Chapter 93: No Easy Night (Bonus Chapter)

By the time the Lakers left the CoreStates Center, Philadelphia’s celebration had given way to exhaustion. Kobe settled into his seat on the team bus, stretching his legs into the aisle while his teammates continued arguing about the final possession.

“I’m telling you, that screen won the game,” Shaq insisted.

Eddie Jones turned around. “The one where you almost knocked Kobe over?”

“I got him open, didn’t I?”

“You got everybody open. Half of Philadelphia moved out of your way.”

The bus erupted in laughter.

Fisher dropped into the seat beside Kobe. “Forty-six points and a game-winner. Your dad’s going to be talking about this for years.”

“He’ll probably say he taught me that shot.”

“Didn’t he?”

Kobe smiled. “That’s what he’ll tell you.”

Philadelphia had been special. Kobe had returned home, faced Allen Iverson, and delivered a performance his family would remember for years. But the schedule offered little time to celebrate. The Lakers had another game the following night, and Boston was already waiting.

By the time their charter flight departed, most of the team had fallen asleep. Kobe studied the Celtics’ scouting report for another fifteen minutes before closing it.

His legs needed rest more than his mind needed another hour of preparation.

The FleetCenter greeted Los Angeles with boos and the familiar chant of “LET’S GO CEL-TICS! LET’S GO CEL-TICS!”

Kobe paused beneath Boston’s sixteen championship banners during warmups. Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Larry Bird had helped establish one of basketball’s greatest dynasties, and the rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers remained alive even when their records suggested otherwise.

Shaq joined him near the sideline.

“Look at all that green.”

“Don’t like the color?”

“I don’t like anything about Boston.”

Boston played with considerably more energy during the opening half. Antoine Walker attacked from the perimeter, Dino Rađa found openings inside, and Dana Barros punished late defensive rotations. The Lakers struggled to match the Celtics’ pace, their fatigue from Philadelphia becoming increasingly obvious.

Boston led 30–23 after the first quarter and 52–45 at halftime.

In the locker room, Del Harris pointed toward the whiteboard.

“Anybody want to explain why we’re making these guys look like the all time Celtics?”

Nobody answered.

“We’re standing around watching Shaq wrestle three people. Somebody else has to move.”

The timeout adjustments worked. Kobe opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, then found Eddie Jones for another after Boston committed an extra defender toward Shaq. Horry stretched the floor, Bowen pressured the perimeter, and the Lakers began controlling the tempo.

Los Angeles took a 69–64 lead into the fourth quarter and never looked back.

Final score: Lakers 98, Celtics 79.

Kobe finished with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Shaq contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds.

As Kobe approached the tunnel, Red Auerbach called him over.

Auerbach smiled. “You know, we could use somebody like you around here. Ever think about wearing green?”

Kobe glanced toward the banners. “Can’t say I have.”

“Not even for a second?”

“Sorry, sir. Green’s not my color.”

Auerbach laughed.

He shook Kobe’s hand.

“Keep working, hard kid.”

The Lakers left Boston with a 13–2 record.

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Two days later, Grant Hill reminded them that confidence alone wouldn’t win basketball games.

Detroit presented a different challenge.

Hill possessed the size of a forward, the speed of a guard, and the court vision to control an entire offense. He attacked Eddie Jones off screens, pushed the ball in transition, and punished every defensive hesitation.

Shaq kept Los Angeles competitive around the basket, while Kobe concentrated on creating opportunities whenever Detroit collapsed toward the paint.

The Pistons led 58–55 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, their advantage had grown to 84–73.

The fourth quarter became a battle of adjustments. Kobe pressured Hill farther from the basket, fought through screens, and forced Detroit to initiate its offense later in the shot clock. Hill continued scoring, but the Pistons struggled to involve their other players.

Offensively, Kobe used Shaq’s screens to create passing lanes. When Detroit stopped his penetration, he found Shaq rolling toward the basket. When the defense collapsed, Horry and Eddie received open looks.

The deficit disappeared.

Los Angeles outscored Detroit 29–11 in the fourth quarter, winning 102–95.

Shaq finished with 35 points and 11 rebounds. Hill recorded 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Kobe contributed 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 15 assists.

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The Lakers returned home with a 14–2 record.

December opened with another victory.

Los Angeles defeated Denver 92–77 on December 1, pulling away behind Shaq’s interior dominance and the team’s increasingly comfortable offensive rhythm. Kobe finished with 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Shaq added 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Around the league, Michael Jordan received Player of the Month honors for November, while Shaq earned recognition as Player of the Week.

The conversation shifted when a reporter mentioned Gary Payton.

Seattle’s All-Star point guard had apparently promised to make Kobe’s next game considerably less enjoyable. Payton was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and his reputation for relentless pressure and constant trash talk was well established.

“Any response?” the reporter asked.

“Gary’s one of the best defenders in the league,” Kobe replied.

“So you’re worried about getting shut down?”

Kobe smiled but didn’t comment.

Seattle was the defending Western Conference champion, and Payton had built his reputation on making even the league’s greatest guards uncomfortable.

The Forum was packed on December 3. Seattle had reached the NBA Finals the previous season, and with Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, and Hersey Hawkins surrounding Payton, the SuperSonics remained among the West’s most dangerous teams.

But Kobe’s attention was fixed on the Glove.

Payton crowded ball handlers, anticipated their movements, and talked constantly, turning every possession into a confrontation. Kobe respected his defensive ability, but he had no intention of letting it intimidate him.

On the Lakers’ first possession, Payton picked him up near midcourt.

Kobe used a screen, changed direction, and created space near the elbow. His jumper fell cleanly through the net.

The opening quarter became increasingly physical. Payton pressured every catch and bumped Kobe through screens, but Kobe responded by moving without the ball and attacking whenever Seattle’s defense lost its shape.

He scored on a baseline jumper, converted a difficult layup, and found Shaq for a dunk after drawing help.

Payton answered with a steal.

“That’s why they call me the Glove!”

Late in the quarter, Kobe received the ball beyond the arc with Payton directly in front of him. He crossed left, hesitated, and stepped back to create space.

Payton lunged as Kobe released.

The whistle sounded.

The shot struck the backboard and dropped through the rim.

The Forum erupted.

AND-1

Kobe made the free throw, completing the four-point play and giving himself sixteen points in the opening quarter. The Lakers led 28–24.

Seattle responded like a championship-caliber team. Kemp attacked the basket, Schrempf found openings along the perimeter, and Payton began involving his teammates rather than forcing his own offense.

The SuperSonics also sent additional help whenever Kobe attacked. Instead of forcing shots, he moved the ball earlier, finding Eddie on the wing and Shaq near the basket.

Los Angeles led 54–51 at halftime.

“They’re going to pressure you harder,” Harris warned in the locker room. “Don’t let Payton turn this into a one-man game.”

“I won’t,” Kobe answered.

For several possessions, Payton did. He forced Kobe away from his preferred spots, intercepted a pass, and found Kemp for a powerful dunk that brought Seattle’s bench to its feet.

Kobe remained patient.

Then, midway through the third quarter, he caught the ball on the right wing with Payton squared in front of him.

“Where you going?” Payton asked, crouching lower, his arms spread wide. “Show me something.”

Kobe bounced the ball between his legs, crossed right, and hesitated before bringing it back left. Payton stayed with him, his feet sliding across the hardwood, refusing to give him an inch.

“Make a move! Ain’t nobody trying to dance—”

Kobe exploded to his right.

Payton reacted instantly, lunging to cut off the drive.

It was exactly what Kobe wanted.

Instead of following through, Kobe suddenly extended his right arm, pushing the ball out in front of Payton as though he had lost control of his dribble.

Payton took the bait.

He lunged forward, reaching for the exposed ball.

But before his fingers could touch it, Kobe snapped his wrist and dragged the ball back across his body with his left hand, completing a lightning-fast Shammgod.

Payton tried to change direction.

His feet tangled beneath him, his sneakers squealing against the hardwood as he stumbled backward.

He reached desperately for balance, but his right hand slapped the floor, and suddenly the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was looking up at the rookie he had spent the entire night trying to intimidate.

A collective gasp swept through the Forum, followed by a thunderous roar as thousands of fans rose from their seats. Even the Lakers’ bench was on its feet before Kobe released the ball.

Kobe didn’t look down. He didn’t laugh or say a word. He simply took one smooth dribble into the space Payton had abandoned, gathered the ball, and rose into his jumper.

For a heartbeat, the arena seemed to hold its breath.

Swish.

The roar was deafening.

Kobe landed and turned toward the defensive end, his expression almost indifferent. Behind him, Payton scrambled to his feet while the Lakers’ bench exploded, players leaping from their seats and grabbing one another in disbelief.

Shaq nearly stumbled onto the court, both hands clutching his head.

“OH, HELL NAH! SOMEBODY GET THAT MAN OFF THE FLOOR!”

Kobe allowed himself the smallest smile.

Seattle remained within striking distance entering the fourth quarter.

Early in the final period, Payton stripped Fisher and raced toward the opposite basket for a layup.

Kobe called Shaq toward the top of the key, forcing Payton to fight over the screen. When Seattle’s help defender stepped forward, Kobe slipped between them and finished with a two-handed dunk.

The Lakers gradually pulled away. Shaq dominated the glass, Eddie knocked down timely jumpers, and Horry stretched Seattle’s defense.

With three minutes remaining, Los Angeles held an eight-point advantage.

Seattle pressed higher, hoping to force turnovers. Kobe drew two defenders before finding Shaq rolling toward the basket for another dunk.

On the following possession, Payton attacked toward the baseline, but Kobe stayed attached and forced a difficult shot.

The ball bounced off the rim.

Horry secured the rebound and immediately looked upcourt.

Kobe was already running.

He caught the outlet pass with open floor ahead of him. Schrempf retreated toward the basket, attempting to cut off his path, but hesitated when Kobe accelerated.

That moment was enough.

Kobe gathered the ball, launched himself toward the rim, and completed a full rotation before hammering it through with one hand.

For an instant, the Forum seemed to freeze.

Then the crowd erupted.

Shaq was already running toward him.

“THERE GOES THE HIGHLIGHT!”

Across the court, Payton watched the replay on the arena screens. When Kobe glanced toward him, the veteran shook his head before giving a reluctant smile.

Los Angeles closed out a 117–102 victory.

Kobe finished with 35 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Payton managed just 9 points.

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Less than twenty-four hours after defeating Seattle, the Lakers were in Salt Lake City preparing to face the Utah Jazz. Kobe felt the difference during warmups. His legs were heavier, his movements less explosive, and the soreness from the previous night’s game had settled into his shoulders and knees.

Utah offered no sympathy.

John Stockton and Karl Malone had spent years perfecting one of the league’s most reliable offensive combinations. Stockton controlled the tempo with remarkable patience, while Malone punished defenders who failed to recognize screens or arrived late to their assignments.

The Jazz didn’t need spectacular plays. They needed mistakes, and the Lakers made enough of them.

Utah led 49–44 at halftime, repeatedly finding openings through its pick-and-roll offense. Kobe helped Los Angeles respond in the third quarter, attacking the basket and finding Shaq whenever the defense collapsed.

Horry knocked down a crucial jumper, Eddie scored in transition, and Shaq blocked a shot that brought the Lakers bench to its feet.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was tied at 76.

But Utah remained composed.

Stockton continued directing the offense, finding Jeff Hornacek along the perimeter and Malone near the elbow. Every defensive hesitation created an opportunity, and the Jazz rarely wasted one.

Early in the fourth quarter, Utah built a nine-point advantage. Kobe and Shaq fought back, combining aggressive drives with quick passes that forced the Jazz to adjust. Kobe attacked Bryon Russell, drew fouls, and found openings whenever Utah overcommitted toward the basket, while Shaq battled Greg Ostertag for position inside.

With less than two minutes remaining, Los Angeles had reduced the deficit to three.

Kobe drove toward the basket, absorbed contact, and finished through the foul. He made the free throw to tie the game.

The Delta Center erupted as Stockton brought the ball upcourt.

He waited for Malone to establish a screen, then used it to draw the Lakers’ defense toward the middle. Hornacek slipped toward the perimeter, and Stockton found him with a perfectly timed pass.

The three-pointer fell.

Utah regained the lead.

The Lakers answered with a quick basket, but Malone scored again at the opposite end, using his strength to create separation near the elbow.

Los Angeles still had opportunities, but the Jazz protected their advantage through disciplined defense and timely free throws. Kobe’s final attempt to force overtime missed, and Utah secured the rebound.

The buzzer sounded with the scoreboard reading 97–94.

Malone finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Stockton added 18 points and 11 assists.

Their record stood at 16–3, still among the best in the league.

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Across the room, Shaq was unusually quiet.

The Lakers’ next trip would take them to Orlando.

For four seasons, Shaq had been the face of the Magic, helping transform the franchise into a championship contender alongside Penny Hardaway. Now he would return wearing purple and gold, facing the team he’d left behind.

Kobe approached and pulled out a chair.

“You ready to go back?”

Shaq looked up. “Orlando?”

Kobe nodded.

Shaq leaned back, considering the question.

“Been thinking about it all week.”

“You worried?”

Shaq raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

Kobe smiled. “Yeah.”

Shaq laughed, though it faded quickly.

“Not really. It’s just different, you know? Four years there, I made a lot of good memories.”

Whatever emotions awaited them in Orlando, the Lakers would have to deal with them on the court.

But that was for a different day.