Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

George Karl's mid-game interview provided the answer.

ABC's sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya asked Karl at the end of halftime, "Coach, how important do you think this game is for Frye?"

"That's not a question, Michelle," Karl said, "The real question is, how important is this game for Frye and Washington? Last season, Frye single-handedly took the Wizards into the playoffs, and after the season ended, the team's reward for him was to trade him to Milwaukee. I think this game is very important, it's not about the dispute between Frye and MJ, but what this trade really means. I believe Frye has answered that in the first half."

Yu Fei set the tone for the second half in the second quarter.

He was still targeting Jordan, but not only Jordan.

This was apparent in his indiscriminate one-on-one plays.

No matter who the Wizards arranged to guard him, he would blow them away.

In the third quarter alone, Yu Fei scored 14 points, all from one-on-ones.

By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Yu Fei's stats were 44 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists.

44 points were already a career-high for Yu Fei, but it wasn't over yet.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Yu Fei shook Cassell on the perimeter, causing a three-point defensive foul—this was also Cassell's sixth foul of the night.

Sam Cassell fouled out, and Yu Fei made all three free throws.

The Wizards' defense against Yu Fei became extreme.
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As soon as Yu Fei got the ball, double-teaming him was standard procedure, and usually a third player would join in once he started moving.

In one possession, Bobby Simmons, Michael Jordan, and Jerry Stackhouse all pushed him to the corner.

Yet Yu Fei jumped from the corner's edge, and when he shot, his line of sight was almost behind the backboard.

Nevertheless, nothing on the court was more stunning than this.

Like a miracle happening in a religious ceremony, Yu Fei's corner shot with a negative angle from downtown actually went straight into the net.

MCI became deathly quiet.

Jordan's eyes widened, finally experiencing the feeling his opponents had when defending against him in his youth.

To most people, it was more like an in-depth soulful education—a lesson on how Frye would perform if provoked—compared to 50 regular games with 30 points each, one groundbreaking dominant performance carried more weight for a player.

"Why don't you try guarding me with four people?"

Yu Fei asked with deadly intent.

D.C. collapsed.

The Wizards lost their fighting spirit, and the game quickly entered garbage time. When Yu Fei was substituted out, he left the data of 56 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists.

At the final buzzer, the Bucks crushed the Wizards 122 to 88, winning this nationally watched showdown.

Post-game interview

"I suggested letting Frye continue to play to get at least 60 points, but he refused." — George Karl was asked why Frye didn't play in the last eight minutes of garbage time.

"It's hard to believe someone could score 56 points on 28 shots, not to mention grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. Aside from a few assists, the performance was impeccable. No doubt, this was the greatest individual performance I've ever seen." — George Karl commented on Yu Fei's performance tonight.

"Frye didn't pass the ball in the first half, so I criticized him, and in the second half, he increased his passing, although there were still too many one-on-ones, but he's a young man who's very open to coaching." — Ray Allen discussed Yu Fei's performance.

"My job tonight was to get the ball to Frye and then get out of the way." — Latrell Sprewell talked about his 8 assists.

"We had no answer for Frye tonight. I've never seen anyone put on a performance like that." — Jerry Stackhouse appraised Yu Fei's performance.

"Why can't I touch him on my own home court? If everyone was protected like that, then putting up such a performance wouldn't be a big deal." — Sam Cassell expressed dissatisfaction with the star treatment Yu Fei received.

"There's nothing much to say, that's Frye. We even tried three people to guard him in the fourth quarter and we couldn't contain him." — Kwame Brown described feeling helpless as Yu Fei dunked over him.

"I tip my hat to Frye tonight." — Doug Collins commented on Yu Fei's performance.

(Jordan refused the postgame interview.)

Being the star under everyone's scrutiny has its downsides, like feeling there's a never-ending stream of media personnel to deal with after every game.

Courtside interviews, hallway interviews, locker room interviews, postgame interviews.

And that's not all.

Occasionally, some journalists who know Yu Fei personally would want to set up private interviews.

Today, Yu Fei encountered ESPN columnist and reporter Adrian Wojnarowski at the MCI.

Having trouble remembering his name? He also goes by a nickname: WOJ.

That's right, he's the future prime king of scoops.

But at this time, WOJ was just a moderately famous reporter and columnist at ESPN, and he didn't focus solely on professional basketball—he dabbled in baseball and football as well.

Since arriving in Milwaukee, Yu Fei had been intentionally cultivating a good relationship with the media, especially those from ESPN. In his memory, these folks became influential experts after leaving ESPN. Building a good relationship now could only benefit the future.

WOJ's first question was, "What motivated you tonight?"

"Simply put, love and hate."

"Love and hate? Which was greater?"

"It's hard to say."

"Many believe Washington traded you too early and that it was a mistake, what do you think?"

"I don't dwell on what's already happened."

"Do you want to talk about the argument you and Michael had in the first quarter?"

Yu Fei smiled, "I said some unpleasant things."

"Can you share what you said?"

"Of course, there's nothing R-rated about it," Yu Fei said, "At that time, I had 13 points, and he had 2, so I kept reminding him of that fact."

"And Michael got angry?"

"I don't know, you all saw what happened."

WOJ astutely inquired, "You just mentioned your motivation tonight was a mix of love and hate toward D.C., where does the hate come from?"

That's the mark of a seasoned journalist, knowing the answer but not spelling it out.

Because if Yu Fei wanted to spell it out, he would do so himself. If he didn't, asking would just make the atmosphere awkward.

According to WOJ's understanding of Yu Fei, this wasn't a person who knew how to respect his elders.

So he was bound to say it.

To no surprise for WOJ, Yu Fei said with an expressionless face and an even tone, "My hatred comes from that man who didn't even dare to take interviews tonight."

"That's a well-known fact."

No matter how people viewed the game, no matter how sportswriters chose to evaluate it, its influence was undeniable.

Yu Fei demolished the Washington Wizards with his 56 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, making the proud Michael Jordan decline a postgame interview.

The hate he harbored against Jordan fueled his impressive feat, yet when he spoke of the source of his grudge, he did so as lightly as one would discuss their lunch, casually mentioning it before letting it go.

Because, Michael Jordan lived in the past, while Yu Fei would continue to move forward with this hatred.

PS: The leader has one more chapter to add, which will be added in a few days.

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