The Highly Anticipated Duel, Flames of Ambition!

Bailey the Lion scratched his head awkwardly and decided to pick a different target.

Soon, he spotted a massive figure—Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal was clearly in a great mood today. He hummed an off-key rap as he walked, a relaxed smile on his face. Just thinking about not having to wrestle that monster Li Fei in the paint today made his entire body feel at ease.

Bailey the Lion hid behind a pillar again, waited for the right moment, then suddenly leaped out with an exaggerated roar. "Awooo!"

"Waaahhh!"

O'Neal was scared out of his wits. His enormous body jumped backward like an out-of-control truck, and he stumbled, nearly falling flat on the floor.

After steadying himself and realizing it was the mascot, he immediately flew into an embarrassed rage and charged after him, shouting as he ran, "Hey! You stupid lion! Are you trying to scare me to death? I'm gonna pluck every last hair off you!"

The entire players' tunnel instantly filled with O'Neal's exaggerated shouting and the staff's laughter.

His completely different reaction from Kobe's made for a highly dramatic scene, foreshadowing that tonight at Staples Center was destined to bring a clash of ice and fire.

In the mixed zone, reporters had already set up their cameras and microphones, waiting for the core players from both teams to appear.

Kobe arrived first. He had already taken off his suit jacket, leaving only a white shirt, with his tie loosened slightly. Yet his sharp, intimidating aura had not diminished in the slightest.

"Kobe, tonight will be your first time facing Li Fei and his Knicks at Staples Center as the team's unquestioned centerpiece. How do you feel right now? Excited?" An ESPN reporter seized the lead in asking.

The corners of Kobe's mouth lifted in a rare, faint