Stalemate

At the end of the first quarter, it was 24–19. Kobe led the reserves to a five-point advantage.

"Boss, we're actually ahead of last year's Lakers starters! This doesn't feel real at all!" Fisher shouted excitedly. He had just made several brilliant plays in a row. The effects of his hard summer training were showing; Fisher held advantages in both height and strength on offense. Van Exel was not in great form either, and his defense lacked focus, so Fisher was having a very comfortable time on the court.

"They're missing a core player. Right now, they're just a scattered mess, while we're a team!" Kobe lifted his chin, his gaze sweeping across each of his teammates. Their improvement had exceeded even his expectations.

"Exactly, that's what I think too." Ben Wallace was extremely fired up. The roaming, trapping style suited him perfectly. Aside from Kobe, he was arguably the most noticeable player on the court, and his several monstrous blocks had thoroughly embarrassed the starters.

"Guys, keep playing like this. Stay alert for their comeback." Kobe encouraged his teammates. There was still one quarter left, and once the starters adjusted, the outcome would still be hard to predict.

Del Harris looked at Kobe with burning eyes. Was this the Lakers' future? This player had only just turned eighteen, yet he was unbelievably mature. His skills, willpower, and leadership were all beyond reproach. He was simply born with the makings of a superstar.

The gap in personnel between the two teams was obvious to the naked eye, yet under Kobe's leadership, the reserves were still able to trade blows with the starters and even take the lead.

Maybe he has a chance to surpass Jordan. The thought surfaced in Del Harris's mind, but he immediately laughed and shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself. That was hardly the most pressing issue right now.

Del Harris then looked at the starters with some irritation. It seemed they had enjoyed their summer far too much. Ceballos had gotten fat as a ball, with none of the bearing of the All-Star-caliber small forward he had been last year.

"Hey, hey, Nick. Get me the ball a few more times." Ceballos had no idea Del Harris was already dissatisfied with him. In his mind, he was the team's second option. His teammates and coaches should be relying on him and catering to him.

Nick Van Exel's face darkened. Being led by a bunch of rookies was already infuriating enough, and now this idiot Ceballos, who was completely out of game shape, dared to ask him for the ball? Did he have any idea how many shots he had just missed?

Campbell and Eddie Jones were not particularly talkative, but falling behind had put them in an awkward position as well. They exchanged a glance and decided to show some real skill.

"Tweet!" Rambis blew the whistle to start the second quarter.

The reserves had possession this time. Fisher had barely crossed half court with the ball when Van Exel pressured him.

"Damn it, they're targeting Old Fish." Fisher panicked. He was about to lose the ball, and in his haste, he tried to pass it to Kobe.

A nimble figure suddenly darted out—Eddie Jones! Eddie Jones intercepted Fisher's pass, pushed the ball forward, and with the entire half court open ahead of him, hammered it home.

"It's not just you who can run the break." Eddie Jones turned and said to Kobe.

Kobe smiled. Now that was more like it.

"ISO. Clear out." Kobe gestured, took Bowen's inbound pass, and brought the ball up himself. The starters were trying to build momentum, and what the Black Mamba loved most was delivering a lethal blow just as his opponent began to rise.

This possession was crucial. If he scored, the other side's momentum would be extinguished. If he missed, they would very likely pick up the pace and launch a sustained scoring run.

Kobe Bryant had experienced countless games like this. He knew that at a moment like this, he had to remain absolutely calm. Eddie Jones was a very good defender, and Kobe was waiting for an opportunity.

Eddie Jones looked grim as he guarded Kobe. Kobe was merely dribbling at a steady pace, but Jones could sense the explosive force waiting to erupt at any moment.

Kobe went through a series of between-the-legs dribbles, the rhythm extremely slow. On a basketball court, speed was not the only weapon that could break down a defense. Sometimes, slowing down was even more dangerous.

A viper was at its most dangerous when it coiled into a ball and hid in the darkness.

Eddie Jones stared at Kobe, who appeared full of openings, and began to lose patience. His center of gravity shifted slightly forward.

Now! Kobe used his left hand to ward off Eddie Jones's steal attempt, slammed the ball forward with his right, lowered his body, and stepped to the right.

Eddie Jones could not regain his balance after lunging for the steal, and Kobe smoothly created separation.

Damn it. I shouldn't have gambled. Eddie Jones regretted it.

Kobe drove into the mid-range and rose lightly. Campbell rushed out, but he was too late on the help defense! The basketball traced a perfect arc and dropped through the hoop.

"Tweet! The basket counts! One free throw!" Rambis blew his whistle.

"Great shot!" Eddie Jones's fast-break score had rattled the reserves somewhat, but after that basket, they immediately steadied themselves. They had Kobe Bryant to rely on!

A star's isolation scoring had that kind of uplifting effect. Perhaps isolation was not a team's most efficient tactic, but it was always indispensable.

When your team needed you, you stepped up. When the opponent defended you relentlessly, you still knocked down the shot. That was what a superstar was.

Players were not machines. When Kobe made a play like that, the mentality of both sides was bound to be affected.

Bruce Bowen and Fisher immediately ran over and pulled Kobe up after Campbell had knocked him to the floor. They patted at the nonexistent dust on his jersey and shrieked in celebration of the 2+1.

Kobe's expression remained stern. He had made countless shots like that; to him, this was nothing. He calmly sank the free throw.

Van Exel did not take it himself. After crossing half court, he lobbed the ball into the paint. Campbell pinned Travis Knight down and, before Ben Wallace could rotate over, spun and scored with a hook shot.

After the starters adjusted their tactics and made the interior their main point of attack, Ben Wallace and Travis Knight had little answer for Campbell. Big men of this era were highly polished in the low post, and Ben Wallace and Travis Knight lacked experience guarding players like him.

"Ben Wallace, front him! Travis, collapse inside and stop Corey Blount from cutting in!" Kobe adjusted the tactics in time. He knew that if they did not make changes, the paint was about to be shredded.

After the adjustment, it became much harder for Campbell both to receive the ball and to attack. With the quick, springy Ben Wallace fronting him, it was difficult to find a comfortable space to catch the ball. Even if he used his height to forcefully secure it, the time he spent doing so would leave him facing Travis's interior help defense.

"This kid has practically become the coach on the floor." Rambis had not told Harris about Kobe directing tactics during the summer league. This was Harris's first time witnessing Kobe's understanding of strategy, and he realized that Kobe could always quickly identify a problem and come up with a solution.

The game fell into a stalemate. Under Eddie Jones's relentless tight defense, Kobe could only find ordinary shooting opportunities from mid-range and beyond, unable to score efficiently on a consistent basis.

As for the starters, they still could not find an efficient way to score. It was as if every opening had been sealed shut.