Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Larry Turner, although officially listed at 6 feet 10 inches, was clearly the same height as Yu Fei when they jumped for the ball.

This wasn't Turner's problem, this was Yu Fei's problem.

Accounting for shoe height, Yu Fei was also 6 feet 10 inches, but who could blame him for being real?

Ranked 71st nationwide, Turner's playing style, focused on defense and inside scoring as a traditional center, was somewhat similar to Jeffrey Dai, who had been fiercely schooled by Yu Fei before.

As both sides jumped for the ball, Yu Fei, with his lightning-fast leap, hit the ball directly to the Royal Team's starting shooting guard, Will Perkins.

Perkins, under 1.9 meters tall, was the second leading scorer for the Royal Team, averaging 18 points a game, a valuable asset for Yu Fei.

As the only eleventh grader in the starting lineup, Perkins excelled at only two things: fast breaks and shooting threes.

And this was exactly the help Yu Fei needed.

Due to Yu Fei's many blocks and defensive assists per game, the Royal Team had numerous defensive counter-attack opportunities, which was when Perkins shone.

In settled play, Perkins was also known for his daring three-point shots.

With his excellent counter-attacking skills and outside shooting, Perkins, riding on the coattails of Yu Fei, had caught the interest of the NCAA First Division League, currently holding three offers, a future full of promise.

Tonight, opening with the first ball of the game, Perkins quickly drove upcourt, opting for a trailing three.

Unfortunately, the arc was off, and the ball brushed the rim and out.

Long Beach High School wanted to counter quickly.

Their starting point guard, Josh Barnard, rushed upcourt and went for a layup.

However, his shot was halfway there when it was swatted to the ground by Yu Fei, who had quickly recovered in defense.

Barnard's athletic ability couldn't compare with Yu Fei's, and even though he had jumped first, Yu Fei still managed to catch the ball and throw a stunning full-court pass soon after landing.

Ahead, Anthony Lawson scored an easy basket for the Royal Team, opening the game.

"Tony, you should have dunked that!"

Yu Fei was particular about Lawson's choice of attack.

Unquestioned about his offensive decision, the captain of the Royal Team casually countered, "You think everyone can jump like you?"

The Royal Team's defensive rounds had a distinctive feature. Talent-wise, apart from Yu Fei, everyone else was inferior to the opposition. Hence, they didn't aim to fully shut down their opponents on the defense but rather limited their shooting. If the opponents wanted to break through and challenge Yu Fei, they were welcome to try.

Having been blocked by Yu Fei once, Barnard didn't lose faith and attempted to break through again, choosing a high lob, but still faced serious interference from Yu Fei.

Barnard missed the floater, Lawson secured the rebound, and passed it to Yu Fei to advance.

The crowd at Key Arena began to erupt; this was Yu Fei's signature style.

Such a large figure, dribbling all the way from the backcourt to the front, could easily handle the close pressure from the opponent's guards.

This convinced many college scouts that Yu Fei could play as a point guard at a higher level of competition.

Long Beach High School's other top national player, Errol Knight, took the initiative in intercepting Yu Fei.

Knight's rank of 80th nationwide was mainly due to two aspects: he had decent one-on-one defensive skills, and he posed a threat when carrying the ball.

This was a well-rounded forward-guard.

Unfortunately for Knight, the lack of formidable physicality limited his ceiling, and whether his offensive skills would be effective on a higher stage was in question.

Yu Fei did not give up on dribbling because of Knight's defensive reputation. Instead, he powered forward relying on his physicality, then lowered his center of gravity and started a show-stopping performance.

Beyond the three-point line at the top of the key, Yu Fei performed continuous between-the-legs crossovers. The basketball seemed too small for his large hands, which controlled it effortlessly, and his sense for the game was so keen. This terrifying coordination, in stark contrast to his stature, caused a seismic shift in the pupils of the audience.

Yu Fei repeatedly faked left and right, leaving Knight two body lengths behind, and then pulled up to launch a three.

"Swish!"

"Frye is putting on a show!" the in-game commentator shouted excitedly. "Of all the best 100 high school players in Seattle, 99 of them would be scared to face Errol Knight's defense. Unfortunately, Errol met the one person today who is not only not afraid of him but has also left him helpless."

A dissatisfied Knight responded to Yu Fei with an ultra-long three.

Afterward, Yu Fei got the ball high up, took a strong step to get past his opponent, and dunked over the opponent's power forward for a 2+1.

"Who's guarding me?" Yu Fei mocked as he looked at the opponent he'd just dunked on. "Why can't I feel the presence of any defense?"

Larry Turner couldn't hold back and stood up for his teammate. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you about sportsmanship on the court, Big Fei?"

Yu Fei chest-bumped Turner. "Who's to blame for him getting posterized, and you have the nerve to speak up for him?"

The tension flared between them, the insults flying. Then the referee intervened, preventing the situation from escalating and sternly warned both parties.

Yu Fei hadn't yet developed his own style when it came to dealing with opponents.

The trash talk now was less about humiliating the opponent and more a strategic move.

One couldn't say much about Turner, but his defense was better than that of the similarly styled Jeffrey Dai. Besides, he knew he couldn't score on Yu Fei's defense, so he hardly ever asked for the ball to take an offensive shot.

This was a man with self-awareness.

But could anger make this rationality disappear?

The answer was yes.

Yu Fei deliberately appeared weaker in the post, giving Turner an excellent offensive opportunity.

Turner, receiving the ball, pushed off Yu Fei with all his might, failing to notice that Yu Fei had only taken a step back, still with plenty of room and energy to block the shot.

By the time Turner realized Yu Fei could still react defensively, it was already too late.

Yu Fei slapped Turner's shot away, and although Turner's teammate secured the ball, they had only a few seconds left of the shot clock and were forced to attempt an unlikely buzzer-beating three-pointer.

The shooter was Knight, who had earlier nailed a long three-pointer, but this time, he wasn't lucky.

The missed long-distance three led to a long rebound, which the Royal Team secured, and they immediately began their counterattack.

Will Perkins moved to his favorite spot and boldly fired a fast-break three-pointer.

Shooting like that in a fast break while having a numerical advantage was undoubtedly madness.

Perkins wanted to quickly widen the score gap, but his shooting touch didn't support him in this endeavor.

"Bang!"

It missed, but...

Yu Fei appeared in the frontcourt, grabbed the offensive rebound, dunked immediately, and drew a defensive foul from the opponent, earning another 2+1.

"Frye Yu is as hot as a boiling furnace!"

Yu Fei, wearing Kent Meridian High School's Royal Team's dark blue and black jersey with the number 5, meant nothing to him. But to the opponent, that number was the grim reaper's.

Be it Larry Turner or Errol Knight, every Long Beach High School player who saw that number would embarrass themselves on the court.

"Why was there a foul?" Yu Fei arrogantly laughed and asked, "Clearly, no one is guarding me!"

The referee snapped, "No talking, this is your last warning!"

"Sorry, please let me say one last thing." Yu Fei turned around, looked down at his opponents with a superior attitude, and declared, "To deal with you guys, just scoring 50 points is enough for me!"

That was his declaration, he was going for 50 points.

Yu Fei's words soared through the court like an eagle's cry, and everyone who heard could feel the absolute confidence in those words. They could even scent the confidence itself, which, like a fierce beast baring its claws, was ripping apart Long Beach High School's pride.

This world is sick, this world is wicked.

The eagle circles above, the noose falls, the doves coo incessantly, and the funereal march for Long Beach High School has begun.

"Swish!"

Yu Fei made the free throw.

The opponents were dumbfounded, Key Arena erupted in cheers for Yu Fei, and everyone glanced at Larry Turner's face, which showed nothing but dejection and unease.

Sitting at the center of the venue, Gary Smith wrote, "At the end of the first half, Frye Yu dominated with 38 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 blocks. The skies of Washington State are within his reach, and Long Beach High School is destined to be a minor stumbling block in his journey. After today, the college basketball world's interest and pursuit of him will grow tenfold. Yet thus far, he has shown no interest in college. Is this really what he wants? Where will his next stop be? It remains a mystery."

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