25: The drums of war in the regular season

Waking up at 5:30 in the morning.

Appearing at the training facility promptly at 6:00 to face Kobe's hellish torture.

Kobe's training content changed every day, but the one constant was the intensity that pushed a person to their absolute limit.

From footwork adjustments to the application of core strength.

From the mechanics of post-up play to how to deceive opponents with shoulders and eyes during drives.

Lin Feng was like a dry sponge, frantically absorbing everything Kobe taught him.

His body, under the passive enhancement of the [charm basketball system], displayed incredible resilience and adaptability.

Every morning he was pushed to the point of collapse by Kobe, but after a short rest and a medicinal bath, he was full of vitality again by the time of the afternoon team practice.

This visible progress did not go unnoticed by the veterans on the team.

During team practice.

In a scrimmage, Lin Feng found himself defended by Nick Young.

He didn't just run to find a three-point opportunity like he used to.

Instead, he actively took the ball, lowered his center of gravity outside the three-point line, and faced Nick Young.

"Hey, kid, you want to go one-on-one with me?"

Nick Young grinned, assuming his signature flamboyant defensive stance.

Lin Feng didn't say a word.

He suddenly dropped a shoulder to the right, feinting a drive.

Nick Young immediately slid a step to the right.

At that exact moment, Lin Feng switched the ball to his left hand and executed a fluid spin move!

The transition was incredibly fast!

Nick Young hadn't expected such a move at all; his balance was thrown off, and he could only watch as Lin Feng spun past him.

Although the follow-up after the spin wasn't perfect yet and was slightly disrupted by Sacre coming over to help on defense,

Lin Feng still managed to raise the ball, fade back, and release the shot.

Clang!

The basketball rattled off the rim.

Even though it didn't go in, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol exchanged a glance from the sidelines, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"This kid's learning curve is a bit scary," Nash whispered.

Gasol nodded, his gaze falling on Kobe, who was drinking water in the distance.

"Kobe has found a true student."

He knew all too well how difficult Kobe's techniques were to learn; they required elite body coordination and feel for the ball.

Yet Lin Feng, a young man previously labeled only as a "shooter," had captured the essence of that move in just a few days.

In the locker room after practice.

Nick Young walked over to Lin Feng's locker and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Lin, where'd you learn that spin move? Kobe teach you?"

Lin Feng nodded.

Nick Young looked at Lin Feng with a complex expression that eventually turned into a sigh.

He turned and whispered to Sacre nearby.

"This kid is a monster; he's getting stronger every day."

In his tone, the initial jealousy and defiance were gone, replaced by pure respect.

A freak who could hit twelve three-pointers and is now starting to learn fadeaway jumpers—how are the rest of us supposed to play?

Sacre nodded in deep agreement.

The atmosphere of the team was quietly changing.

Kobe was no longer that aloof, solitary hero who was out of step with the rest of the team.

He poured all his energy into teaching Lin Feng, and that obsessive desire to win re-infected the whole team through Lin Feng as a medium.

And Lin Feng's integration and rapid growth gave everyone a new sense of hope.

Because of these two, the Lakers became unprecedentedly united.

Time flew by.

The date of the regular season opener drew closer and closer.

The atmosphere in the training facility grew more tense by the day.

This afternoon, head coach D'Antoni blew his whistle, gathering everyone to the center of the court.

"Guys, take a break."

D'Antoni's expression was serious.

"The schedule is out."

"Our opening game is in three days."

Everyone fell silent, their eyes focused on the coach.

D'Antoni looked around at his players and said emphatically,

"The opponent is our neighbor, the Los Angeles Clippers!"

"The L.A. Derby!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the air in the locker room became heated.

The Clippers, cross-town rivals who shared the same home court, yet seemed like enemies who could never reconcile.

Nothing would be more perfect than starting the new season with a victory in the derby.

Excitement and fighting spirit appeared on the players' faces.

However, at this critical juncture, some discordant voices drifted in from the outside world.

The team's PR manager rushed into the training facility and handed a phone to D'Antoni.

The screen was playing sports news from ESPN.

Outside the Clippers' training facility, a reporter was interviewing their starting small forward, Matt Barnes.

Barnes was a well-known enforcer in the league, famous for his tough style, fierce defense, and an endless supply of trash talk.

The reporter asked him: "Matt, the season opener against the Lakers is in three days. What do you think of their rookie Lin Feng's performance in the preseason?"

Barnes gave the camera a disdainful smile.

"That Chinese kid? The preseason luck king?"

His voice was full of provocation.

"I'll let him know what physical contact in the NBA regular season feels like."

"Trust me, I won't let him score a single point!"