Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 133 Death Riding Buckle
Bill's appearance made the stadium hot and many people rushed up.

As the biggest NBA star in the city, Beal is respected enormously.

"He is the hero of this city." Drew is used to it. He is also a local. The two have known each other for a long time. It was through Bill that Drew accepted Tatum's training request.

"Go warm up first, I'll find you a jersey."

Chen Fang went to an open and sparsely populated place and began to warm up.

There were a few people warming up near him, and they were all surprised to see Chen Fang coming.

"Hey, man, are you from the Timberwolves too?" asked a black man with a dreadlock hairstyle.

"Yes." Chen Fang replied simply. He sat on the ground and began to stretch his hip joints.

Everyone's warm-up is different, although the effects are similar.

Drew came over, holding a jersey in his hand: "No need for pants, are you taboo about numbers?"

"No!" Chen Fang shook his head. He looked at the number: 66.

The Timberwolves nearby saw Drew and greeted him respectfully, and Drew waved back one by one.

As Drew left again, the way several people looked at Chen Fang also changed.

It was the black man with the reggae hairstyle who took the initiative to extend his hand: "Mario Hill."

"Chen." Chen Fang replied.

"Chen?" Hill felt very strange, so he asked: "Chinese?"

"Correct."

"Wow, this is the first time I see Chinese people play basketball." Hill said and laughed with the people around him.

The laughter around him did not affect Chen Fang, and he began to move his ankles.

Seeing that Chen Fang didn't respond, Hill started a new round of teasing: "Hey, man, do you think you can play later?"

"Maybe." Chen Fang replied.

"Haha, then predict how many points you can get?" Hill asked immediately.

Chen Fang looked at the black man and smiled without saying anything.

If he just ignored him, it might make people feel guilty, but Chen Fang staring at him and smiling made him seem unfathomable.

Fortunately, more players arrived and the opponent's main players also entered the field.

A bald middle-aged man with a big belly appeared in front of them, shaking his amazing belly.

He first glanced at Chen Fang, and then said to the others: "Hill, I hope you can do better today. If you continue to perform poorly, you will be kicked out of the team."

"You can't even make a hundred dollars."

After the taunting, the bald man threatened the others: "You too."

"Understood, Mr. Quentin." The expressions of several people suddenly turned ugly.

"Your name is Chen?" Terry Quentin asked Chen Fang.

"Yes, coach." Chen Fang stood up to show respect.

"I don't mind that Bill inserted you in temporarily, but if you perform poorly, I will replace you. This is my dignity." Terry Quentin stared at Chen Fang.

Westerners like to say ugly things upfront. Chen Fang was very sure that the words he had used to scold Hill and others were actually directed at him.

“If it doesn’t work out, it’s my problem.”

"Very good." Terry Quentin turned and left.

There are more and more people watching the game in the stands, many of them with their families. For the spectators, this is a good opportunity to get together and have fun.

Chen Fang didn't put on the jersey immediately, but pinned it to his belt, so that it looked like he had an extra red tail.

With the appearance of the referee, the game was about to begin. Chen Fang returned to the bench. Bill and Drew sat together, and Tatum happened to appear.

"Perform well, it's a good day." Tatum encouraged. For some reason, his intuition told him that recruiting Chen Fang was his best decision.

The Lu Yun brothers were sitting in the back, and after Chen Fang confirmed where they were, he sat next to Drew.

"The opponent is the Night Owls. Their level is not bad. If they win this game, they will have enough points to play in the regional competition." Drew said.

"What about us?" Chen Fang asked.

"The hope is slim. We have several excellent players who have gone to other leagues." This time it was Quentin who answered. He saw the enthusiastic conversation between Tatum and Chen Fang and had more guesses in his mind.

This is more like an excuse that the Timberwolves' poor record has little to do with him. Bill just said: "You should spend more time recruiting players instead of getting drunk in the bar."

Unexpectedly, Quentin remained calm: "That's where I release stress. My mind is full of tactics and opponents. I need alcohol. Dr. Dre, do you want your brothers to go out and have fun?"

Bill raised his hands in surrender: "I can't argue with you, so I'll shut up."

"Terry, start your show." Drew said with a double meaning.

Quentin glanced at Drew and did not respond. Instead, he blew the whistle to call the players together. He was going to start arranging tactics and exercising his coaching authority.

Staring at his back, Drew said, "He's still very upset with me."

"That's just his personality, but he knows very well that he is not capable of doing great things, so he just complained a few times," Bill explained.

"It has nothing to do with me. I'm getting busier and busier, and I'll have less and less time to come back." Drew replied with a shrug.

Chen stood aside with a blank expression on his face. This kind of content was of no nutritional value to him.

The game started very quickly, and Hill was actually the starter. Chen Fang estimated his height, about 195cm, and very strong.

The point guard is a black man, less than 1.9 meters tall, but with good basic skills, and he is trying to connect the team.

After watching for five minutes, Chen Fang could roughly tell the difference between their levels.

The Night Owls are indeed strong. Their number two player is a point guard, a short black man who is very fast.

The opponent's No. 6 small forward is very good at connecting inside and outside, but looking at Hill who is facing him, his basketball IQ is not high and he always tries to play one-on-one.

The pace of both sides was very fast, there were very few positional battles, and it was just a group of people frantically attacking the basket on both sides.

"Is it like this in AAU?" Chen Fang asked Tatum.

"That's right, we want the pace to speed up, because only when the pace is fast can your flaws be infinitely magnified." Drew continued.

Tatum nodded in agreement: "We have been doing this since we were young. We screen out those who can't play, are not fast, and can't score."

"Tactics aren't something you think about in AAU, that's something you learn in college." Bill's answer was even more impressive: "If you don't have the impact, why learn tactics?"

This is American thinking.

Consider your own comprehensive abilities first, then think about the role of the team.

“It’s always the one who runs the fastest who gets the opportunity for a fast break layup, and only the one who dribbles the best gets to control the ball, and the one who has the ball the best at attacking the basket must be the one who has it.”

"No one should complain, this is the rule." Drew said, "When you go on stage, you have to give it your all, so that I can make a plan that better suits you."

"I see." Chen Fang knew that Drew was reminding him how to play basketball later.

Soon, the first quarter ended with the Timberwolves trailing by 14 points at 23 to 9.

There is no home court here, they are all local teams, and the audience only cheers for the excitement. After the first quarter, the atmosphere is warmed up.

"What position do you play?" Quentin asked in a bad tone.

"Point guard."

"Okay, if we lose the ball once, you'll come down!" Quentin said viciously in front of Drew.

"Okay." Chen Fang agreed readily.

After watching the first section, he had a clear idea in his mind that the so-called threat did not exist at all for him.

Quentin replaced two players, but Hill was still on the court. He scored 6 points in the first quarter and was the highest scorer.

Seeing Chen Fang about to go on stage, Hill said with a playful smile: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I should be the one asking you this. Your positioning is too bad. Be smarter in the second quarter." Chen Fang said mercilessly.

Hill was furious, but Chen Fang didn't give him a chance and he had already walked onto the court.

When he came to his own center, a white man who looked taller than him but very fat said, "No. 14, what's your name?"

"Ored."

"If you can follow my footsteps and run fast, I'll pass the ball."

This Ored was running in vain in the first quarter, and because of his slow speed, he had no chance to get the ball.

Orred's eyes lit up and he asked to confirm, "Really?"

"Yes, follow me, I will wait for you!" After saying that, Chen Fang went to find the next person.

In front of a person with big eyes and a small face, like an anime character: "What's your name?"

Since Chen Fang had just been sitting next to Bill, any smart person would make the connection. Facing Chen Fang's straightforward question, he still answered: "Jeff Hunt."

"OK, Jeff, I believe you are very fast. If you are in the front every time, I guarantee that the ball will be passed to you."

"Really? Okay then." Jeff believed it for the time being and didn't question it any further.

After taking care of the teammates on the court, the second quarter is about to begin.

From the moment Chen Fang caught the ball, there was a burst of boos from the stands. St. Louis is a city dominated by people of color. At its peak, it had a population of 1.5 million. With the rapid development of the US economy, the city, which was once the starting point for the development of the West, has gradually become deserted, and the number of people of color has increased.

The proportion of people of color here is also among the highest in the United States, reaching 62%.

The proportion of people of color in public schools ranks first in the United States, at 82%.

The consequence is that St. Louis ranks last in terms of sense of safety among the 100 cities in the United States.

The crime rate is as high as 96.4 per people, which means there is one criminal for every people.

The dire situation led to the creation of a new residential area for white, wealthy communities - the East Metropolitan Area, where universities and important government facilities are concentrated.

But Chen Fang was not aware of this. He had no reaction to the boos and just waved his hand to let his teammates quickly get into position.

The No. 2 player of the Night Owls came forward, but Chen Fang changed direction and accelerated to shake him off, then went to the top of the arc and shot a three-pointer.

This was Chen Fang's first choice when he arrived in an unfamiliar environment. He used it to make his own way and gain respect.

When the ball went in, the boos in the stadium stopped and were replaced by cheers. The Timberwolves fans felt surprised. It was a rare thing for an Asian face to score right away.

The Night Owls' attack was very fast. After two passes, small forward No. 6 broke through and made a layup but missed. Chen Fang, who had been waiting for a long time, grabbed the rebound.

At this level, you have to grab the rebounds yourself, otherwise no one will give you the ball just because you are a guard.

Holding the ball and running quickly, facing the Night Owls' defense, Chen Fang continued to accelerate to get rid of it. His speed did not decrease but increased instead. His skillful dribbling caused exclamations from the stands.

Chen Fang had been observing his teammates and saw that Jeff had already rushed into the three-point line. He made a one-handed diagonal pass, passing through two players of Night Cat and finally reaching Jeff.

Jeff is exciting, but it doesn't hinder his instinctive layup.

"yeah!"

After scoring five points in a row, the Timberwolves began to gain the upper hand.

The Night Owls' head coach yelled, adjusting the schedule.

19:23.

In the next round, No. 2 found Chen Fang with the ball, hoping to regain his face in a one-on-one duel, but Chen Fang's defense was not bad now, and his steps were very clear. No. 2 did not gain an advantage by shaking continuously, but was stuck by Chen Fang. A fake right-hand dribble forced No. 2 to change hands, but he played into Chen Fang's defensive strategy. His left hand poked under his armpit, cutting the basketball out of No. 2's control range, and then he took the opportunity to grab the ball. After controlling the ball, Chen Fang went straight down. His speed was amazing, and in the stunned audience, he scored two points with a one-handed slam dunk.

"He's defensive," Bill said.

"With his wingspan, he can do better." Drew nodded.

The Night Owls were beaten 7-0, and the head coach immediately called a timeout.

Looking at Chen Fang who had returned to the bench, Quentin couldn't say much, he just handed him a bottle of water and said, "You played well."

"Thank you!" Chen Fang replied politely.

The game restarted and now it has entered Chen Fang's rhythm. His orders began to be obeyed by his teammates.

On the court, watching Chen Fang do the scoring and organization in an orderly manner, even Ored, who seldom scored and could only serve as a cushion, scored four points.

And these four points made Bill excited.

A half-high ball and a hand-to-hand pass fully demonstrated that Chen Fang knows how to coach centers.

He was leading Ored to score, as attentively as feeding a baby.

After the second quarter, the Timberwolves overtook the score by 45 points with 32:12.

The atmosphere in the room was aroused. Since no one knew Chen Fang's name, everyone shouted, "Sixty Six!"

Amid rhythmic shouts, Chen Fang continued to appear in the third quarter.

The Night Owls began to replace their players with completely new ones.

Drew was very happy: "The Night Owls have replaced all the D1 players. This is the time for testing."

Tatum said, "I know these guys. They are all from the second team."

"That's enough. No. 5 Kalu, his defense is rotation-level. He will be a sophomore soon and has already entered the rotation of Saint Louis University."

Kalu looked at Chen Fang. He was not here to just waste time. He had gained a lot through AAU. He wanted to play in a bigger competition area, so the Night Owls must win today.

The AAU league uses points to distinguish levels, and you can advance if you have enough points.

So the competition system is to get 2 points for a win and deduct point for a loss.

He took the initiative to stick close to him and used his strength to restrain Chen Fang.

But a five-person match is not a one-on-one duel, and Chen Fang has a large enough area to dodge.

He reached out to call for a pick-and-roll from Ored, and at the same time he was observing the look in No. 5's eyes, and found that the moment he turned around, Chen Fang suddenly accelerated towards the top of the arc.

Then he used his huge body to move forward to delay No. 5's pursuit and also attracted help from others.

He saw Hill cutting to the wing, shook his hands, and threw the ball over.

Hill didn't expect Chen Fang to be able to pass the ball. When he saw the height, he understood what he meant. He jumped up directly, caught the basketball in the air, and dunked it into the basket.

"OMG!" The DJ on the sidelines exclaimed exaggeratedly and took the lead in shouting Hill's nickname.

"Flying Squirrel, Flying Squirrel."

A proud Hill was celebrating, completely ignoring his opponent who was about to serve the ball to the baseline.

Chen was retreating at high speed, and he was the only one who could catch up. Three players of the Night Owls made a quick move, and the ball was passed once between two of them before finally being given to Carew.

Kalu, who had already entered the three-point line, grabbed the basketball with one hand and jumped high, trying to regain the momentum and the situation.

At this moment, Chen Fang was still three meters away from him. Seeing No. 5 jump up, Chen Fang pushed off the ground and jumped up with a faster speed, slapping Kalu with his hands and the ball onto the backboard.

"Woohoo!" The whole audience exclaimed and stood up, cheering wildly for this super blood cap.

Chen Fang landed on the ground and grabbed the basketball from under the backboard with one hand. Seeing Hill still in the backcourt, he made a super long pass with one hand and threw the ball over easily.

The basketball falling from the sky woke up the stunned Hill. He hurriedly caught the ball and scored with a two-handed slam dunk.

Bill and Drew both stood up and shook their heads to express disbelief.

This series of changes is so dazzling that one wave after another hits everyone's happiness valve.

The black people's threshold is low to begin with, so they could not withstand it at all. They immediately started dancing and even rushed into the court and surrounded Chen Fang.

The game was interrupted.

With the background wall hit, Kalu sat directly on the floor and slowly stood up with the help of his teammates.

Looking at Chen Fang who was surrounded, he showed an angry expression.

Because of my carelessness, I became a stepping stone.

Anyone who can make it to D1 is like Jordan in the story. Today, he has fallen into the gutter.

After the restart of the game, the Timberwolves were completely dominated by the momentum. Chen's reasonable choices in organization and scoring made Drew and Bill realize that this person had a very high basketball IQ.

It is very difficult to strike a balance between knowing when to give the task to teammates and when to do it yourself, but Chen Fang switches between them with ease.

After every pass, Chen Fang will immediately look for a reasonable receiving point and also has the ability to shoot in open space.

The man-to-man defense of No. 5 Carew allowed Chen Fang to demonstrate his superb ability in running in the air, using the bodies of his teammates to break away from the defense, which is something only a high-level brain can possess.

"He can play without the ball or with the ball, and he also has the ability to attack the basket from the wing." Drew himself has superb basketball theory knowledge. He couldn't believe it, but he was also happy for Tatum. He patted his little brother on the shoulder and said, "Jason, this recruitment of Chen has refreshed my understanding of you."

"With Chen, your senior year will be unrivaled. I mean in the entire United States!"

Tatum looked surprised: "Confirmed?"

"That's right. Next season, your scoring will be taken to a higher level, provided that you and Chen distribute the ball well," Bill interrupted.

In his opinion, except for the fact that he does not have the strength to compete in the NBA, Chen Fang has already qualified in many aspects.

The only thing that cannot be seen is his ability and willpower in executing tactics.

Chen Fang became more and more excited as the fight went on, and he started doing some things he was not very good at doing.

It was precisely because he completely let go of his body and mind that Drew became more determined to pursue the big dream he had always believed in.

Chen Fang passed the ball to Hill, but he did not shoot the ball immediately, so he was immediately caught by the opponent who was helping to defend. Chen Fang found that there was no one in the elbow area, and subconsciously went to this open space.

When seeing Hill's passivity, Chen Fang immediately raised his hand to ask for the ball.

At this time, the rotated defense was in place and Kalu had blocked Chen Fang.

And the ball was passed.

Chen Fang turned sideways to receive the ball and was immediately confronted fiercely by Kalu.

But Chen Fang, who was already completely high, had his brain reaction and body speed reaching a new level.

When he felt Kalu's powerful impact, the moment he received the ball, he made a fake shot and raised the ball, then lowered his hips to let go of the ball, jumped to the left, and rushed into the restricted area with a big step. After receiving the ball, he jumped directly up. He faced the basket, looked at the raised hands of the center guard in front of him, grabbed the basketball with one hand and made a high dunk gesture, and with his excellent wingspan and incredible vertical jump height, under the watchful eyes of the whole audience, he slammed the ball towards the basket!

Death Ride!

"Bang!" The basket exploded and the entire basket frame fell forward.

"Damn, damn, damn!" DJ kept shouting, he was completely dizzy, the dunk was so explosive, it was the most explosive performance he had ever seen live in his life.

"Vince Carter, OMG, Jesus!" All kinds of words were triggered by Chen Fang's dunk.

For the audience at the scene, they had only witnessed such a dunk performance by Vince Carter.

Chen Fang, who was holding the basket, finally let go and fell down, then was pushed hard by his teammates who rushed up.

Then more people came and hugged him.

The referee was helpless, so No. 66 stopped the game again.

Tatum held his head. He knew Chen Fang had good jumping ability, but he couldn't have imagined that he could dunk like that in the game.

Bill was also shocked. This kid could jump so high with just one step.

Drew was the most sober person in the whole audience. He knew that Chen Fang's physical fitness was very terrifying, but he was surprised that he dared to play like this in the game.

If the game continues like this, the entire St. Louis Arena will be overturned. Bill signaled Quentin to replace Chen Fang for the sake of protection.

Who knows if the other party will lose his mind.

Chen Fang, who was about to leave the court, received hugs and congratulations from the three people in turn. He raised his fist and bumped fists with the two brothers from the Lu family behind him. For both of them, the emotions were even more complicated.

Lu Yun had watched Chen Fang's rise all the way, but he was still shocked today.

Perhaps in Chen Fang's heart, there are no so-called racial shackles, and he can do anything.

Later, Drew suggested leaving early as the atmosphere was on the verge of getting out of control.

With the help of security, the group evacuated the stadium through the player tunnel and came outside. It was daylight, but it was only five o'clock.

"I will make a plan as quickly as possible." Drew had nothing to say, and he decided to capture the young man's heart with practical actions.

From his perspective, Chen Fang has a very broad future and great potential.

And from the time he left the court to the time he came out, he was very calm and didn't look like someone who would set the whole place off.

This state of mind also made Drew realize that many problems that many black talented players might encounter would never happen to Chen Fang.

"Chen, I'm going to play in the game soon. See you at school!" Tatum also formally said goodbye to Chen Fang. He will go to the Bahamas early tomorrow morning. There, the best players in the United States are there, and greater challenges are waiting for him.

Bill was the last one to speak. He reached out and shook hands with Chen Fang again.

"Hold on, and look forward to the day when we meet in the Alliance!"

"Yes!" Chen Fang answered forcefully.

"Drew, arrange everything. If you have nothing to do recently, let's practice together." Bill made an invitation.

"It's my honor!" Chen Fang agreed immediately.

Drew readily agreed and asked, "Do you have a place to live?"

"Yes, I have already booked a hotel." Lu Jie answered first.

"Great, if you have any questions, call me." Drew handed over his business card and then reminded: "It's not safe here. If it's not necessary at night, don't go out."

After watching them leave, Chen Fang finally relaxed. He said to Lu Yun, "Dealing with this group of people was relatively smooth."

"Be glad you're not confused. This is all business. It's important that you can tell who your own people are."

"I know what's going on." Chen Fang smiled and said, "Let's go back to the hotel first."

The three of them walked out, and Lu Yun asked, "Why do you suddenly go crazy sometimes?"

"Mad?"

"Yeah, I've watched a lot of your games. Sometimes you suddenly change your style, like the dunk at the end, which is not your style at all."

Chen Fang nodded and admitted: "When I'm happy, I can't control myself. I do whatever comes to my mind."

"Just now, I just wanted to dunk one, haha!" The relaxed Chen Fang revealed his true nature.

In response, Lu Yun could only sigh: "You just randomly destroyed a person's soul."

"It's none of my business." Chen Fang didn't care.

Looking at Chen Fang's expression, Lu Yun realized why he could chat with Chen Fang, because of Chen Fang, Wu Zhen, and himself.

Deep down, we all have a nature that despises everything.

They are all the same type!

(End of this chapter)