Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

February 16, this is the last and most critical day of the All-Star weekend.

The All-Star game will be held today, but actually, the watchability of most All-Star games isn't great, since the star players come to relax and vacation, not to play seriously.

It's just that this year's All-Star city is Los Angeles, so there are many more unexpected stunts.

Last year was Yu Fei's first time playing in the All-Star game, yet he seemed indifferent because it was Jordan's All-Star farewell show. Although he really wanted to mess up the show, he couldn't ignore the Eastern All-Star Team's desire to send off Big Dan properly. Thus, rather than being the one to spoil the farewell show and harm the group's efforts, he chose to tank.

But, unexpectedly, it was Kobe, this complex Jordan fan, who ruined the farewell show. Isn't it said that the ones who love you hurt you the most?

As a die-hard Kobe fan for four days who has always believed in repaying kindness as well as settling scores, Yu Fei plans to properly repay Kobe tonight.

In the afternoon, the Eastern All-Star Team gathered for the first, and only, practice session during the All-Star weekend.

Head coach Rick Carlisle said, "Even though it's just a show, we should still play well. I'll give more court time to those who dedicate themselves to the game."

Then, Yu Fei gave Carlisle his feedback, "Aren't there too few pick-and-roll plays in our strategy?"

"There's no need," Carlisle said. "You will have many opportunities even without pick-and-roll when the time comes."

But how can I make a fool out of Shaq in front of his home crowd without pick-and-roll?

If he said this out loud, Carlisle would be even less likely to arrange for pick-and-roll plays.

Yu Fei's eyes darted around, and he looked at Big Ben with a friendly gaze.

"Your look doesn't bode well," Big Ben said with a strong negative impression of Yu Fei.

"Big Ben, how many votes did you get this year?" Yu Fei asked.

Yu Fei owed Jordan an apology for something.

That was using Big Ben's All-Star votes from last season to mock Wizards Dan, who had become an old has-been. In fact, Big Ben was also a big draw in the Eastern Conference, especially in the last two years as one of the West Coast's top stars.

This year, he received even more All-Star votes than everyone but the top vote-getter, Vince Carter.

Big Ben proudly said, "1.9 million votes."

That's a terrifying number.

If Big Ben had been in the Western Conference, he would have been the top vote-getter there.

Known as "Mr. Ticket," Garnett only got 1.78 million votes, and Kobe, despite soaring in popularity from the stylish and fierce Eagle County incident, received just 1.75 million votes.

"The fans like you so much, don't you want to perform well in the All-Star game?"

Yu Fei's adaptive EQ kicked in.

Big Ben asked, "What are you trying to say?"

"Let's do more pick-and-rolls, you roll to the basket, and I can help you complete a lot of dunks."

"Are you that kind-hearted?"

"I think you have some prejudice against me, but if you really got to know me, you'd realize I'm a good guy."

A good guy? Kenyon Martin from the New Jersey Nets almost turned green hearing Yu Fei call himself a good guy.

However, he certainly didn't want to settle old scores with Yu Fei here.

Big Ben then became a supporter of Yu Fei's decision to execute a lot of pick-and-roll offense, and he looked at Carlisle, "We need pick-and-rolls."

Carlisle's expression was unchanged: "As long as you guys want it, I have no objections."

To the rest of the Eastern All-Star Team, Yu Fei's suggestion didn't matter.

For example, the League's top vote-getter, Carter, was the epitome of indifference.

Next were Iverson and McGrady, with little desire to show off, only wanting to do the bare minimum on the court.

As for the rest, not worth mentioning.

But Michael Redd knew what Yu Fei was up to. However, he wasn't going to interfere, because after all, that was someone else's personal grievance. Though they couldn't part on good terms, there was no need to leave behind any bad blood.

Evening

There are still a few hours before the start of the All-Star game, but the Staples Center is already as bustling as if the game has begun.

Magic Johnson, like a charming demon, is displaying his smile everywhere.

No matter what event is happening on-site, you can see him there.

His smile is so infectious that Lakers fans can find all the consolation needed in his "OK, it's actually not bad" demeanor.

"Believe me, this is the Lakers Team, we'll handle it; everything's going to be fine!"

The fame-driven Magic participated in yesterday's Shooting Stars Competition, showing off his approachable image and proving he's still active on the front lines of professional basketball, despite many years of retirement.

But, is everything as optimistic for the Lakers as he claims?

The answer is, of course, negative.
Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

On the afternoon of the last game day before All-Star Weekend, the Lakers suddenly called a press conference, where owner Jerry Buss announced that they had put Phil Jackson's contract extension talks on hold.

As expected, the Lakers and the local media were blown away.

Los Angeles Times reporter J.A. Adande asked Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe for their opinions on the matter.

Shaq wanted to continue playing for Jackson, while Kobe's attitude was, "I don't care."

This situation revealed that Kobe's irreconcilable differences were not only with Shaq but also with Jackson. Moreover, the media quickly made the clever connection that Kobe had a very special relationship with Old Buss. Although Kobe didn't go to those indescribable places to party with Old Buss as Magic Johnson did in the past, his professionalism and non-African American features were very much appreciated by Buss.

Even in the months following the Eagle County incident, when Kobe's reputation was at its worst, Old Buss still likened him to a son.

This inevitably made people wonder what role Kobe played in the fact that the Lakers had yet to extend Shaq's contract, and now they had also put Jackson's contract talks on hold.

Years later, we would know Kobe was Old Buss's scapegoat, but at the moment, everything was Kobe's fault, as the Los Angeles Times wrote: "For years, Kobe has resisted Phil Jackson's discipline, and he frequently whispered in Buss's ear that Shaq was out of shape at the start of the season and lacked leadership, leading Lakers insiders to believe it was Kobe's doing that led Buss to decide to put contract talks with Shaq and Jackson on hold."

Regardless, Yu Fei admired such a person, someone whose off-court reputation was beyond salvation, who often played the role of a cancerous tumor disrupting team strategies on the court, and who could take the fall for the boss when needed. As long as he didn't come to his own team, he, as a devoted Kobe fan, would support him to the end.

That night, the performance at Staples Center was grand, and Beyonce was there again.

Only this year, she didn't wear a jersey.

Undoubtedly, the celebrities on the sidelines were more eye-catching, as after all, it wasn't Los Angeles' sports atmosphere that made it the cultural center of the nation. Watching sports was at best an interlude in people's lives. The celebrities living in Beverly Hills were what made the city renowned worldwide.

However, today everything made way for the All-Star Game. Although the celebrities weren't the main act, the venue offered the world's largest stage. Simply being spotted at Staples Center and favored by a photographer meant your name and face became known and familiar worldwide, which was very attractive to Hollywood stars constantly busy with promotion.

Yu Fei also got Christina a ticket, but compared to the other celebrities there, she was like the light of a firefly.

Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio set a standard for the starlight in the arena—whether it was about acting prowess or commercial value, the stars seated there were the very best.

Yu Fei was somewhat disappointed as there weren't many actresses at the venue tonight, and none of them were particularly eye-catching. He decided to focus all his attention on the basketball game.

During the introduction of the Eastern and Western All-Stars, Yu Fei's name once again ignited a chorus of boos from the crowd.

"The boos aren't loud enough!" Die-hard Shaq fan Nicholson stirred up trouble, "This bastard deserves to be hated by more people!"

Yu Fei smiled and gave him the middle finger.

"Look how arrogant this bastard is!" Nicholson waved his hands around, "Boo him as hard as you can!"

Then, Yu Fei shrugged at the most intense booing from the right side.

Why boo him? Wasn't he just at odds with Shaq? There were surely many other people on the court more deserving of boos, right?

At that moment, a blonde woman laughed dumbly, "Turns out there's someone in the world who's more hated than me."

"Isn't that Frye? Perfectly normal, there's hardly any Lakers fan who doesn't hate him," someone chimed in.

The blonde woman asked, "Why?"

The person beside her rolled out a classic tirade, "Because he's just so annoying."

Before the game started, Garnett teased Yu Fei, "Frye, man, you can't be like this. How come people in LA won't even give you a little love at the All-Star Game?"

Yu Fei retorted to Garnett's off-topic dig, "If I had been nice to everyone since joining the league and never made it past the second round of the playoffs, they wouldn't have been stingy with their love for me either."

This comment even made the usually stoic Kobe laugh.

"I agree."

Tim Duncan, who had been observing Yu Fei from the side, thought that Big Fei might truly have some antisocial personality traits; as soon as he stepped onto the court, he seemed to relish making his opponents uncomfortable.

He glanced at Garnett's face—ashamed and angry, he certainly wouldn't let it rest.

Both sides prepared for the jump ball, and Yu Fei turned to find an old friend from Washington in ABC's commentary team today—Doug Collins.

Yu Fei nodded slightly as a greeting.

The game began with a jump ball, and Yao Ming won possession for the Western All-Star Team.

The teams played very relaxed—this wasn't professional intensity, it wasn't even the intensity of a high school basketball game.

It was more like the kind of intensity in a pick-up game where both sides, out of breath, just started playing lazy defense.

Kobe took the first shot and missed, but Duncan scored on the put-back.

On the Eastern side, with Yu Fei handling the ball, he saw that the Western starters were excessively tall: center Yao Ming, power forward Duncan, small forward Garnett.

When Western starting point guard Kidd saw Yu Fei approaching, he didn't even bother bending his knees, sending a clear message: you attack as you wish, I'll defend casually.

Yu Fei then received the ball two meters outside the three-point line and launched a long-range three-pointer.

"Swish!"

His touch was good tonight, Yu Fei thought. He must reward his beloved Big Pig properly.