Chapter Sixty-One: The Onslaught of Komi

"Editor-in-chief, mine has to be on the front page. He said he regretted making the game-winning shot—what a cool headline!"

"Editor-in-chief, mine deserves the front page even more. He said he wants to lead the team to the Western Conference Finals. That’s a controversial topic, could even become a series with ongoing coverage."

"Editor-in-chief, I’ve got confirmed information. Larry Bird tried to trade Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest for him, but Elgin Baylor refused. That’s what should be front page news."

"Yours is garbage, nothing worth reporting."

"Yours is the real garbage."

...

The editor-in-chief of Fox, Barrack, looked at the crowd rolling up their sleeves, and rubbed his forehead. He’d never imagined that too many explosive stories could be a headache.

He used to worry about the absence of breaking news; now, it was the abundance that troubled him.

"Let’s hope this guy keeps generating headlines," Barrack muttered. Though it was a headache, it was a happy kind—he’d take as much as he could get.

Other media outlets were experiencing similar scenes.

For a junior editor, the number of times their work landed on the front page was a symbol of their standing in the industry, and a critical metric for future promotions and raises.

To get their articles on the front page, shouting matches were nothing; even fistfights weren’t out of the question.

They fought with colleagues in the office by day, and with the editor-in-chief in bed by night.

At ABC Television, Lucy and her colleague were embroiled in a fierce debate in the office.

"Editor-in-chief, think about it. Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest—a rookie traded for two All-Stars. This news will grab attention and spark massive controversy, keeping fans talking," Lucy’s colleague Casey said, anxious.

She’d paid a steep price for this inside scoop; in the past, it would have guaranteed front-page status.

But this time, she faced competition.

If she couldn’t secure the front page, her sacrifice would be for nothing.

"But yours isn’t confirmed, while mine is solid. Just imagine how many fans who couldn’t attend the game want to know how Cousin interacted with the crowd, how he delivered the game-winner against the Celtics..." Lucy countered.

She had also been chasing news of Huo Xinghui’s trade, but her efforts hadn’t matched Casey’s, so Casey had secured more detailed information.

She had no choice but to report from another angle.

"But mine is exclusive, and Cousin’s game-winner against the Celtics is already known by other media," Casey said.

"I have an exclusive too—an interview with Cousin. He responded to Barbosa’s rookie wall comments with humor," Lucy replied.

Their debate was fierce. In the end, Casey edged out Lucy and landed the front page.

Lucy was dissatisfied; she didn’t believe her article was the issue. She suspected Casey would again end up in the editor-in-chief’s bed that night.

"That witch," Lucy cursed inwardly, then began to seriously consider whether she should make some sacrifices herself.

This industry was fiercely competitive; newcomers needed more than just ability to stand out.

Still, she wasn’t thinking of giving herself to the old editor-in-chief, but rather to Huo Xinghui himself, hoping this would earn her more first-hand news and exclusive interviews.

The next day, in the sports news section, nearly all the headlines were dominated by Huo Xinghui.

There was no helping it—his game-winning shot against the Celtics was too spectacular, a true trailblazer.

"Nine games, three game-winners—is this really a rookie?"

Since the league’s inception, there hadn’t been such an astonishing newcomer. Smith said he’s the next Kobe; I believe he’ll surpass Kobe, because Kobe’s game-winning percentage can’t compare to Cousin’s...

"Larry Bird tried to trade Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest for Huo—is he senile, or is he a visionary?"

Reliable sources say Bird tried to negotiate a three-team deal with the Clippers and Kings, willing to give up O’Neal, Artest, and take on a bad contract just to get Huo.

If I hadn’t watched Huo’s game against the Celtics, I’d say Bird was out of his mind. But after watching, I can only admire Bird’s insight.

Unfortunately, the Clippers’ front office wasn’t foolish either; Elgin decisively rejected the deal.

So here’s the key question: Is Huo now worth two All-Stars?

...

These stories ruffled some fans’ feathers.

In the eyes of Kobe’s diehards, Los Angeles could have only one king; Huo Xinghui was nothing.

Previously, Huo’s performance had been excellent, but Kobe’s devotees never took him seriously.

Until the Clippers finished off the Celtics, until Smith declared before millions that Huo could rival Kobe in the future, until the media revealed that Larry Bird wanted to trade two All-Stars for Huo.

Now, Kobe’s fans were rattled and began to acknowledge Huo as a genuine threat.

Thus, some self-proclaimed hardcore Kobe fans sprang into action, launching attacks on Huo online.

"Just a clown out for attention, his skills are nothing. Rival Kobe? Dream on," posted one fan, quickly racking up thousands of likes.

These fans seemed to think that mocking Huo would diminish his abilities and preserve Kobe’s status.

Wherever there are Kobe fans, there are Kobe haters. Their love-hate drama is as endless and melodramatic as a Korean soap opera.

"Huo can’t be compared to Kobe, after all, Huo averaged over twenty as a rookie, while someone else barely managed eight, and didn’t even have as many jersey numbers," Huo’s fans fired back, adopting the same twisty rhetoric as Huo himself.

They backed their claims with irrefutable stats, but it made no difference to Kobe’s fans.

Ignoring statistics was their specialty. Ball-hogging? That’s called leadership. Low shooting percentage? As long as the points are high. Even when Kobe’s scoring was low, they'd say his impact couldn’t be measured by points alone.

In short, they always had an argument.

"Huo has no respect for the game or his opponents, his mind is full of tricks, only good for trash talk. He doesn’t deserve to play," came the moral attacks when the data didn’t work.

And morality is always a murky battlefield, lacking any clear standards.

Once the debate entered this territory, it wasn’t about who was right anymore, but whose voice was louder and whose stamina lasted longer.

Both sides battled fiercely online, exhausting themselves.

In the end, they could only wait for January 7th, when the Lakers would face the Clippers.

Nothing stings like defeat; all the arguments online fade away, and the final verdict is decided on the court.