69novels Chapter 50 Early Kobe User Manual
Chapter 50 Early Kobe User Manual
At the very least, fans really wanted to see Kobe at the All-Star Game.
Especially if Kobe doesn't come, the coaches will almost certainly not choose the flashy Jason Williams, but will most likely replace Kobe as the starter with the less attractive playing style of Payton.
Then the fans would want to see Kobe even more. If you replaced him with Williams, people might be able to tolerate it, but if you replace Kobe with Payton?
Sorry, but nobody except Seattleites wants to see that smug face at All-Star Weekend.
But before All-Star Weekend and the arrival of various rosters, the Lakers suffered another misfortune.
Someone else has been injured.
On February 1, the Lakers hosted the Warriors. In the third quarter, O'Neal landed awkwardly after a powerful dunk under the basket and twisted his left ankle.
Jackson immediately stopped the game and asked the team doctor to check O'Neal's injury.
Fortunately, O'Neal was much luckier than Kobe; he did not suffer any structural damage, nor any serious injuries such as fractures or tears.
The initial assessment is that it is a level one sprain, and it should recover in 7-10 days of rest.
So O'Neal was helped out of the arena and will not be returning tonight.
All that remained was the wailing and unease of Los Angeles fans.
After Kobe came Shaq, and after Shaq who's next? Will it be Lin?
Lin Ze: Hey, hey, what are you doing! They're injured, why are you cursing me?
With O'Neal sidelined due to injury, the Lakers played poorly in their next two games, losing both and suffering their first losing streak of the season. Their record ended at 41 wins and 6 losses after the first week of February.
However, at this time, good news came from the Lakers.
Kobe is coming back!
His first opponent after his comeback was also not a top-tier team!
Toronto Raptors!
As the youngest team in the league, the Raptors are now practically Vince Carter's one-man team. Under the UFO's leadership, they are getting closer and closer to their first-ever playoff appearance.
If you only look at the roster, this team is absolutely terrifying.
Vince Carter (UFO), Tracy McGrady (TMC), Charles Oakley (Old Tree), Doug Christie (Scalpel), Antonio Davis (Bad Guy), Kevin Willis (Tyrannosaurus Rex)...
The only pity is that this group of people is a mix of old and young. Apart from Carter, the rest are either not yet at their peak or have passed their peak. There are even some living fossils who are 38 years old but can still play in the NBA for 6-7 years.
Fortunately, the Raptors had Vince Carter in his prime.
Vince Carter is arguably the most popular player in the NBA right now. He just broke the record for the highest number of All-Star votes in history, making him the most popular player in the league.
So the question is, how can we get Kobe, who has just returned from injury, back into form quickly and lead the team to victory against the Raptors?
Jackson set a great example.
In his final remarks before the game, Jackson said, "It's just a regular season game. Although we've lost two straight, Shaq is injured, which is acceptable. Stay calm and prioritize keeping him healthy."
"We can't afford to have any more people get hurt."
"This year we have a record three All-Star starters, which is only the second time in NBA history and the second time in Lakers history. The last time was in the 1985-1986 season."
"It's a pity, though. Magic Johnson was the All-Star vote leader that year, but this year Carter snatched the title. How many votes did he get? 2.2 million? That's an insane number! Lin, haven't you also surpassed 2 million votes? Add Shaq, and the three of you have 6.5 million votes. That's crazy! Five years ago, the entire All-Star Game might only have gotten 6 million votes!"
"Alright, let's play well, take care of ourselves, and beat the Raptors! We can't afford to lose every game without Shaq, can we?"
After Jackson finished speaking, he glanced at Kobe, who was sullen and silent, with considerable satisfaction. He knew that his words might be nonsense to others, but for Kobe, they would have an exceptional effect!
Even though he didn't mention Kobe once from beginning to end, or even glance at Kobe.
But to Kobe, every word Jackson said sounded like it was directed at him!
He only got half the All-Star votes as Carter. The team was a top team with or without him. Without O'Neal, they immediately lost. He was just a drag. Jackson was talking about the All-Star trio and he was referring to O'Neal, Lin Ze, and Carter.
Because O'Neal was out of action, there was no one between Lin Ze and Kobe, so Lin Ze could clearly see Kobe's frosty and terrible expression.
Carter's going to be in trouble tonight.
Lin Ze immediately came to this conclusion.
People today don't know how terrifying an angry Kobe can be, but Lin Ze knows all too well!
Of course, sometimes an angry Kobe would scare his own teammates to death, like when he hit a 1747-pointer or when he forced a game-winning shot under the defense of four people and then missed it completely...
"Get serious!" As everyone left the locker room, Kobe couldn't hold back any longer and said to Lin Ze from behind, "We have to win tonight!"
Lin Ze glanced back at Kobe and decided to give Jackson an assist.
"But Shaq wasn't there, so it's actually quite normal to lose."
Kobe stared at Lin Ze incredulously, his expression as if he were looking at a salted fish that had been rotting for a week. After a long pause, Lin Ze suddenly said, "I originally thought you and I were the same kind of people."
After saying that, Kobe ignored Lin Ze and walked away, leaving Lin Ze looking constipated.
No, how can this person's swearing be so vulgar?
I was trying to be helpful and offered you some inspirational advice, and you immediately started cursing me? What do you mean by "the same kind of person as you"?
O'Neal's grandmother is just like you.
Soon, the starting players from both sides arrived on the court. Kobe returned after a month's absence, and in addition to his three familiar faces—Harper, Rice, and Lin Ze—he also started alongside his old friend, AC Green.
The Raptors' starting lineup, besides Carter, consisted of Oakley, Davis, Christie, and Alvin Williams.
As for the two future scoring champions, he was always on the bench.
"Long time no see, Kobe," Carter said with his usual enthusiasm. "The All-Star Game is in a few days, I'm really looking forward to it! It'll be my first time! How did you feel back then? Were you nervous too?"
Lin Ze wasn't surprised by Carter's enthusiasm; the guy was indeed a good person when he wasn't causing trouble. However, Lin Ze was very curious about why he asked Kobe about this.
Lin Ze is 100% certain: Kobe wasn't nervous at all at the time.