To hell with small-ball basketball.
They had to do whatever it took to keep Ogawa Tetsuya.
That was the firmest thought in Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw's mind after the physical testing ended.
Of course, he was well aware of the Lakers' objective this season.
Develop the young core—especially the newly drafted No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball, and last year's No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram.
But exceptions always existed.
And standing right in front of him now was one such exception
a player whose raw physical talent rivaled that of Shaquille O'Neal himself.
Brian Shaw had won three consecutive championships with the Lakers as a player. After retiring, he remained with the team as an assistant coach and served as one of Phil Jackson's most trusted aides.
Which meant he knew these numbers far too well.
No one understood better than him just how terrifying peak Shaquille O'Neal had been
a force so dominant that the entire league was helpless against him.
Those were exactly the physical metrics of prime Magic-era Shaq:
elite reaction speed, agility, explosiveness, power—
a true interior beast forged to dominate.
And now…
That once-in-a-century, heaven-defying physical gift had appeared again.
Even more unbelievable
It belonged to a tall man with yellow skin and black hair, from Japan.
His name was Ogawa Tetsuya.
...
"Hey, Brian! This kid's talent is absolutely insane. I strongly recommend we keep him—immediately!"
Another Lakers assistant coach, Miles Simon, stared at Ogawa Tetsuya's test results with barely contained excitement.
A former ESPN analyst, Simon had an instinctive sensitivity to data.
And Ogawa Tetsuya's numbers?
They practically screamed Shaquille O'Neal.
Simon knew that once Ogawa Tetsuya stepped onto the court and showed even a glimpse of his potential, the entire league would scramble to sign him.
Yes, this was the era of small-ball basketball.
Centers were being marginalized, reduced to blue-collar roles and afterthoughts.
But a once-in-a-generation talent like Shaq?
No matter the era—he demanded immediate attention.
"You're absolutely right, Miles," Brian Shaw said firmly.
"I'll call Luke and Rob right now and tell them the good news."
Having played alongside Shaquille O'Neal for four years, Brian Shaw fully understood just how rare this level of talent was.
He immediately phoned head coach Luke Walton and general manager Rob Pelinka.
"Oh—
I also need to report this shocking news to Ervin. I'm sure he'll go crazy over it!"
Miles Simon quickly dialed Magic Johnson as well.
"Shaquille-level talent? From Japan? Ogawa Tetsuya?"
"Oh my God—are you serious?!"
"You're not messing with me, right?!"
"I'm coming over—right now!"
Magic Johnson's astonished, exaggerated voice boomed through the phone. Even through the screen, one could imagine just how shaken he was.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, Ogawa Tetsuya continued his shooting drills—completely unaware that his Shaq-level physical talent had already sent shockwaves through the Lakers' coaching staff and front office.
"Hey—why is it that all you guys from Japan are just clumsy Great Wall types?"
"Don't tell me you're another pretty-but-useless showpiece?"
Suddenly
A harsh, mocking voice cut through the gym.
Ogawa Tetsuya turned sharply to see a tall, muscular Black player sneering as he walked over.
Black players loved to show off—athletes even more so.
Ogawa Tetsuya understood perfectly.
His jaw-dropping test results had drawn far too much attention.
And that made this big guy very uncomfortable.
Or perhaps it was instinct
elite Black athletes harboring prejudice against yellow-skinned players they assumed were physically inferior.
From Yao Ming, to the Taiwanese-American kid who sparked Linsanity—
players who also from Asia
Then now Ogawa Tetsuya from Japan
all of them had faced the same biased provocations from Western players.
Ogawa Tetsuya walked calmly toward the man until they were less than a foot apart.
The basketball in his hand creaked as his grip crushed it slightly out of shape.
His cold stare locked onto the other man
like a ferocious wild beast.
"You'll pay for that filthy mouth someday. I promise."
"Getting into the NBA takes real ability—not the useless trash you're spewing."
"Whether I'm a 'pretty pillow' doesn't matter."
"What does matter… is that I'm about to beat you into one."
After firing off his trash talk, Ogawa Tetsuya didn't even bother giving him another glance. He turned and walked away, heading back to shooting practice.
"Fuck—what an arrogant, clueless bastard!"
"Who the hell does he think he is—Shaquille O'Neal?!"
The black, beefy big man shouted furiously after being openly dismissed.
The other players at the tryout were stunned.
This tall Japanese player—handsome, refined, almost elegant by Eastern standards—
had an unexpectedly explosive, fiery side.
In their minds, Japanese basketball players were supposed to be humble and polite—
like Yao Ming.
Yet
At the gym entrance, Magic Johnson, the Lakers' President of Basketball Operations, witnessed the scene and immediately stopped Brian Shaw from stepping in.
"Hey, Brian," Magic said with a wide grin.
"This kid from Japan's got personality. I like that."
"A fiery troublemaker, huh?" Magic laughed.
"Honestly, I don't want a player with Shaquille-level talent who plays like a good little boy."
"Hahaha!"
"I can't wait to see what this interesting guy brings to the court."
Brian Shaw wasted no time.
He immediately arranged a 5-on-5 scrimmage.