49: Kobe's public praise

Phil Handy looked at Kobe, the expression on his face shifting from initial excitement to solemnity.

He fully understood the weight of Kobe's words just now.

"Kobe, you mean..."

"I don't need to say what I mean, you just need to do it."

Kobe's gaze didn't leave the court, following the young figure walking toward the bench.

"Find all the footage of his games, including the training camp."

"I want to see them."

Phil Handy nodded solemnly.

He knew that something big was about to happen.

The remaining time in the fourth quarter completely devolved into a performance by the bench players.

The Suns had long since surrendered; the starters were all sitting on the sidelines, watching the Lakers' bench with complex expressions.

The final whistle blew.

125 to 98.

The Los Angeles Lakers slaughtered the Phoenix Suns with a massive 27-point lead.

On the big screen at the Staples Center, Lin Feng's stats were finally frozen in place.

32 minutes played, 18-of-25 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range, and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.

A staggering 49 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

In the second half alone, he personally scored 40 points.

The entire Staples Center cheered for him once again... In the Los Angeles Lakers locker room.

The atmosphere was as heated as if they had already won the championship.

"Crazy! Lin, you've gone completely insane!"

Nick Young rushed over, grabbed Lin Feng, and shouted exaggeratedly.

"Tell me, how did you do it? That shot with your back to the basket—were you aiming for the top edge of the backboard?"

"And that self-pass alley-oop! How did you squeeze through the gap between those two guys?!"

Lin Feng felt a bit helpless being shaken by him.

"I just threw it up there."

"I just squeezed through randomly."

Nick Young froze for a moment upon hearing this answer, then shook him even more frantically.

"Oh, God! Listen to that! Is that even human talk?!"

"Just kill me! I'd rather be beaten to death by you than listen to you act cool like this anymore!"

Pau Gasol and Nash stood to the side smiling, watching the young players fool around.

In their smiles, besides joy, there was more of a heartfelt shock.

As battle-hardened veterans, they knew better than anyone just how revolutionary what Lin Feng did tonight was.

It had already moved beyond the scope of basketball technique discussion.

head coach D'Antoni walked over and patted Lin Feng on the shoulder.

"Get ready, Lin. You're coming with me to the press conference later."

He looked at Lin Feng, his eyes filled with nothing but admiration.

"Tonight, you are the sole protagonist."

...At the press conference site.

The place was already packed to the rafters with media reporters from all over the world.

Lenses and microphones were all aimed at the podium, and camera flashes flickered frantically like they cost nothing.

When Lin Feng and D'Antoni walked in, the air in the entire room seemed to ignite.

All the reporters raised their hands high, like a forest eager for irrigation.

D'Antoni cleared his throat and said a few customary pleasantries, but no one was listening.

A reporter from the Los Angeles Times snatched the first opportunity to ask a question and pointed the microphone directly at Lin Feng.

"Lin, congratulations on a big win and scoring a season-high 49 points. We saw you score in many inconceivable ways tonight. Is this a completely new style of play?"

Lin Feng picked up the microphone, his expression calm.

"I'm just playing basketball."

This answer clearly didn't satisfy the reporters.

Another senior reporter from ESPN immediately stood up, his question even more pointed.

"Lin, we all saw your shots in the third quarter, like the floater after losing your balance and the bank shot with your back to the basket."

"In traditional basketball concepts, these are extremely irrational shot choices."

"What I want to ask is, can these moves be replicated through training? Or was this just a flash of inspiration for you tonight?"

This question voiced what everyone was thinking.

The entire press conference fell silent instantly.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Lin Feng's answer.

They wanted to know how this young man would explain his magic-like performance.

Lin Feng looked at the reporter and was silent for two seconds.

Then, he gave an answer destined to be recorded in NBA history.

"I don't know if it's rational."

"I'm just using my body to put the ball in the basket in the way that feels most comfortable."

The words fell.

The reporters on the scene were stunned collectively at first.

Immediately afterward, everyone showed expressions of ecstasy.

They frantically recorded this sentence in their notebooks and phone memos.

A golden quote!

This was definitely the best quote of the year!

[Lin's Philosophy: Scoring in the Most Comfortable Way!]

This headline had already appeared in the minds of countless reporters.

It was concise, arrogant, and filled with irrefutable confidence.

Just as the reporters thought the night's highlights had peaked...

The side door of the press conference was suddenly pushed open.

A tall figure wearing a black suit walked in under everyone's gaze.

Kobe Bryant!

The commotion on the scene was ten times stronger than when Lin Feng said his golden quote earlier!

Why was he here?!

Kobe rarely attended post-game press conferences for the regular season unless there was an extremely special circumstance.

He walked to the side of the podium, didn't sit down, but just leaned against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

This action itself sent a strong signal.

He had something to say.

A very bold reporter from Sports Illustrated immediately turned the focus to him.

"Kobe! Your rare appearance here—is it to evaluate Lin Feng's performance tonight?"

"What do you think of his shot choices, which in many people's eyes are completely irrational?"

The question was full of provocative intent.

Everyone knew Kobe's personality.

He was a basketball obsessive, a faithful believer in fundamentals.

He would praise hard work and skill, but he would never tolerate this kind of near-"showboating" style of play.

Everyone thought Kobe would use his signature tone to reprimand this rising star.

To tell him what real basketball was.

Even D'Antoni looked at Kobe with a bit of nervousness.

Kobe picked up a microphone nearby, and the entire room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

He looked at the reporter with a serious expression.

"Rational?"

He asked back, his voice not loud, yet clearly audible to everyone.

"Winning is the ultimate rationality."

The room erupted!

This answer was completely beyond everyone's expectations!

But it wasn't over yet.

Kobe paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, finally landing on Lin Feng beside him.

In an unprecedentedly solemn tone, he spoke a sentence that shook the entire sports world.

"And some of his shots tonight..."

"Even I can't do them."

Boom!

These words were like a nuclear bomb exploding in the small press conference room.

The reporters went completely insane!

Some even stood up from their chairs out of sheer excitement.

Kobe Bryant!

That aloof black mamba who never easily admitted anyone was better than him!

He personally admitted that some of Lin Feng's moves were things even he couldn't do!

What an astonishing evaluation!

Amidst everyone's shock and fervor, Kobe put down the microphone, but he wasn't finished.

He added one final sentence, providing the ultimate definition for tonight's miraculous performance.

"He's not playing basketball."

"He's creating art."

Having said that, Kobe ignored everyone's reaction, turned, and walked straight out of the press conference.