Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1111 - 619 Like It Will Never Stop_3

Chapter 1111: Chapter 619: Like It Will Never Stop_3 Chapter 1111: Chapter 619: Like It Will Never Stop_3 Kohl’s words quickly set the pace, with the media subsequently fueling the flames and pushing Fisher into the storm of public opinion.

Fisher had reasons to believe that Kohl was deliberately kicking him while he was down, wanting to see another coach get fired by the management due to postseason failures. It was a blatant frame-up.

But even after seeing through the opponent’s intentions, what could he do? Only winning could change public opinion.

But who could defeat the Clippers?

Not long ago, Kohl had just been defeated by the Clippers 0-4, ending his own coaching career. And now, he sat in the studio, commanding and critiquing with ease.

As Fisher was caught in the whirlpool of public opinion, Durant stood up: “You damn media, why can’t you sincerely praise the performance of the Clippers? Isn’t it because they played well that we lost? The reason we lost is simple—it’s because the Clippers performed better in the last two games!”

Durant’s candid and media-ignoring attitude was bound to receive criticism, but his statement did indeed alleviate some of Fisher’s pressure.

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The series returned to New York, and although the Knicks were behind 0-2, they had not lost hope.

“I’ve never played a Finals in New York, but I know that Madison Square Garden is the sacred ground of basketball. However, what is the greatest basketball moment here?” Fei posted a question on Twitter.

A fan responded on Twitter with a photo of Jerry West wearing the Lakers’ No. 44 jersey: “In 1970, Frye, both you and he wore No. 44 jerseys, it was fated.”

Jerry West, acting as a team consultant, usually did not travel with the team for away games. Consequently, Fei called him to inquire about this.

West didn’t deny it: “Yes, I once made a crucial long-distance shot in New York. But there was no three-point line at the time, that shot just took us into overtime, and we ultimately lost.”

“Does the later introduction of the three-point line make you feel regretful?”

“If I dwelled on such things, I wouldn’t have been able to live on.”

“Did you win the championship that year?” Fei casually asked, yet it was like a dagger striking a vital point.

Despite being worlds apart, West’s tone let Fei almost visualize his expression: “Have you heard the story of ‘The Willis Reed Comeback’?”

“I have.”

“That shot happened that year.”

“Oh, Jerry, I am sorry.”

“I don’t need anyone’s sympathy, I have climbed the highest mountains in my life,” West said indifferently. “For you, the most important thing is not to let this year become a regret years later. Go do what you must.”

That night, Fei entered Madison Square Garden, agreeing to a pregame interview with TNT.

This was an unusual act.

He hadn’t connected with the media for pregame interviews in a long time, as he saw it as a way for young players to showcase how much they cared about the game.

But today, he specifically connected with TNT.

Barkley asked, “This is your first time playing the Finals in Madison Square Garden, how do you feel?”

“It’s hard to express my feelings,” Fei answered. “I’ve won championships at Staples Center and in Boston, all legendary basketball venues in NBA history, but I’ve never won a championship at Madison Square Garden. If I can’t do it, it will be a regret.”

It’s difficult for someone like Barkley, who is mocked in popular culture for not winning championships, to understand Fei’s mindset of already having won nine championships but still feeling a single loss would be regrettable. He was somewhat confounded.

At that moment, Shaquille O’Neal, also part of the TNT team, initially did not plan to interject, but his well-known rivalry with Fei ultimately pushed him to speak: “I am the only one here hoping you lose, you better make my wish come true.”

That statement ignited Fei’s fighting spirit.

He took on multiple roles on the court at the same time, including solo play, defending the basket, and grabbing rebounds. In the final moments, he even engaged in a highly heroic duel with Yu Fei.

However, his opponent tonight seemed to have the blessing of the gods.

In the first half, Yu Fei made 11 shots out of 11, in red-hot form.

In the second half, he finally missed his first shot, but whenever the team needed someone to step up, he was always there.

As the fierce battle reached the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Durant relentlessly sought opportunities to play one-on-one with him.

During those minutes, after a whole night of struggle, Yu Fei finally felt his physical strength waning.

This was a sensation he had never experienced in his younger days.

“Not over yet,” Yu Fei said to Durant, “this isn’t all I’ve got.”

Seconds later, Yu Fei received the ball beyond the arc, pulled up directly and, under Durant’s tight defense, scored a three-pointer with an arc like a rainbow.

His physical strength wasn’t as good as when he was younger, his speed wasn’t as fast, and his explosive power had also declined, but Yu Fei always felt there was some indescribable power in him that made him incredibly focused at this moment.

This was not a game they couldn’t afford to lose; it was a game he decided to win.

That three-pointer extended the lead to 6 points.

In the next round, Durant, who had been supporting the Knicks all game, missed a crucial shot, and Yu Fei grabbed the defensive rebound, rushed to the frontcourt, and pulled up in Durant’s face again, scoring another three-pointer!

“GOAT hits his ninth three-pointer of the night!”

The announcer unconsciously started calling Yu Fei “GOAT,” and no one thought it was flattery. It was the respect number 44 deserved.

The Knicks desperately called for a timeout.

“As soon as I can’t score like this anymore, I’ll retire,” Yu Fei told Durant.

Durant finished the game with 38 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks, but still couldn’t match Yu Fei’s performance of 48 points and 11 rebounds.

3 to 0.

“I hope to be like Frye,” Antetokounmpo said before the start of Game 4, “to break down opponents like him, to dominate the game like him. I hope I can do it. If by age 30 I can’t be like Frye, then I consider that a failure.”

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The Greek was determined to emulate Frye.

In the Knicks’ final battle—Game 4, Klay Thompson seemed to replicate Yu Fei’s performance from Game 3, not missing a single shot in the first half.

Just like in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, when the opponents’ morale was crushed in Game 3, Game 4 became a stage for young players to show themselves without pressure.

Today, Yu Fei was still the stabilizing force for the Clippers. Those promising young players hadn’t had a chance to truly take over the game before the series was about to end.

It wasn’t their fault, because GOAT didn’t give the opposition any chance to breathe.

This was the established pattern of the season.

The Clippers’ strength lay not only in talent but also because they had a superstar who could break the team’s structure and forcefully lead the team forward.

Other teams fell slightly short in talent and, even if they performed exceptionally well, they couldn’t withstand GOAT’s response.

Unable to respond, they could only head towards failure.

The Warriors were like this, the Knicks were like this. Now, people wanted to know how the Spurs had managed to win a game?

But that no longer mattered.

When the game ended, Mike Breen, struggling to suppress his dismay at the home team’s loss, offered unparalleled praise to the new ten-time champion: “Frye joins the club of Bill Russell, established in 1968, which has had no newcomers until now. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr. J, Larry, Magic Johnson, Isaiah, Michael… Half a century has passed, and our world finally welcomes a new Lord of the Rings. You can’t say he succeeded in an era of insufficient competition, nor can you say he couldn’t have won in what you call that era, because he lives in the present, right before our eyes. Ladies and gentlemen, GOAT is still sprinting! He hasn’t stopped yet, just as he never will!”