Kobe was injured, and He Ximeng thought he could have a few quiet days.
As it turned out, the very next morning, Kobe's relentless calls started again.
"Sleep? Wake up and practice!"
"Didn't you injure your finger?"
"I only injured my right hand!"
"How can you practice with an injured right hand?"
"There's the left hand!"
"Uh... you win... but my eyes are still swollen?"
"Just put on a waterproof bandage! It's a small cut, don't be so fragile..."
"Damn... I can't see the basket clearly?"
"What's there to see in the basket when shooting? As a top shooter, it's all muscle memory! How do you get muscle memory? Practice! Is Michael's free-throw percentage higher than Shaq's even with his eyes closed? How did that happen? Practice..."
Uh... O'Neal, lying in his super-sized bed and still half asleep, was caught in the crossfire.
Can't you guys just talk about your training? Why drag my free-throw percentage into this?
Kobe is known as the most insane training fanatic in the league for a reason. Before becoming the strongest basketball player on this planet, he never stopped pushing himself, practicing, honing his skills, and improving his game... Regardless of whether you agree with Kobe's basketball philosophy or like his style, his year-in, year-out, day-in, day-out self-discipline is truly impeccable...
In the end, the injured He Ximeng escaped Kayla's torment but could not escape Kobe's.
Unable to shoot with his right hand, Kobe drove to the basket with his left, dominating He Ximeng... Of course, this was when He Ximeng's three-point shot was completely off.
He Ximeng now cannot reach the level of the 'old man,' who could make free throws with his eyes closed. Especially for three-pointers, a slight miss means a complete miss.
After practice, He Ximeng inevitably received another lecture from Kobe.
"As a player destined to dominate this league, how can such a minor injury affect your shooting percentage? Practice! Practice until you drop! Practice with your eyes closed..."
He Ximeng asked himself, since he transmigrated and became a player, apart from the occasional lapse due to Kayla, his training has never stopped. But after meeting Kobe, He Ximeng would often fall into self-doubt: "Am I slacking off again?"
In reality, He Ximeng wasn't slacking. Compared to other players in the league, He Ximeng was already among the diligently practicing ones, never relying solely on his talent. It was just that compared to the obsessive Kobe, He Ximeng always lacked that extra bit of ferocity!
Sometimes, He Ximeng even suspected that Kobe's masochistic tendencies were a bit severe...
The Lakers' playoff journey had ended, but the league's playoffs were still ongoing.
The Jazz had to fight tooth and nail, and after much effort, they defeated the Lakers to reach the finals! Facing Jordan's Bulls, they lost 2-4, failing to force a Game 7 and sadly becoming a backdrop for Jordan's subsequent championship defense.
Jordan lifted his fifth championship trophy and second Finals MVP award.
The 1996-1997 season officially concluded. The veteran players began their vacations, while the new players continued to hone their skills.
Although He Ximeng had successfully reached the Western Conference Finals in his rookie season and secured a starting position, this position was not yet stable, and his skills still had significant room for improvement.
Therefore, He Ximeng did not go on vacation, nor did he return to China. Instead, he stayed in Los Angeles, utilizing the Lakers' existing training facilities and equipment to continue his rigorous training.
Benefiting from his extensive head coaching experience in his previous life, He Ximeng didn't need assistants or even sparring partners. All he needed was a high-capacity camera set up courtside. He trained during the day and reviewed the footage at night, making improvements the next day... This cycle repeated, leading to continuous improvement.
Of course, He Ximeng was not alone at the Lakers club.
Kobe used his endorsement fee from Adidas that year to buy a villa with a basketball court in Newport City, south of Los Angeles. This was one of the most affluent areas in Southern California, even the entire United States! During the summer, Kobe persistently invited He Ximeng to train at his villa.
However, He Ximeng politely declined Kobe's offer and chose to train at the Lakers' own facilities.
On one hand, his own team's arena was a more private space. Although He Ximeng had a good relationship with Kobe, constantly going to Kobe's villa to practice presented many inconveniences.
On the other hand, no matter how professional a private court was, the facilities, equipment, and instruments were ultimately not as state-of-the-art as those at a club's arena!
Thus, He Ximeng spent most of his time training at the Lakers' arena.
When Kobe got bored practicing alone, he would also come to the Lakers' arena to spar with He Ximeng.
However, He Ximeng wasn't idle.
As soon as the season ended, he accepted an invitation from Duncan and returned to Charlotte, North Carolina, where the 1997 NBA Draft would be held!
The Celtics tanked to the extreme, winning only 15 games and losing 67 for the season, yet they were still outperformed by the Spurs, who lost 62 games!
The Grizzlies, Celtics, and Spurs were the bottom three teams in the 1996-1997 season standings!
According to the lottery rules, these three teams each had approximately a 14% chance of winning the first overall pick.
Popovich, through a season of strategic maneuvering and battles with Red Auerbach, finally managed to bring Duncan to San Antonio with a sliver of courage!
When David Stern announced Duncan's name as the first overall pick, He Ximeng, who was sitting right next to Duncan, was the first to embrace him.
"Congratulations, Tim! Your era has arrived! The Spurs will be your lucky charm!"
"Thank you, Simon! Thank you for your blessings... It's a shame San Antonio doesn't have you..."
"Don't worry, I think I'll find my way to San Antonio one day!"
"I look forward to that day arriving soon..."
Witnessing Duncan's historic career moment alongside He Ximeng was also He Ximeng's best friend, John!
Duncan had accepted He Ximeng's suggestion and hired John as his agent and investment advisor.
John, though he spent his own money like water, would never be greedy with others' money, especially his friends'.
With He Ximeng and Duncan as his two major clients, John was already considering dropping out of basketball academy to professionally pursue a career as a basketball manager... Most importantly, he could make his way to Los Angeles.
He Ximeng had mentioned that Jill had been single for a long time, and John worried that if he didn't hurry to Los Angeles, Jill might be snatched up by someone else.