Guy scratched his head beside them, a little confused about the nature of their relationship.
Kobe wore a stern face and shot Hansen a glare before turning around and walking back to the court.
"Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you on defense," Guy said, still unclear but resolutely on Hansen’s side.
"No need, I can handle it," said Artest, whose three-point shooting was the only skill that hadn’t declined, but had actually improved. If Guy left him open, he might explode.
And Hansen took a glance at the Anti-Fans System.
At this point, the system showed he had 1.84 million anti-fans.
The number of Kobe fans was terrifyingly high. A final push was all that was needed; he had to "score" in tonight’s game.
After warm-ups ended, both teams’ starting lineups were announced.
Lakers: Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Gasol, Binamu
Grizzlies: Conley, Hansen, Guy, Randolph, Little Gasol
Little Gasol won the jump ball against Big Gasol, giving the Grizzlies the first offensive opportunity.
Randolph received the ball in the low post against Binamu, used a fake move to spin towards the baseline, then spun back to shake off Binamu and score off the board, giving the Grizzlies the lead.
On the Lakers’ side, Kobe didn’t rush to attack, but instead, Gasol took charge and initiated the offense from high post.
Artest drove in for a shot, only to be met with a solid block from Little Gasol.
The Grizzlies launched a fast break, with Guy leading the charge and finishing with a dunk after catching a long pass from the backcourt.
Five minutes into the game, the Grizzlies led 8 to 2.
The crowd’s cheers were nonstop.
Hansen said the Lakers couldn’t build a dynasty, not just because of his transmigrator’s foresight but because he had known since last season that the Lakers were on the decline.
Last season relied on Kobe dragging the team to a championship, and now, after two consecutive titles, the other players’ championship desires had dwindled even more.
Binamu, Artest, all of them, one and all, had seen their performance hit rock bottom.
Kobe, sensing trouble, caught the ball high up the court, backing down Hansen, ready to go one-on-one.
Taunts from the fans began to resonate throughout the arena.
Like when the Knight faced off against the Celtics in the playoffs, Hansen’s words, right or wrong, at least overshadowed the opposing side in terms of momentum.
Hansen, for his part, focused all his attention on Kobe, completely ignoring everyone else.
The Grizzlies’ defense was even stronger than the Cavaliers’ had been, especially since their inside players were a match for the Lakers’ twin towers, so there was no need to worry about Kobe’s penetration and passing.
Indeed, it was the case. Kobe, after sizing up his teammates and finding no opportunity, opted for a quick-stop jump shot at the baseline.
His movement was almost identical to last season, suggesting his high level of training to maintain such performance at his age.
However, while Kobe maintained his offensive level, Hansen was improving his defense.
All kinds of talents, especially "Steel Bones," had enhanced his physical fitness condition, allowing him to keep pace with Kobe’s rhythm.
Kobe was forced to fade back in mid-air to avoid Hansen’s block.
His shot hit the right rim of the basket and veered off, with Randolph securing the rebound.
As Kobe landed, he looked at Hansen with a mix of surprise and disbelief.
He hadn’t expected Hansen’s defense to have improved so much after just one summer. Googlᴇ search 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
He had heard about Grover becoming Hansen’s trainer, but even he had taken a year to see improvement.
Was learning ability Hansen’s greatest talent?
What Hansen had said back then, which had seemed like an excuse to praise him, was looking more like the truth now.
Randolph continued his low post attack, and this time, with a strong effort from Binamu disrupting him, his shot missed the basket. But he managed to tip the ball over Binamu’s head, caught it, and on the second attempt drew a foul from Binamu.
He was extremely aggressive on the offensive tonight.
Randolph made both free throws, bringing the score to 10-2.
Kobe continued to go one-on-one with Hansen, this time opting for a back-down.
He pounded in several times, but Hansen still played a close yet distancing defense, jumping to block Kobe as he turned for the fadeaway shot.
Kobe’s shot barely cleared Hansen’s fingertips.
Clearly, his shot felt off tonight.
On the other side, Randolph kept pushing the low post attack. With the Lakers forced to tighten their defense, Randolph passed to Guy, who blew by Artest and faced Binamu with no fear, driving hard and drawing Binamu’s second personal foul.
The Lakers were forced to sub in Odom for Binamu.
After Guy made both free throws, the Grizzlies led 12 to 2.
Halfway through the opening quarter, the Grizzlies had secured a double-digit lead, and one of the Lakers’ twin towers had already fallen.
Hansen’s claim that the Lakers wouldn’t make it to the finals seemed utterly correct—they looked like nothing more than a paper tiger.
In a critical moment, with the substitute Odom on the court, he shook off Randolph for a cut under the basket, slamming in the pass from Kobe.
This season, the only player for the Lakers whose condition was not only undiminished but had improved, was Odom. He had become the third leading scorer on the Lakers, behind Kobe and Gasol, and was a contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
According to TMZ, his wife Kole Kardashian had set up various poker position rewards to motivate his performance, and it was having a significant effect.
The Grizzlies missed their offensive drive, and on the other end, in the same offensive play, Odom slammed another dunk off Kobe’s pass.
In addition to his personal condition, Odom’s offensive movement speed also restrained Randolph well.