The initial stages of the game saw the Chinese team and the Lakers' youth squad playing evenly, neither side gaining an advantage.
In fact, when Hu Weidong suddenly sank two three-pointers at the end of the first quarter, the Chinese team even took a one-point lead over the Lakers.
At the start of the second quarter, the Lakers' bench also failed to gain any significant advantage against the Chinese team, with the scores fluctuating back and forth.
The Chinese team's performance in the first half was nothing short of perfect!
However, to contain the Lakers' offense in the first half, the Chinese team had expended a considerable amount of energy on defense.
As the third quarter began, the Chinese team's fatigue started to become apparent.
He Ximeng gradually noticed a decline in the Chinese team's defensive quality and began to take turns with Kobe attacking the Chinese team's lines.
After breaking through, He Ximeng mostly opted to pass the ball to Nate under the basket or to Corey Blount lurking in the corner, thereby activating both his inside and outside teammates.
Kobe, on the other hand, generally chose to take direct shots to score after his breakthroughs.
Hu Weidong alone couldn't contain Kobe, and Gong Luming repeatedly substituted Li Nan, Sun Jun, and others onto him, but it was all to no avail.
Kobe was truly an insurmountable challenge for the current Chinese team.
Fortunately, Hu Weidong had an excellent shooting touch today, so the Chinese team adopted an offensive-minded approach and didn't suffer too much.
At the end of the third quarter, the Chinese team trailed the Lakers by 4 points, a result that head coach Gong Luming could accept!
In the final quarter, the Chinese team decided to tighten their defense, double-teaming Kobe, and slightly easing their pressure on He Ximeng.
As a result, He Ximeng relayed this change to Kobe on the court and asked if he wanted to try passing.
Kobe pondered for a moment, realizing he had already scored 22 points, while He Ximeng's score hadn't even reached double digits in the first three quarters.
Therefore, Kobe curbed his scoring urge and shifted his focus to playmaking.
Over the next three possessions, Kobe made consecutive drives and passes, assisting He Ximeng who was positioned in the right corner.
He Ximeng didn't waste Kobe's good intentions, making two out of three shots and helping the Lakers extend their lead to 10 points.
The Chinese team was caught off guard. They had assumed He Ximeng's shooting touch was off today and he wouldn't be a significant factor. To their surprise, He Ximeng effortlessly delivered a small lesson to his domestic teammates with his corner three-pointers!
Prior to this, He Ximeng's three-point attempts were mostly concentrated around the top of the arc, with his shooting range extending to near the logo.
However, after joining the Lakers with Kobe, He Ximeng knew that Kobe loved initiating offense from the high post with the ball. Therefore, He Ximeng proactively moved to the left and right corners to open up space for Kobe while quietly serving as a lurking killer.
It was also after joining the Lakers that He Ximeng diligently practiced corner three-pointers, especially from the right corner, where his accuracy became more stable and outstanding!
The Chinese team's head coach, Gong Luming, quickly called a timeout to re-apply pressure on He Ximeng, but it was too late.
He Ximeng, having found his shooting rhythm, began to stride with an unstoppable gait, firing off shots from beyond the three-point line.
Although Hu Weidong and Da Zhi also fought back in the latter part of the fourth quarter, they couldn't overcome He Ximeng's onslaught. He Ximeng shot 10 three-pointers in the final quarter, making 7 of them, and scoring 21 points in the period.
"He's a fucking freak!" Gong Xiaobin blurted out from the bench. "I knew this kid's subdued demeanor in the first half meant he was up to no good..."
"I never imagined that Ximeng, who was unknown a year ago, has now grown to a level where even Old Hu and Da Zhi can't contain him," Zheng Wu, a fellow Zhejiang native of He Ximeng, exclaimed in amazement.
Equally astonished was the Chinese team's head coach, Gong Luming: "Didn't they say He Ximeng is a pure point guard?"
"He's a point guard, alright, but 'pure'..." Li Nan shook his head. "In last year's national finals, Zhuji Middle School's victory over us was largely thanks to He Ximeng's three-pointers..."
And so, after scoring 7 points in the first half, 0 points in the third quarter, and a blistering 21 points in the fourth quarter, He Ximeng finished the game with a game-high 28 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. In just one quarter, He Ximeng had made all the members of the Chinese team re-evaluate their future teammate!
On the Lakers' side, Kobe orchestrated the offense for the first three quarters, scoring 24 points. In the final quarter, Kobe selflessly ceded most of his scoring opportunities to He Ximeng, scoring only 3 points himself but dishing out 5 assists!
Five of He Ximeng's seven three-pointers were directly assisted by Kobe's drives and passes.
27 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block!
Although Kobe's final score was one point less than He Ximeng's, he displayed exceptional court vision. Kobe was never incapable of passing; he simply often chose not to, or disdained to pass!
When he believed his own shot was more reliable than his teammates', why would he pass?
Now, with He Ximeng by his side, it seemed he had found a trustworthy teammate.
The Lakers won 92-85, a victory that wasn't by a large margin. The Chinese team, though defeated, earned honor.
After the game, the Chinese players came forward to shake hands with the Lakers players, and He Ximeng introduced everyone to Kobe.
Kobe showed little interest in the others, but he was particularly impressed with Hu Weidong, who was also wearing the number 8 jersey.
Old Hu had scored a team-high 27 points for the Chinese team, tying Kobe's scoring.
With He Ximeng's encouragement, Kobe agreed to Hu Weidong's request to exchange jerseys and even signed Hu Weidong's Lakers jersey with the number 8, along with the date.
"Old Hu, make sure you cherish this jersey... Frame it and hang it on your living room wall... In the future, it will be priceless..."
"Is it that exaggerated?" Old Hu looked skeptical. Hu Weidong's decision to exchange jerseys with Kobe was purely based on Kobe's excellent play, like martial arts masters sparring and exchanging prized swords as a memento, with no consideration for commercial value.
"Believe me, I never lie..."
"Believe your big head! This kid's mouth is the least trustworthy," Gong Xiaobin chimed in behind Old Hu, immediately exposing He Ximeng's true nature. "But the Lakers' jersey looks really nice! Hey, why don't you trade your number 4 jersey with me!"
Saying this, Gong Xiaobin quickly took off his number 15 jersey and thrust it into He Ximeng's hands.
Seeing He Ximeng looking bewildered, he asked, "Did I agree?"
Gong Xiaobin paid no mind to He Ximeng's consent and reached out to peel off He Ximeng's number 4 jersey, making He Ximeng chuckle wryly. "Ah? Ah... I'll trade, okay? I'll take it off myself! No need for your effort..."
"If you had been this cooperative from the start, it would have been easier. You made me use force," Gong Xiaobin grumbled as he exchanged He Ximeng's first Lakers jersey, and still didn't give He Ximeng a pleasant look.
Inspired by Hu Weidong and Gong Xiaobin, a wave of jersey exchanges swept through the Chinese team with the Lakers.
This friendly match concluded in a cheerful and harmonious atmosphere. However, the two most valuable jerseys remained Kobe's number 8 and He Ximeng's number 4, which ended up in the hands of Hu Weidong and Gong Xiaobin, respectively.