News about the internal conflicts of the Lakers continues to ferment, and the outside world is paying a lot of attention to it. In particular, the media will always find ways to interview Kobe or coach Mike D'Antoni, trying to find some "flaws" in their mouths to gain enough information. exposure.
However, both of them are veterans of the league and know what to say and what not to say. Therefore, at least in front of the public, neither Kobe nor coach Mike D'Antoni has ever been used for anything.
After the opening game, the regular season officially begins.
The Los Angeles Lakers will soon face their second opponent. Unfortunately, this opponent is quite strong, not much weaker than the Heat's Big Three.
They are the San Antonio Spurs who played seven games with the Heat in the Finals last season.
After the Spurs experienced failure last season, they made a comeback this season. Not only did they retain the core lineup of the team, they also hired many strong substitutes from other places during the offseason.
This game still starts at the Staples Center Arena.
In the first quarter of the game, the Lakers could still score continuously with the help of Kobe Bryant's singles, barely suppressing the aggressive Spurs. However, after the second quarter, the Lakers could no longer suppress the opponent.
The Spurs' lineup is no less impressive than the Heat's Big Three, especially since they also have famous coaches like Gregg Popovich and rising stars like Kawhi Leonard.
Therefore, in the second quarter, the Spurs relied on Kawhi Leonard's outstanding performance to open the score.
Kobe Bryant tried to recover the gap through individual singles, but under the strict defense of the Spurs, his physical fitness declined sharply and his shooting percentage became lower and lower.
In the second half, the Spurs adjusted their lineup, but the Lakers did not dare to make big changes.
Kobe Bryant is still on the court, still holding the ball and helping the team score.
But his power alone was always limited. When the Lakers' other position players struggled to perform, the Lakers' point difference eventually widened.
When the game reached 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers were unable to recover. In the end, they lost to the Spurs by 13 points, their second loss at the beginning of the season.
In this game, Zhao Feiyang also took the initiative to apply to play. Unfortunately, head coach Mike D'Antoni did not give him enough trust, nor was he impressed by his performance in the last game. In the end, he was only given 4 minutes.
Unfortunately, during these 4 minutes, the team kept transferring the ball to Pau Gasol inside, trying to open up the situation through him, so Zhao Feiyang failed to get much of the ball.
He only took three shots, and finally made a two-pointer and a three-pointer, ending the game with 5 points.
After losing their second game of the season, the Lakers did not stop their losses. In the next three games, the Lakers lost to their opponents without exception.
If losing to strong teams like the Heat and Spurs is understandable, then losing to the Phoenix Suns, which was the bottom team last season, makes many fans feel incredible.
Kobe Bryant was also very dissatisfied. When the media interviewed him, he finally expressed his dissatisfaction.
"I think the team needs reinforcements. Our current lineup is not strong enough... In addition, our tactics also have big problems..."
"If these problems are not resolved, I think it will be difficult for us to compete in the playoffs! You heard me right... It's just the playoffs. It's impossible for us to compete in the championship like this... "
As soon as Kobe's words came out, the media in Los Angeles immediately exploded.
In particular, Kobe's doubts about the team's tactics also allowed the media to successfully transfer the conflict to head coach Mike D'Antoni.
Mike D'Antoni was also very troubled by this. Under constant questioning from the media, he also gave his own response, "If the Lakers determine that they no longer need me, then I hope to leave the team immediately!"
As soon as these words came out, the rumors of feud between the generals were completely confirmed by the media.
The Los Angeles Lakers were also in chaos.
To make matters worse, in the Lakers' sixth game, Kobe Bryant accidentally sprained his ankle during a breakthrough confrontation.
It didn't seem like a serious injury at the time, but after the game, the team doctor discovered that Kobe Bryant's ankle sprain was so severe that he had to take a break to recuperate.
He was also sidelined last season due to injury. Although he did not miss too many games, he struggled with injuries throughout the season.
When the season was coming to an end, Kobe Bryant had to rest due to a knee injury. He finally recovered at the beginning of the season, but after only playing 6 games, the injury struck Kobe Bryant again.
When Kobe Bryant was injured, the already stretched Lakers completely lost their backbone. Although the team had veteran players like Steve Nash, Steve Nash was indeed older and there was no one within the team. The extremely high status cannot deter this group of young players at all.
For a time, everyone in the Lakers team was panicked.
Zhao Feiyang has not been reused in these games. The more chaotic the team is, the more confusing the lineup arrangement is.
As a fringe player on the team, and as a Chinese player, he did not get much trust from the coaching staff.
Head coach Mike D'Antoni has been constantly questioned by the media and fans because of the team's record problems, and has been caught in the whirlpool of public opinion.
Under such circumstances, the Los Angeles Lakers ushered in their seventh game.
This time they went to Houston to play away from home, and their opponent was the Rockets, Yao Ming's former team.
Since Yao Ming retired, the Rockets have received less attention in China than before, but last season they signed star James Harden and the only Chinese player in the league, Jeremy Lin.
After Jeremy Lin transformed from "undrafted" to "Linsanity", he has become a hero in the eyes of yellow-skinned fans all over the world.
Compared with Jeremy Lin, Zhao Feiyang's reputation at this time is still somewhat behind.
However, as the only yellow-skinned defender in the league, Zhao Feiyang's appearance is a miracle in itself! Therefore, before the game even started, it had already attracted the attention of Chinese fans around the world.
CCTV Sports also specially broadcast this game. China's domestic sports forums were even more crazy, and countless fans discussed related topics.
"Do you think Jeremy Lin is stronger or Zhao Feiyang is stronger?"
"Who is the strongest Chinese defender?"
"25-year-old Jeremy Lin versus 29-year-old Zhao Feiyang, who is better?"
