NBA's Super Troublemaker

Chapter 37 You elbow me, I elbow you, there are no outsiders.

Kobe Bryant adjusted his breathing, ignoring Li He's provocation.

The most urgent task right now is for the team to score as soon as possible, otherwise the Staples Center fans will be the most embarrassed!

They're all being made to stand there as punishment!

In the next possession, Rasheed Wallace drew a foul in the paint and went to the free-throw line.

With the ball finally dead, Lakers coach Phil Jackson called a timeout.

This makes the fans even more frustrated.

The Lakers have yet to score so far this game, which means they will have to stand still and wait for the Trail Blazers to finish their offensive play before they have a chance to score.

Some Lakers fans were getting impatient and quietly sat down.

Many die-hard fans are still standing by the team through thick and thin, waiting for the Lakers' first point.

The team got off to a bad start, and Phil Jackson was very unhappy. This was the debut of the Super F4, and it was a complete mess!

He said sternly:

"Look at the mess you guys made! It's a pile of dog shit!"

"So many fans at home were waiting for the first point, and you guys couldn't even put the damn ball in the basket!"

"Wake up! This isn't a preseason game!"

O'Neal then complained, "I was boxing out for the ball, but they wouldn't pass it to me!"

After saying that, he glanced at Kobe.

Kobe turned his head away and ignored him completely.

If we're talking about the Lakers during their three-peat era, Kobe's contribution was indeed somewhat less than Shaq's. But after Kobe's outstanding performance last season, given his personality, he no longer wanted to be second fiddle on the team.

This is also the Lakers' biggest point of contention.

Looking back at the Lakers' first two minutes, Kobe was the biggest problem, missing two shots and committing an offensive foul, which led to the team's current situation.

Phil Jackson drew on his whiteboard: "Stop your little schemes! Focus on the game!"

"If you can't even beat the prison team, the entire league will laugh their heads off!"

The Trail Blazers have a notorious reputation, and in the past few seasons, the Lakers have repeatedly defeated the Trail Blazers in the playoffs. If they lose the opening game, the pressure from the media and fans is unimaginable.

The pause ended quickly.

Rashid Wallace stepped up to the free-throw line.

Both free throws went in without a hitch.

The score is now 7-0.

The Trail Blazers got off to a great start at Staples Center.

Gary Payton dribbled the ball past half-court, surveyed the situation, and the Lakers players executed Phil Jackson's tactics to create space in the paint.

But what happened next gave "Gloves" a headache.

O'Neal calls for the ball in the paint;

Kobe calls for the ball on the perimeter;

Karl Malone was blocking Zach Randolph, who was also asking for the ball.

The only one who didn't ask for the ball was Devin George, who is a defensive workhorse by nature.

Gary Payton was speechless. There was only one basketball, who was he supposed to pass it to?!

Seeing the situation stagnate, Gary Payton made a crossover to get past the squirrel, and then bounced off the ground to find Shaquille O'Neal in the paint.

Let's give it to Shaq; he's the most reliable scorer!

After receiving the ball, O'Neal attempted a dunk to finish the play, but Rasheed Wallace grabbed him.

Beep.

The referee blew the whistle, a defensive foul.

O'Neal stepped up to the free-throw line.

The Staples Center fans quieted down, patiently awaiting the team's first goal of the new season.

Then they can sit down!

Standing since the beginning has been quite tiring.

O'Neal took a deep breath, first free throw, Bang, missed.

Second penalty.

As expected, they successfully struck the iron.

Lakers fans must be really annoyed. Did they buy standing-room-only tickets to come to the game today?

With 8 minutes and 49 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lakers finally scored their first points of the season with a three-pointer from Gary Payton.

Wow!

Whoosh!

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

The home fans finally took their seats with a sigh of relief, their legs almost numb from standing!

The match gradually settled into a normal rhythm. In this era that glorifies hand-to-hand combat, the pace of the match was relatively slow, but the level of competition was indeed very high.

The Trail Blazers' strategy was clear: use Li He to limit Kobe Bryant as much as possible, and if O'Neal got the ball in the paint, he had to be double-teamed by three players.

The first quarter ended quickly.

The Trail Blazers, playing on the road, led the Lakers 25-18, a 7-point advantage that surprised many.

In the second quarter, the Lakers' offense began to recover.

Kobe Bryant hit a pull-up three-pointer and a three-point play, helping the Lakers quickly close the gap and forcing the Trail Blazers to call a timeout.

Coach Maurice Cheeks waved his hand and said, "Hansen! It's your turn!"

"Try to limit Kobe Bryant!"

"Don't let that guy get too comfortable!"

Judging from the first quarter, Hansen Lee's defense against Kobe was indeed quite good. Kobe only made 1 of 4 shots and scored 2 points in the first quarter.

Coach Morris also knew that it was unrealistic to completely shut down a star of Kobe's caliber.

Li He replied, "Don't worry, Coach, I'll defend him well!"

The game restarted, and the Trail Blazers went on offense.

Just as the little flying squirrel dribbled past half-court and raised his hand to signal his teammates to run a tactic, the referee blew his whistle.

The players on the field were stunned. What was going on?!

It turns out that during the moment when Li He and Kobe were vying for position, Li He "accidentally" elbowed Kobe!

At this moment, Kobe Bryant was lying on the ground, covering his face with his hands, looking very painful.

"Oh...an unexpected situation has occurred on the field!"

"Kobe Bryant was elbowed down by Hansen Lee while defending him!"

"That really hurts!"

Li He stood to the side, spreading his small hands to indicate that he was innocent.

There are no outsiders here. If you elbow me, I won't mind. If I elbow you, it certainly won't be a big deal.

The referee immediately issued a technical foul to Li He.

Now Li He is even more innocent.

Since the technical foul had already been called, he complained to the referee a few times.

"Referee, Kobe Bryant just elbowed me with the same move, why was he okay?"

"I swear that didn't hurt at all, you can ask Kobe Bryant!"

Li He knew that with Kobe's charisma and attitude towards the game, even if he were elbowed, it wouldn't matter much.

That's also one of his strengths; he's not very hypocritical.

Kobe was lying on the ground, his eyes sparkling, and the referee immediately called for medical personnel to come onto the court.

With a small stretcher, Kobe was able to leave the court safely.

Staples Center fans were furious. Hansen Lee was indeed a dirty bastard for using such a method to mess with Kobe!

"Dirty bastard! Get off the field!"

"Hanson Lee did it on purpose! That bastard can't stop Kobe Bryant, he's gotten desperate!"

"The prison team is full of bad apples; they don't deserve to be called players!"

"Hansen, I'm going to drive you into the sky!"

"..."

Li He shrugged and didn't take those words to heart.

The opposing fans are getting anxious? Doesn't that prove I did the right thing?

Off the field.

Coach Maurice Cheeks was speechless.

I told you to go up there and defend Kobe properly, and you just knocked him out, huh?