69novels Chapter 15: Kobe's endorsement goes viral online.
Chapter 15: Kobe's endorsement goes viral online.
The entire Oracle Arena fell into a deathly silence.
More than 20,000 spectators held their breath, their eyes glued to the two men on the court. All the cameras were pointed at them; in the live broadcast, Kobe and Lin Hao stood face to face, the atmosphere incredibly tense.
Everyone remembers Kobe's cold words before the game, "Internet celebrities don't deserve to play in the NBA." They remember Lin Hao scoring 4 points over Kobe with his signature fadeaway jumper in the first half. They remember Lin Hao playing through injury for a full 40 minutes and scoring 38 points, almost single-handedly defeating the defending champion Lakers.
Nobody knows what Kobe will say next. Will he continue to mock him, or something else entirely?
Lin Hao looked up at Kobe in front of him, his face expressionless, only slightly out of breath, sweat streaming down his face. He was prepared to accept whatever Kobe said.
Kobe stared at him for a full three seconds, and the cold expression on his face finally began to soften.
He lowered his arms and extended his right hand toward Lin Hao.
"You're not bad." Kobe's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire court. "I take back what I said before."
One sentence, and the whole place erupted!
A deafening roar of applause and cheers swept through the Oracle Arena once again! The audience jumped up like madmen, shouting and clapping their support signs, the sound deafening!
No one expected that the proud and stubborn Black Mamba would actually bow down to a rookie, take back his previous words, and give his approval!
Lin Hao stared at Kobe's outstretched hand for a moment, then grinned, reached out, and shook hands with him tightly.
"Thanks," Lin Hao said with a smile. "But your fadeaway jump shot is really effective. I'll borrow it again next time."
Upon hearing this, Kobe's lips curled into a rare smile, all his previous coldness and anger vanishing. In all his years of life and NBA experience, he had seen countless exceptionally talented rookies, but he had never seen a rookie with Lin Hao's basketball IQ, ruthlessness, and tenacity.
He played through injury for a full 40 minutes, scoring 38 points despite being constantly guarded by the opponent, showing no fear even in the final moments. Such an opponent deserves his respect.
"You've got guts." Kobe patted Lin Hao on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Next time you score with my moves, I won't let you get away with it so easily."
"I'm always ready." Lin Hao nodded with a smile.
The two let go of each other's hands, and Kobe turned and walked back to the Lakers' bench. O'Neal came up to him, patted Kobe on the back, and said in Chinese with a smile, "Suona! Friend!" which made the surrounding players laugh.
Lin Hao stood on the field, looking at the audience cheering for him, and waved with a smile.
He did it.
With one game, he silenced all his doubters, earned Kobe's respect, and won the approval of the entire audience.
Back in the locker room, his teammates immediately surrounded him, patting him on the back and cheering wildly, celebrating like madmen. Although they had lost the game, in their hearts, Lin Hao had won.
Richardson scooped Lin Hao up in his arms, lifting him high in the air, and shouted excitedly, "Canned Food Bro! You're fucking awesome! You beat Kobe to a pulp! From today onwards, you're my boss!"
"That's right! Canned Food Guy is our boss!"
His teammates immediately joined in, their eyes filled with admiration and worship as they looked at Lin Hao.
Previously, while they acknowledged Lin Hao's abilities, they still somewhat thought of him as just a second-round pick, a social media influencer who gained fame through his suona playing. But now, they were completely convinced. This Northeastern kid not only had talent and intelligence, but also an unimaginable tenacity and ruthlessness. Such a person deserved to be their leader.
Lin Hao was held in their arms, wincing in pain and repeatedly yelling, "Don't hug me! Don't hug me! My legs hurt! Be gentle! My legs are going to break!"
His teammates then realized what was happening and quickly put him down. The team doctor rushed over and applied an ice pack to his ankle, muttering, "You're really reckless," but his eyes were full of admiration.
Just then, the locker room door was pushed open, and a group of reporters rushed in, shoving microphones and cameras in front of Lin Hao, surrounding him completely.
The post-game interview was moved directly to the Warriors' locker room.
The first reporter eagerly spoke, his voice brimming with excitement: "Lin Hao, congratulations on your epic rookie debut! You scored 38 points and even earned Kobe's approval. What are your thoughts?"
Lin Hao leaned against the locker, holding a can of yellow peaches in his hand. He grinned at the microphone, and his authentic Northeastern accent came through the microphone: "Nothing much to say, except that before the game, some people said I was just an internet celebrity and didn't deserve to play in the NBA. Today I want to tell him, and all those who look down on me, that internet celebrities can play in the NBA, and that Chinese people can play well on the NBA court."
His words drew laughter from the surrounding reporters, who snapped photos incessantly.
Another reporter squeezed in and asked, "Lin, your scoring efficiency tonight was extremely high, and your offensive methods were also very diverse. Many fans say that your scoring style is like the 'pig stew' from Northeast China—it looks simple and unpretentious, but every move is deadly. What do you think of this assessment?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Hao's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Hey! You're absolutely right! In our Northeast, this is how pork stew is—it looks unassuming, but it tastes amazing. It's the same with basketball. You don't need all those fancy tricks; if you can put the ball in the basket and help the team win, that's a good play."
He paused, then added, causing the entire audience of reporters to burst into laughter: "What, you've had pork stew before? How about I treat you to a plate sometime? Oh wait, you were asking about basketball."
In short, he completely baffled the reporters present, who then burst into laughter.
After the interview, Lin Hao's "pig-slaughtering dish score" immediately went viral on social media across the United States.
That night, the entire internet was completely ignited by this rising star from Northeast China.
ESPN, TNT, and other major sports media outlets all featured Lin Hao's name on their front pages, with headlines that were increasingly sensational: "38 points! China's rookie's epic debut, Kobe personally gives his approval," "Internet celebrity? No! He is the future superstar of the NBA!" and "The slam dunker conquers the entire league with his strength."
On YouTube, highlights of Lin Hao's debut game garnered over 100 million views overnight, with comments from fans around the world expressing their admiration and amazement at this Chinese rookie.
"My God! This rookie is incredible! He scored 38 points while injured, and he managed to put up such a performance against Kobe's defense!"
"Kobe said he's an internet celebrity? I think he's the next superstar!"
"His fadeaway jump shot is exactly like Kobe's! It's unbelievable!"
"Chinese players can play such explosive basketball? My opinion has completely changed!"
Back home, across the ocean, things were in an uproar.
Weibo, Hupu, and major sports forums were all flooded with Lin Hao's name. The hashtags #LinHao38PointsInNBADebut##KobeAdmitsLinHao##ScoringStyleWithSlaughteringPorkDish# instantly topped the trending search list, with views exceeding 10 billion overnight.
Those who previously mocked Lin Hao for being an internet celebrity and said he was a disgrace to Chinese basketball have all shut up now. The forum is full of apology posts, and all the posts are full of praise and amazement for Lin Hao.
"I was wrong! I shouldn't have called Hao Ge an internet celebrity! Hao Ge is awesome!"
"38 points! Against the Lakers and against Kobe! What an incredible debut! The pride of Chinese basketball!"
"Northeast China is bursting with energy, keep going! The future is bright!"
"When the suona sounds, gold pours in! Brother Hao has truly made the Chinese people proud!"
Overnight, Lin Hao's name spread throughout the United States, throughout China, and throughout the world.
This second-round pick from Northeast China made a name for himself with just one game.
The next morning, Lin Hao had just woken up when he was woken up by Richardson's knocking on the door.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Richardson burst in with a messy hairstyle, phone in hand, and an excited expression, shoving the phone in his face: "Canned Food Bro! You're famous! You're absolutely famous! The whole league is talking about you! So many brands are coming to you wanting you to be their spokesperson!"
Lin Hao rubbed his eyes, took the phone, glanced at it, smiled, and didn't think much of it.
He knew that one spectacular game meant nothing. The road to establishing himself in the NBA and truly realizing his dream was long.
He looked down at his ankle; after a night of ice and systematic recovery, the swelling had subsided considerably. The team doctor said he would need at least another week of rest, but he couldn't wait to get back on the field.
Richardson, seeing his calm demeanor, grew impatient: "Canned Food Guy! How can you not be excited at all?! You're the hottest rookie in the entire league right now! Even Kobe acknowledges you!"
Lin Hao smiled and handed him the phone, pointing towards the locker room, saying, "What's the rush? It's just one game. Let's go practice. If you want to stay popular, you have to keep winning and keep performing well. You can't stay popular for long based on just one game."
Richardson stared at him, stunned for a long time, and finally nodded heavily.
He was completely convinced now. This rookie, who was several years younger than him, not only played well but was also much more level-headed.
The two had just finished packing their things and were about to leave when Lin Hao's phone suddenly rang. It was his manager from Universal Music, saying that the arrangement for "Northeast Man on the Ball Court" was finished and asking when he would be free to come to the recording studio to record the song.
Lin Hao smiled and agreed, and they arranged to meet the afternoon after tomorrow.
After hanging up the phone, Richardson leaned over with a gossipy look on his face: "Canned Food Bro? Is it that beautiful singer from last time? Are you two really going to collaborate on a song?"
Lin Hao smiled and patted him on the shoulder, but didn't reply. He turned and walked towards the training hall.
He knew that his NBA story was just beginning.
The regular season has begun. He will continue to use his strength to silence all doubters and write his own legend on this field.
We also want the whole world to know that Chinese people can also gain a foothold in the NBA and carve out their own niche.