Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 180 University of Southern California

The hot topic about the big win over the D1 team Berkeley Golden Bears in late spring jumped to the eighth hot topic in the United States on the 19th.

The number of news reports on this competition surged by more than 5,000 pieces on the Internet in one day. The entire American basketball community was debating one question: whether this team of the best high school students in the United States is really capable of making it to the championship.

If they are equipped with enough role players, how far can they go?
Sweet 16, or the national top eight, or even the final four?
The discussion has gradually transformed from sentimental to professional, with a large number of basketball experts conducting serious evidence research, trying to piece together a possible truth from each person's game characteristics and contributions.

Thus, the five players in late spring came under the microscope for the first time, and their elbow tactics in critical moments, in particular, received high praise and research.

Chen Fang received an enthusiastic call from Joe Mazzula. He did not mind at all that this tactic was stolen by Chen Fang. Instead, he enthusiastically discussed the pros and cons and gains and losses involved.

Finally, he said with great regret: "Although I really want to recommend myself to be the head coach of the Late Spring Team, this is too embarrassing. Wish you all the best, young man, you have done a great job."

The two of them made an appointment for the upcoming EYBL competition. After Chen Fang hung up the phone, he asked Lu Yun: "What's the news now?"

He was referring to the subsequent games, but Lu Yun shook his head: "Unfortunately, it seems that we performed too fiercely, so no one dares to respond so far."

"Now the topic has turned to the lineup and individual performance. No one is questioning us anymore, but we did lose the game because of it." Jalen was very frustrated. He had a feeling that he could only play one game this time.

Others are a little better because they have seen the fruits of their labor. Porter Jr. and Trae Young have risen in ESPN's rankings.

Of course, the same goes for Tatum and Chen Fang.

On April 2016, 4, ESPN updated the rankings, and Tatum got what he wanted and jumped to the top spot, squeezing out his good brother Giles.

At the same time, in the sub-list, the small forward position ranks first.

Chen Fang also came in the fifth position, ranking second among point guards, below Fultz and above Lonzo.

Trae Young ranked 9th, point guard ranked 10th, Porter Jr. ranked 4th, and small forward ranked th.

This ranking is worthy of the strength of the Late Spring Team. Coupled with Jaren Jackson who has never fallen out of the top ten, this five-man combination has made all American universities salivate.

Their teamwork ability, independent offensiveness, and physical fitness to play the entire game without rotation were all highly praised.

In short, Chen Fang's idea, which came up on a whim, was a great success.

"Should we wait a little longer?" Jalen said unwillingly.

"Of course we have to wait, and we all need to cherish each other." Seeing that no one else responded, Chen Fang became serious. As soon as he spoke, everyone raised their eyes and sat up straight.

"Let me remind you that this may be the best time for us to have each other in our lives."

"As I predicted before, in a few years, we may not be sold to the team. It will be harder than climbing to the sky to play together."

After a few words, everyone's expression became serious. They just didn't think about it carefully, but now being reminded by Chen Fang, they came to their senses after thinking about it.

"No kidding, in four years, if any boss wants to replicate our Late Spring team in the NBA championship dynasty, the annual salary of the five starters alone will start at 1.2 million. And if they want to maintain this lineup, that is, in 6-8 years, they will need to start at 2 million. What does this mean? Last time I calculated it, the starting luxury tax in 2024 will only be 1.7 million."

"This super boss wants to take over our Late Spring team. How much annual salary does he actually have to pay? I randomly estimate that 5000 million is not excessive for other players. According to the luxury tax rate calculation, the amount that exceeds 2000 million is 3.75 times. Every additional 500 million increases by 0.5 times, so the final multiple is 7. According to the formula - excess amount × luxury tax rate = luxury tax amount, 8 million times 7 equals 5.6 million, plus 1.7 million is 7.3 million, not including other expenses, such as coaching team, logistics, and venue maintenance. Without considering other expenses, it is 8 million a year."

Chen calculated the number slowly, then looked at everyone who was collectively stunned, and said with a smile: "Come on, please name a rich man who is willing to spend 8 million yuan to pay for us every year!"

(Why do I have to calculate this? I want to tell you that it is almost impossible to form a super team. The dynasty is destined to be a multi-core championship puzzle. Even so, the price paid is equally huge. In the 23-24 season, the Suns need to pay $1.8849 million in luxury tax, with a total expenditure of $4.0889 million. This is just Booker + Durant.)
"We are so cool! Super cool!" Little Porter touched the two people next to him emotionally, and then looked at the investor Lu Yun: "Boss Lu, are you willing to pay 8 million?"

Lu Yun shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I'll think about it next life."

"Now, do you still want to disband Wanchun easily?" Chen Fang asked.

"No, no, no, wow, after you said that, even breathing feels like a luxury." Jalen was exaggeratedly intoxicated.

Tatum's expression was the most memorable, his face was full of regret. He felt that this sentence was actually said to him by Chen Fang. Since Chen Fang clearly told him that he was going to be the boss of a team, Tatum did not have too many regrets at first, but after this period of time, he suddenly realized that what he lost was the most precious.

It's not just a matter of giving up your position, it's also about money. After Chen Fang's analysis, he roughly calculated that if a team wants to be on the same team with Chen Fang, then this team will definitely have to pay the luxury tax.

"It's Porter's turn this time." Chen Fang immediately changed the subject. He said to Porter, who was confused, "Go to Twitter and post a message, tag the other three universities. Just one sentence."

“Who Next!”

"Uh!" Little Porter felt uneasy, but he only hesitated for half a second before taking out his cell phone.

"Let me attract the fire this time!" He became proud and fired quickly.

Seeing that the work was done, Chen Fang was about to give instructions for tomorrow's training, but his cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

After Chen Fang hung up, the strange number called again.

He frowned. He had received a lot of strange phone calls and text messages recently. He didn't need to guess who leaked his number.

I turned it to silent mode and heard Tatum ask, "Is it a recruiting call?"

"I guess so! There are a lot at the end. Do you have any?" Chen Fang asked.

"Of course, but they all go to our guardians or agents."

"Agent!" Chen Fang felt that he really needed such a person, but he didn't intend to show it obviously.

But the enthusiastic brothers were already eager to promote their agents, and Chen Fang had never heard of the names one by one. He immediately raised his hands in surrender: "No hurry, brothers, it won't be too late to consider it after I go to college."

(Generally, the first time an agent publicly represents a player is during the draft. Usually, famous high school players have agents early on, but due to some NBA and NCAA rules, agents are invisible during this stage and only make their first appearance during the draft.)
"A good agent can save you a lot of tedious things." Jia Lun thought Chen Fang didn't understand, so he reminded him.

"Of course I know. Don't worry, I will consider it. But it's not the right time yet."

Yes, Chen is waiting for the right price, just like a poor boy who cannot marry a beautiful, rich and white woman. Every man is holding back the desire to make money, and he only wants to find a beauty with long straight black hair, big wavy hair, and fair, rich and white looks after he makes a lot of money.

But Chen Fang did feel a sense of urgency. After an unpleasant attempt, Chen Fang was now very alert.

What's more, he knows very well that a capable agent will help him realize his dream.

In other words, first he has to confirm whether this agent shares the same ideals as him.

He didn't want to be backstabbed.

There are also a large number of players in the NBA who do not have agents. The reason is actually very simple. Either they have family members or close friends to share the chores, or their agents don't like them.

Chen Fang would rather wait than have a scumbag agent so early.

(It cannot be said that Yi's agent Dan Feigen did not help Yi, but his biggest problem was that he did not help Yi do a good job in the draft. He was selected by the Bucks and faced a team that was not suitable for him at the beginning. His player value and appreciation were affected. In fact, later analysis showed that not participating in the physical test was a criticism, which led to his decline to the 6th position.)
A good agent must help you choose a suitable team. This is very important. If you choose the right one, you can save many years of hard work.

Tatum's cell phone rang, and he picked it up and said, "Yes, we are together."

Then he handed it to Chen Fang.

"It's the coach. He called you but you didn't answer."

The coach was of course Bennett, but to Chen Fang's surprise, it was actually Perez.

"Yes, it's me. Sorry, I muted it earlier."

"Okay, I'll call you now." After returning the phone to Tatum, Chen Fang gestured to go out and strode out.

After coming outside, Chen Fang dialed Perez's number.

"Chen Fang, I'm sorry to bother you."

"Coach, I'm so embarrassed if you're being polite to me."

"Okay, it's like this. I'll explain the story first. As for how to judge, you can do it yourself. I'm always on your side." First, Perez stacked a BUFF.

"I have always believed in this, sir, you don't need to be like this."

"Andy Enfield, the head coach at USC, we were teammates, we both played at the University of Florida, and he couldn't get in touch with you, so he reached out to me."

"Chen Fang, he wants to recruit you. We talked for a long time about everything I have done to you. He hopes to have a face-to-face talk with you."

"You know, sir, I hope so."

"Of course, I know what you want. He accepted it all, which made me decide to call you." "University of Southern California...!" Chen Fang had no interest in this. Wait, USC? Why do I remember seeing this letter? Where was it...

Chen Fang fell into reminiscence, and Perez thought that Chen Fang was thinking, so he did not speak, but waited patiently.

"Shit!" Chen Fang suddenly thought of it and blurted out.

"What happened?" Perez asked repeatedly.

"No, I think we can meet. I'm in Los Angeles. I'll send the address to you later, sir."

"Well, before that, I need to tell you Andy Enfield's evaluation."

"First of all, he is a very gentle person, but this is him off the court. On the court he is like a fighter with a strong desire to win."

"Secondly, he is a person who understands change and is good at communication, which is why we serve as his lobbyist."

"In addition, his tactical style is more in line with yours. He emphasizes teamwork and favors guards. At the same time, he has a good network of contacts in the NBA, which will be helpful to your future."

"The above is my personal opinion, you also need to understand it from multiple perspectives."

"Thank you sir, I think I'm interested."

The two exchanged pleasantries about life. After hanging up the phone, Chen Fang stood there thinking.

USC, the university where LeBron James’ son Bronny studied.

The cardiac arrest almost scared the coach to death. It was said that two ambulances came, one for Bronny and one for him.

Brownie was discharged from the hospital and went home after 48 hours, but this old man stayed in the hospital for a week.

(This is hearsay, I can’t verify it.)
At least from this aspect, the head coach is still okay. I just don’t know how his heart is now.

Soon Chen Fang sent the address, and Perez also sent the other party's phone number. He checked his phone and found that he had called 8 times.

Perseverance! I have to say, Andy Enfield is indeed persistent.

It can be seen as shameless, but it also indirectly reflects the person's style of doing things.

The phone rang again. Chen Fang looked at the number and answered it.

A rare awkward situation occurred. The other party probably didn't realize that the call could be connected and didn't know how to start the conversation. Chen Fang thought there was something wrong with the phone.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hi, I'm the head coach of Southern California, Andy Enfield." The voice sounded quite hoarse. In fact, most coaches have hoarse voices.

Because you have to keep talking, and sometimes, you even have to shout.

(I worked as a substitute teacher in an elementary school during the pandemic. I worked as a Chinese teacher for a year, but my throat became damaged and I had severe pharyngitis. I couldn't continue. So men shouldn't become teachers. If you smoke and drink a lot, becoming a teacher is like getting a green channel for laryngeal cancer.)
"Coach Perez just called me and explained. I already know what you mean, sir, so we can talk face to face."

"Of course no problem, I'll leave now." Andy slapped his forehead, thanking God. No. 21 is now a super popular high school student in the market. No one has ever interviewed him. Today is undoubtedly his lucky day.

(I admire my perseverance. I actually found the photos. I can’t find Andy Enfield’s vacation photos from 23. I can’t find the photos of him playing NCAA at the University of Florida. I heard he was very handsome when he was young! I think he probably had more hair in 16…!)

I can only say that Los Angeles is not big. Half an hour later, a BMW X5 stopped outside the community gate, and Chen Fang was already waiting on the roadside.

Although he was surprised why they didn't find a quiet place, Andy Enfield got off the car quickly. His partner, Buson-Engri, got off with him. It was he who recommended Andy. An hour later, Andy rushed to Buson's office and asked how to get No. 21.

The two then spent a lot of energy but gained nothing. However, when Andy heard the name Chaminade, he remembered that he seemed to know someone in Missouri.

So there was the previous call with Perez.

The three of them shook hands on the street as if they had met friends by chance while taking a walk.

Andy was very happy to feel the pressure brought by the Chinese man's restraint and height. He said, "You are stronger and taller than I thought."

At the same time, he also shook hands with the other party's huge palm.

Thinking of the tempting physical test report, Andy couldn't hold back his joy. He said bluntly, "Come to USC. We have everything you want. I can promise you."

Busen next to him couldn't help but feel a headache. This was not the correct way to recruit.

He coughed and tried to smooth things over, but Chen Fang spoke first, forcing him to brake quickly.

"Thank you for your respect, sir. I'm actually thinking about playing in the NCAA at California, so I don't have many options."

"If there is really nothing that suits me, I will choose another state."

This sentence shocked Busen. It turned out that these two were both beginners. How could they chat like this without hiding anything? Are they so sincere?

"Then you should come to USC. Even though our Trojans are not very strong and our history is not as good as that of our old rival UCLA, we beat those bastards from UCLA not long ago." Andy waved his fist excitedly.

"Are Southern California and the University of California, Irvine a sworn enemy?" This was the first time Chen Fang knew about this, even though it was a common knowledge.

"Yes, we compete in all fields. We beat them in football and basketball as well!"

(USC’s football is really strong. Although its basketball is not so good, it has not lost much to UCLA in terms of historical wins and losses. 129:104.)
"As for tuition, please don't worry. The scholarship is paid in one lump sum, and the team will find you a place to live, so it doesn't cost you a penny." Andy began to enthusiastically put forward his conditions. He just wanted a good defender, and now that he was right in front of him, if he wasn't on the street, he would pounce on him.

"That's true for all expenses," he added at last.

Chen Fang responded with a smile: "Thank you Mr. Andy for your promise, but this is a very critical decision. I need some time. If possible, I would like to understand the team's lineup and other aspects first."

"Of course. I can issue the notification letter now."

Busen was already numb. He was the one who did the recruiting in the past. This time was also the first time to recruit five-star high school students. Busen felt that without the head coach, he would not be able to gain the other party's basic respect and goodwill.

Unexpectedly, the head coach acted like a reckless newlywed, making all kinds of impatient moves.

But what could he say now? Fortunately, the other party was still smiling decently.

"Okay, just this address, I can receive it." Chen Fang remained calm.

"Are you coming?" Andy asked.

"Sir!" Busen couldn't bear it any longer and interrupted.

They both looked at him, and Andy, not realizing it yet, asked, "Buson, do you have anything to add?"

There are too many things to add, Busen thought to himself, but he said, "I think more in-depth topics should be discussed in detail during the interview and appear in the contract."

"Oh, of course." Andy also realized that he had lost his composure.

But Chen Fang suddenly asked a question: "Does USC have any games recently?"

"Not yet!" Busen said hastily. He probably understood what the Chinese meant, and continued, "If possible, I hope to have an internal exchange match with Wanchun."

"Not for public viewing!" Lin Mo added.

"Of course, we can do it tomorrow!" Chen Fang took another look at Busen and could only say that a smart staff officer would definitely appear next to an upright leader.

"See you tomorrow!" Busen calmly extended his hand and shook it.

Chen Fang shook hands with him first, and then shook Andy with both hands.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow's journey." Chen Fang said and said goodbye politely. Andy was still excited as he watched the Chinese figures gradually go away.

"Boussen, do we hope for big?"

"At least for now, we are ranked first in the recruitment competition echelon!" This is all Busen could say to comfort him.

"What a wonderful day! Today is my lucky day!" Andy said confidently.

　There is only one chapter today. A cold wave is coming recently, so everyone should pay attention to keeping warm and put on thermal underwear!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)