Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 158: Stars Gather, Raging Sea
Springfield, the capital of Illinois, USA. (Sorry, due to a translation error, it is not in Springfield, New Jersey.)
Spalding Hoophall Classic, also known as Hoophall Classic.

Every year in mid-January, the tournament invites teams from across the United States that performed well last year to compete.

Almost all the best players in the United States, with ESPN ratings above 85, will come here.

At the same time, coaches from renowned universities across the country and NBA scouts gather here to observe the players they like or have already recruited.

Hoophall Classic is a famous high school invitational tournament in the United States and one of the top events, along with McDonald's 150, Nike Summit, EYBL Dorothy Cup, Bleach Blast Tournament, L'ATTITUDE Basketball Classic, Geico National High School Invitational, and UA Next Elite 24.

These eight are the top high school competitions in North America. Countless talents have emerged from them, been discovered, and have since embarked on the path to NCAA and NBA.

Hoophall Classic is also the first competition of the year. In mid-January, over a five-day competition, it brings together the best high school students aged 1-16 from all over the United States to show their best to everyone at the Blake Arena at Springfield College.

This year, the rising stars who have already shone across the United States and are widely sought after by teams and the media have arrived here one after another.

Some of them have become household names, driving countless reporters, coaches and scouts crazy.

Jayson Tatum, Markelle Fultz, Malik Monk, Lonzo Ball, De'Aaron Fox, Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Bam Adebayo, Jaren Jackson, Frank Jackson, Harry Giles III, Thon Maker, TJJ Leaf.

The event attracted 2016 players from the ESPN Top 100 players in 25 and 17 players from the 8th class.

There is no doubt that these teenagers are the best players among the 3 American high school players in the United States (23A and above, more if you don't count the grades. This is still high school, and the number of athletes registered for various NCAA competitions in college is 746 million in 1 years. So you can imagine how strong American sports is.), they are being snatched up by D, and a large number of them will inevitably be drafted and become NBA players.

As the organizer, we have already matched these stars and are waiting for the start of classic matches.

On January 1, the Chaminade Red Devils hurried to Springfield after finishing the fifth round of the state league.

The team was full of confidence in their unstoppable momentum in the state league, and the emergence of the complete Red Devils was just as predicted by the Missouri media, crushing the enemy with ease.

Chen Fang and Tatum, the big and small kings, beat their opponents by an average of 38 points per game. Tatum ushered in a milestone outbreak, averaging 32 points and 11 rebounds per game, standing out from the crowd.

As the commander and engine of the team, Chen Fang was a little low-key. With 18 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1.5 blocks, he became the key factor in the team's victory.

(I would like to take this opportunity to state that since Tatum still led the team to win the state championship without Chen Fang, I will not write about the state league because it is really meaningless. The following content will focus more on EYBL and other invitational tournaments.)
It is important to remind you that the Hoophall Classic is not a cup competition, but an exhibition competition.

The opponents are matched by the organizer. This year is the 15th edition and the number of participating teams has increased to 32, but each team will not have many games.

This is the bracket for all the games in the five-day schedule.

The Chaminade Red Devils only have two games, but they are both focus battles.

Among them, the match between Markelle Fultz and Jayson Tatum of DeMatha Catholic at 18:11 a.m. on the th was listed by the organizers as one of the four classic battles.

The tickets for this game and the media seats were sold out as early as November last year. By then, the Blake Arena, which can accommodate 11 people, will be packed, and the eyes of the whole United States will be on this.

At that time, The Cube will broadcast this focus battle to the whole United States.

(I won’t go into details about the rest of the event, here are the official screenshots, if you want to know more you can download them and save them.)
Because of Lu Yun's departure, Chen Fang was arranged to live in the same room with Tatum, but Tatum was not on the team. He should have greeted the coach, otherwise his expression did not change when Bennett entered the room.

In the afternoon, they gathered at the hotel for a buffet, but Tatum still didn't show up, so Chen Fang found Raymond.

"Oh, he went to meet his friends." Raymond obviously knew this.

"His friends in the national team."

After hearing further explanation, Chen Fang remembered that it might be Brunson, Harry Giles III and other players from the national youth team.

Sure enough, halfway through the meal, Chen Fang's phone rang. It was Tatum calling.

"Come out, we're across from the hotel, in a white Cadillac."

After reporting to the coach, Bennett was a little surprised. It was only after Chen Fang explained that it was Tatum that he realized what was going on.

"Be back before ten."

"I understand, Coach." Chen Fang nodded. Needless to say, he would be back before this time. He never believed in the darkness of America.

As soon as I walked out of the hotel, I saw the Escalade. When I saw Chen Fang, I rolled down the window and it was indeed Brunson.

After getting in the car and driving, I realized that Harry Giles was really there.

At this moment, Giles once topped the ESPN ratings list and is about to go to Duke University with Tatum to jointly impact the league.

It can be said that it is a time of great success, and Brunson is already at the powerful Villanova University and is currently competing in the NCAA.

Looking at these three people, Chen Fang felt very stressed before, but now his mentality has long been stable, so he smiled and said: "Long time no see, Jay Chou, congratulations on gaining a foothold in Villanova."

This season, Brunson can play 24 minutes, averaging 9.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, and helped Villanova win the NCAA championship. Although March Madness has not yet begun, Brunson is already in excellent form.

Chen Fang's words brought them closer. Brunson laughed and said to Tatum, "Boys, we are all born in 98, why don't you show respect to your big brother like Chen did?"

"Fuck you, wait till we get to Duke and fuck your ass." Giles had no sense of humility.

At the World Youth Championship, the three of them were very good friends, and at that time, they were looking forward to the future.

"Take you to a nice place?" Brunson started the car and suddenly said after driving into the main drive.

"Where?" Tatum became excited, while Chen in the back row remained expressionless.

"What are you thinking about?" Brunson ruthlessly punctured Tatum's fantasy.

"I know where your opponents are. Let's go say hello to them."

"Who?" Tatum also understood.

"Fultz, the big-handed guy touted by the media as a combination of Harden and Wade!" Giles said unhappily.

"Oh, okay, I'm going to play him on the 18th." Tatum understood.

"Everyone in America knows that even though you are not in the same position, it does not hinder your discussion," Brunson said with a smile.

"Haha, don't worry, Chen will take care of him!" Tatum laughed.

Finally the topic came up to me. Chen Fang smiled but didn't take the opportunity to respond.

Brunson and Giles naturally didn't know Chen Fang's current level, but out of politeness, they still echoed: "I'm optimistic about you, Chen."

Tatum didn't explain. He just winked at Chen Fang, who tilted his head helplessly.

"He's challenging the fastest defender in the United States. We have to hurry!" Brunson stepped on the accelerator and the car began to accelerate.

"Who? Fox? That little fox?" Tatum certainly knew who he was talking about.

"Yes, he is really fast, the fastest in the United States!" Brunson's tone did not contain any jealousy. His energy is now focused on the NCAA. At the same time, he is very clear that he is still some distance away from the NBA.

The main reason is that his static talent is too mediocre. If he participates in the draft this summer, he will most likely become a draft pick.

(In fact, Brunson chose to play in the NCAA for three years, one year longer than Mitchell, before he had the capital to participate in the draft. In fact, even so, he was not selected by Dallas until the 18rd pick in the second round of 33, and it was not until 22 that he achieved his value and status in the Knicks. From his career trajectory, you can easily tell that he is a very patient and strong-willed person.)
"A challenge? This is indeed a good show." Giles became interested.

Fox, Chen Fang thought to himself and recalled.

This is the guy who participated in the 17 draft with Tatum. He was selected by the Kings with the fifth pick and then became the cornerstone of the Kings. His performance improved year by year. In 24, he became one of the best guards in the league.

This is a genuine, historical defender without any water.

The car entered the city, and Brunson explained that in order to prevent the media, the fight location was in a private stadium, where no cameras were allowed and strangers were not allowed to enter.

But for them, this place is unobstructed.

We arrived at the place, parked the car and went upstairs. It was a private stadium built in a building, perhaps the back garden of some big shot.

When Brunson and his four companions appeared, they immediately caused a commotion.

Chen Fang saw some characters who had only appeared in NBA highlights before. Unexpectedly, there were active NBA stars on the court.

Rondo, Harden, and Wade were all present, but they naturally ignored Brunson's appearance.

Coming to say hello were Bam Adebayo and Frank Jackson.

The former is an acquaintance of Tatum, and Frank Jackson also officially announced Duke. He will form a new Duke trio with Tatum and Giles this summer.

As the biggest star in this event, Tatum was greeted warmly by many people. However, because Chen Fang had an Asian face, no one even looked at him even though he was tall and had a conspicuous figure.

At this moment, Chen Fang is still an unknown person. Maybe someone in Missouri will know him, but if you expand it to the whole United States, who will care about you?
This is the meaning of participating in this kind of event. Only by showing strong strength can you gain respect. Chen Fang knew what was going on and stood at the back without saying a word.

The six people standing together immediately became the second largest presence on the court. Chen Fang did not go over, but found a chair on the sidelines, crossed his legs, and looked at the two people on the court who were warming up.

Unexpectedly, Tatum came over on his own initiative. He picked up a chair and sat next to Chen Fang.

"Don't be discouraged, man. Maybe in a few days, everyone will know who you are!" he comforted him.

As the saying goes, when you are out there, you have to support your teammates. In this regard, Rex Rabbit has done a good job.

Chen Fang smiled: "Don't worry, although this is my first time here, I don't feel anything."

Tatum was about to say something when others found chairs and huddled together.

"This one?" Bam Adebayo finally spoke.

"My brother." Tatum took the initiative to introduce.

"Chen, nice to meet you." Chen Fang extended his hand first.

"Chinese?" Adebayo was surprised.

"Yes, he's the scoring and assists leader in the World Youth Championship. I recruited him from China. Now he's my teammate and the best guard in Missouri!" When talking about this, Rex Rabbit was very proud.

"Great, I'd love to have a chance to play against you." Bam Adebayo praised sincerely. Everyone in America knows that Tatum is arrogant and has never submitted to anyone. Except for Giles, he always holds his head high when looking at everyone.

But no one else reacted. Instead, Giles felt a little uncomfortable. He was about to say something when he saw the door open and several people walked in.

"It's Jalen!" Adebayo was sharp-eyed and was the first to stand up. When the others heard it, they immediately turned around.

Jaren Jackson is currently the hottest inside monster, not inferior to Adebayo at all.

Everyone praises him, and his talent is indeed top-notch. Even in the United States, a country full of talented people, he is unique.

Some people have even started to say that if it weren't for the NBA's regulations, he could have already entered the NBA and become the cornerstone of the team.

Maybe it was Adebayo's standing up that attracted Jalen. He looked over and then saw Chen Fang.

He showed surprise and walked over with big strides.

"Chen, I didn't expect that we would meet so soon!" Jia Lun ignored everyone else and walked over and bumped shoulders with Chen.

"I didn't expect that either." Chen Fang was also surprised. He glanced at the corner of his eye and noticed that everyone else's faces changed color and they looked at him with suspicion.

Unexpectedly, Chen Fang also experienced this kind of reversal plot in amateur writing. To this, Chen Fang can only say, "cool!"

No wonder everyone loves to read Xiaobaiwen.

After greeting Chen Fang, Jalen looked at Tatum and said, "It's a pity that you were injured that day."

Tatum naturally knew what Jalen was talking about. He pretended to be indifferent: "There are still many opportunities."

"Yes, if you don't bring Chen with you, I'm not afraid of you."

Chen gave Jia Lun 10,000 likes in his heart. This is what a good brother is. His words are powerful.

As soon as Jalen said this, everyone's expression changed again, even Frank Jackson, who had just ignored him, became serious.

This is probably what is meant by "people praise people, and immortals praise immortals".

Being praised by Jalen, a man of great importance, the effect is far greater than what Tatum just said.

"I'll go first." Jalen said without paying attention to anyone else. He was now in his craziest stage. Except for being humiliated in front of Chen Fang, the team was in a crushing posture wherever they played.

In his heart, he already felt that everyone this year was just so-so, all of them were worthless.

Adebayo was embarrassed, but he held it back. It was Giles who snorted twice.

Afterwards, everyone saw Rondo stand up and make room for Jalen, and then the three NBA bigwigs had a passionate conversation with Jalen.

This is awkward.

There's nothing he can do about it. He has a celebrity dad and a vast network of contacts in the league. Jalen has been following his dad since he was young and visits his uncles during the holidays.

Then, a new group of people came in. Before Chen Fang could see clearly, he heard Frank Jackson curse inwardly.

"Damn, why are they here? It's disgusting."

Chen Fang stuck his head out and saw clearly who was coming.

A popular family, the Kardashian family in the basketball world, and the three sons of Ball Dad - the Ball brothers.

The eldest brother Lonzo who has a crooked fist, the second brother who is a good-for-nothing and has a habit of stealing, and the third brother who is still young and inexperienced at the moment, LaMelo Ball, the future cornerstone of the Hornets.

In 16, everyone still treated their family as a joke, and there was a lot of discrimination against these nouveau riche.

Of course, Lonzo Ball is indeed very strong with his current record. His statistics are amazing. He averaged a triple-double of 23.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game, leading Chino Hills High School to an incredible record of 35 wins and 0 losses.

On the way here, Perez also told Chen Fang: "Looking across the United States right now, Lonzo is the only opponent who can match him."

What this means is that Chen Fang should pay special attention to this person this time, as he may become his lifelong enemy in the future.

But for Chen Fang, who had knowledge of his previous life, Lonzo really didn't take him seriously. It's not that Lonzo was not strong, but this guy had a glass body.

If he had half of Tatum's durability, Chen Fang would have to be more alert.

However, his third brother will indeed be a tough opponent in the future.

However, his whole family is ankle-powdered. Although their playing style is gorgeous, they all fall on their fragile ankles.

The three of them came in carelessly, and their voices were so loud that everyone could hear some of them.

"Pah." Giles spat, distracted.

Chen Fang glanced at him. This buddy had a miserable physique. His bright future was dragged down by his body. He disappeared in the NBA while playing.

Fortunately, all the commotion stopped when the warm-up finally ended.

Everyone fell silent when they saw Markelle Fultz and Fox standing on the court.

This match, which has successfully attracted most of the top American high school stars in this Hoophall Classic, is finally about to begin.

"Who do you think will win?" Tatum asked in a low voice.

"Fultz!" Chen Fang was sure.

Fultz, who is not sick, truly deserves the title of No. 1 pick.

In his previous life, Fultz had the upper hand in this conversation with Tatum and beat the Red Devils.

Because of this game, his ranking rose sharply to seventh place.

These people all participated in the 17 draft, which was hailed as the best draft year in the NBA in the past decade. Except for a few exceptions, almost all of them lived up to their worth, and there was not a single wasted player.

And Chen Fang is going to compete with them in the fierce sea.

This is a good era, Chen Fang is very clear about it and he is looking forward to it.

It would be a great pleasure in life to be able to play a game with the flawless Fultz.

Now, he wants to take a good look at where his weakness is.

　I want to talk to you all about this. If you find out in the future that I have fabricated some people or data that don’t exist at all, please don’t blame me.

　　I wrote this chapter from the afternoon until 2 a.m. This information is too difficult to find. Search engines are useless for information about this elite competition.

　　I used translation software on the Internet, translating one by one and following the clues to find the answer.

　　I don’t want to do this again in the future. Just read the book for fun. Except for the important content, I don’t want to write it in such detail. It’s too self-deprecating!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)