The relationship between Kobe and Zhao Chen was that of both teachers and friends.
When Zhao Chen and Kobe met for the first time, Zhao Chen waited by the locker room passage for a long time in order to get the opportunity to ask Kobe for advice.
The two have had a lot of off-court communication since then. During the playoffs last season, Kobe also gave Zhao Chen a lot of guidance.
This summer, Kobe personally recruited Zhao Chen. Zhao Chen came to the Lakers partly because of Kobe.
This season, Zhao Chen gradually took over the Lakers banner from Kobe.
Lakers fans also recognized that Zhao Chen became the future of the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant has since become a supporting role in the team.
Kobe's role in the Lakers is more of a spiritual one. Off the court, many rookies will get guidance from him, but on the court, his influence is greatly reduced.
But there are always times when Kobe is not willing to give in. He still wants to prove himself on the court.
When Kobe received a pass from Zhao Chen at the last moment, he knew that the time had come to prove himself again.
Everything is the same as before.
Catch the ball, shoot the jump shot, kill the game.
He is still the key man!
After the game, the topic of Zhao Chen assisting Kobe Bryant to complete the game-winner quickly became a hot topic on social platforms.
Lakers fans all lamented Kobe's buzzer beater.
Lakers players came out for interviews, and almost all they were asked were questions about Kobe.
Zhao Chen is no exception.
The reporter asked Zhao Chen: "Why did you choose to pass the ball at the last moment?"
Zhao Chen smiled and said, "I saw that Kobe has an open seat."
The reporter asked: "Aren't you afraid of being judged by the outside world and saying that you are afraid of taking responsibility?"
Zhao Chen shook his head and said: "That's Kobe, I believe he will make this shot!"
The reporter asked: "If another teammate is open, will you pass the ball?"
Zhao Chen smiled and said: "Guess..."
.....
Not only the players are bragging about Kobe, retired celebrities are also coming out to brag about it.
Many fans only remembered at this time that in addition to Zhao Chen, the Lakers also had Kobe.
After Zhao Chen came to the Lakers, most of Kobe's glory was taken away by Zhao Chen.
Kobe made a lot of sacrifices!
This buzzer beater is of great significance to Kobe!
It was as if Kobe was announcing to the world that he hadn't retired yet.
Lian Po is old, can he still make a living?
...
After the Lakers defeated the Spurs, Kobe looked like he had a second spring in the next few games.
In the Lakers' 112-102 win against the Suns, Kobe scored 22 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. .
In a 104-87 win against the Pelicans, Kobe scored 25 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.
....
After defeating the Spurs, the Lakers' winning streak continued.
After going through a difficult schedule, the Lakers also ushered in a sweet schedule, playing against underdog teams one after another.
Defeat the magic!
Defeat the Nuggets!
Defeat the king!
...
By the end of December, the Lakers successfully won a 20-game winning streak!
After Kobe broke out for a while, he returned to ordinary. Of course, no one asked Kobe to do more. He suffered a serious injury, and he is 36 years old this year. You can't expect Kobe to really average 20+ per game, right?
Zhao Chen has consistently contributed a triple-double per game as always. The rookies occasionally take turns to break out, and they have steadily won against those playoff-level teams.
With the arrival of consecutive wins, the Lakers continue to be touted by the media.
Zhao Chen's scoring data fluctuated greatly, but nothing else changed much. Zhao Chen averaged a triple-double of 38 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds per game.
More and more stable personal performance and a record of always ranking first helped Zhao Chen stabilize his MVP ranking.
More and more media and fans believe that Zhao Chen will win the first regular season MVP trophy in his career.
The addition of record and data has allowed Zhao Chen and the Lakers to become the protagonists of the NBA again.
"With 20 consecutive wins, the Lakers are in the midst of a wave of high momentum. No one knows when their winning streak will stop. Under the leadership of Zhao Chen, the all-powerful God of War, the Lakers have achieved an even more impressive record. The Lakers are announcing to the world that they are also a strong contender for the championship," O'Neal shouted on a TNT show.
"The Lakers' rookies have been evaluated beyond their draft position. Clarkson, Joe Harris, Grant, and Randle will all perform brilliantly in certain games. Of course, the most stable among them is Nikola Jokic. , this little fat guy from Serbia has raised his data to the level of 14 points, 7 assists and 8 rebounds per game, which is incredible for a rookie." Kenny Smith said.
"Of course, the Lakers are not without potential problems. For example, first, they rely heavily on Zhao Chen. In some games where Zhao Chen has poor touch, they will be in trouble. Second, they do not have a stable second scorer. Kobe's age no longer allows him to perform the same as in previous seasons. These problems are not unsolvable. The Lakers' rookies have the potential to solve these problems, which requires them to further develop their rookies in the next regular season. Potential," Barkley said.
"Charles, you have also overlooked one issue, injuries. The Lakers have a lot of injuries now. Boban, Boozer, and Tucker are all injured. These are their three inside players. The time to return from injuries will not be short. All around, these injuries are enough to bring hidden worries to the Lakers. The Lakers are actually currently playing with Zhao Chen and Kobe Bryant with a bunch of rookies. After this wave of winning streak, their record will usher in great ups and downs. ” said Reggie Miller.
...........
December 30th.
The last game of 2014.
The Lakers challenge the Dallas Mavericks on the road.
The Lakers are also challenging for their 21st consecutive victory!
The Mavericks are a playoff-level team with a record of 20 wins and 10 losses.
The last time the two teams met, the Lakers narrowly won at home.
The strength of the Mavericks cannot be underestimated. This time they are playing at home.
The Mavericks' main scorers are Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki.
The combination of the two, one inside and one outside, showed good power.
Lakers starting lineup: Zhao Chen, Kobe, Covington, Randle, Jokic.
Mavericks starting lineup: Rondo, Ellis, Parsons, Nowitzki, Chandler.
Zhao Chen's attention was focused on Nowitzki.
Nowitzki is the well-deserved team spirit of the Mavericks. He is in the Mavericks what Kobe is in the Lakers.
Of course, his efficiency is still higher than that of Kobe. This season, Nowitzki is averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds per game, and his three-point shooting percentage is as high as 38%.
The Lakers have injured three major players, and the current rotation of the players is tight. It is difficult to take advantage of the Mavericks.
If you want to win, you still have to start from the outside.
Jokic jumped ball with Chandler.
Chandler still jumped to win.
Zhao Chen watched Jokic jump the ball and his mind was full of dark thoughts. This guy almost never won the jump ball.
The jump ball seems to be just a tiptoe.
Zhao Chen didn't care about it, he was used to it. Anyway, if he lost the jump ball, the order of the ball rights would be different, but the ball rights would not be reduced.
