During the break from the away game, Hayes and Durant were in a relaxed mood at the Hollywood event. The Bobcat executives were not dissatisfied with the actions of the two, and the artists were bold. There's no doubt about the Bobcats' quality, and although their next opponent is the Lakers, a proper amount of rest and relaxation is necessary.

It's hard to say who will win this season's championship. But if you ask who will win the Eastern Conference and Western Conference championships and meet in the Finals, fans agree that it will be the Bobcats and the Lakers.

The two teams in last season's Finals, the Hawks and the Timberwolves, did not change much in their lineups. The Hawks lost in the finals due to the lack of bench players, but after the trade, except for Crawford and Childis, they still did not have a substitute to shoot, and it was difficult to get a bargain on the Bobcats.

Although the Western Timberwolves are still a strong team, they are a little worse than the Lakers. Iverson has not been able to regain his form, averaging 18.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season, shooting 41% from the field and 28% from three-point range. Starting point guard McCantz also missed at least three months with a knee injury. The Timberwolves' interior line has also exposed problems, starting center McDyce is okay, but Mutombo is too old to keep up with the rhythm. Mark Blunt is worse than Mutombo, he's a liability, almost the worst center in the league, and his annual salary is close to $8 million. The Timberwolves no longer have the momentum they had when they won the championship.

As a result, both the Bobcats and the Lakers treat each other as Finals imaginary rivals.

Inside the Lakers' practice court, Kobe Bryant and new signing Jason Carbonoby hit three-point shots. Kobe Bryant never shoots more than 40% of his three-point shots every season, but this does not mean that he can't shoot accurately, but because every shot is under the opponent's strict defense and misses the head. Ray Allen hasn't shot more than 40 percent from three-point range every season, but he's still one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.

Capo's accuracy is unattended. Kobe and Capono shot 100 goals in a row, Kobe Bryant's shooting percentage is still a little worse, Capono is simply accurate and terrifying, 93 of 100 goals, and this is not his best result.

Phil Jackson watched the two shoot and said to Capono, "Good, hopefully against the Bobcats, you'll be as accurate." ”

The Wharton trade for Capono was earned by the Lakers, although Wharton is more comprehensive, but none of his personal abilities are outstanding, and his "all-round" is equal to all-in. And Kapono's three-point shot is one of the best in the league. Jackson gives Capono 10 minutes of playing time every game, and he can also play when the bench players are playing.

The Lakers' roster this season has also been nearly impeccable.

Centre-forwards: DJ Mbembona, Andrew Bynum, Chris Mime.

Power forwards: Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Chris Anderson.

Small forwards: Vladimir Radmanovic, Ron Artest, Trevo Ariza.

Shooting guards: Kobe Bryant, Jason Capo, Sun Yue.

Point guards: Derrick Fisher, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar.

Among them, Sun Yue was sent to the Development League, and Mime has no ball to play, and the club is ready to cut him at any time. The other three fringe men are Brown, Famar and Mbenga. The competition within the team is fierce.

These guys are actually quite good, Brown's physical fitness is amazing, and he has participated in the slam dunk contest. Farmar has a high ball quotient, is a master of blocking and dismantling, has a good grasp of the timing of breakthrough shots, and accurate mid-range shots, but the disadvantage is that his physical fitness is average and his defense is relatively poor. Mbenga doesn't attack and is very good defensively.

Pau Gasol handed Kobe a towel, and Bryant took the towel without lifting his eyelids, wiped his sweat, and sat down next to Gasol. Neither of them said a word.

Pau Gasol has been with the Lakers for half a year, he knows Kobe's habits, he doesn't like to talk, and Gasol is also a person who is not good at words, so although they are the two cores of the team, they are always quiet when they sit together.

The leader in the Lakers' locker room is more like veteran Derrick Fisher. Last year, Fisher returned to the Lakers and signed with his old club again, and Kobe Bryant was hesitant at that time, and the news of his possible departure was spreading very loudly.

Fisher is such a responsible, hard-working veteran. If he hadn't persuaded Kobe, maybe the Lakers would have lost their star by now. Fisher was a catalyst and a great speaker.

Kobe Bryant is more of a fighter.

Two of the biggest names in the NBA league today are Kobe Bryant and Chuck Hayes.

They have never been a rival in the Finals and have never met in a single playoff series. But there is a delicate relationship between them. For an aggressive man like Kobe Bryant, who has made Hayes his biggest rival in life. He has a hunch that this season will be a head-to-head clash between the two of them, with the winner taking hold! The one who loses will be the perfect foil.

The two are both rivals and friends.

Bryant said in an interview that he felt a sense of affinity with Hayes because they had some similarities in terms of surnames, and they both worked hard and refused to admit defeat. When Hayes first entered the league, Kobe Bryant didn't take him seriously at all, and he didn't even know that Hayes existed. And this sudden rise of the man, who helped the Rockets sweep the Lakers in 2007, piqued Kobe's interest.

Since then, Bryant has been keeping an eye on Hayes. The All-Star Game deliberately made the MVP show favor, and Kobe Bryant wanted to pull Hayes to the Lakers and become his partner. But Hayes refused. Kobe Bryant has a new understanding of Hayes, he is a guy who is unwilling to be subordinate. When Hayes moved to the Bobcats, the rivalry between them officially began.

The Lakers received strong reinforcements last season, and the arrival of Pau Gasol gave Kobe Bryant the confidence to challenge for a championship, and at this time, he found that Hayes was improving again. Hayes got the MVP in the regular season and broke the scoring record for an active player in the playoffs. Bryant was surprised to find that Hayes's personal abilities seemed to be above him.

Later, the American Basketball Association linked James and Kobe Bryant together. The two represented the U.S. men's basketball team at the Yenching Olympics, and Bryant, Hayes, and James were appointed captains together and became the leaders of the U.S. team.

During the training camp, Bryant really saw Hayes's strength. Compared to his individual singles ability, Kobe Bryant can beat Hayes. Hayes has too many birth defects, his speed and explosiveness are not strong enough, and the offense can only rely on skill. But putting Hayes on a team is the most terrible player, and he can make five people as one. Bryant didn't win against Hayes once in the group matchup.

At this time, Bryant saw the gap.

They all needed to help each other at that time.

Bryant learned Hayes's inclusive approach as a good team player in training camp and how to better integrate others into the whole. So Kobe Bryant focused on passing and defense at the Olympics, and didn't force shots when the opportunity was bad like in the NBA.

Kobe's lone wolf style of play also inspired Hayes, who often goes head-to-head with Kobe before or after practice, hoping that his outside offensive skills will get better.

Bobcats vs Lakers, no matter which side wins, there will be a team that ends the winning streak. Bryant didn't want to be on the losing side, and he couldn't afford to lose this season. Kobe Bryant is about to turn 30 and hasn't won an NBA title in six years.

Hayes is only 25 years old and has just finished his third season with a championship ring, regular season MVP and All-Star Game MVP.

Bryant has been overwhelmed by Hayes in terms of personal accolades. Although he is often compared to Jordan, he has never won the regular season MVP or the Finals MVP. If he can't get these two honors in these two years, he will get farther and farther away from them as he gets older. This is something that Kobe Bryant does not want to see, and he has to work hard.

Last season, reporters wanted Kobe Bryant to talk about his thoughts on Hayes' MVP. As a result, Kobe Bryant thought for a while and didn't say a word. Finally, Bryant said, "I'm waiting for him in the Finals." ”

After the practice, reporters interviewed Bryant and asked him to share his thoughts on Hayes.

"We have a lot of respect for each other and that respect allows us to play at a high level on the court," Bryant said. I've learned a lot from Chuck this summer, and he's made me stronger! ”

Bryant said he learned from Hayes and asked, "Does that mean he's better than you?" ”

Bryant, of course, won't admit that Hayes is better than himself. He said that learning is the meaning of "there must be my teacher in a threesome". "If it's a one-on-one match, I can beat him," he said. But basketball is not a one-on-one game. Chuck is not without its flaws, either. His bounce is not very good, and if you want to dunk under the basket, you have to build up energy. I think the Lakers will find a way to defend him. We're going to go all out to win this game! ”

The reporter also interviewed Hayes and asked similar questions. Hayes praised Bryant's individual ability, "His mid-range jumper is one of the best, if not the best, in the league right now. After taking two steps, he bogged and turned back to shoot, which is really like (Michael) Jordan...... In terms of playing style, he is the person who most resembles Michael, don't doubt my statement, I often try to play with Michael! ”

The reporter asked, "Who do you think is stronger or Kobe?" ”

"I'm stronger. I can't score points with gravity-defying tricks, but I have a way to get my teammates to do them. I'm going to win the game in my own way. ”

Hayes has always done this, in his own way, using floor flow techniques, using teammates, etc...... Getting a high score one-on-one with a star, and then rolling his eyes and releasing the king's spirit to convince the opponent of this kind of thing, Hayes may be able to do it, but he values the team as a whole more, which is the main reason why he is confident that he is stronger than Kobe!

Kobe Bryant has changed this season. He averaged 24.8 points per game, the lowest in recent seasons, but grabbed six rebounds and dished out 6.6 assists, a career-high number of assists. Kobe Bryant is no longer as independent as he used to be, and there has long been a saying in the league that "Kobe Bryant is not alone, the Lakers are not alone", Kobe Bryant has not heard of it, and his transformation is also because of Hayes.

Kobe Bryant has played in the league for 12 seasons, and although his speed and bounce have decreased, his game experience is absolutely top-notch!

(To be continued)