Yu Fei didn't know the specifics of Richard Hamilton's situation, but his team insisted it was a joint decision with the franchise.
Now, with less than a month left in the regular season and the Wizards in the critical phase of pushing for the playoffs, losing Hamilton had no small impact.
Yu Fei thus became the team's unequivocal number one player.
This was both an opportunity and a challenge for Fei because, starting today, each opponent they faced would target him as the key player needing special defensive attention.
Meanwhile, the Wizards' chances of making the playoffs also dropped to the lowest point.
The reason was simple.
"This team lost two players who average 20 points per game, and now they are led by a rookie who just turned 19. Does anyone really believe they can make it to the playoffs?"
This was written in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.
And it was essentially the consensus among analysts.
"Perhaps you don't believe it, but I like our current situation," said Doug Collins to The Washington Post reporters before the Wizards set off for their next away game.
The other party wanted to know why.
Collins said, "We still have Frye."
"But... Frye is also just a rookie."
"His performance has already far exceeded the value of a rookie," Collins suddenly became Fei's biggest supporter, "He has already created many miracles, why can't we be a little bolder, trust him a little more? Maybe he really can."
Now isn't the time for you to hold him back from starting, is it? To trust him more?
The reporter could only nod, indeed, Yu Fei was the only hope for the Wizards this season.
And this highly anticipated person was now preparing to attend a high school game while on the way to play an away game in Cleveland.
You guessed it right, aside from LeBron James's high school game, there was no other high schooler worth Yu Fei caring so much about.
Starting this year, LeBron James has become a name that all basketball enthusiasts can't ignore.
Just like how American scouts had been discussing Yao Ming since the year 2000.
In February of this year, James graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and the magazine even wrote a feature article on him titled "Born to be a King."
Initially, James's reputation was local, but after this article, he immediately became a national celebrity.
As long as there were games with him, the ticket revenue would double, and the school even chose to move the home court to an arena that could accommodate 5,000 people (which is considered large for a high school game).
So far, many celebrities have made it a point to go watch his games.
From the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal has already attended James's game.
Since they were in Cleveland for a game and LeBron had a match scheduled, how could he, as the older brother figure, not turn up to support his younger brother on the scene?
So, he went and even gave LeBron a heads-up in advance.
When Yu Fei saw that James had indeed brought a large group of people to the game to support him, he felt his motivation multiply.
If originally he just wanted to win the game, now he not only wanted to win but to win impressively, making James feel his visit was worthwhile.
That evening, the commentators kept reminding everyone that Yu Fei had originally been selected by the Cavaliers with the eighth overall pick in the first round.
So why didn't he play for the Cavaliers?
Because the Cavaliers didn't believe this high school player could quickly realize his potential. They wanted someone who could immediately score for the team. So when the Wizards offered Courtney Alexander, who had averaged 17 points last season, plus two future first-round picks, they didn't hesitate to send Yu Fei to D.C.
Halfway through the season, Yu Fei's stats soared—averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, he could say he had the Rookie of the Year award firmly in his hands. And the Cavaliers? Well, they might get an extra lottery pick this year—if the Wizards don't make the playoffs—but the player that had prompted the trade, Courtney Alexander, had shown his true colors in Cleveland, exhibiting none of the All-Star potential, with an average of 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. He was decent as a bench player, but expecting him to be the high-scoring wing the team wanted was wishful thinking.
The stark contrast between the two outcomes was so evident and brutal that whenever Courtney Alexander played, the Cavaliers' fans couldn't suppress their bitterness and would let out loud jeers.
Yu Fei, on the other hand, tore through the opposition with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, notching his sixth triple-double of the rookie season, and leading his team to defeat the Cavaliers.
This victory elevated the Wizards to sixth in the Eastern Conference—a position that could tentatively be called safe—and helped the team realize that Bobby Simmons, acquired in the Chris Whitney trade, was quite energetic. Although not a sharpshooter, his athletic ability was well-suited to fast breaks led by Yu Fei.
Doug Collins decided to give him more opportunities in the upcoming games.
Meanwhile, Yu Fei took part in the post-game interview with great enthusiasm.
"I like Cleveland; I really do. Not only does it have the best fans, but also my little brother LeBron James, who was here tonight. This performance is for him!"
Everyone was surprised by the familiarity between Yu Fei and James.
Calling each other "little brother" out loud, had their relationship evolved to that of sworn brothers?
At the press conference that night, the local Cleveland media asked Yu Fei almost all about James.
Each of Yu Fei's answers was filled with affection and praise for James.
How LeBron would be the greatest high school basketball player in history, how "my little brother" LeBron should get NBA draft eligibility in 2002, how the Cavaliers shouldn't worry about missing out on him—if they are patient, perhaps they may be able to draft the promising "King" James.
That last point was key.
Yu Fei "subconsciously" made a prediction.
That night, before Yu Fei returned to his hotel, he met James outside the arena.
James brought Yu Fei some homemade snacks from his mom.
"My mom said your performance tonight deserved this," said James, his face full of envy, "This is what I only get when I score 40 points!"
Yu Fei laughed and accepted the treat. Before he left, he said to James, "LeBron, I hope to see you in the NBA soon. If you need anything, you can call me anytime."
Deep down, James felt that Yu Fei was similar to himself.
Both treated their friends with the same brotherly warmth and care.
This made him look forward even more to his future NBA career. He was eager to compete against Yu Fei on the court as soon as possible.
What LeBron James didn't know was that fate's cogs had already started to turn. The affectionate big brother today might become a demon tomorrow. But he was too young to know that most of the good people he met in life would leave an indelible mark on his journey.
PS: I'm making a chapter focused on LeBron as I need to clear my thoughts. Big Fei's rookie season is nearing its finale.