The interview with the Lakers took place in a second-floor conference room at Staples Center.
When Yang Shuai arrived at the arena, however, he was surprised to find someone waiting to greet him. A storied franchise really did do things differently.
Even better, that person was Cole.
Running into an old acquaintance before the interview helped him relax considerably.
Cole felt the same way, even greeting Yang Shuai with an enthusiastic hug.
"Looks like you're doing well here," Yang Shuai said with a smile.
A bitter smile flickered across Cole's face, though he quickly changed the subject. "I saw the news reports. What happened? If I remember right, your image in the media used to be stellar."
"Remember that scouting report from my interview?" Yang Shuai replied as Cole guided him into Staples Center.
By the time Yang Shuai finished briefing Cole on what had happened, they had already reached the second floor.
"They don't take people like us seriously at all," Cole lamented.
"What do you mean?" Yang Shuai glanced over.
"If you accidentally bump into a stranger, you apologize. But if you crush an ant, it might just be because you didn't like the look of it," Cole said, drawing an analogy.
Yang Shuai instantly understood. The underlying reason LeBron had moved against him was simply that he was far too insignificant to matter.
Yet Cole had said "us." It seemed his own time with the Lakers hadn't been smooth sailing either.
"Do you think the bad press will hurt my chances in the interview?" Yang Shuai asked just outside the office door.
"No," Cole replied without hesitation.
"Have you forgotten how I ended up here?" He offered a reason that left Yang Shuai thoroughly convinced.
A smile crossed Yang Shuai's face, and he turned to knock on the door.
Stepping inside, he found to his surprise that his interviewers included not only Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, but also the owner himself—Jerry Buss!
This was entirely different from his interview with the Rockets. Les Alexander had been present then because it was an interview for the general manager role, and that meeting hadn't been arranged just for him. In fact, based on the interview schedule, he had been the longest of long shots.
Today, however, the interview had been set up exclusively for him.
Yang Shuai could only marvel at how immense Jerry West's influence truly was, particularly with the Lakers, where his legacy ran deepest.
"Which rookie in this year's draft do you think fits the Lakers?" Kupchak opened with the question every interviewer posed to Yang Shuai. After all, his reputation across the NBA stemmed primarily from his scouting acumen.
"You don't need to limit yourself to our current draft position," Kupchak added, knowing the Lakers held plenty of trade assets.
Yet Yang Shuai's response caught Kupchak—and even the elder Buss—completely off guard.
"I don't believe the Lakers need the draft right now. What you need is a trade."
He didn't ask whether the front office was focused on selling tickets or chasing a championship, as he had in Houston. In this league, two franchises could sell tickets in their sleep: the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He immediately laid out his reasoning. "The Lakers haven't made it past the first round in three years. If you can't change the status quo, the first person who won't be able to take it anymore will be Kobe."
He didn't elaborate further. The two men in the room understood the situation far better than he did—the rift between Kobe and Shaq, and Kobe driving O'Neal out only to go on an insane scoring tear to prove he could win a title on his own.
Jerry Buss fixed his gaze on Yang Shuai. "Do you know Kobe?"
Yang Shuai shook his head. The only thing he shared with Kobe was that they both lived in Los Angeles.
"In the past, we've mostly relied on the draft to turn things around—Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, 'Magic' Johnson, James Worthy, George Mikan..." Kupchak rattled off a long string of legendary names. As a former Laker and a general manager who had run the team for six years, he knew the franchise's history better than almost anyone.
"Times have changed, Mr. Kupchak," Yang Shuai countered once Kupchak finally finished his list.
"Changed how?" Kupchak looked thoroughly puzzled.
"In the past, most rookies played out all their years in the NAA before entering the NBA. Even Michael Jordan played three years in college. They entered the league as finished products. Today, talented players spend at most two years in college, often just one, before making the jump."
"Are you saying they carry more uncertainty?"
"No, their development timeline is longer. They are raw diamonds, just like Kobe once was. They need time to grow," Yang Shuai explained patiently. He was finding that compared to the seasoned Carroll Dawson or the open-minded Danny Ferry, Kupchak felt decidedly more mediocre.
In the end, Yang Shuai simply turned his gaze back to Jerry Buss. "And the Lakers have Kobe—a Kobe in his absolute prime. He won't wait forever."
In truth, Kobe had already waited three years—the three peak years of his career.
Besides, he was Kobe Bryant. He wasn't built like Shaq, who could wait around for his supporting cast to mature.
On top of that, the current Lakers roster was simply too weak. Even the most diehard Lakers fan could never have imagined a day when the starting point guard would be Smush Parker.
Jerry Buss's face remained impassive, but he threw out another question: "Who do you think we should trade for?"
"An All-Star in his prime."
"That would mean giving up Andrew."
A trade proposal had in fact already landed on Buss's desk: the New Jersey Nets were willing to send Jason Kidd in exchange for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.
Buss had ultimately turned it down. Kidd's advancing age was part of it, but more importantly, he refused to part with Bynum.
Aside from some emotional immaturity, Bynum looked every bit like the next Shaquille O'Neal, earning him the nickname "Baby Shaq."
Yet acquiring another All-Star without parting with Bynum was virtually impossible for the Lakers—at least for now.
"That's not necessarily true, Mr. Buss." Yang Shuai's response brought a look of surprise to Buss's face for the first time.
"Such as?" Buss's follow-up carried a touch of impatience.
"Such as Pau Gasol in Memphis," Yang Shuai answered precisely, following up with his analysis. "Jerry West built a solid roster in Memphis that took the Grizzlies to three playoff appearances, but they failed to win a single postseason game."
"That softie?" Before Buss could reply, Kupchak couldn't help chiming in.
Just as Yang Shuai had said, Gasol had gone 0–12 as a franchise centerpiece in the playoffs. There wasn't an All-Star with a worse record; he was viewed as entirely soft.
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at Kupchak, Yang Shuai explained calmly, "Some players aren't suited to be the first option, but they make exceptional second options."
He shifted his focus back to Buss. "The Grizzlies traded Shane Battier last season and have fully entered a rebuild. That's also why Jerry West stepped down. Right now, Pau Gasol's trade value is at its absolute lowest."
Buss gave no immediate verdict, only posing the central question: "Can Pau Gasol really help the Lakers?"
Though not as blunt as Kupchak, he clearly harbored doubts about Gasol as well.
"He can," Yang Shuai replied with total conviction. "If Kobe could drag Smush Parker into the playoffs, he can contend for a title with Gasol. His cost to win a championship is lower than almost any other superstar's."
He added, "You understood that back when you traded Vlade Divac for him."
Buss stared at Yang Shuai for a long moment, then broke into a smile.
He hadn't understood why Jerry West would call him, given that the two of them had clashed bitterly over Kobe before West left the Lakers.
Now, though, he saw it. Yang Shuai was a very unique talent.
***
After the interview concluded, Kupchak escorted Yang Shuai out of the office.
Even if Kupchak himself wasn't overly enamored with Yang Shuai, he knew Buss had taken an interest in him, and that was all that mattered.
To survive as general manager for so long in the chaotic Lakers organization, his ability to read the room was second to none.
Naturally, walking Yang Shuai out also gave him the chance to deliver the verdict. "We'll let you know our decision after the draft regarding whether to bring you on as my assistant."
Assistant general manager?
Yang Shuai paused in surprise.
Jerry West hadn't told him what specific role he was angling for. He hadn't expected it to be assistant GM!
That had been his ideal target all along.
Still, not until after the draft?
That meant he wouldn't be able to weigh in on their draft-night decisions.
Then again, even if he were hired on the spot, his input would hardly carry weight right away. NBA teams typically spent a year or two scouting prospects, sometimes tracking players since high school or youth leagues. Why would they alter a board set in stone just because of a few words from a brand-new assistant?
Regardless, it was undeniably great news. At the very least, his prospects of joining the Lakers looked remarkably bright.
And even if he couldn't attend the draft as a member of the Lakers' front office, he would still be on-site—sitting right in the green room as part of Russell Westbrook's inner circle.
Chapter 38