Zhu Fangyu paused, then continued:
"When it came to shattered confidence, the most classic example was Mailman Malone and 'the mailman doesn't work on weekends.'"
"Back then, Game 1 of the Finals between the Jazz and the Bulls happened to fall on a Sunday. In the final moments, Malone, nicknamed the Mailman, kept scoring. With 7.5 seconds left, the game was tied at 82. Malone also had two free throws coming. If he made them, he could potentially put the game away."
"But as he stood at the line, Pippen, his opponent, whispered in his ear, 'The mailman doesn't work on weekends.' Malone's mindset changed. He missed both free throws, and Jordan hit the game-winner. Malone lost the championship as a result."
"It was that game that shattered his confidence. From then on, whenever the pressure was on, his free throws went wayward. Every time he stepped up to the line in a clutch moment, Pippen's words echoed in his mind: 'The mailman doesn't work on weekends.'"
"And Hachimura Rui is showing signs of the same thing."
Over the next two minutes, until halftime, Hachimura Rui failed to score another point.
He had actually gotten two chances during that stretch.
But both times, he seemed hesitant.
In the NBA, opportunities vanished in the blink of an eye.
His hesitation cost him the chance to shoot.
In the end, he could only pass the ball away.
His hesitation disrupted the flow of the offense.
The Wizards' offense ground to a halt.
By the end of the first half, the Lakers were leading by 11 points.
Wang Yi hadn't had a particularly good touch in the first half.
He'd made two of five shots and scored just 5 points.
During halftime, the atmosphere in the Lakers' locker room was fairly relaxed.
LeBron slapped Wang Yi on the backside and said:
"Wang, nice work. Keep it up in the second half."
As Caruso took off his shoes, he said:
"Hachimura Rui was pretty cocky at the pregame press conference. Wang just gave him his answer."
The other players nodded and congratulated Wang Yi.
As Wang Yi rewrapped the bandage around his ankle, he said as if joking:
"This is only the beginning."
It sounded like a joke, but only he knew that he meant every word.
Making the opponent lose confidence?
That wasn't nearly enough.
He was going to make the opponent despair!
He was going to make the opponent never dare act arrogant in front of him again!
He was going to make the opponent go out of his way to avoid him from then on!
He remembered a famous line from some chubby guy who couldn't play basketball: "Don't let them live!"
Meanwhile, in the home team's locker room,
the atmosphere was rather gloomy.
Hachimura Rui sat there with his head bowed, not saying a word.
Beal kept clapping his hands, trying to fire up the team.
"They're not scary!"
"LeBron isn't the King he used to be. He's old. The Lakers don't have any other players worth mentioning."
"We just have to stop LeBron and make him pass the ball. Then we'll have won half the battle."
Westbrook reminded him:
"Their number one has been playing well too. We need to watch out for him."
Beal shook his head.
"He's only had three good games. His three-point shot hasn't been nearly as sharp tonight. I checked—he's scored just 5 points in the first half. Even if he scores another 10 in the second half, as long as the other players don't get going, we can still beat the Lakers easily."
Westbrook wanted to say more, but in the end, he kept quiet.
Instead, he turned and put a hand on Hachimura Rui's shoulder.
"Come out with some fire in the second half. Play with the same energy you had when you scored 30."
"Remember, he's just a short-term contract player. You're a star who's scored 30 points. In front of you, he's nothing but a pathetic maggot! Got it?"
Hachimura Rui nodded reflexively.
The look in his eyes, which had been dim until then, seemed to brighten a little.
When the third quarter began, the Wizards' first possession still went to Hachimura Rui.
This time, he used a pick and roll to get open.
He didn't hesitate. He raised the ball high and jumped, ready to shoot.
But right then, Wang Yi slipped around the Wizards player who had set the screen for Hachimura Rui and charged at him.
Hachimura Rui's heart lurched.
It was as if a dark cloud had swept across his mind.
In his panic, he didn't dare shoot.
He turned to look for a teammate on the perimeter.
But there wasn't a single perimeter player open in his line of sight.
By the time he hesitated, he was already coming down.
As he descended, Wang Yi swung his left arm in a wide arc—
A crushing block right in his face!
"Oh—"
The crowd erupted in unison.
The commentators cried out in surprise:
"Oh—NO! He's blocked Hachimura Rui again!"
"As the Wizards' home commentator, I hate seeing him block shots. But objectively, I have to admit, his shot-blocking ability is incredible."
"Official records list him at only 1.92 meters tall, yet he has such an outstanding ability to block shots. That's extremely rare. It reminds me of Wade."
"I've pulled up his stats from the last game. He actually—oh my God, he had 10 blocks last game! Unbelievable!"
On the court, the light that had just returned to Hachimura Rui's eyes faded again.
Wizards coach Brooks saw this and furrowed his brow.
It was only the first possession, and the little courage Hachimura Rui had just mustered had already been crushed again.
This couldn't go on.
It didn't matter if they lost this game, but he couldn't let one of his players lose confidence.
Before Hachimura Rui lost it completely, Brooks had to help him rebuild his confidence during this game.
With that in mind, Brooks took Hachimura Rui out during a dead ball.
Hachimura Rui returned to the bench with his head still bowed and his eyes vacant.
Coach Brooks took a bottle of water and handed it to him.
Hachimura Rui accepted it numbly, unscrewed the cap numbly, and drank numbly.
Coach Brooks said:
"Hachimura, have you forgotten what you said before the game?"
"You said you'd crush him! That you'd teach him a lesson on behalf of the veterans! That you'd show him a thing or two. Have you forgotten all that?"
Hachimura Rui's eyes flickered slightly.
Coach Brooks continued:
"Think about it. You've already said all that. How embarrassing would it be if you couldn't back it up and he crushed you instead? What would your country, your people, your family, and your friends think of you?"
Hachimura Rui's eyes began to glint.
His right hand tightened around the water bottle.
The bottle crinkled in his grip.
Coach Brooks saw that his words were working. Hachimura Rui was fired up.
But he didn't send him straight back onto the court.
He knew that Hachimura Rui was already burning with anger.
But he also knew that anger alone wasn't enough.
In Hachimura Rui's current state, anger would only make him commit more mistakes.
So he needed to calm down first.
Coach Brooks handed Hachimura Rui a towel. His voice softened considerably.
He said:
"I won't put you back in during the third quarter. Take some time to reflect."
"I'll give you one last chance in the fourth. If you seize it, you'll grow from this. If you don't, I won't use you again. I won't give you even a single minute of playing time. Do you understand?"
Hachimura Rui nodded firmly.
"I understand, Coach!"
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