Team Roster

"Mr. Rambis, are you saying Kobe Bryant put up averages of 31 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.25 assists, and 2 steals over four games?" After the Summer League ended, Jerry West received a call from Rambis. Judging by the numbers, Kobe's performance had been exceptionally eye-catching.

"That's right, Mr. West. What I want to tell you is that the numbers can't reflect his impact on the court. He can make shots against double teams, go coast to coast while beating six defenders in a row, organize the team's offense, and defend everyone from point guards to small forwards. You could say he led the entire team by himself."

Kobe's performance had made Kurt Rambis feel as if he was not Kobe's coach at all, but rather his fan. That was the powerful appeal of Kobe's style of play—he could always make people fall in love with him through spectacular performances and dazzling moves.

"Very good. It seems our future star performed wonderfully. What about the other players on the team?" West smiled. He was filling out the roster and was also extremely interested in the few Kobe followers Rambis had mentioned.

"Bruce Bowen displayed very mature one-on-one defensive skills. His time in the European leagues wasn't wasted; he developed excellent defense, and he also has a respectable three-point percentage when left open. His weakness is that he lacks the self-created offense required of a small forward, and his athleticism is somewhat average. That's why he hasn't been able to stick in the NBA." Knowing West would ask, Rambis had already laid out the strengths and weaknesses of several players.

"Ben Wallace has good speed and strength. He's excellent at help defense and has a sharp nose for rebounds. His flaw is his height. At his size, he can currently only serve as a power forward with no offensive ability, while his extremely low finishing percentage around the basket and basketball IQ are things he urgently needs to improve."

"Derek Fisher, our twenty-fourth pick, performed as expected of his draft position. He has a strong understanding of tactics, decent one-on-one defense, and a good three-point shot. He can serve as a 3-and-D point guard, but he lacks initiative in pursuing his own offense. That may be because he's playing beside Kobe."

"Travis Knight, the twenty-ninth pick waived by the Bulls. He has solid fundamentals, excellent height and wingspan, and sets sturdy screens. His flaws are that he's extremely weak physically, can easily be overpowered at the basket by quality centers, and has poor stamina. If he can improve those areas, he could become a solid backup big."

"My suggestion is to sign them to non-guaranteed contracts. They're still young and worth gambling on for their potential. We can see how well they adapt to the NBA during the season. After all, the physicality of the Summer League is completely different from that of the regular season." Rambis wanted to lend them a hand. He greatly appreciated the potential of these players.

"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Rambis." West had no intention of signing them to non-guaranteed deals. The Lakers' tradition was never to be stingy.

After the Summer League, Kobe hadn't forgotten about it. He had already worked with Rob Pelinka to sign Ben Wallace and Bruce Bowen, while Derek Fisher and Travis Knight already had agents of their own.

"BOSS! Ben and Bruce have both signed with the Lakers! I got them fully guaranteed contracts worth $250,000!" As soon as Pelinka finished negotiating the contracts with West, he immediately contacted Kobe.

Pelinka had signed Ben Wallace and Bruce Bowen to four-year deals for 5% of their total income. From this deal alone, Pelinka could earn $25,000. That was no small sum in the United States at the time, and all of it had been brought to him by his boss, Kobe Bryant.

"Very good, Rob. Nicely done!" Kobe knew that achieving an S+ life achievement would inevitably be extremely difficult. He needed capital and connections, both on and off the court.

Neither Kobe Bryant nor Pelinka had enough startup capital in hand. Otherwise, there were plenty of projects they could invest in. Kobe's ambitions were huge, yet he had not signed a single endorsement deal so far.

Kobe looked forward to the coming games. On the glamorous stage of Los Angeles, as long as you could deliver spectacular performances, you would attract enormous attention.

"Travis Knight signed as well. Mr. West told me privately that his agent only got him a $220,000 contract." Don't underestimate the difference of $30,000—$30,000 was more than enough for a family of three to live comfortably in the United States for a year.

Very good. That meant this team would have four teammates from Kobe's own circle. They were all rookies, though, and none of them had much say. On a basketball court, influence had to be earned through strength.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Pelinka, Kobe hung up and sent a group text to Bruce Bowen, Ben Wallace, and Travis Knight.

"Hey, congratulations, my brothers. Welcome to the Los Angeles Lakers. I can't wait to fight alongside you. See you at the practice facility!"

Summer in Los Angeles came to an end amid the sweat of Kobe and his group.

As the preseason was about to begin, Jerry West and Del Harris finalized the team roster.

Point Guards: Nick Van Exel, Derek Fisher, Rumiel Robinson, Byron Scott

Shooting Guards: Eddie Jones, Kobe Bryant

Small Forwards: Cedric Ceballos, Jerome Kersey, Bruce Bowen

Power Forwards: Elden Campbell, Corie Blount, Ben Wallace

Centers: Shaquille O'Neal, Sean Rooks, Travis Knight

West's team-building philosophy was very clear: build around Shaquille O'Neal's dominance in the paint and surround him with a large group of outside shooters. The wing positions were stocked with young players who could shoot and attack the rim.

Perhaps in two years, perhaps in three—when these young players had grown beneath O'Neal's wings, and Jordan and the three great centers were no longer young, the next era would belong to the Lakers.

"Mr. West, O'Neal has requested to skip the team's joint practices. He said the Olympic Games wore him out and that his body needs rest." Harris did not know whether to laugh or cry as he relayed the news to West.

"A center like O'Neal truly has no need to participate in the preseason. He should save his energy for the important moments." West did not think much of it. He had always believed that franchise players should have privileges. Forget skipping practice—so long as you could dominate in the playoffs, even refusing to play regular-season games would be no problem.

There was only one championship, and the stage for superstars was only the playoffs. West did not care much about preseason or regular-season records. In his view, the regular season was merely a way to develop young players and coordinate the team's tactics.

"Alright." Harris gave a wry smile, his head aching. How were they supposed to run practices for the tactics built around O'Neal after losing their central piece?