"Karl Malone wants to come to the Lakers?" Kobe received a call from West.
What was Kobe's status with the Lakers now?
He was the king of this team, its very symbol!
His say in basketball matters directly determined every aspect of the team.
Whether it was signings, tactical adjustments, or trades, West would keep Kobe in the loop.
That was Jerry West's respect for the greatest player in history!
Kobe returned the favor in kind. He never meddled excessively in team affairs; for a player, the most important thing was to play good basketball on the court.
But this time, the moment he heard the news, he immediately voiced his opposition to West.
"Why not, Kobe? With O'Neal gone, our interior has completely collapsed. Stephen Jackson playing power forward was built on O'Neal's absolute dominance in the paint. Without O'Neal, Stephen at the four would be a disaster."
"The Lakers don't need a scumbag who preys on underage girls, no matter how good he is."
West considered it and felt Kobe had a point.
The great Purple and Gold dynasty represented basketball aristocracy. Who knew what kind of locker-room scandal Malone might stir up if he came to Los Angeles?
It was unsuitable, even if Malone was still an above-All-Star-caliber player.
"Every other team is desperately strengthening its roster. Kobe, what kind of players do you think we need?"
Kobe had already thought it through.
In his first year, Yao Ming definitely would not be an effective combat force.
At best, he could be called a qualified starter.
In his previous life, Yao Ming had averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds as a rookie.
After training at Mamba Academy in this life, 18 points and 9 rebounds would be his absolute ceiling. It was entirely possible that he would