Li Fei seemed oblivious to the reactions around him and continued at an unhurried pace. "Our goal is the championship. When we consider potential opponents, we look at the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference, or the Bulls in the Eastern Conference. They have superstars capable of truly changing the course of a series, along with the roster depth to match us from the one through the five."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across every reporter present. His tone was calm, but the dominance contained within it sent chills down their spines.
"The Heat are a very good team, a playoff-caliber contender. They can cause us some trouble, like a tough bone to chew through. But that's all."
"They can make the game ugly, slow down the pace, and keep us from scoring big. But in the end, they can't win. Because in the face of absolute talent and strength, pure willpower and hard fouls aren't enough to bridge that gap."
After saying that, Li Fei ignored the dumbstruck reporters and turned toward the locker room.
His words reached every ear clearly, and they would surely reach Miami at the fastest possible speed.
He simply did not consider the Heat opponents on the same level. In his eyes, they were merely a minor stumbling block on his Road to Defense, not even a real obstacle.
This was no longer simple pregame psychological warfare. It was a condescending appraisal born of absolute strength and confidence.
That night, TNT's flagship program Inside the NBA urgently aired the interview.
In the studio, Charles Barkley broke into his trademark laugh after watching the clip. "Hahaha! That's Li! That's the guy I know! He's always this direct when he talks. He isn't trash-talking—he's just stating what he sees as fact!"
Kenny Smith