Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 432 - 288: Justice Executed

Chapter 432: Chapter 288: Justice Executed

Shaquille O’Neal might not have been on the court, but the Miami Heat’s inside strength was still formidable, with Alonzo Mourning’s defense being more active than O’Neal’s.

Moreover, since they didn’t need to keep feeding the ball inside, the Heat’s possession was completely in the hands of their perimeter players.

Dwyane Wade and Gary Payton could fire at will.

This made Yu Fei realize that the 23-year-old Wade had accomplished something Kobe hadn’t—relegating Shaquille O’Neal to the team’s second option.

Furthermore, with the version that prohibits playing hands-on defense on a player, Wade’s playstyle fully exploited the version’s advantage.

In the first quarter against the Bucks, after O’Neal was subbed out by Riley, Wade took over and was unstoppable with his shots and drives. Except for his three-pointers not being precise, he was essentially flawless.

Yu Fei tried to target Wade to suppress the opponent’s momentum, but that move was only intimidating for the faint-hearted, not for the true heroes.

Wade was that unbreakable hero.

Under Wade’s scorching output, the Heat’s veterans also played their roles effectively.

Antoine Walker shot fifty percent from the three, successfully clearing the path for Wade’s drives. Whenever they executed the 1-4 pick-and-roll, the Bucks’ defense was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If they blocked Wade, Walker would hit threes. If they switched, Wade had the ability to dominate any matchup.

By the end of the quarter, the two teams were evenly matched.

25 to 24

The Bucks were just one point ahead of the Heat.

“Apart from his perimeter shooting not being precise, Dwyane Wade is just like a 13-cm shorter Frye in terms of all-around performance,” Karl hadn’t expected another Sleeping Dragon in the Eastern Conference besides LeBron James.

If we’re talking about just one quarter, Wade’s performance could be said to match Yu Fei.

Wade had fired up Yu Fei, who took the initiative to say to Karl, “Don’t sub me out in the second quarter.”

Karl asked, “You don’t want to rest for a bit?”

“Rest?” Yu Fei snorted, “I’ve just finished warming up.”

Since 2003, Yu Fei had replaced McGrady, who was more name than substance, to be recognized as the best player in the Eastern Conference. After leading his team to a championship defense in 2004, the league MVP fell to him for the first time.

Even though they didn’t achieve a three-peat last season, leading the depleted Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals kept his reputation as the league’s best undiminished.

As the league’s best, one must have the confidence of the league’s best.

Wade was making a surge? Then subdue him, shatter him.

Karl had an idea; he knew it would upset Yu Fei, but Yu Fei’s current form bore no difference to Jordan at his peak.

He was keenly aware that the pinnacle was so narrow it could only fit one person, and he wouldn’t allow any peer or younger player to reach the same position as him.

“Shall we assign a few more shooters to you?” Karl asked considerately.

Yu Fei replied indifferently, “Dwyane only needs one Antoine Walker to break our defense, what do you think?”

“Fine, then let’s bring Rob up to help you,” Karl decided.

In the second quarter, the Bucks’ lineup consisted of Yu Fei, Ariza, Sprewell, Horry, and Mutombo.

On the Heat’s side, Riley did indeed let Wade rest and subbed O’Neal back in. They hadn’t expected Yu Fei to play back-to-back quarters from the start of the second.

“What about Dwyane, is he tired?” Yu Fei mockingly asked.

James Posey, who was tasked with guarding Yu Fei, responded loudly, “Shaq’s more than enough to finish you guys off!”

“Heh…” Yu Fei chuckled coldly, “I doubt even the Big Fatty himself would dare to say that.”

Posey looked towards O’Neal, expecting a response from the Big Shark.

O’Neal was about to lay down a harsh retort like Posey, but upon seeing Yu Fei’s face, the unpleasant memories surged back, and he instead said, “Don’t waste words with that bastard, it’s only cowards who like to run their mouths!”

The second quarter started with the Bucks, and Yu Fei was dissatisfied with the Heat’s decision to rest Wade.

A 23-year-old playing so conservatively, was this really a player from the Miami Heat? When did Riley change his ways?

But, if you just slaughtered that pig on the court, wouldn’t Wade have to come back in regardless?

So, the entire tactic now was to hack at Shaq (not flagrant fouls).

Yu Fei advanced the ball to the frontcourt and called for a 1-5 pick-and-roll with a raise of his hand.

Since Mutombo had no shooting ability and O’Neal clung to the basket, Yu Fei easily slipped past Posey with the screen, drove to the free-throw line, and scored a jump shot right in front of the Big Shark.

27 to 24

“Dikembe, what did you tell me was the weakest animal in Africa last time?” Yu Fei asked loudly.

Mutombo answered, “I said the most pitiful…”

“So which is it?”

“The warthog,” Mutombo said, “I’ve seen a warthog devoured by a pride of lions to bones in a matter of minutes.”

Yu Fei, while pressing Payton at the frontcourt, casually asked the inbounding O’Neal, “Is there a chance you’re one very fat warthog?”

O’Neal slammed the ball onto the ground, cursing endlessly.

Joey Crawford felt Yu Fei was going too far, but since it was the Bucks’ home court and O’Neal had been the one to shove first, he downplayed the incident, holding both parties accountable and just letting the Heat inbound the ball again.

Today, O’Neal had been repeatedly pushed back, but Yu Fei was the kind of person who advanced as much as you retreated. He knew he could not keep letting things slide.

So, back to the game, Shaquille O’Neal aggressively positioned himself.

Mutombo engaged fully, dead set on defense.

The Heat passed the ball, Shaquille O’Neal pushed inside, bumping Mutombo away but this was the world of 2005. Four years prior, one represented the ultimate in inside offense, the other the ultimate in inside defense, but now, they stood for nothing.

Even if Shaquille O’Neal managed to push away Mutombo, Horry could immediately help on defense, he knew this big guy too well.

Shaquille O’Neal’s first reaction was to look for Walker.

But before the ball was passed, Yu Fei had already positioned himself between them, not giving Posey the open space and able to use his wingspan to interfere with the pass.

Shaquille O’Neal, after all, wasn’t the kind of center who orchestrated plays with a vision in every direction, and unable to pass, he simply went for the attack; facing a double team, he lifted his hand high and threw the ball towards the backboard.

“You play one-on-two like this?” Yu Fei snatched the defensive rebound and mocked, “Are you also a Kobe fan?”

Within the Miami Heat, Kobe was a taboo word.

Yu Fei seemed to instinctively know how to infuriate Shaquille O’Neal, just as Yuuki Yuuna knew how to cheer up various A-listers on set.

Shaquille O’Neal was already furious, veins popping out on his neck, red and green clearly visible.

But a botched possession was more than just a defensive breakdown and a piece of trash talk.

Yu Fei grabbed the rebound and passed it to Sprewell.

The Madman sprinted down the court, intending to take the shot himself, but noticed that Ariza, like a dog chasing a frisbee, also wanted a slice of the action.

Sprewell hadn’t seen such an eager rookie in a long time, and it reminded him of his own past self.

With Sprewell’s status, he no longer cared about scoring off a fast break; whoever got it, it was the same to him. If Ariza wanted it, he would let him have it.

Ariza caught the ball and went up for a stretched-out windmill dunk.

Being a high school talent once named alongside LeBron James, this move showcased his physical capability.

Seeing the fast break succeed, Yu Fei turned back and added insult to injury, “If it were Kobe, he wouldn’t give the opponent a chance for a defensive fast break and then stand there without moving like a dumb pig.”

Shaquille O’Neal roared, “Don’t mention that name again!”

“Kobe… Kobe… Kobe… Kobe…”

As an eleven-day-old Kobe fan, repeating Kobe’s name was a right Big Fei wouldn’t be stripped of.

Payton played one-on-one at the high post, scoring on Ariza with a jump shot.

The Glove’s revival in Miami proved he wasn’t done yet, it’s just that he simply clashed with the Triangle Offense.

Sprewell shouted to Ariza, “If you want to keep receiving my passes, you better play that damn defense right!”

After Sprewell’s return, the task of coaching the first and second-year players naturally fell off Yu Fei.

Instead of being a strict leader, Yu Fei preferred to be the amiable big brother, leaving the bad guy role to a violence enthusiast like Sprewell who enjoyed choking people’s necks.

Plus, he was busy slaughtering pigs right now, he really didn’t have time for these trifling matters.

At the top of the arc, the familiar gesture, the nightmare of a 1-5 high pick and roll.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Shaquille O’Neal changed his standstill defensive strategy, because Yu Fei was clearly targeting him tonight.

However, the result of taking the offensive wasn’t any better than standing still.

Shaquille O’Neal had deliberately pulled away, but the difference in size resulted in a speed gap, allowing Yu Fei to breeze by him in one move.

Yu Fei, sticking close to Shaquille O’Neal’s body, made a quick cut, fast steps forward, reaching the free-throw line in two steps and taking off, cradling the ball with one hand. Walker, coming up for the block, may have seemed only a yard away from Yu Fei, yet he could never touch that ball.

With a flick of his finger, the ball rolled up and swooshed through the net.

Yu Fei turned to Shaquille O’Neal and taunted, “Kobe’s defense would never be as brittle as yours.”

The Miami Heat were witnessing a defensive collapse.

Lakers fans were no strangers to such a scene, but back when Shaquille O’Neal was still a Laker, they wouldn’t admit he was crumbling, but now, they could easily acknowledge this fact.

The Heat weren’t used to one thing yet, that in the Bucks’ system, without a rigorous defense to match, even if you were the most dominant center in history, you could still be exploited.

Being targeted and beaten down not only made the victim doubt themselves but also affected the morale of the teammates.

Shaquille O’Neal earned back some respect with a put-back dunk, but in the next possession, Yu Fei called for a 1-5 pick and roll, taking advantage of Shaquille O’Neal’s reluctance to pressure, pulled up, and right in front of his opponent, over that fat and large oval bald head, launched a three-pointer.

These sharp, sudden pull-up threes were the trump cards that buried traditional big men in the era of small ball.

Shaquille O’Neal represented the peak of the old era, he looked back at the three-pointer in flight.

Fast and spinning, the arc perfectly round.

“Swish!!”

“Hey,” Yu Fei insulted, “are you saluting my three-pointer, Mr. Warty Pig?”

In the cool Bradley Center, a power was surging.

This power transcended the era, yet it wasn’t cursed by the super era, and with a golden force as always, it crushed the people of the old times.

Shaquille O’Neal was accustomed to that.

However, Yu Fei never felt satisfied; to him, lashing out 360 degrees at Shaquille O’Neal—who had publicly made racist remarks against Yao Ming, affecting all Asians—was something he would never tire of.

He was filled with contentment, excitement, and the joy of legally subjecting others to abuse and ridicule.

Because this was his execution of justice.

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