To be honest, the moment He Ximeng passed the ball, he was prepared to fight for the rebound, because three-pointers were not Kobe's strong suit... Kobe's career average three-point percentage was 33%, but his rookie season was relatively high, reaching 37.5%. Because possession was precious, and it wasn't a good opportunity, Kobe generally wouldn't shoot from beyond the arc...
But the game wasn't over yet; the Bulls had 14 seconds left for one final possession.
The Zen Master called a timeout to set up a play.
But He Ximeng knew that the Zen Master's strategy was likely to give the ball to Jordan... The Bulls fans in attendance also knew this, so they all stood up...
After the timeout, Jordan, with a grim expression, under the expectant gaze of the entire world, used the last 14 seconds to post up Kobe in the mid-range, turn around, and hit a jump shot!
118:116, Jordan didn't give the Lakers a chance for overtime.
A buzzer-beating game-winner, Jordan was serious!
This roller-coaster Christmas Day game finally ended amidst the overwhelming roars of the Bulls fans.
Jordan raised both hands, accepting the adoration of the entire crowd. At the United Center, he was the invincible god, forever the god...
Kobe stared forlornly at the big screen, replaying Jordan's final turnaround jump shot, trying to see where his defense went wrong.
But it seemed he hadn't made any mistakes.
Even though Kobe hadn't erred, Jordan had still precisely sunk the ball into the basket, making Kobe feel even more disheartened.
He Ximeng ran over and patted his shoulder, "Keep working hard! We're not ready to defeat him yet..."
"Just a little bit more!" Kobe replied stubbornly, then gave He Ximeng a reluctant smile.
In fact, the Lakers' twin stars had played exceptionally well today!
Due to the significant trust placed in him by head coach Harris, He Ximeng's career-high score reached 20 points for the first time! He once again broke his personal record.
Playing 22 minutes, he recorded 20 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. Overall, He Ximeng's stats today were a bit quirky.
Kobe also broke his personal single-game scoring record today, reaching 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Especially in the Lakers' last offensive possession, Kobe's beautiful corner three-pointer almost helped the Lakers drag this Christmas Day game into overtime.
But unfortunately, Jordan this season was still an invincible god!
With a buzzer-beating game-winner, he shattered the efforts of the Lakers' twin stars throughout the game.
Throughout the game, Jordan scored a game-high 36 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers...
"So even gods make mistakes?"
Seeing the 2 turnovers at the end of Jordan's stat line, He Ximeng's dejected mood instantly improved.
He Ximeng didn't take the game's outcome too seriously.
The Lakers currently had numerous internal issues, and even if they had beaten the Bulls by luck once, it would have just been luck.
In terms of overall strength, there was still a considerable gap between the Lakers and the Bulls.
Unless the Lakers could improve their roster structure through trades and create a more reasonable rotation system by adjusting player positions...
The game ended, and Jordan first warmly embraced and shook hands with O'Neal.
The Big Shark was enthusiastic and humorous, and not overly fixated on wins and losses, which earned him great popularity in the league.
The phrase "brothers in all four seas" was perfectly fitting for O'Neal.
After greeting O'Neal, Jordan warmly welcomed the Lakers' two rising stars.
"Well done! You two bandits! You almost dominated this game and stole the victory from my home court..."
Jordan finally stopped calling them rookies. Compared to on the court, Jordan off the court was slightly more restrained, but his tone was still condescending, showing no inclination to "spoil the young."
He Ximeng worried that Kobe might clash with Jordan, as, in front of Jordan, they were indeed just two easily defeated rookies. Therefore, He Ximeng spoke before Kobe could.
"You're past your prime, and we're still growing. Perhaps the league still belongs to you now, but what about the future?"
Jordan hadn't expected that the seemingly arrogant Kobe hadn't spoken yet, but the seemingly reserved He Ximeng had already managed to choke him up.
Jordan was forced to reply, "The future should belong to you young people..."
"To be precise, it belongs to us! Me, and this brother beside me!"
Kobe corrected Jordan's vague statement without hesitation.
"Thank you! Michael!" He Ximeng quickly tried to ease the conversation, "We will follow your footsteps and strive for the championship step by step..."
"Defeat the Bulls and lead the Lakers to the championship podium..."
Well, Kobe misunderstood He Ximeng's intentions, thinking He Ximeng was making a bold statement, and directly kicked away the ladder He Ximeng had extended to Jordan.
Jordan was almost amused to the point of anger! You two kids truly don't know what humility is... Do you think all the old timers in the league are incapacitated?
"Ok! I'll be waiting for you on the Finals stage!"
After dropping his final powerful remark, Jordan swaggered away.
Jordan had the confidence to say he'd see them in the Finals. Did they have the confidence to say that?
Believe it or not! The fearless Kobe, like a newborn calf, took Jordan's taunt as a promise!
"Finals, no mercy..."
He Ximeng covered his face and retreated.
When Kobe became overly dramatic, even he, a cheat with two lifetimes of experience, couldn't quite resist.
After Jordan left, he prepared to go shower and attend the press conference.
As He Ximeng turned to leave, he was stopped by a Chinese reporter.
"Hello Ximeng! I'm Huang Yusen, a special correspondent for 'Basketball Family.' Could you spare me a few minutes?"
Wow! Chinese media were already present at the live game? This sports media outlet called 'Basketball Family' was quite ambitious!
"Of course! No problem!"
However, this reporter named Huang Yusen seemed overly nervous, or perhaps had too many questions, and couldn't recall what to ask for a moment. So, he started with a general question.
"You played so brilliantly in this game, is there anything you'd like to say to the Chinese fans?"
"Thank you to all Chinese fans! Thank you all for your support, and I hope you will continue to support the Lakers and cheer for them..."
"Hello!" O'Neal, passing by, waved at the camera and made a funny face.