Kobe was a proud and prickly man.
But being proud and prickly was useless.
Cats are proud and prickly, too.
But when their owner brings out a laser pointer, they can't stay calm.
Su Xi's laser pointer was, "Come on. One-on-one."
Kobe couldn't refuse a one-on-one, just as a cat can't refuse fish, a dog can't refuse meat, and Ultraman can't refuse a monster to fight.
Previously, when Su Xi played against Kobe, he had always taken a defensive stance, letting Kobe attack. He did this because he wanted to fuse his own talents.
But now, Su Xi's need to integrate skills surpassed his need to develop talent.
So he asked Kobe to defend him.
And he told Kobe forcefully, "I want to give you a few pointers on your offense."
Su Xi was being sarcastic and provocative, but it just so happened that this was Kobe's weakness. It was like brine setting tofu—there's always something to keep another thing in check.
If O'Neal had said something like that, a fight would have probably broken out.
