The visiting team finished their entrance, followed by the Lakers.
He Ximeng and Kobe, as the rising stars of the Lakers, were scheduled to appear among the first two!
He Ximeng first, Kobe second.
As He Ximeng jogged onto the court amidst the thunderous cheers of tens of thousands of Lakers fans, with a calm smile that bore a slight resemblance to Michael Jordan, waving his hand, Scarlett in the VIP box couldn't help but tease, "Your man's confidence, I don't know where it comes from, it's truly... tsk tsk tsk..."
Kaila was accustomed to Scarlett's sarcasm and didn't argue, "Compared to most Chinese people, Ximeng's confidence is indeed very impressive! I... I just like that confidence of his..."
Seeing Kaila's lovesick expression, Scarlett shook her head, "I think you're beyond saving..."
"If I'm beyond saving, then so be it! In fact, I don't want to be saved..."
While Scarlett and Kaila were whispering, the Lakers players were entering the court one by one.
Since O'Neal was absent, Eddie Jones got the chance to make the final appearance, with Horry coming out second to last!
Eddie Jones, Horry, He Ximeng, Kobe!
Without O'Neal, these four players were essentially the core lineup of this Lakers team.
As the game was about to start, Campbell and Luke Longley stood at the center circle.
Michael Jordan and Eddie Jones were matched up, but Jordan grinned at He Ximeng on the other side and said, "Little guy, we meet again!"
Uh... Old Qiao, what do you mean? Kobe provoked you earlier, not me!
"Long time no see, Michael!" He Ximeng returned a polite smile.
"Last season's Finals, I waited for you guys for a long time..."
Uh... As expected, Old Qiao's vengefulness is truly remarkable. After so long, he still remembers Kobe's childish declaration back then.
"I waited and waited, and I waited until the Finals MVP trophy, but I still didn't get to see you guys... You, you really disappointed me..."
Uh... That's enough, Old Qiao! Don't take advantage of our past good relationship to nag endlessly! If you really push me, I...
"Beep!" The referee's whistle blew, and the game officially started.
Campbell defeated Luke Longley, giving the Lakers the opportunity for the first possession.
He Ximeng then created distance from Michael Jordan and shifted his attention back to the game.
Facing Harper, who was stronger in height and physique, He Ximeng didn't force his way in. Instead, he called for a high pick-and-roll from Horry, switched off Rodman, and then looked for opportunities to pass to his teammates.
Fox was on the left wing, his position a bit unclear.
Eddie Jones was at the top of the arc, tightly guarded by Michael Jordan.
Horry moved to the middle; there should have been an opportunity, but unfortunately, Harper was 1.98 meters tall. Even if He Ximeng passed to him, Horry couldn't exploit a mismatch like a typical player... Phil Jackson using Harper as a point guard was truly infuriating to all point guards in the league...
In a flash, He Ximeng finally decided to pass the ball to Campbell at the edge of the paint.
This was O'Neal's favorite spot to receive the ball. Campbell wasn't stupid; having watched from the sidelines for so long, he naturally knew where he could get the best offensive opportunities.
After receiving the ball, Campbell didn't hesitate. He drove hard to the basket against Luke Longley. On the Bulls' side, Rodman didn't come to double-team. Campbell wasn't worth his help defense. Rodman just stared menacingly at He Ximeng, who was roaming the perimeter, because before the game, Phil Jackson had specifically emphasized to him that this young kid with yellow skin was exceptionally skilled at launching surprise attacks from beyond the three-point line...
For Rodman, who wasn't a strong shooter, he hated these smaller players who relied solely on skill and dared not go head-to-head with him in the paint!
He Ximeng had no desire to ask for the ball. Facing Dennis Rodman, who dared to go toe-to-toe with O'Neal in the paint, He Ximeng could only feel "admiration." Unless absolutely necessary, He Ximeng would rather provoke Old Qiao than Rodman...
Campbell's touch was good today. His first shot, a floater in the paint, was accurate, giving the Lakers the first score.
Turning around, Harper brought the ball upcourt and passed it to Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan, facing Eddie Jones's tight defense, didn't force the issue. Instead, he lobbed a pass to Luc Longley inside, intending for Longley to respond.
However, Longley's touch wasn't as good as Campbell's, and his drive to the basket missed.
Rodman grabbed the offensive rebound, and his put-back attempt also missed.
This time, Campbell didn't let the rebound slip away and firmly controlled the ball before passing it to He Ximeng.
He Ximeng didn't hesitate and started a fast break.
Harper didn't make a rash move but stayed close to He Ximeng, preventing him from accelerating freely. The choice of a championship point guard was indeed steady!
He Ximeng couldn't fully pick up the pace, and as the Bulls players got back on defense, the game returned to half-court offense.
Eddie Jones called for the ball at the top of the arc. He Ximeng was a little surprised, "Is Eddie student going to challenge Old Qiao?"
Last season, Eddie Jones was dominated by Michael Jordan twice when they matched up. Could it be that he thought his skills had improved enough to challenge Michael Jordan after a season's experience?
Despite his surprise, He Ximeng passed the ball immediately. After all, Eddie Jones was the acting leader now, theoretically enjoying unlimited shot attempts. Of course, if he played particularly poorly, this unlimited shooting right would be revoked by Coach Harris at any time. He wasn't the true leader, after all...
As expected, the ball stalled once it reached Eddie Jones. He lowered his stance and drove straight at Jordan. He drove to the free-throw line area, stopped, and turned for a fadeaway jumper!
This shot was inherently difficult!
Furthermore, Eddie Jones hadn't shaken off Michael Jordan during the entire drive, so at the moment of his shot, he faced fierce defense from Jordan!
It's just that Michael Jordan is almost 35 now. If it were a couple of years earlier, a shot like Eddie Jones's would have been definitively blocked by Jordan in mid-air!
Although he was fortunate not to be blocked by Jordan, the ball didn't go in!
Rodman leaped in and snatched the rebound over Campbell and Luke Longley!
Dennis Rodman was notoriously tenacious when battling for rebounds!
Even if Michael Jordan jumped with him to grab the rebound, Rodman would instinctively secure the ball first before passing it to Jordan upon landing...
Rodman was absolutely serious about rebounding!
After securing this rebound, Rodman passed it to Harper.
Harper brought the ball up past half-court and handed it to Michael Jordan...