Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 478 The Battle for the Scoring Title

At the same time that the Heat defeated the Knicks, the Lakers' home game against the Raptors in Los Angeles had just ended.

With Shaq gone, the Lakers have completely become Kobe's team.

At the beginning of the season, Kobe knew that without Shaq, the Lakers had lost all hope of winning the championship.

But at the beginning of the season, he still declared that he would lead the team to compete for the championship.

Even if this declaration is inconsistent with what the Lakers management has said to the public.

By deciding to trade O'Neal, the Lakers have essentially begun their rebuilding process.

So in the trade with the Heat, they got three first-round picks and one second-round pick.

Jackson and his team had even made plans.

They should follow the Knicks' rebuilding path. As long as they acquire a promising rookie, they can immediately convert him into a ready-to-play player through Townsend's million-dollar training camp.

With good foresight, reconstruction can be completed in a year or two, not many years.

Therefore, Jackson's plan for the 06-07 season was to tank.

Because next year, there will be another center with exceptional talent, Greg Oden.

This tall player, who won the National High School Player of the Year award in his sophomore year, has already attracted the attention of the NBA and is hailed as the next Russell, with his explosive talent clearly visible.

He didn't run for office this year; he went to university instead.

But he can't afford to waste his talent by playing too long in college; he'll definitely run for the draft next year.

If the Lakers acquire him, they will immediately have a superstar-level center.

The key is that he's still young and can play alongside Kobe for ten years.

Moreover, the Lakers traded O'Neal to the Heat to assist the new king, so shouldn't Stern compensate them?

The Lakers aren't afraid of a bad record, but without the Lakers in the playoffs, can it even be called a playoff?

So in today's game, the Lakers lost, and Kobe won.

At the post-game press conference, a clueless Miami reporter stirred up trouble.

It is said that Durant scored 37 points, leading the Heat to victory over the defending champion Knicks.

Kobe scored a whopping 51 points, but he couldn't lead the Lakers to victory against a weak team like the Raptors.

So here's the question: do you live up to the number above your ball?

This summer, another major event occurred.

After the training camp ended, Kobe suddenly announced that he would give up the number 8 jersey he had worn for many years and switch to the number 24 jersey.

All media outlets unanimously agree that Kobe's move was an attempt to surpass Jordan.

If you, Jordan, wear number 23, I'll wear number 24, a little higher than you.

Considering the rumors that Kobe was crushed by Durant in training camp, he must have felt ashamed and then fought back, choosing to wear number 24, which should also be an attempt to defeat Durant, the designated successor to Jordan.

"The Heat won?"

Kobe was visibly taken aback when he learned that the Heat had won.

The Heat beating the Knicks must mean something, right?

His eyes flickered briefly, but he quickly composed himself and said in a relaxed tone, "That's good, congratulations to them."

After saying that, he skipped over the rest.

He appeared indifferent, but after the post-game press conference, Kobe immediately approached Jackson to express his inner dissatisfaction.

Even if we can't find suitable help right now, we shouldn't just give up.

We still have a chance to win if we rely on ourselves.

Jackson clearly already knew that the Heat had beaten the Knicks, and immediately realized that this must have provoked Kobe.

Because the Heat also have Shaquille O'Neal.

It would be really interesting if O'Neal went to the Heat and won a championship.

Kobe couldn't win a championship by following you, but he could by following the new god Durant. Does that mean Kobe is even less capable than Durant?

Although the reality is not like that, there are many factors, such as the Knicks being too strong and the Heat and Lakers having different rosters.

But fans don't care about any of that. All they see is that Kobe is not as good as Durant, not as good as the so-called next Jordan.

Jackson knew this was something Kobe couldn't tolerate.

However, Jackson was indeed a master at manipulating people's minds. After a moment's thought, he analyzed the situation for Kobe, stating that it was quite obvious the Heat's roster was better.

You need to be realistic. Even if you lead your team to the playoffs, he still believes Kobe can do it.

and then?
In today's league, if a team doesn't have three or four star-level players, how can you win a championship?

They probably won't even be able to break out of the west.

In the end, all their efforts came to naught, and it even affected the Lakers' chances of getting the number one draft pick.

Sacrifice for a year, get Oden next year, and the Lakers can take off again in one summer and return to championship contention.

He also advised Kobe that instead of focusing on the team's performance, he should strive for other honors.

He believes the Heat may not win the championship this year.

Despite losing key players, the Knicks remain the strongest team in the league.

So unless the Heat win the championship this year, no one will elevate Durant to god-like status.

Kobe completely suppressed Durant from other angles.

For example, the top scorer!
Currently, Durant is ranked first in the scoring list, Kobe is second, and Iverson is third, with very little difference between them.

This year, while tanking, I'll focus on padding my stats and winning the scoring title, which will still be enough to overshadow Durant.

Then, next year, they can return to the championship contention and lead the team to prove themselves.

"Kobe, this is the best choice for both you and the team," Jackson said patiently, placing his hand on Kobe's shoulder.

Kobe didn't argue further and left the arena.

Jackson didn't care. He knew Kobe was very competitive and stubborn, but stubbornness didn't mean he was stupid.

Kobe is smart enough to understand the situation.

Sure enough, Kobe didn't say anything, but the next day in the game against the Bulls, he tacitly approved of the team's tanking strategy, and then started to take on all the responsibilities himself.

In this game, he scored 49 points like a god descending to earth.

Now, his body is honed through countless trials, and his skills are unparalleled. Apart from his talent, nothing can limit him.

Before we knew it, the first month of the new season had ended, and Kobe had surpassed Durant to take the top spot on the scoring list.

He averaged 36.2 points per game.

Last season, when the league became a defensive league because of Townsend, Kobe's ability to score such a high number of points was truly incredible.

Following closely behind is Durant, averaging 34.4 points per game.

Next up is Iverson's average of 31.6 points per game.

They were a full 3 points behind.

At this point, some media outlets started speculating, predicting that the scoring title for this season was already decided: a competition between Kobe and Durant.

Just as the All-Star voting began, the NBA, at Tang Sen's behest, started to fuel the frenzy.

In previous years, the promotional posters for the All-Star Game voting would feature a matchup between stars from the East and West.

In the West, Kobe Bryant naturally leads the pack, occupying the center position.

Meanwhile, in the East, it was McGrady.

The rivalry between Kobe and McGrady has been a hot topic that the league has been emphasizing for the past few years.

But this year, the East has changed, and Durant is now in the spotlight.

If Tang Sen wants to elevate Durant to god-like status, he needs to package him comprehensively and amplify his popularity from all directions.

To dominate star players and win honors, you need to have an advantage even in All-Star voting.

With this change in the wind, Riley, being a smart man, immediately changed the Heat's tactics.

That means giving Durant more ball possession and helping him contend for the scoring title.

With the Heat's current strength, securing a playoff spot should be no problem.

But if Durant can really win the scoring title and the regular season MVP in his rookie season, and then lead his team to compete for the championship, and if he succeeds...

Without a doubt, this was definitely the season that cemented Durant's legendary status.

The attention the Heat receive for having a basketball legend is incredible.

So, even if it's just for the team's profit, Riley has to help Durant generate buzz.

(End of this chapter)