"Bullshit, I deliberately didn’t call a timeout. I was aware of the situation at the time. My timeout was effective in the final moments."
"Oh, come on, Larry. What you’re saying is bullshit, I don’t buy it. I could have made the shot without the timeout; that last shot was proof! No timeout, a 60-foot game-winner!"
"You’re the one talking bullshit. That last shot was pure luck. You were in a daze after making it, stunned. You used up the greatest luck of your life just for a regular season game! You should think more about the playoffs."
The two of them engaged in endless trash talk during training.
Others might get more worked up and emotional, but these two got more energized the more they bantered.
Bird even took off his polo shirt during practice again, joining the players on the court in his tank top.
Of course, Gan Guoyang was, as usual, kept on the sidelines, with Bird hanging a whistle around his neck.
"You’re the referee, make sure to officiate well, kid."
Gan Guoyang had no choice but to play referee, supervising and observing the players’ training.
Overall, Gan Guoyang was quite fair, except for frequently calling Bird for traveling.
"F**k you, Sonny! I didn’t even dribble, and you’re calling me for traveling?"
After being called for traveling three times, Bird finally couldn’t hold back his outburst.
For a traditional forward like him, with solid fundamentals and who didn’t like to dribble and drive, traveling was a rare violation in his career.
"It’s precisely because you didn’t dribble that I called you for traveling. Are you out of your mind, Larry?"
Despite Gan Guoyang’s many provocations, Larry Bird ultimately didn’t take the bait to play one-on-one with him.
He knew it was a trap set by Ah Gan, and Bird wasn’t going to fall for it; he didn’t want to lose money again.
The Trail Blazers’ training unfolded in this good-natured atmosphere, and they continued to win on the court.
In the next four home games, they won them all.
Including a hard-fought matchup against the Seattle SuperSonics.
Kobe got more playing time. Although his stats were still not outstanding, his presence on the court was becoming increasingly strong.
Whenever he was on the court, his spirited defense could instantly improve the Trail Blazers’ perimeter, something Riddle and Van Exel lacked.
On offense, Kobe was confident, decisive, and highly imaginative.
His imagination was reflected in his unique understanding of the offensive strategy.
Rick Carlisle had always been working on a fluid offense, and the schemes were not obvious in the Trail Blazers’ offense.
Kobe often seized fleeting opportunities to use his speed and crossover dribbles to cut into the Three Second Zone, disrupting the opponent’s defensive setup.
Such a drive often gave a flashy show because, in the 1996-1997 season, the NBA offense was in a slump.
The League’s average score fell to 96 points. Although the competition was very intense, and close-quarter battles were exciting to watch, scoring became difficult.
Especially in set plays, it was hard to have continuous, smooth offense. Often, both sides would stagnate, exchanging points through fast breaks and shooting streaks, followed by stagnation again, punctuated by free throws for points.
At this time, if a player could suddenly break through the opponent’s defense and consecutively drive to the basket with a beautiful lay-up or dunk, in a game scoring in the 80s or 90s, it would surely leave a deep impression on the fans.
Because such plays were not only beautiful but also valuable and significant in a low-scoring game.
If a game sees both teams scoring 110 or 120 points, such a play might just seem like, "That was a lot of effort, not worth it."
Kobe was showing his talent in this area, often delivering such eye-catching performances.
Although limited by experience and vision, such flashy dribble drives sometimes couldn’t be converted into points.
But fans were already starting to enjoy watching Kobe play, and some were buying tickets to see Kobe’s games.
This made Kobe very happy; he felt he was on the right track.
His appearances on television were increasing, and he managed to provide one or two spectacular layups or dunks each game day.
This was a small goal Kobe set for himself; every game should have a highlight worthy of TV clips, hoping to become the best among this year’s rookies.
As Kobe was becoming more impressive, on January 14th, 10 days after the Trail Blazers’ buzzer-beater victory over the Bulls, Kobe’s steal and layup were slowly being forgotten by fans.
But a small-sized number three from Philadelphia, during a game against the Chicago Bulls, executed a beautiful crossover to get past Jordan and hit a mid-range jump shot.
This scene was replayed repeatedly on television, becoming a much-talked-about highlight.
In this game, he scored 37 points. Although they lost the game, his scoring ability was astonishing.
In his rookie season’s first game, he scored 30 points with an incredible shooting percentage of 67%.
Despite being only 6 feet tall, many claimed he wasn’t even 6 feet but only 5 feet 11 inches.
His name was Allen Iverson, the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. With him around, there was no suspense about this year’s Rookie of the Year.
And the first stop on the Trail Blazers’ road trip was Philadelphia, where Kobe Bryant grew up, but the hero there was destined not to be Kobe.
Kobe had hoped the Philadelphia 76ers would pick him during the draft, but the 76ers weren’t going to use the number one pick on a high school guard.
They snagged that small-sized player, and all summer long, Kobe had been hearing his name, and now his fame was growing louder.
If Kobe was just emerging, Allen Iverson was already a top figure in the League, a big deal.
As Pioneer One took off towards the East Coast, Kobe sat in his seat, continuously reviewing information on Allen Iverson.
In his mind, the scene of Iverson crossing over Jordan and scoring from mid-range played over and over. He asked himself: "Can I do that?"
The answer seemed to be yes.
He then asked himself: "Can I stop him?"
The answer seemed to be no.
But the real answer? He had to find it in Philadelphia himself.