The opening game between the Nets and Celtics is about to begin at the Barclays Center.
The arena was packed with seats, and there were many "eye-catching" slogans on the scene.
Many of them support Kobe.
"You are Kobe forever", "There is no limit to our feelings", "No one can stop us from loving you forever".
Obviously, these slogans are an invisible response to Smart's recording.
Kobe Bryant played for the Lakers for more than 20 years, and most of his fans are in Los Angeles, but his fans are by no means limited to Los Angeles.
Moreover, Kobe played very well this season with the Nets and won himself many new fans.
Of course, there are also some slogans that directly attack people.
"Who is Marcus Smart?", "Smart, you don't know anything", "You just want to be famous!".
When the players from the two teams came on the court, the photographers on site also kept taking shots of Smart, who was warming up.
Because it is the home court of the Nets, it is unknown whether Kobe will be affected by this social media incident, but Smart will definitely need to play under tremendous pressure.
It was at this time that something happened that no one expected.
Originally, the camera only showed Smart, but Kobe actually came to Smart's side, and the two communicated for a while.
This moment aroused the curiosity of the fans at the scene.
And when the two of them finished their exchange, Smart felt a little ashamed of himself.
It seems that Kobe is not blaming him.
"What did you say to him?"
Lin Ying asked Kobe who came back.
Fans can only use their imaginations to guess now, but for his words, they can ask Kobe himself directly.
"I told him not to pay too much attention to the sounds from the outside world. He didn't do anything wrong."
Kobe said calmly.
Lin Ying nodded, guessing that Kobe would say this.
Although paranoid, Kobe has a very good attitude towards young players.
This was evident when he first faced Lin Ying, and even after joining the Nets, Kobe could also see this when dealing with young Nets players.
Although the requirements may seem strict, they are essentially to make young players better.
"So you finally decided to show mercy?"
"No, those are two different things."
Lin Ying smiled and nodded after hearing this.
The more Kobe said this, the more he looked forward to the matchup between him and Smart.
After the warm-up session, the two sides entered the opening ceremony, and the lineups of both sides were announced one after another.
Celtics: Terry Rozier, McGehee, Jayson Tatum, Sabonis Jr., Howard;
Nets: Bradley, Kobe, Durant, Lin Ying, Jokic;
Just comparing this lineup is a bit distressing, but this is the first vs. the eighth, so this kind of comparison is normal.
It's a bit regretful that Smart did not appear on the stage, which prevented fans from seeing the matchup between the two from the beginning.
The game started immediately, with both sides taking the stage one after another.
Just before the jump ball, Tatum took the initiative to shake Kobe's hand.
As said before, Tatum is the one who has known Kobe since he was a child.
After preparations were completed, as the referee blew the whistle, Howard jumped up and moved the ball back to the Celtics half, giving the away team the opportunity to take the lead in attacking.
The Celtics' opening offensive ball was in Rozier's hands.
Rozier's playing style is very similar to Thomas, which was a key reason why the Celtics let Thomas go last summer.
In the first round, he played a pick-and-roll with Sabonis, and then faced Lin Ying's confident throw.
His shot speed is still very fast, but the defensive deterrent provided by a top defender like Lin Ying is very strong, and his shot is obviously interfered with.
"when!"
Rozier's shot missed the basket, and Lin Ying turned around and collected the rebound.
The offense and defense transitioned, and the Nets advanced to the frontcourt.
As soon as he got into position, Kobe relied on McGee to post up the ball in the high post.
He said he didn't care, but Kobe's desire to attack at the beginning said it all.
Bradley turned his head and glanced at Lin Ying. After seeing Lin Ying move to the weak side, he lobbed the ball in.
After receiving the ball, Kobe turned around and faced McGee at the basket with a fierce look on his face.
After McGee arrived with the Celtics, he was heavily used defensively, and his defensive ability was amplified.
Kobe obviously knew this too, so after catching the ball, he changed from back to the basket to face the basket, a breakthrough attack after the triple threat.
Because McGee made his debut with the Thunder and started playing the scoring position, his training is a little different from what happened in history.
However, due to his size, he is tall and has wide coverage in the shooting position, but his movement speed is naturally relatively slow, which is why Kobe chooses to face the basket.
For an elite-level singles player like him, he will choose the most effective method because he has a sufficient arsenal of weapons and rich experience.
Mamba spat out the snake letter, seized the moment when McGeege's center of gravity lowered, and attacked, directly passing McGeege and entering the inside line.
The Celtics were caught off guard, because they obviously didn't expect Kobe to pass McGee so easily.
So before their help defense had time to step up, Kobe had already broken through to the inside and easily knocked the ball into the basket.
Kobe Bryant's first playoff point of his Nets career came so quickly.
The scene was instantly filled with cheers from the fans.
They were already looking forward to Kobe's playoffs, and now Kobe is in such good shape at the start of the game.
Isn't this just because the goddess promised you and your aunt just left and you climaxed directly.
In the Celtics' offense, Rozier continued to pick and roll with the ball. This time he found Howard and chose a close jump shot.
This shot had a much better chance than the one just now, but unfortunately he still failed to hit it.
This time Jokic protected the defensive rebound, and the Nets quickly advanced to the frontcourt. Taking advantage of the Celtics' unsteady footing, Lin Ying received the ball and rushed straight inside, leaping high to grab the ball with one hand. Hit the basket hard.
The emotions of the fans at the scene were ignited again.
Kobe Bryant represents youth and feelings, and Lin Ying represents present and love. The two are intertwined. The happiness index of basketball fans this season is that they can hold their heads high and say in an interview with CCTV: "I am very happy!"
0 to 4!
The Nets gave the Celtics two punches in the opening game.
And for the Celtics, this is an away game, so the rhythm of the opening game is crucial.
Especially since the Nets are so strong this season, if they get blown away at the start, it will be almost impossible to come back.
So the Celtics advanced to the frontcourt, and Tatum almost used the same method as Kobe to get the ball in the high post for a single.
The reason why we beat Rozier at the beginning is that like Thomas, Rozier is not very good at defense. If we don't hit him, staying on the court will be very negative.
But Rozier failed to score in two consecutive rounds. At this time, even if the timing was wrong, he knew he had to stand up.
After receiving the ball, he turned his back to the basket and faced Durant.
From a pure matchup comparison, McGeege's defense of Kobe is very similar to Durant's defense of Tatum.
Tatum is also a three-threat breakthrough, but he did not break into the paint like Kobe, but chose to make a pull-up jumper.
Durant interfered, and Tatum made a fadeaway shot in the air.
This shot was obviously more difficult than Kobe's shot just now. The ball flew through the air and drew an arc.
"Whoa!"
Hollow bag!
Tatum helps the Celtics break their scoring drought!
After scoring the goal, Tatum also reached out and clenched his fist in front of his chest. His celebration gesture was very much like Kobe's.
Some people don't want to be called the next Kobe, but more people are imitating and hope to become the next Kobe.
Just like many people did to Jordan back then, just like Tatum does to Kobe now, and many people will do to Lin Ying in the future.
There will be such a person in every era. When the children who imitate grow up, that is when the successors begin to appear on the stage.
Some fans cheered at the scene.
They haven't been able to see the matchup between Kobe and Smart, but this wave of mirror images of Tatum and Kobe are more similar than the one between DeRozan and Kobe before!
These two points were crucial. The Celtics' position was temporarily stabilized.
Lin Ying caught the ball in the frontcourt. He glanced at Kobe and went to the high post again. After passing the ball, he wandered to the weak side.
There probably isn't a super giant in this league who's been as kind to Kobe.
Of course, when Lin Ying first entered the league, Kobe was the only one among the giants who treated him so well.
This is a cause and effect cycle.
Kobe continued to hold the ball and face McGee in isolation.
McGee was obviously more focused this time than before, and he didn't lose his focus easily.
Kobe's breakthrough after the triple threat failed to get past his opponent as easily as the previous one.
McGehee's defensive strength is still very strong.
Kobe was forced to stop the ball, but his offense did not stop after he stopped the ball. He stepped up and down on the spot, turned around and shot backward from the free throw line.
This was Kobe's signature difficult offensive performance, and McGehee was a little reluctant to keep up at this time.
However, with his excellent physical condition, he still kept up with the current Kobe.
Kobe was obviously disturbed when he took the shot.
Kobe also performed a backward dodge in the air.
The difficulty of this ball is even greater than when Tatum got the ball just now!
"Whoa!"
But with a crisp sound hitting the net, Kobe's shot hit again!
Still Mamba!
Kobe hit consecutive shots in the opening game, and the second shot was extremely difficult, which shows that he is in excellent condition!
This is not just because he practiced a little longer yesterday, but is also a result of the Nets' use of him.
Taking turns is indeed the best way for Kobe at this stage!
"Kobe! Kobe!"
At this time, the fans at the scene directly reached a new climax. The fans shouted in unison, and those spectators holding slogans in their hands waved them particularly vigorously.
If we speak in a general way, everything has a degree, and this naturally includes youth.
But Kobe is not only loved by them because of his youth, but also because Kobe can still perform in a way that they love.
Even though that is already 39-year-old Kobe!
Feeling the enthusiasm of the fans, Kobe was also slightly excited. He grabbed both sides of his clothes with both hands and trembled his teeth in front of the cheering audience.
The cheers of the fans at the scene were even louder.
The Ye Huiqing Series!
These celebrations, like Kobe Bryant, have become a kind of memory symbol!
Now the Celtics are under pressure again.
Because even though Tatum seems to be in good shape, the Nets' twin stars haven't started to exert their strength yet!
If the Nets or Kobe Bryant's offense cannot be restricted, it will only be a matter of time before the Celtics are pulled apart.
"beep!"
At this time, a short whistle came from the sidelines.
With the sudden commotion at the scene, Smart walked from the bench to the technical stage.
He replaced McGee!
The Celtics made the right adjustment.
Because after the first few rounds, everyone could tell that McGeege's size was not the same as Kobe's.
In comparison, Smart is obviously a more suitable candidate.
Although he has a height disadvantage, he is faster and does not suffer in confrontations.
Of course, this reaction from the fans is not because of how timely or correct the Celtics' substitution was, but because the part they were looking forward to before the game is finally coming!
Kobe VS Smart!
Substitution comes back and the game continues.
Tatum turned around and fell back from a high position and continued to hit.
Tatum's breakthrough skills are not outstanding, but his shooting ability is indeed almost as good as Kobe's.
Especially when he feels as good as he did tonight, you can even say that he deserves the title of Kobe's successor.
4 to 6.
The Celtics clung to the score.
Live footage was quickly captured by Smart.
From a tactical perspective, it now depends on whether Smart can prevent Kobe from continuing to score.
The Nets advanced to the frontcourt, and the ball naturally came to Kobe's hands.
The fans at the scene all stretched their necks at this time.
After receiving the ball, Kobe first attempted a wave of attacks facing the basket, but Smart showed flexible feet and defensive experience that he should not have at this stage.
It seems that Kobe is really paying attention to young players and is not just talking politely.
Smart's defensive ability can be seen right from his debut.
Facing the basket was unsuccessful, but Kobe's attack reached the low post, and he directly switched to his back to the basket.
In the past, McGeege was one size larger than him, so it was very difficult to attack with his back to the basket, but Smart is obviously one size smaller than him, so his back to the basket was a better choice.
Back up, singles, shaking shoulders left and right, fake turn toward the baseline, second fake move toward the free throw line, and finally turning back to the baseline for a fadeaway shot.
This is Kobe's most iconic offense and the origin of the phrase "Four-legged and three-iron".
Smart continued to show his flexibility and experience, but he didn't stumble. In the end, when Kobe turned around and leaned back, he directly used Battier's trick of covering his eyes to defend!
Even under tremendous pressure, Smart played without fear!
He does, as Kobe said, have great potential on the defensive end!
Of course, all this has something to do with Kobe's age. His movement speed has slowed down, allowing Smart to show perfect defense.
In the end, Kobe faced the covering defense's shot, just like he did countless times against Battier in his prime.
His eyes are bright and his movements are quick.
This is a shot that relies on muscle memory.
it,
"Whoa!"
Chapter completed!