Jeff Van Gundy was the textbook "Kobe supporter." As far as he was concerned, anything Kobe did on the floor made sense—every shot was the right shot.
Hearing Mike Breen's question, he frowned slightly, clearly torn. After all… he had never seen a player burst onto the scene the way Blake Su had. That kind of emergence was rare.
But Kobe was still a legend. A proven champion. And Blake Su still had a long way to go before he could reach that level.
Caught between unprecedented potential and established greatness, Jeff Van Gundy could only give a faint smile.
"Kobe and Blake Su are both exceptional players."
"No. You have to pick one."
Mike Breen pressed with a grin.
Jeff Van Gundy's brow tightened again. He was right back where he started—undecided.
Seeing that, Mike Breen burst out laughing, thoroughly amused. He stopped teasing the die-hard Kobe supporter and said,
"At the end of the first quarter, the Suns trail by five.
Blake Su and Kobe went at each other all period. Blake Su has 14 points, Kobe has 15. Both are scoring at incredible efficiency. This game is a joy to watch.
It's only a five-point gap. After one quarter, the suspense is very much alive.
Let's sit back and enjoy this offensive showcase between the 'Monster Rookie' and the 'No. 1 shooting guard in the league.'"
On the court.
During the break, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar weren't idle in the stands.
"Hey… is Blake Su really a center?"
"The Admiral" David Robinson asked what sounded like a silly question.
Olajuwon chuckled.
"215 centimeters. No doubt about it. He's a true center."
"Hmm…"
Kareem pursed his lips, visibly surprised.
"A center trading perimeter shots with Kobe? Honestly… since I retired, this is the first time I've seen something like that."
Robinson nodded.
That was exactly his point. A center going shot-for-shot with the league's premier shooting guard from the outside?
It sounded absurd.
You'd get laughed at just for saying it.
And yet… it was happening right in front of them. Unbelievable. Almost surreal.
Olajuwon laughed softly.
"Blake Su… now that's one interesting center."
...
The second quarter began, starting with the bench units.
Inside ESPN's studio.
Mike Breen looked over the Lakers' reserves and said,
"The Lakers' bench is no joke. Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Matt Barnes—those guys can play.
Especially Odom. Tremendous athleticism. He can handle the ball, play forward, even slide to center. Extremely versatile. He's got that Magic Johnson–style versatility.
He's also the most reliable scoring option off their bench."
As he spoke—
Odom cut off Goran Dragić's drive on the perimeter. On the next possession, he sealed inside, muscled past Lopez, and hammered home a two-handed dunk.
Moments later, he rotated to contest George on the wing.
Odom was on fire tonight, looking like he could dismantle the Suns' bench all by himself.
In just 3 minutes and 19 seconds, he had 6 points, 3 rebounds, and multiple strong defensive plays, stretching the Lakers' five-point lead to nine.
"Beep—!"
Alvin Gentry called timeout.
Blake Su and Carter checked back in early. On the floor with them: Dragić, George, and Lopez.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Blake Su controlled the ball at the top of the arc.
Odom slid over.
Riding high on momentum, Odom looked down at Blake Su with confidence, clearly ready to put the rising rookie in his place.
Blake Su's expression didn't change.
He lowered his stance, calmly controlling the rhythm, creating half a step of space. His eyes sharpened—
Then he exploded down the right wing.
That speed.
It was outrageous.
"Whoosh!"
Like an arrow released from a bow.
One step—and Odom was beaten.
"What?!"
Odom's eyes widened.
Among power forwards and centers, his mobility was upper-tier. He could usually stay in front of wings.
But against Blake Su—
He couldn't even react.
By the time he turned to recover, Blake Su had already risen into his jumper.
"Swish!"
Pure.
"Incredible speed… is that really a center?"
Odom couldn't believe it.
"Wow… Odom couldn't keep up at all."
In the stands.
Dwyane Wade looked stunned.
LeBron shrugged.
"That's normal. Odom can play multiple positions, but that's also his dilemma.
Against strong interior players, he gives up strength.
Against quick perimeter players, he gives up speed."
"True."
Wade nodded.
Odom thrived most against role players, where his versatility shined. That's why he was so valuable off the bench.
"But Blake Su still surprises me."
"Oh?"
Wade tilted his head.
LeBron smiled.
"If Blake Su overpowered Odom with strength, that would be understandable.
But he's using a center's body and blowing past him with pure speed.
That's different."
"Yeah… that doesn't look like a center's offense at all."
On the court.
Another possession.
Same matchup.
No fancy moves.
Just raw speed.
"Whoosh!"
Blake Su left Odom behind again, drove into the lane, and launched off the floor. His vertical and length were so overwhelming that Brown didn't even get a chance to jump.
"Swish!"
Banked in.
Next trip down, Blake Su beat Odom yet again but ran into a double-team from Barnes and Brown.
He stayed composed.
He raised the ball high and kicked it out to Carter in the left corner.
Carter caught, fired—
"Swish!"
Three.
Blake Su and Carter combined for a quick 7–0 run, cutting the deficit to just two.
"Beep—!"
Phil Jackson called timeout.
5:23 remaining.
The starters returned.
Lakers ball.
Fisher brought it up and fed Kobe at the left wing, then set a screen.
Kobe used it, drove toward the top of the key—
And found himself face-to-face with Blake Su.
Boom.
The arena erupted the instant they matched up.
"Here it comes."
LeBron grinned.
Wade puffed his cheeks and laughed.
"Blake Su versus Kobe. The two franchise cornerstones. The main event of the night is finally here."
Off to the side—
"The Answer" Allen Iverson narrowed his eyes.
"Blake Su… can you beat that man?"