The Next Opponent

"Coach, I have to tell you about what happened in the Summer League." After the game, Rambis called the Lakers' head coach, the Silver Fox, Harris.

Listening to the excitement in Rambis's voice, Harris wondered if Kobe and his little group had played terribly and gotten into a conflict with Rambis. That would be troublesome. After all, Kobe was only a high school kid—bound to be a little hotheaded.

"Please, go on, Mr. Rambis." Harris prepared to calm him down.

"Damn it, damn it. I don't even know how to explain this to you. Kobe led those scraps and put on an unbelievable performance. He dominated the game on both ends of the floor. His impact on the game was unmatched—he was everywhere, capable of anything. It's simply unbelievable. How could a seventeen-year-old have such polished skills and such tremendous influence?" Rambis had seen—and even faced—countless superstars, but he had never encountered a player Kobe's age with such mature skills. His mouth kept moving as he relayed the stats recorded at the scorer's table to Harris.

At the time, team management and coaching staffs did not place much importance on data. They believed many factors on the court could not be reflected in statistics. Still, an explosion like Kobe's was rare. Harris was surprised. He had originally thought that, no matter how talented Kobe was, his age meant he would need several years before that talent truly showed. But from what Rambis was saying, Kobe had played with an absurd level of maturity and poise.

"You mean Kobe led those friends of his and delivered an outstanding performance against the Pistons?" Harris caught the point Rambis was trying to make.

"That's right. His friends have the defensive ability to establish themselves in the NBA. On offense, with Kobe's powerful scoring threat drawing attention, they can perform quite well too. It was only after Kobe sat out in the fourth quarter that their play dropped off significantly."

Interesting. A high schooler who could serve as the cornerstone on both offense and defense?

"Very good. Keep observing them. Let Kobe and his friends continue starting. Let's see whether this was a one-game outburst or simply their normal level." Harris made the decision. These young men had piqued his interest. Though Kobe had not directly said he wanted the Lakers to sign them, everything about the situation made his intentions clear.

If they continued to perform well, Harris was willing to speak with West and give them a chance.

"What? For our second game, we have to fly to Atlanta to face the Chinese national team?" Kobe was somewhat surprised when Rambis announced it at the Lakers' training facility. He remembered that this Chinese team had also achieved decent results at the Olympics.

The 26th Summer Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia in the United States, from July 19 to August 4, 1996. Like the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, these Games were organized by private individuals and companies, without strong support from the United States government or even involvement from the country's Olympic committee and individual sports organizations, which led to quite a few problems.

"Yes. The NBA will assign a national team to every Summer League squad. It lets them experience American basketball in advance while also serving as Olympic warm-ups. There'll be a huge crowd this time. A lot of Chinese Americans will come to watch and cheer them on, so give it your best, boys!" Rambis had received the notice suddenly as well. After delivering it, he hurried off to coordinate the trip. Arranging travel for more than a dozen big men was no easy task.

"Did you hear that, guys? Our next opponent is the Chinese team." Kobe narrowed his eyes. He liked China very much. Chinese fans were incredibly endearing. After becoming famous, he had visited many countries, but none were more passionate than China. In his previous life, he had always worked to promote basketball cooperation between China and the United States. He went to China nearly every summer, and during the NBA lockout, he had even come close to playing in the Chinese Basketball Association. China could be said to be his home base, his second home.

"You need to understand that there are 1.2 billion people behind the Chinese team. Put on a great performance, and they'll become your fans."

"1.2 billion? Boss, you're not messing with me, are you? The United States doesn't even have 300 million people right now. That country has that many people?" Fisher's eyes widened. Having 1.2 billion people as his fans would be incredible.

"Of course. It's a magical country. The sleeping dragon is about to awaken, and the entire world will undergo tremendous changes because of it." Kobe had Fisher wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth before speaking.

"All right, don't train too late today. Pack your things and get ready to leave." Kobe ended the day's training.

I can finally go home. This is amazing. Fisher muttered inwardly, but then he gave Kobe an unwavering look. "No, Boss. I want to do extra training!"

A promising student indeed. Kobe nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Then Vitti will supervise Fisher until he makes one thousand three-pointers. Everyone else, dismissed!"

??? I only said that casually. Why did you take it seriously? And why are you sending someone to supervise me? Are you really the devil?

Atlanta was located in the eastern United States, on a plateau at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, 350 meters above sea level. It was one of the United States' three major highland cities, the county seat of Fulton County, the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan area, and the capital and largest industrial and commercial city of Georgia. A railroad hub, Atlanta began developing in the early nineteenth century. It was destroyed during the Civil War, but quickly rebuilt after being chosen as the state capital.

In the twentieth century, it became the center of the United States civil rights movement and hosted the 26th Summer Olympic Games in 1996, also known as the Centennial Olympics.

The Centennial Olympics filled the city with an intense sporting atmosphere, drawing sports enthusiasts from all over the world to this grand event. Although the Olympics had not yet begun, crowds were already surging everywhere.

"Damn, I didn't know Atlanta had this many people too. It's practically become New York's Times Square." Ben Wallace grumbled. With his massive frame, being squeezed into the airport crowd was inevitably uncomfortable.

Kobe had a sports bag slung over his back and wore his familiar gray-and-white hoodie. He was also worried that the packed crowd might cause an accident, so he quickly led his teammates into the Olympic Village.

Though they were not participating in the Olympics and were only there as warm-up opponents, they were still assigned rooms in the Olympic Village. The big-name American athletes had no interest in staying in its sparse facilities. With plenty of cash in hand, they would rather spend heavily on upscale luxury hotels.

The moment they checked in, Kobe became restless again. "Guys, anyone want to go train?"

"Kobe, give them a break. They aren't physical freaks like you. The trip was tiring; their bodies need rest so they can prepare for the game." Gary Vitti did not know whether to laugh or cry. He knew Kobe loved putting his younger teammates through brutal workouts. The man was a complete training maniac.

"Oh, all right." Kobe pursed his lips. He knew Vitti was right. So he picked up a basketball and headed to the training gym alone.