Chapter 17: Our Rookie, Ranked 60th, Is Truly Amazing!

“So accurate.”
“So precise.”
“Our 60th pick rookie is incredible.”
“Worth it, definitely worth it.”

The fans at the Staples Center erupted in cheers again, their attention completely focused on Li Rui.

This second-round rookie had been dazzling in the last two games, exceeding all expectations.

The NBA has never lacked stories of second-round picks rising up against the odds.

The most famous of these is the No. 0 Agent — Arenas.

Li Rui seemed to be creating a different kind of frenzy now.

Yellow-skinned, second-round pick, rookie, Los Angeles — these factors made it hard not to become a sensation.

Dampier, having been faked out, gritted his teeth and cursed, “Fuck!”

The scene felt humiliating for him.

Coach Phil Jackson stood and applauded, celebrating this remarkable rookie.

With every three-pointer made, Phil’s trust in Li Rui grew stronger.

But next, the Mavericks rotated their lineup, bringing in their full-strength starters. Barea came off, and Harris came on.

Harris was taller, increasing his defensive pressure on Li Rui. Li Rui deliberately tried a quick three-pointer over Harris but missed.

Li Rui realized that although his three-point attribute was 99 and his form was good, he wasn’t infallible; his shooting hadn’t fully ignited yet.

He wondered what it felt like to score 37 points in a single quarter like Thompson and longed to experience that state.

From then on, Li Rui’s role on the court shifted more towards creating space for Kobe and playing solid defense.

Kobe continued his usual explosive isolation attacks, while the Mavericks maintained their team-oriented offense.

Seeing Li Rui still on the floor past the second quarter’s rotation time, Darko Milicic grew anxious on the bench.

“I’m supposed to be the starter. Why haven’t I come in yet? The other four starters are on the court, but I’m still on the bench.”

“Coach, should I warm up now?” Milicic asked assistant coach Brian Shaw.

“I know you're eager, but hold on. Wait for Coach Phil’s decision,” Shaw reassured him.

Milicic kept standing up to drink water, eyes fixed on Phil Jackson, who ignored him.

Initially, Phil intended to have Li Rui play only two or three minutes at the start as a transition before bringing Milicic in, but Li Rui’s impact on the court was unexpectedly strong.

This rookie was demonstrating a better feel for the game’s rhythm. With him on the floor, Kobe’s space to operate with the ball increased significantly.

Why bring Milicic on now? To disrupt the flow?

For example, at 7:13, Li Rui planted himself just a step outside the right three-point line, drawing Harris and Josh Howard’s defensive attention.

This allowed Kobe to calmly use Bynum’s screen and drive to the basket.

Kobe, driving inside, ignored the towering Nowitzki, took off, wrist cocked on the ball, body coiled, and slammed down a thunderous tomahawk dunk over Nowitzki.

“Posterized!”

Kobe’s emphatic dunk over Nowitzki was decisive and clean.

Watching this, Phil had to reconsider Li Rui’s impact on the team’s system.

Did Milicic have this kind of effect?

Clearly not.

Milicic grew even more anxious.

With 4:32 left in the second quarter, after Li Rui missed another three-pointer, Phil finally substituted him out.

The whistle blew quickly to end the first half, the score locked at 48-48.

Thanks to Li Rui’s four three-pointers and Kobe’s explosive scoring, the Lakers had erased their early deficit.

In the home locker room, Phil singled out Li Rui for praise, then surveyed the team and said, “Li’s four three-pointers were crucial to us catching up. My strategy is simple: whoever’s playing well stays on the court. Li, good job.”

Phil was increasingly sensing Milicic’s ineffectiveness.

Milicic felt his heart sink at Phil’s words; he realized he would have to share his playing time with Li Rui.

Farmar grew silent as well. He used to get about 15 minutes per game, but with Li Rui’s performance, his minutes would likely dwindle.

Li Rui paid no mind to his competitors’ thoughts and quickly nodded in agreement, “I’ll keep working hard.”

...

After the break, the second half began swiftly.

Both teams sent out their starting lineups, and the game seemed to return to the opening moments of the first quarter.

Nowitzki opened with two mid-range shots and a three-pointer, combined with Harris stealing the ball from Milicic to start a fast break and Josh Howard’s mid-range shot, the Mavericks unleashed an 11-2 run against the Lakers, pushing the score to 59-50.

The gap widened rapidly.

“Timeout!”

Milicic, pushing the ball upcourt, called for a timeout after receiving instructions from Phil.

Phil was furious: what kind of play was this?

“Fuck, can anyone tell me what you’re doing out there?”

“Defend harder, move your feet faster, even a 90-year-old lady would be quicker than you.”

He immediately began mocking the starters, unleashing a torrent of criticism.

Kobe’s expression darkened again.

Since the start of the second half, Kobe had faced constant double teams. He tried passing to open teammates on the perimeter, but neither Milicic nor Odom could hit their shots.

“Li, you’re in!” Phil, pinpointing the problem, promptly took Milicic out and sent Li Rui back in.

“Keep running, look for your three-point shot. If no shot opens, help Kobe create space.”

“Kobe, if you get a chance, look for Li. We need threes to catch up.”

Phil was deeply dissatisfied with how the team was performing. They had fought back to tie the game by halftime, but now the Mavericks were pulling away again.

“Okay!” Kobe nodded at Phil’s words. Among his teammates, only this rookie’s shooting seemed reliable; the rest were like pigs.

He opened up the defense but still couldn’t make shots.

Kobe even wanted to complain that Phil had brought Li Rui in too late.

“Got it, coach.” Li Rui sprang up at Phil’s command.

Phil’s decision to send him in now showed growing trust.

Li Rui knew playing alongside Kobe at this moment was fortunate. Kobe was gradually realizing he couldn’t win a championship alone; he needed help.

In the previous years, Kobe probably wouldn’t have passed even with an open teammate, wanting to decide the game himself.

Now, he needed a super 3-and-D player like Li Rui.

Beep!

Timeout over.

Li Rui returned to the floor.

“Oh, Li Rui’s on! He hit four threes in the first half; let’s hope he keeps up the effort.”

“Looking forward to his performance.”

“He’s here, he’s here!”

Fans on live streams and basketball forums had waited eagerly. Li Rui’s first-half performance had raised expectations, and fans enjoyed every shot swishing through the net.

Once on the court, Li Rui scanned the floor, determined to find his shooting rhythm quickly and score, or risk being substituted again.

Phil rarely showed much patience with rookies.

The Lakers ran an offense.

Odom passed to Li Rui.

Harris’s defense was less aggressive than Barea’s; he chose to wait for Li Rui in the backcourt.

Li Rui calmly dribbled past half court, then passed to the trailing Odom.

Odom, holding the ball on the right side, scanned and passed to Kobe at the high right wing.

The Lakers quickly spread the floor, isolating Kobe to take on Josh Howard one-on-one.

Li Rui moved between the left corner and the 60-degree angle, waving at Kobe as he ran.

Harris, guarding Li Rui, was exhausted: “This guy’s movement changes tempo so much.”

Li Rui’s movement wasn’t just about speed. He couldn’t shake Harris with speed alone; he used various fakes and rhythm pauses.

Kobe observed the defense and noticed Li Rui’s movement on the opposite side.

Kobe exploded with the ball, driving through the middle between Harris and Howard.

Their defensive attention was on Kobe, so Li Rui seized the moment to create separation from Harris and reached the left corner.

Harris’s eyes followed Li Rui’s movement, but his body couldn’t keep up; he was still thinking about helping defend Kobe.

The open shot appeared. Kobe stopped abruptly and lofted a pass to Li Rui.

After his four three-pointers in the first half, Kobe trusted Li Rui’s shooting.

Li Rui caught the ball in the corner, steady and ready.

He planted, adjusted for a slight negative angle.

At the peak of his jump, he flicked the ball out and released the shot.

The motion flowed seamlessly, as smooth as a stream.

Swish!

59-53.

Phil and Kobe’s trust in Li Rui was quickly rewarded.

Li Rui came in and nailed a crisp three-pointer.

After scoring, Li Rui spread his arms wide and soared back to his half of the court.

Seeing the genuine smile on Li Rui’s face, Daniel felt certain he would soon become a Lakers starter.