Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 176 I Wish I Were an Eagle
After the climax, there is the low point.

But to Chen Fang's surprise, he was still adjusting his mind, while the others were already full of fighting spirit, ready to face the California High School Team the next day.

They also welcomed their last teammate, Jaren Jackson.

"You guys are really..." After reuniting, Jalen was very jealous of their experience yesterday. He felt a little regretful about missing Kobe's last game, but he didn't expect Kobe to make such a big deal in the end, which made the whole world excited.

Therefore, it is understandable that Jalen is full of resentment.

"There's nothing we can do. The boss is treating us and the tickets have been bought long ago. It's just your bad luck!" Chen Fang said first. What he did was a little unkind, but it was also human nature.

After all, they are not that familiar with each other, and their friendship is a little distant compared to Trey and Porter Jr. who are together day and night.

It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’m afraid that our relationship is shallow and I’ll be rejected after inviting you.

"Come on, focus on the game." Chen Fang pulled Jalen's arm and evaded the question.

Afterwards, Chen Fang presided over the first meeting after the reunion.

"We have to come up with a strategy. We are all stars, so the key is how to properly distribute the ball so that we can fully unleash our strength."

No one said anything. This was in their own interests, and it was not like the NBA All-Stars, where the subconscious mind had already divided the big and small kings.

Just like when Kobe is on the team, no one dares to compete with him for the ball in the fourth quarter.

When he is gone, no one will compete with James.

Chen Fang glanced at the four people. Except for Porter Jr. who would obey the arrangements, Trey and Tatum were a problem. Fortunately, he had a plan in mind.

"First of all, we have to be clear that we only have five people and no substitutes, so physical fitness is the key."

"But I also know that everyone has good physical fitness and I believe we can hold on to the end. However, being on the court does not mean you can maintain your efficiency. So I have an idea and I will share it with everyone for discussion."

Everyone could accept this, so Chen Fang waited for a while until no one said anything, then continued, "I'll divide the five of us into three groups."

"Jalen and Porter Jr. are in the same group, one plays C and the other plays F."

"For the ball going inside, Jalen, you make the decision yourself. As long as you are in position, the ball is yours."

"Okay." Jalen nodded. He was not a blue-collar worker.

"Little Porter, these two corners are for you."

"Yeah." Porter Jr. didn't care. He had earned enough and just wanted to have a ball to play.

Chen Fang looked at Tatum and said, "Jason, you can play inside and outside, on the two wings and in the high post. You read the game by yourself. If Jalen and Porter Jr. don't have a chance, you play by yourself. I will cover for you, and the same goes for Porter Jr.."

Tatum thought about it and nodded with satisfaction: "No problem."

Finally, he looked at Trae Young and said, "You are most comfortable. The top of the arc is all yours. You can play however you want, but just one thing, don't shoot too much. If it is a semi-transition or fast break, you can do it on your own."

"Don't worry, I won't shoot recklessly." Trey didn't say much.

"As for me, I will be a cleaner and do a good job of defense. If Trey and Tatum don't have a chance, give me the ball and I will distribute it."

"Okay!" Everyone thought it was okay.

"That's it, three on three, I'll call for the top lane, and we'll take turns and make a sweaty game." Seeing that things were settled, Chen Fang was relieved.

※※※

Compared to Chen Fang's simple handling of the ball, the California United team was extremely serious.

As the initiator of this competition, Dao Ge was also obliged to serve as the head coach. Looking at a room full of California high school elites, he first expressed the significance of this matter, to defend the honor of California high schools and avoid becoming a laughing stock across the United States, so this game must be played and must be won.

He also recalled Kobe's 60-point retirement game to remind everyone that the Black Mamba spirit must not be desecrated.

Finally, he announced the starting lineup.

"Lonzo, D'Antoni, Marvin Bagley, Cody, Marshall Elliott."

"You are the representatives of California. This battle is no less than California versus the entire United States. You must be clear about how significant it is."

Doug was still pumping up his enthusiasm, but it was indeed working and all five of them became excited.

But Lonzo's expression did not change. He felt a headache when he thought about dealing with people like Chen Fang and Tatum.

"Ball, as the captain, you have also played against them, come and talk to everyone." Unexpectedly, Doug called his name.

Lonzo stood up helplessly. Although the three Ball brothers, especially their father, are the king of jokes in the United States, no one dares to do so in California because Lonzo has real skills.

A California triple-double record-breaker, he averaged 23.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game and is undefeated in the California 6A League.

In addition, he is older, so from all aspects, it is fair for Doug to make him captain.

After getting up, Lonzo thought for a moment and said, "There are two reasons why we won. One is that they only have five players, which means that as long as we have intensity, their efficiency in the second half will be very low. The second is that all five of them are stars. If they cooperate, there will definitely be problems with the ball possession. We can use defensive strategies to cause conflicts among them."

"As for other aspects, I think I have to admit that each of them is very strong. Whoever is in California must be a superstar. There is nothing wrong with admitting this, but in a basketball game, it is not that whoever is stronger will definitely win."

"Believe in yourself, believe in your teammates, and fight this battle of dignity."

Doug was very satisfied. Lonzo's speech was to the point and perfect in every aspect.

This also made him not want to add unnecessary things, so he clapped his hands and shouted: "Come on, boys, we only have one day of training time, let's get started."

A group of people walked out of the locker room and came to the stadium. As the host, it was not excessive for them to familiarize themselves with the stadium a day in advance, but they also attracted the attention of many media.

There were about a dozen local media outlets filming near the court. Doug didn't chase them out. The current intelligence was nothing. Even if they were seen by the other party, so what?

It's just the All-Stars against the Wings, there's no tactics to speak of.

The media also enjoyed it and changed the concept of this match under public opinion.

California Independents face off against the best players in the nation!

All-Stars Invade California!
Defend the honor of California!
Under this title, many local fans began to get excited. As for the tickets for this game, most of them have been sold out so far. It can be predicted that the game will be full.

Because it is a temporary organization, the ticket price is very low, with a minimum ticket price of US$5.

In addition to deducting the fees that the stadium should have collected, California unilaterally stated that it would donate the rest to the local police station and hospital to thank them for their contributions to Los Angeles.

Of course, Lu Yun was also informed by phone, and the latter conveyed the message to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang had no objection to this. This kind of operation was very common in the United States. It wasn't much money anyway, so there was no need to ask for it. Asking for it would only cause trouble.

After the training, a group of six people went to a restaurant. After all, since there were guests, the boss had to treat them.

After filling their stomachs, they returned to the villa. Lu Yun admired his foresight in choosing one with a loft.

Jaron was stunned when he saw the mat at the door of the attic.

"No, you guys are sleeping here these days?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Tatum didn't think there was a problem. He slept very comfortably these days.

There is no concept of soft and hard beds in the United States. All beds are soft, ranging from Extra Firm (hardest) to Ultra Plush (softest). In Chen Fang's opinion, the hardest one is still a bit soft.

But it seems that everyone here likes to sleep on a soft bed. Tatum was a little uncomfortable at first, but now he likes to sleep on a hard mattress. When he wakes up the next day, his waist doesn’t feel sore.

But then again, a soft bed does guarantee sleep quality, but a hard bed is not so good.

It was late at night, and now there was another person, Jalen, who was also in the conversation. Compared to them, Jalen had a lot of experience and gossip. (After all, his father was a former NBA player, so he certainly knew the inside story.)
So the topic became richer, starting with the unspoken rules of the NBA, talking about not having anything to do with cheerleaders, and then quickly shifting to the topic of women. Finally, Chen Fang reluctantly pulled it back and ended up talking about predictions.

When talking about predictions, everyone looked at Chen Fang.

"Who will be the champion this year?" Chen Fang pretended to think.

"Between the Cavaliers and the Warriors." This is all Chen Fang could say. It was too magical and he would be called a foul.

Once this topic started, everyone had their own opinions, and in the end it came back to the stage for Chen Fang to judge.

"The Warriors are unstoppable, with 73 wins, this championship is easy this year." Jalen insisted on his opinion.

As for the Cavaliers, a group of people had different opinions, and finally Trae Young's words amused Chen Fang.

"The Cavaliers can't win the championship unless they play 9 against 5!"

These words were indeed funny, but a few people noticed that Chen Fang couldn't stop laughing, so they became curious.

"Okay, what if this is really the case?" Chen Fang asked.

"This is too much." Tatum was skeptical.

Of course it's ridiculous, but it's the truth.

In the 16 Finals, Curry was targeted endlessly. Anyone who has watched the game knows that the intensity of the violations made Curry miserable, but the referee refused to blow the whistle. Draymond Green was humiliated by James, who pushed him, resulting in him being suspended from the league for Game 5.

From this game on, the direction of the game changed completely. In the sixth game, Curry was directly sent off, and the Cavaliers reversed the game 4:3 to win the championship.

Of course, that alone would not matter. After the crucial moment, the referee of the finals, Dani Crawford, was arrested by the California police.

Before the finals, Danny Crawford accepted bribes from James' friends, so he was biased towards the Cavaliers players during the enforcement of the finals. In the end, Danny Crawford admitted this fact in prison, which was also the reason for his imprisonment.

As for Curry's two fouls, both were caused by this person.

After the finals, American Yang Yi, also known as Stephen A. Smith, directly scolded Silver for giving the championship to James.

Many years later, when the Cavaliers' players at the time were interviewed, they more or less implicitly expressed the Cavaliers' internal hint that the referee was in their favor in the finals that year.

So, Chen Fang laughed non-stop.

So, when everyone was confused, Chen raised a question.

"Which teams that won championships in the past twenty years surprised you?"

"No, I think they all deserve it!" Jalen's answer was recognized by everyone.

"Yes, there may be many surprises in the future." Chen Fang smiled and continued, "We are in a good era, and also in a bad era." "Haven't you heard? The new TV broadcast contract signed by NBA with ESPN and TNT has a total value of 9 billion US dollars over 240 years. This contract will take effect from the 2016/17 season."

"Each team will receive 100 million per year, and with the labor contract, the salary cap for each team will also increase."

"Guys, the salary cap is about to increase to 100 million a year, and this increase will continue, increasing year by year."

When talking about money, everyone's breathing quickened. The four of them sat at the dining table like elementary school students, listening to Teacher Chen's science lecture.

"At that time, there were only a few dozen NBA stars, and only ten of them were top players."

"Maybe this summer you will hear a lot of amazing premium contracts, but don't be envious. Our contracts will only be bigger." Chen Fang smiled.

He brought the logic back to what he said before: "Therefore, in the future, NBA teams will vigorously recruit superstars, and the team will change from a single core to a dual core or even a triple core."

"Like the Heat's Big Three?" Porter Jr. asked.

"Yes, and it will become common." Chen Fang nodded: "So, 30 teams need 60-90 core players."

"And think about it, everyone here, don't you think you are in it?"

Looking at each other, all four of them were very sure.

"Then how much will our annual salary be?" Trae Young swallowed.

"You name one!" Chen Fang laughed.

"Twenty million?"

Chen Fang smiled but said nothing, so Tatum asked, "2500 million?"

Chen Fang still didn't say anything and looked at Jia Lun, who asked in disbelief: "3000 million?"

"Haha, let me say something to hurt Porter, 3000 million is his starting point, not yours. Of course, you can also have this number."

Pointing at Rex Rabbit and Trae Young, Chen Fang said, "Maybe in just 6-8 years, instead of years, they can get a contract with an annual salary of million."

"Adding the sneaker contract and the advertising contract, if it's handled well, 100 million a year won't be a big problem." Chen Fang felt that he was really funny and spoke of the future in a half-joking way.

"26-year-old billionaires, what do you think?"

They were really brainwashed by Chen Fang and were confused. Now the four of them are dizzy.

"Is it really that much money?" Tatum couldn't believe it.

"Of course." Chen Fang took out his mobile phone, opened his calculator, and started calculating. Finally, he put it on the table for everyone to see.

"According to league rules, 48% of the league's total revenue goes to the 30 teams each year. In 24 years, it is expected to be 1.4 million, while the luxury tax is 1.7 million and the rich line is 1.8 million and 1.9 million."

"Excuse me, should we share this money with the cleaning uncle?"

Faced with the facts, the four people finally believed it. They really didn't pay attention. Their minds were only thinking about playing in the NBA because it would make them rich. But there was no one like Chen Fang who could give a scientific forecast of their annual income in the future.

"Go to a super rich team and earn 50 or 60 million a year, it's easy!" Chen Fang glanced at Tatum.

In July 24, Tatum signed a five-year, $7 million super-max contract extension with the Celtics, which is also the largest contract in NBA history.

The 26-year-old Tatum became the league's top scorer.

In fact, if he was on the Clippers, it would be even more terrifying. Ballmer would definitely be willing to spend 70 million to retain Tatum for no reason other than a nickname.

The king of endurance!
There is no harm without comparison!

"DAMN, I can't sleep today!" Jalen held his head and lay on the chair. The others were similar, feeling dizzy. When he looked at Chen Fang, it was like looking at God.

yellow GOD!

As for why Chen Fang said this, he had his own little thoughts. He had given these people explosive news before they entered the NBA. When the prophecies came true in the future, they would have to be respectful when dealing with him.

What's more, Chen Fang knew very well that the future alliance would be an alliance of brothers as well as an alliance of personal connections.

I cannot suffer any loss, I can unite a group of big-name stars, and my right to speak will at least make people with bad intentions consider me.

In short, Chen Fang is very happy to prepare for a rainy day.

The 18th class will be the absolute leaders of the NBA for the next ten years. They are on par with the 20th class. Looking at the four people in front of him, Chen Fang was still quite depressed.

There is still a lack of talent, and we need to continue to fool people.

Be more deceptive.

Think about tomorrow's California League and see if there is anything suitable.

After thinking for a while, Chen Fang suddenly slammed the table hard.

"Wake up, there is a game tomorrow, please take it seriously. If you want to play in the NBA, consider entering the NCAA first."

This one sentence startled most of the people awake.

"Kill them all, crush them!" Chen Fang was very annoyed. What California United Team was? It was shit. He searched through the information in his brain and found that there was not a single one that could fight.

It's all scraps.

"Of course, kill them!" Little Porter shouted first.

"Don't worry!" Trae Young rubbed his hands together.

"Leave the inside to me tomorrow. What team? I don't know anyone." Jalen showed off his biceps in a domineering manner.

Tatum is still thinking about how to spend 100 million dollars a year. He is a little confused, but he is still conscious.

"I want to do ten...!"

Chen Fang raised his eyebrows. You scum king, are you thinking of shouting Shi Fei?
Chen Fang didn't want to talk about the gossip about Rex Rabbit, as it was his personal hobby. But Chen Fang knew very well that this brother had become a famous flower king in the alliance in 24 years.

Thinking of this, Chen Fang glanced at Trae Young.

This guy is a good man. Two years later, he met his only love in college. He has been faithful to her since childhood and successfully proposed to her after 23 years. They have two children and there is no gossip about him.

Of course, this is just Chen Fang’s memory of his previous life. God knows how dissolute these Americans are in private.

"Go to sleep. We have morning training tomorrow."

Then Chen Fang finished today's tea party, washed up, and went into Wu Zi's room again.

"Washed another one today?" Wu Zi asked, closing the book.

Chen Fang wanted to shrink into the bed awkwardly, but was stopped by Wu Zi.

"How many more do you want to wash?"

"Well, Han Xin selects generals, the more the better." Chen Fang shamelessly climbed onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" Wu Zi was indeed confused. She felt that Chen Fang was planning something big, otherwise why would he do this.

"Hey, you might as well not tell anyone." Chen Fang glanced at the door, then whispered to Wu Zi in her ear.

"Ah!" Wu Zi was stunned.

"Well, isn't it a bit childish?" Chen Fang asked.

"I support you, you can do it!" Wu Zi held Chen Fang's face.

Chen Fang sighed: "There are still not enough people. I have to keep working hard."

"Compared to the future, there is plenty of time," Wu Zi comforted.

"Yes, but it is also difficult." Chen Fang said naturally, although it was just a delusion, he had the urge.

"When did you come up with this idea?"

"Yesterday! Do you believe it?"

"Xin, you are such a person. Maybe the thought that just emerged has actually been accumulating for a long time, right?"

It was Chen Fang's turn to be surprised. He hugged Wu Zi and they leaned against the head of the bed together.

“People should always find a great goal for themselves. I don’t want to be Kobe, nor do I want to be the longest river.”

"I just hope I am an eagle, and everything running on the ground or flying in the sky is my prey."

"Then I am the Falcon riders!" Wu Zi smiled.

"Okay." Chen Fang didn't care that Wu Zi took advantage of him. He suddenly rode on Wu Zi.

"I want to see who rides on whom!"

"Ahhhh!" Wu Zi screamed, but then realized that the impact was bad. Chen Fang was also scared, so they quickly paused.

The desk lamp was turned off, and the two pretended to be dead and hid in the bed.

After listening for a long time and hearing no movement, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go to sleep, future emperor killer!" Wu Zi said to Chen Fang.

　Yes, every story should have a main plot, going to the NBA to score points and win the championship. This is too old-fashioned.

　　If I were asked to write, I would write a cool NBA story and get rid of all the unreasonable things.

　　People should be like this: when they have no strength, they should accumulate knowledge steadily; when they have the strength, they should dream of surpassing others.

　　As for what Chen Fang wants to do, anyone with a comprehension score of 60 will understand it immediately.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)