Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Yu Fei certainly didn't like Ratner, because he was keen on bullying rookies. Kwame Brown was so upset in training camp, and it was him who had to take the blame.

Later, Yu Fei found out that although Ratner liked to bully rookies, his abuse towards Brown was just following Jordan's wish to "test" him.

Now, Ratner and Yu Fei had been traded to the Bucks together. Knowing that Yu Fei disliked bullying newcomers, he decided not to do the thing he used to enjoy.

Then, he would timely make a joke to save Yu Fei from embarrassment when their teammates ridiculed him.

This is the NBA survival rule of a veteran in the twilight of his career.

Yu Fei accepted Ratner, although sometimes he still harbored grudges, but the thought of how well-suited Ratner's playing style was to his would instantly dispel any doubts.

After the scrimmage ended, today's practice session also came to an end.

"Starting this year, the league requires that team training camps be completely open to the media. Tomorrow a group of reporters will come to St. Francis, so you'd better rest early tonight," Karl said with a stern face, "If, I mean if any of you show signs of tiredness that the reporters pick up on and I read something like 'Bucks team is dispirited' in the papers a few days later, I assure you, I will use the harshest training to 'invigorate' your spirits!"

Thus ended Yu Fei's first day at the Bucks' preseason training camp.

As per usual, Yu Fei would stay back to practice his shooting.

But not today.

The new players planned to dine with the veterans at a nearby restaurant, and as Yu Fei, who had rendered Mason speechless on the court, although young, was someone they all wanted to get to know a little better.

Because after today's training, everyone, rookies and veterans alike, realized that Yu Fei's arrival would change the power structure of the Bucks.

Only one person refused to attend the dinner.

That person was Ray Allen.

Why?

"I went 2 for 9 in today's scrimmage; clearly I need more time to get my shooting touch back," he said.

After speaking, he didn't allow anyone a chance to continue persuading him and turned around to start practicing again.

"Don't mind it, that's just Rey-rey," Kevin Ollie laughed, "He's not targeting anyone; he just genuinely dislikes this kind of event."

Later, Yu Fei learned about what had happened in the parking lot from Sprewell over dinner.

When Sprewell mentioned he had taken Ray Allen's parking spot, Anthony Mason burst out laughing.

"Yo man, you've got guts!" Mason said, "When I first got here last year, I felt like the whole Bucks team were softies, which of course included Ray, but I found out he just didn't care about me, as long as I didn't affect him, he wouldn't bother. He has a serious case of OCD, his daily routine is fixed, and if anyone disrupts that, he gets very uncomfortable, which of course affects his shooting touch. Now I finally understand why he played so poorly just now!"

Sprewell hadn't expected Ray Allen to have such quirks.

After listening to Mason's explanation, Sprewell could understand why Ray Allen reacted so strongly to the parking spot being taken.

Yet Sprewell didn't feel guilty; instead, he found it amusing. Perhaps he'd take Allen's spot a few more times, to see if it might cure his OCD.

Yu Fei silently listened as many people approached him for conversation, but he usually ended the talk within two or three sentences.

Because he wasn't familiar with these people.

Instead of talking, he preferred to listen.

It helped him understand the characters of these people.

After spending a day with them, he felt that while the Bucks didn't have as severe issues as the Wizards, there was still a long way to go before they could join forces and move forward towards the same goal.

After the dinner, Assistant Alex Clark asked Yu Fei about his plans.

"Back to the gym," replied Yu Fei, "I want to shoot some hoops."

Clark drove Yu Fei back to St. Francis Training Center.

Yu Fei could hear the sound of a basketball being dribbled before he even reached the court.

Followed by the sound of the ball swishing through the net.

Getting closer, it was indeed Ray Allen.

He had been practicing since the scrimmage ended.

Allen looked surprised to see Yu Fei returning.

"Would you mind giving up your court for me?" Yu Fei asked with a smile.

Ray Allen replied indifferently, "There are a few other courts available."

"But I want this one."

"No, I'm not giving it to you."

"Why not?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"Is it because you're used to shooting here?" Yu Fei said, "Sticking to your comfort zone is not a good habit."

Ray Allen coldly said, "When I entered the league, you were still wearing split pants."

Let's explain it in Jordan's style: "Kid, I've played 5 more years of NBA than you ever did, you have no right to tell me what good habits are, or what bad habits are."

"What if someone in a game won't let you play your style, what do you do? Pray to God before every shot?"

As soon as Fei finished speaking, Ray Allen indeed missed his shot.

He looked at Fei with a cold stare, "Just because you inherited Glenn's locker doesn't mean you've inherited anything else. You're nothing here, don't even think about giving me orders!"

"Oh, well, if there's an opponent who insists on making you play out of your comfort zone, I'll pray to God for you," said Fei, "Let's hope it helps."

God?

Ray Allen picked up the ball from the ground and sneered.

Fei could clearly sense the hostility Ray Allen had towards him.

And it wasn't just because he impolitely asked Ray Allen to give up the court.

It came from a deeper place.

In Ray Allen's eyes, Fei was a robber.

He had stolen what should have belonged to Ray Allen — Glenn Robinson's locker.

Fei remembered the lack of respect Ray Allen showed Jordan last season.

What did he say?

The media gave too much hype to Jordan, but Jordan is no longer the same player, and their Bucks are a good team and deserve more attention.

Was that a complaint about the lack of attention the Bucks were getting?

Initially, that's how Fei saw it.

Now, he thought it was Ray Allen's subtle way of demanding the spotlight.

Because just before that, Ray Allen had a spectacular showdown with Allen Iverson during the Eastern Conference finals of the previous season, the most exposure he'd ever received in the media since joining the NBA.

Who would dislike the halo over their own head?

That was how Fei understood Ray Allen's hostility towards him.

Although slightly off, the general direction was correct.

With that thought, Fei couldn't help but laugh.

He had thought that taming Anthony Mason would be the end of it, but it turned out that might only be the beginning.

Why did he step out of the toxic atmosphere in D.C. only to step right into Milwaukee with pitfalls everywhere?

Fei soon let go of this thought.

Is there really such a thing as a calm team? No, there isn't.

As long as basketball is a five-player sport, as long as team rosters still have 15 players, as long as the salary cap exists, as long as media is still obsessed with the narrative of sports heroes, and as long as humanity hasn't evolved to eradicate "jealousy, greed, arrogance..." and other such weaknesses, these issues won't disappear.

It's the same everywhere you play.

Compared to the Wizards, the Bucks were already much better.

At least he was competing with players here, not players who also acted as coaches, general managers, and owners.

After realizing this, Fei relaxed a lot more.
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He began to look to the future; if he wanted to succeed in Milwaukee, he would definitely need Ray Allen's help. Style-wise, Allen was a perfect fit for him.

So, how could he clear the air with Rey-ray?

"Bang!"

Fei's shot hit the rim.

The basketball flew towards Ray Allen's court.

"Can I get a little help, Rey-ray?"

Ray Allen's body twitched. He picked up Fei's ball and shouted back, "Don't call me that!"

Many years later, Ray Allen would regret what happened that night, not understanding why he said that without knowing Fei well.

If he had known Fei, he should have realized that when he asked Fei not to call him that, from that day onwards, Fei would relentlessly use this nickname, intimate enough to make his scalp tingle.

If this were a prison sentence, then Ray Allen had just earned himself life behind bars.

Fei would keep calling him that.

Forever without end.

(1) I don't know why Ray Allen is nicknamed "Rey-ray"; every time I see this nickname, I can't help but think of "Go Fighting!" where Sun Honglei calls Wang Lei "Lei Lei." This is just too out of character for me.