Any instance of fronting defense in the paint is an admission that one's skills are inferior, preferring to increase the difficulty of the opponent's catch rather than be blasted away after they receive the ball.
"I can front him!" Bosh was not someone who cared much about saving face, but he had his own ideas, "But, Big Fei, we need to take him down!"
Bosh had made up his mind to restrict Pau Gasol from catching the ball even if it meant losing the pride of a star player, while also aiming to make Pau Gasol look foolish on the defensive end.
If there was to be embarrassment, they would all endure it together.
The Lakers had no retreat.
This wasn't just because Pau Gasol had high tactical value for them; another aspect was that unlike the Supersonics, they didn't have multiple athletic bigs.