Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 159: First Contact with NBA

Markelle Fultz.

身高：6英尺4英寸（约193cm）体重：210磅（约95KG）臂展6' 9.75“(约208cm)垂直弹跳：34.5英寸（88厘米）40码冲刺测试：3.40秒、手掌10.2英寸（26厘米）。

It is clear from his static data that he is already at the ceiling level at the guard level. No wonder he is called a combination of Wade and Harden.

That's right, Fultz is a rare heavy defender.

He has the scouting report memorized, is skilled, has good vision, is highly motivated, and has elite shooting.

There is a classic comment that can summarize it: Fultz's shot selection is unreasonable, but he always makes the shot, so his shooting is elite.

反观福克斯，身高：6尺3寸(约191cm)体重：185磅(约84kg)臂展：6尺6寸(约198cm)，40码冲刺测试：2.98秒

A left-handed player with explosive athleticism and a high level of skill. He can change his speed very well and is a perfect master in transition offense.

His shortcomings are unstable shooting, risky defense, and weak physical confrontation. Even in the college draft report a year later, Fox, who had already played in Kentucky for a year, had shooting statistics that were speechless.

His three-point shooting percentage is only 15%, and his mid-range shooting percentage within the three-point line is only 30%.

But he was still selected fifth overall, which highlights the mystery of the NBA draft.

The NBA values talents that cannot be regenerated. Anything that can be artificially changed will be weakened and not used as the first reference. (Fox's current shooting percentage is 51%)

The reason why Fultz was chosen as the No. 1 pick is because in terms of talent and potential for realization, Fultz is still better than Fox.

A comparison of the two's data and scouting reports reveals the gap between them.

In fact, the duel between the two of them also illustrates this very well.

Fultz's offense was simple. After mobilizing the defense, he pulled up for a strong shot, actively sought confrontation, and made multiple squeeze-dribbling layups.

Fox took advantage of the limited ball possession, using speed and high-frequency dribbling to make strong breakthroughs and small jump shots.

The exciting duel between the two men caused exclamations from the onlookers from time to time, but as Chen Fang said, Fultz is still more comprehensive than Fox at the moment. The five-inning and 11-point battle ended in the fourth inning.

Chen Fang also got what he wanted. The problem with Fultz is that he is very confident in his shooting, which makes it easier to predict his offense. He will break through, but after being squeezed, he will still use a quick stop or side step to shoot a mid-range shot to solve the problem.

Therefore, if you play against him, the first thing you need to do is to interfere with his pass to the ball, but at the same time, because his shooting point is very high and his wingspan is a factor, it is difficult to block him.

While Chen was thinking, Brunson said, "Get ready, guys."

what?
Chen Fang was bewildered. He saw three NBA bigwigs stand up and come to the court. They chatted enthusiastically with Fultz and high-fived the loser Fox.

To them, everyone is treated equally.

Then, Chen Fang saw Fultz pointing at Wade, and Harden next to him hugged his head in annoyance. On the contrary, Fox was very happy and immediately hugged Harden.

"That was just an appetizer. The main event is that the three of you will choose someone to play a sweat match."

"Whoever wins gets to pick who, and Markle chose Wade," Brunson explained to Chen Fang.

"So, now it is possible for us to play with them?" Chen Fang asked.

"Yeah, maybe. It depends on whether others will choose it." Brunson shrugged.

Many NBA stars will play pickup games during the offseason, but they are all private games. One reason is to maintain their form, and the other is to use it as a social tool.

The NBA is a business league, and many of its actions must be viewed from a business perspective. This is no different from a business drinking party. If you can be invited and perform well at the party, you will be invited to this kind of social event frequently.

The same goes for a game of football. If you want to play, it depends on your popularity. If you want to play all the time, it depends on your strength.

The three of them came here not to kill time or have fun. To put it nicely, they came to get to know the future alliance. To put it bluntly, they came to recruit some followers and expand their network.

Many retired stars are still active in the league and have a certain say. In fact, this is because they get to know new forces through unremitting efforts and preparation.

If you want to make friends through competitions, the efficiency and friendship potential are too low.

Tatum's words revealed the truth.

"I have to behave well, maybe I can go to a good place!" (Tatu's private life is actually quite messy, but generally it's okay. After all, he has a mother watching over him, but it's useless. The black community is very dirty. Harden, the former little prince of nightclubs, also has a strict single mother. In the United States, private life is almost never discussed. No matter how outrageous it is, it's just a joke. When TT's wife Khloe Kardashian was teased by a text message from his Cavaliers teammate, we actually know who it was. We can use the logic of Jiang Wen asking his brothers who raped him in "Let the Bullets Fly" to eliminate it, and the result is very clear. Those who are interested can understand it for themselves.)
That's right, the most effective way to recruit followers is to take them to fun places. For boys aged 17 or 18, private places such as bars and erotic dance halls are no less tempting than the NBA.

Brunson naturally knew it, but what could he say? The first principle of getting along with others is, don’t spoil the fun!

But Chen Fang was not excited. Please, he was already an adult. The fact that he could remain calm in the face of danger was enough to prove that Chen Fang's mind was pure and he only wanted to pursue his dream.

However, the way of forming a team made Chen Fang feel somewhat interesting.

It's similar to a chain game, the boss picks one, and then the one who is picked picks another, until the group is full.

Then an unexpected situation occurred that Chen Fang had not expected.

Who will choose him?

Or will he be ignored and become an undrafted draft pick?

With a change of mind, Chen Fang calmed down and sat in a chair to watch the situation develop.

Fultz then selected Miles Bridges, and then Fox selected future teammate Malik Monk, who had committed to Kentucky.

Rondo didn't say anything, as if he was watching a show, sitting there without choosing anyone.

Then, Miles picked Adebayo, which did not surprise him. The two were close friends, but he knew that Fultz was in competition with Tatum, so he could only pick Dennis Smith Jr., also a shooting guard and a popular five-star high school student. Then Smith picked Leaf to strengthen the inside line. (Several players in this class later went to the CBA, Frank Jackson went to Jiangsu Kendia, including Leaf, who was once very popular, went to Tongxi. In the previous life of this line, Leaf had an amazing performance of 37 points and 11 rebounds in this event.)
Fox then invited Tatum, who hesitated and chose Giles.

Because it was a lineup selection, although it might be for this reason, he still felt sorry for not choosing Chen Fang. He glanced at Chen Fang, but the latter smiled and waved his hand to indicate that he didn't mind.

Each team selects six players to form a seven-man rotation, followed by Giles directly to Brunson.

Chen Fang's initial premonition came true. Once the test came, the fragile relationship was ruthlessly exposed.

At this moment, Harden's team already had Fox, Tatum, Giles, Brunson, and Malik Monk, but now they were lacking a rim-protecting center at the 5th position. They immediately chose Tony Bradley, who later became a pure blue-collar center.

Wade's team now has Fultz, Bridges, Adebayo, Dennis Smith Jr., and Leaf.

And Leaf did not hesitate and selected Emmitt Williams, a 198cm tall small forward.

Chen Fang sat there, very quietly.

Although he felt disappointed for not being chosen, it was also expected. Sometimes when a result appears, don't rush to complain, but think about why it happened.

But before he could even begin to think about this, he was interrupted by something unexpected.

Jia Lun stood up. He had never been picked up, which was related to his hatred, but his relaxed expression made Chen Fang know that there were details. Sure enough, he waved to Chen Fang, and Chen Fang stood up.

My opponent really knows the goods, I can’t help but sigh.

Ignoring the strange looks from others, Chen Fang came to Jia Lun.

"Uncle, this is the very good guard, China Chen." Jalen introduced him to Rondo in this way. What else could Chen Fang say? He extended his hand to greet Rondo: "Sir, I am your fan."

Although it was just a polite remark, Rondo was still very happy. He was a weird person, and his strong competitive spirit did not match his height at all.

Although his body looks thin, he actually has unlimited energy.

"Great, who do you want to choose?" he asked.

Chen Fang didn't think: "The people I'm familiar with have already been picked, so it doesn't matter who I choose now."

"Then let's not think about it for now, let's watch the game first." Rondo said nothing more. In some ways, he is a bit like Kobe, both have a bad temper and like to look down on others.

Chen Fang sat next to Jia Lun and only after listening to Jia Lun's explanation did he understand the inside story.

It turned out that the bet was caused by a joke between Harden and Wade, and Rondo was just a witness, so he let them choose first, and Rondo only reserved Jalen.

"Are you on the same team as Tatum?" Rondo knew Chen Fang's identity and couldn't help but become more interested.

"Yes."

"What do you think of him?" asked Rondo, who has always been known as a person who loves to study, guide young people and discuss anything related to basketball.

In China, he also has the nickname Coach Long.

Chen Fang thought for a moment and organized his words: "He is very competitive, has outstanding physical talents, has no technical shortcomings, and has a champion's heart. I think, even if he is in the NBA, he will be the center of the stage."

Rondo was clearly amused by Chen Fang's compliment. He realized asking Tatum's teammate wouldn't yield any surprising answers, so he changed the subject: "So, how would you rate yourself? I haven't seen you play, but if you've got Jaren Jones's approval, you must have some talent."

Rondo is a person who doesn't like to beat around the bush. I believe that if he is to be defined as a Chinese, he must be a silver from the Northeast.

"Me?" Chen Fang raised his eyebrows. This question was very direct. How could he say it to make himself more satisfied?
Even Jalen was listening curiously, shifting his attention away from the court. In front of the two of them, Chen Fang said something in a very loud tone.

“I am the cornerstone.”

"Wow!" Rondo laughed. His questions were always tricky: "Do you know Linsanity?"

Jeremy Lin?
The madness is gone, but because of enough playing time, he still has a good performance. In December last year, the Hornets played against the Raptors, and Jeremy Lin, who started, scored 12 points, which was also the fifth 35+ in his career.

"I don't know him." Chen Fang shook his head.

"He's a very warm-hearted person. As a compatriot, I believe you can get his help," Rondo said. (In fact, Jeremy Lin does treat mainland Chinese and Taiwanese players coming to the United States equally, doing everything he can to help them, which is admirable.)
Chen Fang smiled and replied: "I don't need any help, I rely on myself."

People like Rondo who come from the Celtics should not show weakness. Being tough will actually gain respect.

"Very good, that should be the case." Rondo nodded, "Although I haven't watched your game yet, I can imagine that your momentum on the court will not be bad."

"Then do you know Yao?" Rondo was particularly talkative today. Perhaps meeting an interesting Chinese person made him feel very novel and had many questions in his mind.

Rondo is a very strange person. To use today's words, he has a unique way of thinking. With this kind of personality and his competitive spirit, he always does things that refresh the public's perception of him.

For example, he liked playing chess with his children. After the children beat him once, he wouldn't let the children go to sleep and wouldn't stop until he won five games in a row.

"I don't know him. I'm just an ordinary high school student. My parents are ordinary people. I came to the United States at my own expense with the money I earned myself." Chen Fang expressed his independence.

These words made Rondo look at Jalen with a higher opinion, and he said to Jalen: "You have made a very good friend."

"Yeah, I felt it when I was on the court," Jalen smiled.

As they chatted, the situation on the court became clearer.

The so-called sweating game is actually just running back and forth, with some shots, breakthroughs, and layups. There is almost no physical confrontation, and there won't be many passes. It's a turn to play. Once you are given the ball, you take responsibility for the attack.

Harden and Wade are just making a show of force. They themselves don't exert any effort. They often just shoot a few balls and connect them.

The real confrontation comes from this group of rising stars.

Obviously, Fultz has the advantage.

He has a lot of possession of the ball, but his teammates are more obedient, so they are more like a team.

But there was a problem on Tatum's side. Fox, as the loser in the one-on-five game, wanted to save face in the five-on-five game, which led to a disconnect with Tatum, and the two seemed to be competing for dominance.

Several shots were too unreasonable and were counterattacked by Wade's team.

Seeing the huge score gap, Harden took back the initiative, and Wade quickly responded, and the game started with a sweaty game and he began to sweat a lot.

Rondo looked at it for a while and said, "If you don't want to choose anyone, then let my two friends go."

"I'm fine." Jia Lun and Chen Fang said almost at the same time.

They looked at each other and smiled, then Chen Fang began to warm up.

"Which position do you want to play?" Rondo is indeed worthy of Coach Rondo and looks like a coach at this moment.

"S or G is fine."

"Can play three positions?" Rondo was a little surprised.

"Uncle, he can really fight." Jia Lun testified for Chen Fang.

"Let's see!" Rondo said nothing else. There was no winner or loser in this kind of activity. It was just a social activity for contact and understanding.

Rondo has always followed a principle: it is not the quantity of friends that is important, but the quality of friends. (I checked an interview and he said that he does not have many friends because people nowadays are too shrewd. He only has two types of friends: childhood friends, with whom he can exchange lives, and friends on the court, with whom he can confide.)
With a three-pointer from Fultz, this 60-point sweaty game was over.

"It's our turn!" Rondo clapped his hands and walked onto the court.

Chen Fang was quite excited, but still under control.

This was my first experience playing with NBA stars since I started learning basketball, and it happened unexpectedly.

　I would like to thank Lu Zaixiang for his 21 monthly tickets. It is such a powerful kingly move. I would also like to thank every book friend who voted. You have made me so proud!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)