LRAB Chapter 11 Kobe's Taunt Sparks Nationwide Discussion
Chapter 11 Kobe's Taunt Sparks Nationwide Discussion
Kobe's statement, "Internet celebrities don't deserve to play in the NBA," was like a spark thrown into an oil drum, instantly shattering the entire American sports world overnight.
ESPN, TNT, and other major sports media outlets all featured this sentence on their front pages, with headlines that were increasingly sensational: "Kobe Bryant says: Internet celebrity rookies don't deserve to step onto the NBA court," "The hype during the Finals halftime show won't earn the league's recognition," and "The slam dunker vs. the Black Mamba: Is the opening game destined to be a farce?"
On YouTube, videos of Lin Hao dunking on Shaquille O'Neal and highlights of his game-winning shot in the Summer League tripled in views overnight, sparking a heated debate in the comments section. Some said Kobe was too arrogant, arguing that it was unnecessary to target a rookie like that; however, many more sided with Kobe, saying that Lin Hao was just a attention-seeking internet celebrity who didn't deserve to play in the NBA, and that his Summer League MVP award was simply a case of choosing the best among the worst.
Back in China, across the ocean, the debate even trended on social media. On forums, someone screenshotted Kobe's words, with the headline "Kobe bluntly says Lin Hao is an internet celebrity, Chinese basketball is going to lose face," and the comments section erupted into chaos. Some criticized Kobe for looking down on people, some worried for Lin Hao, and others mocked him, saying he only became famous because of his suona playing and couldn't possibly play in the NBA regular season.
In the Warriors' training facility, early in the morning, the teammates gathered around the TV, watching Kobe's interviews on the news on a loop, and they were all so angry that their faces turned green.
Richardson slammed his water bottle onto the cabinet, yelling, "Who the hell is Kobe?! What gives him the right to call 'Canned Food Guy' an internet celebrity? Who defended the second overall pick so badly he didn't even recognize his own mother in the Summer League? Who hit the game-winning shot for MVP? He hasn't even seen any of those games, yet he dares to spout such nonsense?"
"Exactly!" Murphy nodded in agreement. "So what if they've won a few championships? They're too arrogant! Lin, ignore him, we'll crush them in the opening game!"
His teammates were all criticizing him, feeling indignant on Lin Hao's behalf. Lin Hao, however, leaned against the locker, slowly unscrewed a can of yellow peaches, forked a piece of peach and put it in his mouth, his face expressionless, as if he wasn't the one being criticized in the news.
But only he knew that the fire in his heart had already been ignited.
In his past life, he studied Kobe's videos thousands of times, learning everything from his footwork in fadeaway jump shots to his weight control on defense, and even his trash-talking habits. He respected this historic scorer, his obsession and competitiveness, but that didn't mean he could accept a casual remark like "internet celebrities don't deserve to play in the NBA."
He took out his phone, opened social media, typed a sentence, and posted it directly:
"Then I'll show you how internet celebrities play basketball."
One sentence instantly went viral across the internet.
Within ten minutes of its release, the post garnered over 100,000 likes, and the comment section was instantly flooded with comments. The entire United States was watching this "rising star vs. historic superstar" showdown. Everyone was waiting to see the opening game, to see if Lin Hao would be brought back to reality by Kobe, or if he could truly prove everyone wrong.
In the training hall, the head coach's face turned green when he saw Lin Hao's social media post. He called him into his office and gave him a severe dressing-down: "Lin! Do you know what you're doing?! You're trying to provoke Kobe?! He'll tear you apart in the opening game!"
Lin Hao stood still, not refuting, and waited until the head coach finished scolding before speaking, his tone calm but extremely determined: "Coach, he said I'm an internet celebrity and don't deserve to play in the NBA. Then I have to be on the court and use the ball to tell him whether I deserve it or not. Whether I anger him or not, I have to play this game, and I have to play well."
The head coach stared at the seriousness in his eyes for a long time, then finally sighed and stopped scolding him.
He knew this second-round pick was unlike any other rookie he'd ever seen. He seemed nonchalant, but his inner ruthlessness was stronger than anyone else's.
Back in the locker room, Richardson neatly arranged Lin Hao's canned peaches on his seat, patting his chest and saying, "Canned Peach Bro, let's stack up our buffs today! Play however you want in the opening game, we'll cover for you! Anyone who dares to guard you, I'll knock them flying!"
His teammates chimed in, each patting their chests in assurance. After the Summer League, Lin Hao had already earned the respect of the entire locker room through his skill.
Lin Hao looked at his teammates, grinned, took out his suona, put it in his mouth, and improvised a battle song. The tune was powerful and energetic, instantly getting his teammates fired up. They all shouted, "Crush the Lakers!"
The head coach had just pushed open the door when he heard a deafening suona horn. Seeing a group of burly men surrounding Lin Hao, who was playing the suona, he turned green with rage, as if injected with adrenaline, and roared, "Lin! Put your suona away! This is a locker room! Not a stage!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Richardson led the chant: "Let him blow it! Let him blow it! This is our battle song!"
The teammates immediately joined in the shouting. The head coach looked at the group of players who had gone crazy, his mouth twitching with anger. In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly and turn away.
Lin Hao put down the suona and patted his teammates on the shoulder with a smile.
He knew in his heart that Kobe's taunts were not a bad thing.
Everyone thought he was an internet celebrity and was waiting to see him make a fool of himself, but he was determined to make a name for himself in front of the whole world, in the opening game of the NBA's highest-level regular season, and over Kobe.
In his past life, he didn't have the chance to step onto the field. In this life, he not only wants to stand on it, but also to stand firmly and shine brightly.
On the opening day, Oracle Arena in Oakland was packed to capacity.
Of the more than 20,000 spectators, half were there to see the defending champion Lakers and the Kobe-Shaq duo; the other half were there to see Lin Hao, to see if this "internet celebrity rookie" named by Kobe could put on a decent performance in the NBA regular season.
The stands were filled with spectators holding up signs. Some wrote "Go, Suona Bro!", others wrote "Internet celebrities can play in the NBA!", and some even brought their own suonas and played them in the stands, causing laughter throughout the stadium.
In the player tunnel, Lin Hao was warming up. The team doctor squatted in front of him, bandaging his ankle and repeatedly reminding him, "Lin, remember, if you feel any discomfort in your ankle, signal to leave the game immediately. Never push yourself through it."
"Don't worry." Lin Hao nodded, flexing his ankle. Although it still ached slightly, it didn't affect his ability to exert force at all. With the help of the system's recovery enhancement over the past two weeks of rehabilitation training, his injury had healed by more than half.
He looked up and saw the Lakers players walking towards him from across the tunnel.
Shaquille O'Neal, walking at the front, his 300-plus-pound frame resembling a small mountain, saw Lin Hao, his eyes lit up, and he waved with a smile, calling out in broken Chinese, "Suona! Friend!"
Lin Hao smiled and waved at him.
Following behind O'Neal was Kobe.
He was wearing the Lakers' number 24 jersey, arms crossed, his face as cold as ice. He glanced at Lin Hao with a look of icy disdain, and walked straight onto the court without even stopping.
That look in his eyes was like looking at an insignificant clown.
As Lin Hao watched his retreating figure, the smile on his lips slowly faded, and a hint of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes.
Soon, the players from both sides entered the field, and the starting lineups were announced.
Lin Hao's name was not on the Warriors' starting lineup.
The head coach opted for a conservative approach, relegating him to the bench. After all, it was the regular season opener against the defending champion Lakers, and he didn't dare put an injured second-round rookie in the starting lineup to match up against Kobe.
Lin Hao had anticipated this. He sat quietly at the end of the bench, wrapped in a towel, his eyes fixed on the court, observing every defensive possession and every tactical movement of the Lakers, silently dissecting it in his mind.
He knew that his opportunity would surely come.
From the start of the game, the Lakers displayed the dominance of the defending champions. The OK duo took turns exerting their strength, with O'Neal dominating the paint and unstoppable; Kobe frequently hit from the outside, scoring 10 points before the first quarter was even halfway through, forcing the Warriors to call a timeout.
During the timeout, the head coach yelled at the players, but they all looked dejected and were completely overwhelmed by the Lakers' momentum.
With four minutes left in the first quarter, the Warriors were already down by 12 points. Their defense was being torn apart by the Lakers' triangle offense, and Kobe could easily beat anyone who guarded him and score.
The head coach glanced at the situation on the field, then at Lin Hao at the end of the bench, gritted his teeth, and shouted at him, "Lin! Warm up! Get ready to go on!"
Lin Hao immediately stood up, pulled off the towel, stretched his limbs, and his eyes lit up instantly.
He had waited for this moment for far too long.
When the audience saw Lin Hao get up to warm up, they erupted in a deafening cheer, and everyone stood up, staring at the direction of the substitutes' bench.
The rookie whom Kobe called an "internet celebrity" is about to take the court.
His matchup is against Kobe Bryant.