Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

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Jordan's offensive attempts were blocked out of bounds by Yu Fei for two consecutive times.

"Where's your fake?"

"You don't think it's 1983, do you?"

Yu Fei's relentless trash talk was like the executioner's blade, slicing through Jordan's pride and ego.

With Jordan struggling to continue on offense, what could he do on defense?

Yu Fei backed him down with his size, 32 to 2.

Yu Fei attacked from the high post for a dunk, 34 to 2.

Yu Fei shook him, drew a shooting foul, and made both free throws, 36 to 2.

Finally, Yu Fei made a turnover under the Wizards' trap.

As a result, Sprewell instantly committed a tactical foul on the Wizards' player.

Returning to the frontcourt for half-court play, Jordan was smothered by Yu Fei and passed the ball, only for Cassell's shot from outside to hit iron.

Yu Fei quickly got down the court and dunked the ball.

By halfway through the third quarter, the lead had stretched to 30 points.

Doug Collins desperately called for a timeout.

Missing the fast break opportunity and playing so ugly in the set offense, what could make this game end with dignity?

Collins forced himself to forget about Starkhouse, but the most terrifying situation unfolded during this timeout.

Cassell, greatly dissatisfied with the style of play, complained to Jordan, "Wake up, Michael, we can't keep playing like this!"

Another person said, "We have to start running, we had a chance just now, but the ball moved too slowly!"

"Damn it, do we still have to play like this, Michael?" The voice was soft; no one would say this directly to Jordan's face.

"We could have counterattacked, we had a good chance just now!"

"Stop taking shots, we should be driving to the basket!"

"!@@#!￥"

Seconds later, a fed-up Jordan roared, "Shut up and calm the fuck down! Keep passing the ball, slow down the pace!"

Jordan's shouts always had an effect, but today, his deterrence lasted only a few seconds before players continued complaining and blaming each other. Collins finally interrupted them, redesigned the strategy, sent Kwame Brown in to replace Jahidi White, and refocused the players.

The strategy Collins designed was simple: Michael gets the ball and shoots.

No one was surprised, and the atmosphere was dead.

At the end of the timeout, Collins shouted to himself, "We can do it!"

Fortunately, Jordan managed it. He finally broke through himself in front of Yu Fei, ending a scoring drought of a quarter and a half, bringing the head-to-head score to 36 to 4.

Yu Fei didn't waste much time.

The Wizards continued to double-team him, but this time it failed.

His fake sent Bobby Simmons, who tried to help Jordan, flying, then he jumped up, drew a three-point foul from two defenders, and forced the shot.

"Swish!"

"Four-point play! Frye completes a four-point play amidst double coverage!"

Yu Fei tauntingly looked at Simmons and asked, "When have you ever stopped me?"

Simmons had no response.

To Jordan, Yu Fei had only one thing to say, "40 to 4."

After hitting the extra free throw, Yu Fei's total points had reached 55 with five minutes to go in the third quarter.

But what he focused on was still only the head-to-head with Jordan.

The numbers were a blow to Jordan, an insult and an injury far beyond anything else.

No one could know how much this game would affect Jordan's legacy as a professional basketball player, but for everyone who saw this game, the images of him in a Bulls jersey, performing an aerial hand change against the Lakers, setting a finals three-point record against the Trail Blazers, hitting 'The Shot' over Barkley for the Suns, winning on Father's Day against the Supersonics, the 'Flu Game' against the Jazz, the century's shot against the Bulls in '98... these images had all become blurred.

What replaced them was Yu Fei's brutal domination over Jordan.

The reason was simple: people tend to remember most clearly the last thing they saw.

In the Wizards' coaching staff, apart from Collins, no one was more concerned about Jordan than John Bach.

He had been an assistant coach for the Bulls for eight years, and he vividly remembered that if there was anything that troubled the young Jordan, it was the foreseen day in the future when age would weaken him, and he could no longer run and jump like a flier, possibly ending up in an awkward position like 'Dr. J' Julius Erving of the 76ers.

Bird mocked Erving while trash-talking him, tearing apart his defense with offensive moves, and precisely announcing the score—a reminder of tonight's debacle with Yu Fei.

Thus, the legend who never lost his composure in public lashed out at Bird with a punch.

The aggressor usually pays a price. Jordan had seen the older Bird dragging his crippled body on the court and then being viciously retaliated against by the very people he used to handle easily in his youth, including Jordan's teammate Scottie Pippen. When Pippen restricted Bird to just 8 points while scoring 24 himself, a vindicated Pippen mocked Bird, telling him, "You're really just an average player now."

That scene deeply touched Jordan, and as someone who also enjoyed dominating on the court, he did not want to end up like Bird. So he said to Bach at the time, "If you ever see me in decline, you must tell me."

That won't happen to you, Michael.

John Bach remembered his reply to Jordan 11 years ago.

At this moment, as Yu Fei drove towards the basket, Jordan tried to stop him with his body, but ended up being knocked to the ground instead.

Yu Fei dunked like a tank scoring.

That was the last attack on Jordan before the end of the third quarter.