On this day at the Staples Center, the Lakers secured a 108-105 victory over the Heat.
Watching Kobe's triumphant smile, Dwyane Wade felt a mix of helplessness and envy. With Pau Gasol joining the Lakers, they had finally overcome their previous shortcomings.
This season, the Lakers boasted a stellar record of 30 wins and 6 losses, sending a clear message to the entire league: the Purple and Gold dynasty was poised for a comeback.
Wade couldn't help but envy Kobe's ability to find a compatible partner, as the Lakers aimed for another championship run this season.
Meanwhile, the Heat faced daunting challenges just to make it into the playoffs. Since their last NBA Championship win in the 2006 season, Wade yearned to reclaim that feeling of standing at the pinnacle of basketball glory.
However, with their current lineup, the Heat's championship aspirations seemed distant, if not outright unattainable.
After exchanging embraces, Kobe and Wade each headed towards their respective team's player tunnel.
...
After attending the press conference, Kobe and Phil Jackson returned to the locker room.
The atmosphere was lively as teammates chatted among themselves, discussing plans to unwind at the bar.
"Winning just feels right, especially with our results this season," remarked one player.
While Coach Jackson typically discouraged late-night activities, he merely reminded the players to stay focused for the next day's training.
"Kobe, there's this kid at USC who plays a lot like you. They've got a game tomorrow. Interested in checking it out?" Lamar Odom leaned in, his tone conspiratorial.
Kobe, changing out of his uniform, glanced over at Odom, his eyes betraying exhaustion from the game. "Since when did you start following NCAA ball?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
Kobe had a mixed sentiment towards Odom. He admired his talent as a 6'10" power forward, number 4, but was frustrated by his lack of progress and penchant for nightlife distractions.
He often wondered if Odom, with his potential, could surpass the legends with whom he competed. Yet, Odom seemed more focused on nightclub scenes than honing his skills.
If Odom had mentioned a new club opening or a party, Kobe wouldn't have been surprised. But an invitation to watch NCAA ball intrigued him.
"Isn't this kid's style of play very similar to yours? I'm curious. Let's check it out together! Oh, and can you sign a photo for my friend from USC? She's been pestering me non-stop," Odom added, a touch embarrassed.
Kobe realized Odom must have met someone at USC, likely a fan smitten by his Lakers fame. Despite his reservations about Odom using his name for such endeavors, Kobe said nothing. He'd matured beyond letting emotions control his actions.
But Odom mentioning a player resembling him stirred Kobe's interest. While many players were touted as his successors, few truly echoed his style. Brandon Roy came closest, but even he fell short in Kobe's eyes.
"Successor, I hope he's not just a flash in the pan," Kobe mused.
...
On January 11, the USC game was held at the Galen Center, the home of USC.
The 18,000-person Galen Center arena was full of spectators, most of whom were USC fans wearing red jerseys, but there were also a small number of spectators wearing blue jerseys.
The two schools belong to Southern California, and the distance is not very far.
But the two schools are feuds, and each wants to beat the other.
In terms of honors in some college sports leagues, it is better than that of USC, but in terms of Olympic medals, USC is the leader among American universities.
There is no way to compare these two honors with each other, which has caused the two universities to refuse to accept the other, especially after the "Victory Bell" incident, the situation of the two universities is like fire and water.
The confrontation also caused the confrontation between the fans of the two universities, especially since the beginning of this season, USC has achieved a record of complete victory.
This gave the USC fans the hope of being able to overwhelm them, so in the competition for game tickets, the USC fans were also unprecedentedly crazy.
But what I didn't expect was that the fans actually snatched a small number of game tickets from the USC fans.
But the rice grains were not enough to compete with the bright moon, so they were submerged in a sea of red.
The game was broadcast live on ESPN.
This game also sent Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy to commentate on the game.
The two of them discussed which team they liked better before the game started.
"Oh, I'm more optimistic about USC. Although many commentators think that the Trojans don't have the championship gene, but judging from this season, USC's lineup is more reasonable. And they have outside DeRozan and sickle are the two twin stars." Van Gundy had watched the game video of USC before, and he admired the two outside twin stars, Lian Dao and DeRozan.
Mike Brin originally wanted to say that he supported USC, but he didn't expect his partner to give him a step ahead, so he could only support it instead.
"I think we can win more. Dasen and Zhu's two-guard cooperation is smoother, and they also have Josh. As a senior, Josh's game experience and scoring ability are not comparable to Sickle as a freshman. Yes." Mike Breen analyzed his strength.
"Also, Jeff, don't you feel that Sickle's speed is too slow? I don't think he is a good choice in the third position. I think he is more suitable for the fourth position." Mike Breen published own point of view.
"Oh, no, I don't fully agree with your point of view. Although Sickle's speed is a shortcoming, his defensive pace is not slow. The most important thing is that he can provide USC with strong fire support on the outside."
...
Jason, a Grizzlies scout with gold-rimmed glasses, also arrived at the venue to assess Lian Dao. Observing Lian Dao's performances in previous games, Jason became increasingly convinced that Lian Dao could be the missing piece for the Grizzlies. While Lian Dao's speed might pose a challenge in the small forward position, Jason saw potential for him as a versatile power forward.
The success of a stretch power forward like Nowitzki with the Mavericks has shown the viability of such a role in the NBA.
Regarding Lian Dao's interior skills, Jason believed they could be developed further, especially with his existing strength advantage.
Nearby, a Raptors scout with a prominent bald head was also present, focusing on his own assessments amidst the scouting activity.