Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 950 950 564 Proof of My Existence_3

?Chapter 950: Chapter 564 Proof of My Existence_3 Chapter 950: Chapter 564 Proof of My Existence_3 It was initially thought that after his major injury he would still have near All-Star stats of around 20 points and 7 rebounds per game.

However, two weeks into the season, Stoudemire averaged only 14 points and 6 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 57%, but was essentially finishing easy baskets, lacking any ability to play one-on-one, and his mid-range shot had also degenerated.

After observing for two weeks, Coach Lu could not tell the difference between Stoudemire and Carl Landry off the court.

In the third week, Stoudemire entered a slump, continuously facing suppression from his counterparts, with stats and shooting percentages beginning to drop, only managing to score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds against weaker teams to pad his stats.

Less than a month into the new season, the SuperSonics were already sure that the trade for Durant for the second pick plus Stoudemire was at least a failure in regard to Stoudemire.

Fortunately, they hadn’t placed their hopes on the center position.

Irving’s performance was delightful.

Initially a bit unaccustomed to the physicality, but starting from the second week, he had hit his stride.

Although not the primary ball-handler, every time he took the ball, he posed a threat, and his pick-and-roll plays with Fei were subtly more threatening than those of Roy and Fei.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, the SuperSonics played an away game against the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers, boasting the four giants of James, Garnett, Chris Bosh, and Wall, naturally rose this season to become one of the top powerhouses in the Eastern Conference.

That night, Bosh wanted to prove to his former team at the Cavaliers’ home court how wrong they were to let him go.

He and Garnett devoured the SuperSonics’ inside.

However, once the SuperSonics accepted the mentality of “who cares if my inside is breached by everyone,” their perimeter players began to run rampant.

On a night when their inside was crushed, Fei held the ball, assisted by Irving and Roy, and the three perimeter players all entered their best form simultaneously.

Throughout the game, Fei scored 41 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, Roy scored 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and Irving scored 32 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists; together the trio racked up 103 points, 21 rebounds, and 20 assists, relying solely on perimeter firepower, pick-and-roll plays, and individual brilliance to decimate the Cavaliers.

James scored a hollow 30-point triple-double, Bosh and Garnett both had double-doubles, and Wall was the only star who underperformed, which could also be said to be the point where the Cavaliers lost.

ESPN’s headline for this game was, “The SuperSonics’ Winning Formula: Withdrawals from John Wall.”

“We need to go back and study the tape, find out the problems,” James said.

Wall responded, “I don’t feel it, nor do I have the ball, I can’t find my rhythm.”

James’s return was devastating for Wall.

A king can’t survive a day without power, and as a core point guard, Wall couldn’t either because his shooting wasn’t good enough; without the ball, he was useless off the ball.

Initially, James was patient, but over time, he felt that Wall was just hindering the game; rather than sacrificing his own ball-handling to make Wall adapt, it was better to effectively freeze him out and let him find his own opportunities to survive.

Wall believed he couldn’t survive without the ball.

James, however, didn’t think it was his responsibility.

Wall’s team status declined sharply; he was no longer the absolute core of the Cavaliers, and such a loss of authority could drive a person mad. Once pushed to the limit, anyone would choose the most extreme solution.

The SuperSonics felt little about the victory in this game.

The only consolation was the coaching staff; tonight’s victory proved that even if the paint became a stable ATM for the opponents, their perimeter was trustworthy.

Coach Lu was determined to focus on the perimeter.

At the end of November, under severe criticism, Stoudemire was injured under pressure.

His back kept spasming and needed rest.

Finally, Coach Lu had the chance to start a defensively able big man.

Now their requirements for the paint were very low – scoring? shooting? rebounding? None of that was necessary, as long as you could block out and protect the rim, it was all good.

It was hard to imagine that six months ago their paint included Chris Bosh, with DeAndre Jordan sitting off the court. It was such a reassuring presence inside; how had it downgraded to this nightmare so suddenly?

Who caused this?

Whenever the SuperSonics’ paint was decimated, Clay Bennett would be singled out by the media for criticism.

Yet, such criticism didn’t hurt Bennett’s fundamentals.

What really hurt Bennett was a bombshell at the beginning of December.

“Frye declines to extend his contract with the SuperSonics early and intends to test the free agency market next summer.” — ESPN
Since summer, Yu Fei’s camp had been hinting, and the media repeatedly reported his deteriorating relationship with Bennett. Although fans didn’t want to believe it, what was bound to come eventually came.

Refusing to extend the contract was already a clear sign.

Before the next game started, facing external questions, Yu Fei indifferently responded, “Right now, the only thing I care about is this season; as for the future, I’ll leave it to time.”

As long as Yu Fei continued to play the “I haven’t decided” card, the outside world could not make a definitive conclusion.

Meanwhile, inside the SuperSonics, it seemed his contract renewal issue hadn’t caused much of a ripple, but one thing was worsening continuously—Stoudemire’s back injury.

Half a month had passed, and his return timeline was still vague.

Fans had almost forgotten his existence, and so had his teammates, as his absence hadn’t greatly impacted their record.

December 21st, this day was prophesied by the Mayan calendar as the end of the world.

Although Yu Fei knew it was just a gimmick, with no games today, he decided to use this gimmick to end a chapter of his past.

When he was first traded to the Bucks, to boost popularity, the team launched a radio show for him, where he regularly answered fan questions. As his fame grew, so too did the popularity of the radio show, and the rights were even transferred to his name. However, as he got busier, the radio program went from weekly to monthly, and now, his last show had been half a year ago. Now, as figures like Bill Simmons shifted towards blogging, radio wasn’t as popular anymore.

So, he decided to do his final radio show on this Mayan end-of-world day.

Due to half a month’s preparation, calls poured in that evening. Many Seattle listeners called to express their gratitude and well wishes to Yu Fei; some pleaded for him to stay, others inquired about his future plans.

“Frye, I really wish today was the end of the world. That way, you’d always be a SuperSonic; I can’t imagine you in another team’s jersey, I really can’t.” This was the last call of the evening.

“Ted,” Yu Fei said, “no matter what, my part as a SuperSonic will always be here. The flag over Key Arena is the proof of my existence. I’ll always be here.”