Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 52 Jerry West's Problem
Just like in the previous two trials, Xu Ling completed the physical and technical tests. The feedback he received was similar to that in Portland and Seattle.

But Jerry West didn't say much, only letting Xu Ling rest for a bit before moving on to the next stage of the test. Just as West had said beforehand, there were official Grizzlies players present today, and West wanted Xu Ling to have a real match against him.

Typically, players rarely participate in team affairs during the off-season. This should be their precious vacation time; who would willingly give up the beach and sunshine to do unpaid work for the team?
But there are always exceptions. Some veterans with a strong sense of professionalism, or those who have already begun paving the way for transitioning to coaching or even management, cherish such opportunities. They don't mind using their precious rest time to gain more experience and a stronger voice.

Eddie Jones is exactly that kind of person.

As a veteran who entered the league in the 90s, Jones' career is nearing its end. But he has already planned his next step: after retiring, he will transition into a skills development coach, continuing to contribute his energy and enthusiasm to the NBA—and incidentally, continue to rake in the money from NBA teams.

So when Jerry West personally called to invite him to assist with the tryout, he agreed without hesitation. He arrived at the training facility early, changed into his gear, and leaned against the wall, observing Xu Ling as he walked in. When their eyes met, Jones's lips curled into a smile, and he spoke in the slightly teasing yet straightforward tone characteristic of a veteran: "Hey, you're that Chinese kid who threw in the game-winning shot?"

As he spoke, he stepped forward, his eyes lacking West's cold scrutiny, but instead displaying the instinctive focus of a practical fighter on technical details. He didn't extend a hand for pleasantries; instead, he casually picked up a basketball and expertly twirled it between his fingers.

“I saw the footage of that shot. You were lucky,” Jones raised an eyebrow, his tone sounding provocative, but his eyes held a hint of a challenging smile. “But here, luck alone won’t do. Let me see what you’re really capable of.”

Without a doubt, Eddie Jones is a shining star in the history of the NBA. As further proof of Jerry West's keen eye for talent, he arrived in Los Angeles as the tenth overall pick in the first round, just as the "Showtime" Lakers dynasty was fading. He quickly established himself as a starter, displaying All-Star caliber skills, and was once considered the face of the next era for the City of Angels.

However, fate took a turn in 1996. Shaquille O'Neal arrived in Los Angeles, and that same year, the Lakers traded All-Star center Vlade Divac for a relatively unknown high school guard wearing number 13. Suddenly, Jones seemed destined to be overshadowed by O'Neal, becoming the Lakers' second option. But he soon discovered that the initially inexperienced high school player was growing rapidly, not only completely replacing him in the team's tactics but also eroding his future in the city. He might not even be able to hold onto the second spot, forced to take a backseat. Ultimately, the Lakers management decided he wasn't even up to the third option, and traded him to Charlotte in exchange for Glen Rice.

In Charlotte, Jones reached the peak of his individual statistics, but also seemed to have hit a ceiling. His career lacked further team achievements; he bounced around to multiple teams, but also had moments of brilliance where he kept future superstars like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade on the bench. In the twilight of his career, he returned to his mentor West's team, playing his final role in Memphis. Midway through last season, the Heat, aiming for the championship, considered trading Jones to bolster their bench depth, but after West's scouting trip to the NCAA, all trades were halted, as if the team was about to undergo a major overhaul.

Jones was unable to travel to Miami, but he never expected to receive a call from the "LOGO Man" during the offseason, asking him to try out the recently popular Eli Xu.

Now, hearing the other party's familiar greeting, as if from an old friend, Xu Ling merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone calm and even tinged with genuine doubt: "Oh, you've watched my matches? I haven't had a chance to ask. Who are you?"

Jones's smile froze instantly. He had anticipated surprise, admiration, and even a challenge, but he never expected to be met with such blatant and utter ignorance. The air seemed to pause for half a second.

Immediately afterwards, Jones seemed to have heard the most hilarious joke in the world, and suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. His laughter echoed in the empty training hall, full of self-mockery and disbelief.

"Hahaha, good lad, I'm starting to get interested in you." Jones stopped laughing, shook his head, but the playful interest in his eyes was much stronger than before.

He casually tossed the ball to Xu Ling, with a slightly heavy touch, carrying a hint of provocation.

“It’s alright,” Jones grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile finally tinged with genuine, undisguised fighting spirit. “After this fight, I guarantee you’ll never forget that my name is Eddie Jones.”

Eddie Jones?

Xu Ling had absolutely no recollection of that name. But judging from the other person's reaction, he figured they must have been someone important in the NBA, but so what?

Greatness is only temporary.

After Russell Westbrook achieved his first triple-double season in the NBA, even though he never won a championship, he had already etched his name in basketball history. Moreover, he achieved this feat again for the next two seasons.

But this did nothing to stop the rapid collapse of his personal reputation after joining the Lakers. As his skills began to decline, the glory he achieved during his peak seemed to lose its weight—either he left with dignity, or he faced personal threats from fans; or he plummeted from a max contract to a minimum contract and still couldn't find a buyer; or, on a sunny day, you volunteered to help the team try out a rookie, only to be met with, "Who are you?"

Sports is a world that is both deeply affectionate and ruthlessly cruel. In a generation, perhaps fewer than ten people can truly pass on their influence to the next. And even if they do, with each generation, the traces of that influence will gradually dilute and eventually dissipate. Ultimately, no one can escape the fate of being forgotten.

One-on-one tryouts are a long-standing but now defunct tryout program in the NBA.

The most famous one-on-one workout in NBA history was that of Yao Ming. He showcased his skills and potential in front of all 28 teams in the league (the Bobcats didn't exist yet, and the Lakers didn't send anyone). Ultimately, his impeccable performance secured him the number one draft pick.

However, times have changed, and today's top prospect no longer participates in these public workouts. At most, they will only accept brief and closed individual evaluations from a few teams, keeping themselves shrouded in mystery and anticipation.

For Xu Ling, the reason he was willing to accept such a one-on-one match today was twofold. Firstly, this was the last team he was trying out for, and he no longer needed to hold back. Secondly, it stemmed from the fact that he had not yet fully transformed into the kind of prodigy who had been bathed in the spotlight since childhood and was confident to the point of arrogance—the kind of typical star mentality that believed that just a little bit of talent was enough to win over the team.

Thus began the one-on-one duel between Xu Ling and Eddie Jones in full view of the Grizzlies.

Jones tossed the ball to Xu Ling, lowered his center of gravity slightly, and made a "please" gesture, indicating that he should attack first.

Xu Ling received the ball without hesitation. He planned to finish the game quickly and establish an advantage in the most direct way—by relying on his youthful and unparalleled explosiveness to break through from the right side! He pushed off the ground with his right foot, and his body shot out like an arrow, his first step so fast that it almost created a whooshing sound.

However, in that tiny gap when his body leaned forward and the ball bounced off the ground, a seasoned hand, as if it had anticipated the entire script, precisely cut into the trajectory of his dribble!
"Snapped!"

His fingertips grazed the edge of the basketball, not completely cutting it off, but enough to send it swerving out of his control and instantly disrupt Xu Ling's rhythm. Xu Ling stumbled, quickly catching the ball back. In a flash, Xu Ling completely abandoned any trace of his previous underestimation. He steadied himself, re-established his stance on the perimeter, his eyes now different.

He realized that this seemingly aging veteran was perhaps the most elite, intelligent, and possibly the most difficult defender he had ever encountered since entering the world of basketball. Pure speed was greatly diminished in the face of his unstoppable anticipation and those all-seeing eyes.

If going too fast won't work, then let's slow down.

Xu Ling took a deep breath, and his rhythm suddenly changed. He no longer sought to get past his opponent in one step, but instead began to use dribbling with constantly changing rhythm to find an opening.

Jones remained close by, never losing his position, but Xu Ling astutely detected the almost imperceptible shift in Jones's center of gravity. Xu Ling used this fleeting space to leap into the air and execute a textbook mid-range pull-up jumper. The basketball arced incredibly high, avoiding Jones's final fingertips and swishing cleanly through the net.

The ball goes in.

Xu Ling maintained his follow-through after the shot, looking at the veteran in front of him with a career full of stories, a slight smile on his lips, and said in a tone that was a mixture of respect and provocation: "It seems that just knowing your name is not enough, I need to know where your defense will go next."

Jones picked up the ball, his face expressionless, but his mouth was never idle: "Lucky shot, kid. How many times do you think you'll get that kind of slow jump shot in a real game?"

Xu Ling just smiled and didn't reply.

The following rounds became a condensed exhibition of Xu Ling's personal offensive techniques.

In the next possession, Xu Ling drove hard to the basket, establishing position on his first step, but then stopped abruptly after the contact and pulled up for a shot. Jones jumped with all his might, but his fingertips just missed the ball. The ball went in again.

With another basket, Xu Ling backed down, seized the moment when Jones was fully focused on defense, swiftly turned and walked along the baseline, sweeping past him in one step. Jones's feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and he could only turn his head to watch Xu Ling rush to the basket for a dunk.

Then, Xu Ling took a probing step to shift Jones's center of gravity, and then accelerated at full speed, relying purely on explosive power to overpower Jones and score under the basket.

Several rounds flew by in the blink of an eye. Jones's judgment remained sharp, his awareness at its peak, seemingly anticipating Xu Ling's intentions each time. But his legs completely betrayed his brain; that half-step delay was an insurmountable chasm in the highest level of competition.

Once again, Jones' defense was shaken off, and Xu Ling pulled up for a jump shot and scored.

When Xu Ling used a left-handed feint to pounce on Jones's diving attempt, then smoothly stepped back to the right, calmly pulled up beyond the three-point line, and sank the ball, Jerry West on the sidelines raised his hand and calmly signaled, "That's enough."

Everything was already settled by the end of the first round.

Xu Ling's seemingly slow initial attack was actually a series of subtle probes to figure out Jones's ultimate defensive limits. Therefore, in the following possessions, he swiftly and decisively resolved the defense within three dribbles each time.

Xu Ling displayed a maturity far beyond that of a 19-year-old: top-notch explosiveness and touch, keen defensive reading, and precise control of space and rhythm. West has judged countless talents throughout his life, but the moment he was so certain—certain that a player was worth risking everything for, risking his reputation—has only happened twice in his life.

The last time was in 1996, with a boy named Kobe Bryant. And today, the young man in front of him is being compared to Kobe in the draft.

A familiar, almost chilling certainty gripped him. He saw the possibility of recreating history, or even surpassing it.

However, just as this surge of warmth welled up in his heart, a deeper chill also crept in. A sharp question arose, not about Xu Ling, but about himself, about Memphis:
Are they worthy?

More precisely—does he deserve it?

Does he deserve to pick up the dice of fate again and bring his near-perfect talent to the team he is trying to rebuild?

Jerry West was thinking about self-destruction as if he were going mad.

Then he heard his female assistant, Laura Grankole, excitedly say, "Jerry, we can't miss this child!"

“Yes,” West said softly, “we must get him.”

A rational judgment thus extinguished all the debate about whether or not they were a good match.

P.S.: Some readers have reported a bug with the draft picks. However, I can't fix it because changing the pick allocation in the book would affect most of the subsequent plot, and my drafts would be ruined. At this point, I can only accept the error: in the novel's timeline, the first round pick handed over in the Joe Johnson pick-and-roll trade between the Hawks and Suns was protected as a top-five pick, not a top-three pick in reality. Therefore, the fourth pick still goes to the Hawks. (And, there's something even more frustrating behind this bug—it's hard to explain.)

(End of this chapter)