Kobe didn't expect to find a player who could catch his eye in a college league.
Lian Dao's passing, three-point shooting, and defense left a strong impression on Kobe.
"Lamar, what do you think of the guy from USC wearing the No. 1 jersey?" Kobe increasingly admired Lian Dao and sought Odom's opinion.
After waiting a while with no response from Odom, Kobe repeated himself, only to find him completely absorbed in conversation with a girl next to him, paying no attention to the game or Kobe's question.
Honestly, Kobe felt frustrated; if not for team unity, he might have given Lamar a good talking-to for ignoring the game and flirting instead.
Realizing further questioning was pointless, Kobe ceased and refocused on Lian Dao, whose passing, defense, and three-pointers were helping USC extend their lead.
Kobe sensed he had discovered a gem and considered introducing the young man to Mitch, thinking he might be a draft prospect for the Lakers in the offseason.
But then, Kobe reflected on the Lakers' strong performance that season, heading towards a championship. Their draft position wasn't bottom-of-the-barrel; it hovered around the end of the first round.
"Maybe we can snag Lian Dao near the end of the first round..." Kobe mused but shook his head, feeling it unlikely.
Deep down, Kobe believed this young player on the court could bring about significant changes during "March Madness."
Lost in his thoughts about Lian Dao, Kobe forgot they had come to watch "Kobe's successor," DeMar, that day.
...
After Lian Dao nailed another three-pointer from the outside, USC extended their lead to 19-9.
Coach Ben Howland was furious on the sidelines as the deficit stretched to 10 points.
"Stay focused on defense! Don't let him drive, he's not quick enough!"
"Jrue, double-team him! Force him inside the arc, he hasn't hit a mid-range shot!"
Since the game began, Josh Shipp had been repeatedly pushed back by Lian Dao's step-back three-pointers. Every time Josh Shipp tried to defend tightly, Lian Dao either used his strength to create space or passed to open teammates.
Josh Shipp felt tortured by Lian Dao and was aggrieved to hear the coach's shouts.
Even when posting up to defend, Josh Shipp couldn't keep up with Lian Dao's quick moves. Lian Dao's height of 206cm and wingspan of 223cm made it hard for Josh Shipp to disrupt his shots despite his efforts.
"206cm tall with shoes, 223cm wingspan, and deadly accurate three-point shooting—this kid's a nightmare."
"It's like a glitch in the system."
Despite Josh Shipp's best efforts, Lian Dao continued to score, leaving Josh frustrated with his inability to stop him.
"Oh, Josh Shipp has no answer for Lian Dao."
"Lian Dao against the 3rd and 4th positions is like a mismatch. Josh Shipp's speed is nullified by Lian Dao's size and skill."
"I'm really impressed by this talented and intelligent young player."
Van Gundy openly praised Lian Dao, expressing his admiration.
Meanwhile, Mike echoed similar sentiments, regretting his past skepticism.
Finally, after DeMar stole Jrue Holiday's pass and scored on a fast break, Ben Howland couldn't wait any longer and called a timeout with USC trailing by 15 points.
He pulled Josh Shipp aside, emphasizing, "I've said it before—don't let his speed fool you! Stick with him, don't give him any room to shoot!"
Josh Shipp nodded earnestly in response.
Then, Ben Howland called Jrue Holiday over to stress the importance of defending and double-teaming Lian Dao.
Initially planning to double-team Dragovic and Shipp, Ben Howland reconsidered due to USC's disadvantage in the paint this season. Pulling Dragovic out to help defend Lian Dao would leave their interior vulnerable, especially with talented centers like Gibson and Vucevic on the court.
Enviously eyeing the jubilant USC bench, Howland couldn't help but reflect, "Why did I overlook him back then?"
Although he didn't say it aloud, Howland regretted underestimating Lian Dao's potential and suffering a loss to him in USC's season opener.
"Let's focus on closing this gap first. The board members are itching for another championship. They won't be pleased about missing out on a golden opportunity like this!"
Shaking off his regrets, Howland began strategizing anew.
The atmosphere at USC was relaxed, with players on the bench laughing and joking. Tim didn't feel the need to emphasize anything; they were comfortably in the lead and Lian Dao was orchestrating play on the court adeptly, making defense and attack straightforward.
Meanwhile, Lian Dao slumped on the bench, wrapping himself in a towel to conserve heat and recover lost energy.
Despite his earlier maxing out of Griffin's physical talents, the short time frame limited noticeable improvements in Lian Dao's own physical abilities. Recently, he discovered that advancing from a value of 69 to 70 was particularly challenging. It required significantly more training time and intensity compared to lower levels, with diminishing returns as attributes increased.
However, not all attributes were equally challenging. His strength attribute had surged from an early 79 to a current 85, an A+ rating that ranked among the NBA's top 20. Lian Dao learned that this was due to his extensive standing and boxing practice.
Lately, Lian Dao noticed his teammates keeping their distance during training sessions. Initially, he thought they were avoiding him, but DeRozan revealed they were intimidated by the intensity of his workouts, fearing he might pull them into extra drills involuntarily.
Knowing this, Lian Dao couldn't help but wryly smile. While he received massages after every session, his body still woke up sore the next day—a consequence of his high-intensity training.
Yet, without such rigorous workouts, his skill development would stagnate. Despite his rapid improvement compared to teammates and other NCAA players, Lian Dao felt his progress had slowed from its initial pace. This perception led him to train even harder, driven not by competition with others but by his own previous achievements.
However, prolonged fatigue posed risks to his health, a consequence he had yet to face in the short term.