A New Season Begins!

"The new season is coming!"

At the Buss family's luxury villa in Los Angeles, the family was having dinner.

Magic Johnson, West, and the rest of the Lakers front office were all present.

Rather than a banquet, it was more like Old Buss's outlook for the new season.

"Can we definitely win the championship this season?" Jim Buss asked excitedly. He knew this team would belong to him in the future, and naturally, the more honors it won now, the more wealth would be his.

"Well..." West was somewhat embarrassed. Definitely win the championship? That was probably something only fans could say.

"There's a high chance we can win it, but surprises aren't impossible. Michael Jordan and the others won't be easy to deal with," Magic Johnson said with a grin, stepping in to smooth things over.

"Jim, injuries, luck, officiating, form—many factors can affect a team," Old Buss said.

"But I heard Shaq's condition seems to have some problems?"

"There does seem to be a problem." West smiled bitterly. Although the team had won the championship, he instead felt immense pressure this year, as if he were walking a tightrope.

He was beginning to understand just how hard it had been for Michael Jordan to win three straight titles. Once you won a championship, you were naturally expected to be the strongest. No one could tolerate your mistakes, and when the team had problems, people found them hard to accept.

Shaq had gotten fat. In the previous two years, when the Lakers had not won a championship, it might not have been such a big deal. The season was long, and there was plenty of time to lose weight.

But this year, with the world's spotlight shining on the Los Angeles Lakers, every minor issue and flaw would be