Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 171 Late Spring Team
"This is where our team trains." Lu Yun said, pointing to the square training hall in front.

When you walk in, it's not very big and there's nothing to see. There's just a row of chairs on the sidelines. The basketball hoop of the stadium is suspended from the steel beams of the ceiling, which makes the view clearer.

"It's not very far!" It's only ten minutes from where I live to here.

"There are five high schools nearby, all private. International students from China come here to play basketball when they have nothing to do. You won't see any other races." Lu Yun explained.

"Except for the low level, everything else is OK. There is also a massage parlor run by a Chinese next door. I can go there to relax after the game."

"It should be okay for three people to live here." Chen Fang asked with some concern.

"I asked Lu Jie to buy bedding. The third floor is a loft, so a mattress should be enough for them." Lu Yun said, "How about booking a hotel for them?"

"No need. I'm not a big shot. This treatment is enough." Chen Fang disagreed.

The venue they had agreed to meet was this stadium, so Chen Fang came here early to familiarize himself with the venue.

"You want me to go up?" The two sat down and began to change equipment and warm up. Chen Fang's words shocked Lu Yun.

"Nonsense, you are the investor, the boss, and the four of us are the thugs. What, you don't understand or are you just pretending to be a coward?"

"Is that what you mean?" Lu Yun understood. He was a little unsure: "Let you four American high school students play basketball with me so that I can vent my anger?"

"Yeah!" Chen Fang said in a Northeastern style of affirmation.

"Well, I didn't expect that you, Chen Fang, are really good at handling things!" Lu Yun also said something in Northeastern dialect.

Seeing Lu Yun’s smile, Chen Fang found it funny. How many big bosses spend money to hire football stars, isn’t it just to get this feeling?
This is what Boss Xu in China did, and it’s the same in the United States. Jordan was the ceiling when playing with the boss. The scene was realistic, and he gave his all. He challenged the big boss one-on-one, and the boss only lost one ball.

Jordan is very good at this. No matter who he plays against, he always makes people feel that the odds are evenly matched. His basketball skills must have been very deep to achieve such an effect.

What is professionalism? This is professionalism!

When changing shoes, Lu Yun was envious again and cursed: "Can't your feet be smaller? Can't I wear them if they are one and a half sizes shorter?"

I'm talking about the KB5 black and white gradient EYBL colorway, which was shown off last night, causing the silent Wu Zhen to hold onto his sneakers, reluctant to put them down.

This is the proof of being a good basketball player. Wearing these shoes means that you were once a star and will become a star in the future.

(Even in the NBA, a large number of players will choose EYBL shoes to play in the game. With the marketization, EYBL color matching shoes have also begun to circulate in the market. However, they are very expensive in China, estimated to start at five figures. If you really want them, there are sales channels in North America, and you can ask international students to buy them for you, which will be much cheaper.)
Chen Fang smiled without saying anything. His feet were size 49, two sizes bigger than Lu Yun's. Lu Yun, who was of such height, had the same size feet as Tatum, which showed how small Tatum's feet were.

As the two were chatting, a large group of people walked in. When they saw Lu Yun, they all greeted him. Chen Fang took a quick look and saw that they all carried large and small bags and were dressed very fashionably. They were of different heights, but most of them were around 1.80 meters tall.

"Is this your teammate?" Chen Fang asked.

"Well, I play power forward, do you believe it?" Lu Yun was depressed.

"Sure, a space-type power forward with a promising future." Chen Fang was happy.

"Space type?" Lu Yun didn't quite understand. At this time, a tall boy walked over.

"Brother Lu, your friend?" The man was very polite.

"Hu Mingxiang, I'm a freshman here!" Lu Yun introduced Chen Fang first, then said to Hu Mingxiang, "Call me Brother Chen."

"Brother Chen." Hu Mingxiang looked at Chen Fang curiously. The more he looked, the more familiar he felt. Suddenly, a flash of light flashed in his mind, and he blurted out, "Da Falcon, Brother Falcon?"

"What are you talking about? You are really insulting me!" Lu Yun scolded, but saw Chen Fang smiling.

"Why, do you know me?" Chen Fang asked.

"Of course, Da Falcon, ranked eighth in the United States. Wow, Brother Lu, you actually know Da Falcon!"

"When did you call yourself this nickname?" Lu Yun asked.

"I just got it. It won't work!" Chen Fang pounded his fist: "Have you not watched the news recently?"

"Brother Lu has so many beauties, he is too busy to handle it all!" Hu Mingxiang stabbed him in the back.

"Get out of the way. You have no right to interrupt." Lu Yun pretended to kick him, and Hu Mingxiang immediately ran away, then excitedly shared the explosive news with his teammates.

Soon, a group of people gathered around Chen Fang. Chen Fang didn't care, but Lu Yun was unhappy: "Hurry up and warm up, what are you looking at?"

"Brother Lu, will Brother Falcon play basketball with us today?" someone asked.

"You'll know in a minute, hurry up." After finally driving them away, Lu Yun cursed, "They are all a bunch of rich second-generations who have gilded their reputations in the United States. Don't be fooled by their cuteness now, they are not good people."

"What's wrong?" Chen Fang asked casually.

"If they are honest, will they be sent to America? Only the Fobollers here can educate them." Lu Yun snorted.

If you think about it, this logic makes sense. Only rich people can come to California to study, and there are only private schools here. This is Lu Yun's nature. The saying "birds of a feather flock together" should be this.

Chen Fang began to warm up. When these people arrived, they would definitely ask him to taste the saltiness of the food, and he didn't want to embarrass himself.

Countless eyes were watching as we warmed up here, and more people might have received the news and were coming in one after another. When Chen Fang started shooting, he noticed that the screams from the side were a bit loud, and then he realized that there were actually thirty or forty people on the sidelines.

But Chen Fang was already accustomed to this kind of scene, so he focused all his attention on warming up the body. Soon, the first one came.

Unexpectedly, it was little Porter.

His appearance caused a stir.

Chen Fang went up to him, shook hands with him, bumped shoulders with him, and asked, "You're coming directly over?"

"Yes, I told my parents that I wanted to come to Los Angeles to see Kobe, and my father agreed immediately." Porter Jr. was very happy, and this joy has continued from yesterday to now.

Porter Jr. is not very famous, but his height of 208cm is intimidating enough. More than ten minutes later, Trae Young's appearance did not cause any sensation, because at this moment he was only famous in his own state. In California, he was just a nobody.

Of course, this is only for ordinary people.

The three of them chatted and laughed, warming up together. They had only been apart for a week, so they were very familiar with each other.

But Tatum's arrival caused a sensation.

He is already a nationally famous figure. Everyone knows that he is going to the NBA and will be a high draft pick. As early as last year, he started his national tour, so when Tatum took off his hoodie, everyone present was shocked.

Hu Mingxiang looked at Lu Yun with admiration: "Brother Lu, what are you going to do today?"

"Playing ball!" Although Lu Yun was very proud in his heart, he pretended to be indifferent.

"Who to fight against?" This became a big suspense.

"We'll know tomorrow." Lu Yun kept it a secret because he saw Chen Kao waving at him.

When he came up to him, Chen Fang pulled three top mercenaries to introduce them: "Lu, the ticket investor for the retirement battle!"

"Hello, boss!" The three of them stood in awe. Thinking of the ticket prices on the black market, they could only say that Chen's friend was a wealthy man.

"He has a wish. He used to be on the first team of Montgomery High School. He stood up for his brother and was expelled. The cause of the incident can be fully investigated. It was a case of bullying." Chen Fang did not beat around the bush. He now knew how to mobilize emotions.

"So Boss Lu plans to be an Avenger and play a game against Montgomery High School."

"I understand." Trae Young immediately took a liking to Lu Yun. This man's behavior suited his taste.

"Is there any problem?" Chen Fang asked.

"No!" Of course Tatum didn't. Going to watch his idol retire was something he had been thinking about for a long time, but he really couldn't afford the tens of thousands of dollars for the ticket.

Don't think that they are rich just because they are famous now. Because the NCAA and NBA have strict regulations, their food, drink, defecation and urination are already the ceiling expenses of ordinary people. If they want to watch Kobe's last game, they simply can't afford it.

"I've arranged a place for you tomorrow afternoon at 3:00. I'll be staying at Boss Lu's house. Is that a problem?"

"No, thank goodness we didn't book a hotel!" Little Porter said happily.

"It's just an ordinary place, don't have too high expectations." Chen Fang added.

"Then there are five of us. Come on, let's reserve a seat."

"You arrange it!" Tatum said.

"Okay, Jason, you and I will play power forward, Porter will stand inside, Lu will play scoring, and Trae will play point guard."

"OK!" It was settled in just a few words.

"Let's pick a team name," said Porter Jr.

Chen Fang discovered that Americans really love giving names, and have a code name for everything they do.

So all kinds of weird names came out, and Chen Fang became impatient listening to them.

"It's April now, let's call it Late Spring Clan!"

"LSC for short!"

At first glance, it sounds very ordinary, but when you think about it, it sounds quite smooth.

"That's it." Seeing that the three had no suggestions, Chen Fang started the next topic.

"Warm up, then we can play together?"

"Play?" Tatum was interested. He was already excited when he saw Trey and Porter Jr.

But the other side is the same, all eager to try.

"In a heads-up game, four people play. Whoever gets 21 points first will be declared the loser."

"it is good!"

This is a common internal training routine for NBA teams. The winners stay on the court, and the losers stay on the court until the scoring limit is reached.

This is a professional game, with a high-intensity countdown that must be completed within five seconds. It shows even higher standards than three dribbles.

Not to mention the 100-point duels in China, which had no real game experience at all and were just a joke. (The one-on-one duels with seconds left are closer to real game situations. Which of the dribbling, cooking, and pushing inside can be used in a game? And this is a complete misleading of basketball. These people are harming young people.)
"Let me see, what have you been practicing recently?" Tatum was very confident and he won the first offensive right by playing rock-paper-scissors.

And Chen Fang faced it as a defender.

Trey and Porter Jr. were stretching on the sidelines, and there were already a lot of people gathered around them, some of whom had taken out their phones to take pictures.

These will become their bragging capital and proof in the future.

"I should be the one saying this. Let me see what you have been practicing during your retreat?" Chen Fang might have been really influenced by Trey, and trash talk came out of his mouth naturally.

The ball was thrown to Tatum, and the people around him started counting down.

Tatum received the ball and made a shooting motion, but Chen Fang didn't move. But the next second, he really shot.

"Oh!" The onlookers exclaimed.

When he saw the ball go in, he showed an exaggerated expression.

"Go down!" Tatum was very proud.

It was Porter Jr.'s turn to play, and Chen Fang high-fived him: "Stop him on the road, and he will break through!"

This was said clearly, and when Tatum heard it, he immediately shouted: "You better try it."

Sure enough, Chen Fang's words worked. Tatum received the ball and made a shot, then immediately let go and cut to the left. Porter Jr. retreated quickly, but seeing Tatum took a sideways step back to the three-point line and shot.

Knife up and down.

"WOW!" exclamations were heard everywhere.

"I told you, he won't break through!" Chen Fang shouted.

In response, Tatum threw his head back and laughed out loud twice.

It was Trae's turn. Although Trae Young is a bad defender, he is quick in shooting. Tatum wanted to pass the ball, but he had predicted the route of the ball. This delay left only the last second. He jumped sideways and made a hasty shot facing the basket. The ball hit the rim before it went out.

you can!

Chen Fang understood that this guy had been practicing shooting in seclusion, and he could even shoot the ball into the basket. He must have something.

It is actually very difficult to replace Chen Fang and face Trae Young. You need to take both shooting and breaking through into consideration.

Sure enough, after two consecutive dribbles and a cut inside, he passed Chen Fang, but he was not fast enough. Chen Fang followed him to defend, but Trae Young took a time difference with him. He took three slow steps to avoid Chen Fang's pressure and made a short lob.

The same is true when Porter is on the court. Trae Young has a crushing advantage in a one-on-one situation.

When it was Tatum's turn, Trae Young retreated to receive the ball, freeing up space for both players. He continued to cheat with his footwork, shook off Tatum's center of gravity, and then stepped on the three-point line and made a shot.

"Hey, show some strength!" Trae Young also taunted.

Tatum was also happy and nodded continuously: "Wait!"

Chen Fang came back on the court, and this time, he focused more and was determined to make a breakthrough, because it was difficult to take care of both. With a player of this level, you could only gamble.

Trae Young easily drove Chen Fang away again with a shot.

"FK!" Chen Fang was also depressed. This guy was so accurate today.

Tatum 2, Porter 0, Trae Young 4, Chen Fang 0.

Seeing Chen Fang going up and down, Lu Yun did not forget to taunt him: "No way, Brother Falcon!"

"Get lost!" Chen Fang said angrily.

The 21-point game requires effort in the second half. Chen Fang is not in a hurry. He is waiting for his own chance.

Sure enough, Trae Young was defended by Porter Jr. who was more familiar with him. The ball hit the front frame but didn't bounce in. In frustration, Trae Young pointed to the sky with both hands and muttered to himself.

"Come down and keep me company!" Chen Fang urged.

When Tatum came on, Porter Jr. was even more excited facing him. He knocked the opponent down with a half-court shot.

It was Chen Fang's turn again.

Now he was the only one who had not scored. The people watching on the sidelines were all Chinese. This situation not only did not make them embarrassed, but made them laugh. They saw that there was some change in the way they looked at Chen Fang.

It's human nature, so Chen Fang never counted on it.

The problem with Porter Jr. is that his dribbling is average, but his jump shot after passing the ball is of high quality. This is a sign of talent, there is no doubt about it.

Chen Fang was cutting the ball just when he was combining it with the ball. As long as he could interfere, there would be hope.

Sure enough, facing Chen Fang, Porter Jr. lowered his head, suddenly took a lunge, then took a big step and dribbled diagonally to get rid of him, and jumped directly. With his height, he could ignore the defense, and there would be no problem as long as the rhythm was right.

But Chen Fang was staring at the moment when he passed the ball. When Porter took a step sideways and passed the ball, Chen Fang's hand cut down.

"Oh shit!" Little Porter in the air shouted in response. His ball had been cut off and he was very depressed after landing.

He was deeply impressed by Chen Fang's cut ball. He had been trying very hard to dodge it, but he was still cut off.

Holding the ball, Chen Fang grinned at the three of them and finally got the ball.

All three of them felt uncomfortable because they all knew Chen Fang. This Chinese man was very accurate in shooting and was the opponent they least liked to face in a one-on-one duel.

Sure enough, Trae Young had no ability to block the 201cm tall Chen Fang. He watched Chen Fang use a triple threat to stabilize his center of gravity, and then made a pull-up shot.

"Next!" Chen Fang was happy. It was finally his turn to shout this sentence.

It was Tatum's turn. His lateral movement was not fast, and he relied more on his defensive strength. However, Chen Fang's dragging step and the back dribble after the forced interruption completely got rid of him. Then, Chen Fang had already shot the ball.

"See you next time, Jason dear!"

"Come, come, come!" Chen Fang pointed at his little brother, little Porter, again.

He caught the ball, moved his hips, took a crossover step and then a hesitation step, fully mobilizing the center of gravity of Porter Jr., who was a perfect 3D player. Chen Fang blew the ball, stepped back, and made a quick move.

After scoring three goals in a row, the audience on the sidelines realized that these four players were the type who were good at exploding on each other and none of them could play steadily. The contempt they had just had disappeared in an instant.

But unfortunately, the situation that followed once again exceeded their imagination.

Chen Fang hit 10 people in a row, and all of them were numb.

"Is it possible?" Chen Fang asked the three people provocatively.

Tatum was so angry that he raised his middle finger and said, "FK, you are on drugs!"

Facing the middle fingers of three people, Chen Fang waved his hand without any ripples: "Hurry up, are you going to eat or not?"

Tatum went ahead with his head held high, and Trae Young and Porter Jr. cheered him up from behind: "Guard him, the next ball will definitely be lost!"

Very good, the three of them are now brothers in the same trench.

In fact, Chen Fang knew in his heart that his heyday had passed and he was now entering a stage of fierce fighting.

Tatum came on with intensity and bit Chen Fang closely. It took Chen Fang three seconds to get rid of him. He tried to step back in the last second, but was still disturbed by Tatum.

Seeing the ball hit the outside of the frame and bounce out, not only Trae Young and Porter Jr. on the sidelines, but everyone watching shouted.

Now Chen Fang is a complete villain.

"Hey, is this possible?" Tatum immediately put back what he had just said.

"Just wait, you just committed a foul." Chen Fang said unwillingly.

"Fuck you, you're the one doing the most tricks!" Tatum replied disdainfully.

"Get him!" Chen Fang is now a competitor. When he came down, he passed by Trae Young and immediately cheered Trae up.

Trey responded by giving him a middle finger.

In fact, this one-on-one match was their daily routine as they were about to enter the NBA. It was just the opening remark of a get-together among friends, but it stunned the dozens of people watching the game nearby.

Maybe before, everyone had some dreams, but now, they are all gone.

Once you see this level, you will feel ashamed of yourself and have no confidence at all.

They were all divine goals. Not to mention going in, even just touching the frame was amazing.

If any of them were allowed to go on the court now, he would immediately have the urge to run away. This is invisible psychological suppression.

In the end, Chen Fang used the 10-hit combo in the middle period to have the last laugh. The difference between the four people was no more than five goals, which was not embarrassing.

Lu Yun, who was standing by the sidelines, also clearly realized that Chen Fang had evolved to a new level. He was no longer the person he had been in the mountains, nor was he the Chen Fang after January.

Now, we can only say that his level is hard to tell. Each of his 21 goals was difficult, but he played it lightly and maintained a steady stream of hits.

This form of one-on-one confrontation is the best way to make people see the reality clearly.

This is a rhythm of ascension. Lu Yun doesn't need to use his brain, he knows with his eyes that Chen Fang is only one step away from the NBA.

"Let's go, please recover and then go home for dinner!" Chen Fang said generously.

"Aren't you going out to eat?" The little Potter, who was spoiled by Chen Fang's payment, was very surprised and gave him a cold look. Chen Fang said, "I'm afraid you will fall in love with me after eating!"

"FK!" The three of them raised their middle fingers together.

　The trip to the West Coast is a very long plot that cannot be completed in a day or two. It is also a huge dessert before entering the NCAA and serves as an anchor for future plots.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)