Chapter 84: I’m Not The Next One
The FedEx Forum has never been as boiling as it is tonight. Under the blinding magnesium lights, the stands are a restless sea of blue-gray. Slogans cursing Kobe and cartoons mocking Los Angeles are everywhere, and the long-pent-up resentment seems ready to ignite at any moment.
TNT’s Kevin Harlan introduced the background of this game to the world with his magnetic voice: “Welcome basketball fans around the world to TNT’s national broadcast! I’m Kevin Harlan, joined by legendary coach Doug Collins! Doug, all the pre-game talk has been about off-court disputes, but ultimately, it all comes down to these 48 minutes of basketball. What do you think of the tone of tonight’s matchup?”
Doug Collins naturally accepted the compliment, as if there was nothing wrong with the “legendary coach” title: “Kevin, you’re right. The off-court noise will fade, and the results on the hardwood floor are what last forever. But I must say, factors of this magnitude can’t be completely separated from the court. Look at Kobe’s expression, look at Eli Xu’s eyes—they both know exactly what this game means. These two players are both known for being combative, and tonight will definitely be an extremely intense game!”
The pre-game public opinion storm made the relationship between the two teams very tense, so before the game started, there was only normal warm-up, no midfield chit-chat.
Xu Ling and Kobe occasionally glanced at their opponent, but ultimately didn’t greet each other.
Currently, the two teams’ records are very close. The Grizzlies rank Western Conference Eighth with a 15-12 record, while the Lakers rank Western Conference Fourth with a 16-12 record.
For a team whose main player is applying for a trade, the Lakers’ record is pretty good. And it’s precisely because of this record that Kobe’s desire to be traded is no longer so urgent. If the Lakers can seize the opportunity to bring in an All-Star player before the trade deadline, they might just keep Kobe.
Before Roderick Craig’s Twitter post that dragged Kobe into the water sparked a world war, Pau Gasol was one of the objects of Lakers fans’ fantasies. But since then, Lakers fans have started thinking Andrew Bynum is far superior to Gasol. And what’s wrong with pinning hopes on a second-rate star who can’t win in the playoffs?
After pre-game warm-ups ended, the Grizzlies’ starters gathered in front of Marc Iavaroni.
Iavaroni had a lot to say, but he also knew the key to this game was whether Xu Ling could hold off Kobe.
The Lakers are just that simple of a team.
If someone can hold off Kobe, that’s a 50% chance of winning.
If Kobe’s performance is suppressed tonight, that’s a 70% chance of winning.
If Kobe has a night like 17/47, the Lakers can’t be beaten.
“Eli,” Iavaroni said to Xu Ling, “if you run into trouble, don’t try to solve it alone. Call for the pick and roll when you need it.”
It seems Kobe’s offense and defense intensity is at least at this stage the league’s acknowledged strongest individual.
This made Xu Ling wonder what Iavaroni would say when facing LeBron James.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle him.” Xu Ling joked to ease everyone’s minds, “For Roderick Craig.”
The teammates all showed knowing smiles.
Then, both starting lineups took the court.
Xu Ling and Kobe faced each other, but there were no words, not even direct eye contact, yet the invisible force fields around their bodies seemed to collide in the air, sparking crackling fireworks.
With the referee tossing the ball, Bynum smacked it hard back to Derek Fisher behind him.
The Lakers’ first offensive possession didn’t go directly to Kobe. But on the Grizzlies’ first defensive possession, Xu Ling stuck to Kobe like a shadow.
Then, Kobe went to the left wing, and Fisher immediately passed the ball.
Boos erupted from the arena.
Kobe caught the ball and backed down into Xu Ling. He felt the strength behind him.
Then, Kobe suddenly faked left with his shoulder, then swiftly spun right, firing a fadeaway jumper. The motion was fluid as if rehearsed a million times, beautiful as a painting, yet deadly.
“Swish!”
At the moment of the made shot, Kobe let out a light hum: “Welcome to the real NBA.”
“Sure enough, Kobe isn’t letting Eli off. They matched up in the first possession!”
“Eli’s defense was very good, but he’s facing Kobe—very good isn’t enough! Plus, Kobe has always put up big numbers against the Grizzlies. Last season, he dropped 60 on the Grizzlies in a single game.”
Oh, another scar left on Memphis by Lakers No. 24.
How is the Black Mamba so mean?
But that’s not all. Kevin Harlan added: “Yes, and that wasn’t Kobe’s first high-scoring game against the Grizzlies. Back in 2002, when he was still No. 8, Kobe had already dropped 56 on the Grizzlies in a single game!”
It seems there are really a lot of scores to settle between the two sides, but as they tally them up, they’re all old debts left unilaterally by the Lakers.
That’s why, when Xu Ling was at the same left wing position facing Kobe and Lowry passed the ball, the arena shook so violently.
“!#￥@#￥%”
To Xu Ling before time travel, Kobe had long been deconstructed beyond recognition. Except for the most die-hard fans, most people didn’t really remember how he played. Of course, you could also say those people had passed the age of arguing online. As the saying goes, if you don’t occupy the high ground of public opinion, others will, and the things you once knew will become unrecognizable.
That was the era when everyone was Man, and it was also the era when 《Paul Walker send-off song》 became the 《jailbird daddy I miss you song》. But those eras offered no help to Xu Ling in understanding the current Kobe. From the first possession of their matchup, he completely cast aside the abstract deconstruction from his previous life’s internet.
Xu Ling turned face-up, and Miller’s screen arrived in the next second.
Xu Ling fought through the screen on the curl, but Kobe had clearly studied his games carefully. He decisively fought over the screen to apply pressure again, but Xu Ling didn’t give him the chance, stepping back decisively for a jump shot.
“Swish!”
This response shot sent the FedEx Forum into a frenzy.
On the Lakers’ next offensive possession, Kobe raised his hand for the ball at the top of the arc. Facing Xu Ling, he did quick crossover dribbles, suddenly accelerated to the right side, bumped Xu Ling half a step, then stopped abruptly, pulled back big for space, and fired another jump shot.
Hit again!
Kobe ran back with a cold face. He didn’t mention Twitter, but his actions had already told Xu Ling that he knew everything—he just wanted to solve it with basketball.
And Xu Ling’s heart rate accelerated—not from fear, but excitement. He suddenly understood how Rukawa felt after being exploded by Sawakita: “He’s not all hype.”
But he didn’t want to be exploded.
Obviously, when a super rookie modeled after Kobe faces the real Kobe, who is already in complete form and at his peak, the original has the advantage.
And Xu Ling knew how to mitigate that disadvantage.
Through off-ball movement, Xu Ling used a screen to cut out, caught the ball without hesitation, and fired a pull-up three-pointer right into Kobe’s help defense.
“What an exciting matchup!” Harlan said excitedly. “Kobe and Eli have lived up to all the hype!”
Kobe looked in great form but didn’t call for the ball on the next possession. Instead, he posted up Xu Ling and asked coldly: “A lot of people say you’re like me. How much like?”
Xu Ling used all his strength to keep Kobe from getting too deep and responded: “What’s wrong with being like you?”
Another cold hum.
Xu Ling was starting to hate that hum.
There’s probably no more pretentious sound in the world. Kobe suddenly elbowed, shoving Xu Ling’s body aside, caught the ball, spun for a jump shot off the glass, and said coldly to Xu Ling, whose chest hurt: “You’d better pray you’re not like me—because what I’m best at is destroying the ‘next me’ with my own hands!”
What the greatest player wants, the greatest player gets. That’s the rule in this line of work. There are only a few seats at the top, no room for imitations.
Kobe’s roar at Xu Ling was captured fully on camera, replayed repeatedly on the arena big screen, intensely analyzed by Kevin Harlan and Collins, and completely enraged the home crowd.
Xu Ling had no time for the arena chaos. But that elbow gave him no small inspiration.
Kobe’s arrogant, proud, and slightly berserk personality—he’d gotten a preliminary taste.
Although Xu Ling hadn’t even reached half court yet, all the Lakers players—even his own teammates—knew the ball would go to him. Kyle Lowry waited for him to get set and immediately passed to the top of the arc. Xu Ling faced Kobe again.
Xu Ling dribbled with his right hand, raised his left for the pick and roll signal. Kobe had been burned twice by this already and was determined to fight over the screen this time.
The instant Hakim Warrick set the screen, Xu Ling’s weight clearly shifted toward the screen side. Even a top defender like Kobe couldn’t help but instinctively move that way after getting burned repeatedly.
But the next second, things changed—Xu Ling suddenly accelerated in the opposite direction, stepping like lightning, instantly shredding Kobe’s defense, driving straight to the rim, and switching hands for a layup into Bynum’s help defense!
“Beep!”
The referee’s whistle blew, calling a foul on Bynum. But it didn’t affect the ball’s trajectory at all.
“Swish!”
After landing steadily, Xu Ling locked eyes with Kobe and responded: “Looks like we think alike. I just prefer solving things at the root—like ending the ‘previous me’ right here with my own hands.”
