Chapter 1 The Most Special Existence

For Kobe, Su Feng was definitely a most special existence.

Five years ago, when two 16-year-old boys met at the basketball court on Market Street in Philadelphia...

At that time, the God of Basketball was still studying the difference between home runs and three-pointers.

At that time...

Su Feng wasn't as strong as he is now.

And Kobe at that time had already become famous in Pennsylvania.

No one knows when it started, and no one knows when it will end.

Day after day, night after night...

At that basketball court named "Bryant is No. 1," only God knows how much sweat Su Feng and Kobe poured out for their respective dreams back then.

If no one in this world knows Kobe better than Su Feng, then likewise, no one in this world knows Su Feng better than Kobe.

Air Canada Centre.

Looking at Su Feng, who has become the NBA's best defensive player, in Kobe's eyes, which were filled with raging anger, you couldn't see any fear at all.

Because, he, Kobe, had experienced "this kind" of defense countless times already.

Thump, thump, thump.

On the wing, after continuous crossover dribbling, Kobe tentatively stepped his left foot towards Su Feng's right defensive area.

Then, just as Su Feng slid over to defend, Kobe suddenly completed a magical pirouette in the opposite direction with ingenuity.

Immediately afterwards, without giving the Raptors' players a chance to help defend, that signature fadeaway jumper that you could never get tired of watching appeared at the Air Canada Centre.

Leaning back slightly while shooting wasn't for showing off, but to avoid being blocked by Su Feng.

Jumping with all his might wasn't to prove how good his jumping ability was, but because Kobe knew how large Su Feng's defensive area was.

Supported by that world-class waist, Kobe's fadeaway, in Su Feng's opinion, could only be described with three words.

—"Beautiful as a painting."

Swish!

2-0.

After making this shot, Kobe gave Su Feng a smug smile.

As the saying goes, friends come and go, only the afro flutters in the wind.

This is the Lakers' No. 8, a member of the NBA's All-NBA Third Team in the 98/99 season, Kobe Bryant!

Zhang, the commentator from Great Celestial Dynasty TV, who was at the scene tonight, smiled and said, "Wow, Kobe's shot was really decisive!

Originally, we all thought that the Lakers would use O'Neal as their main offensive point after the opening, but unexpectedly, under Su Feng's defense, Kobe's shot was so decisive."

And on the side, Su Junyang also stroked his chin and commented, "This is what makes Jackson different from other NBA coaches.

You think I'll arrange for O'Neal to be the main attacker, but I'll just arrange for Kobe to play."

On the Lakers' bench, where could the "Zen Master," who couldn't understand Chinese, know that the CCTV commentators were so good at reading comprehension?

Because if I told you, you might not believe it...

Tonight, the "Zen Master" had arranged for O'Neal to be the main attacker.

But...

Whatever, a good shot is a good shot!

On the court, after Kobe scored his first Finals point of his career, McGrady, who was responsible for dribbling the ball on the Raptors' side, also gave Su Feng a look that said, "Don't play Answer.Ball."

And originally, Su Feng, who valued the team, wouldn't have argued with Kobe like this.

However, after noticing that even Jordan had taken the initiative to become the "four" in the Iso play, as the Raptors' leader, how could Su Feng back down at this moment?

Under Kobe's close entanglement, Su Feng used his wingspan to receive McGrady's pass.

Then, after observing the Lakers' defensive area, Su Feng suddenly used his right hand to grab the ball and made a ball-raising feint towards Kobe.

But how could Kobe, who knew Su Feng inside and out, be fooled?

Only...

On the court, Su Feng suddenly made a one-handed passing fake towards Carter on the baseline.

And with Kobe still unmoved, immediately after, Su Feng made a one-handed ball-grabbing feigned shot.

Kobe: "..."

What the hell are you showing off!

So what if you have big hands!

Feeling that he was being played by Su Feng like a kindergarten kid, Kobe's rage was completely maxed out.

Seriously, if it wasn't during a game, the thing Kobe wanted to do most was to bite Su Feng.

Bang, bang, bang.

On the court, because the single-handed triple threat failed to deceive Kobe in the first instance, Su Feng quickly switched to back-attack mode.

And for Su Feng's back attack, Kobe was getting more and more annoyed as he defended.

Because, before Su Feng had developed, Kobe often used Philly Iron Elbows to teach Su Feng how to behave when facing Su Feng's deadly entanglement defense.

It's a pity...

Times have changed.

Kobe, who had been pushed open a gap by Su Feng, was broken through his tight defense by Su Feng.

And just as the other Lakers players were about to help Kobe, similar to Kobe just now, Su Feng also chose to end this attack with a fadeaway.

Your fadeaway has no wine, but I'm drunk like a dog.

Swish!

2-2.

An Answer.Ball from the regular season MVP Su Feng!

This is a memorable point.

Because this is the first point in the Raptors' history in the Finals.

At the same time, it is also the first point in Su Feng's personal career in the Finals.

Air Canada Centre, following the rhythm of DJ Martin, nearly 20,000 Canadian fans shouted in unison at this moment:

"MVP————!!"

"MVP————!!"

"MVP————!!"

In the seats on the side of the court, Britney felt like she was about to throw up.

Because watching Su Feng, who specially struck a gun-blowing pose after scoring, Britney really wanted to ask him:

Don't you feel embarrassed?

However, just as Britney covered her face with one hand, where would she know that on TNT, Derek, who was watching this scene, was complaining:

"Sure enough, Su and Britney have a special relationship, Kenny, look, after Su scored, Britney's smile was so bright that she had to cover her face with her hand."

And on the side, listening to his partner's commentary, Smith always felt that Derek should be transferred to the entertainment channel...

On the court, after the Raptors scored, it was the Lakers' turn to attack.

As Su Feng had expected before the game, Kobe, who was bursting with anger tonight, had already transformed into a super key-pressing man.

Yes, that's right.

The key is the key to pressing the pass button, and the key is the key to the pass button.

In the low post, Ben, who had already been squeezed aside by O'Neal, discovered in a panic that the Lakers' players had not "discovered" this opportunity.

On the court, a double hammer from Kobe.

Swish!

Amazing, really amazing.

Because in this play, Su Feng was only one step away from forcing Kobe to make a mistake, but before meeting Vanessa, Kobe, who had been nominally single for nearly 20 years, his hand speed could only be described as terrifying!

Before Su Feng's big hand, Kobe had just completed a slightly hasty fadeaway.

4-2.

No exaggeration, Kobe is indeed the kind of man that you can't restrain even if you defend him tightly.

However, Su Feng actually preferred this kind of Kobe.

Because...

Big data can't lie.

In Su Feng's original timeline, Kobe's career Finals field goal percentage was only 41.2%.

Because in the Finals, he would always be targeted by opponents, coupled with Kobe's strong self-esteem, he would not allow himself to just be a spectator in the Finals...

Therefore, Kobe's overall performance in the Finals was obviously worse than his usual performance.

Of course, for the tense and fierce Finals with higher defensive intensity, even if Kobe's Finals field goal percentage was not high, Su Feng had to admit that this kind of Kobe had indeed risen to a higher level in terms of personal threat level.

But...

Unlike the rational Kobe, this kind of Kobe was not difficult for the Raptors to deal with.

Because even if Kobe's touch was against the heavens, he couldn't score 81 points under Su Feng's defense.

On the court, O'Neal, who hadn't touched the ball in two consecutive possessions, originally wanted to say something to Kobe while retreating...

But, looking at Kobe, who was in surprisingly good shape tonight, plus what he had said to Kobe before about letting him increase his personal offense...

So...

After thinking for a while, O'Neal gave Kobe a thumbs up with a smile on his face.

Good job, my little Pippen.

The game continued, and the Raptors attacked.

Under Kobe's defense that he couldn't wait to defend into his waist, Su Feng decisively changed to playing off-ball this time.

From the data point of view, Su Feng is indeed a "solo-minded" player.

But in reality, players who play with Su Feng rarely feel that he plays solo.

Because most of Su Feng's iso plays are actually pots taken after the team's offense fails to complete smoothly through passing and cutting.

And in addition to isolation, Su Feng also has a lot of offense completed through catch-and-shoot after off-ball movement.

Therefore, few assists do not mean that Su Feng will not play team basketball.

On the court, with Ben's screen, Su Feng snatched a brief right to breathe from Kobe's exaggerated defense.

And McGrady, who was holding the ball at the high post, quickly found this gap.

Catch the ball, run-up, jump.

Facing Horry's help defense, Su Feng's "Emperor's Layup" was completed in one go, not giving Horry a chance to stop him at all.

4-4.

Turning around, the Lakers attacked, and through a pick-and-roll, Kobe and McGrady formed...

Formed a mismatch my ass!

Maybe the Raptors can't compete with the Lakers on the inside, but on the outside, the Raptors, who can play unlimited rotations, can never have a mismatch.

Just now, when Su Feng noticed Harper screening for Kobe, he didn't even think about going around the screen.

Because, under his training, Kobe wanted to rely on one-on-one to break through McGrady's defensive zone, the difficulty was not much smaller than hitting himself.

And at this time, O'Neal, who noticed that Kobe was being blocked by McGrady, was preparing to ask for the ball in the low post.

However, for Kobe, who also had a very high hatred value for McGrady, looking at this guy's half-open eyes, Kobe had no other idea but to run McGrady to death at this moment.

When he is calm and reasonable, the Kobe who has embarked on a path of no return in this life can be said to be the most difficult Kobe to deal with in billions of universes.

But when he is angry, does Kobe care about basketball IQ or not?

Tonight, if he doesn't smash SuKaMai's head, he might as well let him die!

It has to be said that Kobe does have his unique points in terms of one-on-one.

Because in this ball, under McGrady's defense, he actually successfully cheated McGrady's center of gravity through a weird crossover in front of his body.

But, just as Kobe was about to raise the hammer of Thor to sanction McGrady...

Suddenly, at the moment he jumped and shot, a gust of "yin wind" came from his side!

Pa————!

A friendship-destroying block from Su Feng!

When one-on-one with Kobe, because the offensive side has the initiative, it is difficult for Su Feng to find Kobe's shot blocking point.

However, when OB is on the side, Su Feng can use his static talent to gain the upper hand.

In this ball, Su Feng, knowing that Kobe would definitely not pass, had already given up on guarding Harper.

And on the court, after Su Feng slapped away his basketball dream with a ruthless block, Kobe widened his eyes.

No...

What happened to the one-on-one?

Hey...

Young Kobe, we are one-on-one with you!

It's just that, we, one-on-one with you.

Kobe: "..."

On the court, I don't know why, Kobe felt a blockage in his chest.

The Lakers served the sideline ball, and this time, O'Neal, who had been running all the time, finally got the ball.

Bang, bang!

In the low post, although Ben has natural divine power, but facing O'Neal, at this moment, he can only admit that he is a younger brother.

Through a turnaround bank shot, O'Neal successfully took two points for the Lakers.

6-4.

This is O'Neal.

In addition to strength, he also has flexibility far beyond ordinary people.

In Su Feng's previous life, there was a famous saying in the NBA that as long as you put O'Neal in the low post, you can't stop him.

Unlike when facing Duncan, Ben could occasionally breathe.

Before this Finals started, Su Feng had Ben prepare to be beaten all the way.

On the court, after O'Neal showed his dominance for the first time tonight, it was the Raptors' turn to attack.

In this ball, Su Feng took the initiative to set a screen for McGrady.

Kobe wanted to force his way around the screen, but he was blocked by Su Feng.

And Harper, who originally wanted to switch defenses with Kobe, was miserable this time, because at the age of 36, he didn't have time to react in front of the two fastest men in Toronto.

In the Lakers' restricted area, looking at Su Feng, who was cutting down, and McGrady, who was dribbling and advancing, O'Neal, who was lazily hiding in the restricted area, hesitated for a while, and finally filled up to Su Feng.

As a result, McGrady, feeling that he was being underestimated, didn't talk to O'Neal too much, and directly leaped up and sounded the air raid alarm of the City of Sky tonight with a one-handed slam dunk!

6-6.

Air Canada Centre, the fans' enthusiasm was instantly ignited by McGrady's dunk.

And on the Lakers' bench, Jackson wanted to grab Davis's collar and ask:

What kind of monsters are you coaching!

In this year's playoffs, the Lakers, with Rice, Kobe, and Harper, can often cure their opponents' outside line to death.

However, compared with the Raptors tonight, where is the Lakers' outside line still worth mentioning?

Fortunately, immediately afterwards, O'Neal announced that he was not within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Air Traffic Control Bureau with a powerful dunk.

8-6.

With Ben unable to restrict O'Neal from receiving the ball in the low post, the Raptors couldn't double-team O'Neal in the first instance in the face of the Lakers' triangle offense.

Jackson is indeed a coach who is very good at leveraging the one-on-one abilities of superstars.

Tonight, he sent Horry on the court, the purpose was to lead Jordan out of the paint.

But conversely, the Lakers were also helpless against the Raptors' offense.

On the court, after using rhythm to deceive Horry, Jordan hit a jump shot, 8-8.

In the later years of his career, Jordan, whose skills are becoming more and more proficient, is now simply a "Humanoid Offensive Encyclopedia".

On TNT, Smith sighed, "Maybe Michael is no longer at his peak, but watching him play now is indeed a pleasure."

The game continued, and the Lakers attacked.

On the court, just as O'Neal was preparing to continue teaching Ben how to behave, Kobe, who had been watching the show for two consecutive rounds, in order to avenge Su Feng's block just now, directly chose to kill the basket this time.

However, just as Kobe was preparing to complete the end with a beautiful civilian layup, suddenly...

Pa————!

Almost the exact same script as just now.

It's just that, the player who sent the friendship-destroying block this time was replaced by McGrady.

Kobe: "..."

No!

Are you all poisonous?

Are you all staring at me?

At this moment, Kobe felt bad.

And just as Kobe was drawing circles in his heart to curse Su Feng and McGrady, suddenly, on the sidelines, the Raptors applied for a substitution.

Veteran Williams in, Carter out.

On the Lakers' bench, for Jackson, who had experienced John Davis's unpredictable tactical philosophy two years ago, at the moment the Raptors made a substitution, he immediately became vigilant.

John, what are you planning to do this time?

Are you going to hack-a-Shaq?

Obviously, the "Zen Master" answered correctly.

Williams, who rarely has a surname tonight, only received one order before he came on the court.

That is:

As long as O'Neal asks for the ball in the low post, he will immediately foul.

Regardless of how the fathead fish's free throw touch is tonight, and regardless of whether this will affect the Raptors' offensive rhythm, Davis knows very well that it is time to let O'Neal stop...

…