Chapter 149: Kobe's Tragi-Comedy

He Xinghui did not attend the post-match press conference.

Having gone every single time, he had long since grown tired of it.

Besides, he hadn't scored many points in this game; only a single dunk could be considered a highlight reel, and there was nothing particularly worth boasting about. Furthermore, he needed to leave some opportunities for his teammates, to give them a bit of the spotlight. Otherwise, his teammates would genuinely start harboring resentment.

In the end, Cassell, Mobley, and Kaman went to the press conference. Their theme for this occasion was "team," emphasizing how they secured the victory through collective strength.

He Xinghui's absence allowed Johnson to escape by the skin of his teeth, though this wasn't really a cause for celebration for him. It merely demonstrated that He Xinghui hadn't taken him seriously at all and didn't even bother to come humiliate him. Sometimes, the truth hurts just as much.

The next day, the headlines of the sports news sections finally lacked news about He Xinghui. This suddenly left quite a few fans feeling unaccustomed. Fortunately, tucked away in the secondary sections, they spotted reports about He Xinghui posterizing Carter and the Clippers crushing the Nets.

While the Clippers were winning, their cross-hall rivals, the Lakers, suffered yet another defeat, plunging into a two-game losing streak. They lost to the Grizzlies with a score of 99 to 100. Kobe's 36-point performance couldn't save the team, as everyone else on the roster fell into a slump. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol of the Grizzlies put on an exceptional display, racking up 31 points and 11 rebounds.

After the match, Kobe threw a fit in the locker room. Entering February, his average points per game had already reached 40, yet the team's record stood at 4 losses out of 7 games. At first glance, that might not seem too terrible. However, it all depends on the comparison. Compared to teams still struggling for a playoff spot, it was naturally passable. But if the goal was a championship, such a record was clearly unacceptable. They struggled to even break even against ordinary teams and collapsed entirely when facing powerhouse opponents.

Upon returning to Los Angeles following the game, Kobe immediately began extra training sessions, partly as a way to vent his simmering fury.

Just then, Mitch Kupchak sought him out.

"Kobe, I have some good news for you." Kupchak smiled, anticipating that if this upcoming trade went through, he would once again shine brightly in the spotlight.

"Hell, what good news could there possibly be right now?" Kobe retorted, his voice laced with grievance.

"Kobe, I know you're anxious. But don't worry, in a short while, you'll be getting a very powerful helper," Kupchak said.

"Oh, who is it?" Hearing news of a trade finally piqued Kobe's interest.

"Pau Gasol. What do you think, pretty good, right? But it's not finalized yet, so you'll need to keep it confidential," Kupchak said.

Ever since Kobe's recent defeat against He Xinghui, he had lost his temper with the front office, demanding they trade for better assistance. Although Kupchak was deeply annoyed, he had no choice but to follow the owner's orders and actively work the phones. He got lucky and made contact with Pau Gasol, who was eager to come to Los Angeles.

"Who are we trading for him? We can't give up Odom; he still provides a lot of help," Kobe asked, excitement mingling with apprehension. He was thrilled because Pau Gasol was exceptionally skilled, but worried about what assets they would have to give up.

"Don't worry, my plan is to send Brown and some draft picks," Kupchak said with a smug expression.

Being the general manager of the Lakers came with certain distinct advantages over managing other franchises, primarily because the allure of the Lakers to star players was immense. If Pau Gasol hadn't desperately wanted to come to Los Angeles and actively pressured the Grizzlies' front office, Memphis would never, in a million years, have agreed to trade Gasol for Kwame Brown. But once Gasol made his intentions clear, the Grizzlies found themselves in an extremely awkward position.

"That's not bad at all."

Kobe was finally satisfied. He had never liked Kwame Brown anyway, meaning this was essentially acquiring an All-Star player with practically zero losses—an absolute steal.

Just at that moment, Kupchak's phone rang.

"What? Jerry, you can't do this! You can't do this, you gave me your word!" Kupchak howled into the receiver.

What on earth had happened?

Nearby, Kobe felt a sudden surge of unease.

Rewinding the clock back by a few hours, in Memphis:

A fierce argument had erupted inside the Grizzlies' management office.

"Jerry, you can't do this. We all know you have a soft spot for the Lakers, and we can understand your sentiment. But you are the general manager of the Grizzlies now; you have to protect the interests of the Grizzlies," argued Austin, a member of the Grizzlies' front office, stepping forward.

He had been against the trade with the Lakers from the beginning because it was far too lopsided against them. It was only because Gasol was determined to leave that Austin had reluctantly gone along with Jerry West's proposal.

However, just moments ago, he had received a far superior offer.

The Clippers wanted to trade Brand to the Grizzlies in exchange for Pau Gasol.

This was Elton Brand we were talking about—a ferocious beast averaging 24.7 points and 10 rebounds. Pau Gasol was only averaging 20 and 9 at the time! Purely comparing the numbers, the Grizzlies would be making out like bandits. As for Kwame Brown, his current stats sat at a mere 7 and 7—completely out of his league.

Yet, despite such an obvious disparity, Jerry West was still intent on pushing through the trade with the Lakers. This was something Austin simply could not stomach, leading him to openly defy his superior.

"Austin, don't forget that the Lakers still have two first-round draft picks," Jerry West said, maintaining a calm exterior while internally sighing.

If not for his deep emotional ties to the Lakers, and if not for the Lakers' owner begging him for a favor, he would never, under any circumstances, have agreed to trade Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown. Originally, everything had been progressing smoothly. Who the hell could have predicted that the Clippers would suddenly lose their minds and offer Brand for Gasol? Only a brain-dead moron like Elgin Baylor would pull a stunt like that.

"Jerry, put Kobe, Gasol, and Odom together—how bad do you think their record could possibly be, and what kind of players could they possibly draft with their late first-round picks? Meanwhile, Brand is sitting right here in front of us, a bona fide cornerstone. We have no justification for turning down such a foundational piece," Austin vented furiously.

Back then, nobody knew that injuries would eventually derail Brand's career, so the prevailing consensus was overwhelmingly that Brand was superior to Gasol.

"If Brand is a franchise cornerstone, why are the Clippers trying to cast him off?" Jerry West sneered.

"That's because they have a better He, and because Brand proactively requested a trade. Elgin only did this because he had no other choice," Austin countered point-blank.

In truth, he wanted to use this opportunity to strip away Jerry West's mask of serving the enemy while harboring loyalty to his former home. Perhaps the owner would fire Jerry West as a result, allowing Austin to step up and claim the general manager position.

"Jerry, if you insist on pushing through this trade with the Lakers, we will have no choice but to consult the owner directly," other members chimed in with objections.

Jerry West's actions had simply crossed the line. Rejecting Brand in favor of Kwame Brown—was that something any sane person would do?

"Let me think about it some more," Jerry West conceded, forced to compromise.