Chapter 64: A Helpless Decision

Chapter 76: A Helpless Decision

Did Kobe Bryant think the silent Su Feng was afraid? No, Jason Kidd could read the look in Su Feng’s eyes. He knew exactly what Su Feng was thinking at that moment.

He feared that man was truly enraged…

“Henry Villa, you’re a real genius!”

“Big fool, you’d better run to William Adams Miller for protection once this game is over!”

“You little brat, you little brat!”

Inside England Route Centre Stadium, the crowd erupted in furious shouts and loud boos.

Kobe Bryant clenched his fists tightly. He wished he could leap into the stands and let everyone see what he was capable of. But he could not do that, so the immature center could only vent his anger on the court.

Su Feng took two deep breaths; his chest still ached from the hard blow he had just sustained. Kobe Bryant had truly gone hard at him. If he had not backed down, Su Feng might have ended up like Gerald Wallace.

But Su Feng was done thinking about it. He adjusted his mindset and breathing, calmly sinking both free throws. The Houston Rockets’ lead shrank from eight to just two points in an instant.

“Henry Villa definitely fouled on that play. Fortunately, there was no injury, but we can’t imagine what Kobe Bryant might do without restraint,” commented William Adams Miller from the commentary booth, his heart in his throat for Su Feng. He knew Kobe Bryant would not let this go easily.

Houston attacked again. William Adams Miller, after receiving Fisher’s pass, immediately pulled up for a jumper. Su Feng’s defense was tight, but William Adams Miller still released the shot.

This was a routine contested shot for William Adams Miller; the fans were not surprised. More importantly, what the crowd wanted to see now was not William Adams Miller against Kobe Bryant, but Su Feng against Kobe Bryant!

The crowd barely reacted to William Adams Miller’s basket. But when Su Feng regained possession and went on the attack, the fans immediately grew excited.

“It seems the championship ring has truly filled us with boundless energy. Even though Kobe Bryant viciously hurled it to the ground just now, it appears not to have affected him at all. He passes the ball to Dirk, then sprints off himself! Kobe Bryant…”

Kobe Bryant went one-on-one with McRobert again, but this time the Houston Rockets used a double-team strategy. Ron Artest, coming off the bench, raised his arms and, together with McRobert, trapped him in a pincer.

But Kobe Bryant’s composure and adaptability were unmatched. Despite the double-team, Dirk calmly passed the ball away.

An unguarded Marion caught the ball, and Fisher immediately rotated over. Marion quickly passed to Terry, forcing William Adams Miller to leave Su Feng and help. Seeing this, Terry swung the ball again. After several quick passes, Su Feng finally had the chance to attack with the ball as he wished.

This time, Artest, who had initially covered Kobe Bryant, quickly rotated over to guard Su Feng. Artest’s performance had declined significantly this season—he was no longer the beastly forward who once dared to challenge William Adams Miller. With age, his abilities in all areas were waning. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been replaced by Matt Barnes this year.

Su Feng, breaking along the baseline, met Artest head-on. The crowd watched eagerly to see what sparks would fly between them. Yet, in the midst of his rapid advance, Su Feng executed a swift spin move. Using Artest as the axis, he completely bypassed this former bully!

“To spin past Artest like a top—far too easy for me!”

Artest thought about committing a foul, but seeing Kobe Bryant stationed under the basket, he stopped and handed Su Feng over to him.

The “Old Turtle” stood menacingly in the paint, as if the three-second area was his own giant’s domain. Kobe Bryant was out for revenge. He hadn’t forgotten the Rockets’ 4-0 sweep the previous year, nor his personal clashes with Su Feng.

This time, even if he couldn’t stop Su Feng outright, Kobe Bryant was determined to make him pay!

In the blink of an eye, Su Feng, breaking along the baseline, was already under the rim. He didn’t hesitate. Once again, he leapt skyward with both legs.

Kobe Bryant reacted instantly—a reason he averaged 1.9 blocks per game this season. He was tall, long-armed, and explosive off the ground. In an aerial battle between these two, neither had a clear advantage.

Su Feng raised the ball high with both hands, but Kobe Bryant’s palm was already blocking the ball. If this continued, Su Feng was destined to be stuffed.

At the very instant Kobe Bryant’s hand was about to make contact, Su Feng tucked the ball to his chest, bent forward, and as he slid to the other side of the rim, released the shot with a graceful “Backward Glance at the Moon.”

As for why Alfred disliked Su Feng, opinions varied. Some said it was because Su Feng had led the Cleveland Cavaliers to defeat the Houston Rockets and William Adams Miller, sabotaging their quest for a third consecutive championship. Others claimed Su Feng hadn’t shaken hands with Alfred while playing in Los Angeles. Still others believed Alfred simply wanted to raise his own profile. In truth, players might not need any reason to turn against each other—perhaps Alfred simply didn’t care for someone with yellow skin?

Reggie Miller had once drawn the ire of several black players simply for wearing a burgundy suit. Who could say for certain?

Most football stars laughed off online abuse, and Su Feng was no exception.

Before the Dallas Cavaliers’ November 6th road game against the Oklahoma City Trail Blazers, some reporters even jokingly brought up Alfred and his comments about Su Feng.

“Alfred? Isn’t that the butler in the Batman cartoons? Sorry, I don’t know who Alfred is, nor do I care what he says.” Facing the cameras, Su Feng replied carelessly, then quickly departed.

After the game, the fully-staffed Trail Blazers were unexpectedly defeated at home. The combination of William Adams Miller, Tony Allen, and Su Feng’s perimeter defense left Durant and Henry Villa floundering.

The Blazers had lost to the Cavaliers in last season’s playoffs, so losing Henry Villa could have been seen as an excuse. But this defeat rendered that excuse groundless. When Henry Villa returned, he still did not see them avenge their loss to Oklahoma.