Kobe was obviously stunned after hearing what Lin Ying said. He didn't expect Lin Ying to say that at all.
But soon, he realized what Lin Ying was talking about.
This should allow him to come to the Nets as an assistant coach or team consultant, just like Barkley before, and win a championship with the Nets.
"Do you remember what you told me about the helicopter?"
Kobe smiled and said.
"Um?"
Lin Ying looked at Kobe in confusion.
Why are we suddenly talking about helicopters again? Have you changed your mind or do you want to fly?
"You said I should have driven it myself, and you were right, so how could I, like Charles, win the fifth championship in that way?"
Kobe continued.
Hearing this, Lin Ying finally realized what Kobe wanted to say.
The arrogance in Kobe's bones does not allow him to mess around with rings like Barkley did.
If he gets a championship ring in that way, he won't have the confidence to say in front of O'Neal, "Look, I have one more championship than you."
This is the decision Kobe will make and the decision he should make.
However, Lin Ying smiled.
Because he found that his words were ambiguous, and Kobe seemed to have misunderstood.
"Kobe, do the Lakers look like...your son?"
He then looked at Kobe and said.
Now it was Kobe's turn to look at Lin Ying doubtfully.
Because this metaphor is really a bit weird.
"If my son disobeys, should he be beaten?"
Lin Ying was discussing parenting issues with Kobe.
Well, they are all dads.
But Kobe fell silent after hearing these words.
Because he had already heard that Lin Ying was talking metaphorically.
He has a deep affection for the Lakers. When he first came to the Lakers, he was his son and the Lakers were his father.
But now time flies and the stars have changed, and his and the Lakers' roles have slowly reversed.
In his last season before retiring, it can indeed be said that he has become a father and the Lakers are his son.
But what the Lakers did this past offseason was indeed too "rebellious".
Just tell "him" this is wrong and he won't listen.
Only when the beating hurts him and he realizes that he is scared, will he realize that he was wrong and never dare to do it again.
"I mean, you can actually come back, join the Nets to play for a season and do it yourself."
Seeing Kobe thinking, Lin Ying then spoke and re-explained the ambiguous words at the beginning.
Kobe was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then looked at Lin Ying with wide eyes, a look of disbelief on his face.
I have to say that Lin Ying’s suggestion was a path he had never thought of!
Lin Ying saw Kobe's eyes and nodded to him.
Kobe frowned and then fell into thought.
What Lin Ying said really moved his heart.
Because Buss Sr. passed away and after Jenny came to power, he had no say in the Lakers.
He loves the Lakers, but the Lakers he loves are no longer worthy of his love at all.
So he doesn't care about the Lakers?
This is obviously unrealistic for a player who has played for the Lakers for 21 years.
I want to take care of it, but I can't. It's like reaching a dead end.
This is also the reason why he went to Brooklyn to talk to Lin Ying.
Now Lin Ying provides him with a third way.
This road is indeed the only way to solve the problem.
only……
After a high-profile farewell season, how can he make a comeback?
Lin Ying didn't know what Kobe was thinking, but he could guess it.
"Didn't Michael come back twice? If the fans heard that you were coming back, who would care about your past? All they care about is,"
Lin Ying paused for a moment when he said this, and then emphasized his tone,
"You're back."
This sentence hits home a bit.
After Kobe was stunned for a while, the word "heartbeat" appeared on his face.
He definitely wants to win another championship, just one more than O'Neal. This can be felt from his performance in the retirement tour season.
One thing that is different from history is that he was not injured, and George was not here when he announced his retirement.
It's just that the words he said would throw away water. It was impossible for him to say the words and then change his mind.
Then he is not Kobe, but James.
And one thing is that he has only retired not long ago, his body shape is still good, and the difficulty of his comeback is also minimal.
If he really wants to come back in two years, the difficulty of what he has to do will increase exponentially.
"I need to go back and think about it."
Kobe was indeed moved, but he did not make a decision on the spot because this was not only his personal matter, but also related to his family, and he also needed to consider the negative impact this would have on him.
Lin Ying smiled and nodded.
He originally did it on a whim. After all, before doing it, he really couldn't imagine Kobe looking like wearing another team's jersey.
But a series of operations by the Lakers made this originally impossible thing become a glimmer of a chance.
He also wanted to look forward to what Kobe would look like in a basketball jersey!
…
"Good news, Seth has agreed to come to Los Angeles!"
In the Lakers' general manager's office, the team's new general manager Rob Pelinka laughed loudly.
After Jenny took charge of the Lakers, she carried out a wave of purges in the management.
It turned out that the team's meritorious general manager Kupchak was kicked out, and he was replaced by Pelinka.
Pelinka is a basketball player, and his experience is quite inspiring. He was a star player in high school but was unable to join the NBA due to physical conditions in college. After that, he worked in the lawyer industry and became a professional agent with his clever mind, and became connected with Kobe Bryant.
When Kobe was deeply involved in the Eagle County Incident, he used his status as a lawyer to help Kobe reduce the negative turmoil and became a person that Kobe trusted.
With Kobe's golden name, his agent's business is booming, and Harden, Iguodala and others have been his clients.
Although there is a dark history like Boozer, generally speaking, his performance in the agent field is still outstanding.
And relying on his relationship with Kobe, he also successfully entered the Lakers management team and climbed up step by step.
What's even more rare is that he is smooth and has a good relationship not only with Kupchak, but also with the people on Jenny's team.
Therefore, Kupchak recommended Pelinka before he left, and it was natural for Pelinka to take over.
Sitting opposite Pelinka at this time is James.
James lives in Los Angeles and contacted Pelinka as soon as he was confirmed to join the Lakers.
Pelinka also respects James, a super new signing, and immediately communicated with him about signings.
Curry Jr. is the player James named.
There are not many free agents left on the free market now. Although Curry performed well last season, he has reached the level where he can play.
But his advantages and disadvantages are obvious. Championship teams cannot play for him, and ordinary teams cannot give him the salary he wants.
This has also led to the end of the free market. Although he has a lot of rumors with several teams, he still has not confirmed his contract.
But precisely because of this, he is now considered a "big-name player" in the free market.
In addition, his three-point ability is very suitable for James, so it is not surprising that James would ask him by name.
Of course, there is another hidden secret. Curry is a former Nets player, and in a sense, he is also a player "abandoned" by the Nets.
He knows the Nets' tactical system and should also be resentful of the Nets.
Adding these points together, he is indeed a perfect fit for the current Lakers.
James showed a hearty smile.
After undergoing several facial surgeries this summer, his appearance has improved a lot and he has been in a good mood.
Now he has become teammates with Davis as he wished, and he is still with the Lakers. The new general manager of the Lakers is still so polite to him.
With these factors mixed together, it was really difficult for him to be unhappy!
After finalizing Curry Jr., the Lakers' lineup next season will be Paul, Curry Jr., James, Davis, and Chandler.
This lineup is fully capable of competing with the Nets!
What he has lost in the past few years, he will definitely get back this year!
After finishing laughing, Pelinka put away his smile, and then looked at James with a serious face:
"I have some bad news here."
"Um?"
James looked at Pelinka confused.
"I heard that there are some conflicts between Kobe and the Lakers. Kobe may become the opposite of the Lakers."
Pelinka has a close relationship with Kobe, and he is the most knowledgeable about Kobe.
He knew that one of the important reasons why James chose the Lakers was Kobe. In "Decision Four", the only person James mentioned was Kobe.
So this matter is also somewhat sensitive.
But James' next reaction surprised him.
James was not as angry as he imagined, but was very calm, as if he had heard something insignificant.
"That won't be a problem, we have to believe in Kobe."
Pelinka smiled coquettishly. He thought James would at least express his stance and talk to Kobe.
It can only be said that he slightly overestimated Kobe's position in James' heart.
Maybe it was just a polite comment. Even if Decision 4 was made now, Kobe's name might not necessarily appear in James' words.
It was a little emotional, but it also gave him a more realistic understanding of James.
After all, it's the same for him. No matter how good or good his relationship with Kobe was in the past, Kobe is already the past tense, and James is his present tense.
…
One week later.
Brooklyn, Barclays Center.
Lin Ying and Durant are training hard again.
Apart from talking about some parenting issues, most of the rest of the time between the two is about training.
Although no one said it, after the Lakers really formed the new Big Three, they still put a lot of pressure on them.
Just after practice, Lin Ying picked up the phone and found a missed call from Kobe Bryant.
He was still a little excited when he saw the phone call.
Of course, he was not the only one who was excited. Durant came over and saw who called, and couldn't help but rub his hands.
Lin Ying has already told him about Kobe.
If I could be lucky enough to play with Kobe for a season, it would be a great blessing in life.
Lin Ying dialed the phone back, and soon Kobe picked up the call.
"Lin, I have one last question. Will Kevin have any objections to my past? You know, no matter what role I play in the team, I will hold my teammates to the highest standards."
Hearing what Kobe said, Lin Ying immediately smiled on his face.
Kobe has probably made his decision, but he still has one final concern.
It's a good thing to have the opportunity to win the fifth championship in his career, but if he doesn't get it but gets a lot of trouble, that's not what he wants.
It is difficult to change a person's personality, especially when Kobe is at this age, so only others can adapt to him, and he cannot adapt to other people's situations.
This is also the reason why he has concerns. He doesn't want to be the sinner that hinders the Nets from completing three consecutive championships.
"I have no problem, Kobe, why should I have a problem!"
Before Lin Ying could speak, Durant could not help but come over and shout.
Kobe was stunned for a moment, obviously he didn't know Durant was next to Lin Ying.
"Kobe, you don't have to worry about this. The atmosphere of the Nets is very good, especially in the past two years. Kevin and I have trained a lot. If you see Nikola's training volume, you will be surprised.
"
Lin Ying also spoke.
Durant made a personal statement, while Lin Ying spoke on behalf of the team.
On this point, he still has the right to speak.
And Kobe can actually feel this, after all, the label of a team is definitely closely related to their core.
Kobe asked this simply because this decision was too big for him personally and he needed to confirm it again.
"Okay, are you guys training together? I'll join you tomorrow."
Kobe didn't hesitate and spoke directly.
tomorrow!
This is very Kobe, once the decision is made, it will be carried out immediately.
Lin Ying felt inexplicably excited after hearing this.
Training with Kobe, he hasn't done that in a long time.
And this time, unlike all previous situations, this time, they are teammates!
This sounds so comfortable, but also so incredible.
…
Before Kobe flew to Brooklyn, news that Kobe was about to sign with the Nets also broke on social media.
This directly shocked the alliance.
There are many reasons for shock. Kobe had just launched a vigorous retirement tour, and he came back just a few months later!
Also, Kobe actually chose to come back to a team other than the Lakers! This made many Lakers fans find it unacceptable.
Because Kobe was an absolutely totem player to the Lakers.
This is even more incredible than when Karl Malone left the Jazz to join the Lakers.
Of course, some fans on social media who had endured it for a long time finally spoke out and began to criticize the Lakers for everything they did this summer.
"If I were Kobe, I would also choose to leave this Lakers, because he is no longer worthy of my love."
Of course, there are a lot of these sounds, but the loudest and loudest one is exactly what Lin Ying expected before:
Chapter completed!