Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

The end of the All-Star Game signified the end of the All-Star break.

Two days later, the Wizards would face the Lakers Team for the first time this season.

But Yu Fei seemed to have exhausted too much energy in Philadelphia, and on his first day back in D.C., he missed the day's practice due to the flu. The next day, his condition did not improve, meaning he would undoubtedly miss the season's first game against the Lakers.

"Change the channel! I don't want to watch this!"

On the night of the game, Yu Fei stayed on his home's sofa, as Anthony Lawson switched the TV to the game channel.

It was the game between the Wizards and the Lakers.

"Let's just watch and see how strong the Wizards are without you," Lawson said with a laugh.

Sick people are always pessimistic, "Can they beat the Lakers with or without me?"

"You can still watch and see."

The pre-game interviews were happening right now.

Moreover, it was Jordan's interview.

Even though the game's hype mostly revolved around Kobe and Jordan, some media realized this was Jordan's first time playing against a Phil Jackson-coached team as a player for another team.

Therefore, people wanted to know Jordan's thoughts.

Jordan's true feelings were rarely seen during his time with the Wizards, and this was one of those rare occasions.

"We know that our friendship will transcend any competition on the basketball court, and whatever happens, there is a feeling of love between us."

Would Doug Collins cry? When will he and Jordan develop a feeling of love?

However, Phil Jackson, who believes in Zen, seems to have sealed off his emotions. He seldom shows excitement, "Michael is one of the most special players I've ever coached. I can't tell you how lucky I am in words."

Jackson's words are equally touching, but his expression and tone are very calm.

Despite claims from Jackson, Collins, Jordan, and Kobe that this game was not a personal duel, when Shaquille O'Neal missed the game due to a toe injury, Kobe became the lone star of the Lakers, and the implication of a personal contest became even clearer.

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers won the game.

But if we go into the details of the game, Kobe's performance was of much higher quality, primarily defending Richard Hamilton. Although the two are good friends, they have also been rivals since childhood.

In the 1995 and 1996 Pennsylvania state championships, Kobe led his team to victory over Hamilton and even had a heroic moment in a regular-season game where he hit "The Shot" from mid-court.

Tonight, Kobe singlehandedly shut down Hamilton, who was playing his comeback game and then achieved the third triple-double of his career: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists (a career-high for assists).

Although Jordan scored 21 points, he was almost invisible in the game because he scored mostly in the first half, while Kobe surged in the second half. During the Lakers' run that took away the game, Jordan did not step up.

Then let's hear how he described the game afterward.

"I think everyone was expecting me to take over the game, but I couldn't get the ball..."

Yu Fei felt that if you traded away the team's best passer for your own selfish reasons, then you shouldn't complain about not getting the ball.

"I think the Lakers' defense worked on Rip. They stepped up their defense on him, and obviously, Rip didn't get anything going. He's coming back from injury, I understand that. But it's definitely a lesson for us... We succumbed to the pressure from the Lakers."

Is such blatant blame-shifting befitting of the Greatest of All Time?

"You know his (Phil Jackson's) teams will have solid defense. It's tough... you can imagine what other teams (back in Chicago) felt like going up against us."

Alright, Yu Fei knows what to give Big Dog for Christmas next year – a collection of every game from the Bulls' second three-peat to present to Jordan. That way, he can keep reminiscing about the past instead of returning to reality.

Phil Jackson was the only one concerned about Jordan: "41 minutes is too long for Michael, considering his age, it's risky."

Everyone could see Jordan struggling on the court except Collins "could not see it."

Two days later, in the game against the Suns, Yu Fei continued to sit out, while the Wizards battled the struggling Suns to the last second. Then, suddenly, Jordan came alive and hit a game-winning shot in the last ten seconds.

This was the 28th time in his career he had hit a game-winner in the final 10 seconds of a game.

For an old man whose mobility was so limited he was almost limping, it was indeed an impressive feat.

Then, Jordan's knee issues gradually worsened, and on his 39th birthday, he had to sit out another practice.

Before the rematch against the Rockets, Jordan rarely acknowledged his injury and told the young players, not including Yu Fei: "From now on, you have the chance to prove yourselves."

Yu Fei returned to the day-to-day list, and although he played for 18 minutes, Collins did not let him play too long in his comeback game to protect him.

Then, Yu Fei found that the team's performance took a nosedive. Hamilton was nowhere near his pre-injury level, others were headless chickens after losing the experienced point guard Chris Whitney, and Jordan, with his body on the brink of collapse, fell into a delirious state of "I can't possibly fall here."

The Wizards lost to a Rockets team shamelessly tanking.

Because Jordan was like a stationary pole the whole game, easily scored on by opponents, his playtime still reached a high of 36 minutes

To save Jordan, Collins finally started to openly discuss plans for resting Jordan.

But Jordan's choice was to continue fighting on.

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He was unreasonably competitive, forcing Collins to let him play over 38 minutes per game, and then, he shot like a man possessed.

Starting with a loss to the Houston Rockets, the Wizards suffered a seven-game losing streak, and even Yu Fei's full return did nothing to help, for Jordan was bewitched.

In the most dreadful game – playing at home, the New Jersey Nets routed the Wizards by 47 points, 117 to 70.

The Wizards were humiliated by a scoring run of 27 to 0 at one point.

Jordan's body was at its limit, and the Wizards' playoff prospects were perilous, while those around Jordan started urging him to rest. Whenever anyone mentioned this, he would become incensed, "When have I ever missed games at such critical moments? Do you know my body better than I do?"

On the night the losing streak ended, the Wizards won by a one-point margin over the Miami Heat.

Yu Fei scored his fifth triple-double of the season, while Jordan, with incredible will, netted 37 points. He performed so well that observers wondered why people doubted whether Jordan was plagued with injuries?

But scoring 37 points meant Jordan had another tough night; he had played for 40 minutes.

The Wizards then faced another three-game losing streak with Jordan playing 38 minutes, 35 minutes, and 40 minutes respectively.

He just kept shooting wildly, as if on a mission, but his efficiency was too poor to lead the team to victory.

On this final night, Jordan was like a child, hypersensitive to everything; he yelled at referees, nitpicked teammates, and hurled harsh words at opponents, but his shooting percentage was 33%. And his legs, they felt like they were weighed down, utterly incapable of moving laterally or running like a normal person.

Six minutes before the game ended, with the Wizards' cause lost, Jordan left the court early.

That night, facing the media, the imperious Jordan showed a side of him that had not been seen this season, saying regretfully, "I'm old," and now, he had to admit that age would be an issue. "I've started to see the signs, clearly, something's about to end..."

The Wizards took a charter flight back to D.C. overnight.

On the plane, Yu Fei saw Jordan sit silently beside Grover and his bodyguard.

"It's like someone just dropped dead," Kwame Brown described the atmosphere.

If Jordan wasn't sleeping on the flight, he would usually mutter stories about his alma mater, North Carolina, tease his teammates, or occasionally play card games.

These were his ways of passing time, but tonight, he did none of those.

The next day, Jordan's team announced a major piece of news through ESPN's David Aldridge, "MJ has a tear in his right knee meniscus and will undergo surgery tomorrow."

It was now March, and the recovery period for this surgery was two months.

That meant Jordan was virtually confirmed to be out for the rest of the season.

On the eve of the surgery, Jordan decided to personally go back to the Verizon Center to collect his belongings.

"I'll be back."

Jordan told Yu Fei, Ratner, and Hamilton.

No one responded.

The locker room atmosphere was as sullen as a morgue.

"I'll be back," Jordan repeated.

"Alright," Hamilton was the first to react and offered his well-prepared diplomatic courtesy, "I know you will come back, and I hope you recover soon."

Ratner didn't speak, not knowing what to say.

Then, Jordan looked toward Yu Fei and repeated his phrase, "I'll be back."

Is the third time the charm?

"You don't seem to want me back?" Jordan's face bore his uncomfortable confidence, "I'll be back."

The fourth time.

Even now, crippled as he was, he still ruled the team.

It seemed Jordan was asserting that he was the only ruler here, whether present or absent.

"Hey, Michael."

Yu Fei's words made Jordan pause.

In Jordan's memory, this was the first time Yu Fei had called him by his name to his face.

Yu Fei's expression was pleasant, but Jordan didn't believe he was holding back any kind words.

Yu Fei turned, gesturing around the locker room with his hand, "Before you leave, this team is still yours."

"But after you leave, it won't be anymore," Yu Fei enunciated every word, every note, like the metallic sound of silver needles falling to the floor, so clear, so piercing. "Go ahead with ease, I'll fulfill your unfinished business, after all not everyone has the fortune to clean up after the GOAT..."

Yu Fei shifted his tone, "I will lead them into the playoffs."

Then, Yu Fei walked past Jordan, and as he brushed by Jordan's shoulder to leave, he left one last sentence:

"By that time, the team will no longer be yours."

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