New York (Contract Sent)

"Kobe, next time, I won't lose to you!" Kobe recalled what Marbury had said through gritted teeth after the game ended.

In this new life, Kobe desperately wanted to spread the Mamba Mentality to more people. A competitive spirit was indispensable. Whenever people faced a challenge, their first thought should not be to run away, but to confront it head-on. That was what Kobe wanted to bring to the world.

Even after being held scoreless, Stephon Marbury had not given up. The next time they met, Kobe believed Stephon Marbury would be even stronger. The stronger his opponent was, the more Kobe liked it.

"Our maestro point guard, we're heading to New York to face the Knicks next game. Pack your luggage and see you at the airport tomorrow." O'Neal had had a blast today, and after the game, he cheerfully patted Kobe on the back with some flattery. Compared to the Kobe from the first game, O'Neal preferred this Kobe, who put his energy into playmaking and defense.

But O'Neal did not know that Kobe had chosen to focus on playmaking because O'Neal could dominate the opposing interior. When O'Neal was contained, Kobe would be the first to step up and finish the offense.

Kobe's offensive choices were currently very mature and seasoned. He knew when he needed to turn it on. The season was long, and Kobe would manage his stamina wisely. The playoffs were where superstars truly shone.

Derek Fisher, who went 1-for-4 in this game, was somewhat distracted. He had gotten some good shooting opportunities, but he had failed to make them. It left Fisher deeply frustrated.

"Derek, come get some extra shooting in with me." Kobe pulled up Fisher, who was about to head home. He knew that the best way to comfort Fisher was to face his inner demon head-on.

Fisher opened his mouth wide and scratched his head. A thousand words condensed into one sentence.

"Okay!"

Bowen and Big Ben exchanged looks, then said together, "We're coming too!"

The warm concern of his teammates brought tears to Fisher's eyes. No one knew about the roar in Fisher's heart.

"Boss, both Adidas and Nike have contacted me. But neither of them has agreed to create an independent brand for you and offer a share of the equity." Rob Pelinka contacted Kobe the next day. Kobe's performances in two regular-season games had already demonstrated enormous commercial value. Many people were willing to try having Kobe endorse their products—a rising eighteen-year-old star had limitless potential.

"Then keep negotiating. We don't have to limit ourselves to those two brands. We can try contacting other sports companies." Kobe wanted to establish an independent brand. His mind contained countless outstanding basketball shoe designs. If the manufacturers could not offer the best possible terms, Kobe would rather wait another year before signing. He was confident that by next year, his commercial value would be enough to rival anyone in the league.

"Boss, your total salary for this season is 1.02 million dollars. The first payment has already been deposited into your account. I'm also trying to persuade the Lakers to settle the salary in a lump sum. Otherwise, with our current assets, making investments would be too difficult." Pelinka had discussed many business investment plans with this eighteen-year-old. He knew Kobe's business acumen was no worse than that of some entrepreneurs, and some of his business theories were ahead of this era.

Unfortunately, they had far too little cash on hand. After California's considerable tax rate was deducted, Kobe did not have much left for investment projects.

"Understood. First, we need to deal with the trainers. Rob, I hope you can find the best trainers and physical therapists." Kobe had always been thinking about finding several trainers. If he wanted to improve quickly and better condition his body, they were indispensable.

"Understood. I've already contacted several professionals. I'll have a satisfactory answer for you soon. Also, as you instructed, I bought a large number of gifts for Old Joe's family. They were very happy." Thinking of Old Joe's changed attitude toward him, Pelinka was still quite pleased.

"Very good. Help me look after Odom. I want to see him with the Lakers next year." Kobe finally brought up Odom, who was currently in his senior year of high school. They had already discussed it—after graduating from high school this year, Odom would declare directly for the draft.

Odom's grades were very poor, and Kobe worried that he would repeat the same mistakes. Rather than relying on cheating to earn admission to college, it would be better to let Odom enter the NBA directly.

At present, Odom was unquestionably the number one high school player in the United States, putting up a spectacular 18+10+8 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Kobe kept in touch with him, and he knew how desperately Odom—whose father had left when he was young and whose mother had died of cancer—needed care and affection. Kobe did not want this friend, who had fought alongside him for many years, to once again walk down the dark path of his previous life.

Kobe boarded a plane bound for New York. Flying from Los Angeles to New York took eight hours. It was no short journey.

The next day, the Lakers and Knicks faced off at the Mecca of New York basketball—Madison Square Garden.

When it came to the NBA, no one was unfamiliar with the New York Knicks. Likewise, when it came to arenas, no one was unfamiliar with the Knicks' home court, Madison Square Garden.

As one of the NBA's founding-era teams, the Knicks had also entered the BAA in 1946. Throughout their history, they had changed arenas only once—from Madison Square Garden III to Madison Square Garden IV. This was not a word game. In fact, what people commonly called "Madison Square Garden" was a collective name for four arenas in New York. The first two were named for their location at Madison Square in New York City. Though the third and fourth were not located within Madison Square, they inherited the role of their predecessors and continued using this prestigious name, becoming symbols of New York.

The Knicks were one of only two old-school NBA teams that had never changed their logo—the other being the Celtics. The entire logo was an inverted triangle, with "KNICKS" across the middle and a basketball below it, giving it a strong three-dimensional look. As a team founded alongside the BAA, the NBA's predecessor, this logo had practically become a Knicks antique. But there was no denying that it looked old.

The Knicks were based in New York, the largest city in the United States. Even when their record became terrible in later years, their market value never fell from first place. That was the value New York City gave them.

The current New York Knicks were a tough powerhouse led by Patrick Ewing. That summer, they had first poached their franchise star, Larry Johnson, from the Charlotte Hornets. This All-Star-caliber bruising forward had put up an excellent 20+8 last season.

They had also snatched Allan Houston from the Detroit Pistons. The media believed that this midrange king, who had averaged 20+3+3 alongside Grant Hill, would be an excellent fit next to Ewing.

Their starting point guard was Chris Childs, a starter in name only. Because their starting lineup was already too offensively powerful, the Knicks had placed their superstar guard, John Starks, on the bench.

Starting alongside Ewing in the frontcourt was Charles Oakley, a blue-collar power forward with tremendous defense and rebounding ability. He was also Ben Wallace's mentor on the Lakers. After graduating from high school, it was with Oakley's help that Ben Wallace had been able to play basketball at Cuyahoga Community College.

Wallace and Oakley had very similar styles. Both were undersized interior players, and both possessed outstanding defensive ability. When it came to Ben Wallace's basketball path, it could be said that Oakley had been his most profound influence.

Good news, the contract has been sent out. But logistics in Wuhan may be a little slow, so it might take some time before the signing status updates. Please recommend and bookmark! We're currently sixteenth on the newcomer new-book rankings—let's try to break into the top ten before signing!