Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

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In front of the Bucks, the Cavaliers' offense and defense systems were both inadequate.

Although Mike Brown was a coach from the Spurs' system, he had neither learned how to manage a team under Popovich nor grasped the most basic coaching methods.

Popovich would use Duncan like a beast of burden, while the Bread Coach, with LeBron James as his workhorse, was still trying to figure out how to reduce his burden.

Following what would be common advice from future critics of James, the Bread Coach had him play more off the ball.

But for the Cavaliers, the problem wouldn't be solved simply by having James play without the ball.

The game plan limited James' ability to fully exert his strength, and the system was in disarray; half the game passed without any effective coordination, the position battles involved basic pick-and-roll to assist breakthroughs and isolation plays, then it was Irgenskas' posts up inside. When they were really stuck, they just let James take the ball and go one-on-one.

In contrast, after a few years of cohesion, the Bucks' 5 OUT and X-Offense around Yu Fei had matured considerably.

Against the Cavaliers, the Bucks didn't even use their 5 OUT lineup or play X-Offense. They just paired Yu Fei with a three-outside-one-inside lineup, casually focused on isolations, pick-and-roll, and fast breaks. By halftime, they were ahead by 18 points.

After racking up 9 points in the first quarter, Yu Fei shifted the offensive focus towards facilitating his teammates. By halftime, he had amassed 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, a near triple-double.

The Bucks' two major new recruits played brilliantly. Raja Bell, although somewhat embarrassed in his defense against James, was generally an elite-level perimeter defender and provided a reliable three-point shooting option on offense. Kwame Brown essentially met expectations; he demonstrated everything the Bucks hoped for.

Protecting the rim, individual defense, positioning, and a quick understanding with Yu Fei, among other things. Facing a star center like Big Z, Brown had his struggles, but as a center in a small-ball lineup, his performance was beyond reproach.

In the second quarter, the Bucks successively subbed in Mutombo and Pachulia to play the five, with the power forward position gradually transitioning from Granger to Haslem and Horry.

A powerful starting lineup, solid bench, and vibrant young blood brought a new luster to the Bucks.

"I really don't want to hear you compare LeBron with Frye anymore," George Karl complained during a halftime interview, "You've all seen it—whether it's in individual offense development or orchestrating the team, LeBron still has a considerable gap compared to Frye. Such comparisons are unfair to him. Frye is the best player in the League, while LeBron is still learning how to be a star. You should be more pragmatic. I think a more suitable comparison for LeBron would be Denver's Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo has taken the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs for two consecutive years, something that LeBron hasn't achieved yet. He should start with that as his goal."

Karl had an innate dislike for comparisons between James and Yu Fei.

Just like Phil Jackson also disliked people comparing young players to Jordan.

In their eyes, there simply was no comparison.

Karl's bias was even stronger because his coaching career had reached its peak under Yu Fei's leadership. Even if someone claimed in his presence that Yu Fei was the greatest player in history, he would nod in agreement.

But for some reason, the League had taken to marketing James' future by tying him to Yu Fei, which was not only annoying for the involved parties but also an excessively heavy burden for James.

The standard set by Yu Fei was too high: taking the team to two championships within a rookie contract, reaching the Eastern Finals three times, how could James possibly catch up? Not to mention the significant difference between their technical maturity during the same period, the Cavaliers' lineup also limited James' current ceiling as a team leader.

When Karl walked into the locker room, he found Yu Fei using his tactical board to explain first-half mistakes to Kevin Martin.

"If you had chosen to move to the left instead of following under the basket, the space wouldn't have been clogged," said Yu Fei. "I really don't understand why you like playing under the basket so much."

After adapting to the pace of the game, Martin's aggressive style broke many people's perceptions of him.

He was the type of player with a thin frame but daring enough to charge into the thick of it.

"I'll spread out next time," Martin responded.

When Yu Fei saw Karl coming, he put down the tactical board and went back to his seat.

Despite the second half yet to come, Karl had practically conceded victory; the Cavaliers, without the proper use of James and lacking a system to fall back on, could not possibly be a match for the Bucks.

"We're in good form tonight. As long as we maintain the rhythm of the first half, we're sure to win the match," Karl said. "So, I will try to use more rotations. Everyone on the activation list has to be ready to take the court."

In the second half, the Bucks' starters became Yu Fei, Barry, Bell, Horry, and Mutombo.

It was still a three-outside-one-inside lineup, but this one had two players who shot over 40% from three-point range last season.

As the game started, whether Yu Fei called for Barry to run a pick-and-roll or for Bell to do so, the Cavaliers couldn't defend it.

The score widened quickly.

Midway through the third quarter, when the gap reached 24 points, the numbers on the scoreboard lost their meaning.

The Cavaliers were destined to start their season on a losing note.

This was the return of the Bucks team that had swept across the League to win back-to-back championships.

Yu Fei played with great excitement; his passes were flashy, his offense alternated between step-back long-range shots and driving for explosive dunks.

This was LeBron James' kingdom.

But now, the kingdom had been conquered; Yu Fei scored every time he attacked.

Before the game ended, James' friends and family could no longer bear to watch.

"Why does Frye have to do this?"

When the difference exceeded 30 points, Maverick Carter could no longer stand to watch.

James' mother and girlfriends looked helpless, and as Rich Paul looked towards the stands, where the Nike marketers wished they could find a hole to hide in, he knew the impact of the game would be more significant than expected.

James wasn't as good as Yu Fei yet, a fact everyone had anticipated.

But if the gap was too obvious, it would undoubtedly lead to disappointment.

Originally, people thought James was almost within reach of Yu Fei's coattails, but now it seemed he could barely glimpse Yu Fei's silhouette.

"Bron always says Frye is his friend," Paul said with a stern face, "but a true friend wouldn't embarrass him on a night like this."

While James' friends and family were indignant, Yu Fei chose to sit out when there were still eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

By then, the Cavaliers were trailing the Bucks by 35 points.

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Yu Fei changed into his tracksuit, effectively announcing he wouldn't be playing anymore.

Yet, the shadow he left on the Cavaliers was already substantial enough.

His astonishing performance of 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in 32 minutes spoke for itself.

James played a few more minutes, contributing 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, before resting the last five minutes of the game.

"Going so hard, won't it be awkward when you meet later?"

Karl jokingly said to Yu Fei.

Yu Fei spread his hands; he had only played for 32 minutes. As the absolute core of the Bucks, as long as he was on the court, his performance dictated the team's overall play. And once he performed well, the Bucks were bound to be unstoppable, and his stats would look impressive.

This is the foundation of a leading player who dominates everything with the ball in hand.

He had some showtime moments in the third quarter, but those were just a natural result of getting into the zone. No one expected the Cavaliers, ranked tenth in the league by ESPN in the preseason preview, to falter so easily.

What made it even harder for Yu Fei to keep a straight face was that during the subsequent garbage time, the Bucks players on the court played like killing machines.

In the paint were Pachulia and Haslem; on the perimeter were Salim Stoudamire, Trevor Ariza, and Kevin Martin.

Stoudamire was effective in shooting and passing; Martin transformed into an offensive powerhouse, scoring at will; Ariza shut down the Cavaliers' perimeter, and the paint intensity of Haslem and Pachulia was frankly too much for garbage time.

When the game ended, Yu Fei looked at the scoreboard...

121 to 76

Now this was truly awkward.

The offseason had seen major reinforcements, a new arena for the new season, and all the high hopes the refreshed Cavaliers had for the new season were shattered in this game.

A 45-point gap.

Did these two teams have a vendetta? Going so hard even in garbage time?

"Boss, how did I do in those few minutes?"

The excited Kevin Martin, who thrived in garbage time, asked.

Yu Fei replied, with a forced smile, "Keep working hard."

Yu Fei was about to say a few words to LeBron, but as soon as the game ended, James had disappeared.

In the post-game interview, an ABC reporter inevitably brought up Martin's performance.

"Ever since the Bucks drafted Kevin Martin, you have been the subject of much controversy. Do you think Kevin's performance tonight vindicated you?"

So ruthlessly defeated, one breath is not enough, it takes two.

Yu Fei said, with a forced smile, "I think it did."

"Are you proud of him?"

Yu Fei laughed, "I'm super proud of him."

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"I don't dwell on the outcome of a single game."

James responded sensibly to the question about the dismal start to the season.

The journalists in the media room could tell that this James was not the one they usually saw.

The usual James could chat away to anyone as if he were 101 years old, not 21; as if he knew everything about the world.

But today, he had no such interest.

"Does playing against Frye put pressure on you?"

James's expression changed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"As Frye's little brother, does facing your big brother on the court pressure you?"

Normally, James would just smile off any mention of being Frye's little brother, but after such a heavy defeat, the term 'little brother' sounded completely different.

James didn't have an older brother, but he had seen many younger brothers who were bullied, beaten, and completely dominated by their elders, just like tonight's game.

"I'm not pressured."

"What's your take on Frye's triple-double?"

"He had a great game."
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"How do you feel you measure up to Frye, and where do you see your shortcomings..."

Expectations of becoming Jordan, or even surpassing him, had been thrust upon James by the world, but now he was faced with a hell named Frye.

No matter what he did, he couldn't escape this hell.

James wondered if one day, even if he destroyed the world, a reporter would crawl out of the rubble to ask him, "Frye could have destroyed the world in less time, what do you think you need to do to close that gap?"

Whenever Frye Hell emerged, LeBron Raymond James felt an unfamiliar emotion welling up inside him. He had never felt this way before, but it was real, coming from within, an emotion he usually dared not face but now laid bare in his mind.

I really fucking want to fuck this world up!!!