NBA: Be the GOAT starting today!

When Zhou Yi stood opposite Kobe, the entire Sina chat room was instantly flooded with messages.

"A superior horse against a superior horse."

"Who says kings can't meet? This is called a showdown of the titans."

"Stop bragging upstairs, Zhou Yi can't defend against Snake now."

Inside the Staples Center, Kobe Bryant became interested when he saw Zhou Yi standing opposite him.

Fisher was being harassed by Baron Davis at the top of the key, but Kobe simply slipped past him and handed the ball to him hand-off.

Zhou Yi clung tightly to Kobe's side, and for a moment all the cameras in the arena were focused on the two standing at the top of the key.

ESPN's live satellite broadcast brought this moment to countless screens across the United States.

In St. Louis, Missouri, an 11-year-old boy wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey sits in front of a television.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, a chubby 12-year-old boy holds a can of Coke and looks at a screen.

On the court, to prevent Zhou Yi's long arms and big hands from stealing the basketball, Kobe turned sideways to protect the ball at his waist.

"Rookie, today you'll find out who's the boss in Los Angeles."

Looking at this annoying kid in front of him, Kobe started trash-talking.

Bynum, the "Little Shark," moved up to the top of the key from the free-throw line and set a screen for Kobe.

The bulky Bynum stood to Zhou Yi's right, and Kobe quickly used the screen to dribble towards the left.

As Kobe started to move, Zhou Yi quickly squeezed past Bynum's screen.

Bynum's pick-and-roll wasn't clean; his calf even subtly twisted outwards.

Zhou Yi's steps became unsteady for a moment, but seeing Kobe running into an open space, he still rushed over with all his might.

"Fuck"

Although Kobe shot the basketball, his shooting vision was blocked by Zhou Yi's long arms.

The basketball slammed against the rim with a thud and was caught by Kaman.

"Good defense, Zhou Yi! Bynum's move was so dirty, the referee didn't even see it."

Inside the CCTV studio, commentator Wei Ping abandoned his identity as a Lakers fan and started criticizing the referees.

"Nice Week!"

On the sidelines, watching Zhou Yi block Kobe's shot, Ballmer, wearing Zhou Yi's number eight jersey, cheered excitedly.

This billionaire even stood up and applauded amidst a chorus of boos from the Lakers fans.

The shot missed, and Kobe shook his head and quickly retreated to the backcourt.

That amazing kid Zhou is even more difficult to deal with than I imagined. It looks like I'll have to increase my strength against him.

Kobe thought to himself, and patted Artest on the shoulder.

"I'll guard that kid."

Artest didn't say much. The Lakers were Kobe's team. He nodded and ran towards Clippers shooting guard Rasul Butler.

The Zen master on the sidelines, who seemed to be in deep meditation, saw this scene but said nothing, and no one knew what he was thinking.

In the stands, when Kobe Bryant stood opposite Zhou Yi, all the Lakers fans cheered.

Now the leaders of the two Los Angeles teams will face off on both offense and defense.

"Rookie, Kobe will shut you down."

Puff Daddy on the sidelines shouted at Zhou Yi on the field. This East Coast hip-hop mogul took off his cool sunglasses, his face full of arrogance.

Zhou Yi ignored the LeBron fan and didn't know if LeBron had worn a maid outfit at that time.

The Clippers were on offense, and the ball was lobbed by Baron Davis to Kaman in the paint.

In this game, facing Bynum, who had a right knee injury, the German center stepped up and dominated the paint.

Kaman drove past the small shark to the inside and tossed the basketball into the basket with his short arms.

Finally, on the scoreboard, the two teams were tied for the first time.

Lakers fans had already stood up, waving their support signs and cheering loudly for the Lakers.

"Attack! Attack!"

With the score tied, the former Los Angeles second team attempted to stir up a wave of rebellion against the Lakers at Staples Center.

Kobe no longer hesitated over Phil Jackson's triangle offense and directly took the ball.

He decided to first tear this damn wonderkid in front of him to shreds, and then kick the Clippers back to the brink of defeat.

Kobe rejected Bynum's screen this time, and despite Zhou Yi's long arm interference, Kobe dribbled to the right elbow area.

This is Kobe's dessert spot on the court.

Kobe opted for a back-to-the-basket move, and Zhou Yi pressed his body firmly against Kobe's back.

Morrison, who was on the bench, was startled by what he saw on the field.

He remembered the Summer League, where Zhou Yi almost crippled his arm with an elbow from that very spot.

Watching Kobe on the court, Morrison could only pray that God would protect him from the evil Zhou.

Kobe turned his back and rubbed against Zhou Yi's back a few times, but Zhou Yi's scrubbing skills far exceeded his expectations.

This damn wonderkid played like nothing a rookie would play; he even secretly pinched Kobe's waist.

Feeling a tingling sensation in his kidneys, Kobe chose to raise his elbow and turn around.

With a bang, the two bodies collided, and Kobe's elbow struck Zhou Yi.

After elbowing Zhou Yi, Kobe was just about to turn and attack the basket when he saw Zhou Yi cover his eyes and fall to the ground.

*Beep*—The referee blew the whistle.

"Offensive foul."

As soon as the referee's voice rang out, the Lakers fans in the arena erupted in boos loud enough to lift the roof off.

With an angry expression, Kobe quickly spread his hands and demanded an explanation from the referee.

Seeing Kobe's furious face, the referee broke out in a cold sweat.

"Kobe, you did hit him. Look, Zhou is lying on the ground groaning."

Kobe turned to look at Zhou Yi on the ground. He saw that Zhou Yi's fingers, which were covering his face, were peeking out from behind a crack, and he was still humming incessantly.

"Fuck!"

Seeing the kid slyly fake a fall and fall to the ground, Kobe could only curse under his breath.

The basketball was back in the Clippers' hands, and Zhou Yi quickly got up from the floor.

Since learning that he would be battling the Lakers, Zhou Yi not only reviewed his elbow techniques but also studied LeBron James's secret techniques.

Sometimes, playing basketball isn't about skill, it's about acting.

23 vs 24, elbows versus dunks, it's perfectly normal.

After successfully outmaneuvering Kobe once, Zhou Yi put away James's secret manual, because he didn't want to make a highlight reel of flopping in the future.

Meanwhile, Peter Pan on the other side had reached the peak of his anger.

In the following rounds, Kobe demonstrated to Zhou Yi the level of the current best player in the league.

On offense, facing Zhou Yi's relentless defense, Kobe, in one-on-one mode, frequently unleashed difficult fadeaway jumpers.

On the defensive end, Kobe also gave Zhou Yi his first taste of the power of a seven-time All-Defensive First Team selection.

Although Zhou Yi can still use his physical talent to put the basketball into the basket, every shot has become incredibly difficult.

This was the first time Kobe had encountered such a formidable rookie.

Every time Kobe swung his elbow, this rookie would stubbornly continue to stand in front of Kobe.

Then, in the next round of attack, Zhou Yi would retaliate with even sharper elbow strikes.

The score remained close, with the lead changing hands repeatedly until the final minute of the fourth quarter.

The Clippers lead by two points, 98-96.

The Zen master, who had been meditating on the sidelines, finally moved and called a timeout.