Beyond the training facility, the world was already bracing for a storm.
The next morning, as the first ray of sunlight pierced Los Angeles's thin fog, the hoarse cries of countless newsboys and the rousing opening themes of morning broadcasts thrust the Purple and Gold into the center of a media firestorm.
On ESPN's official website, the bold black headline on the front page read—<Cracks in the Dynasty? The Silent War Between O'Neal and Kobe!>
TNT's Sports Channel went even further, looping footage of Kobe ignoring O'Neal's call for the ball in the final moments of last night's game and choosing a difficult isolation play instead. Its headline was even more sensational: <More Than a Loss: Are the Lakers Imploding from Within?>
Even The Times, known for its serious tone, ran a pointed headline in its sports section: <The Shadow of the Purple and Gold Twin Towers: When Two Philosophies Collide on the Court>.
On major sports forums and message boards, fan arguments had reached a fever pitch.
Among them, a column by veteran ESPN commentator Bill Simmons was frantically reposted by major news websites, instantly setting the entire basketball world ablaze.
Its title was: The Shark's Kingdom and the Mamba's Island.
"...We must admit that Shaquille O'Neal is the most dominant interior player of this era. His strength and size are every team's nightmare. In theory, the Triangle Offense Phil Jackson built around him is unsolvable. But basketball has never been just about diagrams on a coaching board."
"Last night, we saw cracks in that system. When the game reached its most critical moment, when the Lakers most needed a reliable scorer to answer Li Fei's absurd game-winner, the ball did not go to the most dominant giant on the floor. Why?"
"The answer lay in Kobe Bryant's eyes.