Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 904 904 549 Remember These Disrespects

?Chapter 904: Chapter 549: Remember These Disrespects Chapter 904: Chapter 549: Remember These Disrespects The Brooklyn Nets last summer were as attractive as the Lakers of the summer of 2009, comparable to the Supersonics with their four superstars.

This allowed them to tie up almost all their salary cap in forming The Big Three and still use the mid-level exception and minimum salary to sign many decent players.

First, they gave their mid-level exception to Ron Artest—oh no, he should now be called Metta World Peace.

This veteran, who failed to achieve his dream with the Lakers, angrily left after the Lakers made it clear they would not use the mid-level exception to keep him, and he announced to the world that he had changed his name to Metta World Peace.

Besides Metta World Peace, other veterans who came for the minimum salary included Lamar Odom. Another former Laker.

Moreover, there were young players like Courtney Lee.

The Nets lacked an enviable lineup depth; their main reliance was on The Big Three.

Though Paul, Anthony, and Howard did not clash positionally, their styles of play were not quite compatible. The main reason they had a good start early in the season was the easy schedule, combined with Paul and Howard displaying league-leading abilities in their respective positions. However, in front of the Supersonics, these “number ones” had to face the ultimate test.

Anthony said to Fei, “Your monopoly on the championships is over.”

Fei laughed and asked, “Is it ending on your watch?”

Honestly, this was not an outcome Fei found hard to accept. He never thought he would keep winning indefinitely, but before him lay the chance for a four-peat. Considering the league’s anti-monopoly efforts and his age, it was uncertain when the Supersonics’ competitiveness would suddenly collapse.

He had always thought he would retire at 35. Considering his current age, this was definitely his first and last chance to chase a four-peat. Would he just let Anthony end it?

“Melo.” Fei said coldly, “When have you ever beaten me?”

And so the game began.

Despite the core talent of the Brooklyn Nets being enviable, they also had some vices that were difficult to change. These were most apparent in Anthony.

In his first year in the NBA, Anthony surprised everyone, not only displaying a well-rounded skill set but also leading his team to the playoffs. This led many to argue that he was snubbed when James was named Rookie of the Year.

However, precocity has its downsides. People who mature early in character often mature late, so what about those who mature early in skills? If there is such a person who, at 19, could average 20 points per game in the NBA and become a perennial scoring title contender after getting used to physical play, would he ever step out of his comfort zone?

Over the years, every coach Anthony encountered tried to add a bit of a burden on him, not necessarily to play like Fei but at least to be able to both attack and pass like James. However, his early career success convinced Anthony that he didn’t need to change; just finding the right position and getting the ball to score was enough for the team to win.

In time, he developed the habit of “if dad’s in a good mood, he plays brilliantly; if not, screw it, whether he’s in a good mood depends on how the coaching staff manages dad”. If the coaching staff got the tactics right and gave him the right role, he’d be thrilled to play; if he was in a system that didn’t suit him, he’d be unhappy.

This is a major taboo for teams with multiple superstars. In terms of league status, Paul and Howard were only above, not below Anthony. If Anthony was unwilling to change, neither would the other two. Consequently, in an era where small forwards are shifting towards power forwards, Anthony still played as a small forward, leaving the Nets to bring the veteran Odom to match up against Fei.

As for Anthony, he enjoyed Paul’s orchestration and passes, feeling as if he had never left Denver, where his tactical role and team position remained unchanged; the only difference was his teammates. In Denver, he would never have had superstar teammates like Paul and Howard.

However, one of Anthony’s offensive habits—post-up plays—was also a habit of Howard. Though often mocked as blue-collar, Howard was among those blue-collar star centers who preferred post-up plays. With his exaggerated upper-body strength and beast-like physical fitness, his post-play and turnaround hook shots were very effective against similarly sized centers.

But as Anthony took up the main low-post role, Howard was really left with only the blue-collar job. Despite starting the season with an average of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks as a super blue-collar, playing this way didn’t make him happy. Howard’s new teammates didn’t yet know what would happen if Howard wasn’t happy.

Paul was the only one who didn’t notice anything unusual, because a core point guard is rare on the court, and one of outstanding quality is even rarer. Many great players spend their entire careers without having a great point guard as a teammate. Once they experience this, it’s like an ordinary person suddenly encountering an experienced, skilled partner of the opposite sex; after a heart-to-heart connection, they would sincerely exclaim, “Wow, it can be like this!”

It can be said that much of the reason Howard played brilliantly while unhappy has to be attributed to Paul; he was exceptionally good at feeding the ball inside.

However, such superficial harmony could only be maintained against opponents far weaker than themselves.