Although Yu Fei's words were aimed at Mason alone, the listeners were intentional.
George Karl remembered the similar things Yu Fei had said to him before.
Yu Fei didn't like Karl criticizing players in front of the media, but if that was Karl's habit, he would show respect. However, if Karl insisted on extending this habit to him, he would strive to have the Bucks coached by someone entirely new.
At the time, Yu Fei had just played three games for the Bucks and, although he had shown promise, he did not yet give Karl cause for concern.
Afterward, he indeed never publicly criticized Yu Fei, but that was also because Yu Fei never played poorly enough to warrant such criticism.
However, during this period, Yu Fei's enthusiasm for participating in team activities shot up, and coupled with his performances, he gradually became a marquee figure who could attract fans to the cold Bradley Center.
