Chapter 23: The Deceptive Media.

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The Lakers players stepped off their bus.

"Click! Click! Click!"

The local Chicago media’s camera flashes fired continuously. Lenses were constantly trained on Li Rui, capturing his every move. As his fame steadily grew, the media was practically desperate to interview him. Upon arriving at the press hall, Li Rui was intercepted by a group of reporters.

"Li, how many three-pointers do you intend to make tonight? Will you break the three-point record again?"

"That depends on whether the opponent gives me the chance."

"Kirk Hinrich says he doesn't know who you are. How do you respond to that?"

"I don't know who he is either."

"Li, are you eager to start for the team?"

"Of course, I look forward to taking on more responsibilities for the team."

The reporter who asked the question, hearing Li Rui’s answers, felt there wasn't much of a scoop there, but he quickly scribbled away, already crafting his headlines:

*Li Rui Boasts He Will Break Three-Point Record Again Against the Bulls!*
*Li Rui Claims He Doesn't Know Who Kirk Hinrich Is.*
*Li Rui Dissatisfied with Phil Jackson's Bench Role; Lakers Rookie May Spark Internal Strife!*

If there’s no sensational story, create one!

Upon arriving at the United Center locker room, Phil Jackson announced the starting lineup. As expected, both Odom and Bynum were benched; they were being punished by the Zen Master. Both players had clearly confessed to their infractions. The Lakers' team ban was technically only for away back-to-back games, but back at home or during long breaks, Jackson rarely managed things with such strictness. The starting point guard remained Smush Parker.

After the roster and tactics were finalized, Jackson sent everyone out to warm up. Just as they were leaving the locker room, Brian Shaw approached Li Rui privately to offer encouragement: "Li, Phil isn't in a position to change too many starters tonight. I hope you understand. The day you become a starter will come soon enough. Don't harbor any resentment; keep working hard."

Although Shaw wanted Li Rui to progress to a starting role, as an assistant coach, he also had to consider the team’s current predicament. After all, if not for Odom and Bynum violating the team's curfew, Li Rui might have started tonight.

"Resentment? I don't have any," Li Rui said, looking bewildered. *I’ve been a good boy, haven't I?*

Shaw pulled out his phone and showed Li Rui the headlines. Li Rui was rendered speechless by the reports. What "boasting about breaking records"? What "don't know who Kirk Hinrich is"? And what "shocking internal strife"?

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*When the hell did I ever say those things?*

Stirring up conflict and manufacturing discord—Li Rui had clearly underestimated the ability of the American media to stir the pot. They lead with a clickbait headline and fill the content with pure hot air; they were almost as bad as the Hong Kong gossip rags.

"That’s not what I meant," Li Rui explained.

Seeing Li Rui’s stunned expression, Shaw realized he had been played: "Next time, you need to be careful when speaking to the media. They deliberately look for trouble."

Li Rui spread his hands helplessly: "Then please explain it to the coach for me. That wasn't my intention."

Shaw nodded. To have been set up by the media in both his past life and this one—no wonder Trump spent every day calling them "fake news." Li Rui couldn't help but complain internally; this taught him to be wary of the media. Not every reporter wanted to sing his praises.

As for resentment over being on the bench? That wasn't an issue; he had enough patience and confidence for that.

Perhaps because of the media reports, Li Rui was met with deafening boos from the United Center crowd during the pre-game introductions. It was a different experience from playing at home. Faced with the jeers, Li Rui felt a bit nervous and clenched his fists.

Kobe seemed to notice Li Rui’s tension. He walked over and patted him on the back, saying, "Li, don't feel bad about the away-game boos. The louder they boo, the more they fear you."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder." Seeing Kobe by his side, Li Rui relaxed a little. After all, if the team had any trouble, this guy would always be at the front to handle it. If nothing else, Kobe wouldn't pass the buck to his teammates during crunch time or leave them to deal with the pressure of the outside world.

Li Rui now understood why many NBA teams had significantly worse away records than home records. The fatigue of travel, the disruption of daily life, the hostile atmosphere, and even the arena lights and floorboards were all completely foreign to a player. For a rookie like him, it required a long period of adaptation.

...

While waiting for the game to start, Li Rui walked over to Bynum: "Bynum, if we're on the court together later, set some off-ball screens for me. I'll pass you the ball, too, just be ready to catch it."

Bynum had a good relationship with Li Rui and nodded in agreement: "No problem. Just call for a screen when you need one."

Bynum knew Li Rui was highly valued by the team, and they would likely play together often in the future, so building a good relationship was definitely the right move. They played different positions, so there was no conflict of interest.

At the TNT commentary desk, Barkley and Smith had arrived at the United Center to call the game.

"Charles, which team do you think has a better chance of winning tonight?" Kenny Smith asked.

"Oh, I think it's the Bulls. They play more as a team than the Lakers, and their defense will make Kobe very uncomfortable," Barkley said.

"Let’s talk about the Chinese rookie, Li Rui, who has been on fire for the Lakers in the last two games. Do you think he can have another breakout performance tonight?" Smith asked.

"Haha, that rookie will be specifically targeted by his opponents tonight. It will be very difficult for him to have another breakout," Barkley said, opening his big mouth with no mercy.

"Then do you think he has a chance to score 20 points tonight?"

"20 points? Stop dreaming, wake up."

"Charles, don't speak too soon. Don't forget how Yao made you eat your words..." Smith teased him about the time Barkley had to kiss a donkey's rear end, a moment that had become a classic in NBA history.

"Bringing that up again? Fine, I admit it, Yao made me eat my words. Now I'm waiting for Li to make me eat them too. Come on, rookie, prove your worth."

The two commentators chatted back and forth about the game.

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The game soon began. The impact of having Odom and Bynum benched was immediately apparent. Kobe was the only starter with the ability to initiate offense on his own. The Bulls were a team that excelled at defense; Luol Deng pressured Kobe, Hinrich doubled him, and Wallace provided interior help, making life miserable for the Lakers star. Meanwhile, the Bulls displayed a great touch on offense, hitting consecutive long-range shots early on.

With 5 minutes and 23 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 8-15. Phil Jackson could no longer tolerate the poor performance of his starters. As the Bulls' pass was deflected out of bounds by Kobe, he waved his hand and made a decisive substitution. Odom, Bynum, and Li Rui all checked in at once. Punishment was one thing, but Jackson wouldn't jeopardize the team's record.

"Here we go, here we go! After more than six minutes of play in the first quarter, the Zen Master is clearly dissatisfied with the performance on the floor and is making rotations."

"Let's see how this substitution works out."

"Li Rui is checking in, replacing Smush Parker."

"A perfect substitution! The great coach Phil Jackson has brought in the Lakers' best shooter."

The live text commentary host was very dedicated, typing away with great excitement. These words seemed to cut through the internet, making fans across the country feel the buzz. Li Rui's stats from the previous two games gave them plenty to look forward to. In this era, fans loved analyzing stats; checking the box score after a game was practically standard practice for every fan. Li Rui’s performance in the first two games had greatly satisfied their sense of immersion.

It felt great! Watching those numbers climb was truly satisfying.