After the Lakers tied the Jazz 2-2, they returned to their home court on the fifteenth to continue their match against the Jazz!
There was quite a bit of attention on this game, especially with Pau Gasol joining the Lakers from the Grizzlies. His partnership with Odom meant the Lakers almost dominated the paint.
This was also why Tang Long wanted to come and watch the Lakers. When Gasol was still with the Grizzlies, his performance was somewhat limited.
Things were different now!
"Tang, I didn't expect you to actually come."
Guo Qiang was a little surprised to see Tang Long. He had only mentioned it casually, but Tang Long actually showed up.
The three entered the stadium. Guo Qiang's tickets were in a middle section, not too far but not too close either.
"Lakers tickets are quite hard to get these days, and the front row tickets were gone long ago."
"It's okay, it's still watching..."
Tang Long was happy to have some peace and quiet. As the players from both sides took the court, Guo Qiang pointed at Sun Yue and said, "I wonder if Sun Yue will have a chance to play in this game."
Guo Qiang really hoped Sun Yue would get some playing time.
After all, a few more minutes in the NBA meant immeasurable experience and growth.
Before coming to watch the game, he and Jonas had visited the Lakers. If this were in China, the other team would definitely have made substitutions to ensure Sun Yue got a few minutes of playing time.
It was hard to say about foreign teams, and Guo Qiang didn't know if the Lakers would give them that courtesy.
"If the Lakers can quickly establish an advantage, he might have a chance to play."
Guo Qiang glanced at Tang Long, understanding him a little better.
This guy was quite pleasant to talk to. Even as one of the NBA stars now, he didn't have that arrogant, condescending demeanor.
If it were someone else, they might not have been so tactful and would have directly said he'd only play in garbage time.
The meaning was the same, but the way it was expressed made a difference in how others felt.
Tang Long truly had high emotional intelligence!
In comparison, the Cavaliers had already advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Tang Long was now the face of the Cavaliers, and the attention he received was, without exaggeration, already subtly surpassing Yao Ming!
Considering Tang Long wasn't a local player, this was even more remarkable.
With a few more players like Tang Long, Long Country's basketball team would surely achieve better results, and winning an Olympic gold medal wouldn't be impossible.
At this point, Guo Qiang was only aiming for a good ranking, and winning a medal would be considered exceeding expectations. He didn't dare to think about the championship trophy yet.
Against the Dream Team of Huaguo (USA), losing by a smaller margin would be considered a win.
As Guo Qiang was musing, the referee blew the whistle to start the game.
From the opening tip-off, the game was an back-and-forth affair. Mehmet Okur's defense on Gasol had clearly been coached by Deron Williams, and his anticipation on defense showed traces of Deron's style.
However, Gasol raised his arms high, Kobe passed him the ball, followed by a hook shot, and the ball went in easily.
Actually, before he gained weight, Yao Ming also found it easy to break through anticipation defense. After gaining weight, he could protect the boards more easily under the basket and had stronger control in the paint, but relatively speaking, he was no longer as agile as before.
In the first quarter, Kobe and Gasol's performances remained at a superstar level.
However, the most eye-catching player was Odom. He was a jack-of-all-trades on the court, capable of playing any position and doing a bit of everything.
His attributes were very well-rounded; he was competent in everything, but not exceptional in any single area.
After Gasol joined the Lakers, Odom transitioned from Sixth Man of the Year to the third option. He was content with his role and understood his positioning clearly.
When Kobe went one-on-one, Odom would set screens for him and also drive to the basket to attract the Jazz's attention before passing the ball to Gasol in the paint.
But Odom also had his own issue: he easily lost concentration during games, which was why he had so many turnovers.
The Jazz clearly realized this, but they were up against an Odom who was playing exceptionally well tonight!
By halftime, the Lakers were leading 61-54 by seven points. Odom had already scored fifteen points in the first two quarters, along with four assists.
The Lakers players were very excited. At this moment, the camera panned to the stands, and the slowly moving shot moved back, finally settling on Tang Long.
The Jazz mascot, shaking its big tail and holding a microphone, walked towards Tang Long.
"Tang, welcome to Salt Lake City!"
Tang Long was very humble in the face of the mascot's interview. After all, you couldn't afford to offend any team's mascot.
Otherwise, if the mascot acted up and disciplined him, the fans would only find it amusing.
The mascot held up the microphone and said, "Tang, let me ask you a question. Who do you think is stronger, Kobe or LeBron?"
Uh?
Was asking this kind of question deliberate provocation?
Jonas and Guo Qiang were stunned.
This was a trick question!
Even the fans were staring at Tang Long curiously, eager to hear his answer. The alluring dance of the cheerleaders was no longer being appreciated.
Time ticked by, and Guo Qiang, standing beside him, started to break out in a sweat.
Tang Long chuckled slightly and said unhurriedly, "Why isn't there me in this list? Are you looking down on me?"
The mascot paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Okay, then I'll rephrase! Tang, who do you think is stronger among Kobe, LeBron, and yourself?"
"Of course, it's me, because my initial comes first in the order of appearance!"
"Tang, you're very humorous!"
The mascot couldn't trap Tang Long. Although feeling a bit displeased, it admired Tang Long's quick wit.
"Don't forget to help me get Kobe's autograph."
"Hahaha..."
The fans burst into laughter.
Tang Long's answer also earned applause from the Salt Lake City fans.
At this moment, Kobe also spotted Tang Long and nodded in greeting from a distance.
At the beginning of the season, Kobe was playing very patiently. After Shaquille O'Neal left, even though the team had acquired the versatile Odom, the Lakers still lacked competitiveness.
Therefore, Kobe had at one point expressed his desire to leave Los Angeles and join another team. This was also the reason the team acquired Gasol before the season ended.
But what Kobe wanted even more was for Tang Long to join his Lakers!
In their previous encounters, Tang Long had demonstrated extraordinary talent and playmaking ability. Later, in the All-Star Game, he single-handedly led the Eastern Conference All-Stars to victory!
Gasol was not bad, but he wasn't as outstanding as Tang Long. In terms of dominance on both ends of the court, one had to admit that Tang Long was superior to Gasol.
After all, during his time with the Grizzlies, he was once known as the "softest player in the league"!
Of course, with Gasol, Kobe no longer pushed the management for a fast-paced offense, and the team went on a winning streak, becoming the Western Conference's top seed in the regular season.
Tonight, against the Jazz, Gasol also contributed a luxurious stat line of 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists with his individual performance!