No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 149 - 97. Didn’t we agree to have a high schooler’s showdown?_2

When Nike signed Kobe, they didn’t place much emphasis on him. At that time, Kobe had just had a contract dispute with Adidas and was released, and he was brought to court with his reputation ruined. The Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs last season... Nike executives could never have imagined that Kobe would become the king of popularity this season!

Nike quickly changed their website homepage and the posters in all their major stores, elevating Kobe to the central position.

However, they changed it too soon; in another month or so, they would have to change it again, switching from a group poster to a solo poster...

Zhang Yang was locked by Kobe’s gaze and walked fearlessly to the camera.

Earlier today, before he went to have lunch with Bynum, he was interviewed and asked the question, "Who is stronger, Kobe or Iverson?" His answer was, "The MVP is the best proof of a player’s strength." freewёbnoνel-com

As a result, he received such a look from Kobe.

Zhang Yang’s expression remained calm, while he thought to himself: If I get bitten by a snake, please have fat boss and big brother Gerald hold down the other Lakers and hammer them to death!

Seeing Zhang Yang’s usual demeanor, Kobe said, "I didn’t expect that there would be players younger than Jermaine and me entering the NBA."

Zhang Yang: "Eh? You’re seeing one right now! Oh, no, wait, your team also has someone even younger than the two of you."

Kobe’s mouth twitched; he was being sarcastic! Mocking some rookie for being ignorant of how high the sky or how deep the earth is!

He forcibly put on a sarcastic face to mock a 17-year-old rookie, but the response he got was like casual chitchat, completely lacking any intimidation.

At that moment, the rookie poked him.

Kobe frowned: "What’s up?"

Zhang Yang: "Let’s swap places, you move to my right."

Kobe: "Why?"

Zhang Yang: "Can’t explain, language barrier, but swapping is correct."

Kobe didn’t understand the reason, but he didn’t ask further and decisively switched places.

Because he saw the Chinese reporters and cameramen trying not to laugh after hearing the rookie’s words, so swapping places must be the right move.

In the future, when standing next to Iverson, he also needs to be careful. He has to stand on the right to avoid being laughed at by Chinese fans.

During the interview segment, Zhang Yang was praised again: "Jack has extraordinary talent. His shot selection impresses me, he is always in the right position. On this point, I need to learn from him."

Zhang Yang politely responded: "Thank you."

Kobe: "...

This kid really has something.

Kobe was not provoked and answered the reporters’ questions carefully.

He didn’t know why he was so popular in China, but with so many people liking him, he felt he needed to do what a role model should do.

The interview segment was very harmonious. Zhang Yang recalled his two encounters with the Nets, where Carter criticized him saying—entering the NBA at 17 to make money can destroy a kid’s value system, teaching them to just think about money. There are many things in the world more important than money, and kids should have nobler dreams.

When Zhang Yang saw the news, he felt his values were challenged. So, adult values aren’t important anymore? Don’t those adults who saw Carter earning millions at a young age get their values corrupted by just thinking about money? Don’t adults deserve to have dreams?

He didn’t know if Carter always wanted to preach to others or enjoyed the perverse satisfaction of stepping on others.

But seeing how amiable Kobe looked, Zhang Yang guessed he probably wouldn’t get bitten by the snake tonight, right? What a pity; he was thinking of drawing fire for his teammates.

At 8 PM, the Bobcats’ away game against the Lakers began.

Zhang Yang sat on the sidelines, watching his teammates surround Kobe Bryant.

The Bobcats fielded a starting lineup of Felton, Keith Bogans, Gerald Wallace, Melvin Ely, and Brezec, consisting of one point guard, two small forwards, and two centers.

Keith Bogans and Gerald Wallace, their best defensive small forwards, took the court together to contain Kobe from the outside.

Melvin Ely, a center drafted in the lottery by the Clippers in 2002, with a build of 208 centimeters and 118 kilograms, strong and with decent athletic ability, didn’t get much of a chance to show his skills during his first two years with the Clippers. In 2004, not protected for expansion by the Clippers, he was picked up by the Bobcats. Once at the Bobcats, he hung around with Brevin Knight, becoming a member of the "tanking crew."

Last season, the coaching staff wasn’t worried about other players affecting Okafor’s development, so they gave Ely playtime, and he performed decently, showing that he was a competent backup. This season, with the arrival of two talented lottery picks, one of whom was a high school student, the tanking crew, apart from their ball-handling core, Brevin Knight, and the sharpshooting Matt Carroll, were all discarded by Bickerstaff, worried they might influence the two prodigies.

Now with Brevin Knight traded away, Bickerstaff decided to give Ely a chance to play again.

Ely didn’t mind being discarded, as the boss Knight had said, in such a new team, they could easily get contract renewals just by filling up the lineup, indulging in daily life, playing a bit on the court to pad stats, and making a million-dollar salary, surely better than working oneself to death?

But now that the boss was traded, with Knight, averaging 10 points and 9.8 assists, exchanged for a raw 21-year-old junior college center, whether the trade was a loss or not aside, trading for a backup center made Ely feel the crisis. With Perkins on the team, the organization might not renew his contract just to fill the lineup!

Thus, tonight, Ely put forth his most active performance since joining the Bobcats over a year ago, diligently helping his teammates close in on Kobe from up close.

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