Kobe immediately ran a pick-and-roll with Gan Guoyang, twisting his body and driving towards the basket, making a floater over O’Neal.
Next, on defense, he switched to face Jide one-on-one and nearly got a steal. The ball went out of bounds, and possession remained with the Lakers.
Del Harris, seeing Portland’s number 8 playing so smoothly, turned to the bench and said to his own number 8, "Hu, get ready to go on soon."
Hu Weidong quickly removed his jacket and sat at the sideline, waiting for the next dead ball to get on the court.
Like Kobe, Hu Weidong had long been looking forward to getting on the court, although his face showed no emotion at all.
Last year, he went through a tough summer.
In the struggle between returning to his country and staying, he ultimately, under a call of strength, chose to stay.
Staying meant higher risks, harsher environments, and more unknowns and uncertainties.
But Hu Weidong still stayed, rehabilitating, resuming training, gaining weight, practicing shooting crazily, and participating in various summer leagues.
In a foreign country, Hu Weidong truly devoted himself completely to basketball.
He stopped playing mahjong, gave up smoking and drinking, sacrificing many of life’s pleasures.
For nearly half a year, he lived like a monk.
During this period, he occasionally called Gan Guoyang, who continuously encouraged him to persevere, saying he would be rewarded.
Eventually, he got recognized by the Lakers, especially by Jerry West, and the team renewed his contract.
At the start of the new season, after the trade of Sibaros, Hu Weidong competed with others for a backup guard spot.
In the offensive-oriented system of the Lakers, Hu Weidong fully utilized his shooting advantage, constantly improving his three-point shooting.
Every day he shot three-pointers until late at night, relying solely on feel due to his nearsightedness.
He also improved his shooting technique to make his shot quicker, less prone to interference, and better suited to the NBA pace.
Thus, in the new season, after being sidelined for a short period, he was deployed in a game against the Suns.
Hu Weidong seized this opportunity, going 3-for-4 from three-point range, contributing to the victory.
On defense, aware that his lateral movement and explosiveness did not match American players, he chose to increase his strength and physical confrontation.
Of course, the most important thing was attitude; without a defensive mindset, one’s physique and skills would be ineffective, amounting to nothing.
In China, Hu Weidong was unquestionably the core player, the superstar of Jiangsu.
In the Lakers, in America, Hu Weidong adjusted his mindset, maximizing his strengths and hiding his weaknesses.
By 1998, Hu Weidong had become a fairly important rotational player on the bench, capable of being the ninth or tenth man.
Harris brought Hu Weidong on primarily to further space the floor, giving Jide and O’Neal more opportunities.
Tracy McGrady, this kid, seemed to be trying to compete with Kobe.
Tracy McGrady had great talent, and Jerry West valued him highly.
But Del Harris was not very fond of these high school players.
Lacking tactical acuity, too reliant on physical talent, prone to focus on personal play.
So, seeing the two high schoolers about to duel on the court, Harris decided to make a substitution.
He substituted average talent, older players with excellent shooting skills and teamwork.
But the substitution came a bit late as McGrady had already gotten into a competitive mood against Kobe on the perimeter.
The two isolated on the left 45-degree angle, McGrady facing the basket, lowered his head, attempting to break through with speed.
However, Kobe’s defense had no flaws, McGrady’s breakthrough technique was still raw and inexperienced, and he struggled to finish.
When Sabonis came over to help defend, McGrady panicked, nearly made a mistake, and could only pass it back to Jide, who made a direct pass inside.
Thorpe went for a layup, but Gan Guoyang came over to help and blocked it. O’Neal picked up the loose ball, and Gan Guoyang turned and blocked him again!
But it was a foul; O’Neal was too massive and tall, so it wasn’t easy to block him head-on.
O’Neal achieved an accomplishment by drawing a foul on Gan Guoyang! Feeling quite pleased with himself.
But he missed both free throws, so he wasn’t too pleased anymore.
At this point, Hu Weidong had replaced McGrady and matched up with Kobe on the court.
Kobe looked at Hu Weidong, muttering, "Chinese, Gan’s compatriot, can you guard me?"
Hu Weidong did not respond; he was not a talkative person in life, and even less on the court where he focused solely on playing.
Trash talk, something Americans enjoyed, was something Hu Weidong never engaged in and pretended not to hear.
Kobe called for the ball from Brellock, but Brellock didn’t give it to him; instead, he passed it to Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang positioned high, pulling O’Neal out, and Kobe intuitively rushed to the basket.
Gan Guoyang made a long pass to the inside, and O’Neal couldn’t step back quickly enough.
Kobe jumped high, caught the ball mid-air, and finished the alley-oop with a two-handed dunk.
A beautiful stewardess shot!
After the basket, Kobe obnoxiously bobbed his head towards Hu Weidong.
Kobe, in terms of personality, really was quite exasperating.
Put nicely, he’s determined and passionate; put bluntly, he’s arrogant.
If paired with O’Neal, off the court, they would inevitably mock and disdain each other due to their stark personality differences.
Hu Weidong remained unfazed, actively moving on offense, receiving a pass from Jide at the left corner and hitting a three-pointer!
The movement was precise, the shot quick, and after the basket, Gan Guoyang praised it as a good shot.
Kobe wasn’t pleased and said, "You didn’t even praise me when I dunked."
"Get back on defense," Gan Guoyang scolded.
The two most powerful offensive teams in the league had a back-and-forth first quarter, playing very lively.
The intensity was moderate, with many baskets, so the game was exciting to watch, and the score was high, 38:37, with the Trail Blazers leading by one.
This score, for some teams, might just be their halftime points.
As they exited for a break between quarters, Gan Guoyang called out to Hu Weidong, saying, "Played well, keep it up."
Hu Weidong nodded, not saying much, but as he watched Gan Guoyang’s broad back turn away, his heart was full of gratitude.