From the beginning of entering the league, Kobe and Little O’Neal have always had a very good relationship.
As fellow high school players, they have a lot in common, growing together, winning championships, experiencing the glory of the Ah Gan era, and taking on the responsibility of rebuilding Portland as a championship city after the Ah Gan era.
But one must admit that their good relationship is built on Little O’Neal’s willingness to take a backseat.
From team status, to on-court ball possession, to the roles played in commercial activities, Little O’Neal has always been the second figure.
From Gan Guoyang’s first comeback, the two joined the Trail Blazers together, and Kobe was the one who received more attention.
Clearly, Little O’Neal was closer to Ah Gan in position, function, and style, but Kobe was considered Ah Gan’s successor.
Their growth paths were set this way, with Kobe quickly becoming the number two outside figure and playing an increasingly important role in the championship process.
And Little O’Neal was merely a shadow of Ah Gan, until Ah Gan retired and Little O’Neal’s brilliance truly shone, becoming an All-Star player.
By this time, Kobe was already a superstar competing for MVP, contending with players like O’Neal and Duncan.
This season, Little O’Neal’s offensive tactical position in the team dropped further, from being one of the twin stars to one of the main players centered around Kobe.
Kobe received more and more accolades, while Little O’Neal’s brightness gradually dimmed, yet Little O’Neal’s personality could accept it.
The team was united and reached the Finals.
But when facing Ah Gan in the Finals, young people are often prideful, and Little O’Neal also wanted to prove himself.
He is different from Kobe’s extroverted nature, different from always saying he wants to surpass Ah Gan, Little O’Neal has a deeper mentorship relationship with Ah Gan.
What he wanted was not to surpass, but to truly grow up in front of Ah Gan; children who lack a father figure tend to be like this.
At this point, when Kobe jumped out to point fingers, Little O’Neal felt particularly upset, and his good temper finally exploded.
Kobe had never seen Little O’Neal like this; usually, their relationship was such that Kobe overshadowed Little O’Neal.
As the leader, Kobe often brought Little O’Neal along, whether in investments or business deals, giving Little O’Neal plenty of guidance. Apart from not being in sync on sneaker brand choices, Little O’Neal followed Kobe closely in all other aspects and made a lot of money.
This made Kobe even angrier; I’ve protected you and led you, and now I criticize you in the Finals, and you dare to snap at me, this is rebellion.
Sometimes, the longer the bond, the less it can withstand conflict and confrontation, because both sides feel they have invested too much and the other shouldn’t be treating them like this, thus both refuse to back down.
In the first match, the Trail Blazers played well for three and a half quarters, eventually losing to the experienced Gan Guoyang and Jordan.
At the post-game press conference, Kobe and Little O’Neal sat on either side of Carl, with no interaction between them.
Though both had been in the league for seven years and were seasoned players, as they had joined the NBA straight from high school, they were only 24 years old, so their temper was still strong.
In the crucial Finals setting, signs of discord between key players worried Carl greatly.
However, Carl was not adept at handling player relationships; his temperament was even stronger than Kobe and Little O’Neal.
As head coach, Carl’s strengths were active thinking, being highly professional, and having keen insight into the game.
His coaching fundamentals like pre-game preparation, in-game strategy, and daily training were very solid, making him a coach who was firmly rooted in the league and wouldn’t face unemployment.
But this type of "technical talent" often has a problem of being too focused on tactics and neglecting interpersonal relations.
Much like the situation in many companies and organizations, technical talents are typically not very sociable, uninterested in human feelings, relying on their skills and craftsmanship.
While another type is good at maneuvering, using their brain and energy in interacting with people, perhaps not understanding the business, but well-versed in human relations, often managing top-down relationships very well.
Carlisle is a typical example of the former, as head coach, he needed someone above to support him, and in the Trail Blazers, that person was Bird.
Bird is the all-around leader who is skilled in both tactics and human relations, a versatile talent, successfully juggling roles as a player, coach, and manager.
Bird indeed noticed the conflict between Kobe and Little O’Neal. After the press conference, he pulled Carl aside and said, "Coordinate the relationship between Kobe and Jermaine. With them like this, it’s impossible to beat Glory."
"I don’t understand, they’re both fathers now, why are they still so childish? Fussing in the Finals!"
"The why is not important, what’s important is that the situation has happened, and you need to handle it."
"I know, I’ll handle it," Carl replied weakly.
Bird saw Carl’s anxiety; he knew Carl was not skilled at handling this, this guy was too straightforward.
Handling player conflicts is like being the daughter-in-law in an old-style family, you must know how to deceive both sides, placate both sides.
Swallow grievances yourself, absorb negative emotions, speak good words yourself, all for the sake of family harmony.
Carl is fundamentally not such a person; how should he know? Bird thought to himself, I’ll have to step in personally.
During the two-day break in the Finals, Bird separately met with Kobe and Little O’Neal, hoping that in such an important championship, they would not create discord, focusing entirely on the game.