Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

76ers decide to leave Coach Lu unguarded and double-team Jordan.

Jordan passes the ball to the unmarked Coach Lu.

Then Coach Lu throws the ball towards the basket like a shot put, of course, missing it.

The basketball clangs off the rim, and the counterattack-minded 76ers turn it into a fast-break opportunity.

Two minutes later, Tyronn Lue is subbed out.

Collins calls Coach Lu over and loudly says, "Listen, Tyronn, you have to regain your confidence!"

Well, let's all pretend we don't know who took Coach Lu's confidence away in the first place.

Yu Fei sneers to himself, mocking Collins under his breath.

"In last season's Finals, you made six three-pointers alongside Shaq and Kobe! Find yourself again, Tyronn!"

Coach Lu nods, indicating he'll try his best, but the problem isn't solved.

Watching Coach Lu walk dejectedly back to his seat, Yu Fei's frustration grows, "We could play a faster offensive pace if we just sub out the slow ones. Why insist on a positional game? For the guy who always shoots the most on the team with a 33% field goal percentage, how long must we hobble ourselves?!"

"Shut up, rookie!" Collins glares at Yu Fei, "This is none of your business!"

Yu Fei stops complaining, but that doesn't mean he's cowed by Collins.

He just doesn't want to argue with his coach courtside while the team is leading.

Plus, Yu Fei can clearly feel that the majority of the team supports him.

Not everyone is like Ratner and Nesby, sucking up to Jordan for a living—they haven't debased their integrity yet; they are just in fear of Collins's authority and Jordan's power and status. Some resentment has already taken root and just needs an outlet.

Yu Fei simply became the spokesperson for all those harboring grievances at the right time.

This made Doug Collins nervous.

Yu Fei's "Anti-Mike" behavior in the beginning could be interpreted as rebellious—a common trait of the unmanageable Generation Y.

Jordan could, of course, be unhappy about it, but he could tolerate Yu Fei's rebellion because human personalities are always varied.

However, Yu Fei has gradually become the spokesperson for a collective that's dissatisfied with Jordan; he's no longer just representing himself, but also others who are discontent with Jordan.

This is a force that could potentially shake Jordan's dominant position.

That night, the Wizards Team continued their previous game's heroics, triumphing over the 76ers, who were without "The Answer," with a score of 106 to 77.

Hamilton continued his hot streak since the start of the season, scoring a team-high 29 points.

Yu Fei in 23 minutes put up 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, notably, 4 of his assists were to Brown.

With Yu Fei's help, Kwame Brown finally played at a number one pick level, scoring 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 11 minutes.

The new jacks from D.C. all fought bravely, while Michael Jordan was somewhat subdued, shooting only 33% for the entire game, but taking 21 shots and managing 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists.

"My jump shot felt terrible tonight, but I still created a lot of opportunities for my teammates. That's the help that comes with experience, and I hope the young players know that when your shot isn't falling, there are many other things you can do to help the team win."

A 33% shooting percentage didn't dampen the joy of leading the team to a three-game winning streak, and Jordan wore a smile throughout the entire post-game press conference. Read more content on m-vl-em-pyr

On the other hand, head coach Doug Collins's expression was a bit gloomy.

When the press conference ended, as Collins and Jordan walked through the corridor to the locker room, Jordan noticed Collins's mood.

"Doug, speak your mind," Jordan dislikes beating around the bush.

"Michael," Collins says in a lower voice, "have you ever thought about trading Frye?"