Chapter 79: Taylor Swift Pulls Up Courtside and Talks Trash to Kobe?!
November 11, 6:00 PM, U.S. Time – Staples Center, Los Angeles.
With an hour and a half still to go before tip-off, the arena is already buzzing—Staples Center is packed to the rafters.
Lakers fans are hyped. To them, tonight's game isn't just another regular season matchup. No, this one's personal. It's war.
The Suns and Lakers, both in the Pacific Division, have one of the league's most underrated but heated rivalries. This beef runs deep—way back to the Showtime Lakers era. Back then, the Lakers were gunning for a title after a dominant 63-win season... until Phoenix ruined their dream with a stunning upset in the Western Conference Semis.
That was the start of the bad blood.
Two years later? The Suns did it again—eliminating the Lakers while down 3–1.
It wasn't until the Shaq-Kobe era that LA finally stomped on Phoenix and reclaimed some pride in 2000.
Fast forward to last season, 2006–07. Kobe had one of the wildest playoff games of his career—double overtime, back-to-back buzzer beaters, and a 50+ point game against the Suns. It looked like Kobe was writing another chapter in his legacy… but Nash and the Suns stormed back, won three straight, and sent the Lakers packing.
That was the night people said, "The Lakers lost, but Kobe didn't."
The feud between these two squads is like a long-running drama—full of twists, heartbreaks, and revenge arcs.
Now? It's a new season, and the Lakers have reloaded by trading for Kevin Garnett. The rosters are even. The tension is back. Lakers fans are out for blood tonight, desperate to get even.
Warm-ups were already intense.
Chen Yan could feel the heat from the crowd.
"The Suns are gonna get rolled up like a Mexican tortilla!"
"Go back to Phoenix, rookie!"
"Kobe and KG are gonna EAT you ALIVE!"
But Chen didn't flinch. He knew LA fans talk spicy—and their players would get the same treatment when they come to Arizona.
Suddenly, he heard someone shouting his name from courtside.
"Hey, Chen!"
He looked over and froze.
Taylor Swift—yes, that Taylor Swift—was standing in the front row, waving at him.
"Taylor? What are you doing here?" Chen jogged over, surprised.
He knew she'd been recording in LA lately, but he didn't think she'd pull up to this game.
"I came to cheer you on! Thought I'd surprise you," she smiled.
Chen laughed—then noticed something that made him do a double take.
"You're wearing a Kobe jersey?"
Lakers #24. Right on her chest.
So she says she supports him, but she's dressed like Pinru? What kind of surprise is this?
"Haha! C'mon, I had to blend in at Staples. You know how crazy Lakers fans get."
Taylor then lifted the Lakers jersey to reveal a Suns #0 underneath.
A double-agent move.
Watching a game with her felt like being in Infernal Affairs.
Chen couldn't help but grin. She was playful, childish in a cute way—so different from the larger-than-life Taylor Swift he only knew from screens back in his old life.
Just then, the crowd erupted—Kobe Bryant had just entered from the tunnel.
"I gotta say hi," Chen said, before turning toward Kobe.
Kobe walked over to Chen with his usual calm swagger.
"Yo, Kobe!" Chen greeted him like an old friend.
They hadn't met officially before, but Chen knew Kobe had watched some of his college games. There was respect.
"Hey, Chen," Kobe said, patting him on the shoulder. "I've seen your stuff. You've been killin' it. Keep it up."
Chen smirked. "You ready to get 30 dropped on you tonight?"
Kobe laughed—loudly. "Do you even know who you're talking to, college boy?"
Most rookies would've asked him for a selfie or an autograph. Chen was different.
"Correction—I'm not a college boy. I'm an NBA player," Chen replied confidently.
Kobe raised a brow. "You just put on that jersey. Five games in the league. And if I remember right, you barely played in college. You only started in the NCAA Finals, right? Spent most of the year warming the bench."
He leaned in. "You're basically a high schooler."
Damn, he really came for his neck.
"I know I'm not a high schooler," Chen shot back, "but I am running through the NBA like it's a high school league."
With five straight 30+ point games under his belt, he wasn't lying.
Kobe chuckled. "Listen, you're not beating me. You young guys just want foul calls all day. Basketball ain't played like that."
Clearly, he watched Chen's last game—13 free throws in one night raised a few eyebrows.
Kobe wasn't done. "Here's some advice: go online and look up a guy named Kobe Bryant. Watch how he plays. You might learn something."
Classic Mamba trash talk—sharp, surgical, with a smirk.
Chen wasn't on his level in the verbal game yet, but he'd get there. It was only his fifth NBA game, after all.
"See you on the court," Chen said, walking off.
Kobe turned toward the reporters nearby, speaking just loud enough: "I actually think Chen's got talent. Kid plays well. Still perfect for high school ball, though."
Chen stopped in his tracks, spun around, and stared straight into the cameras.
"You know why Kobe keeps talking about high school leagues?" he said with a smirk. "Because he only has a high school diploma."
The crowd laughed. Even Kobe cracked up. He didn't expect that comeback.
But he didn't take it personally. He liked this rookie.
It reminded him of how he once challenged MJ with the same fire.
Meanwhile, over in the TNT studio...
Charles Barkley grinned like a devil. "You ready?" he asked Kenny Smith.
Reggie Miller, sitting to the side, watched eagerly. He was doing color commentary tonight.
Kenny gave a reluctant nod. He'd lost a bet on the Nuggets game. The punishment? Call the next Suns game in his underwear.
But Kenny had his limits. He showed up with his pants already off, legs wrapped in a long piece of cloth.
Barkley, with the flair of a magician, stepped in front of the camera and yanked the cloth away.
"OH MY GOD! What the hell is that?!" Barkley yelled.
Kenny stood proudly in underwear made from Chen Yan's jersey.
"That's my way of showing support for Chen," he said, straight-faced.
Reggie Miller cracked up. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Chen doesn't want that kind of support."
"I second that," Barkley added.
The three retired legends had the whole studio rolling.
Tonight's battle was set. The lights were bright, the stakes were high, and the drama—both on and off the court—was already championship-level.
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