Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Karl's setup was incredibly simple: switch on every pick and roll; give up the offensive rebounds to fall back at full speed, denying the Lakers the chance to set the tempo. Push the opponent into playing a static game and rely on the stars' ability to score in one-on-one matchups. Such an extreme setup would elicit extreme tactics in response. The Lakers initiated their offense from the inside, with Little O scoring once again. But Yu Fei retained his hot shooting hand from the end of the third quarter, getting the ball on the offensive end and launching it without hesitation, sinking another three-pointer. 92 to 83 The Lakers were now trailing by 9 points. What followed was both sides clanking off shots under intense defensive pressure; Kidd missed a three-pointer, Yu Fei, on a fast break, passed to Roy, whose layup attempt was disrupted and missed. Little O went for another attack in the post, this time thwarted by Brown, Foster grabbed the offensive board only to be stripped by Marion. The battle on the court turned fiery, leaving no one able to score for the moment. Missed shots, lost balls, bodies hitting the floor. In nearly three minutes of high-pressure play, the nerves of both sides were stretched taut. Yu Fei was guarding Kobe but got beaten on the drive. However, Kobe, who had already lost his absolute speed, was fending off Yu Fei with his elbow but lost protection before he could take the shot. Yu Fei leaped up to block him. In an instant, Yu Fei grabbed the ball and hurled it to the frontcourt, where Roy, who was 0 for 7 since the third quarter, broke his streak with a straightforward layup. 94 to 83 "Come on, Kobe!" Yu Fei roared, his fighting spirit soaring, "Isn't this one-on-one your favorite?" Few dared to make such a demand to Kobe, even among his teammates. More than one player who has been Kobe's teammate has said that if you beat him one-on-one, you would never have peace. Kobe would keep playing against you. Beat him once, and he'll want to beat you ten times. Kobe, plagued by physical wear, injuries, and system constraints, suddenly seemed invigorated, as though injected with adrenaline. Sloppiness might be tolerated in anything else, but not in one-on-one. He wouldn't lose to anyone! This was the old guard's backlash, a challenge to the established reign. A dozen seconds later, Kobe scored over Yu Fei with a jump shot. 94 to 85 "Bring it on!" said Kobe. "Good!" The warmth of the smile on Yu Fei's face was fierce, like an assassin sighting his target. He turned around, signaling his teammate to inbound the ball. The others instinctively spread out, knowing Yu Fei wasn't likely to pass. Above the three-point arc, Yu Fei once again found himself one-on-one with Kobe. Yu Fei made a ferocious change of direction in advance, reminding one of a taller version of Allen Iverson, shifting Kobe's center of defense to one side before pulling up for a three-pointer. 97 to 85 Kobe, with a cold expression, stepped up to Yu Fei to take his turn. Compared to Yu Fei, Kobe wasn't as tall, or as strong, and didn't even have the advantage in speed; it was the tradeoff a man who had reached a mature age had made with Father Time. You give me experience, skills, a mature mentality, and in return, you take a part of my great talent. A fair deal. Kobe first used a probing step to shake Yu Fei's defense, then burst towards the basket, forcefully using his body, explosive like dynamite, to finish with a layup. "Again!" Kobe shouted, "Keep it going!" Of course, they would keep going. How could they not? It had come to this point, and Yu Fei would not stop until he had bested Kobe. It was another static play, another one-on-one matchup between the two, and this time Kobe's defense collapsed faster than imagined. Yu Fei tore through Kobe's defense in one step, his strong body instantly claiming the position against his opponent, and then he surged into the basket like a fierce beast for a violent dunk. "Nice shot! Just like that!" Karl roared excitedly, "Stay on the others, don't let Kobe get inside!" Yu Fei would not lose; this was the mental steel stamp he had forged for those around him over seven years. How did he take revenge on Jordan? How did he end the myth of Shaquille O'Neal? How did he defeat Duncan in the 2003 finals? There were too many examples to consider. How could he possibly lose to Kobe tonight? "Frye vs. Kobe, how many times has it been?" "I don't know, but whoever wins or loses, they've shown the fans the best of basketball!" The best side? No, Mike Breen, this was far from the best. The best basketball is always the interpretation of dominance. Think of Chamberlain's 100-point game, think of Magic Johnson's rookie season finals as if he descended from heaven, think of Bird's humiliation of Dr. J, think of Jordan's mid-air hand switch in front of Magic. The strongest individual capability, the best rookie story, the cruelest replacement of old and new, the ultimate performance of ascendancy. What did Kobe have? Honestly, what did he have? Right now, he was nothing but a reformed rapist, a half-demon desperate to prove himself, and beating him here wasn't even worth mentioning on Yu Fei's resume. But some things still had to happen. The exhaustion of the past three quarters, the physical injuries, and the fading effects of adrenaline all made Kobe completely out of rhythm in this one-on-one. He couldn't break through, couldn't find the space, and his only choice was to force a jump shot. What met him was Yu Fei's block. Then came the Supersonics' counterattack. 99 to 85 The balance had already been broken. Kobe's energy was waning; he was unwilling to accept it. Why, at this moment, couldn't he be at his best? Why couldn't he summon all his strength to contest Yu Fei? He didn't believe he would lose. Age, injuries—they should not be excuses. A world of invincibility made him even more insane. He kept dribbling, from the eighth second of the shot clock to the twentieth, finally initiating an attack, a risky and aggressive drive. The elbow pad that worked a hundred times out of a hundred did not push Yu Fei away. He reached the basket, but defensive threats were still uncomfortably close. Unfortunately, the Black Mamba had stopped thinking. He roared, wanting to force a shot as if his opponent would be intimidated by his ferocity. But Yu Fei had already jumped to a higher position, his hands above Kobe's head grasping his layup, shockingly catching it with ease, causing an uproar in Key Arena. "@#￥@#￥%" In a reckless pursuit, Kobe chased after Yu Fei, fast, almost unimaginably so. He caught up with Yu Fei, but by then, the two had reached the paint. What next? The size difference was too large, Kobe couldn't possibly stop Yu Fei in that position. But he was Kobe. When calm, he could distinguish right from wrong, but now, he had lost his reason and jumped force in the air, collapsing immediately upon contact with Yu Fei. His body tumbled out of control, followed by Yu Fei, like a deity, thundering a dunk over the unbalanced Kobe. Yu Fei roared, tugging at the rim, yelling at the utter failure before him, "It's all over, Kobe!" Yes, it was all over. The debate about Yu Fei and Kobe, the dispute over who is the strongest high school player, the question of who would dominate the Western conference this year. It ended at that moment.