Chapter 83: Eye Of The Storm
Roderick Craig’s tweet, which directly linked Kobe Bryant to the “Eagle County incident,” was like a nuclear bomb dropped into a calm lake, and the resulting tsunami swept across the entire basketball world within hours, far exceeding the boundaries of the sports sphere.
While the internet was in its nascent stages in 2007, it was far from the all-pervasive force it would become. Thus, when Xu Ling’s comment, which struck at the reverse scale of NBA superstars, appeared, it was like a precisely thrown fuse into a powder keg, igniting an unprecedented media tsunami within relatively traditional information channels. ESPN’s Sports Center, Yahoo Sports headlines, and various sports talk radio shows—virtually all sports media outlets were continuously reporting on the matter and analyzing its impact.
Naturally, Los Angeles was the first to explode.
For Lakers fans, who were already caught in the long and painful soap opera of “Kobe forcing a trade,” this was no less than a malicious taunt. They were already on edge, extremely sensitive to any criticism of Kobe.
At this moment, a hanger-on of an unknown Memphis rookie dared to use the deepest scars of the idol they believed was suffering injustice and grievance to shield himself?
“Who does he think he is?”
“Can’t that damned troublemaker even control the dogs around him?”
“This is the most despicable slander of a great player!”
Similar remarks filled the comment sections of major forums.
The official email of the Memphis Grizzlies and Xu Ling’s already closely watched social media accounts were instantly inundated with waves of condemnation and abuse, including death threats and extremely vicious racist remarks.
In Los Angeles, the Lakers’ public relations department, already overwhelmed by Kobe’s public trade request, found themselves in an even worse situation.
They were forced to issue a brief but stern statement: “We strongly condemn this extremely irresponsible and disrespectful behavior of groundlessly dragging Kobe Bryant into an irrelevant discussion for the sake of seeking attention. Kobe is a legend in this sport, and his achievements and character should not be so flippantly tarnished.”
More Nike-affiliated media personalities stepped in, no longer debating who was better between Xu Ling and Durant. Instead, they unified their messaging, fiercely attacking Xu Ling’s team’s “moral bottom line” and “professional ethics,” attempting to portray Xu Ling as a villain with low character who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
However, this wave of public opinion did not turn out to be as one-sided as Nike had hoped.
Firstly, Adidas’s vast public relations machine was no mere decoration.
They acted swiftly, on one hand privately reminding Craig to be cautious with his words in the future, and on the other hand directing their affiliated media allies to launch a counterattack.
David Aldridge of The Washington Post wrote an article pointing out: “The ones who truly ‘crossed the line’ are those who persistently engage in organized smear campaigns against a rookie. Mr. Chris Sheridan and his colleagues should perhaps first explain why they choose to turn a blind eye to Eli Xu’s outstanding on-court performance, yet become so concerned about an impassioned remark from someone around him?”
Many neutral media outlets and commentators also saw through the essence of this controversy.
TNT commentator Charles Barkley stated bluntly on the show: “Come on! This is just Nike and Adidas fighting! Some people are jumping up like cats with their tails stepped on, not because they care about ‘morality,’ but because Eli Xu just kicked the brand they represent squarely in the backside! Of course, what happened regarding Kobe shouldn’t be brought up, but let’s be clear, who started playing these kinds of insidious games first?”
More importantly, Kobe was at an extremely delicate and sensitive juncture. The conflict between him and management had become public, trade rumors with the Bulls were escalating, and his future with the Lakers was filled with great uncertainty. Many fans and media members harbored complex feelings of sympathy for him.
While Craig’s remarks were foolish and offensive, they objectively prompted some people to begin reflecting: Why had the “Eagle County” incident become a forbidden zone that no one could touch? Did the media truly apply two entirely different sets of standards when dealing with different stars?
Xu Ling remained silent on the matter.
However, the Grizzlies could not remain silent and officially responded on the team’s official website: “Roderick Craig’s remarks are his personal opinion and do not represent the official stance of the Memphis Grizzlies. Furthermore, we support the principle of freedom of speech and believe that public figures and related events are a normal part of society for public discussion. We do not understand why some media outlets are reacting so intensely to an impassioned online comment, yet have long remained silent on actual physical assault incidents that occurred in our city and targeted our fans. The Grizzlies are focused on the upcoming games and will not comment further on this matter.”
The Grizzlies’ official statement resonated widely with their fans.
The physical assault incident they referred to also involved Kobe. Two years prior, Kobe was at a low point in his career; O’Neal had been traded as he wished, Phil Jackson had not yet returned for his second stint, and the Lakers were entirely his team. However, the team found itself in dire straits that season, not only suffering from a dismal record but also extreme disarray. When playing in Memphis, Kobe, who was in a shooting slump, crashed into a Grizzlies fan while trying to save a ball, causing the fan to be hospitalized. Kobe’s attitude was reportedly poor, and he refused to apologize, leading to a lawsuit.
The matter was eventually settled out of court with Kobe using his financial power, but it was now being brought up again.
“Why can the Los Angeles media attack a young person’s impassioned comments en masse, yet selectively forget the real suffering our Memphis fans once endured?”
The local media’s leading question instantly ignited the emotions of Memphis citizens. A sense of victimhood and being bullied, mixed with inherent resentment towards the super-metropolis of Los Angeles and the superstar Kobe, quickly coalesced into a powerful, unified force against outsiders.
The most peculiar aspect of this incident was that the protagonists involved, Xu Ling and Kobe, had not made any statements. However, those close to them, fans, and media engaged in every kind of conflict except physical altercations in various settings, fighting fiercely. The fans of the two cities almost developed the kind of hatred seen between fierce city rivals or generational enemies.
However, Grizzlies fans were generally at a disadvantage.
They were a small market with fewer fans and insufficient media influence, whereas the Lakers’ geographical location was self-evident, and their glorious history was enough to look down on all basketball teams except the Celtics. The Grizzlies were like mere clowns in their presence. Lakers fans only needed to deploy the ultimate weapon in sports fan debates, “What championships do you have?” to send Grizzlies fans into disarray.
With the situation having escalated this far, the media had no choice but to check the schedule to see when these two teams would meet. The league also keenly sensed the market dynamics and began to heavily promote it.
And the first regular-season game between the Grizzlies and the Lakers was soon widely publicized.
The Lakers would visit the Grizzlies on December 21st, the final game before the Christmas Game.
Before that, the Grizzlies had ten more games to play.
The arguments continued.
Xu Ling, however, remained silent on the matter, directly refusing to respond when media mentioned it: “I have nothing to say about this.”
What followed was a series of games with ups and downs.
The Grizzlies were by no means a strong team. Without Xu Ling, they would still be one of the worst teams in the league. Because of this, if Xu Ling’s form fluctuated even slightly, or if his shooting touch was off on a given night, the game was essentially lost.
Despite this, they managed to maintain their eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 6-4 record during this stretch, defeating strong teams like the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks.
The mid-season trade window quietly opened during this time.
However, the entire league’s attention was focused on the Grizzlies’ and Lakers’ first regular-season matchup.
Even Kobe’s trade speculation dimmed considerably because of this. Moreover, Kobe’s prolonged lack of a trade left other teams hesitant to make moves. The Celtics’ Big Three in the Eastern Conference were in formidable form, and strong teams eager for a championship would need to acquire Kobe without crippling their rosters.
Therefore, the lack of progress on Kobe’s trade indirectly led to a stalemate in trade negotiations for other strong teams.
Kobe essentially played the role of DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) in the trade market during this period, single-handedly preventing all major trades from happening prematurely.
Then, the day of the Grizzlies vs. Lakers game finally arrived.
December 21st, Memphis, cold and rainy.
The overcast sky and the biting winter rain seemed to set a somber and oppressive tone for the arrival of the Los Angeles Lakers. As the Lakers’ charter plane landed at Memphis International Airport, an atmosphere entirely different from usual instantly enveloped them.
Along the roads leading to the city and outside the team’s hotel, an unusual number of fans and media had gathered.
The media approached, while the fans cursed from the periphery.
Kobe was the last to step off the team bus. He was dressed in a black tracksuit, headphones clamped tightly to his head, and large sunglasses covered most of his face. With a blank expression, he seemed oblivious to his surroundings—the media, the fans, the hostile gazes—and, surrounded by team security and staff, quickly walked through the hotel’s revolving door.
The other members of the Lakers also felt this unusual pressure.
Head coach Phil Jackson, when cornered by reporters, simply stated calmly, “We are focused on the game itself. Outside voices will not interfere with us.”
Meanwhile, inside and outside the FedEx Forum, a grim atmosphere of an impending major battle was spreading.
Outside the arena, a local radio station’s broadcast van was doing a live remote. The host’s tone was impassioned: “Tonight, we are not just defending our home court, but our dignity! We will let the detestable Lakers know that the pain of Memphis fans will not be forgotten!”
In the locker room, Xu Ling finished changing into his gear and calmly performed his stretches.
His teammates had varying reactions.
Pau Gasol had a complex expression. He wasn’t sure where he stood, but as someone who could be traded at any moment, he actually wanted to contribute significantly to tonight’s game.
This was because a game with such widespread attention was likely unprecedented in Grizzlies history.
And this seemed to be Xu Ling’s norm.
Whether intentional or not, people like him would attract a significant amount of outside attention. Even a small place like Memphis couldn’t obscure his brilliance.
“Eli, aren’t you nervous?”
Kyle Lowry returned from the restroom for the third time and, seeing Xu Ling stretching as usual, couldn’t help but ask.
“Nervous about what?”
“That’s Kobe,” Lowry’s fear of the Lakers’ number 24 stemmed from the lingering shadow of his dominance in previous regular seasons. “He’s definitely going to go all out tonight!”
Xu Ling finished a set of stretches, exhaled slowly, and replied, “Kyle, if he goes all out, it means our defensive strategy has been successful.”
Lowry was taken aback. “Huh? What’s successful?”
“It means he’s fallen into our rhythm, choosing the most difficult and inefficient way to score—one man against our entire team. Isn’t that the situation we most want to see?”
Lowry opened his mouth, momentarily unable to respond. Xu Ling’s logic was unconventional yet irrefutable, as if instantly transforming a dreadful situation into a favorable tactical expectation. This optimistic mindset strangely dispelled some of Lowry’s nervousness.
“There’s some truth to what you’re saying,” Lowry repeated subconsciously, but his tone was no longer as certain.
“Yes, he’s Kobe,” Xu Ling stood up and gently patted Lowry’s shoulder. “So, what we need to do is not fear the shots he makes, but ensure that every shot he misses becomes an opportunity for our fast break. Save your energy for how to push the ball up the court faster; that’s what you should be worried about.”
Just then, a soft, murmuring sound came from the corner of the locker room. Everyone looked to see Darko Milicic, eyes closed, making clumsy cross gestures on his chest, his expression exceptionally devout.
“Hey, Darko,” Hakeem Warrick asked curiously, “what are you doing there?”
Milicic opened his eyes, looked at Xu Ling with a serious expression, and said solemnly in heavily accented English, “I am praying for Eli. Praying for his safety tonight, praying that God protects him from being… ripped apart by Kobe.”
The locker room fell silent for a moment, followed by a few suppressed chuckles. This peculiar piety and direct concern dispelled the last trace of tension in the room.
“Thank you for your kindness, Darko,” Xu Ling’s relaxed smile faded. “But I don’t count on that.”
