Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 470 Winning a one-on-one duel doesn't count as winning
Kobe was gentle and mild-mannered in front of Tang Sen.

But that was only in front of Tang Sen.

Kobe wasn't so easy to talk to in front of others.

He was aloof and stubborn, never the kind of gentle older brother type. He didn't actually have many friends on the Lakers team.

Last year at training camp, both O'Neal and Kobe were there. Tang Sen didn't pay special attention, but he recalled that the two hardly spoke to each other.

Most importantly, he has the same competitive spirit as Jordan and will not easily accept defeat.

In his first matchup against Durant, he was clearly at a disadvantage.

This is something Kobe cannot tolerate.

His goal was to surpass Jordan, and he worked hard. Even now, when the media discusses the differences between himself and Jordan, they still believe that there is a considerable gap between them.

As for Durant, from the moment he debuted, everyone treated him like Jordan because of Tang Sen.

What he had been striving for, Durant obtained far too easily.

envy?

Not really.

However, it's absolutely impossible to just accept it like that.

After the practical training session ended, Kobe approached Durant and asked to do extra practice.

Durant sensed the burning intensity in Kobe's eyes and understood that the league superstar was very unhappy and unconvinced.

Also normal.

He's a superstar.

But I'm playing against a superstar.

From the moment he started training with Townsend, Durant knew what Townsend expected of him, or rather, what his purpose was.

He's the best basketball player on the planet.

Therefore, everyone is their own opponent, an obstacle to achieving their own goal.

In this situation, Durant has no reason to be afraid.

only……

Durant glanced at Tang Sen, somewhat hesitant.

The main issue is that Tang Sen doesn't allow extra training, as this would disrupt his training plan.

"I'll go talk to Tang."

Kobe immediately saw Durant's concerns and turned to walk towards Tang Sen.

There's only one requirement: to spend more time practicing against Durant in real games.

After a moment's thought, Tang Sen agreed.

There was a top star willing to go all out and play one-on-one against Durant to help him gain experience, and Tang Sen had no reason to refuse.

Especially since this person is Kobe.

Tang Sen knew Kobe too well.

He worked incredibly hard and honed his skills to an all-around level; there was nothing he couldn't do.

Mental attributes maxed out, stamina unlimited.

The only limitation to his potential is a lack of talent in certain areas.

For Durant, such a player is the best whetstone.

Therefore, starting the next day, Kobe and Durant were locked in a fierce battle, constantly engaging in competitive training.

This kind of one-on-one combat training is very physically demanding.

This is exactly one of Kobe's methods.

He admitted to himself that Durant was more talented in some aspects; he was so tall and could play like a guard, a player he had never seen before.

But Kobe believed it was just a moment, a round.

If it were a 48-minute game with dozens of possessions, Kobe believed his performance would be even better and more consistent.

Because of their superior physical condition, they can maintain their offensive capabilities, especially when they are extremely fatigued.

This is also what Tang Sen believes.

So Kobe and Durant began a marathon-like contest.

But the result was not as expected.

Kobe was surprised to find that Durant's physical abilities were not bad.

Like myself, he is capable of both all-out offense and all-out defense.

However, when this time frame is extended, Durant did not experience a decline in performance due to fatigue.

By the end, both of them were out of breath, but Durant was still able to execute some excellent offensive plays.

His jump shot, in particular, remained consistently accurate.

Tang Sen called a halt to the confrontation. They would take it slow and steady; they had a month left to deal with things gradually.

Tang Sen saw through Kobe's thoughts.

However, Tang Sen has put a lot of effort into Durant's physical fitness, and even now, he still helps him with physical training.

His muscle type may not possess the incredible endurance of Jordan or Kobe.

But with long hours of training, he can sustain himself in high-intensity matches and get through a long season.

Townsend wants to train a perfect basketball player, so he won't ignore Durant's weaknesses.

This kind of real-world combat continued until the end of September.

Kobe still couldn't gain the upper hand.

This was a significant blow to him.

Meanwhile, the completion of the O'Neal trade was also a blow to Kobe.

On September 17th, the most shocking transaction of the summer took place.

The great white shark has swum eastward!

The Heat traded Caron Butler and Brian Grant, along with center Loren Woods, three first-round picks from 07, 09, and 11, and a second-round pick from 08, to the Lakers for Shaquille O'Neal.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the league.

Before the draft, news broke that the Lakers wanted to trade Shaquille O'Neal for the number one draft pick.

No one found it strange; in fact, some even felt the Heat had lost out.

With the Heat drafting Durant, the rumors were dispelled.

Now, more than two months have passed, and I thought the matter was over.

Who knew, a deal would be struck suddenly.

The Heat only lost All-Star caliber small forward Jimmy Butler.

Shaquille O'Neal, who has successfully lost weight, remains one of the world's top centers, teaming up with the next Michael Jordan as designated by Tang Sen.

The team also boasts Serbian prodigy Milicic and lightning-fast guard Devin Harris.

Even Jordan never had such a rich battle back then.

The media was in an uproar, with heated discussions about the changing landscape between the east and west.

He even asserted that from now on, there would be no more East-West wars.

The Knicks will face their biggest rival, and it won't be easy for them to make it to the Finals.

Various sports stars and legends have also spoken out.

The criticism was quite strong.

Some believe that O'Neal's behavior suggests a possible alliance.

A superb center, a superb guard.

With O'Neal teaming up with Jordan, it was practically the end of the league.

This kind of voice was precisely what Kobe found most unacceptable.

He'd disliked O'Neal for a long time.

Even though O'Neal successfully lost weight last season, he didn't seem to put in much effort in his daily training.

Therefore, Kobe did not object to the Lakers trading away O'Neal.

But if O'Neal went to the Heat, and that's the end of the league season, wouldn't that mean he's not as good as Durant?

Shaq couldn't win a championship playing with himself, but he could win by playing with Durant?

What's even more frustrating is that Kobe was unable to dominate Durant in training camp, and as the actual training progressed, it became even more difficult for him to deal with Durant.

Kobe could sense that this guy was becoming more experienced and stronger.

This frustration lasted until the end of the training camp.

On the day the camp closed, a large number of reporters came to the training camp.

Normally it's useless to come; Tang Sen has a requirement that players cannot disclose the details of the training camp to outsiders during the camp.

No one dared to try and see the consequences of breaking this rule.

But now that the camp is closed, people can say whatever they want.

In particular, what they saw and heard at the training camp made some of the more talkative players unable to hold back any longer.

How strong is Durant?

"Dude, let me tell you this, he's the next Jordan."

Almost every player interviewed said something similar when evaluating Durant.

Kobe Bryant promptly declined the interview.

Winning a one-on-one fight doesn't count; you have to win the match first.

(End of this chapter)