Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 291 Little Chen Fang, Big Future

"I bought a special sneaker bag; it can fit all three of your sneakers in there," Qin Hanyong, the father, reminded his son, who was still busy at work.

"Really?" Qin Changzheng turned around in surprise and saw that his father was carrying the shoes and bag he had been longing for. He jumped up with joy.

"This boy!"

My son loves to jump whenever he's happy; he's been like that since he was little. Perhaps it's because of this habit that he can jump so high.

Qin Hanyong felt that June was magical. His son finished the high school entrance exam on the 18th and estimated his score to be 724, which shocked the whole town. Between Sihui Middle School and Overseas Chinese Middle School, he chose the latter without hesitation.

“I have a friend in the Chinese community, and I promised him that we would fight side by side.”

"Whether we fight Azure or High Endurance!"

My son is very sensible. Although he is straightforward, he has high emotional intelligence and can make true friends wherever he goes.

Qin Hanyong wasn't worried at all, but to his surprise, he hesitated when his son produced an invitation.

"Dad, I really want to go, and it won't cost any money. Just give me some freedom this summer vacation," Qin Changzheng pleaded.

"You mean this Azure, is it Chen Fang, the one who plays in the NBA?" Qin Hanyong was still worried. There are many fraud gangs these days, so he had to be careful.

"Of course, Dad, look, this even has an invitation video personally released by Prince Chen!" Qin Changzheng took out his phone and played the video for his father.

"But you'll be gone for a month and a half!" Qin Hanyong was still worried.

"It's okay, I'll just treat it as a basketball summer camp. It includes food, accommodation, and practice, which is great!"

Since his son said so, the father could only support him.

For children whose studies are not a concern, parents usually support their other decisions. Sometimes, don't blame your parents for being strict; often, it's because you haven't earned your parents' respect.

You can't be nothing and still be willful. Disciplining you is out of fear that something will happen to you. Most of the time, if you want to be a free person, you have to first demonstrate the ability to be independent.

With everything prepared, Qin Changzheng took a shower and lay in bed, chatting with Xi Shilun.

"Come to the city at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, and then we'll take a bus to Guangzhou together."

After making the agreement, Qin Changzheng forced himself to calm down, but the thought of seeing Chen Wang at the training camp made him excited.

"So what if it's the top twenty? I'll definitely do it! I'm going to see Chen Wang in person, get an autographed photo from him, and show it off to my brothers. Haha, they'll be so jealous!"

As the boy's mind wandered, sleepiness gradually crept in, and within minutes, Qin Hanyong heard the sound of someone snoring loudly coming from the room.

The child has really grown up.

Looking at the gray hairs at his temples in the mirror, Qin Hanyong couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.

※※※

First of all, it's a pleasure to meet you all.

"My name is Qu Shaobin!"

"As the head coach of this Guangdong Blue Summer Camp, I want to remind everyone that when you stand on this court, you must remember two words."

"persist in!"

Qu Shaobin looked at the group of a hundred people who stood in ten rows from tallest to shortest, and said solemnly, "Unimaginable hardships await you. You have not signed any contracts, and no one will restrain you. If you want to leave, you can raise your hand at any time."

"You will be divided into 20 teams. Apart from group training, most of the time will be 5v5 matches. We will fill these 40 days with a mix of matches and training!"

"I know it hasn't been easy to get to where we are today, but I want to tell you with certainty that the road ahead will be ten or a hundred times harder than before."

"I also want to remind you that even if you persevere, only 20 people will be granted a spot. This is an extremely high elimination rate, so everyone should be fully prepared mentally at this moment."

The entire arena fell silent. One hundred teenagers from all over Guangdong looked at Coach Qu, the legendary "Ghost King" of youth training, with varying expressions, pondering how much of his words were true and how much was false.

"Now we'll start dividing into groups. There are 20 coaches here. Everyone, follow the coach who calls your name." Qu Shaobin finally finished his lines. He looked at the two rows of colleagues standing next to him and nodded slightly.

Familiar faces, some of whom were older and more senior than him. To be honest, Qu Shaobin was a bit overwhelmed by this task, but since the club owner had given the order, he naturally had to obey.

Moreover, it's not just the club; the Guangdong Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association have also issued documents requesting assistance.

Strictly speaking, the Azure Project is not purely commercial; it is a legitimate youth sports training program. Naturally, it has received support from all sides since it does not require its own funding.

They got money and accomplished something worthwhile; since everyone in the basketball community is involved, they naturally offered their unconditional support.

Including myself, a total of 30 coaches of B and C level participated in this Guangdong Blue Summer Camp activity. They will lead 20 Guangdong super youth basketball elites to start a two-week national competition before August 1st.

A total of 48 teams from 28 provinces and cities across the country participated in the first Blue Cup Junior King of Kings Grand Prix in Shanghai and Beijing.

Four teams from the North and four teams from the South will engage in a fierce knockout battle at the end of August.

The final eight teams will share the 30 million prize money for this Blue Cup, and everyone, including the coaches, will receive generous rewards.

This is a crazy sports project with an investment of over a billion yuan, a crazy basketball month belonging to the Chinese people.

Many people are surprised that instead of investing in universities, they are focusing on high schools.

Many media outlets have offered their interpretations of this, but these were not within Qu Shaobin's considerations.

His only goal is to select the top 20 players and win all the games they should win.

Therefore, not a single word he said was false; every word was true.

Although he was unsure whether other places had used youth training players to infiltrate, which was perfectly normal in China, he was certain that the hundred players here were genuine school players, none of whom had ever been to a sports school youth training team; at most, they had trained at privately run sports training centers.

As a result, Qu Shaobin was under a lot of pressure.

These factors made him take this summer camp very seriously; he couldn't let down the traditional powerful families of Guangdong.

The reputation of the South, Guangdong and North Liaoning must not be ruined in his hands.

As for Qu Shaobin's inner thoughts, Qin Changzheng naturally had no idea. He was just regretting that he and Xi Shilun had missed each other again. He was assigned to Team 8, while Xi Shilun was in Team 14.

"Stand still!" Song Yuanshan suppressed his inner joy and shouted at the five teenagers in front of him with a stern face.

There are techniques for team formation, all based on positions.

Center, power forward, small forward, shooting guard, point guard.

Looking at Qin Changzheng on the shooting guard position, Song Yuanshan couldn't express his joy.

More than a month ago, I had already set my sights on this boy from Zhaoqing, whose physical attributes and playing style were even more explosive.

He didn't use any connections, and when he saw the five people assigned to him, he could hardly believe his eyes.

He was the first to take a liking to Qin Changzheng and gave him the precious recommendation spot, and as if by fate, they met again.

Song Yuanshan believed in this very much. As a native of Houjie, Dongguan, he secretly made up his mind to keep this kid until the end.

"Half an hour of basic dribbling training, starting now!" Song Yuanshan naturally wouldn't say any of this.

The five players were very obedient. They picked up the ball, got into position, and started dribbling sideways, repeatedly crossing their hands in front of their bodies.

Song Yuanshan kept issuing instructions and personally correcting the problems with dribbling posture, with Qin Changzheng being the one who gave the most instructions.

“Each break is one minute, but if you want to be better than others, you need shorter breaks, so I'm only giving you 30 seconds!”

The intense dribbling caused the boy's arms to go numb and ache. Qin Changzheng was panting heavily, feeling sweat pouring out of his skin, and the puddle of water under his crotch was proof of his efforts.

"Not enough! I can't hear the sound of the ball hitting the shuttlecock. Hit harder, hit harder, hit harder! If you can smash the shuttlecock today, I'll give you half a day off!" Song Yuanshan roared. He was also drenched in sweat. It was very tiring for both sides to have a coach leading five people.

This is also the most reasonable combination. Too many people will lower the teaching quality, and too few people will waste coaching resources.

Five people, just right.

After half an hour of stationary dribbling practice, Song Yuanshan began to have them practice moving dribbling, requiring them to keep their center of gravity low, keep their feet within a step's distance, sink their hips to lower their center of gravity, and bend their knees so that their thighs were almost parallel to the floor.

This dribbling drill is more grueling, but it can help players develop the good habit of dribbling with a low center of gravity. It starts with dribbling to both sides, then crossover dribbling in front of the body, then back dribbling, and then between the legs.

Song Yuanshan's training method is to start with the simplest technical movements and gradually build them up, like training a hundred layers of steel, ensuring that players master every technical movement and achieve the perfect transformation of basic skills into actual combat moves.

But these 15- and 16-year-olds had no idea that they would suddenly fall into hell, where every second was torture.

The moment anyone stopped or relaxed their movements, Song Yuanshan immediately yelled at the boy, "Tired? Want to go home? Okay, raise your hand and apply right now, I'll approve it!"

Seeing that they were almost at their limit, Song Yuanshan blew his whistle. A short whistle meant it was time to rest, while a long whistle was the signal to resume training.

I believe that in a few days, these teenagers will become very sensitive to the whistle, and their bodies will react automatically.

As soon as the coach blows the whistle, the players will react accordingly.

Never underestimate the power of professional youth training; every step has its benefits.

Qin Changzheng gasped for breath. He felt pain all over his body, and sweat poured out of every part of his body like it was free. He felt that his crotch was soaked.

"Toot...!" The whistle blew for a long time. Qin Changzheng gritted his teeth and got up, supporting himself on the floor with both hands. He suddenly saw Xi Shilun, who was almost crawling on the ground not far away, struggling to get up several times but failing. He suddenly burst into laughter.

"Keep going, first a front dribble, then a back dribble, and finally a crossover. Be fast! If the ball falls, do it ten times over! Do you understand?" Qin Changzheng's laughter abruptly stopped when he heard the bald coach's shout, replaced by bitterness.

My dribbling is basically the worst, and this time, I really have to admit defeat.

I don't know how I made it to noon. Then, the huge stadium started buzzing, followed by a loudspeaker announcing, "Everyone, take a ten-minute break."

Qin Changzheng ignored him. He was behind on more than forty training sessions, and he wouldn't rest until that damned bald guy yelled "stop!"

Song Yuanshan didn't shout; he stayed by Qin Changzheng's side, chattering incessantly as he followed.

"If you fall behind, you will be beaten; if you fall behind, you will be eliminated; if you fall behind, you will be punished. Qin Changzheng, you remember this: you have the worst basic skills in the whole team, and you are the most backward person in the whole team right now!"

"You'll be among the first to be eliminated, I'm certain of that!"

"Why not give up now and go home!"

The hateful sound kept ringing in his ears. Qin Changzheng had never been so angry as he was at this moment, but he turned it into endless motivation and pounded the basketball with all his might.

Teams of players began leaving the stadium to go to the adjacent rehabilitation center for post-training muscle relaxation. This amazed all the coaches, as Azure provided the summer camp with 50 professional rehabilitation massage therapists and highly professional rehabilitation equipment, which even Dongguan clubs might not have.

"Arrogant!" That was all Qu Shaobin could say.

He saw the huge training stadium and a team of people, including Song Yuanshan.

His older brother was a very strict, but extremely responsible, veteran coach at the sports school.

"Captain Qu, what do you think?" The teaching assistant next to him hesitated.

"Don't worry, Brother Song knows what's important. Let's go, you go next door first," Qu Shaobin said, waving his hand.

Every coach has their own training methods. These 20 coaches are all well-known figures, both domestic and international. Coaches hate being told what to do during training.

You can watch, but you can't speak, because that would be tantamount to challenging the other party's authority.

Qin Changzheng finally finished and collapsed on the floor, his body instantly covered in sweat.

"You four, carry him to the next room!" Song Yuanshan ordered.

Seeing Qin Changzheng being carried around like a pig for the New Year, unable to resist, Song Yuanshan smiled slightly.

What a promising talent! A truly outstanding talent!
In youth training, the worst thing is a lazy player. If that player also has talent, it's truly a pity.

It's extremely rare to find someone who is both talented and hardworking.

Qin Changzheng, without a doubt, is an extremely rare find.

These teenagers all had their bone age checked.

Qin Changzheng, who will soon turn 16, has a bone age test result that is not ideal, but is still acceptable.

190-185.

He's capable of playing professionally. If you give Song Yuanshan three years, he'll definitely produce a Qin Changzheng of national Olympic level.

At the entrance, Song Yuanshan ran into Qu Shaobin.

"Brother, it's been a long time since I've seen you so serious," Qu Shaobin greeted him with a smile.

"Yes!" I said with a sigh.

The two men looked at the boy who had been carried away. Qu Shaobin asked, "What a promising talent, why are you training him like this, brother?"

"The best I've ever seen!" Qu Shaobin was stunned by those words.

"Just like you three years ago, when you saw Chen Fang, but you didn't seize the opportunity!" The next sentence broke Qu Shaobin's defenses.

Three years ago, Qu Shaobin had a tiny chance to get Chen Fang through Jin Yuan's introduction.

This incident is considered the most regrettable thing for Dongguan Club's youth training. Although in retrospect, no one in China benefited from Chen Fang's immense talent, Shanti and Shangao did indeed possess Chen Fang.

They also possess the qualifications to be the first choice if Chen Fang returns to China to play basketball one day.

"There are no 'what ifs.' To be honest, ever since then, I've really valued the campus!" Qu Shaobin said with a wry smile.

It's still a matter of perception. They didn't see Chen Fang's extraordinary talent. Three years is nothing for a player. Even the best players are just coming from the youth team to the first team and becoming sparring partners.

The best players then start rotating.

What kind of talent does Chen Fang possess?
Three years later, he is already the hottest player in the NBA, a recognized future superstar, and a player who dares to fight against the NBA champion Warriors, even forcing the championship coach to use a double-team defense in the half-court.

Harden and James, neither of them received this treatment.

After winning the championship, the Warriors, without exception, said in interviews that the biggest psychological pressure during the championship process was facing the Clippers.

Curry admitted that after losing the first game of the series, he couldn't sleep all night and even broke down. Even after winning the second game, he still found it hard to calm down.

It wasn't until the fourth game that they built up the confidence to beat the Clippers.

Kerr bluntly stated that the series against the Clippers was the most agonizing time, during which he only slept for three hours a day, his mind filled with the terrifying image of Chen Fang suddenly scoring and then making a game-winning shot against the Warriors.

Even though the series against the Rockets was 4-2, Kerr still felt that the most difficult series was the one against the Clippers.

Regarding the finals, not only the head coach and the core players, but even the role players have not been mentioned.

The 4-0 sweep of the Cavaliers has become an unnecessary topic of discussion, as if discussing it would only make things more boring.

Green's unintentional remarks on his offseason podcast further corroborated what others had said.

"I've never experienced such immense mental pressure. Not only Stephen, but the coach and even my mother warned me not to get into a fight with the Falcon. My God, that series was the most frustrating and painful series I've ever played in my life."

"Fortunately, I was able to endure it, and God, sensing my sacrifice, gave me a new ring."

When asked about the upcoming season, facing the Clippers and Chen Fang, Green initially wanted to make a lot of sarcastic remarks, but instinctively held back.

"This will be a completely new challenge. My style is bound to have a lot of contradictions and conflicts, but I will try to stay calm when playing against the Clippers."

What does "certainty" mean?

The best team on the planet, the fear of everyone from top to bottom, that's a sure thing.

Chen Fang has reached this status and position. There is no doubt that he is no longer a rising star, but has become a new favorite in the league and a true superstar through a series of games.

There was even a little anecdote that went viral.

Clarkson, who holds Filipino citizenship, was originally scheduled to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games men's basketball tournament, but his future remains uncertain.

The reason is that there are rumors that Chen Fang, in order not to delay his offseason training, asked Clarkson, roughly meaning, "You'd better not go, then I don't have to go."

The man who replaced Chen Fang!
This honor is presumptuous, but Clarkson seemed very happy. The rumor itself was something he mentioned himself on a podcast.

So you can see just how influential Chen Fang has become.

Qu Shaobin, overwhelmed with emotion, pulled himself out of these thoughts. Of course, he knew that he had once had the opportunity to coach Chen Fang, but he missed it because of his own limited understanding.

"Maybe he's the next Chen Fang!" Qu Shaobin said, partly as a blessing and partly as a joke.

"Yes, actually, the first time I saw him, the comment was 'Little Chen Fang,'" Song Yuanshan replied very seriously.

"Haha!" Qu Shaobin could only laugh and pretend to be nonchalant as he took his leave.

"Actually, in my opinion, he's a bit like a Chinese version of Mitchell." Song Yuanshan muttered to himself as he watched his younger brother's retreating figure.

Qin Changzheng could not possibly grow to 2 meters tall; he might not even reach 190 centimeters.

But Mitchell is 185cm tall, and if it weren't for Chen Fang, this Rookie of the Year award would have been his.

In Song Yuanshan's mind, Qin Changzheng's strange talent of having a sturdy build and explosive jumping ability could be completely modeled after Mitchell.

Walking into the rehabilitation center, finding Team 8 among the countless beds was no easy task.

Song Yuanshan finally saw Qin Changzheng, who was silently enduring the pain through gritted teeth. He was receiving treatment with a fascia knife to straighten the fascial dislocation caused by the high intensity.

"So tolerant?" Song Yuanshan joked.

"I can! I'm not afraid of pain!" Qin Changzheng seemed to want to prove something, and he said, word by word, "Coach, I won't be eliminated. I will definitely make it into the 20-person list!"

This sentence was so long that Song Yuanshan heard it clearly without missing a single word.

Even ten years later, it felt as if those words were still echoing in my ears.

"Okay, coach believes in you. I'll see it with my own eyes the day you do it!"

The only response to Song Yuanshan was the crunching sound of the boy's teeth being chewed.

(End of this chapter)