Kobe wanted to try again, but he was stopped, his look warning:
"You can withstand a major defeat, even turning your anger into motivation, but your teammates can't handle it!"
Kobe, stubborn, didn't want to sit on the bench and do nothing until the game ended; that would be too torturous. But he also didn't want to strain the fragile peace he had finally established with Phil Jackson. He muttered a curse under his breath and headed toward the bench.
Vujacic immediately gave up his seat on the bench and let his gaze wander everywhere. As long as he didn't look at Kobe, everywhere else seemed like paradise.
He feared Kobe would ask, "We're both from the '04 draft class, what the hell are you doing?"
When Kobe sat down, he looked over at the Pacers' bench, watching Su Wan high-fiving little O'Neal and Artest, and suddenly felt envious.
He accepted that his fate was to lead the team alone; it was his choice.
