The first punch that shocked the basketball world

"beep!"

The whistle blew.

The referee called an offensive foul on Nash.

D'Antoni exploded on the sidelines, yelling at the referee, saying that Jennings had been trash-talking the whole time and never kept his mouth clean.

But in the NBA, trash talk is never a foul.

The referee waved his hand, not bothering to pay any attention.

D'Antoni paced back and forth in front of the bench in anger.

He was angry not only because Nash was being bullied.

How frustrating was he this season?

Kobe outwardly complied with his tactics but inwardly defied them, Howard listened to orders but didn't follow instructions, and there were a lot of messy internal conflicts within the team, which made him very angry.

Seeing his old buddy, who had created glory with him on the Suns, being humiliated by a junior, with the referee doing nothing, made him furious.

This was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

He walked up to Lin Fei, then suddenly stopped and raised his hand to signal a halt.

The scorer's call for a substitution sounded, and he pointed at Lin Fei's chest, his tone filled with barely suppressed rage: "Lin, get ready to go in. You're guarding Brandon Jennings, and be rough with him. If he dares to score over you, get off the court immediately."

When he let Lin Fei play in the last match, he patted him on the shoulder and on the butt, which was meant to encourage him.

This time, she placed her finger on her chest.

It was obvious to everyone that the head coach was really angry.

Lin Fei sat on the bench and saw everything that had just happened clearly.

When he first joined the Lakers, Nash took the initiative to come over and greet him. This morning during practice, Nash patiently practiced pick-and-rolls with him.

Seeing his elder brother being targeted, he was already seething with anger.

He stood up abruptly, ripped off his warm-up uniform, and said in an icy voice, "Don't worry, Coach, I'll skin him alive."

D'Antoni paused for a moment, his anger subsiding considerably, and quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, calm down. I'm not asking you to go up and fight, just help Steve relieve some defensive pressure and teach that guy a lesson."

He was really afraid that this hothead would go up and make a move.

The NBA imposes extremely severe penalties on on-court conflicts, as causing trouble is not worth the risk.

Lin Fei turned to him and smiled, "Don't worry, Coach, I know this stuff."

D'Antoni thought he was referring to the G League, where players often guard the opposing team's star player and have ample defensive experience.

Only Lin Fei himself knew that in his previous life, when he played in the Russian league, he was the team's dedicated bodyguard.

When their star player is bullied, he's always the first player the coach sends in.

He was an expert at teaching his opponents a lesson.

Moreover, he knows Brandon Jennings very well.

Standing at 1.85 meters tall, he was the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft. In his rookie season, he scored an astonishing 55 points in a single game, but then stagnated, becoming less and less efficient year after year.

In the first four years of his career, he only had one season with a field goal percentage above 40%.

Left-handed, plays a unique style, and is prone to impulsive decisions.

In Lin Fei's eyes, this was an enhanced version of Darius Morris.

There's no real difference, except that the scorer is a bit better.

The pause has ended.

Lin Fei came on, replacing Jamison.

The first thing he did upon entering the court was to high-five Nash, then lean close to his ear and whisper, "The coach told me to guard him. Don't worry, Steve, I'll get you back on the court."

A hint of gratitude flashed in Nash's eyes, and he reached out to pat him on the butt: "Go for it, kid. Keep him in check, and I'll treat you to dinner when we get back to Los Angeles."

Lin Fei didn't say anything, but just gave me a look that seemed to say "yes."

The Lakers inbound the ball from the sideline.

As soon as Nash received the ball and crossed half-court, Jennings closed in and kept harassing him.

Normally, it would be Gasol or Artest who would come up to set a screen at this time.

This time, Lin Fei took the initiative to step forward and provide cover for Nash.

Nash paused for half a second, then immediately understood and broke through on the right wing while sticking to the screen.

Jennings tried to walk around Lin Fei, but as soon as he turned to the side, he felt a light bump on his buttocks.

The movement was extremely subtle, and the angle was just right to cut into the referee's blind spot.

That one moment delayed him by half a second.

Lin Fei honed this subtle screening technique in European leagues.

The officiating there may seem strict, but it actually encourages physical contact. There's a lot of skill involved in the dirty work and hard work, comparable to Looney of the Warriors later on, who always precisely stepped on the edge of fouls.

In that half-second gap, Nash had already gained an open shot.

A mid-range pull-up jumper, and it went in cleanly.

When they were on defense, Nash gave Lin Fei a high-five.

D'Antoni, standing on the sidelines, also clapped, and finally a smile appeared on his face.

Although Nash scored the basket, Lin Fei's performance was immediately impactful upon entering the game, proving that the right personnel choice was absolutely correct.

Jennings stood there, frowning and complaining to the referee that there had been a screen foul.

The referee didn't even lift his eyelids.

It was the Bucks' turn to attack.

Jennings dribbled past half-court and looked up to see Lin Fei standing in front of him.

Recalling the humiliation he had just suffered, he was furious and immediately started spewing insults: "Kid, you've successfully angered me. I'll make you regret stepping onto this field."

After saying that, he immediately got into a fighting stance, ready for a one-on-one duel.

He made two consecutive crossovers, his footwork was so fast it was like he had a motor.

No matter how much he shook him, Lin Fei was like a piece of chewing gum, sticking tightly to him and not being shaken off even by half a step.

Lin Fei's defense is ten times tougher than Mbah a Moute's.

He provided ample physical contact, kept up with the pace, and always kept his arm raised in his passing lane.

Jennings felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he had been bitten by a mad dog and couldn't shake it off.

He was both shocked and furious.

Who is this Lakers player number 9?

How could an unknown nobody, someone I've never even heard of, defend himself like this?

His teammates reached out for the ball several times, but he pretended not to see them.

It's so embarrassing to pass the ball in front of such an unknown person.

He gritted his teeth and forced his way towards the basket against Lin Fei's resistance. Just as he jumped to make the layup, a whoosh of wind came from behind him.

"Bang!"

A crisp sound.

Lin Fei caught up from behind and delivered a solid block, slamming the ball onto the backboard.

The basketball bounced out and landed right in Kobe's hands.

Without hesitation, Black Mamba sped up and launched a counterattack, cutting the length of the court and slamming a one-handed dunk into the basket.

"boom!"

The Lakers' bench immediately stood up and cheered.

Jennings stood under the basket, his face turning red and then pale.

He doesn't believe in superstitions.

On the next offensive possession, he waved for a screen.

Larry Sanders came up to set a screen, and he used the screen to break through on the left.

This is the route that the left hand is most comfortable with.

But as soon as he rounded the cover, he saw Lin Fei already waiting there.

The route prediction score was absolutely accurate.

Jennings was startled. Before he could change direction, he felt a chill on his wrist.

Lin Fei reached out and poked the ball out of his hand.

Steal!

Lin Fei received the ball and charged forward. Jennings, enraged, reached out and grabbed his jersey from behind.

"Sizzle!"

A piercing tearing sound.

The number 9 jersey was ripped open with a large tear.

Lin Fei used the momentum to rush forward two steps, then fell to the ground.

The linesman immediately blew his whistle and gave Jennings a technical foul.

Jennings knew he had acted rashly and didn't argue with the referee.

As he passed by Lin Fei, he deliberately kicked Lin Fei's shin with his foot. The movement was quick and subtle, a clear expression of his anger.

Lin Fei lay on the ground, looked up at him, and suddenly smiled.

Jennings felt uneasy at the sight of the laughter.

He didn't get up, didn't argue, and didn't even change his expression.

In his heart, however, he had already sentenced Jennings to death.

During his ten-day short-term contract, he was not allowed to fight, act impulsively, or gamble with his future.

But there are more ways to teach someone a lesson than just fighting.