Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 294 A Simple Lesson
Qin Changzheng was learning how to tie his own feet, but he couldn't figure it out after a long time, and he wasted several rolls of bandages.

There was a knock on the door. He got up to open it and saw Qu Shaobin.

"Coach, what do you want? Are you going to film again?" Qin Changzheng frowned and said to himself, "At first I thought it was fun, but having someone film you every day during training has gotten really tiresome."

"Yes, but this time is different. Put your shoes on and come with me right now!" Qu Shaobin didn't waste any words and gave the order directly.

Qin Changzheng had no choice but to obey. When he got downstairs at the hotel, he found that there were cameras pointed at him.

Pretending to be calm and natural, Qin Changzheng asked in a low voice, "Coach, where are we going?"

"Who do you long to see?" Qu Shaobin asked with a smile.

Qin Changzheng didn't react at first, then realized something, and immediately his breathing became rapid and his eyes widened.

"Yes, you guessed right."

"Chen Fang wants to train with you!"

Looking at the young man whose face had turned red, Qu Shaobin was genuinely happy for him. Chen Fang had just arrived in Shanghai and had already made the decision to train with Qin Changzheng.

This is truly a tremendous honor.

It's worth noting that Chen Fang returned to China at the end of April, and his whereabouts were a mystery. His first public appearance was with Qin Changzheng, which undoubtedly brought great benefits to the boy's growth.

Qin Changzheng had no idea how he got through the hour-long journey. As he looked at the street scenes of Shanghai, his mind was filled with thoughts of Chen Wang's brilliant goals on the football field.

What did I want to say when I saw his first words?

For a moment, the boy was completely mesmerized.

The car stopped at the Petrie Basketball Center, a well-known high-end basketball venue in Shanghai. It was honored to be the place where Chen Fang made his first media appearance because of his nostalgia.

When Qin Changzheng stepped onto the ground, he suddenly felt his legs go weak, but sensing the cameras around him, the young man gritted his teeth and tensed his muscles.

I can't lose face!
Qu Shaobin walked in front, and the boy followed behind. There was a door in front of them, and the moment the door opened, the familiar sound of a basketball bouncing on the floor came rushing in.

Unable to describe his feelings, Qin Changzheng stepped inside like a wooden statue.

The stadium was bright; it was only afternoon, and several beams of sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting their light onto the bright floor.

They feel great on the feet; you can feel the full elasticity through the sole.

But that wasn't why Qin Changzheng felt like he was floating, because he saw a tall man turn around and look at him with a smile.

It really is Prince Chen!
What a familiar face! For the past three years, he had watched Chen Wang's highlights every day before he could fall asleep, but now that the real person was in front of him, he was timid.

Chen Fang tossed the ball over and shouted, "Come here, kid!"

A rather stern shout triggered the boy's discipline; he snapped to attention, instinctively caught the ball, and jogged over.

After looking him up and down, Chen Fang nodded secretly.

He really does look like a young calf, with clearly defined muscles all over his body. He has a robust and energetic appearance, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, making him look like a good player.

"Ignore the cameras and people around us, today is just a regular training session." Chen Fang noticed Qin Changzheng's nervousness, offered a reassuring remark, and then looked at Qu Shaobin.

"Coach Qu, it's nice to see you again!"

Qu Shaobin had many feelings. Although he often watched Chen Fang's matches, the feeling of being up close was a completely new experience.

These lines, these proportions, this domineering air—he's certainly seen the world and has completely transformed into a great man.

"Yes, you've changed a lot!" Qu Shaobin was also very happy. Chen Fang is now the biggest star in the domestic sports circle, and it was a great honor to be able to meet him like this.

"Yes, thank you for Coach Qu's efforts for Weilan these past few months. Let's have a casual dinner together tonight," Chen Fang extended an invitation.

"Sure, sure, haha!" Qu Shaobin wasn't about to refuse; his eyes crinkled with laughter.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Fang looked again at the nervous boy beside him.

"Come on, understand everything in this lesson!"

"Yes!" Qin Changzheng nodded immediately, though he didn't understand why his idol said that.

"Don't worry, just follow my instructions," Chen Fang said, leading the boy to the court to begin warming up.

Chen Fang would explain the purpose and effects of each warm-up exercise to Qin Changzheng.

"In the NBA, every star player has their own unique warm-up routine. It's not about being unconventional, but because everyone's body structure is different and needs to be specially developed."

"Once your body is fully developed, you will also have your own warm-up exercises."

Qin Changzheng listened with a silly grin, and he did it very seriously, trying his best to make each one exactly like his idol.

After completing the set, I was drenched in sweat, my whole body was steaming, and it felt like all my joints had been opened up, which was very comfortable.

"How do you feel?" Chen Fang asked with a smile.

"It feels so good! Really!" the boy quickly replied.

Next came dribbling practice, which Chen Fang explained in great detail, because it wasn't just for Qin Changzheng, but also for all the fans.

"Dribbling training activates the forearm muscles first, not the upper arm muscles."

"Don't dribble the ball hard at the beginning. Instead, use your fingers to touch the basketball first, and gradually increase the frequency. Use your index and middle fingers, and each finger should go through the ball, just like I do."

Chen Fang first stood in a wide stance, pressing his hips to the ground. This way, he didn't need to bend his back, avoiding excessive strain, and at the same time, he stimulated the muscles in his thighs.

He tapped the ball with his finger, gradually increasing the frequency until the afterimage was too fast for the eye to catch, while the sound of the ball hitting the floor was deafening. Then Chen Fang maintained this frequency and explained, "Keep it up, switch fingers, and control the ball to move smoothly, from the front of the body to the outside of the feet."

This is a figure-eight dribbling exercise, a very basic feel-training exercise, but Chen Fang did it more meticulously. When it reached the outside of his foot, Chen Fang said, "Your waist can't be crooked. Use your arm to blindly control the ball behind your hip, and prepare to receive it with your other hand."

After completing one lap, Chen Fang said, "After finishing the whole thing, increase the speed of this lap and use the dexterity of your fingers to control the direction and height of the ball's bounce."

As he spoke, he sped up, and the ball seemed to be on a string, constantly circling his body along with his arm.

Even Qu Shaobin, a top-tier youth training expert in China, showed a surprised expression at this scene.

The skill that Chen Fang is currently demonstrating is something that no professional player in China could replicate.

After finishing, Chen Fang stood up and asked, "Was it a little difficult?"

Qin Changzheng was stunned. He rubbed his eyes, and although he lacked confidence, he still gritted his teeth and declared, "I can do it!"

"Good!" Chen Fang admired Qin Changzheng's courage. He was a boy with a completely different personality from him, a genius who was a perfect fit for the sport of basketball.

Qin Changzheng started doing it. He had difficulty controlling one finger, so he put his index and middle fingers together. This wasn't a shortcut; it was a good way to compensate when you're a beginner.

The ball didn't maintain a constant speed. The boy tried his best, strictly following Chen Fang's instructions, keeping his back straight and relying entirely on his hands to control it blindly.

Chen Fang noticed Qin Changzheng's arms; he was indeed gifted, with a wingspan that exceeded his height by at least ten centimeters.

It was a difficult task to complete, but Chen Fang knew when to stop. He wouldn't make things difficult for them, and simply said, "Keep this training going. Now, use your palms to do this movement."

"Hmm." Qin Changzheng felt ashamed, but he promised, "I will definitely be able to next time we meet."

"It's a deal!" Chen Fang agreed with a smile.

Over the next ten minutes, Chen Fang led Qin Changzheng through a round of dribbling drills, which had activated his ball-handling skills. Many of these drills were new to Qin Changzheng, but his three months of hard work in mastering the fundamentals paid off. He rarely dropped the ball, and although he was a bit slow, he still managed to follow along completely.

With seven or eight cameras filming, this footage will be processed by professionals to create a complete and entertaining variety show video, which will then be presented to the audience.

"Now we need to start combining dribbling and shooting!"

Chen Fang wanted to be clear, so he said to Qin Changzheng, "Shooting needs to be close to real combat. In a game, you rarely have a moment when you're still. You only have a short time while moving to find an opportunity to shoot." "Therefore, in shooting practice, we not only need to keep moving to shoot, but we also need to speed up the pace."

"Don't worry about the shooting percentage, just get your body used to this shooting rhythm first!"

Qin Changzheng nodded: "King Chen, Coach Song said the same thing."

"Don't call me King Chen, just call me Brother Fang." Chen Fang corrected the way he was addressed, then said to Qu Shaobin, who was acting as his sparring partner, "It seems there are a lot of great coaches in the team."

"Yes, Coach Song is indeed very skilled at shooting."

Stopping the conversation at the right moment, Chen Fang began his pre-shooting warm-up.

"Many people like to activate their shooting touch by starting with their arms, but the best way is actually to start with their ankles."

"First, find a smooth downward force. Shooting is a process from bottom to top, starting from the toes and the ball of the foot, while controlling the force of the foot is done in the calf and thigh of the torso."

Chen Fang began by explaining the science behind the ball. He held the ball at his waist and abdomen, bent his knees slightly, lifted his heels off the ground, and spread his feet about a foot apart.

"Distance can be freely allocated from near to far."

As he spoke, Chen Fang made his first shot. His movements were slow and his jump height was low. Qu Shaobin noticed that he caught the ball and lifted it up very quickly. Just as he was wondering about this, he heard Chen Fang say, "The biggest problem that prevents many pitchers from evolving to the elite level is their control over their hands and feet."

"Both slow feet and fast hands, or fast feet and slow hands, will lead to excessive loss of power in the shot, resulting in a loss of shooting force. At this point, you will increase the force applied by your hand, which will also lead to a loss of accuracy."

"When we exert force with our feet, it gives us an upward force. This upward force rises very quickly. If we don't catch it when it reaches the highest point, there will be a break in the force. Because we are in the air, it gives us a feeling of being unable to exert force."

"In shooting practice, our core focus is on finding out whether our shooting motion is complete and in the process of exerting force before the power reaches its peak."

"The two forces come one after the other and then merge together, like the back wave pushing the front wave, so that the force can be fully applied to the ball."

"Our fingers and wrists are more for precision aiming."

Chen Fang explained in great detail, demonstrating as he spoke, displaying the demeanor of a trainer.

Qin Changzheng began to practice. In fact, with Song Yuanshan's help, he had already figured out how to apply the power of this theory. So after he made a few consecutive moves, Chen Fang praised him, "Very good, you have mastered this trick."

"Next, we'll learn how to aim faster and achieve a higher hit rate."

"Many times, players can't see the ball at all; they stare directly at the basket and then shoot based on muscle memory."

"This kind of shot usually has a very good accuracy rate, but once you get to the second half of the game, your muscles are fatigued, and the so-called muscle memory is gone."

"Then how do we solve this?" Qin Changzheng asked.

"There are two methods. One is to correct your shooting posture so that the ball, your eyes, and the basket are all in a straight line!"

"The second method is to switch shooting stance when the game is in its final stages."

"So Chen... Brother Fang, what was your choice?"

Chen Fang smiled, beckoned Qin Changzheng to his side, and said, "Watch closely."

He started shooting. Because there were plenty of practice partners, the ball kept being passed to him. Chen Fang wanted Qin Changzheng to see clearly that his shooting motion was very smooth and his power was not fast, so that everyone around him could see it clearly every time.

Qin Changzheng saw that Chen Fang's ball was coming towards his forehead. He didn't try to touch it, but instead naturally followed the armrest, keeping it about ten centimeters away from his forehead. From his jump height and the height of the armrest, and finally extending to the height of the basket, the three were on a very flat parabola.

The advantage of this is that Chen Fang doesn't need to use a lot of arm strength to make the ball fall directly into the basket with a reasonable arc.

"These are practice shots; now it's game shots!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Fang suddenly increased his speed. When he received the ball, he made a very obvious sideways movement. He increased the depth of his hips, and his jump height and speed also reached a new level.

But his hand shape didn't change; only the speed of his arm extension and wrist press increased.

The ball's rolling speed increases and its arc decreases, but each time it swirls through the net instead of falling into it.

Chen Fang kept moving, saying, "When I get to a greater distance, pay attention."

As he spoke, Chen Fang had already retreated two or three meters to the three-point line. Because the three-point line is cut off in China, this distance is only one step more than in the NBA.

Qin Changzheng saw Chen Fang jump, but his height actually decreased, his arm extension became very obvious, and his shooting point was near the bridge of his nose, with a flick of the wrist.

As the ball's arc widens, the ball sinks into it.

After the last shot went in, Chen Fang walked over without panting or blushing. He said, "You'll find that no matter the distance, I keep my eyes, the point of release, and the basket in a straight line. Just by slightly adjusting the way I exert force, I can control the arc of the ball to achieve the same effect."

Qin Changzheng nodded dumbfounded. He suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Ah!"

"What?" Chen Fang asked with a smile.

"It seems like I didn't miss a single shot!" Qin Changzheng exclaimed incredulously. Since Chen Fang's first shot, how many shots had he taken, and he hadn't missed a single one?

Chen Fang patted Qin Changzheng's head triumphantly, raising an eyebrow: "This is basic stuff, don't be surprised!"

With his mouth agape, Qin Changzheng showed immense admiration.

"Let's do it together now."

"Mmm!" Qin Changzheng didn't feel any pressure at all about shooting hoops with his idol; on the contrary, he was extremely happy.

Although Qu Shaobin was certain that Qin Changzheng would become someone important, it wasn't until now that he realized it.

It's quite possible that Qin Changzheng could become the next Chen Fang.

Just that fearlessness is truly admirable.

Half an hour later, Qin Changzheng was drenched in sweat. He had never shot at such a high intensity before. It was as if his previous shooting training had been trampled in the mud.

The ball kept flying in, and his brain didn't even have time to think. He only heard Chen Fang shout at him: "Keep your shot straight and don't think about anything."

"Very good!" Chen Fang wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was now certain that this kid had potential.

He was incredibly fast, almost to the point that he had to consciously speed up his movements. Moreover, his physical coordination was innately good. In just half an hour, he could tell that Qin Changzheng was a natural attacker. With his talent for pull-up jumpers, as long as he was further refined, he could be put on the market and sold for a sky-high price.

Chen Fang believed that if Carl and Hannon were to come, they would definitely fall in love at first sight, especially Wick, who would surely be delighted.

Take it with you this summer; staying in China would be a waste of time.

"Finally, it's about recovery. When you're alone in the future, focus on recovering your torso, especially your waist, abdomen, and hips, then your lower limbs, and finally your arms."

The two enjoyed acupressure massage from a professional therapist, and Chen Fang said to Qin Changzheng.

Wang Zhen appeared at the stadium. He asked around to confirm, then waved for most of the staff to leave. Finally, he walked up to Chen Fang, glanced curiously at Qin Changzheng who was enduring the pain with his eyes closed, and said, "The banquet for tonight is arranged. This is the attendance list. Also, there is an important meeting tomorrow. Important leaders from Shanghai will be coming."

"Okay, has Brother Yao arrived yet?"

"It's here, it's already on its way."

Chen Fang patted Qin Changzheng, who had just opened his eyes: "Train hard. I'm looking forward to your quarterfinal match. Are you confident you can win the championship?"

"Yes!" Qin Changzheng readily agreed.

"Okay, so do you want to come to America with me?"

Qin Changzheng hesitated for a moment, and his expression was immediately caught by Qu Shaobin, who said, "Don't worry, your father can go with you."

"Really?" Qin Changzheng was genuinely surprised; he almost jumped up.

"I'm willing to go, I'm willing!"

“Okay, it’s a deal then, see you in America!” Chen Fang extended his hand, and Qin Changzheng generously extended his own.

(End of this chapter)