Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

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"Big Fei, there's no need to apologize to LeBron," Lawson said with casual disrespect, "The Cavs losing by 45 points isn't your fault."

Upon hearing this, Yu Fei's face darkened.

"Apologize? Did I say I was going to apologize?"

Lawson asked, "Then what are you going to do with him?"

Yu Fei smiled calmly, "Losing by 45 points in the season opener must be hard to swallow, but if you think about it, they've exposed their problems in the very first game. In the long run, that's a good thing, right?"

Images of Yu Fei showing off his moves at the Quicken Loans Arena flashed through Lawson's mind, along with ABC adding fuel to the fire by replaying those moments while also zooming in on James' face. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Would James consider that a good thing...?

You move into a new arena, ecstatic about the team's off-season moves, and everyone around you says you were nearly as good as that Big Fei character. Now that you've got everything you need, it's time to hit the road for the throne, ready to become the ultimate king of the league.

And then that so-called 'king' you treat like a brother comes up and stomps on you right at the outset, grinning and asks, "You think you're fit to be the king?"

Is that really a good thing?

"What's with that expression?" Yu Fei asked, noticing Lawson's ambiguous look.

Lawson said diplomatically, "I feel like LeBron might be a bit upset."

"That's exactly why I'm waiting for him here," Yu Fei declared with exaggerated righteousness, "He's my little bro; I can't let him go home with all those feelings."

Lawson had something on the tip of his tongue but hesitated to say it.

Big Fei, isn't there a chance, that seeing your 'little brother' here might make his bad mood even worse?

Since Big Fei had his own plans, Lawson decided not to say any more.

LeBron James walked into the media room's backstage corridor in silence, a path leading directly to the home team's locker room.

Seeing his solemn demeanor, Randy Mims didn't dare say much.

Rich Paul knew what was troubling James.

During the recent press conference, the media had asked about fifty questions related to Frye.

LeBron's mood was on the verge of collapse.

This only compounded Paul's dissatisfaction with Fei.

If the Bucks hadn't created a massacre in Cleveland, even if they lost, the media wouldn't have gone crazy dragging LeBron into "Frye Hell."

Ahead was a crossroads; going straight would lead to the home team locker room, while a turn would take one to the visiting team's.

What James and his team didn't expect was to find the architect of the massacre, smartly dressed and smiling, standing there.

"Frye...?"

Leaving the media scrum, James was still trapped in that "hell," but he never expected to meet the devil himself at the end of it.

"What, not happy to see me?"

Yu Fei asked with a smile.

James said, "I thought you'd already gone back."

"I figure tonight must've been tough for you, so I wanted to say a few words before I left," Yu Fei replied.

No sooner had Yu Fei's words fallen than Mims couldn't hold back, "The person who upset Bron is you, right? And now you're here acting like the good guy?!"

Where did this rude dog come from?

Lawson frowned; as the one "always seen with Frye," he never spoke up at times like this.

As an entourage member, it's important to know one's place; this was not a time for them to speak.

But Yu Fei looked kindly at the man, "Randy, you've misunderstood."

"Misunderstood what?"

"I mean, as a member of the Cavaliers, LeBron must be feeling down tonight. But as my most outstanding little brother, I think he performed admirably and should be proud," Yu Fei explained.

"What?!"

"You don't think LeBron played well tonight, do you?" Yu Fei argued persuasively, "He scored 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists. The reason the Cavs lost by so much ultimately comes down to an unsuitable tactical system. So I feel, as a member of the Cavs, LeBron is understandably upset tonight, but it's not his fault. The Cavs lost, but in our matchup, he didn't lose."

Yu Fei's smile conveyed affability, "I'm proud to have such an outstanding little brother."

It was clearly adding insult to injury, but coming from Big Fei's mouth, LeBron's night suddenly turned into a solo hero narrative?

Lawson was flabbergasted.

After losing by 45 points, do stats still matter? And besides, some of those stats were during garbage time...

Lawson struggled to keep his expression in check.

"Frye, do you think there's anything else we need to improve on?"

Regardless, Yu Fei's comments had successfully lifted James out of "hell."

Speaking with an English accent, Yu Fei said, "Dear LeBron, the only advice I can offer is for that idiot Mike Brown to give the damn ball back to you."

James remarked, "Mike thinks one person can't get it done."

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"You can ask him how he thinks about me single-handedly taking the team to the Eastern Conference Finals last year," Yu Fei said indifferently.

The last bit of displeasure in James' mind also vanished. Frye was right, the Cavaliers' problem was that their play style was unreasonable.

When the team drafted him that year, they were planning to build around him the way the Bucks built around Frye.

His former coach, Paul Silas, did just that, but the new owner thought Silas was an incompetent head coach and insisted on bringing in Mike Brown from the championship team, even though Brown's 03 Spurs built around the invincible Duncan had ultimately fallen to the Bucks with their trio of stars. Brown then tried to convince James to give up ball control.

Although James was reluctant, as a third-year player, he was willing to make some sacrifices for victory.

Then he got defensively destroyed by Big Fei.

As a result, he found that this crushing defeat might allow him to regain ball control, and his mood started to improve, which also made him accept Yu Fei's problematic yet effective words.

Setting aside the fact that they lost by 45 points, he had 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. That was not his fault.

"Frye, I know you actually didn't need to say these things to me," James said gratefully, "Thank you, you're a true friend."

Heartfelt exchanges feel really good.

Yu Fei smiled and said, "LeBron, it's always a pleasure to play against you. I hope the next time we meet, you won't lose by 45 points again."

James laughed in spite of himself, "Frye, if you keep talking about that, I'm really going to get mad..."

The two joked around for a while and then parted on good terms.

After Yu Fei left with Lawson, Mims, who was with James, said discontentedly, "If the Bucks had lost by 45 points tonight, I'm sure Frye would no longer call you his little brother! He would hate you just like he hates Michael!"

James replied unflinchingly, "Randy, you can't assume things that didn't happen."

Mims kept on complaining, "LeBron, I know him too well! That's just how he is!"

Unlike Randy Mims, Richie Paul was considering more complex issues.

"LeBron, I remember Bob (the agent) once said that for your longer-term development, you shouldn't let Frye keep calling you 'little brother,'" Paul said.

James's face remained expressionless: "I know."

"He's doing it on purpose," Paul looked at James, "A brother stands above a brother, and the younger will never surpass the elder."

James still said, "I know."

Paul thought James didn't understand the seriousness of the issue: "How many times did he emphasize this just in the span of a few sentences? LeBron, we can't let him keep posturing like this!"

James watched the direction in which Yu Fei had disappeared; there was no one there anymore.

His two loyal friends beside him were anxious, not knowing what magic potion Frye had fed this usually calm and rational guy.

"Frye is two years older than me," James said, "You all know he's outspoken. I don't care what he says, and besides, this is a basic way our society operates."

James smiled, "This is the United States, we have freedom of speech."

Paul didn't say anything further; he knew that James had his own ideas and perspective.

Maybe James still cherished the old help that Frye had given him, but as long as they played basketball and competed, as long as Frye represented Reebok and LeBron wore Nike on his feet, the result of the competition would be a conflict, and once the conflict started, the brother game would be over.

Whether they liked it or not, something in this world would force them to stand completely opposed.

Unfortunately, the relatives and friends of both Yu Fei and James would become part of this force.

"Big Fei, sometimes I really don't understand you," Lawson said.

"What's there to not understand?"

Lawson asked, "Why do you take such good care of LeBron?"

I just made him lose face at home, and you say I'm taking care of him?

"Because he's my little brother," Yu Fei replied out of habit.

Lawson said nonchalantly, "The way his hangers-on show no respect for you, it's clear he doesn't regard you as a big brother either."

"Oh right, now that you mention it, I know why my relationship with LeBron sometimes seems so fragile; it's because we have too many assholes like you around us spewing nonsense all day."

Lawson laughed, "I don't have the time to stir up trouble. Haven't you seen the way LeBron's entourage looks at you? They're the real assholes."

Yu Fei remembered the way Randy Mims behaved around him.

They say that people call each other 'brother' in private but curse like dogs in public. But Mims looked ready to devour him tonight; who knows what he's been saying about me to LeBron.

No matter how sincere the sentiments are, they become fragile in such situations.

Stopping outside the visiting team's locker room, Yu Fei said to Lawson, "No matter what, I have a clear conscience about LeBron."

Lawson nodded in agreement.

"And," Yu Fei added, "from today on, don't speak ill of LeBron."

"It's not like he can hear us..."

"I don't want to hear it," Yu Fei said. "If you talk bad about him again, I'll trade you to the Clippers."

Lawson: "..."