Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Ray Allen's father had etched a mark of thought into his mind: obedience to authority.

No matter how the higher-ups criticize you, you shouldn't argue back, let alone confront them.

This caused Ray Allen to fall into a long-term spiritual struggle under Karl. On one hand, he resented Karl for picking on him for no reason and embarrassing him in front of the media; on the other hand, he didn't want to prove Karl right. So whenever he played poorly, the person who was actually the most upset was himself.

He was angry at himself for giving George Karl another chance.

Yu Fei really didn't understand what kind of mindset it was to accept blame without objection. Was this still a black man? Ray-Ray was truly a challenger to the stereotypes of black men.

"If you don't like it, why don't you speak up?" Yu Fei pointed out a route that any normal person would take to Ray Allen, "Go and talk it out with him."

Ray Allen replied, "Why should I speak up? If it were you, would you do it?"

Clearly, he didn't fully understand what someone had done in D.C.

Yu Fei nodded lightly and admitted generously, "I did speak up."

Ray Allen's eyes widened as if he had heard some incredible secret.

"Otherwise, why do you think he would keep his mouth shut?" Yu Fei confessed, "I told George that I don't like to see my coach criticizing me through the media in the newspapers. If he has any dissatisfaction with me, he should tell me upfront. If he insists on doing this, then only one of us can stay in Milwaukee."

Would Ray Allen's mark of thought disappear?

In his eyes flickered contemplation and struggle, and at last, he said, "You and Anthony Mason are no different."

"If you are dissatisfied, you should voice it out directly. Keeping it in only makes yourself more miserable," Yu Fei said, "It has nothing to do with whether I am Anthony Mason or not, it's just the most basic thing in a team; only by doing this can we avoid internal conflicts and misunderstandings."

Ray Allen looked straight at Yu Fei without stopping, and after a while, he said, "You're more of a leader than I am."

Yu Fei responded modestly, "You know, I'm here to support you."

That was all Yu Fei could do; the conflict between George Karl and Ray Allen ultimately needed to be resolved by themselves.

A few days later, trade rumors about Ray Allen appeared.

A reporter from "The Seattle Times" leaked that the Bucks and the Supersonics were discussing a trade involving Ray Allen and Gary Payton. However, after the news spread widely, both teams claimed it was a rumor.

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"Ray has many years left on his contract, and we plan to have him end his career as a Bucks player in Milwaukee. The trade rumors are false!" — Milwaukee Bucks General Manager Larry Harris to The Milwaukee Sentinel.

"MJ will pay Carla Knafel (lover) 5 million US dollars for her silence." — "The New York Times"

"Being ranked first doesn't mean the Bucks' actual strength is the best in the Eastern Conference; they just have a better schedule than other teams. They are overrated, in my opinion." — Brooklyn Nets forward Kenyon Martin during an interview with the New Jersey Express.

What's funnier than Beverly Yu likening Michael Jordan to Hitler on a radio show? Kenyon Martin claiming the Bucks are overrated lets us forget the facts of the Nets' recent heavy loss to the Bucks and looks forward to the teams' Christmas Eve reunion!" — ESPN News Dispatch

PS: Readers who want to pose sky-defying questions to Big Fei on his radio show can leave a message in the book review section. The rules are as follows: 1. Don't ask questions that will be censored. 2. Don't ask about events beyond the current timeline of the novel. 3. Think of a normal/sky-defying English name, and where it's from. If you're shy about posting in the book review section, you can message me on Penguin.