Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Bucks led the Lakers by 16 points, and both sides benched their starters, signaling the start of garbage time.

Tonight, Yu Fei had "only" scored 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists, which made the Bucks fans at the venue howl in despair.

The arena resounded with a deafening "C'mon, Frye!"

This has become a particular phenomenon this season for the Bucks.

Since Yu Fei is averaging a triple-double, many people attend games in hopes of witnessing him achieve one. Sometimes, even if the Bucks lose, just getting a triple-double would satisfy the fans.

But to come up just one assist short of a triple-double against the Lakers tonight?

Such a thing, no one wants that!!!

"You really don't want to play a little longer?" Karl couldn't stand to watch it anymore.

"Kobe has already left the game," Yu Fei said, "I can't stay on the court to pad stats, that would be disrespectful to him."

Karl hadn't expected Yu Fei to hold such respect for Kobe.

"You can't actually be a fan of Kobe, can you?" Karl asked, surprised.

Yu Fei looked at him, puzzled. Wasn't his status as a longtime Kobe fan publicly known?

"Fine, if you don't want to play, don't play," Karl sighed. "It's a pity for the fans' genuine affection."

"Screw that!" Yu Fei shouted, "I'm not going to pad stats during garbage time just to please them!"

Karl rolled his eyes. Everyone knew that Big Fei was a player without any sportsmanship. Would he really sit out garbage time out of consideration for an opponent?

There was no chance of that.

According to Karl's understanding of Yu Fei, the only reason he wouldn't play during garbage time was that he felt a bit tired tonight. After all, he'd played nearly 39 minutes—a significant toll for a regular-season game. It was all the Lakers' fault, resisting so fiercely in the second half. Acting as if it were the playoffs during a regular-season game, they were mad.

But Karl couldn't help smiling when he thought of adding another victory over Phil Jackson to his record.

Hmm, how should I act after the game to appear clever yet dignified?

Karl pondered this as the game's garbage time slowly came to an end.

At the final buzzer, 111-98, the Bucks triumphed over the Lakers by 13 points, successfully defending their home court.

Yu Fei was in high spirits tonight, having found a way to enter the low post offense.

When the reporter put the microphone in front of him and asked him to talk about how they defeated the Lakers, Yu Fei said with a light smile, "It's quite simple, we were just a better team than the Lakers."

"Why did you choose to sit out when you were just one assist away from a triple-double?"

"I am a fan of Kobe. He had already been subbed out, so out of respect for Kobe, I wouldn't stay on the court. That's the reason."

Unless he was facing a rival, Yu Fei now refrained from making uncompromising statements during interviews.

For the reporters, this was a pity.

Another blunt and outspoken young man had been thrown into the great dye vat of professional basketball, beginning to spew systematic nonsense like a mature adult.

On the other hand, Yu Fei's coach seemed to have never matured.

Every time he defeated a Phil Jackson-coached team, George Karl would behave as if he was young and experiencing a great harmony with a lover for the first time, both excited and ecstatic.

"I told you we would win! That's our Milwaukee Bucks, you'd better give us more respect!"

"Danny Granger was simply unstoppable tonight, did you see his shooting? This kid really knows how to play!"

"Frye?" Whenever it involved Big Fei, Karl would lose all sense of reason, "In my heart, he has already booked his place as the best player in history. I'm telling you, Frye Yu is by far the most outstanding 19-year-old, 20-year-old, 21-year-old, 22-year-old, and 23-year-old ever. If you disagree, then you simply don't understand basketball! As long as he keeps up this trend until he's 30, he'll no doubt be the GOAT!"

Yu Fei considered himself to have thick skin, but when he heard Karl praising him like that on the spot, he couldn't resist covering his eyes with his hand, slightly bowing his head, as if he didn't know how to face it.

Next door, Phil Jackson heard Karl's remarks.

Of course, he knew Karl was covertly saying, "The best player in history is coached by me, not those guys coached by Phil Jackson." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

Jackson wasn't angry; he wouldn't get upset over something like that.

However, the comment did remind him of something that happened in the past.

In the 2004 All-Star game, Yu Fei had stolen the limelight from Shaquille O'Neal, winning that year's AMVP and, to mock O'Neal's claim of being "the most dominant," he told the reporters that he was "the most attractive."

While Yu Fei might vehemently deny it, Jackson could assert responsibly that it was a Michael Jordan-style moment and proclamation.

Looking at Yu Fei's growth curve over the past few years, Jackson agreed that he had the potential to become the GOAT.

But what interested him more was the difference between Yu Fei and Kobe, another superstar who came straight out of high school.

Yu Fei under the guise of Anti-Mike acted in the manner of Jordan, while Kobe had been given the title of Jordan's successor since the beginning of his career.

This cursed title doomed Kobe to a career of endless comparisons with Jordan.

Tonight, Kobe scored a game-high 42 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, performing to the utmost in his domain.

But Yu Fei didn't even show interest in direct confrontation; he simply called on the rookie players to shoot, ultimately awakening the rookie and with that driving the Bucks' shooters, breaking down the Lakers in just a few minutes.

Jackson had to admit he agreed with Karl's viewpoint.