Chapter 462: Kobe's Perspective

At 10 a. m. on May 26, 2013, Kobe Bryant walked out of Jean Bas's house; Jean Bas talked with him for a very long time, discussing the Lakers' current predicament and reminiscing about the Lakers' former glory.

Moreover, Jean Bas finally, for the first time ever, apologized to Kobe Bryant, saying she deeply regretted trading Jieke Fan in 2011. She admitted she was the mastermind behind everything now.

But she hopes Kobe will still lead the team to make new contributions.

She doesn't want the Western Finals to end like this.

Even if the Lakers lose, they must lose with dignity.

She means she doesn't want to be swept.

Kobe is her biggest reliance.

Stepping out of Jean Bas's house, Los Angeles at the end of May was already warm; a hot gust blew in, carrying the scent of asphalt, and Kobe sneezed.

He got into his sedan.

Then he dialed Chris Paul's number.

Chris Paul is the Lakers Player who is deepest in the vortex among all Lakers.

The pressure he bears is even greater than Kobe's.

Because, subconsciously, everyone treats Kobe as part of the Lakers, and he is already an "elder".

Meanwhile, Paul is still in his prime, strong and vigorous.

His verbal sparring with Kevin Durant made the entire basketball world view it as a joke; whatever Chris Paul chooses has already become fodder for laughter. People mock his trade with Fan Xi, mock his clinging to a big leg only to return empty‑handed, mock his being eclipsed by Fan Xi in Los Angeles… Of course, now there are new expectations, and everyone is waiting to see how he ends.

Chris Paul's mood wasn't good; trailing 0‑3 dealt a severe blow to his will.

He's no longer a child.

He knows how to face the reality.

Kobe also understood this, so he didn't say those passionate words to Paul; he didn't talk about miracles being inevitable, that a 0‑3 deficit might still be overturned, or that they were all chosen by destiny.

Kobe told Paul: "Chris, if you choose to leave, don't leave regrets in the next game."

The hardest thing in life is "leaving no regrets", but whenever anyone faces "no regrets", unprecedented courage and will emerge.

Paul told Kobe: "I know what to do."

After finishing the call with Chris Paul, Kobe dialed Pau Gasol's number.

Gasol is Kobe's longtime partner; since becoming teammates in 2007, they have come to know each other well, achieving the great feat of three consecutive championships and reaching the pinnacle. Yet their temperaments are completely different, leading to changes in their current states.

Pau Gasol's performance has declined sharply over the past two seasons; both physically and mentally, he shows a sense of having no desires or demands.

After all, he's already a three‑time champion; winning another title wouldn't boost his historical standing. Losing wouldn't affect his next contract either—there will always be teams willing to spend millions in salary to acquire his talent and experience; he's the type any strong team needs.

"I need your help, Paul."

Kobe got straight to the point with Gasol: "I must secure victory in the next game; we must give our all and play at our best to have a chance to win."

Pau Gasol didn't hesitate; he pounded his chest, declaring he would give his all.

He shares a close personal friendship with Kobe and is willing to do many things for him.

Later, Kobe called Luo En A Taise Te and Jia Mi Sen, and talked with them at length.

He began to build a unified front.

Kobe is fully aware that this will be the final peak of his career. Although losing to Fan Xi is something he can accept, he doesn't want to sit idly by, nor does he want others to know that defeating Kobe is so easy.

May 27.

Kobe got up at 4:30 a. m., overlooking most of Los Angeles from Beverly Hills, as was his habit.

When the big battle approaches, he makes his spirit even more tense.

He walks into his own arena to train, maintaining his condition.

Then he returns to his room to shower, meticulously shaving his beard and also tidying his scalp.

Then, back in the bedroom, he kisses his children.

Afterwards he eats the chef‑prepared nutrition meal in the dining room, a heap of bland, wax‑like food.

This has long been his habit for keeping his shape.

Then he deliberately drives the yellow Lamborghini the sponsor gave him, heading toward Staples Center.

Normally Los Angeles traffic is heavily congested, and Kobe sometimes prefers to fly in an expensive helicopter rather than drive himself. But this morning, traffic was smooth.

Kobe feels great. He thinks it's a good omen.

He drives into Staples Center; the gate guard is still very enthusiastic, but Kobe sees that under the guard's loose suit jacket is a Kuaisuan jersey.

Although this guy had always been a Lakers fan and still fervently supports Kobe.

It has become an irreversible trend in Los Angeles.

More and more Lakers fans are turning into Kuaisuan fans; after Kuaisuan acquired Jieke and Jieke became Kuaisuan's owner, their momentum surged. They not only created unprecedented miracles in head‑to‑head games against the Lakers, but also won the championship and achieved the best regular‑season record in history.

All of this shows Kuaisuan's rise while the Lakers are in decline.

Kobe knows this will become an irreversible process; he's not a Lakers shareholder, so he doesn't feel a sharp personal pain, but as one of the most important stars in Lakers history, he still feels sad about it.

Moreover, what saddens him more is that he knows after he retires this trend will become even more evident. One day, the Lakers might become a basketball minority in Los Angeles.

Kuaisuan's unstoppable rise marks Jieke Fan's third season in his career. Although the league mandates he transfer to another team every two seasons, that doesn't hinder Kuaisuan's development, nor does it stop Fan Xi from becoming ever stronger.

Thus, for Kobe, this battle carries a tragic sense of being his final fight.

Kobe knows clearly that once the Lakers lose this series they will fall apart, Paul's departure will become a certainty, and Dwight Howard has long had no reason to stay with Kuaisuan.

Even Pau Gasol will leave.

Once this situation materializes, Kobe knows clearly that in the future the Lakers returning to the Western Finals will be difficult. Though he could still play three, four, or even five more years.

But that would only be to maintain the Lakers' playoff berth.

Kobe parks the car and enters the players' tunnel.

As usual, he first goes to the therapy room for icing, then naps on the massage chair. In his dream he envisions a different scenario: Jieke was never traded, and he and Fan Xi control the league, not only achieving an 82‑win regular season but also winning the championship with a 16‑game playoff winning streak. They are unstoppable. His total championship count surpasses Jordan's, and Fan Xi, with his help, quickly becomes the Lakers' new generation leader. The Purple and Gold army is invincible, victorious in everything.

Then he wakes from the dream.

He did not feel that this beautiful dream was unreal.

He only felt that the real world was too deficient.

Jenny, Jenny, we could have won five straight championships, six straight, even eight straight, ten straight.

Kobe said regretfully.

Now everyone knows who caused this situation.

But they no longer have a chance to make up for it.

Fan Xi has already become the owner of the Clippers; he could no longer play for the Lakers. Even if the league adopted a draft lottery system, the Lakers would definitely be excluded in the end, which is obvious.

Kobe went to have lunch.

Then he went to the arena to train. The staff had just laid the floor, and the huge Lakers logo placed at the center had always been the pride of the City of Angels.

But now.

Kobe turned his head and saw a familiar figure. Fan Xi stood on the other side; Fan Xi was a hardworking player. Kobe had always admired that.

Fan Xi smiled at Kobe.

But Kobe was not in a good mood to greet this friend; he had already entered a hostile state.

Kobe repeatedly practiced his turnaround fadeaway jumper.

Fan Xi, meanwhile, practiced three-point shooting on the other side of the arena.

They kept to themselves, like two parallel lines.

Something that made Kobe a little upset happened half an hour later, while he was still training here, the opposite court was already packed.

Fan Xi's younger brothers all followed him to train.

Kobe had to admit that Fan Xi's leadership ability far surpassed his own; he had taken the shortest time in history to lead a rebuilding team full of newcomers to the heights of the finals, and established an unprecedented regular-season record.

Kobe not only thought he couldn't do it, but also thought Jordan couldn't. Jordan only used harsh means to suppress and motivate teammates, whereas Fan Xi could let teammates grow rapidly from all angles.

They interacted like true friends, and they displayed the atmosphere of college basketball.

Such an atmosphere Kobe had never seen with the Lakers; from the day he joined the team in 1996, he knew this was a professional league where everyone were just colleagues. He had long been considered aloof, indifferent, and not a team player. After O'Neal left, he became the team leader, yet he never truly united everyone; after 2007 he changed somewhat, but the team's internal atmosphere remained professional—teammates were just teammates, with little friendship beyond that.

Therefore, looking at the harmonious half-court scene on the Clippers' side, Kobe, who never attended college, actually felt a certain longing.

…

After Kobe finished training, he ate some nutrition meals, then rested a while, and watched the Clippers' tactical system. His teammates also came over, each beginning warm-ups, and the coaching staff contacted key players for tactical communication; at this time, the coaching staff would optimize certain tactics and tell some key players what to watch for in the game.

Kobe was already accustomed to all this; tonight he clearly felt that D'Antoni's tactical ideas held the dominant position.

The usually strong Larry Brown appeared somewhat silent; the past three losses had made him lose some confidence.

But Fan Xi believed he was still a warrior; this tough college-style coach would not be easily destroyed.

After all, Larry Brown was the only coach who had tamed peak Iverson.

Kobe now finds it easier to recall some 'old-timers,' but these people have gradually faded from the league.

Facing the surging new era, Kobe wanted to make one last splash.

At seven o'clock in the evening, the game began.

Kobe and all his teammates raised their fists in the player tunnel; he shouted, 'One, two, three!' and the teammates roared in unison, 'Lakers, go!'

This is the established ritual.

At this moment, the lights in the Staples Center dimmed, and the home DJ began shouting, introducing the Lakers players one by one.

Kobe's teammates ran out one by one.

Kobe remained at the end.

When his name was called and he ran out, the whole crowd shouted in unison: Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!

Full of momentum.

As if ten years were a single day.

Kobe has always been the guardian deity in the hearts of Lakers fans.

Even though the series has come to this point, fans still believe Kobe will bring victory to the team.

This is the consensus they have built over the past many years.

The game soon began.

The Lakers' starting lineup alongside Kobe remained: Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Chris Paul.

Whether Larry Brown or Mike D'Antoni, neither liked to change the starting lineup; both were rather rigid in personnel allocation.

This made Kobe often think back to when Jie Ke was still with the Lakers; he and Phil Jackson always came up with unexpected lineups.

Just like the Clippers tonight.

They actually didn't let Nowitzki start, even though he had just delivered a career-best postseason performance in the previous game; yet they were so willful, and Nowitzki had no complaints, and Fan Xi always managed to do this.

Mili Xiqi, Huaiti Seda, Jimmy Butler, Dante Jones, Jieke Fan.

This is the Clippers' starting lineup tonight.

Kobe's brows were tightly furrowed; in fact, coaches D'Antoni and Larry Brown were the same, unable to fathom the meaning of the Clippers' move… this was a completely new lineup.

Fan Xi always stays one step ahead tactically.

Pa!

Howard lost the jump ball to Mili Xiqi.

Lakers players were no longer surprised; whenever Howard encountered Mili Xiqi, he would underperform… it had become a new jinx.

When Kobe was defending, he clapped loudly, urging his teammates to stay alert.

Afterward, he saw Fan Xi come rushing in with incredible speed.

He tried to loosen his defense to block, but saw Fan Xi use a sharp change of direction to cut through Chris's defense, then forcefully accelerate from Paul's left side to crush past… St. Paul was completely unprepared, looking utterly helpless.

Kobe couldn't help but marvel at Fan Xi's mastery of timing now, and the combination of his skill and physicality had become effortless.

He turned his head, Fan Xi drove into the paint, he leapt up fiercely against Howard's defense, but he threw the basketball into the paint in midair, Huaiti Seda jumped up and slammed it with both hands.

Kobe was a little angry at the time; he didn't know why Pau Gasol missed this defensive assignment.

The Lakers always make this mistake in this series.

…