The basketball game between Xinjiang and Shandong has been a hot topic among fans, despite having ended over a day ago. The main point of contention is the refereeing, with head referee Yang Hongfeng's calls drawing criticism from many fans who believe he favored Xinjiang, known for their tough home court advantage. After Shandong's victory, fans from other teams congratulated them, acknowledging their hard performance. As fans reviewed the game, some details came to light, including an incident where Xinjiang's head coach, Liu Wei, was caught on camera shouting insults at Yu Dehao, calling him an "SB" (a Chinese slang term for "stupid bastard"). This occurred in the fourth quarter when the score was close and Shandong had a slight lead. Yu Dehao was attempting to receive a pass outside the three-point line when Liu Wei shouted, "Let him shoot, let the SB shoot!" Yu Dehao protested to the referees but received no response, leaving him no choice but to continue playing. Shortly after, Yu Dehao made a three-pointer in front of Liu Wei and roared in celebration, while Liu Wei called a timeout out of frustration.
The video of this incident quickly sparked heated discussions among fans. Many felt that as a head coach, Liu Wei's behavior of insulting an opponent player was unacceptable and unbecoming of his position, reflecting poorly both on the game and himself. Interestingly, Yu Dehao's performance in the final quarter was outstanding, making three out of four three-point attempts, not only responding to Liu Wei's taunts but also contributing significantly to Shandong's victory. Yu Dehao previously played for Xinjiang for four seasons, making significant contributions before transferring to Shandong last summer. Emotionally and logically, Liu Wei's actions were deemed inappropriate.
In the post-game press conference, Liu Wei's comments were also controversial. He suggested that fans want to see star players perform and that Zhao Rui's ejection was detrimental to the promotion of CBA games. However, many fans disagreed, noting that Zhao Rui's physical confrontation with the referee would have resulted in ejection in any league, and Liu Wei must have known this. As a coach, Liu Wei should have apologized for Zhao Rui's irrational behavior and advised him to control his emotions during games, rather than trying to justify it. Liu Wei was once a popular coach among fans due to his achievements as a player for the Chinese national team. However, following this incident, many fans' favorable impressions of him are likely to diminish significantly.
