Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Post-game Interview

"LeBron has the physique of a man, but he's still a kid. It's unfair to expect him to compete with Frye right now." — Paul Silas discussing The Chosen One and Little Emperor's showdown.

"I absolutely want to stay here. LeBron and I could become the golden duo that turns Cleveland's fortunes around." — Ricky Davis reaffirming his desire for a long-term commitment to the Cavaliers.

"I wouldn't compare LeBron to Frye now; LeBron should be compared to Frye two years ago. In my opinion, he still has a long way to go." — George Karl discussing Yu Fei's showdown with James.

"LBJ is overrated, Big Fei is The Chosen One, and indeed the King." — Quentin Richardson discussing Yu Fei's showdown with James.

"Rookie season Frye put up all-around stats that are rare nowadays and took the Wizards to the playoffs, even with the team's first- and second-choice players out for the season. If you're going to tell me LeBron is stronger than Frye was back then, I think, Frye has left him a trial to surpass." — Christian Laettner discussing the gap between James and Yu Fei.

"You know, LeBron is my little brother, and I wanted to give him an impressive game, and I think I did." — Yu Fei discussing this game.

LeBron James took a deep breath, despite performing well—he scored 18 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and handed out 6 assists—but Yu Fei's performance was too good.

Even a bit too good.

49 points marked Yu Fei's highest score of the season thus far.

James believed that a bunch of people in the media room would ask him what it felt like to have Yu Fei score 49 points on his head.
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In 2000, Jordan released a documentary called "Ultimate Jordan," in which he briefly talked about his reasons for retiring, not wanting to face a plethora of microphones and cameras wherever he went.

That was Jordan at his peak.

But James had received such media attention since entering the league.

The media room door was pushed open, and dozens of media outlets were waiting inside to ask their questions.

"LeBron, how do you feel about the game against Frye?"

"You know, he's a great player, and I have a lot to learn from him."

"Frye scored his season's highest points tonight, was there a problem on the defensive side?"

"We'll find the problems through video analysis."

"Frye said you're his little brother and that he wanted to give you an impressive game, how do you feel about that?"

James's mind flashed with Yu Fei's various performances on the court, especially that moment—making him look like a fool with a crossover, a sudden stop, and a bow—he indeed looked very clumsy.

Sometimes he didn't understand why Frye would throw himself into the game with such passion.

What was the benefit for him to embarrass him on the court?

"He did." James answered.

"Frye managed to lead the Wizards to the playoffs in his rookie season, are you confident you can do the same with Cleveland?"

"I will do my best."

"Frye..."

Frye, Frye, endless Frye, non-stop Frye.

It seemed like these journalists couldn't ask questions without mentioning Frye.

If James had scored 30 points tonight, he would have been able to handle these questions easily, but he only had 18 points, even if that was doubled, it still fell short of Frye's score by 13 points.

"After you entered the league, how much help has Frye provided to you?"

Another question about Frye.

James had heard that Yu Fei blew up in D.C. because the reporters kept asking too many questions about Jordan.

Now, that dragon named Jordan had been slain by Yu Fei.

Yet, the same phenomenon continued unabated.

It just changed to another name.

Yu Fei had become that dragon.

James didn't know how much effort he would need to change this situation, and although it wasn't Yu Fei's fault, inside, a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction was growing.

Still, his face showed no emotion.

"So much, man, it's not something that can be explained in just a few words."

Then, James faced tonight's ultimate question.

It was posed by a Seattle Times reporter: "As high school rookies, Frye currently stands at the pinnacle of the league. Some compare you two to the 21st century's Larry and Magic, but from tonight's game, it seems you still have many areas to improve. In your view, what does your competition with Frye mean?"

The top echelon of the basketball world is crowded, a fact Yu Fei understood early in his rookie season.

There's often only room for one at the highest throne.

From beginning to end, Yu Fei believed there was only space for one person at the very top.

And James? As the iconic "I want to be like Mike" figure, he dreamed of achieving a long reign like Jordan's.

He could share everything else, but not this one.

"It means… I have to do a lot to keep up with Frye's pace. He is the new generation's Magic, and I…" James paused for a few seconds and then said, "I'm just myself. You know, I'm LeBron James, a kid from Akron."