The duel with Kobe Bryant was just an episode. After the team boss said those words, Zhao Feiyang's situation did not get better. He was still only a marginal figure on the Lakers.
Although he is older than most players, in terms of qualifications, he is only a rookie player of the Lakers.
On the first day of training, Zhao Feiyang looked forward to playing against other players, but the coaching staff did not allow him to join the battle.
Not only that, Zhao Feiyang was also responsible for the team's cleaning work, especially the small things such as cleaning the arena and wiping basketballs, which were all arranged for him by team veteran Pau Gasol.
"Zhao, this is your job!"
"Love it!"
"Everyone goes through this! There's nothing weird about it..."
As a veteran of the team, Pau Gasol has very high qualifications. Except for the absolute core of Kobe Bryant, his voice in the team is unmatched by others.
He took the initiative to arrange "tasks" for newcomers like Zhao Feiyang. Generally speaking, it was difficult for newcomers to refuse.
However, Zhao Feiyang has never been a soft-tempered person. When he saw that the other party was deliberately messing with him, he immediately refused with a firm attitude.
"Oh! No!"
"I didn't come to L.A. to clean."
"Paul, I know your salary is very high, but if you want to make money, I don't mind paying you to do this..."
Pau Gasol was originally teasing other teammates, but when he saw Zhao Feiyang directly rejecting it, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed on his face.
Other Lakers players didn't expect Zhao Feiyang to be so tough.
"It seems you are much braver than I thought!"
"All right!"
"I hope you won't regret your decision..."
Pau Gasol stopped teasing, and Zhao Feiyang was temporarily free.
He knew that the veterans of the team liked to bully newcomers, even Kobe Bryant had experienced it before, but Zhao Feiyang knew better that strength was the key to everything.
The first day of training was not a happy one. On the second day, Zhao Feiyang was full of expectations and planned to train with his teammates.
But this time, the coaching staff still did not let him play, but asked him to train alone.
Not only that, Zhao Feiyang also discovered a problem, that is, the Lakers team at this time is actually a bit bloated. Generally speaking, NBA teams can allow up to 15 players to enter the roster, but the current Lakers already have 17 players.
This means that in the next time, the Lakers must also lay off two players.
Even if two players are laid off, only 12 people are allowed on the roster. With the current lineup, as a marginal figure on the team, I may have to compete with other players for positions.
This makes Zhao Feiyang feel that the future is very confusing!
In such confusion, he ushered in the season opener with the Lakers.
This game was specially arranged by NBA officials. The two teams participating were the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat.
The feud between the two teams has been going on for a long time. Of course, the most important thing to watch is LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant himself is a superstar in the league and has a strong appeal. Although he has been somewhat depressed in the past two or three seasons due to injuries, he has made a strong comeback this season. Many fans want to see him return to his former peak level. .
As a rising star, LeBron James is now in full swing. Especially after leading the Heat to win the NBA championship last season, LeBron James' popularity was once close to that of Kobe Bryant.
Many fans have always wanted to watch No. 23 vs. No. 24. This scene cannot be staged in the finals for the time being. Being able to appear in advance in the opening game can be regarded as satisfying the expectations of many fans.
On the day of the game, the Staples Center Arena was packed with people, and the scene was huge. Not only were there a lot of stars on the court, but there were also many Hollywood celebrities and movie stars sitting under the court.
"Guys, today is our season opener!"
"No matter who the opponent is, we must win the game. This is a good start for us! I hope you can play your best..."
In the locker room, team boss Kobe Bryant spoke personally.
His speech was brief but powerful.
The players gathered around him, extending their right hands together to cheer for the upcoming game.
Zhao Feiyang was also on the 12-man roster today. When he learned that he could also play, Zhao Feiyang was very excited.
Even before the game started, he had already received domestic news. For this opening game, CCTV Sports specially broadcast it during prime time, and even put the news in other time periods.
Domestic fans are also very excited. After all, since Yi Jianlian left the NBA and returned to the Guangdong team, Zhao Feiyang is currently the only one in China playing in the NBA.
No matter how many people doubted him before, at least until he was completely denied, fans still expected him to perform satisfactorily.
Of course, Zhao Feiyang failed to start the game. After the starting players came on, as a substitute, he wisely sat on the bench.
The game on the court also started soon.
For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant led a group of veterans including Pau Gasol and Steve Nash onto the court.
On the Heat's side, LeBron James walked up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Big Three are all at their peak, and the players around them are all powerful veterans. At this time, they don't take the Lakers seriously at all.
call out.
The referee whistle sounded.
Jump ball from both sides.
Snapped.
The Heat took the lead in getting the ball, and Mario Chalmers carried the ball across half court.
After arriving at the half court, LeBron James received the ball. When he stood on the wing and planned to attack, Kobe Bryant also walked to him personally.
The two are old rivals!
Their duel naturally caused a carnival at the scene.
Even Zhao Feiyang couldn't help but stand up from the bench at this time and watched the scene on the court excitedly.
"LeBron, come on!"
"I won't let you score."
Kobe Bryant put on a defensive stance and got in front of LeBron James to put pressure on him. LeBron James was also very cautious. He raised the basketball to test, and then suddenly raised the basketball to take action.
Uh-huh.
A three-pointer fell steadily into the basket.
In the first meeting between the two, LeBron James had the upper hand.
Soon, it was the Lakers' turn to counterattack.
Kobe Bryant wanted to pass the ball early. After halftime, he immediately came to LeBron James with the ball and hit the opponent with his back.
The two began to have physical contact. LeBron James stared at Kobe Bryant's shoulder, but the two met each other. Kobe Bryant made a fake move to pass LeBron James, and then followed up with a follow-up shot. Raise your hands.
Uh-huh.
A difficult mid-range shot was scored steadily.
Kobe Bryant gave his response in front of LeBron James.
