38-year-old Zhan Yue welcomes his first championship! After 16 years of going to 11 teams, he defends NBA dignity with his fists

Recently I watched NBA news and I always felt something was wrong - the player swung his elbow faster than the ball when he broke through, and the shoulders bumped faster than the rebound when he got stuck. The good basketball court was filled with gunpowder smell from the fighting arena. Some people say this is the new trend of "basketball +". I think it's better to call it "Game of the Football Style". It's just that the referee is suffering. The whistle is blowing more diligent than the finals, but the players seem to have discussed it, with a tacit understanding of playing three points and seven points in their eyes.

The 38-year-old "veteran"'s reverse growth code: From the No. 16 show to the stadium Tyson

last week talked to his colleagues about James Johnson, and his first reaction was, "This old man hasn't retired yet?" Indeed, when Curry held the thermos cup in the 2009 and Durant was counting his seniority in the Suns, 38-year-old Zhan Yoo wore the Pacers jersey and wanted to play the first finals of his life. This guy was only ranked 16th in the draft, and he has been in 11 teams in 2016. He should have been a coach in the Development League, so he has made the NBA a "fighting reality show".

Do you think his skills are so explosive? The main player who averaged 5 points per game played three games in the playoffs. But why did the Pacer keep him? Look at his title: "Security Manager and Dressing Room Order Manager". This is not a joke - after the series against the Bucks, the two teams almost performed a full martial arts show. Zhan made a stop in the middle, which was more effective than the referee. He reached out and grabbed his angry teammate, glanced at the muscular man who was eager to try on the other side, and turned a group match into a "civilized exchange." Some people say he is a vase, but I think he is a Dinghai Prison. After all, someone must be insulted in the finals stage.

The "human-shaped weapon" that the martial arts family came out: This cruel man has something

Do you think he is bragging? When Zhan Yue said, "I can beat Jones after practicing MMA for a year," I almost believed it. After all, his father is a black belt in Taekwondo. His mother has won the national championship five times. The child who grew up in the boxing court has a strong heart in his bones. He participated in fighting games before entering the NBA. He won the nickname "Bloodsport" in his rookie year, but he was not a good person when he heard it. Former teammate Teague was talking to him when he was on the show: "This guy is in a Taekwondo position, and my legs are weak. I saw him bring down three big men with his own eyes. The seven-foot-long man looks like a doll in his hand."

The funny thing is the anonymous vote - among the 141 players, 63.1% of people don't want to fight with him. Tough guys like Stewart and Adams are less than a fraction of the time. Ibaka's "28 card" has to take a detour when he sees him. I remembered that I was watching him play before, and I was chewing gum on the bench, with my eyes like a knife. The opponents had to glance at him when they broke through, for fear that any move would be inconsistent and I had to go to the hospital to register after the game.

3.3 million to buy a "bodyguard": The Pacer's abacus is so good

If you want to talk about the time when the Pacer signs him, it is a "wonderful". On the night Antetokounmpo scored 64 points in 2023, the Bucks and the Pacers almost played with the ball for a game, and Zhan Yue officially announced his return the next day. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that this is finding a "sword guard" for Halliburton. At that time, Harry was being targeted by his opponent, and the atmosphere in the locker room was depressed after the game. Zhan asked a call and called: "You can't just forget about this!" Do you think he is here to play basketball? It’s better to say that he is here to "stand up" - it doesn’t matter if he sits on the bench in the regular season. As long as Harry is "specially taken care of" on the court, he has to rush up as soon as possible. Even if he is fined by T, he must let the opponent know that the Pacers are not soft persimmons.

"Sports Illustrated" is blunt: "Buying 3.3 million is a psychological deterrence." This is true. Look at Thunder’s Dortmund, he has more small moves when defending than anyone else. If he dares to attack Harry, Zhan Yue can tear the towel from the bench. Although basketball should not be spoken by fists, it is easy to be bullied if there is no "ruthless person" in the playoffs.

When a "ruthless person" becomes a necessity, has basketball changed?

NBA is becoming more and more like the "colosseum in a civilized world". Players like Zhan Yoo are not only the team's "airbag" and also a microcosm of the league's violent aesthetics. Some people say that he destroys the purity of the game, while others think that this is part of competitive sports - the coach Li Chunjiang's words "If you are not cruel, don't play basketball." Although it is rough, it touches a certain reality.

But on the other hand, when we discuss "who can play" more than "who can play more", is the essence of basketball quietly shifting? Curry used three-pointers to change the league, and Zhan Yue used his fists to defend the bottom line. The two extremes are equally touching. Perhaps as he said himself, "I'm not here to fight, I'm here to make others afraid to fight." I just don't know whether this survival rule of "violence to fight violence" protects basketball, or makes it farther and farther away from "purity"?