When pride still matters

Chapter 578 Believe in the Process
"You really make me mad!"

The Clippers played their first away game of the new season against the Lakers. Before the game started, Yu Fei and Kobe met at midfield.

This is their first meeting since the end of last season.

Yu Fei noticed that Kobe's beard was a little gray, and couldn't help but think that he was already 35 years old. Thinking back to when they met in the ABCD training camp, who would have thought that the two sides would fight endlessly on the court in the future?
However, Kobe's first words when they met made Yu Fei's hands sore from signing autographs.

"Are you trying to say that my eight championships make you angry?" Yu Fei did not forget to add fuel to the fire.

Kobe glared at him and said, "I can understand you rejecting the Lakers, but how can you join the Clippers?"

If he said so, Yu Fei would activate the great memory recovery technique.

"You were one step away from joining the Clippers in the summer of 2004, right?"

The conflict within OK was so big that it could not be resolved. Kobe resolutely gave the Lakers management an option of "only keeping one". Not only did it cause a big fuss in the media, but it also had substantive contact with the Clippers. Seeing that the superstar trained by the Lakers was about to join the team in the same city, old Buss decisively decided to send O'Neal away, and the Clippers played a ridiculed third party in this farce.

"It's different." Kobe did not shy away from the fact that he took the Clippers for granted. "That was just my strategy."

Yu Fei said calmly: "I'm sorry, I don't have so many strategies. The reason why I chose the Clippers is simple, because it is a Los Angeles team, and no one in history has ever been able to lead this team out of the abyss. If I want to leave an impressive resume in the last period of my career, the Clippers are the best choice."

Kobe is almost 36 years old.

He believes that as long as he can maintain his starting strength and status, playing until he is 40 years old will not be a problem.

So it was strange to hear Yu Fei, who is not even 31 yet, say the Clippers were the "end" of his career.

However, Yu Fei's intention was clear.

Having played professional basketball in Los Angeles for nearly 20 years, Kobe knows better than anyone how much the Clippers are despised locally.

Griffin's sudden rise briefly changed this situation, but the popularity of a superstar who is more interested in getting good statistics but cannot improve the team's record than attracting the audience with acrobatic slam dunks is always going to come and go.

In the end, Griffin only improved the Clippers' local base a little bit, and the status quo did not change.

The Clippers are still a mess.

No one thinks highly of them.

But if it was Yu Fei
Kobe is one of the countless opponents that Yu Fei has defeated, and he knows the opponent's ability and influence. If it is Yu Fei who wants to do this, maybe it is really possible.

But he was still very angry because Yu Fei rejected the Lakers for the Clippers.

It's like a big breast lover choosing the latter between RION and Gigan Yulia. Although on the surface they have chosen the same type, the difference is more than tens of millions.
Afterwards, Yu Fei went back to warm up.

Griffin looked around and every time he played against the Lakers at Staples Center was his most painful moment because there were almost no home fans cheering them on.

Today, however, there were clearly quite a few “Clippers fans” in the arena.

The men were unidentified but were wearing Clippers jerseys.

Rivers' strategy worked, and there were indeed thousands of fans wearing Clippers jerseys at the scene.

Although it was impossible for Yu Fei to sign for thousands of fans in one hour, hundreds of lucky people got autographs. Those who wore Clippers jerseys but failed to get autographs still chose to support the Clippers because Yu Fei promised that their names would be recorded and given priority in the next autograph session.

This is of course just empty promise, but fans are always so easily satisfied.

After the warm-up, the starting players of both sides came on the field one after another.

Although the Lakers failed to sign Yu Fei, they still used their market influence to sign defensive stalwart Tony Allen.

However, a player like Allen who is extremely focused on defense does not seem to be suitable for this Lakers team that claims to be still competitive.

The Lakers brought him in just to show Kobe: We have tried our best.

As for the actual effect of this effort, that is another matter.

Kobe's desire for the highest honor is not as strong as before, because the Lakers have been operating at full capacity in the past few years, but it is really their misfortune to run into the powerful Supersonics empire.

Now that Kobe is getting older, the Lakers do not have enough resources to make large-scale signings.

He is currently more concerned about what kind of honor he can leave behind in his career.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's total scoring record is one of his current goals.

On the opposite side, the Clippers' situation was not much better, but they had been aiming for the championship from the very beginning.

After the game started, both sides showed their starting moves.

The Lakers played inside first, and Marc Gasol was in great form.

The Clippers' starting center is Zaza Pachulia, whose strength is completely not up to par with Gasol, who is at his peak. Gasol may be one of the best centers in the league today - he can do everything from low-post offense, high-post coordination, positioning under the basket, rebounding, rim protection, and even pull out to shoot three-pointers - his main problem can be effectively solved in FIBA, as the Spanish national team's system is designed to serve him and his brother, but in the NBA, his offense is not as good as Yao Ming's, his defense is not as good as Howard's, and his coordination is about the same as Noah's. He seems to have many strengths, but he does not have absolutely superior skills, and can only suppress Pachulia and his ilk.

However, it is impossible for Xiaojia to really rely on his inside advantage to change the direction of the game.

Because Yu Fei has not forgotten how he made Xiao Jia unable to play by calling out his name.

In the context of space basketball, the European white bear's ability to defend against pick-and-rolls is ultimately its Achilles' heel.

Yu Fei began to use name calling to target Xiao Jia, and the latter's presence immediately decreased. Then, Griffin released the seal and wreaked havoc under the basket like a griffin.

Yu Fei called for a pick-and-roll, threw the ball into the air, and then jumped up and dunked.

Moreover, Yu Fei not only assisted Griffin in dunking, he also frequently attacked the basket, causing Gasol to foul many times, causing the Spaniard to be replaced early.

The Lakers, who lost their inside fulcrum, began to rely on their old age. Kobe's touch was not good at the beginning, but did he not play without a touch? No, playing hard with cold hands is also the Mamba spirit.

The cold shots bounced randomly on the basket. Yu Fei kept collecting defensive rebounds and passing them to the frontcourt. The Greek monster, who was ready to go, started at full speed.

The Clippers only took half a game to change the opinions of the fans.

Some celebrities were whispering in the front row.

What they talked about most was - "The Clippers' games look more entertaining."

Tonight's Clippers were like the American Dream Team in the international arena, relying on their overwhelming athletic ability to continuously put on wonderful dunk shows.

Griffin was particularly eye-catching. After being taught a lesson by Yu Fei, he no longer rejected those so-called "monkey tricks". With the addition of strong reinforcements to the team, he was no longer the main defensive target of the opponent. The Lakers' No. 4 position could not stop him at all, and when Marc Gasol was replaced due to too many fouls, the inside became his playground.

He can go in and out as he pleases, and he can put the ball into the basket in any posture he wants.

Griffin completed 7 aerial relays in a single game, Yu Fei completed 4 breakthrough slam dunks in positional battles, and Giannis Antetokounmpo also had 4 one-stop fast break dunks.

"I sincerely suggest that the Clippers change their name. They should not be called the Clippers, but the Shockers - my God! Their games are so visually stunning. If you are a basketball fan, such games are definitely not to be missed!"

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said on Twitter.

The suspense of victory or defeat quickly disappeared.

The Clippers crushed the Lakers with their talent, and the Lakers tacitly switched into "old man's fun" mode.

Kobe played solo as he pleased, and although his hit rate was not high, his movements were beautiful. He made 29 of 12 shots and scored 32 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Although the Lakers lost by 22 points, every fan who watched the game felt that it was worthwhile.

After all, the Clippers' dunk show tonight can be edited into a wonderful highlight reel.

At the end of the game, the Staples Center was filled with rare cheers, a rare treat for the Clippers. "Frye, your dunks tonight were crazy, can you keep up this performance?" a reporter asked after the game.

"Why not?" Yu Fei obviously knows how to quickly accumulate popularity. The most direct way is to improve the viewing experience of the game, and dunking is undoubtedly one of the best ways to improve viewing experience. "The height of the basket has not changed, and the athletic ability of Blake, Giannis and I will not disappear tonight. We will only have more and more dunks."

What follows is a series of chain reactions.

The Clippers took five of the top ten shots of the day, including two from Griffin, one from Yu Fei, and two from Antetokounmpo. Afterwards, the Clippers' four-minute dunk highlights against the Lakers were widely circulated on the Internet.

The media began to pay attention to the changes in the Clippers.

Bill Simmons, a journalist who calls himself the world's number one Celtics fan, now lives in Los Angeles. He claims that he moved to Los Angeles for work and that Boston is his permanent home. Despite living in Los Angeles, he will never buy Lakers tickets, but is a long-term season ticket holder for the Clippers.

However, the Clippers season ticket holder is also one of the disseminators of the impression that the Clippers are cursed.

Now, after watching the Clippers vs. Lakers game video, he said: "As far as tonight is concerned, I think the Clippers are the most attractive team in the league!"

Mainstream media followed suit.

The Los Angeles Times commented after last night's intra-city derby: "The most unlikely thing in the world is to see the Clippers completely surpass the Lakers. But if even Fry Yu joining the Clippers can happen, then what is impossible? It's time to change your view of the Clippers!"

Clippers owner Ballmer also came out to take advantage of the popularity, saying that he liked the name "Shocking" very much and would seriously consider the possibility of changing the name.

If the first game of the new season can determine the trend of the entire season, then the Clippers are like a bull stock, showing unlimited potential.

There is no shortage of cases in NBA history where the market for basketball has been successfully boosted by relying on its entertainment value.

Not to mention the distant past, the Suns in the Nash era were a team that played "small ball" in the "big ball era" and gained widespread attention with their smooth offensive style.

And those teams that really shock their home courts all have top dunkers without exception.

The Suns have Stoudemire, while the Clippers have Griffin and Antetokounmpo.

In addition, Yu Fei himself is a very interesting player.

His dunks are also very entertaining to watch. If we really make a dunk highlight collection for him, they would be no less impressive than those of professional dunkers.

But Yu Fei himself knows very well that his advantage does not lie in dunking. Dunking is just an embellishment for him. When he was young, he would use this method to attract fans, but now there is no need for this.

After all, he has reached the level where even if his performance is mediocre, he can still attract fans as long as he is on the scene.

After defeating the Lakers, the Clippers defeated the Trail Blazers at home, but then suffered their first loss of the season on the road.

They were defeated by another California team, the Golden State Warriors.

After last season's accumulation, the Warriors' talent accumulated over the years showed signs of breaking out.

Joe Johnson is their key player, Lillard has shown All-Star-level combat effectiveness as a precocious second-year player, Kawhi Leonard is gradually becoming a more offensive Metta World Peace, and Klay Thompson's top 3D qualities are beginning to emerge.

The only question for the Warriors now is what to do with the Tyreke Evans situation.

Evans was at his peak when he debuted, and his performance gave people the feeling of LeBron James at the point guard position. However, as the league fully entered the era of space basketball, Evans' problems gradually emerged. As a point guard, his physical advantage is indeed obvious, but his shooting ability has hardly improved over the years, and his only right-handed threat on the offensive end. The Warriors originally believed that he could develop left-handed skills, so they gave him a maximum salary contract extension in advance, but the result was not satisfactory.

Lillard's rise has made Evans' position awkward. He can't compete with Lillard at the point guard position, and he can't compete with Thompson and Leonard at the second and third positions. In addition, he is carrying an overvalued maximum salary contract. Therefore, trading Evans has become the most urgent task for the Warriors.

However, this has nothing to do with tonight's game.

Tonight, the young Warriors showed their potential, scored from multiple points, and won with an offensive that the Clippers could not resist.

"They are a team that is ready to go," Yu Fei said. "They will get better in the future."

At this time, the Spurs are still the dominant team in the West. As for the future of the Warriors, no one can predict it.

The Clippers have no time to worry about this loss as the season continues.

However, Pachulia, who had been a substitute in Milwaukee for a long time, seemed to have some stress reaction to the starting treatment in Los Angeles. He strained his thigh in the next away game against the Kings, and the Clippers could only let Kwame Brown replace him.

Yu Fei was not affected by these changes. He maintained a high-intensity performance throughout the game and completely controlled the rhythm of the game. Griffin took off frequently and staged many wonderful dunks. The Kings, who were not competitive enough, ultimately failed to use their inside advantage to reverse the situation.

The only Clippers player who wasn't in great form was Giannis Antetokounmpo, the "Greek Freak" who was the only guaranteed starter in the disastrous 2013 draft class.

He performed well in the first game of the new season against the Lakers, and occasionally had moments of talent in the following games. But facing the Kings, the tough physical confrontation made him confused.

Yu Fei noticed this. Since Antetokounmpo only started to receive formal basketball training at the age of 13, his basic skills were not solid, which resulted in him being unable to perform large-scale front-body change-of-direction dribbling like Durant, even though he had coordination with the ball. Because of this, when Yu Fei heard him say that he only started playing basketball at the age of 13, he sighed "What a pity."

In the case of insufficient basic skills, in order to increase the threat of holding the ball, he can only use his physical conditions to play in a wide and open manner. The Greek monster is good at shortening the distance on the court with his height and wingspan. What others need to dribble the ball three times to do, he can complete with just one dribble.

This style of play can both cover up his lack of basic skills and give full play to his physical talent. However, Antetokounmpo in his rookie period was like a tall and thin Spider-Man, who fell down at the slightest contact. He often made a pass first, then was hit by the opponent, and then the whole technical action collapsed.

国王队是第一支让他感到挫败的球队。由于表现不佳，里弗斯只让他打了20分钟。阿德托昆博全场只得到4分和2个篮板，他看着于飞拿下36分、11个篮板和12次助攻的全面数据，情不自禁地想知道GOAT是如何做到的。

"Frye, I want to be like you," the Greek said to the GOAT after the game.

The GOAT looked at him and said, "Do you really want to?"

The Greek wanted to say that he dreamed of it but didn't know how to express it, so he just nodded vigorously.

Yu Fei smiled jokingly and said nothing more.

The next day, the Clippers returned to Los Angeles.

The training session that day was uneventful, the only special thing happened after the session.

Rivers asked Antetokounmpo to stand on the free throw line, while his teammates, including Yu Fei, Griffin, Pierce and Barnes, each held the ball in their hands. With Rivers' order, starting with Yu Fei, they dribbled the ball one by one to attack Antetokounmpo's defense.

Again and again the Greek was knocked down as though he were hollow.

Every time Pierce knocked Antetokounmpo down, he would taunt him, "Haven't you ever practiced strength?"

Yu Fei was merciless and was the most ruthless one. He knocked Antetokounmpo to the ground with his first hit.

But the Greek showed no fear and he stood up again and again.

"You want to be like me?" Yu Fei said, "Then first bear the unbearable pressure like a man!"

In this besieged environment, it is possible to see how well a person can handle pressure. Antetokounmpo fell to the ground countless times, but he never showed any sign of discouragement. He fought desperately against his teammates' attacks every time. Although the results were not great, he never backed down.

Rivers was once again convinced that the GOAT was absolutely right. This kid was destined to be special.

It was a moment that Rivers found comforting. It was strange, because the Clippers didn't have much hope of winning this year, but Rivers will cherish this moment. He knows that years later, when Giannis is really like Frye, he will feel extremely relieved. But what really matters is that every shining moment before he is fully grown will give people unlimited imagination. The beauty of this process can only be understood by those who experience it personally.

The last person Antetokounmpo defended that day was Pierce.

This time, Pierce didn't use enough strength and was evaded by the Greek. The result was not good for him. His old cold legs had lost their explosive power and he couldn't make a layup in front of the Greek.

Antetokounmpo gave him a fierce block shot.

"Ubuntu! Ubuntu!" Antetokounmpo excitedly shouted the slogan Rivers taught the team, "Ubuntu!"

The incarnation of "Ubuntu" stood on the sidelines and watched this scene.

(End of this chapter)