Kobe immediately ran a pick-and-roll with Gan Guoyang, twisting his body and driving towards the basket, making a floater over O'Neal.
Next, on defense, he switched to face Jide one-on-one and nearly got a steal. The ball went out of bounds, and possession remained with the Lakers.
Del Harris, seeing Portland's number 8 playing so smoothly, turned to the bench and said to his own number 8, "Hu, get ready to go on soon."
Hu Weidong quickly removed his jacket and sat at the sideline, waiting for the next dead ball to get on the court.
Like Kobe, Hu Weidong had long been looking forward to getting on the court, although his face showed no emotion at all.
Last year, he went through a tough summer.
In the struggle between returning to his country and staying, he ultimately, under a call of strength, chose to stay.
Staying meant higher risks, harsher environments, and more unknowns and uncertainties.
