Chapter 8: Best Player, First Team, Want Them All
Yu Fei's performance on the second day of the Nike Regional Invitation Tournament cemented his reputation as one of the top high school players in the State of Washington.
And in the eyes of some sports writers, Yu Fei wasn't just a top high school player in Washington, but among the best nationwide.
In the following day's regional invitation tournament, Yu Fei led his team to back-to-back victories with stats of 8 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks as well as 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks, and they advanced to the finals on the fourth day.
This time, the Royal Team couldn't continue their winning streak because they met the Five Tigers Team led by Brandon Roy.
The gap in nominal strength surpassed the limit that Yu Fei could make up for.
Before the game, Hank Selvan told Yu Fei not to think about winning or losing but to focus on his individual performance.
Selvan was pragmatic because even if they won in the end, it wouldn't make much of a difference for the other members of the Royal Team, but if Yu Fei could prove he was the strongest player in the game, it would mean his ability surpassed Roy's.
As the best player in Washington State in the eyes of many, if Yu Fei's performance outshone Roy's, the title would transfer to him.
Ultimately, Yu Fei lived up to expectations, scoring 32 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and adding 6 assists and 6 blocks against the Five Tigers Team. Although the Royal Team didn't win, he was widely recognized as the best player of the game.
Through this game, Yu Fei and Roy became friends.
After the game, they talked for half an hour off the court.
Then, the Five Tigers Team participated in the final championship match.
Unsurprisingly, the Five Tigers Team, being the strongest both in skill and team chemistry, won the championship. With that, the official competition segment of the Nike Regional Invitation Tournament in Seattle came to a close.
There was a day of exhibition matches planned for tomorrow, and the tournament's MVP and the best team lineup would be announced.
That evening, Selvan took his team to a nearby famous Turkish restaurant to enjoy barbecue.
Some shared their good news.
The AAU tournament had the greatest impact on Fei, but the others benefited as well.
For instance, the team's only female player, Quinn Thomas, already known as a prominent player in Kent City, gained the attention of many colleges by performing well in the AAU tournament with the Royal Team.
Without making a name for herself, even if Quinn shined in Kent City, it would be hard for outsiders to notice her.
Because Kent City was a true basketball desert.
The former team captain, Bobby Jonas, was filled with pride. As the Royal Team's second-highest scorer, he officially received a college offer from California State University, Northridge after the day's game.
When Jonas mentioned the name of the school, everyone looked puzzled.
Only Yu Fei knew that it was a First Division League college ranked several hundred places down the list.
The 2020 CBA draft's number-one pick, Qu Junxuan, hailed from this school.
One could say it was a lousy school.
But even if it was lousy, it was still a First Division League college.
For Jonas, who had already been preparing to attend a community college, this offer not only saved his summer but could also change his life.
And Jonas knew that none of this would have been possible without Yu Fei.
Just as Jonas was about to say overly-sentimental words that would make Yu Fei's skin crawl, Lawson chimed in, "Bobby, if you really want to thank Big Fei, you should buy him a pork chop rice."
Everyone burst into laughter, and Jonas, a bit embarrassed, said, "Next time, for sure."
"Forget next time. Seattle's pork chop rice isn't good. I still prefer that Pork Chop Immortal in Kent City, that's the real deal..."
Today was a happy day, and nearly everyone was in high spirits.
The only exception was Anthony Lawson, who seemed down.
Yu Fei noticed his mood.
So, when they returned to the hotel, he made a point of visiting Lawson's room to find out what was on his mind.
"Don't tell me you're upset that we didn't win the final championship," Yu Fei said with a smile. "If that's the case, I'm out of here."
"No, of course not, getting this far is already a huge surprise," Lawson replied with a slight smile.
"What are you thinking about?" Yu Fei asked.
Lawson said, "It was only today that I realized no colleges are really interested in me. In fact, they only paid attention to me in order to make a connection with you."
Yu Fei was surprised that Lawson had only come to realize this now.
Should Lawson have been surprised? After all, what prospects does a center, who is not even two meters tall, have?
Even Ben Wallace, as short as he is for a center, stands at two meters.
The only NBA centers under two meters that Yu Fei could think of were Chuck Hayes and the fat "role-playing enthusiast" tiger.
The problem is, Lawson does not have the impressive defense of Hayes, nor does he have the fat tiger's alien physical quality of almost inhuman intuition.
He is just an average traditional center, but under two meters tall.
Such talent, let alone the NBA, even if taken overseas, he wouldn't have a future.
It was quite normal for college basketball to take no notice of him. It was only the sudden surge in attention towards the Royal Team in the last two days that caused him to have some misplaced illusions, but today's events totally changed his recognition.
"A college official told me that I could get their offer, but only if you promise to go to their school," Lawson said.
Yu Fei finally understood the dilemma Lawson was facing.
Everyone on the Royal Team was basking in Yu Fei's glory, which was a tacit fact.
They could deceive themselves into believing that the attention they got from the outside world was a reflection of their own talent.
But with Lawson, things were too explicit.
"It's an insult to you, Tony," Yu Fei said. "You should tell him to get lost. You don't need to respect someone who doesn't respect your efforts."
"Frye, do you think I could get an offer like Bobby did?" Lawson asked.
"I don't know, Tony," Yu Fei replied. "Who can say what the future holds? Just like with me—could you have imagined I would come this far a few months ago? Anything is possible."
After a night passed, Yu Fei headed back to the Nike regional invitation tournament venue.
The official games had ended, but today there would still be a celebrity game, a dunk contest, and a three-point contest.
As a member of the celebrity team, not to mention the individual contests, Yu Fei showed great chemistry with Roy throughout the celebrity game.
As Roy was off his shooting game, Yu Fei essentially controlled the game, his dunking show leaving fans regretful that he did not sign up for the dunk contest, and his fancy dribbling was a feast for the eyes of the audience.
Some college scouts started comparing him to Lamar Odom.
Others even went as far as calling him the yellow-skinned Magic Johnson.
In the end, Yu Fei, with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists, was named the MVP of the celebrity game.
Without a doubt, he was the best player of the invitation tournament.
After all events concluded, Yu Fei was elected the tournament MVP by a wide margin and, along with Roy and four others, made it to the all-star team.
When the invitation tournament's initiator, Brad Smith, handed him the best player trophy and the 5000 US Dollar prize, he looked at Yu Fei earnestly and said from the bottom of his heart, "Keep it up, kid. You are one of the best high school players I've ever seen."
From that point on, Yu Fei was no longer an ignored sign in high school basketball. He became a notable name, one that scouts would observe under a magnifying glass regardless of where he played.
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"I love Toronto and Vince, but I adore the championship even more. Orlando can bring me closer to it," Tracy McGrady told a reporter from The Orlando Sentinel.
"Patrick is a great player, and once the time comes, we will seize the victory to win. Basketball is unpredictable; sometimes, you have the best players and still fail to win," we can consider that the Knicks are willing to wait another year to see if Ewing can regain his form; if Ewing wants to leave, let him. However, other teams in the Eastern Conference are recruiting, and both Miami and Orlando are sharpening their claws. It won't be easy for the Knicks to win the championship; opportunities are fleeting. So, the Knicks should make up their minds to turn the page and start anew. —— The New York Times
"It wouldn't surprise me if these high school students declare for the 2001 NBA Draft: Eddie Curry, Kevin Torbert, Kwame Brown, DaJuan Wagner, Tyson Chandler, Ousmane Cisse (PF), Julius Hodge (SF), Desagana Diop, Rick Rickert (PF), and David Lee." —— Special Edition of Sports Illustrated: Faces in the Crowd
"The Seattle Nike regional invitation tournament concluded yesterday, with the eleventh grader Frye being chosen as the MVP. Could this kid from Kent City become the first NBA player from the region?" —— Special Edition of Sports Illustrated: High School Basketball Roundup
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