Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1055 - 599 The Meaning of Starlight_3

Chapter 1055: Chapter 599: The Meaning of Starlight_3 Chapter 1055: Chapter 599: The Meaning of Starlight_3 Kobe and Nowitzki, the veterans, have become mascot-like figures.

Kobe still wants to score points, but Nowitzki is more about proving the importance of his presence.

With numerous honors, Yu Fei had no thoughts about the AMVP.

As for Yao Ming, traditional centers were not particularly active in All-Star Games.

In earlier days, Yao’s trademark at the All-Star Game was shooting threes, but in today’s era where centers must shoot threes, performing this at the All-Star Game is really not as impressive as biting a lighter.

Moreover, due to Yao’s overly successful transition, mainstream public opinion has begun to openly express its weariness of him shooting threes.

This seems to be something that happens in every era.

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People have a sense of nostalgia, believing that the past is always better.

Old fans do not like today’s games; they think contemporary basketball is too soft, with too many threes, too many free throws, too many restrictions—the hard, muscular confrontations of the past are the real deal for men.

Thus, Yao, a classic case of successful generational transition, has become the target of public criticism.

Yao is also helpless; given the choice, who would want to shoot threes?

Therefore, in the All-Star Game, Yao, who couldn’t shoot threes, heavily relied on his guards to feed him the ball.

But today, Yao seemed listless, merely going through the motions, eager for the game to end quickly.

Rivers had his own agenda, since Yu Fei and Yao had no interest in the AMVP, he wouldn’t let them play too much.

Instead, it was the young players brimming with energy who got plenty of opportunities.

Westbrook, Antetokounmpo, George, Harden… these newcomers destined to be the main characters of the 2010s, all took the stage to showcase their talent.

Among them, Westbrook’s performance was the most outstanding.

He was in top form tonight. At his best, Westbrook is a surreal combination, like a self-aware Infinity Stone of power, with athleticism that slays the hoop and a reckless display of playing in “the wrong way.” It’s a poetic form of aggression, an irresistible visual feast.

And this is basically the impression he gives on the Timberwolves.

These past two years, with Old McGrady’s injuries, Westbrook has almost single-handedly carried the Wolves. When people say he doesn’t score much, he goes on to drop 30 points; when they say he plays selfishly, he switches to “double-digit assists before going full force” mode; when they say he can’t lead a team to a championship, he’s infuriated because that is precisely the truth.

Westbrook has too many concerns on the Timberwolves, but at the All-Star Game, he fully unleashed himself—free from the laws of gravity, team responsibilities, and the concept of shot selection—and that’s the Westbrook fans saw tonight: effortlessly lofting 27-feet threes, soaring from the sky to complete atomic slam dunks. Since it’s the All-Star Game, who can say he can’t do this, or stop him?

Watching the exuberant performance of the young stars, Yu Fei felt a few years younger himself, so he tried a few dunks as well.

Only by then, it was too late to turn the tide.

The young stars dominated the court, becoming the main attraction.

In the end, the spectacularly performing Westbrook led the Western All-Star Team to victory and rightfully lifted the AMVP trophy.

During the award ceremony, the New York fans, as the lowbrow gods of the professional basketball realm, unsurprisingly booed.

Because Westbrook stole the limelight from Durant, who was supposed to shine tonight and continue the Knicks’ strong season momentum, only to be crushed by the Western All-Star Team.

Moreover, this was still a victory for Reebok.

Just look at the rosters of the Eastern and Western All-Star Teams to see how much of an advantage Reebok has now.

Nike’s All-Stars are only Durant, James, Kobe, and Griffin; the rest, the majority of the high-commercial-value young stars, belong to Reebok.

Tonight’s Westbrook, who became the star among stars, represents another triumph for Reebok, who wish to see their young talents rise one after another.

Because great stars will always grow old, and thrones need successors.

Judging by numbers and prospects for future development, Nike is in jeopardy.

Kobe won’t be able to play much longer, James is still not successful, and Durant is their last hope.

Yet, the Nike executives have deep unease in their hearts.

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

Even though the Knicks have risen, the Eastern Conference still has the formidable Miami Heat.

And even if they get past the Heat, in the Western front, Yu Fei’s Clippers have also risen.

This is their greatest fear, that the great demon who has lain dormant for two years has returned.

Even the most optimistic Nike executive can’t imagine the heights to which Yu Fei’s personal reputation will soar once he leads the Clippers, known as basketball hell, to a championship.

Despite already being a reputation beyond measure, unrivaled in the world of sports, when a living legend continues to create myth-like achievements, he gains a secular sanctity.

This momentum seems unstoppable, and Nike has tried everything, ultimately only able to look back, identifying the decision-makers who hesitated on signing Yu Fei.

But even so, what difference would that make?

Reebok has surpassed Nike, becoming the top sports brand in the industry.

This is the reality of 2015.

PS: Taking a day off tomorrow to rest my back.