Any sport has its own leaders in a specific era.

In terms of basketball, it was Jordan in the 1990s, and it became Kobe after 2005.

Especially after Kobe played such a crazy season last season, his popularity and influence reached a peak, catching up with Jordan back then.

To use a very vivid word, it is hard to get a ticket for Kobe Bryant's game, and the ratings for Lakers games on cable TV networks remain high.

At the beginning of the game, Kobe showed everyone his unparalleled scoring skills.

Or catch the ball and make a step-back jump shot, or post-up and fade away, or triple threat break through the basket and pull up the lever for a layup.

This is a shooting guard with the most comprehensive skills of this era, or in the eyes of fans, he is the "most handsome player".

Under his leadership, the Lakers even suppressed the Mavericks in the opening game.

Durant and Lin Ying couldn't take their eyes off this.

To be honest, in terms of viewing pleasure, the NCAA games they are playing now are like elementary school students playing house compared to this one.

"When did Kobe change to No. 24?"

Lin Ying suddenly asked.

He knew that Kobe had two numbers, No. 8 and No. 24, and both jersey numbers were retired by the Lakers.

But he wasn't sure when Kobe changed his jersey number.

"I just changed it this season. I was still very surprised at the time. It is rare to change your number during your peak period."

Durant replied with his eyes fixed on the TV.

Indeed, there are not many number changes in NBA history, let alone changing at the peak.

The most representative one is Jordan.

When I came back for the first time, I briefly changed from No. 23 to No. 45, but I quickly changed it back.

Because No. 23 and Jordan are completely bound together in a sense, the fans don't adapt, and Jordan himself doesn't adapt either.

The same goes for No. 8 and Kobe Bryant.

Lin Ying said "hmm" without saying anything.

Regarding this, he also saw some analysis when he was staying at home:

The reasons are varied:

Kobe himself said that "there are 24 hours a day, one offense for 24 seconds" that rises to the level of "Mamba Mentality";

There is a rumor among fans that because No. 24 is one more number than No. 23, Kobe wants to surpass Jordan;

There is also a theory that sales of No. 8 Kobe Bryant jerseys are low.

Before last season, Kobe's No. 8 jersey ranked 80th in the NBA in sales. Even after a crazy season like last season, No. 8 jerseys only ranked fifth in the NBA.

This is not Versailles. Compared with the history of Curry's jersey sales leading the league for several seasons, it can only be considered low;

Some even said that Kobe Bryant on the 8th had too much negative news and wanted to replace him with a new one.

But perhaps the most reliable thing, and what many people don’t know, is that Kobe once wore the number 24 in high school.

This is also what many players do in the NBA.

"Will you continue to wear No. 1 in the NBA?"

Durant then asked.

"Maybe."

Lin Ying's answer was uncertain. He didn't even know his NBA horoscope, so how could he think about this?

The current number 1 is also the number I picked randomly after entering the University of Texas.

It was also when he was selecting numbers that he learned that the NCAA had regulations on numbers, and he could only choose from numbers 0~5/10~15/20~25/30~35/40~45/50~55.

And the reason is a bit funny, because the referee can't make numbers exceeding 5 with one hand.

At that time, he instinctively made a 6 with one hand.

Of course this is a digression, his focus is now on the game.

The Lakers are still in a stalemate with the Mavericks!

Kobe was like a tireless scoring machine, gritting his teeth against the Mavericks.

The two teams were in a stalemate until the beginning of the fourth quarter.

After Kobe Bryant took a break after the third quarter, the Mavericks began to open up the score under the leadership of Jerry Stackhouse, the former "Jordan successor" and now the team's sixth man.

The live broadcast footage showed Kobe sitting off the court applying ice to his legs, with a serious expression on his face.

If you were to give this scene a picture at this time, the most appropriate sentence would definitely be:

You really need me so much!

Kobe only had three minutes of rest before he had to come back.

After he returned, the Lakers quickly returned to normal and continued to be in a stalemate with the Mavericks.

It's just that an NBA-level game lasts 48 minutes. Even if you are in a stalemate with your opponent for 45 minutes, the three minutes you lose are enough to lose the game.

Everyone likes a good comeback, but it is almost impossible to happen when the leading side is stronger.

After experiencing the "three black minutes", the Lakers finally lost to the Mavericks 103-110.

Kobe Bryant scored 43 points, Odom scored 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Bynum had 10 points and 12 rebounds, and no one else scored in double figures.

For the Mavericks, Nowitzki scored 24 points and 11 rebounds, and five players on the team scored in double figures.

After watching the game, Durant complained that other Lakers players did not give Kobe enough help.

"They couldn't even get three minutes."

This sentence is very heartbreaking.

"I want to beat Kobe."

And then Durant said with firm eyes.

If you want to be the person standing at the top, you must defeat the person standing there.

Although the gap between him and Kobe is still huge, the goal is already there.

"you will."

Lin Ying nodded, but he was thinking about other things at the moment.

As a data analyst, when watching a game, he not only looks at the game, but also some information that can form data.

What attracted him the most was the Lakers' tactics.

The famous "Triangle Offense" is a specialty of Lakers head coach "Zen Master" Phil Jackson.

The reason why Kobe was able to score so many points had a lot to do with this tactic.

The "three minutes" Durant mentioned highlight the characteristics of this tactic.

As the super giant Kobe is present, the team's offense is very layered, and the role players can also play their due role on the court.

But once Kobe was no longer on the court, the Lakers were at a loss, feeling like they didn't know who to take action.

Combining these basic analyses, a basic conclusion he can now draw is:

The Lakers' triangle offense is a tactic that relies heavily on superstars and can maximize their abilities.

After analyzing and coming to this conclusion, Lin Ying was stunned for a moment, then turned to stare at Durant for a long time.

When Durant cast a doubtful look at him, Lin Ying made a request: He wanted to watch the game again.

Durant didn't know what Lin Ying was thinking, but he knew that Lin Ying must have thought of something.

Ever since, the two grown men watched the replay of the game again.

Durant fell asleep unknowingly while watching it, but Lin Ying confirmed his previous thoughts after watching it for the second time.

And this time he also paid attention to the performance of another person.

Andrew Bynum.

Bynum is a standard genius, with a height of 2.13 meters, a wingspan of 2.29 meters, a pair of naturally broad shoulders, and even a soft touch that is rare among big men.

This is also an important reason why he is called "Baby Shark" by fans.

And there is another thing that many people don't know. Bynum was only 17 years, 8 months and 2 days old when he was drafted by the NBA, making him the youngest player to be drafted in NBA history.

Because high school students no longer participated in the draft after the draft reform, this record has never been broken.

Moreover, he was the tenth pick in the lottery.

The word "genius" may not be enough to describe him.

He also ended up on the team of another "genius" Kobe Bryant.

Having similar experiences, and even facing similar doubts when he was drafted, Kobe had a "same kind" feeling towards Bynum.
To be continued...