The celebration was on! Teammates swarmed Lin Feng, offering enthusiastic congratulations.
Lamar Odom enveloped Lin Feng's head in a hug, patting him firmly twice. His usually smooth, dark face was etched with genuine shock and a newfound respect.
"OMG! Lin! You are so fierce. Your jumping ability is insane! We totally underestimated you at the beginning."
Brian Cook chimed in from behind Odom, clearly impressed. "Yeah, Lin! It's a crying shame you don't participate in the dunk contest with that kind of vertical. I strongly recommend you enter this season's dunk contest. You'd be the champion, no doubt!"
That tomahawk hanging arm dunk had truly been something special.
"Lin! If you do decide to participate in this season's dunk contest, you should definitely ask the boss for advice. He won that honor back in '97," Odom suggested, nodding towards Kobe.
Kobe approached Lin Feng, a flicker of surprise still visible in his intense eyes, but his tone was full of admiration.
He clapped Lin Feng on the shoulder and chuckled. "Lin, I think they're right. Your jumping and dunking skills are right up there with Vince Carter. If you enter the dunk contest, I truly believe you'll be the champion."
"Thank you for the compliment, boss," Lin Feng replied with a smile. "Let's focus on playing well now. We can definitely beat these guys."
"Come on, Lakers!" Odom roared, while the still-naive Andrew Bynum stared at Lin Feng as if he were some mythical creature.
Being active in the paint, Bynum had the clearest view of Lin Feng's powerful tomahawk dunk.
His young mind was reeling. This seemingly small guard from China was truly something else!
Bynum was, as the Chinese saying often goes, a bit of a simpleton.
As a time traveler, Lin Feng knew Bynum would win championships in 2009 and 2010 and earn an All-Star selection in 2011, causing his value to skyrocket.
Unfortunately, Bynum wouldn't nurture his basketball talent. His later obsession with hairdressing and various self-sabotaging behaviors led to his gradual disappearance from the NBA, with no team willing to take a chance on him.
Since then, the NBA had been without a Bynum.
If this young man had applied himself diligently, his career wouldn't have ended so disappointingly.
...
Back on the court, Lin Feng's tomahawk dunk had narrowed the deficit by two points.
The Lakers were now trailing the Warriors by 16 points, and the fourth quarter had just begun. Statistically, this was a recoverable margin.
If they could just tighten up their defense, increase their offensive tempo, and go on an 8-0 or 10-0 run, there was a real chance to tie the game or even defeat the Golden State Warriors.
"Defense!"
"Pay attention to defense!"
On the court, Kobe's voice cut through the noise as he called out instructions. As the team leader, he led by example, focusing his defensive efforts on the Warriors' leading scorer, Richardson.
However, the extended playing time was taking a toll, and Kobe was visibly tiring.
Sensing this, Lin Feng approached Kobe and quietly said, "Boss, let me guard this guy."
Kobe looked at him with a hint of skepticism. Lin Feng was volunteering to guard Richardson?
Richardson was no easy assignment. The guy was a gifted shooter and incredibly difficult to defend.
"You sure?" Kobe asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," Lin Feng nodded confidently. "Boss, please trust me. With my defense, he won't score as easily as he did in the first half."
"Okay! I believe you," Kobe replied, a smile returning to his face. He suddenly felt a surge of reassurance, realizing he had made the right decision in bringing Lin Feng to the Lakers.
This kid had guts and a sense of responsibility. He was willingly taking on the challenge of defending the Warriors' most potent offensive threat.
Commentator Mike Breen's voice boomed through the arena, "Now the game is really heating up! We just saw the Asian kid say something to Kobe on the court. Did he actually volunteer to defend Richardson?"
"I wonder if that dunk just now has given him a surge of confidence. You know, Richardson is no pushover. He can drive, he can shoot, and he has virtually no offensive weaknesses."
"This Asian kid is taking on the defensive assignment single-handedly. You have to admire his courage, but let's not forget that Kobe is the Lakers' premier defensive player."
"Kobe has been selected to the All-Defensive First Team multiple times and the Second Team three times!"
Bill Worrell added, "I hope this Asian kid can limit Richardson's scoring and even spark the team's overall offense. If he can't contain him, the Lakers are looking at a tough loss in their season opener!"
Neither commentator seemed optimistic that Lin Feng, standing at just 6'2", could effectively shut down Richardson.
In the eyes of most fans and commentators, having Kobe, a perennial All-Defensive selection, guard Richardson was the obvious and safest choice.
However, when a superstar like Kobe exerted too much energy on the defensive end, it inevitably took a toll on his offensive output.
But that was the expectation for a superstar like Kobe – the more talented you were, the more responsibility you shouldered.
Now, with Lin Feng having just joined the Lakers, his willingness to take on this tough defensive assignment in his debut game was not only relieving pressure on Kobe but also endearing him to some of the more emotionally invested fans.
"Lin, come on! We support you! Although we didn't know you at the beginning, from this moment on, we hope you will be the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Lakers!" the fans roared.
Lin Feng calmly walked towards Richardson.
Initially, Richardson had felt a sense of apprehension when Kobe approached to defend him.
After all, Kobe's defensive prowess was well-known throughout the league. His quickness and anticipation were legendary. Once targeted by Kobe, it was incredibly difficult to shake free, creating a suffocating sense of pressure.
However, now, an Asian player was guarding him. Richardson smirked disdainfully. Wasn't this just handing him free points?
"Boy, you're guarding me? Are you even done with your milk teeth?" Richardson sneered arrogantly. Despite Lin Feng's recent thunderous dunk over Diogu, he still didn't take the smaller guard seriously.
Real basketball games weren't decided solely by highlight-reel dunks.
In the NBA, there were countless spectacular dunkers, but those aerial artists didn't necessarily translate into wins.
Frankly, a great dunker didn't automatically equate to a championship ring.
So, Richardson's contempt for Lin Feng was, in his mind, perfectly logical.
Look at Lin Feng, who was half a head shorter than him. That was it? He actually thought he could limit him? It was laughable.
"Asian dwarf, come on. I'm going to drop 15 points on your head," Richardson boasted arrogantly. "And remember, I mean 15 points on you in this single quarter."
He bent low, lowering his center of gravity, his eyes locked on Lin Feng, ready to explode past him at any moment and score an easy basket right over his head.
He considered it an insult that the Lakers had sent this unknown Asian kid to guard him.
How could this nobody from Asia even be in the NBA?
How could he possibly be qualified to limit his offense?
Did God himself grant him this misplaced courage?