Lin Feng nodded slightly after hearing Kobe's words, remaining silent.
He understood that many Staples Center fans were unfamiliar with him and skeptical of his abilities.
After all, a minor league like the NBDL rarely garnered attention from the spectators who filled the seats at Lakers games.
As the fourth quarter began, Lin Feng replaced Fisher, taking over the point guard position.
In the Zen Master's triangle offense, the point guard's role was not dominant, with the team's focus primarily on Kobe at the shooting guard position.
True Lakers fans knew that Kobe usually handled both offensive orchestration and scoring.
Playing alongside Kobe, Fisher primarily served as a spot-up shooter.
His three-point accuracy was inconsistent, yet it was undeniable that in the most critical moments, Fisher's three-pointers became remarkably reliable. He was a player seemingly born for high-pressure situations.
Soon, Lin Feng dribbled the ball across the half-court line, but he didn't immediately pass it to Kobe.
He could see that Kobe had been on the court for over 30 consecutive minutes, and his stamina was visibly waning. Passing the ball to Kobe at this moment risked an overdrawn play and a potential missed shot.
With this in mind, Lin Feng decided to take the initiative and attack himself.
Inside player Kwame Brown had been substituted, and the young center Andrew Bynum was now on the court.
At this stage of his career, Bynum hadn't yet fully developed and remained a substitute. Passing him the ball wouldn't solve the immediate problem. He was currently a blue-collar center with limited offensive skills.
Commentator Mike Breen exclaimed, "Let's see how the Lakers attack this possession. The player with the ball is an Asian kid. I apologize, everyone, but I don't know his name. If anyone knows it, please write it down and tape it to the door of the 777 convenience store, and I'll go take a look later."
"I have a feeling he should be playing a smaller ball sport like table tennis instead of basketball. I don't think a confrontational sport like basketball is suitable for someone of his stature."
"He's attacking with the ball! He's actually attacking with the ball! OMG! I simply cannot understand why the Zen Master dared to let this Asian kid attack in the fourth quarter, the most crucial time of the game? Is the Lakers roster completely depleted?"
Mike Breen was vehemently criticizing Lin Feng.
This kind of outspokenness was a common trait among American commentators, much like the famously opinionated Charles Barkley.
When Yao Ming first entered the NBA, Barkley famously predicted that Yao wouldn't score more than 19 points in a game.
Everyone knows what happened afterward. Yao Ming soundly outperformed that prediction, and Barkley was famously forced to kiss a donkey's rear on television in front of a global audience.
His partner Bill Worrell quipped, "Believe it or not, this guy will likely get blocked if he tries a strong drive. He doesn't look very strong, and his leaping ability probably isn't that great either."
"OMG! This Asian kid is actually trying to drive to the basket. The Warriors won't let him score an easy layup."
"Diogu is stepping up to defend. We all know that Diogu averaged 1.5 blocks per game last season, and his defense is quite formidable."
"Wait! This little Asian player who just came onto the court, he jumped! Oh my god! Did you see that? He actually jumped. Is he going to dunk over Diogu?"
"Crazy! He must be crazy!"
"But his jumping ability is incredible! I feel like his leaping ability is on par with Vince Carter's!"
"Oh my goodness! He is so strong! I realize he is very strong! He shouldn't be playing table tennis; he is much more suited for basketball!"
"He powered through Diogu's body and dunked the ball!"
The arena erupted in jubilation. The fans at the Staples Center had their eyes wide open in disbelief. The commentary by Mike Breen and Bill Worrell amplified the game's electrifying atmosphere to a fever pitch!
More than 30,000 fans witnessed Lin Feng's whirlwind drive with the ball.
He left Baron Davis, his defender, far behind.
As he reached the restricted area, Warriors center Diogu naturally couldn't just stand by and let Lin Feng dunk over him. He had no desire to become the highlight of the nightly blooper reel.
However—
He underestimated Lin Feng's capabilities and was left with no recourse.
Lin Feng leaped with astonishing speed. His jumping ability had now reached a perfect 100.
The average jumping ability of NBA players is only around 70, and that includes the league's most athletic players and superstars.
Lin Feng's 100-point vertical leap surpassed that of most NBA players.
Aside from the exceptionally springy Shannon Brown, who often practiced with Lin Feng, the jumping ability of the rest of the NBA paled in comparison.
Diogu was at best a blue-collar center. His 1.5 blocks per game average from the previous season only reflected his ability to block players less skilled than himself.
He was simply unlucky to encounter the transformed Lin Feng.
Lin Feng soared high, gripping the ball with one hand, and executed a thunderous one-handed slam dunk over Diogu's head!
Yes, that's right, it was indeed a hanging arm dunk!
This was a spectacular dunk famously performed by Vince Carter in dunk contests.
In actual game situations, players rarely attempt the hanging arm dunk due to the limited time for preparation.
However, tonight, Lin Feng completed an unparalleled hanging dunk over Diogu's head!
After the ball slammed through the net, commentators Mike Breen and Bill Worrell fell silent.
They were both stunned into speechlessness by the shock of what they had just witnessed, while the fans' cheers and screams grew even louder.
Even Kobe, who was positioned at the top of the arc, was beyond words. He knew Lin Feng was talented—after all, he had advocated for him.
But he never anticipated that Lin Feng was this incredible. He had just stepped onto the court and already thrown down a jaw-dropping dunk!
"Oh, oh, oh! Amazing! This Chinese guy is amazing! What's his name? Please, someone tell me, what's his name?"
In the front row of the audience, a young white woman swayed her hips and loudly inquired about Lin Feng's name.
This single play completely won over the previously skeptical fans. When Lin Feng had first entered the game, they couldn't understand the Zen Master's decision.
Why replace the experienced Fisher with a Chinese kid?
Was he really that good?
Or was he even better than Fisher?
The player who just answered their doubts was indeed superior to Fisher. Youth was a valuable asset!
A violent hanging dunk concluded the play.
"His name is Lin Feng. They say he's from China. He's from the same country as Yao Ming."
Finally, someone answered the white girl.
"Wow! He is so awesome and so explosive! From this moment on, I am his fan!"
The white girl screamed and blew a kiss towards Lin Feng on the court.
"His cool red hair is really handsome! I want to get a red haircut tomorrow!"
The girls shrieked at Lin Feng, while some male fans were captivated by his striking red hair and vowed to get the same haircut the next day.
Lin Feng could feel the fans' surging excitement. He was deeply thrilled, but his expression remained composed.
The NBA stage was the place he had dreamed of since childhood.
Now, he could finally stand on this court, in this basketball cathedral, to pursue his long-cherished dream!