Trainer (Signed, Seeking Recommendations)

After grinding out a tough road win, the Lakers had a brief three-day break with no games. Their next game would be at home at the Great Western Forum, so Kobe would be staying in Los Angeles for the next few days.

This gave the exhausted Lakers players a chance to rest, but Kobe did not stay home.

Early the next morning, Kobe arrived at the Lakers' practice facility. They had won all of their recent games, but Kobe was not satisfied with his own performance. Kobe Bryant's goal had always been the championship, and with his current ability and the team's condition, winning a title over Jordan was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Kobe felt an intense sense of urgency. Jordan had only two years left before retirement. His only chance to defeat Jordan head-on was within those two years, and he had to grow strong enough to beat Jordan during that time.

Kobe performed exceptionally well against smaller point guards, but when he faced wing guards with both strength and quickness, or double teams, he did not have many effective ways to break through the defense. One reason was his lack of physical strength. Under the league's current officiating standards, many of Kobe's moves became distorted after heavy contact. Another reason was that his three-point shooting had yet to become a strategic weapon.

Perhaps Kobe could hit plenty of threes in a certain game or during a particular stretch, but he lacked consistency. Opponents would not devote much defensive attention to his three-point shot.

Kobe had always viewed the Jordan-led Bulls as his potential opponent. He knew that with his current abilities, Jordan would crush him in every aspect. And O'Neal did not have the ability to dominate the Bulls' interior, either. So while the Lakers might be a strong team now, they had not reached the level Kobe wanted.

This was not merely planning ahead. Kobe's principle was to constantly challenge himself, break through his limits, and become better. In both his previous life and this one, that had been an indispensable part of the Mamba mentality.

If it were someone else, they might have developed quietly and waited to burst onto the scene after Jordan retired. But Kobe was never willing to wait. He did not care about tomorrow; Kobe cared about every moment in the present.

While Kobe was doing strength training, a call from Pelinka came in.

"Boss, I found the trainer you wanted. Are you sure you want this kid who just graduated to handle your conditioning and physical therapy?" Pelinka was doubtful. This young white man who had just graduated did not look like a reliable trainer at all. Though his build was well-proportioned, he had nothing to do with being muscular. In Pelinka's mind, a trainer should have looked like a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted middle-aged man like Gary Petty.

"Of course. Bring him over. I'm in the weight room." Kobe thought the timing could not have been better. He could not wait to meet this future top-tier trainer and physical therapist.

"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kobe." The young Jeff Cavaliere was somewhat shy.

"Come on. Let's begin this training session." Kobe got straight to the point. He also wanted to see whether young Jeff had what it took to help take his body to the next level.

"I have to say, sir, your training intensity is the highest I've ever seen. And your body can actually handle it. For an ordinary person, training at this intensity would undoubtedly destroy their career." Jeff was drenched in sweat. He had just earned a bachelor's degree in physical neurobiology and a master's degree in physical therapy from the University of Connecticut. He also had years of scientific fitness experience, but he had never seen anyone train as intensely as Kobe.

"I need to tailor a physical therapy plan for you. At the same time, there are many aspects of our strength training that can be adjusted. Face pulls are indispensable. Once your rotator cuff muscles become stronger, the consistency of your shooting will rise to another level." The moment Jeff began discussing professional matters, he became endlessly talkative.

"Very good, Jeff. See you tomorrow, then. Five in the morning at the Lakers' practice facility." Kobe was very satisfied with Jeff's performance. The future founder of Athlean X was still somewhat green, but his professional knowledge was not lacking in the slightest.

Jeff's eyes widened. "Five in the morning? All right, Boss. Your call."

Athlean X, founded by Jeff Cavaliere in the future, provided services to many players across the United States' three major leagues. Whether it was rehabilitation training, strength training, or daily functional training, it received widespread praise from athletes in all three leagues.

Many players experienced a qualitative leap in athletic ability under Jeff's guidance, and many of his training concepts were groundbreaking. In his previous life, Beckham, Nadal, Tom Brady, and Yao Ming had all been his clients.

Kobe also had a plan. He wanted to bring the advanced scientific ideas of the future into the league, so that all athletes could benefit more from training, diet, and body maintenance.

Most current players saw their form decline rapidly once they reached thirty, while players in the future could maintain their peak until around thirty-five as long as they did not suffer catastrophic injuries. For an athlete, they would trade anything for five extra years of peak performance. Kobe understood that deeply.

Hiring Jeff was only the first step. Kobe planned to gradually build a first-class sports center dedicated to serving athletes.

"Boss, Philadelphia's rookie Iverson scored thirty-two points against the Celtics. He actually beat your career high!" Fisher stormed in with a newspaper, fuming. In his view, no player from the same rookie class could possibly be better than Kobe.

That Iverson had deliberately scored thirty-two points. He was obviously targeting Kobe's thirty-one. This made Old Fish furious, and he resolved to teach that kid a lesson the next time they met.

Kobe continued his shooting workout, silently committing the number thirty-two to memory.

The team was drilling tactics for Bowen joining the starting lineup. Harris had made up his mind to remove Ceballos from the starting unit, and after receiving the news, Ceballos angrily skipped practice that day.

The team's tactics had not changed much. Kobe remained the initiator of the offense, while O'Neal remained the finisher. Ceballos had originally served as the second scorer in the lineup, but that role had now been handed to Kobe. The task of defending opposing stars on the perimeter had also been transferred from Kobe to Bowen.

This Lakers starting lineup played much more comfortably. Their offense and defense were both clearly organized, and the chemistry between Kobe and O'Neal was beginning to take shape.

Harris was very satisfied with the starting lineup's performance, but he was somewhat concerned about the bench. As the chemistry between Kobe and O'Neal continued to improve, the amount of time Kobe spent playing alongside the reserves would inevitably decrease.

The bench unit had a very low average height, and its offense was not particularly good. It also had several defensive liabilities, leaving Harris in a difficult position.

At the same time, he was furious about Ceballos skipping practice. Harris was a coach who placed great importance on team discipline, and after practice, he immediately called West.

"Del, I know what you want to say. Let's DNP Ceballos. Don't worry, the trade will be completed in a few more games."

"Alright, Jerry. I trust you'll build a championship foundation for this team."

"A championship foundation? Del, I think you misunderstand. Our goal has always been a dynasty, and the cornerstone of that dynasty is already on the roster." West smiled, as though he could already see Del Harris's expression once he learned the details of the trade.

The contract has arrived!!! The signing status has been changed!!! Can you help me climb higher on the new signed-book rankings, readers? The Mamba mentality always fights for first place!!!