Three-point layup, unstoppable
James replied to Beverley:
"An old King is still a King."
Beverley wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He shot back, "Watch your wording. He's an outdated King. You can tell he never went to college. His education is really limited."
James merely shrugged and ignored Beverley.
His skill was on a whole different level from Beverley's, but when it came to trash talk, he knew better than to bother.
James stepped to the free-throw line and missed.
Capela grabbed the rebound and passed to Wang Yi.
James was the closest to Wang Yi and hurried to cut off his path to the basket.
But Beverley was also in James's way.
James tried to force his way past, but as he did, Beverley went down with the contact.
He fell a full three meters away.
Tweet, tweet, tweet—
The referee's whistle sounded in quick succession.
James was called for pushing.
When Beverley saw the referee's signal, he sprang to his feet. He didn't turn toward James, but toward the sidelines.
He waved his arms vigorously, his mouth running nonstop.
"See that? That's me, Trash Dog Beverley. This is our home court. No one gets to act up on our turf, not even an outdated King."
His words fired up the Kings players, and their spirits soared.
The spectators on the sidelines had heard Beverley shout, too.
They roared in unison.
"Trash Dog!"
"Trash Dog!"
"Trash Dog!"
The deafening roar of more than 17,000 fans surged like a mudslide, threatening to swallow the Lakers whole.
The home crowd's energy reached its peak.
That was Beverley's impact.
His contribution wasn't limited to his individual defense. He could also whip up the home crowd in an instant, giving the team a tremendous boost.
He was an important piece of the