Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 175 Our story has just begun

When everyone was ready and about to go out to the Staples Center, Lu Yun stood at the door and said seriously: "There is an unexpected situation. I hope you can understand."

Everyone was stunned, all kinds of thoughts popped up in their minds.

"I refunded all my tickets." Lu Yun said this earth-shattering statement very calmly, but before anyone could speak, he burst into laughter: "Hey, buddy, guess what I did?"

"I got a luxury box so we can watch the game together instead of sitting separately eating popcorn and waiting in line for half an hour to use the bathroom!"

"Whoa whoa……!"

Little Porter held his heart and kept shaking his head: "Boss, you are really... awesome!" Then he cheered, and others joined in the carnival.

Chen Fang hugged Lu Yun and said, "Why are you so crazy, kid?"

"Damn it, I've been thinking about this for a long time and I feel like this is not done right. I treated everyone to a meal, but it doesn't seem to make much sense. Everyone is sitting separately, so I won't be able to prove it even if I want to brag about it in the future."

"I might as well sell all the tickets, and then double the price to get a box with eight seats, which is just right for the eight of us!"

Giving a thumbs up, Chen Fang could only sigh: "You are smart after all."

Apart from anything else, the group photos and casual photos taken in the box will become more and more unfathomable as time goes by, and no one will know how wealthy you are.

If you want to create a tall, rich and handsome image, it’s not about sports cars, mansions, and high-end restaurants, which are very easy to fake. Instead, it’s about those casual photos and your celebrity friends that can be seen with the naked eye, which can make others realize that you have a wealthy or noble background.

Yes, this is Chen Fang’s idea, but for Lu Yun, he also has his own little emotions.

It was very crucial and very simple, but he didn't tell anyone.

When Wu Zhen found out, because the two of them once played together in an open-air stadium, Lu Yun said that when they had the chance, they would go to the Lakers home court and watch Kobe play side by side.

Originally there were three people, and now Chen Fang is one of them.

Eight people, two cars, they set off at two o'clock in the afternoon.

Yes, not only for consideration of peak traffic, but also because the box can be entered in advance.

If you want to watch a game at an NBA stadium, you can make a reservation directly on the stadium's official website. For example, the picture below is the Staples Center reservation system. Wherever you click the mouse, a real-life location map will be displayed, allowing you to judge whether it meets your expectations. The ticket price is not expensive. Except for the ticket starting with 10, most seats cost around $80, plus parking fees, and if you don't eat, drink, or buy team cultural supplies, it will cost you $. Of course, the ticket price is floating, and the focus games will be more expensive.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, Chen Fang and his party had already arrived at the private rooms inside the stadium. They did not choose to go shopping, firstly because there were too many people, and secondly because there were private rooms where they could lie down and rest, which was like a nest. That was the difference.

In fact, many people have a blind spot in their thinking about Kobe's retirement game. Compared with the popularity of ordinary seats, the box is actually still mild.

Because the private room can accommodate 8-12 people, the price itself is a package price, and due to special circumstances, the price has increased tenfold, but compared to the doubling rate of ordinary seats, it is actually very low.

This is because it is difficult to gather a dozen friends who are willing to pay tens of thousands of US dollars to watch the game together. On the contrary, it is very easy for a few people to book ordinary seats.

But whoever does this will give people a very decent feeling.

Just like now, eight people are sitting in the box. It is still very quiet. There are sofas, a coffee table, an LCD TV mounted on the wall, and drinks on the table. Chen Fang described it as a business luxury box in a KTV.

The side facing the court is hollow, with three rows of seats, from high to low. At this moment, Chen Fang is sitting in the highest row, overlooking the court.

The location is pretty good with a good view, being right in the middle of the court. Although the view of people on the court is a little small, it does not matter because the large LED screen hanging in the center of the stadium is very clear. Also, due to the height, you can see it by just slightly raising your head, without having to look up like in ordinary seats.

It was the first time for eight of us to enter the box, and everything seemed new to us.

At this time, there were already players warming up on the court, and the numbers 8 and 24 appeared on the floor, which was a rare number, as it was a league concession.

There were countless cameras on the sidelines. According to reports, more than 550 media outlets from around the world came to participate in the event.

This is a number of media that cannot be reached even in the finals.

Chen Fang had sharp eyes and saw the back of No. 24.

He couldn't help but feel dazed. This was the first time in his life that he saw a real person. Even though it was not up close, the consciousness in his head reminded him that Kobe was right in front of him.

He is still alive...!
For a reborn person, this is no less than the impact of a nuclear bomb.

"What a terrible subject..." Chen Fang whispered softly, his eyes moistened.

I heard Little Porter asking Rex Rabbit mindlessly: "Don't you know Kobe? How about going down to say hello?"

When Tatum was 15 years old, he went to Kobe's training camp and received comments from Kobe. The two took a photo together.

For a long time, Tatum used this photo as the background picture of his social account, so Porter asked this question.

Of course, family members know their own business. Tatum was embarrassed, but he still said stubbornly: "I probably can't go there."

"Who said no? I just saw several groups of people going down to say hello." Trae Young, with a lot of bad intentions in mind, deliberately said from the side.

Just when Tatum was in a dilemma, Chen Fang came to the rescue.

"Look at the future of you guys. We will all be basketball stars in the future. We will definitely have the opportunity to meet Kobe. Besides, if we go now, we will be fans. When we meet in the future, we will be juniors and elders."

"The treatment varies greatly, why lower yourself?"

"Yes, that's what I think!" Tatum was overjoyed and agreed immediately.

Porter Jr. looked disappointed. It turned out that he really thought Tatum was familiar with Kobe and wanted to take the opportunity to go with him to meet his idol.

After teaching him a lesson, Chen Fang went to find Wu Zi who was sitting on a short sofa.

Ever since Tatum and others moved in, Wu Zi has behaved like a lady and is very quiet.

Leaning over, Chen Fang asked with concern: "Are you carsick?"

"No, you go accompany your friends, I'm chatting with friends." Wu Zi shook his cell phone.

"Okay, when the game starts, we'll sit and watch it together."

"Yes." Wu Zi agreed obediently.

(I went through a lot of trouble to find a low-quality photo. There is a high-definition photo, but it is in the VIP box. This one is a photo of the Clippers' home game recorded by a netizen on Zhihu. By the way, the chairs in the box are like this...)
As time passed, people started to enter the Staples Center, and the arena became noisy. The DJ started playing music, and the players who had been warming up on the court returned to the locker room one after another to prepare for the game.

The eight people were all busy playing with their phones and sending photos. Chen Fang was no exception. He sent various selfies to Wang Zhen.

At the end of the conversation, he also reminded him to remember to edit the video and post it on his own video account.

Then just ignore Wang Zhen’s crazy bombardment, without even looking at it, you will definitely see an emoticon of jealousy to death.

2016年4月14日美国时间18:30，科比在NBA二十年来的最后一场比赛，到来了。

At this moment, the Staples Center is packed, and the music and voices intertwined together to form the unique noise of the stadium.

First, the players entered the stadium. With Kobe's entry, the entire stadium darkened. A beam of light shone on No. 24. Chen Fang looked at Kobe on the big screen and could see clearly that his head was completely bald, with no hair roots at all, a pure bald head.

Then Magic Johnson gave his opening remarks, followed by blessings from friends and elders played on the big screen. Chen Fang held Wu Zi's hand and listened quietly to each person expressing their love and admiration for Kobe.

"Will you be like this one day?" Wu Zi suddenly asked quietly in her ear.

"No." Chen Fang shook his head.

"I won't play for that long. Twenty years is too long. I might retire while I'm still young. In fact, I'm not a pure basketball player. I don't have a heart-to-heart love for basketball like Kobe does. Maybe that's why he is loved by the entire league." Facing Wu Zi, Chen Fang dared to tell the truth.

Wu Zi didn't ask any more questions, but put her head on his shoulder.

At this moment, the big screen was frozen on Kobe's family, his wife and daughter were smiling like flowers.

"One day, I'll sit courtside and watch you play?"

"Yes, I will."

The eight seats provided in this box are 3 in the first two rows and at the end.

Trey, Rex Rabbit, and Little Porter sat at the bottom. There was no other way because they were tall and would block their view if they sat in the middle.

Suddenly, Porter turned around and asked Chen Fang: "Hey, we are predicting the score. How much do you think Kobe can score in the last game?"

This was because the interview with O'Neal had just been played on the big screen, and the Big Shark was very sure that Kobe could score 50 points today.

"How much do you guess? Speak out one by one." Chen Fang shouted. There was no other way. The decibel level in the stadium was too high. They could only shout to communicate.

"I said it would definitely be 30 points, Jason said it would be 45 points, and Trae Young thought it wouldn't be 30 points." Porter Jr. was also shouting.

"I bet 60 points!" Chen Fang shouted.

His voice was so loud that people in the boxes on both sides could hear it.

Everyone was laughing in good faith, but Chen Fang would not miss the opportunity to play the prophet.

"Hi, all my friends who can hear me? I bet Kobe will score 60 points today. If not, I will accept the bet and reimburse your travel expenses back home, no matter where you come from, even from Antarctica!"

"WOW!" At least dozens of people heard it. Although they were cheering, they did not laugh.

Most of those who can come to the scene and dare to spend such a large sum of money are Kobe's elite fans.

"Hey, buddy, if Kobe scores 60 points today, I will give you a sports car!" A black man in the left box stood out majestically and supported Chen Fang.

A middle-aged white man on the other side also joined in the fun and shouted, "That's right, if Kobe scores 60 points today, I'll give him a helicopter from a sports car!"

Helicopter?
Chen Fang was extremely reluctant, it was really like seeing a ghost!
It's just like putting mustard sticks in the refrigerator, you think it's mung bean cake! If you don't know how to chat, you don't have to talk!

"Thank you, I appreciate your kindness. Come, let us pray together that this prophecy will come true!" Chen Fang could only laugh. He picked up his drink and raised it in the air.

"Thank God!" The two also raised their wine bottles, black, white and yellow, setting off each other in an interesting way.

Sitting down again, Chen Fang found that the three were still looking at him, so he said: "I bet Kobe will get 60 points today. If I win, each of you must agree to one of my requests." "Okay, even if it means contributing my ass, I'm willing to do so!" Porter Jr.'s brainless words always refresh Chen Fang's cognition.

"Fuck it, shut your mouth now."

Fortunately, the bet was reached. Of course, Chen Fang didn't think it through, but that didn't stop him from taking advantage of it.

Three requests. Wait for the bullet to fly a little longer. In a few years, it will become more and more valuable.

Just as Chen Fang was making beautiful plans, Kobe's final battle finally began.

Kobe missed the first shot and the whole audience groaned.

The second, third, fourth and fifth balls still did not score, and the noise in the stadium also dropped.

Tatum had a serious look on his face. He stared at the court with a tense face and kept looking at the big screen.

Even Porter Jr. stopped talking, and the same was true in the box and stands. Everyone fell silent. Those who had just said how many points they wanted to score were silent. Now they were praying that the score would break zero quickly, at least to have some data.

No one wants to see this kind of farewell.

This is the most tragic ending. Considering how strong Kobe was, this is sadder than killing him.

If you are not watching the game live, I believe many people will turn off the TV, and some people have already covered their faces and lowered their heads.

Everyone hopes that Kobe can finish this game happily and give his 20-year career a perfect ending.

Kobe said before the game: I want to win one more game and then leave at sunset.

At this moment, dark clouds covered the west, and not a single ray of the sun's afterglow shone on his resolute face.

Only Chen Fang was calm. He watched the entire game and knew very well that the ups and downs of this game could be called an epic script of the NBA.

So, after missing five shots in five attempts, Kobe used a positional block to sound the clarion call for his own offense.

With serpentine steps, he broke into the basket and made a high parabolic jump shot to score the first point.

The suppressed emotions of the audience were finally released, and 20,000 people stood up and shouted together: "KOBE!"

And the show continued, Kobe continued to hit, the third shot, a three-threat breakthrough from the wing, a reverse layup, and the referee blew the whistle for a foul.

2+1.

Countless people high-fived and hugged each other. Chen Fang also hugged Wu Zi. Even though he knew the result and process, he couldn't help it at the scene. This was the infection brought by the environment.

Then Kobe continued to hit, he made all five shots, and everyone was cheering.

At the end of the first quarter, Kobe scored 15 points. Tatum excitedly turned to Chen Fang and said, "Maybe your prediction is true."

If we calculate it by this multiple, it is true, but what is the reality?
In the second quarter, Kobe was tightly guarded by the Jazz and only scored 7 points.

The second quarter ended with his back-to-the-basket shot from the free throw line but he missed.

22 points in the first half was more than enough. During the halftime break, everyone was still immersed in excitement.

But there was still a shadow, the Jazz led by 57 points with 42 to 15.

This is an inevitable result. The entire Lakers team is making passes for Kobe, while the Jazz are scoring from multiple points. Kobe's efficiency determines that it is difficult for him to lead the team to victory at this moment.

But no one mentioned it, because at this moment, not much can be expected of Kobe. Countless injuries made it difficult for him to even dunk.

He can still score, which is enough for everyone.

But for everyone, the 24 minutes in the second half were the beginning of the magic. In the last 24 minutes of Kobe's career, he wrote a chapter of his personal heroic characteristics.

At the beginning of the game, Kobe used a breakthrough pull-up shot to start an offensive frenzy, then played a singles game on the wing, got to the free throw line, and made a turnaround fadeaway jump shot.

The score was narrowed to 11 points.

On the next ball, he quickly cut to the basket, received the pass from Hibbert, and scored a layup, scoring 6 points in a row at the beginning of the game, which made everyone watching the game on the spot excited again.

Tatum entered a state of ecstasy, constantly calling out to Kobe and waving his fists.

At the end of the third quarter, Kobe scored 15 points in the quarter and his total score reached 37 points.

This has far exceeded everyone's expectations. Forty and fifty points are already within reach, but Chen Fang, the only one who shouted out 60 points, looked calm.

Yes, scoring 23 points in the last quarter, is that difficult?
No, not at all. He is the Black Mamba, a superstar in Lakers history, and the most terrifying scorer, no doubt about it.

When the fourth quarter came, Kobe received a pass from Huertas and made a three-pointer from the wing, scoring the first point of the fourth quarter.

The commentator shouted: "Nelson, your prediction is correct, Kobe scored 40 points!"

But the Black Mamba's performance continued, he made another three-pointer and scored 43 points.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the whole stadium began to boil. No one could sit down to watch the game. Everyone was standing there, jumping.

Chen Fang whispered: "The best show has begun."

But the Jazz still maintained their lead. They calmly played team basketball, and the arena was filled with the roar of 20,000 people: "DeFence!"

When Kobe has the ball, it becomes: "Lets go LA!"

The huge noise was crazy. Watching Kobe chasing points on the court, no one could control themselves. They were all forgetful and shouted with all their might.

When the time came to the last 3 minutes and 46 seconds, the Lakers were trailing by 9 points, and Lakers head coach Scott called a timeout. This was not to arrange tactics, but because Kobe was tired. On the big screen, he was gasping for breath and his face was covered with sweat.

He needs a rest. (I was deeply impressed by this scene. I have never seen Kobe panting so hard, breathing heavily. He was fighting for offense and defense from the first minute. Don't tell me that he is a 40-year-old man full of energy. He didn't fight so hard in his 20s, and he couldn't score this much. It's not that standing on the court is playing basketball. The real playing is all-out offense and defense.)
When the timeout ended, Kobe returned to the court and began his final performance.

He first broke into the basket, faced a double-team, and took a jump shot, scoring his 51st point.

Crazy stands, crazy people, and in Chen Fang's box, there were also people watching him.

The white man yelled to Chen Zhang: "Hey man, it's 51 points, 51 points!"

"Of course I know!" Chen Fang raised his hand gracefully.

Then, Kobe jumped to receive the ball near the sideline and shot a three-pointer.

The 56th point!
Close the gap to 1 point.

But Kobe's desire to win kept him going.

In the last 31 seconds, Kobe hit a long two-point jump shot under the cover of his teammates, and the Lakers took the lead for the first time after being behind for 45 minutes.

The second point.

At this moment, no one doubted that Kobe could not score 60 points. Tatum looked at Chen Fang as if he was looking at a god.

"Thank you, brother, thank you." He was speechless. At this moment, he believed everything.

Chen Fang also left his seat, and the four of them stood together, putting their arms around each other's shoulders, and watched Kobe's last 30 seconds.

Wu Zi took out her cell phone and took this photo.

In the front of the photo are four people standing side by side, and in the distance is No. 24 standing at the free throw line, taking the last two points.

At this moment, 20,000 people in the Staples Center were cheering for their idol for the last time.

"MVP, KOBE, MVP!"

When Kobe grabbed the backcourt rebound and made a long pass to Clarkson, the latter dunked with both hands, sealing the Lakers' victory.

Teammates surrounded Kobe and hugged him one by one.

Scott requested to replace Kobe, and in the last 4 seconds, Kobe finally completed his career and his era.

ended.

It was just like his final farewell to the entire stadium, the entire United States, and the entire world in the center of the court.

Man! what can I say? Mamba Out!

From joy to sadness, it only takes a moment.

Chen Fang discovered that Tatum, Porter Jr., and Trae Young all shed tears silently.

"Hey, guys, you guys?" Chen Fang wanted to tease them.

But I found that my cheeks felt cold, and it turned out that I was crying too.

Chen Fang, Tatum, and Trae Young stared at the empty player tunnel for a long time.

For some people, the story just ends.

For some people, the story has just begun.

　First of all, I am very sorry. Please allow me to write this chapter out of my feelings for my idol. When Kobe left the NBA, I rarely paid attention to it. When Kobe passed away, I didn't even watch basketball.

　　Now that I have returned to the world of basketball and encountered this situation, please allow me to write a chapter to confess my love for Kobe.

　　I know there are a lot of haters, in fact I am also a hater of someone, but I always keep my focus on the matter and not the person, only look at the performance on the court and don't talk about what happens off the court.

　　Finally, I would like to thank my book friends who support and tolerate my willfulness, thank you!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)