Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1126 - 624: The Judge_3

This trend shows no signs of stopping in the short term.

Critics have been complaining for years. Their main concern is a change in style: do fans really want to see a fast-paced game where a team shoots 80 three-pointers? What about mid-range shots and post-up plays? Even the League’s top brass has expressed worries. The former President, David Stern, half-jokingly said in 2013, “When our teams are shooting well, the game really flows like cloud and water; but when they’re not, we could witness a tragedy of 3 makes out of 41 attempts.”

This season might just be the moment where opposition to the style change and practical problems intersect.

Due to the three-point craze and its ripple effects, the League is on track to breaking the record for points per possession.

According to data from NBA.com, the average scoring across the League has reached 106.5 points per 100 possessions, far exceeding last season’s level, and is on par with the three to four highest-scoring seasons in history.

This extreme three-point frenzy has led many traditionalists to criticize Yu Fei, considering him the instigator of the change in basketball style—and their view is not without merit—it was Yu Fei who contributed to the phasing out of hard-nosed basketball and made the game “softer,” some even mockingly refer to this style as “sissy basketball.”

Of course, Yu Fei would not remain silent on this.

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“There’s a reason we moved from the age of cold weapons to the age of firearms,” Yu Fei responded to the critics in early December, “because those who insisted on using cold weapons were eventually eliminated.”

His words, though somewhat veiled, were very clear.

Those who cling to the traditional tough-guy basketball have been defeated by the modern fast-paced, three-point dominant style––if you can’t beat them, you might as well join them.

However, this response has not satisfied the conservatives.

After all, what fans are after is the thrill of the visual experience.

Some people like intense confrontation, while others prefer a smooth offensive style.

But the trend won’t change because of a minority opinion; unless the League makes rule changes that favor defenders, the momentum of small-ball is unlikely to be interrupted.

December has just started, and the media is already heating up the Christmas showdown between the Clippers and Miami Heat.

The hype for this promotion is quite sophisticated.

Since this season might be Yu Fei’s last, though he hasn’t confirmed it in person, media marketing tactics have been overwhelming. They began to heavily promote this as the “last Christmas duel between Frye and LeBron.”

There’s nothing wrong with such media promotion, after all, James has not won a championship for years and has always been dubbed “the best player without a crown.” As long as one doesn’t delve into details, it’s indeed possible to put their names side by side.

But there are always those who love to nitpick.

The retired Kwame Brown has set up his own studio under Yu Fei’s media company, responsible for producing podcast programs. He unapologetically voiced in his podcast: “Even if this is Frye’s last season, the Christmas battle with LeBron is not worth such hype. LeBron is just a loser in front of Frye, his name doesn’t deserve to be on par with Frye’s. This is also a disrespect to Stephen Curry––Miami is Stephen’s team, not LeBron’s!”

This issue had already existed since James went to Miami.

In the mainstream timeline, when people see a 39-year-old James in Team USA play with Curry like a luxury version of Draymond Green, they might feel it’s a pity they didn’t play together when they were younger. But who would really consider a young James as a blue-collar worker like Green?

To become Green means to take on a blue-collar role, to assist the core players, and be content as the supporting leaf. Yet, to expect someone who got lost in the playoffs due to mental issues, ended up scoring only 8 points and ruined the season, to possess such a spirit of devotion, is like inviting a streetwalker to discuss a passionate pure love affair.

Brown’s comments fermented, and the Miami Heat suffered two consecutive defeats.

Reporters asked James: “Are you affected by these comments?”

James calmly responded: “No, we’ll go back, review the game, identify the problems, and solve them.”

Then, someone threw an even sharper question: “Do you think your name deserves to be alongside Frye’s?”

What an awkward question!

James tried to stay composed and answered: “I believe I deserve it.”

However, the matter did not rest there…

The next day, Yu Fei went to play an away game in Minnesota. Reporters traveled thousands of miles to Minnesota, just to hype this matter up even more. They repeated James’s comments to Yu Fei word for word, eagerly awaiting his response.

The GOAT did not disappoint them.

“The Heat is Stephen’s team, and I have no interest in LeBron’s affairs,” Yu Fei coldly retorted, like a judge. “Because he has not won anything yet.”