Los Angeles, inside the Lakers' practice facility.
The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt as though water could be wrung from it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of basketballs striking the floor was rapid and heavy, pounding against everyone's nerves like war drums.
Kobe Bryant was shirtless, his shorts long since soaked through with sweat and clinging tightly to his skin, outlining muscles as hard as rock.
He was relentlessly drilling suicides into pull-up jumpers, striving for perfection in every movement and putting everything into every shot. His gaze was focused and sharp, like a falcon locked onto its prey. His obsession and hunger for victory seemed ready to spill from his eyes.
The trainer handed him a towel and some water, but he waved them off and walked straight to the other side of the court, shouting at Shaquille O'Neal, "Shaq! One-on-one! Now!"
O'Neal had just finished a set of heavy bench presses, his pectorals bulging like two shields.
Hearing Kobe's challenge, his massive body rose from the bench. The usual playfulness was gone from his face, replaced by a rare and solemn seriousness.
"Come on, kid. Let me see if you've improved."
O'Neal set up in the low post, his huge frame like a wall.
Kobe dribbled, probed, then suddenly crossed over and drove, trying to use his speed to get around O'Neal.
But this time, O'Neal's feet were unusually nimble. He slid sideways and used his massive frame to seal off the lane completely. Kobe felt as though he had crashed into a truck.
"Is that all you've got?" O'Neal growled, feeling Kobe's impact against his chest.
Kobe gritted his teeth, spun away, and leaned back so far that his body was nearly parallel to the floor before releasing an extreme fadeaway jumper. The ball traced a