After two days of rest, on the 29th, which is the day after tomorrow, they will face their last game in January, a home game against the Warriors.

Even beating the Brooklyn Nets can make headlines... This time, it’s not just about the Lakers’ high profile, nor does it have much to do with Mr. Zhang’s feud with the Brooklyn Nets. The media and fans care about another matter — the Lakers have a 16-game winning streak! They’re just one game away from the longest winning streak this season, which was 17, created by the Bulls!

The opponent is the Warriors, who also played a game yesterday. After 43 games, the Warriors are currently 18 wins and 25 losses, ranked tenth in the West.

It’s surprising that this poor record can still rank tenth in the division.

After Duncan expressed he wouldn’t enter the draft early, a lot of teams targeting Duncan for tanking started trading anxiously and frantically. However, this also gave more exposure to talented players like Iverson, Marbury, Camby, Raheem, Ray Allen, Lorenzen Wright, Anthony Walker, and others. These talents, once overshadowed by Duncan, were proving to the public how outstanding they are.

The teams that were tanking stabilized their mindset due to this change of plan. Therefore, the performance of teams outside the playoff ranks in both conferences was horrendous, to the point that even a team like the Warriors could be ranked tenth.

The Lakers, with a record of 34 wins and 8 losses, are about to face the Warriors with 18 wins and 25 losses. The Lakers have been in scorching hot form lately, performing incredibly well, comparable only to the Bulls. Everyone believes there’s no problem for the Lakers to defeat the Warriors.

Next, the Lakers’ objective is to surpass the Bulls’ longest winning streak of the season, 17 games!

Can the Lakers achieve what the Bulls couldn’t?

This has become the most talked-about topic among NBA fans!

...

The two days of rest passed quickly, and Zhang Hao also saw the news. He had anticipated that if the Lakers’ winning streak hadn’t ended earlier, they would inevitably be compared to the Bulls at this point.

Clearly, this would motivate the Bulls even more when they play against the Lakers.

But what can he do?

If they can continue the winning streak, of course, they will continue it.

Since it’s certain to be this way, he has instead relaxed, spending the two rest days training well, further enhancing his defense and post moves.

Recently, his progress in perimeter defense hasn’t been obvious, but he’s becoming increasingly better at rim protection, which is his strength.

Since Campbell returned to the starting lineup, his average blocks per game have declined significantly. However, recently there’s been an improvement again, with substantial progress in his footwork during rotations and his timing for jump contests.

Improving the areas where you’re stronger is always quicker than those you aren’t as skilled in, as long as you’re not at your limit or bottleneck.

Come January 29th, the Lakers will face their last game of 1996’s first month, a home game against the Warriors.

This game brought up a topic!

Apart from whether the Lakers can tie the Bulls’ longest winning streak of 17 this season after this game, there’s another topic — the 9th pick of the ’95 draft, Zhang Hao, versus the ’95 No. 1 pick, Joe Smith!

...

"I just said it casually..."

Zhang Hao glanced at the news and muttered while chewing his fried egg.

Aprile Clark wiped Zhang Hao’s mouth with a napkin and said, "Aix, you spat it out again. Swallow it before you speak while eating!"

"Hmm..."

Zhang Hao looked at the newspaper spread open next to him. His previous statement, "I chose the number 8 jersey because there were 8 players selected before me," was once again being hyped by the media.

At that time, he couldn’t very well say, "I just wanted to see what that guy will be wearing someday," right?

However, Zhang Hao did see news about that guy!

"Kobe Bryant breaks Wilt Chamberlain’s Pennsylvania high school scoring record with 2,883 points in high school basketball league individual total score, leading Laurel Merion High School to win the Pennsylvania high school league championship with a 31-3 record."

Although it was just a small segment, and not prominently placed, it was still on the front page of several sports newspapers.

"Kobe is going to enter the NBA, right? He’s only 17... I wonder if Logo Man can figure out some divine method to bring him back... A genius who could make the All-NBA Team at 20 after two years in the league is worth trading anyone on our team for..."

Thinking of this, Zhang Hao felt a bit excited.

But for now, he still had to focus on the upcoming game, and whether Logo Man could pull off a divine move was a matter for the future.

Also, at present, the sensation surrounding high school players is even higher than what Zhang Hao remembered, which is clearly his own influence... For example, Lamar Odom over in New York is very popular, not trailing Kobe by much, and the nickname "High School Magician" is already spreading. Especially in Los Angeles, many are paying attention to Odom, hoping he might join the Lakers in the future.

Why...

"Is it because I need that kind of point guard, damn it, a point guard who laughs foolishly after being dunked on?

He doesn’t get distracted but is genuinely skilled..."

After finishing the breakfast that Aprile Clark had started preparing at 6 a.m., Zhang Hao took the Ferrari he was given and first drove Aprile Clark to the Great Western Forum, and then Aprile Clark drove to school...

Every girl has a bit of vanity, and Aprile Clark is no exception. Zhang Hao himself doesn’t go out much; he’s either at home on the basketball court or at the team’s training center. After getting the car, most of the time it’s Aprile Clark driving it, and she attends his evening games to pick him up after.

After a day of preparation, by 7:40 p.m., Zhang Hao and his teammates entered the arena.

Upon entering the arena, the mission prompt came!

"Special contract player Zhang Hao is about to face off against his draft year’s No. 1 pick, Joe Smith. Mission: Number One? Triggered..."