The November competitions concluded, and the December competitions commenced.
The highly anticipated showdown between the Spurs and the Lakers was scheduled by the league for a date second only to the opening game of the regular season in grandeur: Christmas Day!
And this Christmas Day classic was set to take place in Los Angeles, the home court of the Lakers!
He Xi Meng arrived in Los Angeles a day early, spending Christmas Eve with Kayla. Of course, Christmas Eve was peaceful, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. He Xi Meng, having learned from his previous encounter with the Clippers, dared not recklessly waste his energy.
After all, the Christmas Day game held a special significance, boasting very high viewership! Furthermore, facing his former team, the Lakers, made this particular game even more meaningful for He Xi Meng this season!
Before the game began, the Lakers prepared a simple championship ring presentation ceremony for He Xi Meng. "Logo Man" himself was present to award He Xi Meng the Lakers' championship ring from the previous season.
"Thank you, Xi Meng, for everything you've done for the Lakers. We wish you happiness with the Spurs! Of course, if you're not happy, you're always welcome to return to Los Angeles; the Lakers' door is always open for you..."
While Jerry West offered his well wishes to He Xi Meng, he didn't forget to stir the pot with the Spurs, attempting to sow discord between He Xi Meng and his current team. Whether it would be effective or not, he decided to make a few jabs, just in case a seed of doubt could be planted.
He Xi Meng, of course, understood the implication behind "Logo Man's" words. However, in front of such a large audience, saying anything positive about either the Lakers or the Spurs would alienate the other fanbase. The best course of action was to play dumb and deflect the topic.
"Thank you to the Lakers, my teammates, and the fans! For the past three years, I spent the initial three seasons of my career with the Lakers. I learned a great deal and grew immensely, transforming from a rookie into an FMVP... I will never forget Los Angeles, nor every cheer I heard here... However, one must constantly challenge themselves to achieve greater progress! The Lakers have already become the strongest team in the league, and I feel there is very little more I can contribute to the Lakers... Therefore, I chose to leave and explore other teams."
He Xi Meng poured out his heart, instantly capturing the attention of all the fans present. Even those who had intended to praise He Xi Meng and burn his jersey temporarily set aside their aggressive intentions, wanting to hear him finish first.
"The Spurs are different from the Lakers; there is a different basketball culture here. My teammates here, like my teammates with the Lakers, are all trustworthy. The fans here, like the fans of the Lakers, deserve respect and are worth fighting for... I love basketball, I love this league, and I love all the fans who support this league, which means all of you..."
After his thanks, He Xi Meng smoothly accepted the Lakers' championship ring, seemingly without offending any of the Lakers fans.
"A brilliant speech!" Kobe approached and gave He Xi Meng a big hug. "It looks like you're doing well with the Spurs! I don't even have the confidence to ask you to come back to the Lakers!"
"Don't kid me! The Lakers played beautifully with or without me, didn't they? Ron Harper was Jordan's personal point guard, a key piece of the Bulls dynasty!"
After He Xi Meng's departure, Derek Fisher did not immediately take over the starting point guard position. "Logo Man" signed Ron Harper and A.C. Green to more than competitive veteran contracts.
This season, the Lakers' starting lineup, from point guard to center, consisted of Ron Harper, Kobe Bryant, Glen Rice, A.C. Green, and Shaquille O'Neal!
Even Robert Horry was relegated to the bench. The players in the second unit included Horry, Darrick Martin, Derek Fisher, John Salley, and Wang Zhizhi.
The Lakers initially intended to use Wang Zhizhi as a traditional big man. However, He Xi Meng directly called head coach Del Harris and suggested that Harris utilize Wang Zhizhi as a stretch four. Wang Zhizhi's shooting touch was no less than Horry's, and he could become a reliable outside shooting threat for the Lakers, helping to open up the paint for the opposition. Harris experimented with this approach and found He Xi Meng's suggestion to be remarkably effective!
When used as a traditional center, Wang Zhizhi struggled immensely. He couldn't withstand the physicality of most of the league's power forwards on defense, and on offense, his post-ups were easily defended, offering little threat from the low post.
However, after shifting to a stretch power forward role, Wang Zhizhi, with his soft shooting touch, found consistent shooting opportunities from mid-to-long range!
Furthermore, influenced by He Xi Meng's departure, from O'Neal and Kobe to reserves like Martin and Horry, Wang Zhizhi received considerable support, both openly and implicitly. Not only was he not discriminated against with the Lakers, but he also gradually became a communication link between the Lakers players and He Xi Meng. Kobe, for instance, had come to see Wang Zhizhi as his junior. Perhaps, in Kobe's subconscious mind, Wang Zhizhi was a "hostage" from He Xi Meng, and as long as Wang Zhizhi was "in his hands," Kobe believed that He Xi Meng would eventually return to the Lakers to help him.
With the assistance of the coaching staff and players, Wang Zhizhi gradually emerged from the Lakers' third unit, even surpassing Tyronn Lue from the '96 draft class and securing consistent playing time in the second unit.
Lue, due to injuries and his playing style, gradually devolved into a pure role-playing center with limited developmental potential, forced to compete for minutes with the newly acquired John Salley.
Wang Zhizhi steadily solidified his position as the Lakers' second-unit power forward. With Wang Zhizhi playing the four, Horry could shift to the small forward position, where he possessed even greater advantages than playing power forward. This, in turn, indirectly provided Coach Harris with a more effective second unit.
In summary, Wang Zhizhi, in his initial entry into the league, was progressing faster and had greater room for improvement compared to his historical trajectory with the Dallas Mavericks. It was an accidental, yet positive, change initiated inadvertently by He Xi Meng.
The Lakers' current second unit, in addition to Wang Zhizhi, consisted of Horry, Martin, and Fisher. If these players were on other teams, especially less talented ones, they would be capable of starting. Therefore, within this lineup, aside from the backup center John Salley being slightly weaker, the depth at other positions was essentially unparalleled in the league!
Consider this: even a strong player like Tyronn Lue couldn't crack the Lakers' second unit, showcasing the intense internal competition, particularly at the point guard position.
"Logo Man" aimed to compensate for the talent gap left by He Xi Meng's departure through these measures, striving to maintain championship-level strength and create conditions for the Lakers to win consecutive championships.