Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1075 - 606 The 9th Ascent_2

Chapter 1075: Chapter 606: The 9th Ascent_2 Chapter 1075: Chapter 606: The 9th Ascent_2 The era that should have been initiated by him was instead ushered in by Yu Fei a decade early, though he lost the reputation he deserved, he also accordingly cut short several years of trial and error.

From the moment he entered the League, he knew he was highly suited for this era.

Today, six years later, he has ousted Wade and firmly taken the throne as the lead of Miami Heat.

Facing his old teammate Yao Ming, his dominance in pick-and-roll situations could only be described as ruthless.

He presented the Clippers with a painful issue: they had to admit that facing Miami Heat, the benefits brought by Yao Ming’s effectiveness could not offset the disadvantages on the defensive end.

This point was hard to assert.

Because Yao Ming had been selected as an All-NBA First Team center for three consecutive years, Yu Fei was his friend, and Rivers was notoriously slow to react.

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But what difference would it make even if Rivers were quick to react? Changing the tactical role of a thrice All-NBA First Team superstar during the Finals is not something many coaches have the audacity to do.

Yu Fei knew where the problem lay, but he didn’t think it was the biggest issue.

Of course, if the problem could be directly pointed out, it would be easily resolved.

Just like how the Supersonics dealt with Chris Bosh when facing Yao Ming.

But friendships between gentlemen also have their depths. Yu Fei couldn’t disregard Yao Ming’s feelings and speak the problem out loud after a decade of friendship, so he had to find another way to approach the issue—a way that necessarily started with Antetokounmpo.

Just like handling the Golden State Warriors, Yu Fei contemplated pushing Antetokounmpo to the power forward spot again and taking over ball-handling himself.

Just as Yu Fei was about to suggest this to Rivers, Yao Ming couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Doug, am I the problem of the team?”

The pig-headed coach, taken aback, exclaimed: “Oh my God, of course not!”

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“You’re lying!” Yao Ming then turned to Yu Fei, “Tell me, am I the team’s problem?!”

Yu Fei was taken aback for a moment, then answered: “That’s ambiguous, I don’t think you’re the problem in most situations, otherwise, you wouldn’t have been selected for All-NBA First Team.”

“Why beat around the bush? If I can’t handle Curry, if I can’t deal with pick-and-rolls, now they are targeting me, I can’t solve that, I am the damn problem!”

Yao Ming seemed quite incensed, as if someone had pointed out his weaknesses to his face.

But, those were his own words.

Everyone was shocked.

Yu Fei asked, “What do you want the coaching staff to do?”

“Whatever works, just do it! We can’t keep spinning our wheels!” Yao Ming shouted, “For the championship, start with me, I have no complaints!”

Yao Ming’s demeanor reminded Yu Fei of Chairman Yao in 2019, when a reporter asked the pot-bellied chairman who should take responsibility for the Men’s Basketball World Cup’s loss, he responded solemnly: “I will take the responsibility!”

Leaving aside the media’s incorrect impression of Yao Ming as a “good guy”, leaving aside the internet’s sarcastic memes about Yao Ming, he has always been this kind of person.

In truly serious moments, you can trust him.

Just like in the national team, when teammates rebelled against the criticism of a foreign coach and wanted to leave the video analysis room, he threatened, “Dare to leave and you can forget about returning to the national team.” When teammates were lax during the training for the home Olympics, he sternly reprimanded them, reminding them to consider whether they were being fair to those who did not get the chance to play for the national team. What if the problem was with himself? When attacked by netizens for poor performance, he would say, “You play badly, and still blame others?”

That’s just how he is.

“So,” Yu Fei said, “you’ll be on the bench next game.”

“No problem,” Yao Ming replied.

After Yu Fei and Yao Ming had their talk, Rivers was the last to realize.

Upon hearing that Yao Ming was willing to come off the bench, Rivers felt as if he were in a dream.

Having spent decades in the industry, he naturally knew that stars are egotistical, starting was a symbol of identity, and for some, not starting was worse than retiring.

At this critical moment of the Finals, giving up a starting position means sending a message to the world: this person is the problem of the team, removing him from the starting lineup is better for us.

It’s well known that many people already think Yao Ming is overrated.

Sitting on the bench does him no good personally.

This is Ubuntu.

Rivers found his coaching philosophy validated once again.

Yao Ming willing to come off the bench made the rest of the work easier.

Rivers decisively moved Yu Fei to the center position, and brought Nine-finger Green from the bench into the starting lineup, positioning Jefferson as the power forward.

Does Miami Heat like playing a super small lineup? Well, let’s see whose small lineup is tougher.

But the Clippers’ small lineup didn’t look so small.

The ball-handling Antetokounmpo was the tallest player on the floor, and Yu Fei, now at center, was the second tallest.

In the King of the Hill battle back home, the Clippers repaid Miami Heat with an unlimited switching defense.

Now, Miami had more issues to consider.

The Clippers’ lineup change left no obvious defensive weak points on the court; picking anyone to attack was not easy.

However, when it was the Clippers’ turn to attack, it was a different story.

Curry and Love were both targets that could be singled out.

Placing Yu Fei at center actually somewhat wasted his offensive talent, but it animated the entire team from the heart of the court.

Miamians lost their aim under the Clippers’ suffocating unlimited switching defense and posted the lowest field goal percentage since the start of the Finals.

Yu Fei mercilessly dominated Love in the post, showcasing his offensive techniques anytime he faced Love. Even when Miami Heat had Butler cover him, his low-post game was unstoppable.