Dare to Dream, Dare to Act

Stepping out of the airport, Yang Shuai wasted no time hailing a cab and heading straight for Luwan Gymnasium. The Lakers had no access to the detailed itinerary for Kobe Bryant's tour in China, but some public information was available—such as his scheduled fan interactive event today at Luwan Gymnasium. Without an exact timetable, though, catching him was entirely a matter of luck. Two kilometers away from the arena, Yang Shuai had no choice but to get out and proceed on foot; traffic ahead was completely gridlocked, and cars couldn't budge an inch. Even on foot, the sheer density of the crowd was overwhelming. As far as the eye could see, people were swarming toward the arena like ants marching back to their nest. Yang Shuai looked around and spotted scores of fans clad in Kobe's Lakers jerseys, with many hoisting signs in support of him. It seemed his luck wasn't bad after all. Swept along with the human tide, it took him a full twenty minutes to cover one kilometer, and once he got within a few hundred meters of the gymnasium, forward progress ground to a dead halt. The scene made Yang Shuai feel suffocated—in the literal sense. Both sides of the avenue were packed shoulder to shoulder, with people even climbing trees along the green belts to stake out viewing spots. Mind you, it was July, the scorching peak of summer. Yao Ming had blown open the doors to the Chinese market for the NBA, and Kobe was its greatest beneficiary. Over the past two seasons, the Lakers had struggled mightily, but Kobe's eighty-one-point performance and his single-season scoring average of 35.4 points had cemented his global stature. On top of that, Kobe genuinely loved visiting China and engaged enthusiastically with the fans. As a result, NBA stars touring China essentially fell into two categories: Kobe, and everyone else. At this moment, Yang Shuai felt that reality with full force. Yet he also realized that attempting to speak with Kobe amid such an ocean of people was downright impossible. Shielding his eyes from the blinding glare, he scanned the crowd until his gaze locked onto an avid fan in a number 8 Kobe jersey, who was braving the blazing sun while holding high a sign that read: "Kobe, I Love You!" Yang Shuai squeezed his way forward with great effort, eventually coming to a stop next to the man. "Bro, I came all the way from Shenzhen. Has Kobe gone inside already?" Yang Shuai greeted him with an anxious look. "He went in a long time ago. I reckon it'll be at least another hour before he comes out." The fan glanced at Yang Shuai before turning back. An hour... Waiting like this under the sweltering sun, Yang Shuai couldn't help but admire the fans' sheer endurance. "Well, that's not too bad, just an hour. Did you miss out on floor tickets too?" Yang Shuai's remark made the man turn around again, though this time with a broad smile on his face. Hearing that, he clearly took Yang Shuai for another die-hard Kobe loyalist. Waiting around was boring anyway, and once Yang Shuai struck up the conversation, the two hit it off immediately. Sensing the right moment, Yang Shuai casually brought up the hotel: "With this many people, getting an autograph here is pretty much hopeless. By the way, are you heading to the hotel tonight?" "Of course! How often do you get a chance like this?" the man replied without hesitation. "Which hotel was it again? I remembered it this morning, but rushing all the way here in this heat has got my head spinning." Yang Shuai wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke; the sweat was real, and the heat was truly punishing. "The Portman!" The fan gave him a look as if to say, *How could you forget that?* "Oh right, the Portman! The moment you mentioned it, it came right back to me." Yang Shuai tapped his temple. "You aren't coming down with heatstroke, are you? Better go find some shade," the man said warmly. "Good point. I'll head under that tree over there." Yang Shuai bade the man goodbye, then slowly wriggled his way out of the dense crowd. Once clear, he retraced his steps until he spotted an available taxi, quickly hailing it to leave. The driver was a local. After a brief chat, Yang Shuai learned that "the Portman" referred to The Portman Ritz-Carlton, a luxury five-star hotel chain based in the United States. A little over half an hour later, Yang Shuai stood outside the hotel. Heading straight for the front desk, he reached into his bag and produced his business card along with his Lakers credentials. "My flight was delayed. Could you book me a room on the same floor as Kobe Bryant?" The hotel chain was headquartered in Maryland, and after taking some time and effort to verify his identity, the staff member checked him into a room on that floor. Yang Shuai took a quick shower in his room, set an alarm for one hour, and lay down to rest. His dizziness earlier hadn't been entirely an act; combining jet lag with intense exposure to the sun really could cause heatstroke. He didn't know how long he slept before a rising commotion woke him up. The hotel's soundproofing was actually quite good, but it was simply no match for the sheer volume of the noise outside. It took him a moment to clear his head. Checking his phone, he realized he had been asleep for nearly two hours. He washed his face and cracked open the window, only to discover that the hotel was already surrounded by fans. Looking down from his vantage point, people were even hanging off the trees, just like what he had seen earlier. It seemed Kobe would be arriving back soon. About half an hour later, the crowd erupted into a roar. Kobe's transport had arrived. Kobe was traveling on a tour bus that, by protocol, should have driven directly into the hotel's private entrance. But perhaps moved by the fans' overwhelming passion, he stepped off right outside the main doors. And it was at that very moment that Yang Shuai saw Kobe for the first time since transmigrating. Compared to how he looked on television broadcasts, Kobe was conspicuously broader and more muscular. Even looking down from above, he gave the impression of a solid block of iron. No wonder old-school fans often waxed nostalgic; this era had far fewer ticky-tack whistle fouls, and without elite physical strength, putting up explosive scoring numbers was virtually impossible. Kobe was extraordinarily gracious with his Chinese fans. He stayed outside signing autographs and taking photos for over half an hour before finally stepping inside the hotel. Timing it carefully, Yang Shuai walked out of his room. After waiting a short while, he saw Kobe's entourage emerge by the elevator lobby. The bodyguards stepped out first, moving immediately to intercept and usher Yang Shuai away the moment they spotted him. But seeing this, Kobe waved them off. "Are you looking for an autograph?" Kobe asked with a smile, looking at Yang Shuai. Yang Shuai shook his head, holding out his business card to introduce himself: "I'm Hanson, assistant general manager of the Lakers. Since I was only recently hired, we haven't met yet." Kobe took the card and examined it, his smile gradually replaced by a frown. "I've heard of you. Did Kupchak send you here?" Yang Shuai nodded. "Could we speak for a few minutes? It's about upgrading the roster. It won't take much of your time." Kobe had been ready to decline flat out, but when he heard the words "upgrading the roster," his eyes flashed with interest. He nodded, then signaled for Vanessa to head back to their room first. Evidently, Kobe's trade demand hadn't been about a genuine desire to leave; it was leverage to force the front office to improve the roster. Yang Shuai had read the situation with pinpoint accuracy. The hotel had an executive lounge. They headed upstairs, ordered two cups of coffee, and settled into a quiet table near the window where few people were around. "How did you track me down?" Kobe asked curiously after sitting down. Yang Shuai didn't hide anything and gave a brief account of how he found him. After listening, Kobe nodded. "Sounds like they didn't hire the wrong guy after all." That was as good as an endorsement of Yang Shuai's capabilities. "Let's hear it, then. How do you guys plan on upgrading the roster?" Kobe took a sip of his coffee and leaned back into the sofa with an air of casual detachment. To him, the fact that Yang Shuai had brought this message meant his pressure tactics had worked, and that he had already emerged victorious in this standoff. "Actually, it's not 'we.' It's me." Yang Shuai's answer froze Kobe in his tracks. He sat bolt upright, staring at Yang Shuai with disbelief in his eyes. What was this? The personal thoughts of a lowly assistant GM? What weight did that carry? "During my interview with the team back in May, with both Mr. Kupchak and Dr. Buss present, I proposed that we trade for Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies, because that was the greatest upgrade the Lakers could make at the lowest possible cost," Yang Shuai said briskly, wasting no time. "Yet they didn't do it, just like how they turned down the Nets' proposal," Kobe scoffed coldly. Yang Shuai, however, picked up on something beneath Kobe's words: Kobe didn't think of Gasol as soft like so many others did, or else he would have scoffed at that trade proposal instead. History would bear that out as well. Even when Gasol was overwhelmed by Kevin Garnett in the 2008 Finals, Kobe never once criticized Gasol for failing to step up. "Frankly speaking, I don't believe the Nets' offer was a good choice. Jason Kidd is without question an all-time great point guard, but trading for him would gut the Lakers' frontcourt. With Gasol, however, the Lakers can keep Andrew Bynum and even Lamar Odom." Kobe had been venting his frustration at management, but hearing that, he couldn't help letting out a chuckle, on the verge of calling it an outright impossibility. "In this year's draft, the team found a steal in the second round: Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol's younger brother." Yang Shuai opened his backpack and took out a video camera containing footage he had shot of Gasol facing off against the Trail Blazers, focused primarily on his matchup against Greg Oden. Kobe took the camera and watched. For a player of his caliber, evaluating someone's game required only a brief look. "Marc played two years of high school basketball in Memphis, so the Grizzlies know him very well. On top of that, he put up eighteen points and eleven rebounds in his first game against Portland. Barring anything unexpected, he's going to have a stellar Summer League. Building a package around him along with future first-round picks gives us a real chance to pry Pau Gasol away from the Grizzlies. As you know, his public reputation is at an all-time low right now, and there are rumblings of tension between him and the Grizzlies' new general manager, Chris Wallace." Kobe rubbed his chin, lost in thought. If such a deal truly materialized, it would indeed resolve the current deadlock perfectly, because the core dispute between him and Jerry Buss centered entirely on Bynum. Dr. Buss believed Bynum could become the next Shaquille O'Neal. While Kobe agreed that Bynum had decent talent, comparing him to Shaq was an insult to Shaq. Fierce as his feud with Shaq had been, Kobe had never once underestimated O'Neal's sheer dominance. "That is my first option, and the one with the higher probability of success," Yang Shuai continued. Snapping out of his thoughts, Kobe looked at Yang Shuai. By the sound of it, there was another plan? Yang Shuai held Kobe's gaze and said measuredly, "My second option is trading for Kevin Garnett."