"Hmm..." Su Muqing suppressed a laugh at Lin Feng calling her a beautiful lady.
But this was an interview, and she needed to maintain her professional demeanor. At this moment, Raymond Lam wasn't just her prospective boyfriend; he was a hero in Los Angeles!
"Lin Feng, I have a question for you. This season, you led the Los Angeles D-Fenders to their first championship in franchise history. What are your development goals for next season?" Su Muqing asked with a clear intention.
She understood that Lin Feng's ambitions extended beyond the NBDL. Staying in the Development League would confine him to being a relatively unknown player.
Athletes with true aspirations aimed for the NBA, the pinnacle of professional basketball.
Using the interview as a platform to gain exposure, she steered Raymond Lam to articulate his deepest dream, laying the groundwork for an NBA move next season.
Simultaneously, she hoped this news would reach his parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers, potentially prompting them to facilitate Lin Feng's aspirations.
Lin Feng, astute as ever, immediately grasped Su Muqing's underlying motive.
As an ESPN reporter, interviewing him on championship night already provided her with significant exposure.
Announcing clear goals for the upcoming season could very well capture the attention of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lin Feng cleared his throat and stated, "My goal has always been the NBA. This season in the Development League has been about honing my skills and proving myself. Now, I firmly believe that I, Lin Feng, possess the qualifications to compete in the NBA. My sincere hope is to be selected for my parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers, next season. This is my dream, and it's a wish I hold dear!"
Su Muqing smiled inwardly, recognizing Lin Feng's quick thinking and understanding of her intentions.
"Yes! Thank you for your honest answer. I firmly believe that your parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers, must have taken notice of your leadership in securing this first championship for the Los Angeles D-Fenders."
"Go on, Dream Chaser! Next season, you will undoubtedly be wearing the iconic purple and gold jersey of the Lakers!" Su Muqing pumped her fist in encouragement.
"Thank you, beautiful lady. I eagerly anticipate that day."
"Alright! Now, let's turn our attention back to the championship celebration. This marks the first NBDL championship in the history of the Los Angeles D-Fenders."
"It was Lin Feng from China who spearheaded their victory. He just shared his dream for next season – to join his parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Let's all cheer for this determined player from Eastern China. We believe he will achieve his goal of playing in the NBA!"
After concluding her interview with Lin Feng, Su Muqing seamlessly transitioned into a direct address to the camera.
The photographer then refocused on the jubilant scene within the stadium. The championship night was a cause for immense celebration, especially considering that the parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers, had been eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs earlier in the year due to various factors.
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious mansion in Los Angeles, a tall and strikingly handsome African-American man reclined on a white European-style sofa.
Among black men, his features were undeniably among the most refined.
His dark eyebrows possessed a downward arch, lending him an air of exquisite detail.
His deep-set eye sockets resembled the facial structure of European and American Caucasians.
He had a prominent, high nose bridge, and his lips were not the typically full lips often associated with African Americans. Instead, his lips were thin and firmly pressed together, conveying a sense of strength and determination.
His face shape was also remarkably well-defined, exuding a classic tough-guy charm.
He sipped a mango-flavored sports drink, his torso bare, revealing a crown tattoo on his arm.
A small girl, barely three years old, toddled around the living room, her baby voice repeatedly calling "Dad."
A look of deep affection softened the man's features as he scooped up his little girl.
At that moment, another woman emerged from the bedroom. She was of Latina descent, with flowing golden hair, a voluptuous and alluring figure, and delicate, beautiful features.
In her arms, she cradled another baby girl, recently born.
The man cherished his two daughters, naming the elder Natalia and the newborn Gianna "Gigi."
The stunning woman with golden hair was the man's wife, Vanessa Bryant.
Vanessa gazed at her handsome husband, engrossed in watching the NBDL championship celebration on television, and a warm smile graced her lips.
"Baby, I didn't expect you to watch this kind of league? Isn't this the Development League?"
Hearing Vanessa's voice, the man nodded. "Yes, this is the NBDL Development League. You know, I usually don't pay much attention to this level of basketball, but recently, my interest has been piqued. I've discovered a truly gifted player on one of the teams. He hails from faraway China. He plays exceptionally well and possesses tremendous potential."
At this point, the man paused, his dark eyebrows furrowing in thought, a habitual expression. He then continued in a deep voice, "Next season, I sincerely hope he can join the Lakers and provide me with some much-needed assistance!"
"Oh?" Vanessa's curiosity was piqued. "Do you really think he's capable? That's just the NBDL development league. In the NBA, the game intensity is significantly higher, and the defense is far more aggressive. Can he truly adapt?"
"When new players enter the NBA, there's always an adjustment period. Look at Yao Ming, who also came from distant China. When he first entered the league, he clearly wasn't fully acclimated. But now, he's a perennial All-Star starter, isn't he?"
"Yeah, you're right," Vanessa conceded, then smiled knowingly. "It's just hard to imagine that my husband, who has always been so fiercely competitive and self-assured, would recognize the talent of a relatively short player from China."
"OMG! Is this still the Kobe I know?" Vanessa said half-jokingly. The man she was referring to was, of course, her husband, Kobe Bryant.
As his wife, no one understood Kobe's character better than she did.
Kobe was an absolute competitor on the court. He was relentlessly driven, demanding of his opponents and even more demanding of himself.
He was often perceived as aloof and not particularly sociable, a notorious training fanatic, and a prolific scoring machine.
He consistently looked down on teammates he perceived as lazy or lacking in dedication. His intense training regimen had even led to friction with the team's leader, Shaquille O'Neal.
Several teammates from that era had revealed that while no one dared to challenge Shaq O'Neal within the Lakers organization, Kobe was the exception.
During training sessions, due to various disagreements, teammates had sensed genuine animosity and felt that Kobe was unafraid to confront the imposing O'Neal, nicknamed the "Big Shaq."
While a physical altercation would likely have favored the 216cm, 147kg O'Neal, Kobe's fearless attitude and willingness to challenge anyone earned him the admiration of his teammates.
At this moment, this same fearless man was acknowledging the talent of a relatively short player from China, a recognition that seemed to come from the depths of his being.
Even his wife Vanessa was surprised. She couldn't help but look at Kobe with a mixture of curiosity and amusement before continuing, "Baby, next season, you're not really thinking of recruiting this small Chinese player to the Lakers, are you?"