Originally, Little O’Neal was going to go as well, but he said he had family matters, and with a game tomorrow and needing to fly out for an away game, he decided not to go and left with Kobe.
A frustrated Van Exel then turned his attention to Ben Wallace, who was waiting for a ride. This seemingly honest big black guy was the most silent and low-key player on the team.
Van Exel sized him up and said, "Hey, wanna go out? You should be over 21, right? Got your ID?"
Ben Wallace shook his head and said, "I’ve got a workout planned tonight."
Despite having the least playtime on the court, Ben Wallace never relaxed his training discipline.
He was waiting for a chance, a chance to shine brightly on the NBA stage.
"Shit!" Van Exel waved his hand vigorously, not interested in dealing with these young guys.
One after another, none of them wanted to go out, either doing homework or working out. What do you guys want to do?
Are you really trying to hit the championship? But isn’t winning a championship also for earning more money and having more fun?
Van Exel felt perplexed. He noticed that ever since Ah Gan returned, the whole team’s atmosphere had changed.
Although Ah Gan never expressed opinions or thoughts about the players’ private lives, once off the court and out of the training gym, he wouldn’t interfere with anyone.
But his presence subtly influenced something; everyone would still have fun, but their mindset had shifted.
From the former hedonistic lifestyle, living one day at a time, to sneaking in leisure after completing the tasks on the court.
The difference in mindset was significant—the former easily leads to degradation, while the latter gives a sense of relaxation and joy.
Seeing that he couldn’t find any young people to have fun with, Van Exel lost interest and decided to go home to accompany his son.
His father couldn’t provide companionship due to imprisonment, and now that he was a dad himself, he should spend more time with his child.
On the other side, Little O’Neal was driving Kobe home. Some time ago, Gan Guoyang gifted him a brand new 1996 Jeep Cherokee.
A big car like this is very suitable for the towering statures of NBA players. Little O’Neal saved on buying a car—though it was not Gan Guoyang who bought it, it was the local dealer who, knowing that Ah Gan intended to gift a car, proactively offered it. Hence, Little O’Neal had to participate in a few sales events organized by the dealer.
On the road, Little O’Neal asked Kobe, "Are you really going home to do homework? We’re professional players now."
Little O’Neal hated doing homework the most; if he enjoyed doing homework, he wouldn’t have skipped college and directly entered the NBA.
Kobe was different; he said, "Yes, I’ve been studying business courses all along. In the future, I’ll have money, but I won’t be playing forever. I need to manage and grow that money to ensure a comfortable life for my family and myself."
In this aspect, Kobe was much more farsighted compared to Little O’Neal or most young NBA players.
After all, coming from different family backgrounds, many players who suddenly rose from poverty couldn’t break away from their original upbringing environment.
The first thing they did after getting money wasn’t investing or structured spending, but rather splurging.
Not only would they spend lavishly themselves, but also give money to their many relatives and friends around.
After all, when you were down and out, these relatives and friends supported you and helped you.
Now it’s time for them to reap rewards, spending tens to hundreds of thousands of US dollars quickly.
This is just one part; once they have women and a bunch of illegitimate children popping out from nowhere, expenses would increase even more.
Kobe’s parents educated him well in this regard, and his upbringing made him aware early on of how to handle wealth.
In the car, Kobe shared with Little O’Neal his future wealth management plans.
He wanted to secure the biggest contract in the League and have his own signature shoe and brand.
He planned to invest in high-tech and cultural industries, becoming a shareholder in renowned companies.
Ultimately, he aimed to turn himself into a cultural icon that one day his name alone would generate significant earnings.
"Just like Ah Gan, where having his name and picture would wield influence, and people would willingly pay for him. I ask you, how did you get this car?"
Kobe asked Little O’Neal, who was driving, leaving Little O’Neal a bit bewildered. He didn’t expect Kobe to have such ideas and ambitions.
They knew each other before the draft, entered the NBA together, arrived at the Trail Blazers together, and trained and played together.
Little O’Neal was younger than Kobe, but he always felt he was slightly ahead of Kobe.
He made appearances before Kobe, scored before Kobe, hit doubles faster than Kobe, had more playing time than Kobe.
Although Kobe attracted more attention from the outside world, Little O’Neal believed he was steadily progressing forward.
Especially since Ah Gan constantly encouraged and praised Little O’Neal more, while often criticizing and admonishing Kobe, giving Little O’Neal a slight sense of superiority.
But when the two happened to discuss deeper contents and topics, Little O’Neal realized Kobe was smarter and more insightful than he imagined.
Moreover, many things Kobe talked about, Little O’Neal couldn’t quite grasp; his mind was a muddle except for basketball.
"Uh...this car, Ah Gan gave it to me."
"Did Ah Gan spend any money?"
"Uh...no, actually it was the dealer who gave it to me, I need to attend some events for them."
"Without Ah Gan, would the dealer directly gift you a car? Why didn’t they invite Ah Gan to participate in the events?"