After learning where Kobe was planning to celebrate, Su Feng understood why he had blinked both eyelids together the other day.
Sunday, September 18 – Sunny.
At Orlando International Airport, as soon as he stepped off the plane, Bryant took out the poster that Su Feng had given him for his birthday not long ago.
Okay…
An Affini-Hadawi poster.
Seeing Kobe's excitement, Su Feng chose not to dampen his mood.
After all… this time, Kobe had paid for the ticket.
Cough.
Of course, Su Feng wasn't the kind of person who cared only about money, but since he was familiar with Kobe's career, he knew that Kobe would likely be feeling uncomfortable soon.
"Let's grab some food first. There's a media interview in the morning, and it will be open to fans in the afternoon," Kobe said, glancing at Su Feng.
Su Feng responded with an "OK" gesture.
Orlando, located in central Florida, is one of the United States' most famous tourism and leisure cities. Based on Kobe's familiarity with Orlando, Su Feng knew this wasn't his first time visiting.
Soon, under Kobe's lead, they arrived at a restaurant. Although Su Feng had never been to Orlando before, he was no stranger to this place.
It was the shrimp-specialty restaurant featured in the movie Forrest Gump.
The restaurant's décor was unique, full of highway and vintage-inspired design. Almost every detail was taken from Forrest Gump.
Additionally, each table in the restaurant had a license plate-style sign. If a guest wanted a waiter to come over, they could flip the sign to "STOP.FORREST.STOP." Otherwise, they could flip it to "RUN.FORREST.RUN." Both phrases, of course, originated from the movie.
Kobe and Su Feng ordered two fried lobsters and two pasta dishes. Since Kobe had grown up in Italy, Su Feng knew that his favorite food was pasta.
It had to be said—Kobe was quite picky about food.
After all, considering his name itself came from a steak, it was clear how much the Bryant family loved to eat.
"Hmm. Last time I ate here, I thought it tasted great, but why doesn't it seem as good this time?" Kobe suddenly commented halfway through the meal.
"Oh, Su, now I suddenly want to eat your sandwich," Bryant said, turning to Su Feng.
Su Feng: "…"
Brother, where am I supposed to get you a sandwich…
Fortunately, once they had finished their meal, they were ready to head to their Orlando destination—Amway Arena.
Yet, seeing Kobe growing happier and more excited, Su Feng couldn't shake the feeling that the kid was going to experience some level of disappointment soon.
After all, the higher the expectations, the greater the letdown.
This Orlando trip was destined to be a heartbreaking journey for Kobe.
…
Amway Arena is located in the heart of Orlando. As the home of the Orlando Magic, today marks the fan meet-and-greet for the upcoming season.
Although Su Feng, who had been a "keyboard warrior" in his previous life, had virtually traveled the world online, this was his first time seeing an actual NBA stadium in person.
"Anfernee! Anfernee! Anfernee!"
One had to admit… fan meet-and-greets like this could get pretty wild.
In the chaos of the crowd, Su Feng couldn't remember how many times he had been hit by a ball amid the swarm of teenage fans.
Back in the 1990s, entertainment wasn't as widespread as it would be in the future. Moreover, with the Magic on the rise in 1994, Orlando's passion for basketball was palpable.
"Su, our seats are over there."
Thankfully, as a master of maneuvering through crowds, Kobe swiftly led Su Feng to safety.
Thanks to Bryant's father, Joe Bryant, Su Feng and Kobe had snagged some premium tickets.
Their seats were located exactly one row behind the players' bench.
"Su, hurry! Anfernee is coming!"
Kobe Bryant had just spotted his idol, Anfernee Hardaway.
Hardaway, expressionless, sat on the bench right in front of Su Feng and Kobe, bent over, and began changing his shoes.
Feeling as if luck was on his side, Kobe eagerly pulled out the poster Su Feng had given him and cautiously approached.
"Anfernee, could you sign this for me? And maybe take a photo together?"
At that moment, Kobe looked like any ordinary starstruck fan.
From his tone, Su Feng could hear a hint of pleading…
And he could hardly bear to witness what was about to unfold.
Because Hardaway didn't even glance at Kobe.
Without so much as a word, Hardaway stood up, grabbed the basketball shoes he had just replaced, and—
Just like that…
The proud Hardaway walked straight back to the locker room.
He didn't turn around.
He didn't acknowledge the fans calling out to him from behind.
"Anfernee…"
Kobe, standing just a few feet away from Su Feng, was on the verge of collapsing in disbelief.
Su Feng knew this moment would leave a lasting impact on Kobe.
So much so that, years later, when a retired Kobe Bryant was interviewed by a well-known reporter, this incident was one of the topics they reminisced about.
Su Feng patted Kobe on the shoulder, but by then, Kobe had already shut down—lost in his own world of disappointment.
…
Just as Su Feng was comforting Kobe, on the court, a large man who had just emerged from the locker room and was joking with his teammates accidentally spotted them.
Oh, no—at this moment, this "fat man" couldn't quite be called fat.
He strode toward Su Feng and Kobe with a wide grin.
Every step he took radiated power, as if his next move could shake the entire stadium.
Soon, Su Feng recognized him…
Even though he was fully aware of the story, seeing this scene still left Su Feng speechless.
Because 26 years ago, this man worked tirelessly to turn dreams into reality.
Because 26 years ago, he was a phenomenon, a giant who couldn't be ignored.
Because 26 years ago, he was charismatic, his every action infused with humor.
In his own words when he retired: "Even if there are no more brothers in the future, there will still be legends of brothers in the game."
Despite Kobe's turbulent history with him—arguments, teamwork, even near-physical altercations—Kobe later acknowledged that this man was the best teammate he ever had.
LeBron James once called him the most dominant player in NBA history.
Even though he was a returning basketball legend, he was about to be challenged.
Big Diesel. The Big Aristotle. The Big Shamrock.
But Su Feng simply preferred to call him Shaq.
His presence forced the NBA to reinforce backboards. Teams developed the infamous Hack-a-Shaq strategy just for him.
Four generations of dominant centers aged, yet he remained at the top.
His name was Shaquille. His surname was O'Neal.
Shaquille O'Neal.
The most dominant center of his time—a force of nature.
All early 21st-century NBA centers fell before him.
And as a devoted basketball fan, Su Feng had always admired this larger-than-life figure.
No fan could forget Shaq.
No Kobe fan could forget the legendary OK duo.
"Hey, guys, cheer up—it's fan appreciation day!"
O'Neal crouched down in front of Su Feng and Kobe, his towering figure suddenly folding as if to meet them at their level.
"Yo, is that an Anfernee Hardaway poster? Are you a Hardaway fan?" he asked Kobe with mock displeasure.
Of course, Kobe knew who O'Neal was. After all, at this point, Shaq was already famous across the entire United States.
"Shaq is mad! So, you have to take a picture with Shaq before he lets you go!"
Like a playful older brother, O'Neal grabbed Su Feng and Kobe as if they were little kids, lifting them effortlessly while a team photographer captured the moment.
Perhaps the saying was true: "When one door closes, another opens."
"Alright! Who's got a pen? To commemorate this day, I—The Great Shaq—will personally sign for you!"
Kobe instinctively handed O'Neal a pen, and without hesitation, Shaq scrawled his signature on the notebook Kobe had originally intended for Hardaway.
"What about you?" O'Neal asked, turning to Su Feng, who hadn't prepared anything for a signature.
Still stunned, Su Feng pointed to his back. Without hesitation, Shaq grabbed him, spun him around, and signed directly on his shirt.
"Alright, guys, see you later!"
After signing autographs and ensuring the team photographers saved copies for them, O'Neal returned to the court.
One thing was clear—Shaq had an enormous heart.
With just a few words, he had completely erased Kobe's disappointment.
Even people who had never met O'Neal, or didn't particularly like him, couldn't help but admire him in a moment like this.
This level of emotional intelligence…
No wonder he would later be known as the NBA's greatest communicator.
Cough.
"Is Shaq really this massive? He's like a mountain," Bryant muttered in awe.
"A mountain? No way. I think he's a planet," Su Feng responded, equally amazed.
"It must be fun to be his teammate. I really want to play alongside him someday."
Su Feng: "…"
Well, brother… the future will be interesting, but Shaq might just drive you crazy.
Destiny had its way.
Kobe's career reflected the stark contrast between Hardaway's and O'Neal's paths.
And this experience wasn't necessarily a bad thing—if anything, it set Kobe on the road to meeting his true basketball brother in the future.
As Kobe looked down at his crumpled Hardaway poster—with Shaq's bold autograph across the same page—he felt a mix of emotions.
Meanwhile, Su Feng had one thought: "Should I even wash this shirt in the future?"
"Let's head back, Su. We'll make it to the NBA one day, and sooner or later, we'll face them on the court."
Su Feng nodded, thinking, "If history doesn't change, it won't just be 'facing' them… that big guy will make life miserable."
"I really want to play alongside Shaq!"
Looking at O'Neal's massive frame, Su Feng swore to himself—this was a future worth chasing.