Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Chapter 901 901 548 Never Understand

?Chapter 901: Chapter 548: Never Understand Chapter 901: Chapter 548: Never Understand Before the Christmas showdown, the most anticipated game in the NBA was undoubtedly the first encounter of the new season between the Seattle Supersonics and the Los Angeles Lakers.

After a hiatus of more than a year, the battle of the empire seemed like a distant memory to fans, but when you really think about it, it was just last year’s news.

A lot can happen in a year’s break.

Kobe grew a year older, James looked even more mature, but the Lakers seemed unable to move past their Western Conference finals defeat in 2010.

This season would decide many things.

Kobe, James, and Richard Hamilton were all entering the last year of their contracts.

If they failed again, the disintegration of the Evil Empire was something foreseeable.

The problem was, there appeared to be no light at the end of the tunnel for the internal affairs of the Lakers.

Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson tried to wrestle power before the season started; his contract was up, and the Lakers wanted him to at least coach until the end of this season.

But Jackson’s thought was that he was getting old, and as a coach holding nine rings, tied with Red Auerbach and with George Karl’s retirement, it could be said that no coach in the league would come close to his championship count in the foreseeable future.

His coaching career was coming to an end, and now he wanted to take the path of a godfather.

Because this was the point Auerbach liked to mock him about while he was alive.

Auerbach believed that his championship teams were built by himself as a general manager, while Jackson had always picked up ready-made teams, so they were not in the same league nor at the same level.

If Jackson wanted to prove himself, he could only become a godfather.

But Old Buss had his own vision for the future of the team, and Jackson was not indispensable.

So, after a struggle, the Lakers decisively kicked Jackson out and then hired Mike Brown, who had just been let go from the Cavaliers, as the new coach.

This decision was symbolic.

Jackson was the coach Kobe preferred, and for many years they had fought continuously, but that unhealthy relationship disappeared after Jackson’s second term.

They received mutual recognition, so as long as Jackson was there, the Lakers would be Kobe’s team. If Jackson were to leave, it should have been one of Jackson’s people to succeed him, but the Lakers chose the Bread Coach.

Anyone could have been chosen, so why the Bread Coach?

He had coached James in Cleveland and was a coach approved by the Emperor. By choosing him, was it implying that Lakers management was starting to prepare to retain the Emperor?

No one knew what the Lakers’ top brass was thinking.

But age doesn’t lie.

Kobe was going to be 33 and a half after the new year, while James wouldn’t be 28 until the end of next year.

Who had a longer peak, a more sustained influence—there was no need for further words.

Where the future of the Lakers would go, whether the first seat of the team would be held by Kobe or James, whether James would opt for an extension mid-season to demonstrate his commitment to bring a championship to the City of Angels—these were all more intriguing than the Lakers’ championship prospects.

That evening, Yu Fei saw Kobe at halftime and taunted him, “You haven’t retired yet, how nice.”

Kobe had vowed last year that he would retire if he let Yu Fei score 50 points for three consecutive games, a statement still ringing in everyone’s ears.

On that, Kobe just smiled.

“I’ll retire sooner or later,” Kobe said, “You will see that day.”

“I’ve already seen it,” Yu Fei mocked, “And I’ve also seen that when you retire, you’ll still only have three rings on your hand.”

Kobe didn’t respond.

Shaquille O’Neal had already retired, and the ups and downs of the OK combination had become history. But until now, neither had proved they could win a championship without the other.

Undoubtedly, in the past seven years, they both had the opportunity to prove themselves, but they were both thwarted by the same person.

Soon after, the game began.

The Lakers now lacked their former competitiveness. The KJ duo could guarantee a baseline, but in front of the Supersonics, they didn’t have enough of a ceiling.

Moreover, Kobe and James seemed to respect each other, Kobe had unlimited shooting rights, while James had unlimited ball rights.

Thus, James could get comprehensive stats, while Kobe had the right to 23 shots per game.

“LeBron, long time no see,” Fei said sarcastically, “Have you been living the same life this past year?”

James replied calmly, “This is the best thing that has happened to me, something you will never understand.”

James’s skills had changed.

He had joined Olajuwon’s Dream Workshop for two consecutive years, which had improved his post-up game to some extent, and his jump shot stability had also increased. Coupled with the millions of dollars he spent on his body every year, he was truly entering his prime.

But he was cautious with his power.

He seemed not to want to overshadow Kobe or vie for that first seat. Mike Brown’s arrival seemed to hold no positive meaning for him.

His real thoughts were deeply hidden.

This was a man who had withstood nationwide mockery and internet bullying; he was open to everything.

When Fei kept scoring on James and provoked him with trash talk but got no reaction, when James just did what the team asked of him without expending extra energy on anything beyond his duties, Fei knew, this man had changed.

He had made a decision, and this decision was certainly not what the Lakers’ executives wanted to see.