Some top college basketball recruiters, who had only heard of Yu Fei but had never seen him play in person, had initially worried that his stature wouldn't be sufficient for him to play as a center in higher-level games.
Now, those thoughts had vanished.
Yu Fei had always played as a center because, aside from him, the Royal Team had no one else capable of fulfilling the role of a center in high-standard high school competitions.
Defensively, he was a center, dutifully serving as the defensive anchor, but on offense, he showed no difference from a forward or even a guard.
He liked to dribble, had adept ball-handling skills, could pull off various guard-like dribbling moves, and possessed a shooting ability. Though he had only recently developed this skill, he was full of confidence, willing to take shots, and his shooting form looked good; with persistent practice, he was sure to turn shooting into a standard weapon in his offensive arsenal.
Long Beach High School was crushed by Yu Fei on both offense and defense.
They couldn't effectively penetrate the zone guarded by Yu Fei.
The closer they tried to get to the basket, the less success they had.
This was Long Beach High School's biggest problem; they were a team that liked to play inside, but they lacked a powerful weapon on the perimeter. Before, relying on Larry Turner and the overall superiority of their roster, they could score in the paint against other teams, but against a talent like Yu Fei, who was beyond the level of a Washington State 4A high school player, they were stopped in their tracks.
Worse yet, Yu Fei not only dominated defensively—his performance on offense was equally devastating.
With enthusiasm, Yu Fei exhibited graceful guard skills that made it easy to forget he was a center who kept serving up blocks to the opposing players.
In the first half, his shooting touch was a bit off, but starting from the second half, he began to hit open threes, and then Long Beach High School could no longer leave him open.
Yu Fei demolished Long Beach High School with his exceptional control over both offense and defense, scoring 51 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, and 10 blocks in this championship battle, leading Kent Meridian High School to its first-ever state championship.
The moment the game ended, Yu Fei was surrounded by his teammates, and the Key Arena was engulfed in an indescribable frenzy.
The experts, scouts, and college recruiters who had come to watch him all felt the trip was worthwhile.
Yu Fei was the real deal.
This was not just because Yu Fei single-handedly tore apart Long Beach High School, but also because he showcased many skills that could be effective at even higher levels of competition.
Yu Fei was unanimously recognized as a top ten high school player in the nation.
Post-ups were tiring, and when it came to reliability, they weren't as good as mid-to-long range shots. Facing a formidable foe like Long Beach High School, the Royal Team couldn't afford errors, and Yu Fei had to play the game in the way he was best at.
Developing his inside offensive game was definitely on the agenda, but not for now.
What he needed now was to win.
He had won, and that was enough.
Afterwards, all the Washington State 4A high school basketball teams that entered the finals gathered on site to commence the awarding of various prizes.
Yu Fei received several of the most important awards; the rest were not worth mentioning.
Later, the basketball team players and their parents met up and booked a restaurant near Key Arena for a group meal.
Inside, they celebrated and frolicked, everyone forgetting themselves in the excitement.
For the Royal Team, the state championship was something they had not even dared to dream of, and now it had become a reality.
The principal of Kent Meridian High School spoke movingly in her toast, and many of the parents were natives of Kent City. They were born there, grew up there, and would eventually be buried there. When they realized that the state championship won by the Royal Team was not only the first overall championship in K-M's history but also the first high school basketball state championship in the history of Kent City, most of them proudly shed tears.
Since the start of the dinner, people continuously entered the restaurant to congratulate the Royal Team.
Sport has a kind of magic that can make people stop caring about other external matters.
Today, in 2001, the United States is entering a turning point into the new century, during which the established order since the Cold War era of the past century will be completely overturned.
In comparison to the unpredictable major era, Yu Fei is just a unique ordinary person. His presence is special not only to Kent City but also to Seattle, which is ten miles away. Today, he led Kent Meridian High School to win the state championship, and the news devoured everything around it like a whirlpool.
All of a sudden, this dark-haired, yellow-skinned twelfth-grader became the most popular topic in Washington State, and the waves generated engulfed both Yu Fei and Seattle. He became even more popular than Gary Payton and Rashard Lewis.
The people who watched him grow up were filled with hope, and what were once vague or wavering expectations had now become a belief. They believed that one day in the future, Yu Fei would step onto a bigger stage and, with a cold smile, completely destroy his competitors just as he did today.
The funniest thing was when they were full and ready to go home, the restaurant owner came over. She was a Latina lady in her sixties, dressed elegantly—just like those ladies who frequent the country club. She approached Yu Fei and said sincerely, "Fulai, watching you compete with the other players made me feel as if I was watching my own son. Congratulations on your victory."
Yu Fei smiled politely and replied, "Thank you for the support, I also felt a grandmotherly warmth in you."