The longest river

Chapter 49 Next Stop: Indianapolis
Before going to Indiana, Yang Shuai needs to go back to Cleveland first.

He needed to pack his things and say goodbye to everyone.

He first went to Athens to meet Paul.

"How much did you sell those documentaries for?"

Yang Shuai was full of curiosity, knowing that was the reason Paul was willing to help him in the first place.

"No, I'm waiting for the day you become an NBA superstar."

The higher Yang Shuai's profile, the more valuable his documentaries become.

This guy is still as shrewd as ever.

Before parting, Yang Shuai gave Paul a new Motorola flip phone.

This was to thank Paul for his previous help, and more importantly, to make it easier for the two of them to stay in touch afterward.

After leaving Athens, Yang Shuai immediately returned to Cleveland and then met with Di Francesco.

DiFrancisco was very excited when he met Yang Shuai. He never expected that he would actually develop an NBA player, and a high school lottery pick at that. This was something he could brag about for the rest of his life.

But this wasn't the only thing he hadn't anticipated.

Yang Shuai came to him not simply to bring a gift like she did when she met Paul, but to invite him to become her strength and conditioning coach.

Trainers have different strengths; some excel in physical fitness, others in technique; some are experienced, while others are bold and innovative.

The most important thing here is whether they are a good match. For example, when Tim Grover was just starting out, he and Jordan became a perfect match.

Di Francesco has a theoretical foundation and his previous guidance to Yang Shuai was also very effective. Yang Shuai feels that he is the most suitable for her.

Di Francesco hesitated for a moment when faced with Yang Shuai's invitation.

While the salary as an assistant coach in the NCAA is not high, the experience gained can lead to a promotion to head coach.

Following Yang Shuai's lead would allow one to access a higher platform, but the development prospects would be highly tied to Yang Shuai's personal development.

"You don't need to rush to make a decision. I'll stay in Cleveland for two days. Just let me know your answer when you've thought it through."

Yang gave DiFrancisco time to consider. If DiFrancisco ultimately refused, he would have to wait until he arrived in Indiana and then have Fisher find him someone else.

After leaving Di Francesco's house, Yang Shuai called on Rondo's family to go and buy them some gifts.

The most important thing is to buy a new car.

Our old used car had a lot of problems, so buying a new car would greatly improve our quality of life.

However, since Yang Shuai was selected, the Rondo family's life in Cleveland has actually improved a lot.

Everyone knows that their adopted child became an NBA player, and everyone wants to get in touch with them.

After packing his luggage at home and shipping it there, Yang Shuai rested for a day before setting off for Indiana.

Just before he set off, Di Francesco called him.

"I believe you will become a great player in the future."

He accepted Yang Shuai's invitation.

The plane took off from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and landed at Indianapolis International Airport a little over an hour later.

As soon as they got off the plane, they felt a wave of heat wash over them.

Indianapolis and Cleveland are only about 500 kilometers apart as the crow flies, but Cleveland is close to Lake Erie and at a high latitude, so the temperature difference isn't as noticeable in the summer.

Indianapolis, located inland at a lower latitude, is like a natural furnace.

Like Cleveland, Indianapolis is a small city with a population of only a few hundred thousand in the city center.

However, cities in the American Midwest are generally not very large, and it is already the second largest city in the Midwest after Chicago.

In stark contrast to Cleveland's industrial decline, this small city is bustling with activity.

This is a transportation hub in the American Midwest, with a wide network of railways and highways.

After leaving the airport, they first sent their luggage to the hotel they had booked in advance, then went to a real estate agency and started looking at houses.

Indiana's urban layout is a standard American urban layout, with the city center being the business district and residential areas mainly concentrated in the suburbs.

After looking at houses all day, Yang Shuai finally settled on a house in a predominantly white neighborhood near the city center.

The main reason I didn't choose to live in the suburbs is because they are far from the city center and the commute is long.

He must go all out to improve himself, and ensuring sufficient training time is his primary consideration.

Of course, the living environment in the city is definitely not as good as that in the suburbs, and there are also some potential dangers.

Fortunately, Indiana has a high percentage of white people, and it was one of the few cities that was not affected by the nationwide riots sparked by the death of Martin Luther King Jr.

In addition, he chose to rent a house in a predominantly white neighborhood, which minimized the risk. After settling on accommodation, Yang Shuai later hired a Chinese chef.

Previously, because of Lin Xiulan, he was able to eat a lot of Chinese-style food. In Indiana, he would have to hire a chef himself.

After settling in on food and lodging, Yang Shuai moved his luggage over and then purchased a complete set of physical training equipment.

Then, he will begin systematic physical training with Di Francesco.

Although Di Francesco has never been a trainer, his background in kinesiology gives him a solid theoretical foundation and his training methods are very scientific.

In addition to physical training, Yang Shuai also accessed the system to redeem a batch of talents.

One C-grade explosive power enhancement pack and one A-grade shooting enhancement pack worth 10 points!

During his month and a half in the Sonny Hill League, he earned over 8 points, which, combined with the points he had previously accumulated in the system, brought his total to 11.

After the tryouts, Yang Shuai knew that there was still a gap between him and NBA players, and it was unrealistic to surpass them in all aspects in a short period of time, so he chose to maximize his existing advantages.

After redeeming the A-grade pack, his attribute panel showed an ability cap of 80+ for the first time. His overall three-point rating increased to 84, and his mid-range rating also reached 78. His open three-point rating was the highest, reaching 88.

Because he discovered during his previous training that as his talent increased, the amount of training required to raise his abilities to the limit of his talent also increased, so his training focus remained on three-point shooting.

However, immediately following physical training with three-point shooting practice is quite a challenge.

At the beginning, every three-pointer he threw was like a shot put.

However, as time went by, that feeling gradually diminished.

He could feel that his shooting had become easier than before.

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and it's now September 15th.

After repeated back-and-forth negotiations and eventual compromises between labor and management, a new agreement was reached, finally ending the NBA's third lockout, which lasted two and a half months.

The mandatory salary cap rule demanded by the owners was not implemented. The biggest change in the new agreement compared to the previous one is the clear provisions on rookie contracts.

The new contract stipulates that all first-round draft picks will be signed for three years, and also clearly defines the salary for each pick.

Yang Shuai soon received a call from Garnett, who said that their rookie class had become "victims of capital".

Yang Shuai didn't feel much. Even if the agreement hadn't changed, signing a huge contract was a privilege only a few top rookies could enjoy, and he, who "unexpectedly" became a lottery pick, wasn't in that category.

He was in a good mood, after all, the suspension was over and he could finally use the team's stadium.

The day after the lockout ended, Fraser came to Indianapolis and took Yang Shuai to the Pacers' home arena, City Square.

This is a very old-looking arena, built in 1974, when the Pacers were still an ABA team.

There were three people who came to the arena with Yang Shuai. They were all this year's rookies. In addition to Best, whom he had met before at the draft, there was also Fred Hoiberg, who was selected 52nd overall in the second round.

Rookies drafted at different positions receive different contracts, and Hoiberg only received a non-guaranteed contract.

Yang Shuai has the highest contract among the three, signing a three-year contract worth 317 million yuan.

In comparison, last year's 13th overall pick, Jalen Rose, had a three-year contract totaling $381 million, which, while reduced, was still within an acceptable range.

However, in the US, there are federal and state taxes, plus broker commissions and escrow fees, so the final amount received each year is only around 50.

After signing the contract, the Pacers arranged for staff to show them around the arena.

Yang Shuai had trained with the Cavaliers before and had some understanding of NBA-level venues, although the layout of City Square Arena was very different from Gund Arena.

The biggest difference is the training hall. The training hall is adjacent to the main hall, located in the southwest corner of the main hall, with the locker room and shower room located between the two venues.

The weight room, video room, and restaurant are also located in the other three corners of the first floor.

The remaining auxiliary functions, such as the manager's office, medical center, media room, and official store, are all located on the second floor.

After touring the area, Yang Shuai was quite satisfied with the layout.

Because he can spend as much time as possible training.

Especially now that it's the off-season, he shouldn't have any problem sleeping in the arena.

Just as they finished their visit and returned to their office, they unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance in the players' tunnel.

Bird was chatting and laughing with Walsh at the door.

When they saw Bird, Best and Hoiberg looked quite excited.

Although Bird's status in the league was not as high as Jordan's, his popularity as the "King of Cool" was not much less than Jordan's at that time. His famous quote, "God was playing in a number 23 jersey, but we beat Jordan," was known to everyone.

However, after noticing them, Bird's gaze immediately fell on Yang Shuai.

Under Yang Shuai's surprised gaze, Bird waved to him.

(End of this chapter)