Chapter 598: Chapter 432: Hating Loneliness Chapter 598: Chapter 432: Hating Loneliness Chapter 432: Loathing Loneliness
Although the NBA season had ended, the marketing surrounding Yu Fei was just getting started.

In the first week of July, Sports Illustrated predicted that Yu Fei would surpass Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, and Tom Brady to become the Athlete of the Year.

Jack McCallum announced his upcoming autobiography of Yu Fei next summer with a lengthy piece titled “Running Wild with Frye.”

Supersonics sold memorabilia related to Yu Fei that became the best-selling merchandise in the sports world.

Sponsors came one after another.

Even Hollywood directors hoped to ride his coattails and sought to give him cameo roles in their movies.

“No time, I have an important mission in Las Vegas.”

Just days after Yu Fei clarified to gossip reporters that he was about to enter Hollywood, the paparazzi in Las Vegas first caught him getting intimate with a Canadian actress named Rachelle Lefevre.

Rachelle said, “We’re still getting to know each other.”

This seemed to suggest that they could enter the next stage at any time.

A week later, Yu Fei and well-known adult film star Diora Baird were photographed entering a hotel and spending the night together.

“That’s my personal business, no comment.”

That’s how Yu Fei responded to questions about spending the night with Diora.

“So Frye’s so-called important mission is to change girlfriends every day in Las Vegas?”

The media’s jokes did not elicit any response.

A few days later, the Supersonics announced that they had reached a three-year contract extension with Yu Fei and Kwame Brown.

Both Yu Fei and Brown’s new contracts included a detail that the final year was a player option.

This meant they could become free agents again in the summer of 2010.

But while Yu Fei did this to seek flexibility, Brown outright refused a 5-year, $40 million contract, opting instead for a $21 million contract over 3 years.

Although he lost some salary, Brown got too close to Yu Fei.

Some sponsors would actively woo Brown to get through to Yu Fei.

Riding on Yu Fei’s coattails, Brown secured multiple sponsorship contracts, and his endorsement income alone already exceeded his salary from playing.

Thus, he knew very well that tying himself to Yu Fei was crucial for his career.

Of course, all this was with Yu Fei’s tacit consent.

Yu Fei’s staying in Seattle stirred some ripples in the basketball world but wasn’t surprising; still, the media had to praise his loyalty to his hometown.

Now, his name really was everywhere.

You could find him on the entertainment pages and the serious pages.

On the court, he was the ultimate winner, unbeaten in battle; in the national team, he was the recognized leader, creating the “Night High Alliance” with Anthony. Although they hung out at nightclubs, Anthony and the others only had minor scandals, while Yu Fei was constantly surrounded by Hollywood stars or celebrities from gossip magazines.

Anthony said with a touch of envy, “Only when you’ve seen Big Fei’s life with your own eyes can you realize how true the saying that there are class differences among stars is. I don’t think I’m worse than anyone else, but in the eyes of others, Big Fei’s appeal is a hundred times mine.”

Yu Fei’s presence and influence forced everyone else on Team USA to adapt to their new roles–an overshadowed supporting role.

Coach K said the Dream Team does not have a core, but that was wrong.

Yu Fei was the core.

Kobe had intended to continue his Western Conference finals struggle in Las Vegas, but the solitary Kobe had little support.

Yu Fei’s status had become more solid and immovable.

This forced Kobe to devote himself to training.

When Yu Fei and the others were frolicking in nightclubs, Kobe was practicing alone, but these days of solitary toil seemed to have no end and made no difference to the situation.

Then LeBron James, from afar in Cleveland, extended an invitation to Kobe.

In Cleveland, James owned a bicycle manufacturing company and every year, to promote the company, he would hold a bicycle marathon in the city, inviting many NBA players for this event.

This year, following Nike’s suggestion, he invited Kobe.

It was a place that could provide Kobe with a temporary escape from his troubles, so he asked Coach K for two days off.

Coach K agreed.

The interaction between James and Kobe signified that Nike’s long-standing “kings don’t meet kings” marketing strategy had changed.

In the past, because both Kobe and James had high popularity, to prevent conflicts in popularity, Nike not only pitted the two against each other in hype but also incited fans to attack each other.

However, Yu Fei’s success unified the fan market, and now basketball fans are divided into Yu Fei’s fans and other fans.

Seeing James’s popularity getting further and further behind, Nike could only change its strategy. Since they couldn’t compete individually, they’d compete in numbers, stacking up popularity to generate a fan base large enough to contend with Yu Fei.

When Kobe arrived, James had a bunch of things going on.

He had commercials to shoot and was co-authoring an autobiography about his high school days with Buzz Bissinger, a contributing writer for Vanity Fair.

The autobiography of sports stars always followed a similar pattern: writers interviewed a large number of related individuals, gathering so-called firsthand materials to incorporate into the book.

Kobe’s arrival provided Bissinger with an extra perspective.

Bissinger wanted to know how Kobe saw James.

“A great guy,” Kobe actually didn’t know much about James, “no need to say more.”

Bissinger also attempted to interview James’s mother. Although she agreed out of consideration for her son, she was uncooperative during the interview and couldn’t provide any valuable clues.

As James and Kobe joyfully rode their bicycles together in the heart of Cleveland, an image flashed through Bissinger’s mind.

The great No. 23 and No. 24 of the basketball world had come together. Could they join forces to take on the unique No. 44?

But after careful consideration, this was almost impossible.

James dubbed himself the King, signaling that wherever he went, he wanted to be the main attraction. In fact, in the eyes of writers like Bissinger, this was precisely why James and his dear ‘big brother’ had a falling out.

The King would never forever grovel at the feet of The Chosen One.

If that was The Chosen One’s plan, then let there be a fight to the death.

And Kobe? He was the most famous ‘viper’ of his time. When a man proudly calls himself the Black Mamba, you know he’s not easy to get along with. In fact, every sensible person knew Kobe would stay the top dog until he retired. That was the honor he had won by personally driving out Shaquille O’Neal.

Of course, one could believe that Kobe drove away O’Neal not to be the top dog, but because he disapproved of O’Neal’s style. But any rational person should know that Kobe was willing to ruin his reputation to push O’Neal away, ultimately to take that spot for himself, not to kneel and lick the King’s shoes a few years later.

While James and Kobe were merrily pedaling their bikes, James’s famous ‘Four Horsemen’ also arrived.

Maverick Carter, Randy Mims, and Rich Paul.

They were the people closest to James in the world, aside from his mother and children.

If Bissinger wanted to write a convincing history of James’s high school growth, they were indispensable interview subjects.

“You know, even without our help, LeBron would have succeeded, there’s no doubt about that, but do you know why we can still stand here?” said Maverick Carter, the oldest of the Four Horsemen, “Because LeBron hates being alone.”

This was an answer that shocked Bissinger.

It revealed some of James’s weaknesses and explained many of his behaviors.

Bissinger looked back at James, who had ridden far away.

He must have been very eager to have an outstanding partner like Kobe by his side, just like the support the Four Horsemen provided off the court.

Suddenly, Bissinger thought of the current Cavaliers team.

It was James’s one-man team, and the Cavaliers’ signings had brought no help. Five years had passed, and LeBron was still fighting alone.

For Cleveland, the King’s trial was approaching.

The 2008-09 season would be James’s contract year.

Would he leave?

Before today, Bissinger didn’t know the answer.

But now, he had a definite answer in his heart.

Las Vegas, Marriott Hotel
Yu Fei sat shirtless on the bed, his gaze hazy as he watched the woman in front of him gradually put on her clothes.

“You don’t seem satisfied with me.”

The woman said.

“No, I’m just feeling a bit bored.”

Yu Fei replied.

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“Bored?” the other scoffed, “After I forgave you for sneaking off to that pinup magazine behind my back, you say you’re bored?”

“Rachel, you know that’s not what I mean.”

The woman retorted, “What would it take for you not to feel bored?”

“During the game.” To be exact, it was when he utterly crushed his opponents. Even with just one person crawling in front of him, Yu Fei would not feel bored. “But this is also fine, I mean, tonight was pleasant.”

Soon after, she left, and Yu Fei’s thoughts once again drifted off as if a woman named Rachelle Lefevre had never been there.