I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

"The viewership ratings in China!" the assistant announced. "The first match of the finals averaged 7% in China, peaking at 13%. And now, with 15 minutes left before the match starts, the ratings have already soared to 15%!"

"At this rate, experts predict that peak viewership will exceed 30%, and average viewership will reach between 22% and 25%."

"How much?" Stern's eyes nearly popped out from behind his glasses; the number truly shocked him.

It's not that these numbers are particularly high; he's seen similar numbers before, and even higher ones.

The only problem is, the World Cup is happening right now!

Although he wanted the NBA to grow bigger and stronger and create glory, he also knew how terrifying the World Cup was. He never thought that his NBA league could compete with the World Cup.

But now, how did it manage to achieve such terrifying viewership ratings during the World Cup?

And these are just the numbers before the game even started?

Even the outbreak in just one country, China, was unbelievable to Stern.

"What about the World Cup viewership ratings in China?" He tried his best to remain calm and continued to ask.

"According to our data, the viewership rating for the Hebei China Fortune vs. Brazil match exceeded 30%, which is the highest among all matches so far. The previous Hebei China Fortune vs. Costa Rica match also had a viewership rating of 17.8%."

"Good riddance! It's even better than the U.S.'s crushing defeat to Japan at Pearl Harbor!" Stern couldn't help but think to himself.

He never imagined that the Chinese men's football team's two consecutive losses would bring such a big benefit to the NBA.

Then Stern began to pray.

It would be best if Germany also suffered a crushing defeat, and then Lithuania, Slovenia, Serbia, all lost, all lost together!

Hmm, have they made it to the World Cup yet?

Never mind, it's not important!

Everyone loses, everyone loses, after that everyone comes to watch the NBA!

Stern was in his office dreaming of the incredible feat of all 32 World Cup participants losing together, while the players on both sides were already ready and taking to the field.

The atmosphere and state of the Lakers tonight were clearly off. There was little laughter and chatter, and the players didn't interact much. The atmosphere was quite somber, as if they hadn't won the last game but had suffered a crushing 30-point defeat.

The shrewd Kidd knew: this wasn't about being on high alert, nor was it about seriously waiting for the game to begin.

This could be a precursor to internal strife, or it could mean that internal strife has already begun.

Thinking of this, Kidd patted Kittles on the shoulder and said, "We'll switch on defense tonight, I'll go after Kobe."

"But Coach..." Kitters hesitated, unsure of making a decision on his own.

"I'll handle this!" Kidd quickly walked to the sidelines and started gesturing and discussing with Scott. Scott nodded, and Kidd gave Kittels an OK sign.

Switch sides!

Kidd is about to make his move.

In the very first possession of the game, Kidd immediately marked Kobe.

"Let me guess who you're going to pass the ball to?" Kidd taunted while closely marking Shaq. "I think you'll pass the ball to Shaq and let the team's leader take the first shot."

"No, it could also be that he calls a screen to draw the defense, and then passes the ball to your new leader, Lin! Lin just scored 62 points, I think you can feed him some more and let him score at least 38 points tonight."

"Two 100-point games is a great achievement."

"None of your business," Kobe muttered, passing the ball to Fisher, who then passed it to O'Neal.

Even though the ball wasn't in Kobe's hands, Kidd's trash talk didn't stop.

"How many points did you score in the last game?"

"You can't possibly have a higher score than me, can you?"

"7 for 22, not only did he score less than me, but his shooting percentage was also worse than mine? That's not easy to do, Kobe!"

"Honestly, I can give you an idea. I know you and Shaq have a terrible relationship and you've had enough of him. That fat guy is selfish, lazy, and a bully. You'd be crazy to like him. I can't stand people like that."

"How about I share my thoughts?"

"Shut up!"

"Get lost!"

"Fuck you! Can you shut up?"

Kobe was really annoyed by Kidd that night. That bastard's mouth was as sharp as Lin Ze's, or even more so. From the first round until the last, the guy's mouth never stopped. He kept talking until the end of the night, and when Kobe got home, his head was still buzzing.

The Lakers won again tonight.

科比的表现没比上一场比赛好多少，他24投9中，只拿到24分6篮板5助攻，和他对位的基德也没了上一场20+大三双的威武，18投6中只拿到13分11篮板9助攻。

O'Neal finally had a breakout performance tonight, racking up a double-double of 40 points and 16 rebounds, while Lin Ze, exhausted from the first game, performed much worse, only making 8 of 18 shots and scoring 28 points.

96: 105.

The Lakers won by 9 points tonight.

The best performer that night was undoubtedly Shaquille O'Neal.

Late at night, Kobe couldn't sleep while lying in bed.

Naturally, it was because of Kidd's trash talk that lasted throughout the entire game.

Of course he knew that Kidd's words were nonsense and that he had no good intentions.

This guy just wants to cause infighting within the Lakers and make himself mentally collapse.

In fact, he ignored and filtered out the vast majority of trash talk, treating it as nothing more than a passing breeze or the buzzing of flies. However, there were a few sentences that really hit Kobe hard, making him quite upset.

It's not the saying, "Shaq is your dad, you have to cling to him to win the championship," nor is it the saying, "You're useless without Shaq," or "You're just a hitchhiker, my grandma could win the championship in your place."

Of all the trash talk Kidd used, the one that really broke Kobe's nerves was something even Kidd himself couldn't have imagined.

"I have a suggestion for you: team up with Lin. You support him, feed him well, and then the two of you work together to win the Finals MVP!"

These words kept Kobe awake all night.

On what grounds?

Why should I be the one assisting Lin, and not Lin assisting me?

In what ways am I inferior to Lin?

It's just 60 points, isn't it?

If Lin can do it, so can I!

Kobe didn't know what time he fell asleep that night, but when the Lakers moved to New Jersey for Game 3 of the series, he was destined to bring all of that onto the court.

Before the game started, O'Neal, who had finally won a game and led his team to victory, was overjoyed and happily joked around with the players. This guy is always easy to please and can be happy very easily.

Especially from his perspective, he saw that Lin Ze intentionally reduced his shot attempts in the previous game, actively giving him more shot opportunities. There were even a few times when Lin Ze had the chance and space, but still chose to pass the ball instead of shooting himself.

He felt that Lin Ze had already made his stance clear, still acknowledging him as his elder brother, so he naturally had to show his own stance as well.

As for Lin Ze?

Did he play more restrainedly in his last game?

Lin Ze said: That's not true, I'm just too tired to fight anymore.

The first game of the series was too exhausting, and in the second game he felt his fatigue and poor shooting touch, so he decisively chose to reduce his shot attempts.

Although Lin Ze's stats in the second game were far lower than in the first, he effectively maintained his efficiency, and coupled with the team's victory, his performance still looked quite good.

In the third game of the series, Lin Ze, who had been resting and recuperating, had basically recovered his touch and form, and naturally went all out. He hit two three-pointers in the first three minutes of the first quarter!

But then, Lin Ze found himself unable to catch the ball.

Kobe suddenly stopped passing him the ball.

Of course, Lin Ze could see that this guy wasn't targeting him; he was targeting everyone. He wasn't passing the ball to anyone anymore.

In the first few minutes, Kobe played relatively restrainedly, passing the ball when he needed to and organizing the offense when he needed to. Although he took three shots, he made two, including a very difficult folding shot in the air.

But it was from this folding ball that Kobe perhaps felt he was in excellent form and had a great opportunity to break records and deliver a career masterpiece.

So he stopped passing it on altogether!

One-on-one, crazy one-on-one, endless one-on-one!

In the first quarter alone, Kobe took 14 shots. He was indeed in good form tonight, making 8 shots and scoring 21 points in the quarter!

With Kobe's outburst, the Lakers completely dominated the game, leading the Nets 34-22 by 12 points at the end of the first quarter!

"I wonder how many points Kobe will score tonight?" Kenny said. "Lin scored 62 points in Game 1, and Shaq scored 40 points in Game 2. So how many points will Kobe score tonight?"

Barkley said, "It's worth mentioning that if Kobe scores 40+ points tonight, the Lakers will become the first team in NBA history to have three different players each score 40+ points in the same Finals series!"

"And there are countless similar records, such as the highest average points per game, the highest total points, the highest percentage of points scored, the highest number of field goals made, the highest number of free throws, and so on!"

"I think from now on, all records related to the 'trio' will be dominated by these three!"

"They are the strongest Big Three in history!"

The commentator's constant praise naturally caused the fans in the stadium to become extremely excited, with many even chanting "MVP" when Kobe was shooting free throws!

These are all die-hard Kobe fans, and they finally felt a sense of pride and satisfaction.

Who says Kobe is no good? Who says he's just a passenger who rides on someone else's coattails?

Three cores! This is a damn three-core team!

All three are drivers, and they take turns working.

There may be a difference in order of performance, but there is absolutely no difference in level. Who performs better or plays better depends purely on their performance on the day!

Some of Kobe's more extreme fans have already started making comments.

"Kobe was the strongest of the trio because he was the only one to be selected to both the All-NBA First Team and the All-NBA Second Team. He was the only truly well-rounded player, excelling on both offense and defense!"

Just as excited as the fans were the Nets players!

"We've got this tonight! We're definitely going to win!" Kidd said confidently from the bench, sipping a drink. "The Lakers are leading now, but they're not far from collapsing and losing!"

Before anyone could raise a question, Kidd continued, "Kobe was taking too many shots! Their system no longer exists, it's completely collapsed! He was taking too many shots, which completely destroyed the Lakers' chemistry."

"I know some people will say that Lin also takes a lot of shots, but Lin's shot selection is completely different from Kobe's."

"Lin is the ultimate finisher. His shots are always the result of the ball being passed around and the team's movement. His shots are part of the team's strategy."

"His shot attempts won't dampen the enthusiasm of others; in fact, they might boost the Lakers' role players. More shots from Lin means that as long as they follow the play, they still have a chance!"

"But Kobe is different. This guy just keeps going one-on-one! He ignores his teammates' movements, whether they are open or not, and he won't pass the ball back to the person who screens for him. He just gets the ball and starts attacking."

"If it's a team like the 76ers or the Raptors, this approach is fine because they are single-star teams, and their privileged players should have unlimited shooting rights."

"But the Lakers have a three-star system, and his actions will definitely affect the morale of the rest of the team! So, keep it up, guys! The Lakers could collapse at any time; once Kobe's shooting touch starts to drop, they're finished!"

"I'll continue to stick close to Kobe, even more aggressively. I won't let him shoot easily anymore. Corey, help me on defense. He'll probably make a lot of drives, but he definitely won't pass. As long as our help defense is in place and timely, he won't be able to maintain his efficiency."

"And tonight's victory will definitely be ours!"

On the Lakers' side, Jackson looked at Kobe during the break, opening his mouth several times as if to say something, but held back each time.

How could he not see what Kidd could see?

But the question is, what did he say?

Kobe was in great form, playing his best, and the team was leading. We told him not to play like that, saying it would hurt the team.

Kobe would absolutely not listen; saying that at this point would only lead to more serious problems for the team.

After hesitating several times, Jackson could only offer a suggestion indirectly: "Everyone, get running! Get the ball moving! The Nets' double-teaming tactics are still in effect. As long as we keep passing the ball around, we'll always find open looks."

"Kobe, you're on fire, so they'll double-team you even more aggressively. In the second quarter, handle the ball more, observe the game carefully, and if a teammate leaves an opening, pass it out to those damn New Jersey guys for a fatal blow!"

"Once you make two good passes, they won't dare to double-team you anymore, which will make your game much easier!"

That was all Jackson could do.

He hoped Kobe could come to his senses and figure out how to play the game properly.

besides……

At least until the team and Kobe really suffer a major loss, there's nothing he can do.

Soon, the second quarter began.

Kobe didn't play for the first few minutes, and with Lin Ze and O'Neal leading the way, the Lakers quickly widened the gap to as much as 15 points.

But the game changed completely the moment Kobe entered the game with 8 minutes left in the second quarter.

This guy's playing style was exactly the same as in the first quarter. Facing the close defense of Kidd, one of the league's top defensive players, he still forced shots time and time again.

Even with Kittles's constant help defense, always arriving in time, Kobe continued to shoot relentlessly.

However, his shooting touch dropped significantly in this quarter compared to the first quarter, making only 4 out of 9 shots.

While his performance was passable, those four shots were negligible compared to the damage he caused to the team's system and the impact on the enthusiasm of other players!

Kidd's tactics began to show results in this quarter, and the Nets successfully narrowed the gap to 8 points by the end of the first half.

Even though Kobe only made 12 of 23 field goals, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 5 of 3 free throws in the first half, scoring 31 points, the Nets players were not discouraged at all. Instead, they were looking forward to the second half.

In the final possession before halftime, Kidd completely shut down Kobe in a one-on-one situation. Kobe kept dribbling but couldn't shake off Kidd, who was like a leech. In the end, he was forced to make a mistake and could only force a shot from 2 meters outside the three-point line.

The ball ultimately went out of bounds without touching the target.

"Keep playing like this against Kobe!" After blocking the shot, Kidd, who knew Kobe's personality well, mocked, "Then we're guaranteed to win!"

"Your scoring isn't scary at all. Even if you score 40 points in the first half and 100 points in the whole game, so what?"

"We won tonight too! You're nowhere near as good as Shaq and Lin; their scoring terrifies us."

"But you? Keep scoring! The higher your score, the greater our chances of winning!"

This kind of reverse psychology always works best with Kobe!

Although sometimes this might bring out an unstoppable, bloodthirsty Kobe, Kidd believes that tonight's Kobe is definitely an undercover agent.

In the second half, the seeds that Kidd had worked so hard to plant finally bore fruit.

The Lakers players were noticeably less aggressive; the frequency, quality, and willingness to set screens for Kobe also declined significantly.

The next chain reaction was that Kobe's shooting touch began to decline, but his desire to shoot did not diminish at all.

In this quarter, Kobe only made 3 of 10 shots, had no free throws, and went 0 for 2 from three-point range.

He took up most of the team's shot attempts but only scored 6 points, so the outcome of this quarter was predictable.

Martin, Harris, Van Horn, Jefferson, and others played exceptionally well, scoring repeatedly. In particular, Kidd's playmaking ability was fully displayed in this quarter. His selfless style of play, unpredictable passing, and terrifying vision made him unstoppable for the Lakers' defense.

虽然他自己这一节3投0中1分没拿，但他抓下5个篮板送出7次助攻，在他的带领下篮网队万箭齐发，单节轰出了一波33-20的进攻高潮！

At the end of the third quarter, the Nets have taken a 5-point lead over the Lakers!

For the first time in the series, they were leading the Lakers by 5 points at this point!

"Playing like this will ruin this game." This time, Jackson finally couldn't hold back anymore. During the break, he unusually rebuked Kobe in a very harsh tone: "You'll ruin the whole team's efforts!"

"I was just having a temporary bad run of form." Kobe bit his lip so hard it almost drew blood.

"I'll find my rhythm in the fourth quarter!"

When Kobe said those words, Jackson knew that whatever he said would be in vain.

This guy will absolutely not change his playing style, at least not tonight!

Lin Ze, who was listening to the conversation between the two, felt a sense of absurdity.

Kobe's words are like Zhang Fei suddenly rushing out after the Battle of Maicheng and shouting at Liu Bei, "Why didn't you avenge our second brother, brother?"

Jackson's expression was strikingly similar to that of Zhuge Liang at that time.

He looked helpless, at a loss, and had no way out.

Lin Ze knew very well that Jackson now only had two paths to take.

Either let Kobe continue his reckless behavior and make him suffer a big setback so he realizes he can't keep doing this, or cut his DNP (Double-N-P) and prevent him from playing in the fourth quarter.

But DNP Kobe will only make him feel resentful and think he's being bullied, instead of making him feel that he's wrong.

Therefore, Lin Ze already had a pretty good idea of ​​what Jackson would choose tonight.

"Five minutes!" Jackson took a deep breath and looked at Kobe, saying, "I'm giving you five minutes to show you're wrong! You can play however you want for the next five minutes, but if it doesn't work, you're off the court!"

"Stop playing in the final moments of the game and reflect on your actions."

"Okay!" When has Kobe ever backed down? Especially when he believes he is not wrong. He nodded in agreement without the slightest fear.

So, when the fourth quarter began and Kidd saw that only Kobe was on the court, with Lin Ze and O'Neal absent, he could no longer hide his smile.

"Tonight's the day!" Kidd said to his partner Martin, "If Kobe dares to come in, give him a piece of your mind!"

"Corey, be ready to help defend, let's double-team him!"

"I don't care what that old fox Jackson is thinking or what his plans are. Before Lin and O'Neal come on, I'm going to completely crush the Lakers!"

"clear!"

The Nets players shouted in unison, their morale soaring as they took the lead. The whole team was in the zone, determined to turn the game into garbage time!

The fourth quarter begins!

The game unfolded almost exactly as Kidd had predicted.

Kobe continued to play aggressively, showing no fear even when double-teamed or when Martin committed vicious fouls. At least in terms of momentum, Kobe played with the same domineering style that Jordan displayed when challenging the Pistons in the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately, the results were far from satisfactory. Kobe, who had not yet reached his peak, was completely unable to break through the large net that Kidd and Scott had woven for him.

In 5 minutes, Kobe made 2 of 7 field goals, 2 of 2 free throws, and 0 of 2 three-pointers, scoring only 6 points. He was completely unable to lead the team forward. With his teammates unable to receive the ball, there were naturally no opportunities to seize or waste.

77: 92!

With seven minutes remaining in the game, Jackson called a timeout, and the Lakers were already down by a full 15 points.

"Alright!" Jackson glanced at Kobe and said, "Sit on the bench and watch your teammates play!"

Then, Jackson didn't say another word to Kobe. He replaced Kobe with George, and the other four starters played the final seven minutes of the game.

Without Kobe, who disrupted the team's chemistry and played erratically, the Lakers' offense became completely fluid. Lin Ze and O'Neal's two-man game was very effective, and both of them were angry and very unhappy with Kobe.

In this situation, both of them were determined to play well, to play the most rational basketball, and to show Kobe how harmonious the team was and how strong their ability to catch up was without him.

In the next few minutes, the Lakers played what was arguably their smoothest and most exciting game of the playoffs so far.

Everyone was running, everyone was sharing the ball selflessly, and when the basketball came into their hands, they were decisive and never hesitated when it was time to act.

In this situation, the Lakers naturally launched wave after wave of attacks in the final moments of the fourth quarter, constantly breaking through the Nets' defense and dismantling their defensive line.

But the Nets have found their rhythm tonight, with the whole team in top form. Players including Kidd are at their peak morale, making them a tough opponent. After all, even though they are considered weak, they are still the Eastern Conference champions!

If it were a full game, the Nets would be absolutely powerless against the all-out attack and seamless teamwork of Lin Ze and O'Neal. But with only 7 minutes left in the game and they still had a 15-point advantage, it would be incredibly difficult for the Lakers to make a comeback!

100: 105!

The Lakers lost!

They failed to sweep the Eastern Conference team in the Finals for the third consecutive year.

Their 10-game winning streak in the Finals came to an end, while the Nets were in high spirits.

Trailing 1-2, they have two consecutive home games ahead, and optimistic Nets fans are already dreaming of the team winning two straight games and returning to Los Angeles with a match point!

New Jerseyans see hope!

At the press conference following the match, Lin Ze only answered one question, and his tough attitude left the reporters somewhat incredulous.

His answer was only one sentence.

"This series will absolutely not return to Los Angeles!"

After saying this, Lin Ze remained silent, sat down in his seat with a gloomy face, and left all the questions to Jackson to answer.

The reporters that night certainly wouldn't let Lin Ze and Jackson off so easily; they kept pressing for answers, especially regarding Kobe.

But for all the questions related to Kobe, Jackson did only one thing.

We're doing everything we can to maintain it!

"He was on fire, so it's understandable that he took so many shots in the first half. Nobody could have predicted he'd be off in the second half. What if he made them? So it's normal that he took so many shots. Missing them would be bad, but there's nothing wrong with what he did."

"I set up all the tactics for his singles game, and he never deviated from them."

"Angry? Of course I'm angry! Isn't it natural for a coach to be angry when a player misses a shot?"

"The decision to let Kobe take the final seven shots was definitely my decision, because he played poorly in the second half, but that doesn't conflict with allowing him to take so many shots!"

"My decision-making error has nothing to do with anyone else."

"The team is certainly facing problems, but I'll handle my own."

"Kobe is great, he just had a bad game. Even Michael has off nights and bad games."

"Finally, like Lin, I also believe this series won't return to Los Angeles!"

……

Jackson wasn't really saying these things to Kobe, and he didn't really care whether Kobe could hear them or not.

He was saying these words to everyone outside the Lakers.

He was protecting the team, protecting Kobe, and maintaining team unity.

At the very least, outsiders must not know that there are problems within the Lakers team.

Internal problems are always easier to solve, especially given the team's current situation.

Even though the whole world knows that the Lakers' trio is vying for MVP, it's not hard to guess.

Jackson absolutely could not admit it, nor could he reveal even the slightest hint about it.

As long as he doesn't admit it, then this matter is just baseless speculation, and no matter how much indirect evidence there is, he can handle it.

But once the rumor leaks out, once the unfounded speculation becomes fact, then no one can really handle it.

Before Jackson entered the locker room, he had made ample preparations. He even took several deep breaths outside the locker room door, then gave Lin Ze a wry smile before pushing open the door and going in.

Inside the Lakers' locker room, there was complete silence; the atmosphere was as terrible as a funeral.

Jackson had naturally anticipated this and knew why.

Losing in the Finals is certainly upsetting, but it's just one loss, and normally the Lakers wouldn't be in this kind of mood.

They've lost before in the Western Conference Finals.

There's only one reason why the atmosphere is so terrible tonight.

Everyone knows why we lost, and the culprit who lost also knows how badly we played.

40投17中，3分球9投2中，罚球7罚7中的科比虽然轰下了全场最高的43分，但所有人都知道他就是输球的最大甚至唯一原因。

However, Kobe's personality made it impossible for him to apologize and admit his mistakes so easily. This guy's neck was incredibly hard. Lin Ze once said that if he had replaced Louis XVI, the Bourbon dynasty might have lasted a few more years.

Because his neck cannot be cut.

If someone who has made a mistake is unwilling to admit it, it would be a miracle if the atmosphere were good! However, Jackson was confident enough to handle it. He could handle the Bulls' terrible locker room in '98, so what was a little Kobe throwing a tantrum?

What kind of big scene hasn't he seen?

But both Jackson and Lin Ze underestimated the severity of the atmosphere in the locker room.

"It's been a long time since we lost in the Finals. The last time was in '98. That bastard Michael is really useless." After entering the locker room, Jackson made his signature joke with a smile, hoping to make everyone laugh.

To his surprise, after he said that, only Fisher made a couple of dry hums, while the others remained silent.

Jackson immediately knew: this was a big problem.

What happened?

Jackson turned his attention to Fisher, the team's top confidant besides Lin Ze.

"Shaq and Kobe almost got into a fight." Fisher sighed and quickly recounted what had just happened. No wonder Kobe was sitting next to Richmond, while O'Neal was sitting in his seat, fuming and silent.

So they were fighting. Fighting is fine then... my ass!

Jackson's eyes widened as he looked at Fisher, signaling him to continue.

"Shaq said Kobe should apologize, that his poor playing style affected the whole team and was the main culprit for our loss," Fisher said. "But Kobe said he didn't even play in the final moments of the game, so why should he apologize?"

"And then there's the swearing, do you want to hear it?"

Fisher glanced at Jackson cautiously, then said, "Then they started fighting. Kobe pushed Shaq, and Shaq got angry, but Samaki and Mark stopped him, and Richie hugged Kobe."

"That's all."

The shock in Jackson's eyes quickly turned into anger.

Fighting in the locker room completely crossed his line.

He originally wanted to handle things privately and discreetly, to resolve Kobe's mindset and other people's complaints.

But now, there's no room for private resolution.

"Kobe, step up!" Jackson's tone left no room for argument: "I'll only say this once. I don't care what your temper or thoughts are, if you still want to play, if you still want to stay with the Lakers, then get over here right now!"

Kobe bit his lip, his face looking like he'd eaten shit. He clearly didn't want to go over there; he felt he'd lose face.

"Get over there right now!" At this moment, Lin Ze walked up to Kobe without anyone noticing and kicked him in the butt, sending him flying.

Jackson's face was extremely ugly as he glared at Kobe and said, "Apologize to Shaq."

Kobe stood there looking at Shaq, and after a good several seconds, the guy finally said, "Sorry Shaq, I was too impulsive, but..."

"No buts, shut up!" Jackson was surprisingly irritable tonight. He looked at O'Neal and said, "It's a fact that Kobe didn't play well tonight. I'll teach him a lesson, I'll make him correct his mistakes. I've already made him pay the price by sitting on the bench for the last half of the game, and I'll have more to do."

"If I hadn't criticized him or punished him, but instead let him be, Shaq, you can offer your opinions, and you can think I'm favoring him, and that would be my fault."

"But I didn't! Yet you went around criticizing your teammates, and in such a harsh way, Shaq. As the team leader, do you think you did the right thing? As a long-time friend and partner, your behavior makes me feel like you don't trust me, like you don't take me seriously at all."

I'm very sad.

"Sorry, Phil." O'Neal also bowed his head, especially since he wasn't bowing to Kobe, but to Jackson, which made it much easier for him to do so.

If Jackson were to make O'Neal apologize to Kobe at this point, the two might clash again. Even if O'Neal apologized reluctantly, it wouldn't solve the problem; it would only temporarily hide it.

That's not what Jackson wanted.

"Also, I heard a lot of Kidd trash-talking Kobe tonight. All I can say is that Kidd is truly the dirtiest piece of trash in this league! His words are not only illogical, but he also keeps trying to sow discord. I suspect that Payton is a simple, good kid compared to him."

After briefly calming the two men and the locker room, Jackson shifted the blame onto Kidd.

Fisher followed up, "Kidd's trash talk was really dirty. Kobe's personality is quite straightforward, and he got a little carried away by Kidd's sarcasm and attacks, so it's understandable that he couldn't stay calm in the end."

Since Lin Ze went on strike, Fisher took over his job and became Jackson's number one straight man. However, his skills were obviously far inferior to Lin Ze's, and his straight man act was quite stiff.

But it's enough.

"When I get back, I'll devise some tactics and strategies to target Kidd, so that bastard won't be so arrogant anymore! I'll make him pay the price!"

This matter has come to a somewhat satisfactory conclusion, and can be considered temporarily closed.

Of course, Jackson knew better than anyone that today's matter was only temporarily over. He still had a lot of cleanup work to do. Even if he resolved tonight's events and made Kobe and Shaq forget about it completely, it wouldn't be the end of it.

Tonight is just the beginning.

The conflict between these two will only escalate in the future.

Thinking of this, Jackson couldn't help but glance at Lin Ze. His bold and somewhat crazy plan was taking shape, and he was even getting impatient.

"Alright." After surveying the entire locker room, Jackson finally concluded, "Tonight was just an accident, and I believe it won't affect our locker room unity or our on-court chemistry."

"We still have two more games to win! Lin and I said at the press conference that we won't let the series go back to Los Angeles."

"Five games! We must crush the Nets in five games, show them what we're made of, and wake them up from their unrealistic dreams."

"If we don't completely crush these arrogant bastards, they'll still think they're on the same level as us!"

"Dry them to death!"

Finally, the Lakers' locker room regained some morale, and the players finally shouted their slogans before leaving the locker room to prepare to take the bus back to the hotel.

Along the way, the atmosphere on the bus was much more lively than in the locker room. Whether it was genuine or not, at least everyone started joking and chatting with each other on the bus.

But looking at Kobe sitting silently in the corner and Shaq sitting in the front row far away from Kobe, occasionally making sarcastic remarks, Jackson knew that his work tonight was far from over.

More than an hour later, Jackson knocked on Kobe's door with a disc he had just obtained.

"Let's talk," Jackson said. "I know you're in a terrible state right now. I've prepared the video and analysis of tonight's game; we can watch it together."