Los Angeles, USA
The Crypto.com Arena, previously known and perhaps forever to be known as the Staples Center.
Inside a high-rise office overlooking the city.
Jesse Buss, the Chief Scout of the Los Angeles Lakers, handed a piece of data to the middle-aged woman sitting in the president's seat.
"Sister, this is an analysis of Deandre Ayton's performance in the first NCAA Championship game," Jesse Buss began. "He performed as strongly as ever, but it's a pity that Arizona State University lost in the Sweet Sixteen!"
"Hey, Jesse, I see," Jeanie Buss said, picking up the report. After reviewing Deandre Ayton's data analysis, she reached for a cup of coffee.
"In addition to Deandre Ayton, there is another player worth paying close attention to in this year's tournament," Jesse Buss pulled out a second profile. "This young man's name is Jinwoo. He's from Korea, and he's a freshman for the Kentucky Wildcats."
A freshman? From Korea?
Jeanie Buss remained silent, knowing her brother had more to say.
"Jinwoo scored 18 points in just three minutes during the Sweet Sixteen knockout round!" Jesse Buss flipped through sheet after sheet. "In addition to being remarkably efficient on the offensive end, his defensive commitment was also noteworthy."
"Crucially, the Kentucky Wildcats were able to reverse the game against Arizona State University and advance to the Elite Eight entirely thanks to Jinwoo's performance in the final moments!"
Along with Jinwoo's detailed data, Jesse Buss also produced a USB flash drive.
The content of the drive was simple: a three-minute video clip recording the final moments of the Arizona State University vs. Kentucky Wildcats game.
Jeanie Buss watched impassively as Deandre Ayton overpowered his defender, Blake, and finished with a powerful two-handed dunk.
This center, with his explosive athletic talent, would undoubtedly be a top-three draft pick in any year.
After watching the Ayton segment, Jeanie Buss was instantly captivated by the next video.
What followed showed Jinwoo's performance on the offensive end.
In one sequence, he broke free from tight defense, burst into the paint, and threw down a fiery tomahawk dunk right over Ayton.
"He's very quick with the ball and has superb athleticism!" Jeanie Buss set down her coffee. "But that offensive decision... Why didn't he pass the ball to his teammate who was left wide open under the basket?"
"Perhaps it's because he believes he can score himself!" Jesse Buss explained, "You can tell from his expression when he dribbles into the paint that he is supremely confident in his ability to attack Deandre Ayton's defense!"
Confidence?
Indeed!
Judging from Jinwoo's resolute commitment to scoring on the offensive end, this young man possessed incredible self-belief.
"Jesse... does this young man's playing style look familiar to you?" Jeanie Buss picked up her coffee again and took a sip.
"Yes, his offensive performance strongly reminds me of a young Kobe Bryant!"
The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant!
Time: November 1, 2025 (Current time of this story)
When one talks about Kobe Bryant, what else comes to mind?
Kobe was the mischievous boy in the basketball world, a court elf full of talent and infinite passion for the game.
He always maintained an extreme desire for victory, an extreme pursuit of self-improvement, and an extreme standard for the game.
He once raised his arms and roared at the top of his lungs in triumph.
He was also brought low by injuries.
But you would never see this man back down, whether it was the free throws he made after his Achilles tendon ruptured, or the 60 points he scored in his retirement game.
Time pulled him away from the arena, and a tragic accident took him away from the world.
The phrase "Mamba Out!" was his last song, leaving behind a legacy of sheer determination.
In the shining basketball pantheon, a new God has taken his place!
Kobe Bryant's name is forever engraved in the sky, shining brightly!
"An interesting young man!"
Jeanie Buss seemed to finish watching Jinwoo's game video. "Jesse, I think you should give this video to Kobe and ask him to watch it."
"Also, keep closely monitoring this young man's performance. It would be best to find out whether Jinwoo intends to enter the NBA Draft this year!"
Just a short video of slightly over three minutes had convinced Jeanie Buss of Jinwoo's potential to thrive in the City of Angels.
If LeBron James could join the team as a free agent this summer, then Jeanie Buss wouldn't mind a major talent acquisition!
Of course, the private conversation between the Lakers siblings was not exposed by the media.
But online, the fans' fervor for comparing Jinwoo and Kobe Bryant had not diminished at all.
Especially on the TNT morning forum, the analysis team led by Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal meticulously compared every one of Jinwoo's offensive possessions frame-by-frame with Kobe during his No. 8 jersey era.
"In fact, there is a significant difference between Kobe Bryant and Jinwoo!"
Kenny Smith argued: "Kobe was more explosively talented in his youth and could frequently perform dunks that were top-five plays of the night. Jinwoo is also very talented, but there is still a clear gap compared to young Kobe!"
"That's right, aside from quick breakthroughs and three-pointers, Jinwoo has not demonstrated any mid-range skills. He might just be a streak shooter like J.R. Smith or Nick Young!"
Kobe, on the other hand, during his No. 8 jersey, Afro-wearing phase, impressed people with his ability to fly and contort, his lethal mid-range scoring, and even his 'mad dog' intensity on defense—all of which were elite-level!
"So, using Kobe Bryant as a role model for Jinwoo is frankly an insult to Kobe!"
As Kobe's former partner, Shaquille O'Neal offered the final conclusion: "Jinwoo is more like a 'microwave scorer' type, like J.R. Smith or Nick Young!"
Evidently, with Jinwoo's sudden emergence, the TNT crew was busy looking for a suitable template for this newcomer.
As for the upcoming Elite Eight quarterfinals between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Oklahoma Sooners (the actual name of Trae Young's college team), the TNT team barely touched on it.
Because, in their opinion, the outcome of the quarterfinals had already been decided before the game even started.
Oklahoma Sooners star Trae Young put up historically great numbers in this NCAA tournament.
Modeled after Stephen Curry, he averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game that season, making him the only player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in both scoring and assists (based on actual historical data that season).
Compared with him, the core players of the Kentucky Wildcats seemed to have mediocre abilities, and apart from their physical gifts, they had few distinct highlights.
At the end of the morning discussion, the TNT team delivered their predictions for the game's outcome.
There was no doubt—all three analysts agreed:
The Oklahoma Sooners with Trae Young will eliminate the Kentucky Wildcats and advance to the Final Four!