NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Chen Yan Said Dirty Words and Kobe Swore!

Chapter 87: Chen Yan Said Dirty Words and Kobe Swore!

Click-click-click-click!

The moment Chen Yan stepped into the post-game press conference room, the cameras exploded like fireworks.

Dozens of reporters had been waiting—ready to capture every frame of tonight’s headline hero.

Even though this was Los Angeles—Kobe’s kingdom—it was clear that Chen Yan was the true star of the night.

Joining him at the table were Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni and teammate Amar’e Stoudemire.

”Coach D’Antoni, first off, congratulations on a hard-fought win. What do you think was the biggest key to pulling this one out?” asked a reporter from Los Angeles Sports Network.

D’Antoni chuckled and gestured toward Chen.

”Use him. At all costs.”

The whole room broke into laughter. It was a joke, but everyone knew there was some serious truth behind it.

In the final five minutes of the game, the Suns were ice cold. Shots weren’t falling, momentum had swung to L.A., and the crowd was heating up.

But Chen? He turned the tide—breaking the deadlock and sealing the win with a buzzer-beater right in front of Kobe’s face.

A reporter from TNT followed up. ”Coach, we saw Chen go into iso mode a lot more in the second half. Doesn’t that hurt the flow of your team’s offense?”

”Isolation plays are still part of the system,” D’Antoni replied smoothly. ”We run plays to win, not to look pretty. And tonight, that worked just fine.”

Then they turned to Chen.

”Chen, tonight was your first-ever matchup with Kobe Bryant. Did you feel any pressure going up against the best shooting guard in the league?”

Chen nodded, his expression calm but honest.

”Yeah, of course. I mean—it’s Kobe. There was definitely pressure. More mental than physical. But I told myself I had to withstand it, no matter what.”

Another reporter jumped in:

”You dropped 51 points tonight—becoming the youngest player in history to hit 50 in a game. But you only had 7 points on 2-of-7 shooting in the first half. What sparked the turnaround?”

Chen smiled. ”When things were rough early, I didn’t lose confidence. Someone once said: Even if you miss 30 shots, you take the 31st. That was my mindset going into the second half.”

The media cracked up. They all knew who that ”someone” was.

Is this kid really using Mamba Mentality to kill the Mamba himself?

You didn’t need a DNA test to know the ”someone” was Kobe Bryant.

Then came a more sensitive topic.

”There was a moment during the game when you clashed with some fans. Care to talk about that?”

Chen didn’t hesitate. ”That’s part of playing on the road. To be honest, I kind of enjoy it. That energy—positive or negative—fuels me.”

He paused, then delivered the killer line:

”Rather than getting them kicked out, I’d rather have those fans stay and watch their team lose. That’s more satisfying.”

Oof. That one hit hard.

If those two Lakers fans were watching the interview, they probably just broke their TVs.

A gossip reporter somehow snuck in next.

”Chen, can you talk about your relationship with Taylor Swift?”

Chen didn’t flinch. ”She’s a brave girl. Took off her Kobe jersey and revealed mine in front of a sea of Lakers fans. I respect her for that.”

Clearly not the answer the tabloid guys were hoping for. They wanted romance. Drama. Details.

But Chen Yan wasn’t about to give them that. He handled it like a vet—dodged the bait, kept it clean.

Another question came in:

”Chen, how does it feel knowing you basically won the game for your team tonight?”

Chen cut him off politely. ”Hold up. Let me make one thing clear—this was a team win. The first half? We stayed close because of our team play. In the second half, yeah, I scored—but those buckets came off great screens and passes from Boris and Steve. And Amare’s offensive rebound at the end? Game-changing. I just happened to score more.”

Respect to the squad. That’s how you build chemistry.

Finally, the last question of the night.

”Chen, what was going through your mind when you pulled up for that buzzer-beater?”

Chen leaned back and grinned.

”I didn’t feel like going to overtime.”

The room erupted in laughter.

So blunt. So honest.

Then he added, ”I grew up watching Kobe hit those shots. I always dreamed of being the one to do it. I never thought I’d be the guy hitting a buzzer-beater over Kobe. That makes this night unforgettable.”

Stoudemire suddenly grabbed the mic with a huge grin.

”This man just took down Kobe Bryant. Dropped 50 on him. I got a nickname for him: Black Bangkok!”

Wait... what?

Everyone turned toward Stoudemire, confused.

”Black Bangkok?” Chen repeated, baffled.

”Yeah!” Amar’e nodded seriously. ”Black Bangkok eats snakes. Natural enemy of the Black Mamba.”

The idea wasn’t bad... but man, that nickname? Way too weird.

”Bro,” Chen stared at him. ”Where’d you even hear that?”

”Animal documentaries,” Amar’e replied.

Chen wasn’t buying it. ”Come on. You don’t watch that stuff.”

”Well... I watch it when I’m with my girl,” Amar’e admitted sheepishly.

Chen paused.

Suddenly, that cheesy wildlife documentary BGM started playing in his head...

Spring has arrived. Life returns to the earth. It’s mating season in the animal kingdom...

Yeah. Time to move on.

—

Meanwhile, at the Lakers press conference...

Kevin Garnett was first up.

When asked about his trash-talk exchange with Chen Yan, he surprised everyone.

”That rookie’s got balls. I like that.”

Garnett might act wild on the court, but behind the chaos was a smart dude who knew exactly what he was doing.

Trash talk for him? Just another tactic to win.

Now that the game was over, he had no reason to keep up the act.

”Do you think the loss was because you and Kobe are still figuring out the chemistry?” a reporter asked.

Garnett shrugged. ”A loss is a loss. No excuses. We’ll handle it next time.”

Then it was Kobe’s turn.

”Kobe, you dropped a season-high 46 points tonight. Even in a loss, does that feel good?”

Kobe didn’t even blink. ”Not at all.”

Stats didn’t mean jack to him if the team didn’t win.

”Do you have any advice for the rookie, Chen Yan?”

Kobe let out a sharp breath. ”Man scored 50 on me and hit a buzzer-beater. What advice do you want me to give him?”

Then he dropped the line that would go viral the next day.

”It’s not about him adapting to the NBA anymore. It’s about the NBA adapting to him.”

Kobe was done. He got up and walked out, clearly irritated that half the questions had been about someone else.

But he didn’t go home. Not yet.

Whenever Kobe lost, he had a habit—stay late, put up shots, work until his arms went numb. And after tonight’s loss? He was definitely going to grind harder than ever.

Chen Yan thought about joining him. Maybe steal a few moves. Pick his brain.

But nah. Probably not the best timing...

Not after hitting a game-winner on the guy.

Plus, Chen had plans tonight.

Taylor Swift had just texted.

She was waiting for him outside the arena.

A late-night date with Taylor Swift?

Now that...

That sounded like the perfect end to a perfect night.

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