Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

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"I have reasons I must make the shot,"

"What?"

"Many, but the main one is... if we get swept, guess what the old geezer would say?" Yu Fei imitated Jordan's deep voice, "Hey, I told you guys before, this team is nothing without me. Frye is too young, I am the soul of the Wizards!"

Lawson chuckled dryly but didn't respond, and had a thought that if there were a Michael Jordan impersonation contest, Yu Fei could score 100 points.

Oh no, skin color is an issue, so one point must be deducted to prevent him from getting too arrogant.

That evening, the MCI arena was packed.

Although the people of Washington really wanted to see Jordan battling in the playoffs in a Wizards jersey, having Yu Fei was not bad either.

The playoff spot this year was fought for with Yu Fei's life, and no matter the outcome, they supported him.

Even if the Wizards were to be swept by the Brooklyn Nets tonight.

But Yu Fei wouldn't give those pessimists a chance to say to him, "I knew you guys would get swept."

Right from the start of the game tonight, Yu Fei faced off against Cory Kittles, pulling up for a three-pointer that indicated his touch was completely different from the first two games.

Brooklyn Nets quickly realized this too.

Yu Fei had found his touch on home turf.

They certainly knew how much pressure a Yu Fei, good at both penetrating and shooting, could put on the defense, so they resorted to aggressive defensive tactics.

However, back on home ground, Yu Fei, as the Wizards' lone star, had the bonus of the "star call."

The Nets' rough defense quickly racked up their foul count, which instead allowed Yu Fei to seize the opportunity to draw even more fouls.

The other effect of the defensive loss of control against Yu Fei was that the other Wizards players started to embrace their roles.

They had grown accustomed to Yu Fei's leadership.

Only when Yu Fei put on an outstanding performance could they be themselves.

For Collins, this was a classic case of "a rising star's trial by fire" in a game.

Many limitless stars face insurmountable foes early in their first playoff journey, they get frustrated, then bounce back, snatch a victory from their opponent, but inevitably still lose the series.

When that star finally achieves fame and success, looking back, people would discover that signs of his greatness were there even during his rookie days.

Collins had a "what if" in his mind.

If Yu Fei became the league's best player in the future, it wouldn't surprise him.

By then, those chasing after him, reminiscing about the old days—the win tonight, The Shot against the Lakers, and his relentless struggles with Jordan—would all be precursors of his destined greatness.

By halftime, the Wizards led the Nets by 7 points at home.

Yu Fei's stats were already nearing a triple-double.

Collins asked with concern, "Tired? Do you want to rest more in the second half?"

"No!" Yu Fei shook his head and said, "We must make sure to win this game!"

Collins insisted, "But you need to rest."

Because Yu Fei had only rested for one minute in the first half.

Yu Fei was resolute, "Unless we have a substantial lead..."

In Collins' view, leading by 8 points at halftime against a team like the Brooklyn Nets, which grinded defensively and depended solely on Kidd to orchestrate the offense, was a substantial lead.

But Yu Fei just wasn't reassured.

Then, in the second half, Yu Fei became even more valiant, and it was the Nets who lost their shooting touch in the set offense.

Thanks to multiple defensive rebounds that created transition opportunities, Yu Fei quickly extended the lead to 16 points, and he finally got to rest.

This advantage ultimately helped the Wizards secure the victory.

At the final buzzer, 94 to 81, the Wizards beat the Nets by 13 points, bringing the series to 1-2.

This victory elated the basketball fans in D.C., and Yu Fei, with his 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists, once again became a hero. He even felt that the reputation he'd earned for winning in the playoffs was greater than what he'd gained for The Shot against the Lakers.

Yu Fei's feeling was right, indeed it was.

The last time the Wizards won a playoff game traced back 14 years ago, to the 1987-88 season, when they were still called the Bullets. And when owner Pollin renamed the team to the Wizards in the summer of 1997, they had entered the playoffs only once and hadn't won any games.

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In other words, Yu Fei led the Wizards to their first-ever playoff victory in team history.

But joyous times always pass in the blink of an eye.

Two days later, when they faced the Brooklyn Nets again at MCI, Yu Fei received the highest form of attention from the opposition—Jason Kidd personally took him on, they deployed a zone defense against him, and all of their wings took turns trying to tussle with Yu Fei.

In a playoff series between teams not on the same level, the only way a weaker team could create a miracle was by relying on a star player's explosive performance (or an injury to a key opponent), and while a mature star might be able to explode consecutively, that kind of power is unlikely to be seen in a rookie.

Yu Fei still scored 23 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, but the Nets controlled the game.

88 to 74

3 to 1

The Nets eliminated the Wizards on the road.

Post-game interview with the Wizards

"I tell you, this is the greatest season in Wizards history! I tell you, no other team would make the playoffs after losing their first and second most important players, and then be led by a rookie! This will never happen again! I'm proud of my players, each one of them lived up to themselves!" — Doug Collins discussing the season.

"After this period where Frye independently led the team, I feel like I understand him a lot better. He's special, probably the most individualistic rookie I've ever seen, he's the hardest working person I've ever seen, the most unyielding person I've ever seen, and also the most difficult person to coach (smiles). If he can grow slowly in a team built entirely around him, I think we will see the best of him. But here in D.C... it's difficult, we have MJ, we have Rip, Frye is the third option, but he proved himself, this experience convinces us he can carry the load, whether in D.C or somewhere else." — Doug Collins discussing Yu Fei.

"I feel so terrible, I've let Frye down, it's all my fault." — Cassidy White on being dominated by the opposition in the paint.

"MJ is always out front shouting, he has experience, that's his most valuable asset, while Frye started from the same point as me, he hasn't won anything, so he can set out with me, that's the difference between him and MJ." — Kwame Brown comparing Yu Fei and Jordan.

"All the criticism of him (Yu Fei) is unfair, he's just a rookie, yet he's our playoff scoring leader, rebound leader, assist leader, and even steals leader. Without him, the series would have ended in the third game. Maybe to you, there's no difference between ending in the fourth game and the third, but let me tell you, there's a difference. He gave it his all, he gave us a reason to walk off the court with our heads held high, without him, none of this would have happened." — Tyronn Lue responding to the media's criticisms about Yu Fei's offensive inconsistency.

"Frye almost got a triple-double average in the first round, and you're here criticizing his shooting inconsistency? Are you kidding me?" — Christian Laettner blasts out in the media room.

On the night the season ended, instead of taking an NBC live interview, Yu Fei gave Thomas Flynn, the beat reporter, the chance for a quick interview in the player's tunnel.

Flynn asked him five questions.

"What do you think was the reason for tonight's loss?"

"The other side was just better as a team, that's all."

"Recently, some critics have said you're an inconsistent-shooting version of Lamar Odom, what do you think?"

"Did Lamar's team make the playoffs?" (This isn't a question)

"No."

"Then I have nothing to say."

"Kenyon Martin thinks you're overrated, and this series proved it, what's your opinion?"

"I think his statement doesn't match very well with his Chinese tattoo ('suffer from one's own success')."

"What do you think about the rumors outside? About you and MJ."

"This is the last night of the season for the Wizards, could you please not bring up MJ?"

"Alright, last question, what are your plans for the off-season?"

"Oh, that, I guess I'll be busy, yeah, I'm sure I'll be busy."

Such is the fate of a superstar rookie who made the shoe company's money back in his debut season.

The interview ended, and Yu Fei prepared to head back to the locker room; he had a press conference to attend.

Flynn, remembering the recent rumors and the irreparable rift between Yu Fei and Jordan, really thought the seemingly bright future of the Wizards would completely change this summer.

"Frye, I have one more question."

Yu Fei stopped, turned around, "Don't push your luck, Thomas."

"This is the last one."

"Shoot."

"Would you consider repairing your relationship with MJ?"

"Absolutely not."

This indirectly answered the ultimate question that had been lingering in the mind of Thomas Flynn.

It's either him or me, not both.

That was the final outcome of the relationship between Yu Fei and Michael Jordan.