NBA: Journey To Become Unplayable. Chapter 552: Jimmy Kimmel Live!

On the 11th, Kobe brought his wife to New York. Don't worry, Mamba wasn't here to stab Lin Yi with a knife this ti. Instead, taking advantage of the Lakers' upcoming break, he ca to appear on ABC's Jimmy Kiml Live! with Lin Yi.

The Jimmy Kiml Live! is a late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Kiml, a man whose humor is as natural as it is relentless. Kobe was a regular guest, and this ti the show wanted both him and Lin Yi, capitalizing on Lin Yi's nine consecutive 40 point gas.

Originally, the show planned to invite only Lin Yi, but Jimmy realized Kobe had once matched that feat. Back in the 2012–13 season, Kobe's playing ti and shot attempts had dropped noticeably, and everyone was curious why soone so stubborn would change his approach. Vanessa, Kobe's wife, tagged along wanting to visit Elizabeth and have so girl ti away from the kids.

. . .

While Lin Yi was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, the doorbell rang.

Elizabeth, who had been helping him set things up, wiped her hands and glanced toward the hallway.

"I'll get it," she called.

Lin Yi nodded from the kitchen. "Thanks."

Elizabeth walked to the front door and looked through the peephole. On the other side stood Kobe and his wife, Vanessa.

She opened the door with a smile. "Good morning. Thank you for coming."

Vanessa stepped forward first. "Good morning. We've been looking forward to this all week."

She leaned in and exchanged cheek kisses with Elizabeth in greeting.

Elizabeth then turned to Kobe. The Lakers star gave her a friendly nod before handing over a neatly wrapped wine box.

"A small gift," Kobe said. "For Lin and you."

Elizabeth accepted it with a laugh. "You didn't have to do that."

Kobe shrugged and gave her a brief side hug before stepping inside.

As they entered the house, a warm aroma drifted from the kitchen.

Vanessa paused and took a deep breath. "Mmm. Sothing slls amazing."

Elizabeth smiled.

"Lin's cooking so Chinese dishes this morning. Chinese New Year is here."

Kobe raised an eyebrow. "Wait, he can cook?"

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Very well, actually."

They walked toward the dining area.

Lin Yi had already finished setting the table.

Steam rose gently from several bamboo baskets placed in the center. Inside were freshly made shrimp dumplings, the thin wrappers almost translucent.

Next to them were golden scallion egg pancakes, crisp on the outside and cut neatly into squares.

A large bowl of slow-cooked chicken congee sat nearby, topped with shredded chicken, ginger, and a drizzle of sesa oil.

Beside it was a plate of freshly cut fruit, mango slices, strawberries, and bright orange segnts.

On the counter stood a blender pitcher filled with banana, oats, and a protein smoothie that Tijana had helped prepare earlier that morning.

Kobe stepped closer to the table and looked over the spread.

"Well," he said with a small grin, "you really went all out."

Lin Yi walked out of the kitchen carrying the final dish and set it on the table. Seeing everyone staring at the food, he laughed.

"Hey," he said while wiggling his brow to Elizabeth, "I can't be the MVP only on the court. I have to keep that standard outside the court too, especially in my own house."

This prompted a knowing look from Vanessa to a blushing Liz.

Kobe placed Lin in a deep hug.

"Thanks for the invitation."

Lin Yi pulled out a chair. "You're welco anyti."

Kobe sat down and looked at the bamboo baskets again.

"Looking beautiful as always," Lin Yi gave Vanessa a side hug. "Thanks for coming with him today. Elizabeth appreciates the company."

"At least soone has eyes," Vanessa threw a stink eye at Kobe. "It's fine. I love spending ti with Liz."

Kobe shook his head. "See? This is the kind of respect I get."

They began filling their plates as the conversation shifted to the recording later that day.

Kobe picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks and examined it carefully.

"Alright," he said after the first bite. "I'll admit it. This is really good."

Elizabeth smiled. "Careful. If you praise Lin too much, he might make you co back every week."

Lin Yi leaned back in his chair. "That depends. Are you bringing more wine next ti?"

Kobe smirked. "We'll negotiate."

For the mont, they simply enjoyed breakfast and talked casually about the show they were about to record later that afternoon.

. . .

Later that afternoon, Lin Yi and Kobe played a ga of 2K. Lin Yi watched Kobe struggle and kept wondering how the superstar usually spent his downti.

Mamba's gaming skills were… underwhelming. He kept questioning why his shooting was only in the 80s, his three-point rating just 79. What really annoyed him was how 2K rated Lin Yi—everything above 90.

2K had no answers.

While Lin Yi and Kobe were downstairs arguing over a ga of NBA 2K, Elizabeth led Vanessa upstairs to the balcony of the Long Island mansion.

The balcony overlooked the calm blue waters surrounding the island. The view stretched far into the distance, the ocean reflecting the soft morning light.

Vanessa stepped out first, pausing at the railing to take in the view.

"Well," she said with a small smile, "you really picked a great place to live. The view alone is worth it."

She walked over and settled comfortably onto one of the outdoor couches.

Elizabeth followed, carrying a tray laden with pastries she had prepared the previous evening: almond croissants dusted with powdered sugar, lemon-blueberry scones, and miniature cinnamon rolls still warm from the oven.

A small pot of chamomile tea and two porcelain cups accompanied the selection. She placed the tray carefully on the low glass table between the sectional sofas, then arranged a soft throw blanket over her lap before settling into the adjacent seat.

Vanessa reached for one of the pastries and took a bite.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Wow. These are really good," she said. "Where did you get them?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I never told you? I baked them myself."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"You baked these?"

Elizabeth nodded. "It's a small hobby of mine. I actually run a little bakery shop on the side. Nothing big, but I enjoy it."

Vanessa laughed softly. "Now that's impressive. Lin plays like an MVP, and his girlfriend runs a bakery. But I thought you wanted to act?"

"I still want to," Elizabeth helped herself to so of the pastries." I decided to put that on hold. I want to be here for Lin."

"So sweet," Vanessa placed her hand on the couch under her chin while watching Liz, "He is a good man, from what I have seen and heard. Cherish him."

The last part was said with a touch of lancholy, which Olsen noticed but didn't pry into.

For a while, they simply enjoyed the pastries and tea while the distant sounds of Lin Yi and Kobe arguing about the ga drifted faintly from downstairs.

Eventually, Vanessa leaned back into the couch and gave Elizabeth a playful look.

"Alright," she said. "Enough about pastries. Tell what's really going on."

Elizabeth blinked. "What do you an?"

Vanessa grinned.

"Your love life. Spill the tea."

Elizabeth imdiately looked a little embarrassed.

"Well… things are going well," she admitted. "I'm happy."

Vanessa tilted her head slightly, clearly not satisfied with such a simple answer.

"That's it? Just 'going well'?"

Elizabeth laughed nervously. "What else do you want to say?"

Vanessa leaned forward with a teasing smile.

"Co on. You're living in a mansion with an NBA superstar. I know there's more to the story."

Elizabeth's cheeks turned slightly red.

"He's… very good to ," she said quietly.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow again.

"Very good, huh?"

Elizabeth laughed softly, a touch of embarrassnt evident in the sound.

"Vanessa…"

Undeterred, Vanessa pressed forward with calm directness.

"The intimacy. How is it, truly?"

The flush deepened, spreading across Elizabeth's neck. She averted her gaze briefly toward the water.

"He is… exceptionally skilled. Attentive. Patient when patience is required, intense when intensity is desired. The experience is consistent and deeply satisfying."

Vanessa waited, clearly expecting elaboration. "Makes you orgasm?"

Elizabeth stared at her for a heartbeat, then seized the nearest throw pillow and pressed it briefly over her face before hurling it in Vanessa's direction.

"I'm not getting into details."

Vanessa dodged with practiced ease, her laughter bright and unrestrained. "Your reaction is priceless."

Elizabeth retrieved another pillow and clutched it to her chest, though a reluctant smile curved her lips. "You are rciless."

"Only because I find you endearing," Vanessa replied, still smiling. "And because I recall precisely how heightened everything becos in the early stages of pregnancy."

"I know it's early, but have you decided on nas?"

The ntion of the pregnancy softened the exchange. Elizabeth rested one hand lightly against her abdon. "We have not yet discussed nas for the child. It still feels premature, as though speaking them aloud might render the reality too imdiate."

Vanessa inclined her head in understanding. "When the mont arrives, the nas erge naturally."

From that point, the conversation turned to lighter subjects—fashion, in particular. They spoke of favored designers, tiless pieces that endured beyond fleeting trends, and the subtle ways pregnancy had already begun to influence their preferences for comfort and fit.

Vanessa recounted her own experiences with cravings and wardrobe adjustnts during her pregnancies; Elizabeth described the sudden, insistent desire for peanut butter in unexpected combinations.

Both won laughed at the predictability and power of such urges.

Below, Kobe's voice carried upward in exaggerated protest.

"That is a foul! The ga is rigged!"

Followed by Lin Yi's asured rebuttal and their shared amusent.

"You just suck!"

Vanessa glanced toward the open doors. "They will occupy themselves for hours if permitted."

Elizabeth smiled. "Let them. Lin rarely gets fired up like this when he's ho."

Vanessa reached for another scone. "And it benefits us to have this. Companionship that understands."

Elizabeth lifted her teacup in a small gesture of agreent. "To companionship that understands."

. . .

By four, Lin Yi drove Kobe out.

Recording wasn't complicated. Variety shows follow a loose script, and Lin Yi's experience from The Ellen DeGeneres Show made him comfortable. Foreign talk shows, though, could deviate at any mont. Mistakes were visible, and the host wouldn't cover for you.

Jimmy, short and plump with a naturally funny presence, opened the show with his first question: "Lin, you just finished nine consecutive 40 gas. Kobe did it too. Which was harder?"

Lin Yi thought, then said, "Kobe's."

Jimmy laughed. "Co on, Lin, we want honesty here."

"I'm serious," Lin Yi said in unadulterated sarcasm. "Karl Malone once said, ' Today's NBA is full of kindergarteners.'. If that's true, when Kobe played, it must've been elentary school."

A subtle jab at Malone, since he and Kobe were once teammates. Kobe laughed, tapping the sofa. Soon, he got a similar question.

"Lin is an amazing scorer," Kobe said. "His focus is incredible. I think a record is a record, but I'm optimistic he can break a new consecutive 40 record."

Next, Jimmy pivoted.

"Kobe, why the Duncan imitation this season?" Referring to Kobe's reduced minutes.

Lin Yi had prepped him: "Admit you're getting older. Fans respect honesty."

Kobe gave him a blank look.

Lin Yi clarified: "No one's perfect. If you admit age, fans understand."

Lin Yi rembered Kobe's retirent ga—not the 60 points, but the fourth-quarter exhaustion on the bench. That day, even the haters softened, just for a mont.

Kobe realized Lin Yi made sense.

At 33, admitting age wasn't a weakness. On air, he said, "I'm 33 this year. The Lakers need younger players to step up."

Jimmy paused, shocked.

Was this the sa Kobe he knew?

Lin Yi smiled.

Leos like him reveal their gentler side when the stubbornness drops.

They traded complints, then Jimmy asked, "Best teammate ever?"

Lin Yi thought for a mont.

"Wilson Chandler. Loyal. Starts from scratch with . Great teammate."

(Steph: 😢)

Kobe paused long, then: "Shaq. Bar none."

Lin Yi froze. That answer ca early—Kobe wouldn't express this publicly until after retirent. Yet here it was, heartfelt and unguarded.

The show wrapped. Lin Yi wondered if Shaq would cry when he saw it.

. . .

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