Last night's performance by Liaoning team was truly spectacular. On the court, they played with passion and intensity, never giving in, leading Zhejiang team twice but being overtaken twice as well, keeping the suspense alive until the final quarter. As Yang Ming put it, the game was played magnificently.
There were also many highlights off the court. It is well-known that Liaoning team and Zhejiang team are old rivals. In the playoffs of previous years, the two teams fought fiercely, neither giving way, and conflicts erupted among the fans. Zhejiang fans angrily scolded Liaoning fans, while Liaoning fans also wanted to chase and beat Zhejiang fans. The insult "Northeasterners are poor ghosts" still echoes in our ears.
Last night, arguments and verbal conflicts could not be avoided. In the fourth quarter, when Liaoning team's situation became hopeless, it drew huge boos from Zhejiang fans. At this point, Yang Ming couldn't help himself and raised four fingers towards the sky, gesturing towards the fans in mockery and provocation. Yang Ming's four fingers represent four championships, with which he boasts about himself. His body language seems to say: We have four championships, what do you Zhejiang team have? In response, fans jokingly asked: How should Du Feng raise his fingers then? Should all coaches who have won championships use such methods to mock and provoke the opposing fans? Yang Ming appears to lack generosity.
I remember in last season's semi-finals, after Yang Ming defeated Guangdong team, he also showed off, boasting shamelessly about Liaoning's strong genes and good spiritual attributes, saying that Liaoning team never uses difficulties and personnel shortages as excuses. According to Yang Ming's statement, they shouldn't have lost last night, let alone mock and provoke Zhejiang fans. This is really a breach of defense.
Even more interestingly, in the midst of the fans' boos, captain Zhao Jiwei also "lost his head". Unable to bear the fans' attacks, he actually looked for a mineral water bottle on the bench, intending to throw it at the stands. Fortunately, he was stopped by Liaoning staff. As a player, one should be able to endure insults and boos, using outstanding performances and victories to win over the fans, rather than fighting with them, which is completely unnecessary. Guangdong team, with 11 championships, has never confronted fans in away games in the same way as Yang Ming and Zhao Jiwei did. Yang Ming seems to have a sense of being unable to handle defeat and feeling embarrassed. What do you think?
