Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

BOOM!!!!!

Yu Fei glanced at the disgraceful Kenyon Martin, "I suggest you change your Chinese tattoo to 'Eastern Conference Champion'; for a dumbass pig like you, that should be enough."

Martin, who once bragged with "Eastern Conference Champion" to provoke Yu Fei, lost his mind due to the mockery of "Eastern Conference Champion."

He scrambled up, charging at Yu Fei, who was within arm's reach.

Just as Yu Fei was about to make a move, suddenly, a white shadow flashed by—Christian Laettner forcefully pushed Martin aside, barking like a mad dog, "Don't even think about touching him!"

The two became entangled from that point on, and the scene turned chaotic.

In the end, both of them were ejected from the game, and play was paused.

After the pause, the Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets tacitly benched their starters to cool down the intensity, and the Bucks, leading by 20 points already, were not affected at all.

On the contrary, the Nets, missing Martin, lacked a pillar in the paint; their offensive push in the second half was poor, and the lead was stretched even further, bringing the game quickly into garbage time.

At the buzzer, 115 to 92, the Bucks surprisingly crushed the Nets, sending the home fans home happy.

Post-game interview

"Kenyon is a bad boy, and Frye is a young man who can even give MJ a headache, what else can you expect when these two match up? No, this is what happens when they face off, and although fighting is not good, I am glad to see that the league still has its spirit." —George Karl discussing the conflict between Yu Fei and Kenyon Martin.

"If Frye makes the All-NBA team at the end of the season, I wouldn't be surprised. You should see his stats, 36 points 14 rebounds 13 assists? In my memory, only Magic Johnson could get a triple-double so effortlessly!" —George Karl evaluating Yu Fei's performance tonight.

"Christian and Frye? They've been good for a while, didn't you see? Chris stood up for Frye against Kenyon, what more could prove their relationship?" —George Karl discussing the relationship between Yu Fei and Christian Laettner.

"The only issue I have with this game is that some people held the ball for too long." —George Karl discussing what he was dissatisfied with in this game.

"I think Kenyon just did what any man would do." —Jason Kidd discussing Kenyon Martin losing his temper.

"I'll tell you, it's not over, our issues are not resolved, and next time we meet, I'll come with more intensity than tonight, that's my style of play, and if he can't handle it, then he doesn't belong in the NBA!" Kenyon Martin discussing his ongoing conflict with Yu Fei.

"No matter who is in trouble, I'll always stand up for my teammate." —Christian Laettner discussing his scuffle with Kenyon Martin.

"Frye, congratulations on the win, how do you feel?"

"You know, beating the so-called best team in the Eastern Conference is definitely something to be happy about."

"This is the tenth triple-double of your career, do you have a secret?"

"You know, stats mean nothing to me, I don't care about them."

"Do you want to talk about your conflict with Kenyon Martin?"

"Why not? Actually, it was very simple. He seemed very proud of his Eastern Conference Champion title from last season, so after I dunked on him, I suggested he tattoo 'Eastern Conference Champion' on his body, but unexpectedly, he got mad, which I really don't understand."

"Jason Kidd said that Kenyon did what any man would do, what's your opinion?"

"I think that beating your wife is definitely on the list of things a man should never do, and Jason Kidd, who has done such a thing, certainly has no right to define what 'any man would do.' So, I have nothing to say to him."

"Your relationship with Christian Laettner has always been much talked about, does tonight's incident prove that you two are now friends?"

"Of course, my friendship with Chris is like incontinence; although everyone can see it, only I can feel its warmth."

—Yu Fei's post-game interview.

Locker Room

When Yu Fei returned to the locker room, he saw Laettner packing up, a bruise on his face, proving that even with a bully's reputation, he truly couldn't fight.

"Thanks for tonight."

"Don't mention it, I didn't do it just for you." Laettner said, "If I had just watched that dog bastard Kenyon Martin beat you up and did nothing, George wouldn't have let it slide."

You should know, Laettner has always been known in the NBA for his "indifference."

He didn't have many friends in the NBA, nor did he care about the feelings of the head coach.

Now he was saying he worried about George Karl being angry with him for not standing up for Yu Fei?

Clearly, this was just a pretext to hide his real intentions.

"I'm a man who looks at actions, not intentions; you helped me tonight, I'll remember that."

Just when Yu Fei thought Laettner had nothing more to say, he suddenly stated, "Last time in Los Angeles, you helped me."

"This time, we're even."

Yu Fei didn't know why he cared about this, he had already forgotten.

The only thing he remembered was The Shot against the Lakers; that was worth remembering.

"Alright then." Yu Fei said before leaving, "Chris, now that we're both not in D.C., it's time to look forward."

After Yu Fei left, Laettner still hadn't revealed the thoughts hidden in his heart to the sophomore player.

A star should maintain his image; the dirty work like throwing punches is for people like him.

When will he ever understand this principle?

Under what pretense will he need to step in next time?

Laettner had a feeling that day would come soon.