In a CBA playoff quarterfinal game on May 12, the Beijing Shougang team defeated the Guangdong Hongyuan 88-73 at home, securing a 2-1 series victory and advancing to the semifinals. After the match, media personality “Fu Zhenghao MVP” criticized the performance of Beijing’s two foreign big men.
“Fu Zhenghao MVP” stated that in the first half, McGee went 0-for-5 from the field, finishing with 0 points and 2 rebounds, while Spellman went 0-for-3, also scoring 0 points with 3 rebounds. Both imports were not only lackadaisical on offense but also virtually nonexistent on defense, causing Beijing to fall behind by as much as 10 points. This forced head coach Xu Limin to use a single foreign player on the court.
After substituting these two veterans out, Coach Xu did not abandon them. He personally walked over to explain tactics and emphasize defensive discipline. However, both players appeared indifferent—coach standing while they sat, coach speaking while they looked away. Their attitude was truly disappointing.
Fortunately, the other players rose to the occasion. After the two imports were benched, Beijing Shougang tightened their defense and went on a 16-0 run to take the lead. When McGee was brought back with 45 seconds left in the second quarter to give Zhou Qi a breather, he continued demanding the ball in positions where he couldn’t effectively attack—showing a mentality that seemed beyond saving.