Chapter 759: Chapter 504: A Kobe that Can Be Liked is a Good Kobe_3 Chapter 759: Chapter 504: A Kobe that Can Be Liked is a Good Kobe_3 Therefore, if the media knew any better, they should have praised his coaching skills tonight.

Durant had played a game where he felt good about himself.

Although the first quarter was ugly, the brilliance of the last three quarters was enough to cover up the ugliness.

He made 11 of 20 shots, scoring a game-high of 34 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Although the best player of the game was Yu Fei, who achieved a double 20, Durant believed from the bottom of his heart that he had done tonight what Yu Fei had done as a small forward.

Those who criticized him for regressing should shut up.

Those who had kept him out of the best lineup should feel ashamed.

Besides wanting to stun those haters, he also wanted to receive all the love from the fans.

This might be the most important thing.

Durant wanted to be loved.

And not just any love–he needed the kind that was unending, almost like a religious faith, that could embrace all of him.

Even though his family background wasn’t as broken as most African American players in the NBA, Durant’s thirst for love surpassed that of 99% of people. Due to his lack of security and a strong desire to be loved, he found it difficult to maintain a long-term heterosexual relationship.

In this aspect, he and Yu Fei were very similar.

But the difference was that Durant lacked a sense of security, whereas Yu Fei was the one who could not provide it to his lovers.

The love of the fans was another matter.

If this needed a benchmark, then Fei fans’ passion for Yu Fei was the standard.

Yu Fei had a habit of selecting a random fan in the corridor to sign an autograph after each game.

Whenever that time came, the nearby fans would show their love fervently.

Their passion was enough to make those who wished to keep a distance from the fans blush.

Durant also hoped that fans would fight online for him, letting every person who bad-mouthed him on social media suffer internet violence.

That’s right, just like Yu Fei’s fans.

There was a time when Durant hated being compared to Yu Fei in everything.

Now he realized that those who wanted him to emulate Yu Fei were just truly aware that Yu Fei had the best.

If you wanted the best, you had to target him.

Durant arrived at the edge of the corridor, where there were many fans.

“KD!!!!”

“We support you forever!”

“Keep playing like you did tonight, beat the Spurs badly!”

Durant tried to exude a familial air, wanting to sign autographs for ten fans.

His love for the fans was ten times that of Yu Fei, and he wanted the fans to know this.

When he was signing for the tenth person, even though the fan was wearing Yu Fei’s jersey, he still decided to sign for him.

“Where do you want me to sign?”

Durant asked kindly.

The fan said, “KD, could you sign for Frye?”

“???”

Durant’s face was full of question marks.

“I’ve come here for every home game, but Frye has never noticed me, I might never get his autograph, could you sign for him instead?” The fan seemed oblivious to what offense was.

Durant said with a forced smile, “Unfortunately, I only have a pair of hands that can sign Kevin Durant’s name.”

“Alright.” The fan “reluctantly” accepted this reality, “I really like you, just not as much as Frye.”

Durant signed begrudgingly, telling himself it was all for public relations, that he had to maintain his image.

However, when he saw the person selling his autograph online on the way home, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

“You idiot, the worst thing KD did was to sign for you!”

He left this message under his alt account.

The fan, unaware of his mistake, replied, “If you’re so mad, give me 3000 US dollars, and this number 44 jersey with KD’s intimate signature is yours!”

“I wouldn’t want it even for 3 dollars!”

Durant replied angrily.

The other person retorted, “You know KD’s signature isn’t even worth 3 dollars?”

“You’re just a piece of shit, go to hell!”

Durant’s good mood was ruined by a fan, this wasn’t the kind of love he sought.

The next afternoon, practice for the Supersonics started as usual.

Yu Fei was having a massage from the physiotherapist, then saw Durant walking into the gym, looking dispirited.

“Kevin, did you sleep well last night?”

Yu Fei’s question immediately made Durant think of that person’s face.

“Not bad.” Durant certainly wouldn’t tell the whole truth.

Yu Fei turned over, lay on the ground, and lifted his legs for stretching.

“Last night you were like Kobe from 2003 for a while, then like Kobe from 2000, and finally like Kobe from 2006. Why can your style change so many times in one night?”

All the players were already there. Although it was an ordinary statement, coming from Yu Fei, it seemed different.

Everyone pretended to continue with their tasks but all were all ears, listening intently.

“I never want to be Kobe.” Durant said, “He’s not my type.”

Yu Fei asked with a laugh, “You don’t even fancy Kobe? He’s the one who could make LeBron join him voluntarily.”

Durant responded, “I respect his game, but I don’t like his style.”

“Then who do you want to be?”

The question was evidently simple.

Durant’s draft model? Peak Yu Fei, floor McGrady.

Yet, if Durant really were like Zhu Ting in “China Women’s Volleyball,” declaring to Gong Li portraying Lang Ping, “I want to be you!”

Yu Fei would certainly feel as awkward as an audience watching that scene, wanting to find a crack to crawl into.

Even if it was a well-known fact, Durant at this stage would deny it.

Because he was on his way up, he didn’t feel inferior to anyone, just like many stories about Kobe disrespecting Jordan circulated during his playing days, but once he retired, he would compliment Jordan in “The Last Dance” with “Without him, there wouldn’t be me today.”

Superstars only become themselves after they retire; while they are playing, their boundless ego doesn’t allow them to admit it: I am just trying to surpass someone.

Durant couldn’t find the answer, but concerning this answer, stars always had a formulaic response.

“I just want to be myself.”

Feeling it was about enough, Yu Fei dismissed the physiotherapist.

“That’s just the problem.” Yu Fei asked, “Who are you? The guy from the first quarter last night? Or the one from the second quarter? Or maybe, the one from the second half? Who exactly are you?”

Durant asked, “Does it really matter?”

“It matters.” because it would bring the question back to the beginning. “It will help me figure out whether you want to be Kobe from 2000 or Kobe from 2003. Coincidentally, our opponent is also the Spurs.”

Durant felt this was a chance to make his thoughts known.

Kobe from 2000?

That wasn’t who he wanted to be.

During the OK three-peat, only Kobe from 2000 was the quintessential second fiddle, and Durant’s goal wasn’t to be such a player.

Kobe from 2003? That was the year Kobe was gearing up to take over. Unfortunately, they lost to the Spurs in the playoffs, a failure at fruition. Durant wanted to rise up, but he was still aware of his limitations; currently, he had no capacity to challenge Yu Fei.

Since Yu Fei insisted on using different versions of Kobe as metaphors, naturally, there was only one Kobe Durant wanted to be.

“I want to be Kobe from 2001.” Durant said, “I think I’m ready.”

If Kobe from 2000 was the standard second in command, then Kobe from 2001 was the least like a second in command. That Lakers team looked more like a duo with Kobe entering beast mode during the playoffs, making the Lakers nearly invincible. Had he not suddenly remembered he was a Philadelphia man during the finals, there would have been a chance to snatch the Finals MVP. However, if the NBA had a Conference Finals MVP award that year, Kobe with an average of 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game (53% shooting, 6.5 free throws per game) might very well have outperformed Shaquille O’Neal.

The season after that, Yu Fei entered the NBA.

Back then, Yu Fei was a hardcore Kobe fan, deeply impressed by Kobe’s performance in the playoffs that year.

“Kobe from 2001?” Yu Fei asked, “Are you serious?”

Durant said, “Of course.”

“Then go for it.” Yu Fei said, “But, if I see any signs of you turning into Kobe from 2003… ”
Durant said, “I’ll stay in the corner myself.”

Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only

“I like your awareness.” Yu Fei said, “Let’s do it that way.”

Such harmonious and effective communication would make both the duo from OK and Phil Jackson go blind.

(1) Thomas: We are all brothers, if we win the championship in the future, whoever gets the FMVP must take it out for everyone to display it at home in turns.

Dantley: I refuse.

Happy Children’s Day