"What did he just say to you?"
Before the game started, Tracy McGrady looked up at Yao Ming, who was barely holding back laughter, and asked.
Yao Ming thought for a moment before replying, "If I were to translate what he just said into English... it would be something like 'he's going to kill me.'"
Hearing this, McGrady's eyes widened. "I don't understand why that makes you laugh."
At that moment, McGrady, of course, couldn't understand.
Even though "You come at me!" (你过来啊) wasn't yet a classic internet meme in 2005, Yao Ming couldn't help but laugh whenever he thought of Zack's elementary school-level taunt.
Think about it: Golden State Warriors, wearing jersey number 30, acting like an elementary schooler.
Doesn't it make perfect sense now?
On the court, it's worth noting that the player responsible for the tip-off for the Warriors tonight wasn't Kwame Brown, but Zack.
"Are you sure about this?" Brown asked Zack.
"Of course, or... do you really want to guard Yao Ming? If you're eager to match up with Yao, I can let you," Zack retorted, looking at Brown.
"No, no, no... you know, Zack, Yao is an All-Star center, I'm completely unworthy of being his opponent." The next second, after saying "NO" three times, Brown quickly said.
Seeing this, Zack gave Brown a sidelong glance. "Then why don't you mention that you were the number one pick in 2001, and he was the number one pick in 2002? You're both NBA number one picks?"
Brown: "..."
Actually, the reason Zack wanted to switch defensive assignments with Brown tonight...
Besides the fact that in his memory, Yao Ming always had Brown's number, it also had to do with him not wanting to avoid a direct confrontation with Yao Ming.
Even if Zack chose to avoid guarding Yao Ming...
The media would still later use statistics to hype up how exciting their matchup was, but if future kids actually found out that he and Yao Ming didn't even match up on the court, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
However, before the tip-off, Zack still repeatedly reminded Brown, "Pay attention to Yao Ming's positioning when he asks for the ball. If he's posted up deep, even I can't do much about him."
To this, Brown, who had already experienced Yao Ming's beatdowns, nodded. "I completely understand that despair. In front of Yao, even Shaquille O'Neal turns into a 'little dried fish.'"
As his confidence gradually returned...
Zack noticed that Brown's sharp tongue was starting to show itself.
At center court, during the tip-off, Zack didn't hold back against Yao Ming. He soared directly, using his long arms to win possession for the Warriors.
On CCTV, because of the " Derby," analyst Zhang Weiping also became a joker, saying, "Yao Ming's disadvantage lies in his wingspan. We often praise big men for their height and long arms... but unfortunately, Yao Ming only has height, not long arms."
Beside him, Sun Zhengping also quipped, "According to official data, Yao Ming is one of the few players in the NBA whose height is greater than his wingspan."
On the court tonight, besides Yao Ming, the other four starting players for the Rockets were "Uncle Drew" (Howard), Ryan Bowen, Tracy McGrady, and "Streetball King" Rafer Alston.
As for the Warriors, besides Zack, their other four starters were Brown, Mickael Pietrus, Richardson, and Davis.
Davis brought the ball across half-court, and then Zack came up to the high post to demand the ball.
Although Zack intended to primarily guard Yao Ming tonight, Jeff Van Gundy clearly wouldn't use Yao Ming to guard him on defense.
This wasn't because Yao Ming was scared; it was simply a matter of basic basketball logic.
That is...
Once your big center is pulled away from the paint by the opponent, how do you protect the rim?
As one of the top defensive teams in the NBA during this era, if the Rockets were to do that, it would only mean their head coach, Jeff Van Gundy, was an incompetent fool who knew nothing about basketball.
Tonight, the Rockets were using a zone defense with two defensive schemes.
First, if Zack had the ball on the perimeter, McGrady, with his excellent build, would disrupt him.
Second, if Zack demanded the ball in the low post, "Uncle Drew" Howard would buy time for Yao Ming to recover defensively.
Of course, because the NBA has a defensive three-second rule, Coach Van Gundy's seemingly perfect defensive plan actually had many loopholes.
After all...
NBA zone defense and FIBA zone defense are two different concepts.
At the top of the arc, after observing the Rockets' defensive positioning with the ball, Zack executed a hand-off with Davis, who had circled back to receive the ball.
Alston and McGrady were almost simultaneously screened off by Zack.
Seeing this, Davis immediately accelerated, driving and dishing the ball to Richardson on the wing.
Then, after fully attracting the attention of several Rockets players, Richardson, whose chemistry with Zack was improving, decisively flung the ball towards the basket.
This pass needed to be high enough to clear Yao Ming's head.
Richardson's pass clearly achieved this.
Under the basket, Zack, well-prepared before his leap, soared into the air and, with an overhead reverse dunk, officially kicked off this " Derby."
In that moment, the Rockets' weakness of insufficient mobility at the power forward position was completely exposed.
This was Houston's Achilles' heel.
Historically, the Rockets of this era were never afraid of teams with dominant centers.
And even if you were a team centered around a superstar perimeter player...
With a healthy McGrady leading the perimeter defense and Yao Ming protecting the paint, the Rockets feared no one.
But...
If you were a team with a top-tier power forward...
Then playing the Rockets was basically a guaranteed win.
Yao Ming's physique dictated that, like O'Neal, he could certainly provide intuitive defensive deterrence.
But at the same time, they also needed to be protected.
Historically, whether O'Neal was winning three championships with the Lakers or teaming up with Dwyane Wade to lift the trophy with the Heat, he usually had one or two "dirty work" power forwards with above-average mobility by his side.
As for Yao Ming?
On the court, after Zack landed from his dunk, looking at Zack's imposing back...
Yao Ming couldn't help but recall the FIBA Asia Championship this summer.
That was absolutely the most perfect game Yao Ming had ever experienced in his life.
Because at that time, Zack, nominally a small forward but actually doing the work of a power forward besides dribbling, allowed Yao Ming to fully experience a joy he had never felt before.
On the court, after Alston brought the ball across half-court, Yao Ming noticed that Zack had actually taken the initiative to guard him tonight.
This surprised Yao Ming, who had planned to dismantle Brown in a thousand ways before the game.
Honestly, Zack truly saved Brown's bacon.
Because compared to the previous beatings he received on the court...
Starting from the 2005-06 season, in his next seven matchups with Yao Ming, Brown, who was primarily responsible for guarding Yao Ming, would be utterly tormented by Yao Ming, who averaged 30.7 points against him.
Moreover...
The more weight Brown gained later in his career, the more Yao Ming would pummel him in games.
Because no matter how much weight Brown gained, he could never surpass O'Neal.
So his weight gain would only make it more satisfying for Yao Ming to play against him.
On CCTV, Zhang Weiping, who also noticed the Warriors' defensive setup, explained, "Whoa, Zack is proactively guarding Yao Ming tonight, this game is getting exciting!"
Beside him, Sun Zhengping picked up his pre-game notes and read in his broadcasting voice, "Zack is 211 centimeters tall, Yao Ming is 226 centimeters tall. According to the national team's physical tests during the Asia Championship this summer, Zack weighs 121 kilograms, and Yao Ming weighs over 140 kilograms..."
On the court, by fronting, Zack easily thwarted Alston's idea of passing the ball to Yao Ming.
At this point, "Uncle Drew," who couldn't stand it anymore, quickly demanded the ball.
Then, by swinging the ball to the weak side, the Rockets finally got the ball to Yao Ming via McGrady.
However, after all that circling around...
On this possession, the Rockets only had about 8 seconds left on the shot clock.
Although Van Gundy did require his players to run down the clock on offense...
The remaining 8 seconds on the shot clock for the Rockets meant that...
Yao Ming now had to complete this offensive mission.
In Zack's past life, people often complained about Yao Ming's passing and his inability to handle double teams.
But...
If you only pass the ball to Yao Ming in the final moments, once he's double-teamed at that point, who are you expecting him to pass the ball to?
In the low post, seeing Yao Ming post up deep, Brown almost immediately joined Zack in doubling Yao Ming.
It proved that Tim Duncan's previous lessons to Zack were not in vain.
Professional basketball is never one-on-one.
In this instant, facing two NBA number one draft picks, Yao Ming's optimal, no-responsibility solution would be to pass the buck to McGrady, who was on the same side.
But if he did that, even if McGrady could receive the ball, he would have to complete the offense within two seconds.
Unfortunately...
Because Yao Ming was not good at "passing the buck," he chose a more direct forced shot.
Seeing this, Zack showed no mercy.
Smack!
In this moment, the monstrous block Zack delivered to Yao Ming was named:
—"Go, Big Yao, you owe Houston nothing anymore."
This summer, Zack had already brought about a positive change for Yao Ming.
That is...
Yao Ming, who was originally going to re-sign for five years with the Rockets, ultimately signed a four-year contract with a player option in the final year.
This was the "3+1" extension trend that was supposed to be led by Zack's good brother, LeBron James.
"The advantage of signing only a four-year contract is that it allows you to hold your destiny in your own hands."
"But my team and I still have many investments in Houston..."
"Old Yao, where can't you invest in the future? Houston is a typical big city, small market. In the NBA, there are other big cities, aren't there?"
Although Zack spent a lot of time this summer finally convincing Yao Ming...
It must be noted with praise that the principles James usually instilled in him were indeed very suitable for persuading people to change allegiances.
Especially after Zack explained the relationship between NBA teams and players to Yao Ming in detail, Yao Ming, who had played in the NBA for three years, finally realized, "How do you know the NBA better than I do?"
Hearing this, Zack laughed, "Don't forget, I came to America when I was 15."
"Then, will you leave the Warriors in the future too?"
"That depends on how the Warriors treat me in the future."
"If the Warriors don't treat you well, what will you choose?"
"Then I will absolutely not let that damned loyalty ruin me."
In Zack's view, the so-called "one player, one city" must first be a two-way commitment between the player and the team.
Unfortunately, the city of Houston and the Rockets' excellent team history, which even saw "The Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon swept out the door...
No matter how you look at it, it's not the kind of city suitable for "one player, one city."
And on the court, as Zack blocked his shot...
After recalling the events of this summer like a revolving lantern in his mind, the seed Zack had planted began to slowly take root and sprout within Yao Ming's heart.
Although at this moment, it was not yet enough to push Yao Ming to leave Houston.
But it would continue to grow stronger with time.
On the court, after playing for 5 minutes in the first quarter, Warriors head coach Montgomery substituted Troy Murphy for Brown, as planned.
At this moment, analyst , who was still explaining Murphy's characteristics to fans, didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
But on the sidelines, on the Houston Rockets' bench, Jeff Van Gundy reacted almost instantly.
Because Brown lacked shooting range on the court...
Brown wasn't enough to force Zack to pull Yao Ming away from the paint.
But what if the Warriors brought in Murphy?
Oracle Arena, looking at Zack and Murphy simultaneously positioned high...
The next second, as the Warriors executed an inside-out pick-and-pop play...
Yao Ming was forced to leave his defensive area!
And because "Uncle Drew" couldn't rotate in time, Yao Ming was forced to switch onto Zack.
This summer, in that unlimited one-on-one, Yao Ming had already witnessed Zack's unreasonable driving speed.
So at this moment...
Perhaps no one understood better than Yao Ming how troublesome his "little brother" was.
Thump, thump—!
At the top of the arc, facing Yao Ming, Zack fully shifted Yao's center of gravity, then drove past his defensive area with a quick burst of speed.
Then, inside the Houston Rockets' restricted area, Howard, who had intended to draw a charge foul on Zack, witnessed a scene that made his jaw drop...
Because Zack, this heavy tank, actually performed an emergency stop on the court!!
How much body control does it take to execute an emergency stop at such a speed?
Remember, Zack wasn't a small guard who was 180 centimeters tall.
Swish—!
On the court, counting this jump shot, Zack had already reached double-digit scoring against the Houston Rockets' defense in less than half a quarter since the start of the game.
Before this " Derby," this was a scene that all fans had not anticipated.
Because no matter how impressive Zack's previous performances were...
In the minds of most fans, the Rockets were the stronger team compared to the Warriors.
And Yao Ming was the NBA top pick with more established star power, for now.
"The Rockets have absolutely no answer for Zack tonight?" Zhang Weiping frowned on CCTV.
"As of now, Zack has 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block. Yao Ming has 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist," Sun Zhengping said.
The Rockets, of course, couldn't find a way to stop Zack.
Because when Van Gundy turned to look at the bench...
Was there anyone on the Rockets' roster at this moment who could match up with Zack?
On the court, on a Rockets' possession, since Murphy's defensive ability couldn't compare to Brown's, Yao Ming finally found an opportunity to let Zack experience the intensity of a post-up.
Bang, bang!
In the low post, Yao Ming fiercely vented his frustration on Zack tonight.
But on the sidelines, looking at Zack, who was taking the beating in his place on the court, Brown suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.
"For other teams, role players attract firepower for the star players... but only Zack actively helps those supporting characters on the court. If you ask me what phrase best describes Zack, I think it's 'In times of crisis, only responsibility.'" — The Weight of That Crown (Author: Kwame Brown)
At Oracle Arena, in the first quarter, utilizing the mismatch advantage Zack created on offense, the Warriors quickly established a lead.
At the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard read 25-35.
The Rockets, known for their defense, had a defense tonight that could only be described as indescribably bad.
But compared to usual...
What Van Gundy was most troubled by at this moment wasn't the players' defensive effort or discipline.
Rather, it was that the Warriors had, through this quarter, exposed the Rockets' weakness to the entire world.
"If you were Jeff Van Gundy, how would you deal with a situation like tonight?" During the break between quarters, Murphy, who was having a field day under the Rockets' ironclad defense thanks to Zack's huge presence tonight, asked Dunleavy Jr., who was known for his high basketball IQ.
"Maybe I'd consider using 'T-Mac' against Zack," Dunleavy Jr. replied.
"Speaking of which, was there a 'T-Mac' on the Rockets in the first quarter?" Murphy asked with a puzzled expression.
With a long sigh, Dunleavy Jr. said, "That's precisely 'T-Mac's' problem. If he had the competitive drive of Kobe Bryant, we definitely wouldn't have had such an easy time tonight."
Seeing this, Murphy hypothesized, "What if we swapped 'T-Mac' with Kobe..."
Hearing this, Dunleavy Jr. immediately stopped Murphy's utterly outrageous conjecture, saying, "That would be the league's nightmare... because it would mean the beginning of another 'OK' era.
And don't forget how badly Kobe crushed Jason and Michael when he faced us last time. We don't have any players who can deal with Kobe."
On the court, after the quarter break, the game resumed.
While Zack was resting on the bench, the Rockets, thanks to McGrady playing staggered minutes, managed to narrow the lead to just 2 points.
In the NBA, the biggest advantage of having a dual-core team lies precisely here.
However, the amazing "T-Mac" was online for too short a time tonight.
Although Van Gundy arranged for McGrady to play staggered minutes in the first half of the second quarter and the second half of the third quarter.
But when McGrady himself couldn't make shots...
Van Gundy couldn't exactly go out there and shoot himself, could he?
After coming to Houston, McGrady's biggest change from before was that, as his weight increased year by year, his once-proud first-step quickness had become increasingly sluggish.
Historically, plagued by back injuries, McGrady's true shooting percentage in the 2005-06 season was only 49.4%.
Injuries certainly affected McGrady's performance.
But more importantly, under Van Gundy's tactical system... McGrady's inefficient long two-point attempts were like a halberd without a spearhead.
Many times, even after creating shooting space, McGrady would decisively forgo a three-pointer and instead take a step forward to gamble on his long two-point shot, which had only about a 40% success rate.
Reduced driving frequency, too many inefficient shots...
In fact, if it weren't for Yao Ming's height and weight dictating that he and O'Neal couldn't typically take twenty-five or more shots like guards...
Van Gundy genuinely wished Yao Ming could execute more offensive tasks on the court.
After all, throughout his career, Yao Ming had a true shooting percentage close to 60%.
As a center primarily responsible for carrying the offensive load on the court, that statistic was already quite impressive.
Just like tonight...
Even though Brown and Zack hardly gave Yao Ming easy shot attempts, by the end of the third quarter, Yao Ming still had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks for the Rockets, shooting over 50% from the field.
What was Yao Ming's most unguardable aspect in the low post?
His size?
Or his soft touch?
No, neither.
It was his terrifying free throws.
From the 2005-06 season to the 2008-09 season, Yao Ming's free-throw percentage was above 85% for four consecutive seasons.
This meant that once he posted up deep, you simply couldn't stop him from scoring by fouling him.
Moreover, the advice Tim Grover gave Yao Ming this summer was quietly changing Yao Ming's career trajectory.
That is... although Yao Ming didn't showcase the three-point attempts he tried in the preseason during the regular season, he did increase his mid-range shot frequency.
This meant that in the process of posting up on the court, you also had to guard against him suddenly stepping out to the free-throw line area to punish your defense with a mid-range jumper.
Before the final quarter, Brown grumbled to Zack, "If Shaq could shoot free throws like Yao, I can't imagine how terrifying he'd be."
Hearing this, Zack hypothesized, "Then it's very possible... Shaq wouldn't need Kobe to win championships."
In the final quarter, because the Rockets habitually fell apart in crucial moments, the Warriors effortlessly clinched the victory in this " Derby."
Why did the Rockets always collapse in the fourth quarter?
It was still the same problem.
If the Rockets were truly McGrady's team, then such a situation shouldn't have happened.
Because Yao Ming couldn't carry the offensive load for all four quarters.
In conclusion...
Since the Rockets were never truly "T-Mac's" team...
As Yao Ming's stamina declined, the Rockets, unable to break down the opponent's defense in crucial moments, became overly reliant on Yao Ming's stamina.
Tonight, the substituting Murphy and Zack collectively wore down Yao Ming on offense.
For example, in the first half of the third quarter...
Yao Ming, who had just completed an offensive mission for the Rockets, was immediately pulled away from the paint by Zack and Murphy.
At that time, looking at Zack dancing on the perimeter, to joke, Yao Ming hated that moment because he didn't stomp on Zack more before the game.
Then, dribbling past Yao Ming...
Taking three steps into the Houston Rockets' paint, Zack practically went unchallenged as he broke through the Rockets' proud "iron curtain" defense.
"The Messiah personally ended the Houston Rockets' beautiful playoff fantasies tonight. I can confirm now that if they meet in the playoffs, the Rockets will be swept by the Warriors." On TNT, Barkley confidently stated while commenting on the game.
And on CCTV, the relatively more subtle analyst Zhang Weiping said, "Oh, don't look at the Rockets' record being better than the Warriors' right now... if they don't solve the power forward issue, the Rockets will definitely struggle to go far.
Because the West has more than just Zack; there's also Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki."
Beside him, Sun Zhengping added, "The Jazz, who previously played against the Rockets, are also a troublesome team. Okur and Boozer are both inside players who can stretch to the high post and shoot."
The Rockets' problems were now known to all.
And through tonight's " Derby," Zack undoubtedly poured another layer of fertilizer on the sprouting seed within Yao Ming's heart.
Next, a question concerning Yao Ming's destiny will be squarely put on the table.
That is, will Leslie Alexander, the stingy owner of the Houston Rockets...
Help Yao Ming solve his lack of protection on the court?
And if not...
Then, the seed within Yao Ming's heart is destined to prompt him to make a completely different decision from what Zack remembered.
Ultimately, at Oracle Arena, the Houston Rockets lost 91-110.
Yao Ming scored a total of 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.
The "sleeping" T-Mac became Zack's good friend.
Because by shooting 5-for-19 from the field and adding free throws to get 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Rockets, he successfully helped Zack achieve his first career "30+20."
With the combined "assists" of the Rockets' poor power forward play and McGrady, Zack put up a dominant stat line of 35 points, 24 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals tonight.
From "Goodnight, Los Angeles" to "Go, Yao Ming"... Honestly, Zack felt that his explosive rookie season performance really owed a lot to the successive "assists" from his NBA opponents.
After the game, seeing Yao Ming dejected from his "poor performance" in front of his "little brother," while having late-night supper (dumplings) with Yao Ming, Zack pointed to his bruised chest and said, "Brother, if you play any better... I might seriously announce my retirement tomorrow."
Hearing this, Yao Ming picked up a bottle of sports drink that now seemed tiny, like an oral solution, and took a sip before saying, "Old Zack, do you think the Rockets will strengthen their roster because of the issues exposed in this game?"
After tonight, Yao Ming couldn't harbor any more illusions about the playoffs.
Because, as Barkley said, this Rockets team in the current Western Conference...
Had too many kryptonites.
Seeing this, Zack, who wished Yao Ming would leave Houston tomorrow, pondered for a moment before saying, "Do you remember what Tim (Grover) told you this summer?"
Yao Ming nodded.
"Yao, I must remind you that as Shaquille O'Neal gradually ages, the next four to five seasons will be the most valuable golden period of your career."
Grover's hint at the time was already very clear.
Because in the eyes of this legendary trainer, a team like the Houston Rockets simply didn't deserve a super center like Yao Ming.
Tonight, with Zack's push, Yao Ming had already personally opened the door of destiny that would change his career trajectory.
And the Warriors?
After defeating the Rockets, this famously "fake strong team," they quickly climbed to thirteenth place in the latest team power rankings the next day.
"The Messiah undeniably dominated the Derby. Yao, if you want to hold onto your status as 's number one basketball star, then you'd better make Leslie Alexander loosen his purse strings." — ESPN Post-Game Recap
"After a thoroughly disappointing game at Oracle Arena, fans are eager to know when 'T-Mac' will wake up. What, you want Leslie Alexander to open his wallet? Then let's just hope a meteorite directly destroys Earth tomorrow." — Los Angeles Times
"Tim Duncan says after watching the Rockets-Warriors game, he is firmly convinced that 'the future of the NBA definitely belongs to the Messiah.'" — San Antonio News-Express
"Kobe Bryant doesn't believe this Derby signifies that the Messiah is already stronger than Yao. In an interview, the Lakers' star stated that Yao is the most incredible center he has ever seen." — Los Angeles Herald
"After leading the Warriors to victory over the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors are embarking on another road trip... Next, they will challenge the Cavaliers and Heat in Cleveland and Miami, respectively. The long-awaited 'Chosen One' vs. 'Messiah' showdown will take place in one day." — San Francisco Chronicle
"LeBron James said in an interview: 'You know, Zack is one of my best brothers. He can do anything on the court... I can't wait to compete against Zack on the court.'" — The Plain Dealer
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