardonically, "Those who've broken legs sure talk tough."

"If you haven't learned how to speak to the Eastern champions with the right attitude, I don't mind giving you a taste of broken bones," threatened Martin.

People who've broken their legs really are different; it's my first time seeing someone bragging about being the division champion.

Yu Fei wanted to throw more trash talk, but the Nets' offense had already started.

And indeed, Martin as an inside player knew better what to do than Yu Fei.

Martin's positioning and picks were top-notch, and any lapse from Yu Fei gave him a good position.

Kidd's pass was lightning fast, straight into Martin's hands.

While Yu Fei was a bit rusty at playing inside after so long, Martin also made a fatal error in underestimating Yu Fei as a power forward and thinking he could easily win the matchup with his strength.

As soon as this thought appeared, it laid the groundwork for Martin's failure.

Martin pushed hard, turned around, and tried to dunk over Yu Fei. But as soon as Martin turned, he found that Yu Fei was still standing in front of him.

He hesitated for a moment, and Yu Fei's right hand, like a blade, slashed the ball away.

Kidd's timely strategic foul stopped the Bucks' defensive counterattack.

"Hey, Eastern champ, you got a ring?" Yu Fei asked provocatively, "Have any banner-raising ceremony for the first home game of the new season? Has New Jersey thrown a city-wide celebration for your Eastern championship yet? Oh, none of that happened? That's a real pity..."

Martin's eyes shot fire, ready to confront Yu Fei, but was held back by his teammate Aaron Williams.

This was the everyday life of the Brooklyn Nets players.

Because Kenyon Martin was easily provoked, they relied on his performance but also had to step up to stop him when his temper flared; otherwise, an irrational Martin would truly start a fight with the opponent.

The Bucks took the sideline throw.

Ratner picked up the ball and said to Yu Fei, "Aren't you afraid of getting hit after provoking him like that?"

"Why would I be afraid at home?" Yu Fei countered.

Ratner reminded him, "That kind of person doesn't care about home or away when they start hitting."

After receiving Ratner's throw, Yu Fei asked, "Do you think retaliation should care about home or away?"

Ratner believed that since Yu Fei dared to provoke Martin, he must be ready to fight, and he believed Yu Fei would dare to retaliate.

This man's guts, he had witnessed in D.C.

Ratner had been in the League for ten years, and Yu Fei was the gutsiest rookie he'd ever seen.

But if Yu Fei was just a role player, that would be one thing. However, he was clearly a star player. The era of the '80s and '90s, where on-court brawls were a matter of pride, had passed. The Knicks and Miami Heat's playoff brawl changed the League's tolerance for such events.