Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 131: Tatum

Missouri is located in the central United States. The climate here is very mild, with temperatures generally above 25 degrees Celsius in July. Chen Fang and his two companions came to the vicinity of Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis.

This is the place agreed with Tatum. He will bring Chen Fang to the campus and introduce him to head coach Mr. Frank Bennett.

After dialing the phone to inform, the three of them waited patiently.

This place is far away from the city, but the transportation is very convenient. It only takes a dozen minutes to take a taxi from the city.

Chen Fang was wearing blue sweatpants and a slightly tight POLO short-sleeved shirt today, paired with ZK6 Green Poison, which is the Green Hornet that will appreciate dramatically in value in the future.

His hairstyle was also modified. Caesar's shaved head gradually revealed the round back of his head.

This outfit, coupled with Chen Fang's long legs and broad shoulders, looks particularly refreshing, clean and sharp.

Lu Yun grumbled, feeling that Chen Fang had stolen the limelight. He was wearing a floral short-sleeved shirt, large overalls, and a pair of limited edition AJ Air 1s. With his height of 196cm, he looked exceptionally tall and straight.

Lu Jie's outfit looks very American, in Amy Khaki style, with a Henry round-neck short T-shirt, distressed Gurga pants, rolled-up trouser legs, Converse high-top canvas shoes, and a pair of big sunglasses, which looks very nice.

A red Chevrolet Suburban drove up, stopped directly in front of the three people, and honked its horn.

The window of the cab was lowered, revealing Tatum's smiling face.

"Hi, sorry for the wait." He greeted warmly.

"Get in the car, the coach is already waiting at the stadium."

The three of them got into the back seat, and Chen Fang discovered that there was a white person sitting in the passenger seat.

Seeing Chen Fang looking at him, the white man turned sideways and stretched out his hand: "Drew Hanlon."

My heart was shocked. This should be the legendary Drew Hanlen, who made an exception and started training Tatum at the age of 13 and is also a well-known NBA trainer.

"Hello." Chen Fang didn't dare to say more and cause unnecessary misunderstanding.

The three of them felt a little awkward, but fortunately there was a parking lot not far from the school. After getting out of the car, Chen Fang introduced the two brothers Lu Yun to them.

Americans generally don't exchange pleasantries with people they don't know well. They will simply shake hands and get straight to the point.

"Let's go, we're still some distance away from the stadium," Tatum said.

Chaminade College Preparatory School is not very big, covering only 27 acres. It was founded in 1910, so the main buildings are all old-fashioned. From the layout, the view is very wide. Everywhere you look, there are greenery, and the layout is like a park forest.

As Chen Fang walked along, he felt that this place was more like a manor, which was very different from the campuses in China.

We arrived at a flat building with red walls and saw two white people standing at the door.

When he saw Tatum coming, he first gave him an American hug, then greeted Drew, and finally looked at Chen Fang.

"Frank Bennett."

"Chen Fang!"

After the two men shook hands, Bennett looked at each other carefully. What caught his attention was Chen Fang's hanging arms. He nodded secretly.

"Come in." As the head coach, he was the first to walk into the stadium.

Tatum and Chen Fang walked in the second row, and Rex whispered to Chen Fang about today's arrangements.

"You need to do a simple physical test first."

"Of course." Chen Fang knew it well.

American stadiums, especially those in schools, are generally not very large. They only have stands on two sides, and only the stands on the bench side are slightly higher.

This is because the core idea of American high schools, especially private ones, is to provide excellent education for the best talents. The ratio of teachers to students fluctuates around 1:15, which means that the number of students in a class will not exceed 20.

Some even have classes with more than a dozen students.

And there won't be many classes in a grade. Take Chaminade College Preparatory School as an example. There are only about 6 students from grades 12 to 800.

There are only about a hundred students in each grade.

This is considered a large middle school. By the way, the levels of all sports activities are set according to the number of students in the school.

The ceiling is 7A level, which means the number of students in the school is around 1500.

Chaminade College Preparatory School is rated 5A and can only participate in 5A sports leagues.

Therefore, we cannot use level to judge a school’s sports strength; of course there is a range and upper and lower limits.

Below 3A, it is considered a school with inferior sports, that is, a school with less than 300 students.

After entering the stadium, Chen Fang saw several people busy on the court. A staff member came over and waved, so Chen Fang followed him.

A group of people behind him also followed over and wanted to see Chen Fang's static data.

When they came to the height measurement, Chen Fang asked, "Do I need to take off my shoes?"

"No need, the game is played with shoes on." The staff was quite humorous.

Chen Fang leaned against the wall. The staff was responsible for monitoring whether he was using any tricks such as stepping on the wall. Then he said to the person who was taking notes, "200."

"Wow!" Tatum praised.

This height is already perfect, barefoot he is at least 197cm.

Next was the wingspan. The staff checked it again and again, looked at Chen Fang deeply, and then counted: "210."

"Wow!" Tatum was really surprised this time. He knew very well what arm span meant.

Drew Hanlen, who had been watching silently on the side, also had a change of expression. This static talent is really good.

It's 13 centimeters more, which is a rare wingspan.

The staff member motioned Chen Fang to raise his arms high and stick to the wall, then read out the count: "270."

Drew was amused and said to Tatum, "Jason, the same height as you."

Chen Fang then came to the side bounce, and the staff asked: "Do you need to move around?"

Chen Fang shook his head, and after making sure he was ready, he bent his knees and hips and reached upwards.

"93."

"Wow!" Several people expressed amazement. Lu Jie touched Lu Yun who had been indifferent all this time and said, "Brother, your brother is so strong?"

"What do you think?" Lu Yun said proudly.

"We are now testing our run-up. You can step back a bit."

"No need." He took a few steps back, roughly estimated the distance, then rushed forward, then leaped up and reached out high.

When Chen Fang jumped up, many people's eyes lit up.

Chen Fang landed, jogged forward a few steps, and then turned around.

"118." The staff's tone was excited and trembling slightly.

"It's a very rare physical talent. It's hard to believe that Asians have this physical quality." Devin exclaimed.

After the basic data was measured, the way people at the scene looked at Chen Fang changed.

"Now we test the speed of sprinting 3/4 of the field, which requires three tests."

"clear."

Chen Fang came to the baseline, leaned forward slightly, and waited for the signal from the person counting the time.

When his hand was swung down, Chen Fang rushed out. His running immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Because it’s too fast!
As Chen Fang passed the finish line, he slowed down continuously, stomping on the floor.

"3.14."

Everyone's expressions were exaggerated when they heard this data. Tatum even leaned back a few steps before he could stand firm.

Only a small group of the most elite in the NBA can reach this speed.

"Two more times."

Chen Fang prepared to set off directly from here. This time, he felt his body running away. As soon as he moved his hand to check the watch, he rushed out.

"3.02." The staff's voices changed.

"How come it's even faster!" Lu Jie was stunned.

Devin next to him said to Tatum: "He didn't exercise, but this run actually moved his body."

The third time came quickly, and was supposed to give it the time it needed, but Bennett wanted to test his endurance.

"2.98."

It is confirmed that Chen Fang’s speed is at the super elite level.

The last test is the Lane Agility Test, which is a test of agility movement in the restricted area.

The test involves athletes starting at the starting/finishing line and performing different movements, such as sprinting and sliding backwards. This process is repeated in reverse until they reach the starting/finishing line.

This is the ultimate defensive test for basketball players, a test that professional players must practice and improve throughout their lives.

It is also a must-test in the NBA draft combine and the 3/4 sprint.

Chen Fang and Qi Xia have always had this training, but this is the first time they have six sensor lights.

"start!"

Chen Fang rushed out. He sprinted very fast, immediately slid to the right at the free throw line, then stepped back, slid to the left, and continued to sprint.

The six sensor lights light up yellow in turn.

Then it's backing up, sliding right, sprinting, and sliding left.

"11.12."

"Perfect!" Devin felt that he had received too many shocks today.

Without looking at the statistics, just from the series of actions just now, you can tell that this young man has excellent physical coordination.

"Jason, I have to admit that you were right to recruit him. At least all of his statistics crush yours."

Tatum smiled bitterly: "I don't know about this either. I got the idea after watching his games."

"Do you need to take a break?" Bennett's attitude now was obviously much kinder, and looking at Chen Fang's expression, he also smiled.

"Not bad." Chen Fang seemed very reserved.

"Now test your dribbling skills and shooting."

"understand!"

The staff was already placing the pillars. Bennett personally explained to Chen Fang: "Dribble around each pillar. You can use any technical moves. Then sprint back and finally pass the ball into this net."

"OK?"

"I understand!" Chen Fang nodded.

The staff handed the ball over to Chen Fang, and he hit it a few times and felt that the texture and elasticity were all good.

There was still a staff member counting the time. Chen Fang nodded to him to indicate that he was ready. Then he waved his arm and rushed out.

As soon as he dribbled the ball, Devin nodded.

“Great feel for the ball.”

There are seven cones with different distances between them, some are three meters, some are two meters, and the longest is four meters.

It lasts for 3/4 of the game.

Chen Fang did not use any fancy dribbling skills. When facing the cones, he would use cross steps or changing hands under the crotch to get around them. His steps were clear and his body was light.

When he came back, he sprinted with all his strength, dribbled back to the baseline in two steps, and while moving, he flicked his wrists with both hands to pass the ball to the net.

The ball went straight into the frame.

Bennett glanced at the staff member who was timing the time, and the latter immediately nodded to indicate that the time was completely within the standard.

All that was left was shooting, and even though Tatum said he was the scoring leader, Bennett still wanted to see it with his own eyes.

Chen Fang went to warm up, and everyone stood by the court. Tatum excitedly introduced Drew and his coach: "Wait and see, his shooting is the most terrifying."

Bennett quietly watched Chen Fang's warm-up movements. In fact, this step was no longer necessary. At this point, there was no need for Chen Fang to join the school team without any hesitation. Letting him go would be the biggest regret.

Chen Fang moved his ankles first, then his hips, and finally his arms.

A set of stretching took him four or five minutes. Under the gaze of so many people, he did it in an orderly and meticulous manner.

This alone shows his psychological quality.

After the activity, Chen placed himself under the basket and began shooting, activating his fingers and wrists while keeping other parts of his body out of the process.

As the distance increases, more and more parts of the body are involved in exerting force, and only outside the three-point line does the whole body participate in exerting force.

"How to shoot?" Chen Fang asked while standing outside the three-point line.

"5 points, 25 three-pointers." Tatum shouted directly on behalf of the coach.

"Come and pass the ball!" Chen Fang shouted.

As a trainer, Drew instinctively went on the court, and Tatum also walked up and grabbed a ball.

Chen Fang started shooting, and as soon as he took his first shot, Tatum passed the ball to him.

Chen caught it in the bottom corner and maintained his own rhythm.

He shot very quickly and had already reached the second shooting point on the wing. As time went on, when he ran to the fifth shot, everyone was horrified to find that he did not miss.

So some people actually hoped that Chen Fang would miss one or two shots to break this dream-like scene.

But Chen Fang didn't, he did it.

All 25 shots were successful.

In fact, Chen Fang had never done such a test deliberately. He was extremely confident in his shooting and felt that he would not waste an unguarded three-point opportunity.

But when he finished throwing the ball, he was surprised to find that there was no sound in the audience.

There was total silence, even among the staff.

"Can we do it again?" Drew asked first.

"Okay." Chen Fang nodded. He moved his shoulders and prepared to catch the ball.

This time, Bennett also walked in, and he also had a basketball. Three balls.

This requires a better shooting rhythm in terms of speed and rhythm.

But even so, Chen finally missed the shot at the fourth point, causing the whole audience to sigh.

Afterwards, Chen Fang regained his composure.

50-of-49 from the field.

Chen Fang shook his head somewhat dissatisfied.

I haven't had any systematic training during this period, and I've been traveling for three consecutive days, so my condition is not very good.

"Incredible shooting touch!" Bennett realized that Tatum had recruited a very strong elite player.

"He shoots better than you." Drew reminded the smiling Tatum bluntly.

"So what? We will be extra strong this year." Tatum shrugged indifferently.

Then he thought of something and threw a ball to Chen Fang, shouting, "I almost forgot. We agreed to have a duel the next time we meet."

"I thought you forgot!" Chen Fang accepted the challenge with a smile.

"How do we play?" Chen Fang was eager to try. He couldn't refuse the temptation of having a one-on-one duel with Tatum.

The 18-year-old Tatum already has very comprehensive skills. He is a five-star high school student ranked third in the country, and ESPN gave him a score of 97.

The first is Giles from North Carolina, with a score of 99.

"Why don't you play three cards?" Drew suddenly suggested.

"I have no problem!" Seeing Chen Fang's confusion, Tatum explained: "Five balls at the top of the arc, five at the elbows and wings, and five in the short corners."

"Whoever wins two points in three dribbles wins," Drew added.

"No problem." Chen Fang nodded. Single combat was more or less the same, so Chen Fang was not afraid.

Bennett did not stop him. After the physical examination, he also wanted to see what level this young man was at in actual combat.

Lu Jie whispered in Chinese: "It's probably going to be terrible."

"Not necessarily." Lu Yun was deeply impressed by Chen Fang's one-on-one fighting skills.

"You start." Tatum threw the ball to Chen Fang, and both of them stood outside the arc.

Tatum is 203cm tall with shoes on, which is a little taller than Chen Fang. With his broad shoulders, he has a big frame.

Standing in front of Chen Fang, I did feel oppressive.

Drew acted as the server and passed the ball to Chen Fang from the side.

Chen Fang took a step forward, received the ball and immediately made a shooting gesture, then he sank the ball and broke through, took a step back and jumped up to shoot.

He didn't consider Tatum's defense throughout the whole process because there was no need.

When he raised it, it was enough for him to raise his center of gravity, but Tatum couldn't help but have his center of gravity, so it all depended on whether he could hit the ball.

The ball went through the net.

Lu Jie clapped and cheered excitedly, then stopped immediately in embarrassment when he realized he was the only one doing so.

Chen Fang returned to the top of the arc, and this time, Tatum reached out and stuck close to him.

It's no exaggeration to say that Chen Fang was ranked third among all high school students in the United States with a score of 97. As soon as he put his hand on the ground, he felt the pressure.

The base of Tatum's right hand was just stuck on Chen Fang's hip, and the force was so strong that it made him feel weak.

Chen Fang had to tense his waist and abdomen to fight back.

Seeing this, Drew passed a half-high ball, which Chen Fang caught with his right hand and turned sideways to withstand Tatum's aggressive defense.

In fact, when Tatum mentioned the one-on-one duel, Chen Fang was very clear that now was the moment that determined the status. If any flaws were revealed in this one-on-one duel, all the previous efforts would be a joke.

He has to give it his all.

He just carried the ball on his back and retreated, increasing the distance between them, then moved sideways with a dragging step, mobilizing the pace of the Rex Rabbit. Seeing that the Rex Rabbit was still facing him sideways, he knew that the opponent's defense was not bad at all.

Chen Fang made a quick right move and rushed out diagonally like the wind, then suddenly pulled back to catch the ball, jumped up, and shot with a flick of his wrist.

Rex Rabbit's hand reached under the wrist, but did not touch it.

The two fell together, Tatum turned his head to see the result, saw the hit, and shook his head.

"It's really accurate, just as I imagined," he praised.

"Your defense is indeed as strong as I expected." Chen Fang replied.

It has to be said that Rex Rabbit's size and wingspan provide a lot of defensive buffs.

The two returned to the top of the arc again.

Drew passed the ball and Chen Fang caught it and threatened with a back three, but Tatum did not stand up. He stood half sideways with his hands not raised high, but placed on the ball, which was the space between Chen Fang's hands.

This is a very clever form of psychological suppression, forcing you to choose to break through unilaterally.

Chen Fang suddenly swung his arms and made a big spin, shook off Tatum's hand, and then extended his hips to lift the ball.

He then put it down, but raised it up again halfway through.

The consecutive penalty kicks actually made Tatum feel stressed. At this moment, Chen Fang suddenly jumped up and shot a three-pointer.

Tatum reacted quickly and immediately reached out to interfere.

But Chen Fang's move was very fast, shaking his wrist and pressing his fingers in one go.

The ball had a low arc, but still hit the back frame and bounced in.

After scoring three goals in a row, many people's expressions changed. In their minds, Tatum's defense is elite.

Unexpectedly, I was shot 3 times in a row, using different techniques.

The fourth ball.

Chen Fang pulled out a little, and Tatum gave up his intention to get close to him. After receiving the ball from Drew, Chen Fang moved forward and suddenly changed direction. He burst out so fast that he directly shook off Tatum.

But the latter's side-sliding technique was very good, and relying on his excellent defensive area, he immediately followed.

Chen Fang's third dribble was an explosion to the outside, followed by a sideways step and jump. Although the height was not high, it left Tatum no chance to interfere.

Seeing the ball go in again, Tatum spread his hands helplessly, muttering to himself.

Seeing Chen Fang so fierce, Lu Jie was dumbfounded. He touched Lu Yun, who looked like he was from a different background, and said, "Brother, what is your identity?"

"The future starting defender of the national team!" Lu Yun said calmly.

When it came to the fifth ball, Tatum increased his intensity directly. He moved forward and Chen Fang could no longer retreat. If he dribbled too far away from the three-point line after three times, he would lose his lethality.

The two men fought against each other, but Chen Fang's strength was not as good as the latter's, and he was still walking out.

Chen Fang immediately reached out his hand, and Drew was quick in passing it over with a shake of his hand.

Chen Fang grabbed the pass with one hand, made a fake turn, mobilized the opponent's defense, then put the ball under his center of gravity, leaned forward and took a lunge.

Tatum was fooled and took a step back to make room.

Chen Fang immediately dribbled the ball, crossed his steps and changed direction to the left. Seeing Tatum moving sideways, he changed his hands slightly under his hips and prepared to break to the right.

He took a big step forward with his back foot and suddenly pulled up for the ball.

With this series of steps, Tatum didn't even lose his defensive position and directly reached out to interfere.

As soon as Chen Fang shot, he touched Tatum's outstretched hand, pulled him down, and then stood there, watching the basketball go into the net.

Chen Fang took the first checkpoint.

At the same time, Chen Fang began to breathe slightly. Fighting with such a master took a huge toll on his mind and physical strength.

Tatum's forehead was also slightly sweaty. He felt his fighting spirit rising rapidly. He said to Drew next to him: "How is it?"

"Great!" the latter replied.

"Is there a weakness?" Tatum continued to ask.

"Yes, but not much!" Drew said with a smile.

When they reached the elbow area, this time, it was Chen Fang's turn to defend.

Then he realized what a high level was.

Tatum does not have a third dribble, he often takes off with just one dribble. His shot comes with a fade away, and Chen Fang can't block it at all.

And he is indeed a believer of Kobe. He likes to use the back foot as the axis and the front foot to do the lunge, the Black Mamba-style triple threat.

His movements were simple, without any cumbersome techniques that consumed physical energy.

Chen Fang was helpless with these five balls and had to watch Tatum get back on track and make it 5-0.

Coming to the short corner area, this position is the back-to-the-basket position, and the ball returns to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang moved slightly further away, and because Tatum exerted enough force on his back, Drew hit him on the ground.

Chen Fang took a step forward to catch the ball, then turned around and faced Tatum.

While the latter was still hesitating about his next strategy, Chen Fang directly took action.

The ball went through the net.

On the second ball, Chen Fang clapped his hands, signaling Drew to serve quickly. After receiving the ball, Chen Fang made a side shot, pushed his opponent, turned around with his front foot as the axis, and jumped towards the basket.

Tatum blocked the shot directly. Although his jumping ability was not as good as Chen Fang's, his reaction was very quick.

Chen Fang held the ball in front of his forehead and saw a big hand blocking him. He was unmoved and instead shrank back. He waited until the big hand disappeared from his sight before he shook his wrist and made a move.

"Oh!" The people watching the game on the sidelines took a few steps back.

They saw Chen Fang stay in the air and avoid Tatum's block before they took action.

The basketball hit the front frame, bounced again, and then fell into the frame.

The moment Chen Fang's heels touched the floor, he sat down, and then, following inertia, he lay down.

The dodging in mid-air just now almost made him completely lose his balance.

Looking at the ball falling into the basket, Tatum clapped his hands in annoyance. He was just about to block the ball.

Pulling Chen Fang up, Tatum said in admiration: "Your hovering is almost nailed in the air."

"I don't want to eat your hat. I'm afraid you'll say that to me for the rest of my life!" Chen Fang replied seriously.

This reply made Tatum laugh. He was very confident: "Yes, the next ball will be it."

"May your dreams come true." Chen Fang still has some vocabulary of English proverbs.

Back in the short corner area, Chen Fang felt an even stronger force behind him this time. Only after Chen Fang sat down completely could he hold on.

Drew's ball hit the ground and Chen Fang jumped forward, catching the ball with both hands while resetting his center foot.

I shook my shoulders, but I could feel the hand on my back, which didn't move.

Chen Fang released the ball sideways and tried to fight back deep, but Tatum dodged it and moved sideways to get to the front position. This sudden move caught Chen Fang off guard. He subconsciously passed the ball, because if he didn't, he might be cut off in the next second.

Chen Fang, who was holding the ball, reacted quickly. He turned outside immediately and was about to jump.

Tatum blocked the shot with his hands and moved his body forward.

But this was Chen Fang’s plan. In less than a second, Chen Fang came up with a solution.

After clicking on Tatum's defensive position, a basket appeared in front of Chen Fang. Chen Fang took a step, picked up the ball and jumped forward.

This was an unconventional move, but Chen Fang was confident of scoring.

But the next second, I felt my hands were empty, and then I heard Tatum's laughter.

Damn, what a crow's mouth! I will never use English proverbs again. They have nothing to do with Chinese people.

Chen Fang knew that he was blocked by Tatum. This guy's second reaction was too fast.

Looking at Chen Fang's bruised face, Tatum said, "Don't worry, I'll only say one year at most!"

"That would be better!" Chen Fang said with a dark face, and then he realized that this guy could only stay in school for one year, and he was already a senior year in high school.

It was Chen Fang's turn to defend. Although he knew that he was probably going to lose, he still fought hard.

Tatum's post-up play is easier than Chen Fang's. The width of his back and the width of his legs are enough to make Chen Fang unsure of his direction.

With the help of more powerful force, in the blink of an eye, four of Chen Fang were eaten.

I must practice my defense and strength in the United States!

Chen Fang was extremely angry. It had been a long time since he had felt this kind of crushing feeling. He suddenly came to his senses.

What nonsense are you dreaming about? Just practice hard. You are still far from it!
Chen kept cursing himself madly in his heart.

For the last ball, Tatum turned sideways, took a big step outside, and then raised the ball high. Even though Chen Fang had blocked his face, his high and leaning back posture still allowed him to shoot without any obstacles.

As Chen Fang fell, he turned his head to look.

The ball fell into the basket.

Chen Fang lost the first duel.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Someone applauded, followed by everyone.

"What a wonderful match!" Bennett was the first to say. He walked up to Chen Fang and extended his hand: "Welcome to Chaminade College."

"It's my honor, coach!" Chen Fang stretched out his hand and shook it.

Tatum also put his hand on the two men's hands: "Let's do it big."

"That's exactly what I want!" Chen Fang quickly adjusted his mindset and answered with a smile.

Not far away, seeing Chen Fang being accepted, Lu Yun suddenly felt sad. He looked up at the ceiling, and a resolute and indifferent young man's face appeared in his mind.

Wu Zhen, Chen Fang has already taken a step ahead of you, you better hurry up!

　There are illustrations this time. If you feel uncomfortable, please let me know and I won’t use them next time!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)