Chapter 857: The Top of the Pyramid
The storm in the league has just begun. The press conference was the epicenter, causing a huge stir with no signs of calming down anytime soon. Its wide-ranging effects are just starting to be felt. At the same time, Lu Ke's behind-the-scenes work is still ongoing, as if he is climbing to the peak of a pyramid of power, one layer at a time.
After leaving the press conference stage, Lu Ke was led by a staff member to the VIP room at Staples Center.
The VIP room, like an office in a high-rise building, overlooks the stadium, showcasing its exclusivity and prestige while allowing a complete view of the situation. Everyone strives to climb higher, but not everyone can reach the very top of the pyramid.
As he opened the door, the first person Lu Ke noticed was Leigh Steinberg. Naturally, as Lu Ke's agent, Leigh would not miss such an important event. He needed to be there to protect Lu Ke. This made Lu Ke feel a little more at ease. Then, he saw Kobe Bryant standing not far away.
Honestly, in the limited space of the VIP room, it was hard to ignore Kobe.
With Kobe's height and physique, he stood out among the group of executives, most of whom were older men. He easily caught Lu Ke's eye and instantly drew all his attention.
Lu Ke couldn't hide his surprise and shock. He gave up on trying to hide his emotions and genuinely showed his joy and surprise. "Roger, my apologies. I should have greeted you first, but please forgive my rudeness. God, Kobe Bryant? I can't believe my eyes."
At this moment, Lu Ke was not as composed and dominant as he was at the press conference or on the field. He was a completely loyal and fanatical fan.
Roger Goodell didn't mind and joked with a chuckle, "Peyton is going to be disappointed. His most loyal fan has betrayed him."
Everyone knew that Lu Ke's idol was Peyton Manning, and he had always strived to be like him, working tirelessly on the field in hopes of one day becoming a top quarterback in the league. But few people knew that before he immigrated, Lu Ke was on his school's basketball team.
Of course, that was just elementary school. The purpose of an elementary school basketball team was more for physical fitness than competitive sports, and it was in no way comparable to professional football. However, the first NBA team Lu Ke ever saw in China was the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 1996, Kobe was drafted into the league and then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The following year, Lu Ke and his parents moved to San Francisco, and shortly after, he witnessed the Lakers' first three-peat dynasty.
For Lu Ke, Manning was his idol and his goal, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were his childhood memories. It was an indelible and irreplaceable memory. Before he fully committed himself to football, the Los Angeles Lakers were still his favorite basketball team.
In response to Lu Ke's honest reaction, Kobe also responded positively, saying in an exaggerated tone, "Oh, God, Lu Ke?" But he only said those three words before shaking his hands and laughing happily. "Sorry, sorry, I can't do it."
His cheerful and funny demeanor seemed a little awkward. Even his imitation of Lu Ke wasn't very good, and he seemed a little stiff, which made the moment awkward.
But Kobe didn't mind. He put his hands down and walked forward, opening his arms and giving Lu Ke a big, warm hug in the California style. Then he held out his right hand to do a fist bump in a street greeting.
Surprisingly, Lu Ke followed along and wasn't at a loss. The whole motion was so smooth and skilled that he didn't seem stiff or awkward like an Asian player at all.
Kobe's eyes widened, and he looked surprised. After completing the motion, he said meaningfully, "Now I finally know why the 49ers players like you so much."
Truly immersing oneself in the local culture and opening up one's heart—it is only after you've accepted the local culture that you can convey your own culture to others. Communication should be a two-way process. Not to mention Asian immigrants, many white people have a limited understanding of black street culture. This kind of fist bump is like a signal that says, "I belong to this tribe."
The fist bumps between different black "tribes" are different and are one of the ways they recognize each other. Kobe chose the most basic and simple one, but even so, it was rare for Lu Ke to be able to follow along completely.
Therefore, Kobe couldn't help but say that.
Lu Ke, however, spread his hands and asked back, "Is it not because of my personal charm?"
Kobe pursed his lips and puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head repeatedly and saying with a look of disdain and frustration, "That kind of humor isn't popular in Los Angeles anymore. You need to update your joke book."
Lu Ke was not flustered. He deliberately frowned in an exaggerated way and said disdainfully, "Shouldn't joke books have been burned in the last century?"
Kobe's expression immediately froze, and his words were stuck in his throat.
After all, he wasn't a player with a particularly sharp tongue. Occasional off-the-cuff jokes and dry humor were harmless, but when it came to a real back-and-forth, his responses were relatively limited. This was true when he faced reporters and when he faced friends.
Seeing this, Roger Goodell stepped in at the right time. "Thank God this boring talk show can finally end." With a joke, he lightened the mood. "When Leigh told me that your favorite player as a child was Kobe, I found it hard to believe. But now I have to be thankful that David's loss is my gain."
"David," if a guess were to be made, was most likely the then-NBA Commissioner, David Stern.
As expected, Goodell was completely at ease in this kind of situation. He casually brought the topic back, and there was no sense of awkwardness at all. He went back and forth between the NBA and NFL topics with ease, and he held the initiative in his hands.
At this moment, Lu Ke had a chance to notice the other people in the VIP box. This was the first time Lu Ke had truly come into contact with the authorities at the top of the pyramid.
There was NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Head of Media Operations Petra Hamilton, and a group of other league executives with very long titles.
There was Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, San Francisco 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and some assistants.
Most surprisingly, executives from NBC, Fox, and the official NFLN network were also in attendance.
In addition, there were also representatives of Rolex ambassadors: Michael Bublé, a four-time Grammy winner; Lindsey Vonn, one of the most successful skiers in history; and Steve Guerdat, a Swiss equestrian show jumping champion.
There were also Hollywood insiders who seemed to have no connection to sports: Jack Nicholson, the most Oscar-nominated male actor in history, Natalie Portman, the first Oscar-winning actress born in the 80s, and a few top producers and screenwriters. The names were just too many to list.
Finally, there were some new business elites, most of whom were from Silicon Valley. Although Lu Ke didn't know why they were here, it was clear that Leigh was very proactive in introducing them to Lu Ke.
Of course, there was also Kobe Bryant.
This was an incredibly lively and prestigious occasion. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of pleasantries, everyone was completely immersed in it. It felt like they had entered another world, a world completely different from sports and society, like Alice in Wonderland.
With Leigh's guidance, Lu Ke met a lot of people. It took most of his energy just to match the names with the faces. He also had to remember their titles and abilities to further complete his network. This was incredibly difficult.
Lu Ke's "journalistic talent," which he had been so proud of, also faced a challenge today. The massive amount of information came at him, and he had to constantly be mindful of his words and actions. This was definitely not an easy task.
When he first saw Kobe, Lu Ke was undoubtedly excited. The excitement of a fan meeting a big idol was bubbling in his chest.
But gradually, his mind started to go numb. The people he had only seen on TV or movie screens, the names he had only seen in news and reports, appeared in front of him one after another, like a Ferris wheel.
Even if he was a little unaccustomed to it at first, he was forced to get used to it after an hour.
Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP box facing the field, he looked down at the entire Staples Center. The reporters had all left, and only the staff were left, dismantling the stage from the press conference and cleaning up the venue. The lively and noisy scene was slowly settling down.
"Many people don't like moments like this. Because after the noise, it gets quiet, and the huge contrast can create a sense of loneliness. In my opinion, this is an illusion. An unnecessary illusion." A calm and seasoned voice, slightly hoarse, came from beside him, like a fine wine that had been aged over time, a little bitter but very mellow.
He turned his head and saw Jerry Jones' wrinkled face.
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