That answer was very Kobe-esque.

The so-called Mamba Mentality is all about going head-on against any opponent, no matter who they are. No backing down, no giving up, no matter how strong you are.

Of course, there's also the fact that Kobe felt he understood Tang Tian well enough because of their contact during the offseason.

"I noticed you were icing your ankles on the sidelines very early on. Are you injured?" the reporter continued.

"Injured? No, I'm perfectly healthy. That's just what I do to relieve ankle fatigue after training," Kobe said calmly.

Before the Lakers and Spurs game, the fan forums were also buzzing with excitement.

Although Kobe was already 34 years old, he was averaging 27 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game this season so far, with a 47% shooting percentage, showing excellent form.

And because of Nash's injury, he was handling both offense and organization, with his assist numbers reaching a career high.

"Kobe is always the number one player in the league. Even though the Lakers are playing badly this season, Kobe is still the king!"

"Go Kobe, 6 billion Kobe fans worldwide are behind you!"

"Smash whatever so-called Defensive Player of the Year, Kobe I only love you!"

…

However, this time the fan forums weren't discussing the game, but were completely taken over by Kobe's die-hard fans.

Kobe's popularity is unparalleled worldwide.

The attendance rate at the AT&T Center also exceeded 70% that night, with many fans coming for Kobe.

And there was a very special figure on the sidelines.

Vanessa Bryant, and her two young daughters.

There were news reports before that Kobe and Vanessa were close to reconciling. Seeing her in San Antonio this time, it seems the news was mostly true.

Before the game, the players from both teams were warming up on the court.

Tang Tian was practicing his shooting when Kobe suddenly walked over.

Having gone through that experience during the offseason, the relationship between the two was pretty good.

Tang Tian and Kobe bumped shoulders in greeting.

He thought Kobe was going to reminisce or thank him for Vanessa's matter.

"I know you've been in good form lately, but trust me, you can't guard me."

But as soon as Kobe spoke, Tang Tian realized things weren't like that at all.

Kobe was here to issue a challenge!

I helped you, and you're still here to challenge me?

Most people just wouldn't do that!

But Kobe is Kobe, for him, the game trumps everything!

"You won't think so after the game."

Tang Tian retorted sharply.

Whether it was Harden before, or Curry, they hadn't fully developed yet, and Wade was playing with injuries, so Kobe's words were the best test for his No-Fly Zone.

Kobe wanted to put aside off-court matters and only talk about on-court matters, so then let's just talk about on-court matters.

Kobe nodded, then turned and went back to his half of the court.

The game was about to start, and the starting players from both sides took to the court one after another.

On the Lakers' side, Nash was still unable to play due to injury, with Blake and Kobe in the backcourt, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol on the front line, and Howard at center.

The Spurs had their regular lineup, Parker and Tang Tian in the backcourt, Duncan and Splitter in the frontcourt, plus Leonard.

Howard won the jump ball against Splitter, giving the Lakers the first chance to attack.

Kobe went to the high post on the right side of the court and held the ball for a post-up.

Tang Tian stuck to him tightly.

After Kobe waited for the weak side players to spread out, he leaned back and chose his signature turnaround fadeaway.

Tang Tian seized the opportunity to jump up and block.

The timing was perfect, and Kobe's shooting angle was very poor.

But he didn't shoot, and using his strong core strength in the air, he slammed the ball directly towards Gasol under the basket with both hands.

Gasol caught the ball, turned around and banked it off the backboard and into the basket over Duncan.

Kobe and Gasol reached out to each other, their teamwork seamless.

However, D'Antoni on the other side of the court frowned slightly.

Although the ball went in, this wasn't the run-and-gun he wanted, this was clearly the Lakers' previous triangle offense.

On the Spurs' offense, Parker directly broke through Blake and hit a pull-up jump shot.

This team really has big problems on defense, except for Howard.

Kobe continued to hold the ball for a post-up in the frontcourt. With Nash out, he was completely handling both offense and defense for the Lakers.

Tang Tian still stuck to him tightly, and after Kobe leaned in, he still chose a turnaround fadeaway.

Tang Tian's interference was enough, and the shot was still very difficult.

This time Kobe chose to increase the arc of his shot.

After the ball crossed a high parabola.

"Clang!"

Missed the rim.

The Spurs attacked the frontcourt, and with the Hammer play, Metta World Peace was too slow and was completely blocked by Duncan, giving Leonard an open three-point opportunity in the corner.

"Swish!"

His shooting form was very similar to Kobe's, but the difference was that he made this shot.

5 to 2, the Spurs scored on plays in two consecutive possessions.

These two possessions at the start became a microcosm of the first five minutes for both sides.

The Lakers' defense was terrible, and the Spurs scored on every half-court possession.

But conversely, the Lakers' half-court offense was basically just Kobe attacking or passing, and it wasn't very efficient.

After five minutes, the score on the court was 12 to 5, and the Spurs had already taken a 7-point lead.

Under Tang Tian's high-pressure defense, Kobe was 1 for 4 and only had 2 points and 1 assist.

"Run! Run!"

D'Antoni finally couldn't sit still at this time, and shouted at the players on the sidelines.

The Lakers had no chance playing half-court offense like this. The Lakers could only bring out their talent by going head-to-head.

Gasol caught Blake's pass in the frontcourt and made a quick shot at the free throw line.

The Lakers were clearly speeding up the pace.

Parker's layup in the frontcourt was blocked by Howard, and the Lakers got possession.

The Lakers seemed to be gaining momentum.

Kobe caught Blake's pass in the frontcourt and directly chose to shoot a three-pointer.

"Clang!"

But as soon as the ball left his hand, it was directly blocked out of bounds by Tang Tian's swat.

A burst of cheers erupted in the arena.

"Holyshit!"

The block came somewhat suddenly, and it was very violent, the commentators on the sidelines couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

Tang Tian took a breath after landing from the block.

Finally, he blocked him.

Although his defense had been pretty good in the several possessions at the start, he hadn't been able to get a block. This time he jumped with all his strength and finally showed the power of the No-Fly Zone.

After catching his breath, Tang Tian then straightened his index finger at the audience, and then shook it from side to side.

Finger wag!

Here it comes again!

The emotions of the fans in the arena directly exploded.

As home fans, this kind of showboating was just too awesome!

D'Antoni on the sidelines immediately went ballistic, rushing to the referee and yelling loudly.

The referee didn't call it.

They didn't want to call it at all.

On the contrary, D'Antoni's roaring approach drew a warning whistle from them.

Kobe looked very unhappy.

He was blocked, and he was provoked!

Tang Tian shook his finger and didn't pay much attention to Kobe's expression.

Kobe issued the challenge himself.

Then he couldn't hold back.

You want to put aside off-court and talk on-court, then I'll talk on-court with you!

You want to fight, then I'll fight!

As he spent more time transmigrating, Tang Tian lived younger and younger, and many things came from his first feeling!

The Lakers inbounded the ball from the sideline, and Gasol held the ball high and prepared to shoot.

"Give me the ball!"

But at this moment he heard Kobe shouting loudly.

Kobe was desperately calling for the ball while leaning on Tang Tian.

Obviously, after being provoked by Tang Tian, ​​his Mamba attribute came out.

Gasol passed the ball over.

Tang Tian also put his whole heart into defense at this time.

He responded to Kobe with a block and a finger wag, on the one hand, it was a response to Kobe's challenge, and on the other hand, it was to provoke Kobe.

No-Fly Zone is different from the catch-and-shoot three-pointers of the past. Catch-and-shoot three-pointers require more off-court training, but No-Fly Zone requires more practical training.

The more games he plays, the stronger the opponent, the faster he can master this ability!

The Lakers played fast earlier, and there were still about 15 seconds left in this possession, enough for Kobe to complete the offense.

The Lakers players on the court also识趣 (shí qù, sensible) spread out the space.

At this time, let alone D'Antoni, even if Phil Jackson came, he couldn't stop Kobe's desire to play one-on-one!

Continuous post-ups, sudden turnaround breakthroughs.

Kobe's entire offensive rhythm was very strong, and he was really going all out this time.

But Tang Tian was also going all out, he blocked Kobe's breakthrough route to the basket.

Kobe stopped the ball and directly chose his signature fadeaway jumper.

This is a shooting move he shares with Michael Jordan.

The pose is beautiful.

However, Tang Tian predicted his movement, and the block that came out was like a遮天蔽日 (zhē tiān bì rì, blocking out the sky and the sun).

He forcibly increased the amount of lean-back in the air using his excellent core strength, increased the shooting arc, and then shot.

34-year-old Kobe still has a very good back!

The ball flew past Tang Tian's fingertips and spun towards the basket.

"Clang!"

Missed!

This ball was too difficult!

Duncan grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Lakers' offense came back empty-handed!

The Spurs attacked the frontcourt, and the Hammer play created another opportunity, Tang Tian caught the ball and shot a three-pointer at the arc.

"Swish!"

With Masked Man (referring to the mask Tang Tian was wearing), he can go all out on both offense and defense in the first half.

15 to 7!

The point difference was拉大 (lā dà, widened) to 8 points!

The Lakers attacked the frontcourt, and as soon as Blake arrived, he saw Kobe reaching out to him for the ball.

Kobe held the ball and attacked Tang Tian again.

This time he held the ball and attacked the basket.

But Tang Tian knew Kobe's ability to finish at the basket very well, and he just wouldn't let him go to the basket.

If it was peak Kobe, Tang Tian definitely couldn't stop that kind of instant explosiveness, but 34-year-old Kobe couldn't get past!

Kobe 급정거 (geu jeong geo, abruptly stopped) for a jump shot.

Tang Tian didn't reach out and jump.

Kobe had a more comfortable shooting opportunity this time.

The ball left his hand.

The pose is still beautiful.

"Clang!"

Still missed!

He was very anxious to score over Tang Tian, ​​and he really wanted to help the team quickly continue scoring.

But this kind of anxiety affected his own rhythm, and when an opportunity finally appeared, he missed the shot instead.

Duncan grabbed another defensive rebound, and his rebound numbers increased during this period.

The Spurs attacked the frontcourt, Tang Tian caught the ball and shot a three-pointer, attracting Artest's help defense, he directly passed a bounce pass to Leonard who was cutting to the basket, and the latter scored a layup.

Howard didn't move on this play.

"What are you doing?!"

Kobe roared at Howard.

Howard ignored Kobe, he hadn't touched the ball from the start until now, and he was a little tired of playing.

Kobe kept talking to Howard, but Howard just turned a deaf ear.

Blake held the ball to the frontcourt, Kobe called for the ball again, and it was still a one-on-one against Tang Tian, ​​without even calling for a pick-and-roll.

Kobe wrote this in his future autobiography *The Mamba Mentality*: The scouting report said that I was not tough enough. I was hit hard by my opponent on a layup in the game. The opponent thought he had taken care of me. However, I will be back in the next possession and rather take the offensive foul. I will also fight back.

This is his Mamba Mentality, just like he said to the media, "I would rather go 0 for 30 than 0 for 9."

Kobe's choice after being defended by his opponent in the next possession must be to continue to challenge this opponent until he succeeds.

Continuous changes of direction, turns, sudden stops, large lean-backs.

Kobe used all his skills this time, shooting with a high arc against Tang Tian's defense.

"Clang!"

Missed!

"Clang!"

Missed!

"Clang!"

Missed!

…

This became the main theme of Kobe's first quarter tonight.

Tang Tian tried his best, and it was difficult for Kobe to gain an advantage in one-on-one situations.

It wasn't until his 12th shot in this quarter that he finally made a basket.

2 for 12, his shooting touch was ice cold!

After the first quarter, the Lakers were already trailing the Spurs by as much as 15 points, 15 to 30.

D'Antoni tried to adjust after Kobe went off to rest, but the Lakers' terrible defense made all of this empty talk.

In the end, the Spurs defeated the Lakers 110-87 at home, handing their opponents their 9th loss of the season.

Duncan had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Splitter had 10 points and 13 rebounds, Parker had 22 points and 7 assists, and Ginobili and Leonard each had 15 points.

Tang Tian had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Although the mini five-double stats were not continued, his defense against Kobe tonight was the biggest key to the team's victory.

Kobe was 9 of 31 from the field, making 22 missed shots in a row, with only 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Howard had 8 points and 8 rebounds, Gasol had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Artest was 2 of 15 with 6 points and 5 rebounds, and Blake had 15 points and 5 assists.

After the game, Howard once again left the arena early, and he looked very unhappy.

Kobe walked to the sidelines to greet Vanessa, and his steps seemed a little staggering.

The game ended, and Tang Tian just came out of the locker room after taking a shower.

"Tang, someone is looking for you."

As soon as he came out, a staff member came out and said to him.

"Who?"

"Don't know, a woman, with a very nice figure."

The staff member was wearing cleaning clothes, so they must be cleaning.

A woman? Is it Olsen?

Tang Tian reacted instinctively.

Speaking of which, the last time he and Olsen fought all night, although it felt very good, it was still a little lacking.

For that kind of thing, in addition to hardware, software must also be developed.

It just so happened that he was in a good mood after winning the game tonight, and if Olsen came, he could just unlock some new scenes.

Well, he can think about what new scenes are good.

It seems that the car has good space, and by the way, the balcony of the apartment also has a good view...

He started to change clothes while whistling.

"Tang, in a good mood?" Splitter said at this time.

"You grabbed so many rebounds, aren't you also in a good mood?" Tang Tian said with a smile, he was really in a good mood.

"I think you're going to be working hard tonight." As someone who's been there, Dio quickly said.

"Hehe!"

Tang Tian gave him a hehe face, put on his clothes, greeted the others, and then left the locker room.

Walking to the lounge, the words Elizabeth were already on his lips, but he couldn't shout them out.

Because the person sitting there was not Olsen, but Vanessa!

Kobe's wife.

Vanessa has a high profile, but not to the point where everyone knows her.

It's normal for a cleaner not to recognize her.

It's just a pity those scenes… thought about them for nothing.