The game ended, and champagne was already popped in the Lakers' locker room!
While it was only the Western Conference Championship, it was still a championship. For the Lakers, who hadn't reached the summit in seven years, a Western Conference title was enough to make them ecstatic. As for the NBA Championship... they'd worry about that after celebrating their Western Conference victory.
In contrast, He Ximeng was the picture of sobriety!
Having once worn championship rings on both hands, He Ximeng thought, "Is a mere Western Conference title really enough to get you this excited? What kind of comportment is this? You're the Lakers! The Purple and Gold Lakers..."
In the post-game news reports, Shaquille O'Neal, who had 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, wasn't overly praised by the Los Angeles media. Instead, He Ximeng, with his 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists, received unanimous accolades!
Perhaps it was because O'Neal's dominance was already widely acknowledged, whereas He Ximeng, a second-year rookie, performing so exceptionally in a Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals far exceeded many media outlets' expectations!
Kobe Bryant's performance in this game was limited, shooting 3-of-10 for 9 points. This was due to the Jazz's defense, especially their tenacious and outstanding defense in the mid-range and paint.
Aside from O'Neal's unstoppable presence in the paint, only long-range shooters like He Ximeng, who preferred to hang out on the perimeter and fire from distance, could find more shooting space...
On the night of their Game 7 victory, He Ximeng, still buzzing with energy, returned to his seaside villa and engaged in another three hundred rounds with Kaila, exhausting himself completely before falling into a deep sleep...
From the Western Conference Finals to the NBA Finals, both the Lakers and the Bulls had three days of rest.
Three days was neither long nor short.
For players who could establish themselves in the NBA, three days was enough to recover from the fatigue of the previous round, and He Ximeng was no exception.
Coach Harris did not give the players time off, nor did he resume regular training. However, to prevent the players from slacking off for three days, he gathered everyone at the club every day to review game footage of the previous year's NBA Finals between the Bulls and the Jazz, analyze the Bulls' offensive and defensive priorities, formulate corresponding strategies, and also get their bodies moving and practice tactical movements, but without any scrimmages or intensity, focusing solely on maintaining their condition...
The three days passed quickly. On June 3, 1998, Game 1 of the 1997-1998 NBA Finals was held at the Lakers' home court, the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles!
Yes, the Lakers, with their league-best regular season record, successfully secured home-court advantage in both the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals!
For Los Angeles, which hadn't hosted the NBA Finals in seven years, this was an unqualified feast!
Hollywood's A-list celebrities, any of whom had even a slight interest in basketball, were trying through their connections and channels to get their hands on NBA Finals tickets!
Kaila and Vanessa, as "quasi-family members" of home players, easily obtained courtside VIP tickets through the Lakers' club!
This year's NBA Finals, due to the Bulls and Michael Jordan's presence, saw the cheapest nosebleed seats, priced at $25.5, being scalped on the secondary market for $240, nearly a tenfold increase!
And a courtside VIP ticket, not in the center section, originally priced at $500, was reportedly being sold for $5,000! And they were unavailable for purchase!
Scarlett, a fan, was desperate to buy a courtside seat but couldn't. In the end, she approached Kaila and asked He Ximeng to find a solution.
What solution could He Ximeng offer? Since he couldn't buy one with money, he had to try and get one through the club.
However, for a trivial matter like tickets, He Ximeng felt it would be overkill to approach the logo man directly. After a moment's thought, He Ximeng contacted assistant coach James Worthy for help!
During his two seasons with the Lakers, James Worthy had provided He Ximeng with significant assistance, and their private friendship had become quite deep.
To repay James Worthy's help, He Ximeng had successfully convinced him to invest $1 million into John's private wealth management account. He Ximeng said it would become $2 million within five years, a doubling. But in reality, based on He Ximeng's rough estimates, that $1 million would become at least $10 million after five years, a tenfold increase, with no doubt...
James Worthy helped He Ximeng connect with a mid-level Lakers management employee who was willing to give up his courtside ticket. Of course, as a thank you, He Ximeng gave this Lakers executive $5,000, which was essentially the standard scalper price.
Scarlett happily took the courtside ticket that He Ximeng had painstakingly obtained, but she didn't mention the price at all.
Why? Was it just because you're pretty?
Seeing He Ximeng's hesitant expression, Scarlett, while Kaila wasn't paying attention, whispered to him, "I don't have that much cash on me right now. Come to my place at ten tonight to pick it up..."
"Holy hell! You're openly trying to poach my girlfriend right under my wife's nose!" He Ximeng not only marveled at Scarlett's audacity but also secretly resolved to stay vigilant around Kaila... The social scene in this circle was getting a bit chaotic...
Ultimately, He Ximeng gritted his teeth and decided to forgo the $5,000.
In comparison, the current NBA Finals was the paramount concern for He Ximeng; a mere $5,000 was insignificant.
During the pre-game pep talk, Coach Harris didn't waste words: "If we defend our home court, we will achieve ultimate victory! Therefore, our home court cannot be lost..."
Indeed, for the Lakers, who held home-court advantage, defending their home court was equivalent to defending the series!
However, was the Lakers' home-court advantage that easy to defend?
After all, when "Air Jordan" made his grand entrance, the applause and cheers he received were no less than those for O'Neal...
The Bulls' starting lineup for this game was: center Bill Wennington, power forward Toni Kukoč, small forward Scottie Pippen, shooting guard Michael Jordan, and point guard Steve Harper.
Phil Jackson had moved Dennis Rodman out of the starting lineup, bringing in the more mobile and offensively capable Toni Kukoč to start, matching up against Horace Grant. This was a significant change.
On the Lakers' side, Coach Harris still had not moved Kobe Bryant into the starting lineup.
Center Shaquille O'Neal, power forward Horace Grant, small forward Eddie Jones, shooting guard Derek Fisher, and point guard He Ximeng.
"Congratulations, you've finally reached this stage!"
Before the game began, Michael Jordan deliberately switched positions with Harper and moved to He Ximeng's side.
He Ximeng eyed "His Airness" with his "charming" smile with extreme caution, he didn't believe Old Joe was here just to offer congratulations...