Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 226: Since ancient times, fame and success belong to young people

Chen Fang's return to China and his arrival were known to the all-powerful media, but Chen Fang was very considerate when he expressed that he missed his parents and that they had been together for more than a year, and hoped that everyone would not disturb them.

However, Chen Fang could not refuse the invitation from CCTV, so he planned to do the interview on his way back from BJ before going to the United States.

As for the talent show, Chen Fang was not worried at all. He and Wu Zi accompanied their parents every day in Nanyang.

I go to training in the early morning, play ball with friends in the afternoon, and watch TV at home with my parents in the evening.

He was very clear that once he started his career, it would be difficult for him to have free time, and his parents would not go to the United States so early, so he did not have much time to spend with his parents in the past few years.

If the draft situation is not good enough, he is even prepared to study at USC for a year. Anyway, he is not yet 19, so it is not a big problem.

There will be a lot of talented players in next year's draft, but it won't be as big a year as 17. In fact, judging from subsequent developments, 17 and 18 are both years with good success rates.

These days, he almost forgot about the draft, until Duffy called him from across the ocean. He knew that it was almost time for him to return to the United States.

"What's the Clippers' attitude?"

“There’s a lot of interest, but the key to it is Paul’s willingness.”

"He wants to choose the team himself instead of being traded, and the team is trying to persuade him." Duffy briefly introduced the current situation.

"Are there any changes?" Chen Fang asked.

“It may take a three-way or even four-way deal to achieve this.”

"The biggest possibility now is the Lakers, they have the second pick, and the biggest variable is the Celtics."

"If the Celtics choose you instead of Tatum, all this will be in vain. This plan can only be realized after the Celtics have made their choice."

Chen Fang thought for a moment and said, "Assuming the Celtics will definitely select Tatum, what is the probability of this plan being realized?"

"That's only a 50% chance. First of all, we have to get Paul. Paul wants to join a championship team. The Lakers are not his choice, and the Lakers will not give up their No. pick easily, so we have to bring in a third party, and even a fourth party to make up the value."

Chen Fang put his phone on speakerphone and began to search for memory fragments. He said, "Wait for me."

He quickly took his phone to the study, closed the door, found a pen and paper, and quickly wrote down some names and teams.

The 76ers selected Fultz, the Lakers wanted Lonzo, the Celtics wanted Tatum, the Suns wanted Josh Jackson, and the Kings wanted Fox.

Strictly speaking, these five teams are the only options for this plan. Teams below that cannot support their value.

In this life, with my sudden rise, this ranking will definitely be biased, but it is of great reference value.

The Lakers need an all-around point guard to help their talented front line, and Tatum is the most important step for the Celtics to rebuild their dynasty. The 76ers have it simple, they need to find a strong guard for the Embiid and Simmons to form the prototype of a big three with one big, two small and one small inside and outside.

If he went to the Lakers, the Lakers would definitely welcome him with open arms, but he didn't go.

Because the Lakers must be waiting for a superstar. From his subsequent actions, we can see that they can give up all the players they selected before without hesitation.

They were only interested in building a dynasty quickly and had no patience, not even three years.

Under Ainge's operation, the Celtics are moving forward steadily and their plan will not change. Even if his appearance makes Tatum pale in comparison, it is just that. Ainge will not give up on Rex, a line he has followed since 14.

The 76ers have patience but no confidence, and Simmons has not yet revealed his true colors, so it is impossible for them to find another overlapping player. In other words, the 76ers are the team least interested in him.

Sun, lottery mentality.

Josh Jackson looked talented and was given opportunities, but he was traded when he didn't meet expectations.

They believe that Booker is the cornerstone and have been making efforts around him.

He and Booker also overlap, and the Suns are not very interested in him. If there is a chance, they will definitely choose him, but the probability is almost zero.

The Clippers have Paul, and Paul is going to a championship team. In his previous life, he went to the Rockets, and the combination with Harden was very good, but his luck was a bit bad and he still fell due to Paul's injury.

The Clippers are willing to try him, and their bargaining chip is Paul. As for Griffin, owner Ballmer is still reluctant to let him go.

These thoughts went through Chen Fang's mind, and he said to Duffy: "I have a few judgments, you can take them seriously and investigate them first."

"You said."

"My judgment on the Lakers is that they won't have that much patience. One year after Kobe retired, their income has dropped rapidly. The Buss family is not like the owners of other teams. They rely on the Lakers for their survival."

"The decline in operating income will make them take action quickly to convince Paul. If the Lakers management can reveal their future plans to Paul, I believe this will make Paul interested."

"You mean the Lakers will use Paul as bait to attract a superstar to join."

"Yes, who do you think it will be?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone: "The first person that came to my mind was James."

"Yes, don't forget, Rich Paul is the agent for both of them."

"Will James come to the Lakers?"

"Didn't you hear the news?" Chen Fang laughed.

There were rumors that James was going to leave the Cavaliers in 17. His family is in Los Angeles, and his two children are studying in Los Angeles. After every game, he returns to Los Angeles as soon as possible.

Moreover, his contract expires in 18, and he has already paid off his debt to the Cavaliers. If he leaves again, no one can say anything.

(In fact, in order to join the Lakers, James gave up a maximum salary contract with the Cavaliers of 2.07 million. His 3+1 contract with the Lakers was only 1.5 million. But after going to the big market of the Lakers, James' assets have more than quintupled. It can be said that the money James earned from the NBA in the previous years is about the same as in the past four years.)
"If James goes to the Lakers, Paul will be willing." Duffy made a judgment.

"So, let's talk about it this way, but don't let us express our stance. Let the Lakers give us hints. Let Rich tell Paul that as long as Paul is willing to go to the Lakers and bring in a third team as a bonus, the plan will be much simpler."

"You should be my agent." The more Duffy thought about it, the more it made sense. The ABCD plan that had given him such a headache before was far less clear than this one. He couldn't help but praise it.

"I'm better off playing basketball."

"Speaking of playing, I think you're coming back, but the Clippers are still hesitant. You need to have a tryout, and it has to be kept secret."

"How can you keep the tryout with the Clippers a secret?" Chen Fang was curious.

"You can pick a few and then have the Clippers go to other teams and look at them. They don't necessarily have to come to the Clippers."

"Well, we should have a backup plan. The Suns will definitely want Paul, and the Suns' owner is eager for a championship."

"You also know the owners of the league's teams well?" Duffy was surprised.

"I don't know, but I judged through some operations." This was the only explanation Chen Fang could give.

"Then the sun, king." Chen put down his determination.

"What time is it then?"

"June. I'll be back in early June."

"Good, keep in touch." Duffy hung up the phone.

Chen Fang thought about it and looked at the time. It was just afternoon, which should be evening in the western United States. Someone should still be busy.

Chen Fang dialed the number, and after only two rings, Kobe picked up.

After a few pleasantries, Chen Fang told Kobe about the current situation.

Kobe was very interested in Chen Fang's inference. He asked, "Why do you think it was James and not someone else?"

"Because he is a businessman." Chen Fang replied.

"Haha!" Kobe laughed.

"This answer is impeccable. If he comes to Los Angeles, his wealth will indeed increase exponentially. From a business perspective, he can only choose the Knicks and the Lakers."

"But he must have had enough of the East, and he should come to the West to break some of the criticism."

"So, in 18 years, he will come?"

"It should be possible. If so, what do you think?" It was Chen Fang's turn to be curious.

"I don't mind. I believe Magic Johnson will welcome it, too. The Lakers need superstars, and the Buss family needs superstars. It's a good thing that he's here."

"Don't you feel a little unhappy?" Chen Fang didn't quite believe it.

"No, when you retire, you won't have such thoughts."

"Just like the Bulls belong to Jordan, aren't the Lakers yours? As a fan, it's inevitable to look at it this way," Chen Fang explained.

"The first half of the sentence is fine, but the second half is problematic."

"The Lakers are different from the Bulls. If James had never left the Cavaliers, he would at least be in the Cavaliers, comparable to Jordan."

"Because every city needs a hero."

"But there are so many heroes who have come to Los Angeles, and I'm just one of them."

After hearing Kobe's explanation, although Chen Fang didn't quite understand it, it didn't stop him from accepting it.

"There's no need to discuss this topic. Jerry is optimistic about you. He is very optimistic about you and Tatum. He believes that there will be a place for you in the future league."

"It's a pity that none of you will come to the Lakers." Kobe sighed and continued, "Jerry didn't show a very enthusiastic attitude because there are many uncertainties. He just came and needs to show more convincing."

"The league can't be convinced by many things about the NCAA. Your problems lie in confrontation and physical fitness, while your strengths lie in shooting and willpower."

"Plus, since you're Asian, whether you can handle the regular season is a question. These are all things you need to face."

Now the relationship between Kobe and Chen Fang is more like that of master and apprentice. Even though neither side said it explicitly, they both tacitly acknowledged that Kobe would not beat around the bush with Chen Fang. His words made Chen Fang silent for a while.

"I don't know either. Can I face 82 regular season games? Can my physical fitness adapt to 48 minutes of NBA intensity? These problems do exist," Chen Fang said frankly.

“But I don’t believe I will always be like this.”

Kobe has been communicating with Chen Fang quite a bit lately. He knows that Chen Fang has a team behind him that's always working for him. He asked, "Have you ever considered the public opinion of trading Paul for you?"

"I guess a lot of Clippers fans will boo me." Chen Fang thought naturally.

"More than that, have you considered what the team thinks of you?"

"This is a bad start." Chen Fang smiled. Paul is quite popular, and he probably will be ignored.

"Since you can laugh, it means you have confidence. I heard that when you first went to USC, the whole team didn't respect you. You played one-on-one for a month before you became a core player. Do you plan to continue?"

"Aren't you the same?" Chen Fang asked. "Well, I think this is a solution." Kobe said helplessly.

(There's a joke where a James fan wondered why Kobe couldn't play on the same team with James. If Kobe was second in command, then James wouldn't have gone to the Heat. One comment replied: That's fine. As long as James can beat Kobe in a one-on-one match in practice, then Kobe would definitely be willing.)
"When you come back, I'll arrange for you to meet with Jerry. He needs to make a face-to-face judgment."

"Okay, I'll be back in early June."

"Finally, I want to remind you."

"Please say."

"You keep saying that the Lakers have no patience. Do you think the Clippers have patience? As a successful businessman, how much time will Ballmer give you?" Kobe's words hit Chen Fang's heart directly.

He was confused. All along, he only remembered that James went to the Lakers in 18, and then the Lakers used the newly selected rookie to go all in on Davis in 19. But the Clippers also went all in on Kawhi Leonard and George.

He only thought that the Clippers' 17-18 lineup was a rebuilding lineup, but ignored the 19-20 season, when the entire Clippers changed drastically.

Noticing that Chen Fang was silent for a long time, Kobe said: "It's a good idea for you to go to the Clippers, but it's still not comprehensive. The Clippers' patience may be only a little better than the Lakers."

"Even if you play to your worth and level, there is no guarantee that you can be used as a bargaining chip in a trade plan with a superstar."

"Regarding this, I have to tell you that this is the case throughout the league and it's difficult to avoid. You should stop thinking about going to one city and spending your whole life there. The most important thing is to do your job well."

"That means I may only have two years to prove my worth?" Chen Fang asked bitterly.

"If the Lakers make a move, the Clippers will definitely follow suit. According to your judgment, if James comes to the Lakers in the 18-19 season, then the Clippers will make a big move in the 19-20 season at the latest."

(From this perspective, the crazy trades between the Lakers and Clippers can be traced back to the competitive mentality unique to super cities.)
"I think I understand. Thanks for the reminder, brother."

"No, you're still too optimistic. I just don't want you to be too disappointed and have a bad start to your NBA career."

"Yes, yes." Chen Fang responded repeatedly.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fang rubbed his temples and walked out of the study. He saw Wu Zi sitting on the sofa. The old house was not soundproof, so she must have heard something.

Facing the inquiring gaze, Chen Fang nodded: "I'm going to the United States."

"I'll stay here with my parents for a while longer." Wu Zi's suggestion made Chen Fang feel relieved.

"Okay, I'll pick you up when I'm done."

"No, I'll come back by myself. Flying back and forth is tiring."

Sitting down and hugging Wu Zi, Chen Fang promised: "It will be soon, we won't be apart for too long."

Wu Zi didn't say anything, but just leaned on Chen Fang's broad shoulders and hugged him tighter.

And Chen Fang looked out the window.

Now, he feels more relieved and open-minded.

In this case, he is willing to accept any result. As long as he proves himself and realizes his potential, what is he afraid of?

Basketball, after all, is a game where the ball speaks for itself and your status is measured by results!

※※※

"Just walk around. I think the interview will be quick." Chen Fang said to Wang Zhen.

"It's okay, you can go in. This is my first time in Big Pants as well. There just so happens that a client also has his office here, so I'll go find him," said Wang Zhen.

"it is good!"

The two separated, and Chen Fang, led by the staff, walked into an interview room. Although this was CCTV, many people came here after hearing the news. Chen Fang signed more than a dozen autographs. Now his signature was considered to be up to standard, with a vigorous and domineering style.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Yu Jia.

Yu Jia was also very happy, or rather, very excited. He shook hands with it and didn't let go, exclaiming in amazement: "It's really huge."

"How big? Is it really 23.7 centimeters?"

"Almost. Apart from being convenient for playing ball, it's actually not convenient for doing anything else." Chen Fang said with a smile.

After a few words of small talk, the atmosphere became lively, and after confirming that the radio was functioning properly, the interview began.

"What is your biggest feeling after coming back this time?" Yu Jia asked.

"I feel like I've become a celebrity. It's inconvenient for me to travel."

"Yes, you are now the most famous person in basketball besides Yao." Yu Jia sighed. The person in front of him is only 19 years old in two months.

"How do you feel about your current popularity?" Yu Jia asked.

Chen Fang paused, not wanting to appear impulsive. After pretending to think for a moment, he replied, "People like me for many reasons, but the most important thing is that I'm Chinese, and I play in the United States. This sense of immersion is like playing a 2K game."

"Also, I don't think my liking for basketball is exclusive. Anyone who likes basketball and loves basketball will do the same. Just like when I was studying in China, I liked Kobe, Harden, and George. As long as they play with an elegant and tough style, I like them all."

“So I guess that’s what keeps me going.”

Yu Jia was very surprised by Chen Fang's answer. He had heard that this young man had a high emotional intelligence and was very good at dealing with the media. However, this answer with a strong sense of logic and no flaws was still particularly impressive.

It makes sense that people are successful at this age.

While feeling emotional, he did not forget his job. It is very difficult to arrange an interview with Chen Fang. Apart from CCTV, the only interview he has is the one he did with Hupu right after his debut.

"Do you know what you're going to face when you go to the United States this time?"

"Auction!" Chen Fang replied.

"Now, many people are worried because you didn't participate in the joint tryout and didn't accept some teams' invitations to conduct personal tryouts. What's the reason for this?" Yu Jia is also very concerned about this. In fact, this has become a collective anxiety for Chinese fans.

Before coming here, Chen Fang expected this question, so he said: "I also know something about it, so I would like to take this opportunity to say sorry to everyone for disturbing you."

Chen Fang stood up and bowed straight towards the camera, which scared Yu Jia. Fortunately, Chen Fang quickly straightened his back and sat back on the sofa.

"Actually, I had my own reasons." Chen Fang took off his hat, revealing the scar on his forehead.

"I didn't feel anything at the time, but afterwards I became more and more introverted. Something was wrong with me mentally. I didn't dare go out. Seriously, I haven't been out for nearly a month."

Yu Jia didn't expect that the reason why Chen Fang didn't participate in the tryout was this. It was unbelievable to think about it, but when he saw the scar on his forehead, he suddenly understood it. After all, he was only 18 years old and loved beauty.

What can I say about this scar? You can say it shows domineering, but to be honest, it has disfigured the face.

What does it mean to have a disfigured face? If there is something extra on your facial features or face, that is a disfigured face.

Chen Fang’s face couldn’t be said to be very handsome before, but it was very sunny. Now with a scar, he looks a little strange, and it really attracts everyone’s attention at first sight.

People on the internet are talking about Erlang Shen, and now this nickname may be realized.

"I had to remove the scars and go to a psychologist for rehabilitation, so I missed the tryout."

"I missed home a lot, so I came back to be with my parents. After all, I haven't seen them for more than a year, and there will be even less time in the future." Chen Fang said a lot of things, which made people feel that he was nagging, but also felt very real.

Yu Jia kept nodding to express his agreement.

"I will try out with several teams when I return. I will go with the teams with the highest draft picks. I hope it will not affect the draft."

"Are you nervous?" Yu Jia's attention was immediately attracted.

"No, how should I put it about the draft? The team that wants to draft you has already done their homework. There won't be many targets to choose from. Whatever is yours is yours."

"Who do you hope to be selected by? Or in other words, which team do you want to go to?"

"I don't really have a strong desire for the draft pick. I just hope to start my NBA career smoothly. This is more important."

"As for which team I hope to join, it's hard for me to answer this question, because among the 30 teams, there are most of the stars that I admire and like. For me, it will be a good start no matter where I go." Chen Fang said frankly. Although he was lying, he didn't think he was wrong.

A public interview is like writing a diary. Can you speak from your heart?

If you are really honest, people will laugh at you and think you are stupid.

"Perhaps you don't know yet, but this year CCTV's NBA broadcast will include a column about you. I'd like to hear about it here, too. What do you think the name should be?"

"Are you asking me to name it?" Chen Fang was surprised.

"Yes, but if it is really not suitable, we will not adopt it." Yu Jia joked.

"Then let's call it riding the wind and waves." Chen Fang said without hesitation.

Yu Jia's eyes lit up. He thought this was a clue, so he asked, "Does it have any special meaning?"

"My initials, plus this idiom is very auspicious. I hope my NBA career will be like this idiom, riding the wind and waves."

"I think, at least I like this name very much." Yu Jia understood. He was just trying it out, but he didn't expect Chen Fang to give him another perfect answer.

Then they talked about some interesting things after winning the championship. Chen Fang answered fluently, used appropriate words and had a sincere expression. It can be said that this was the first time that Yu Jia felt so comfortable and smooth in such an interview.

Knowing that Chen Fang had to catch a flight, the meeting would end as soon as the deadline came. Seeing that time was running out, Yu Jia asked the last question.

"If everything goes well, what are your expectations for your first NBA season?"

Chen Fang raised his eyebrows. Now with the scar between his eyebrows, this action looked quite domineering.

"Being a starter is one thing, and I also hope I can average double digits per game."

Yu Jia was stunned for a moment, and then he confirmed, "Did he score in double digits?"

"Well, you need to have this confidence to play basketball!" At the end of the interview, Chen Fang showed a confident face.

He doesn't think he can't do it. This is the most basic requirement. In his heart, he will carve out a future in the NBA in two to three years, and he will make a breakthrough in the first year.

He has been reborn and has been working hard every day in the past two years. Why doesn't he dare to think like this?

Playing basketball is like being a person. It is impossible to be a lazy person. If you want to be the wildest one, then be the best.

Especially after Kobe's analysis and reminder, Chen Fang put aside his assumptions about 2K.

He can go anywhere, as long as he is given a chance to play, he will play well.

Do I want to play 30? No, I want to play , playing my own team first!
Looking at the confident Chen Fang, with the spotlight shining on his face, making him look even more heroic, Yu Jia couldn't help but think of an ancient poem.

Painting Lingyan and going to Ganquan, fame and honor have always belonged to the young since ancient times!
What a good young man!
(End of this chapter)