The first punch that shocked the basketball world

At the Toyota Sports Center, basketballs slammed onto the floor with dull thuds.

There are no matches this afternoon, so the whole team has the day off.

Lin Fei stayed behind for extra training.

Sofia Green was sitting on the sidelines.

She wasn't training; she just sat in a chair watching, occasionally helping to pick up the balls.

The two chatted casually.

Lin Fei preferred spending time with Sofia rather than training with his male teammates.

Having a beautiful woman by your side makes you feel different.

The stadium's air conditioning was on full blast; it was a bit hot.

Sofia took off her coat, revealing a short-sleeved shirt and athletic shorts, her fair legs exposed.

Between shots, Lin Fei would occasionally glance at the basket.

Pleasant to the eye.

Sofia could certainly sense it.

She wasn't offended; in fact, she was a little proud of it.

He's handsome and plays basketball well; anyone would be attracted to him.

Another three-pointer swished through the net.

Sofia bent down, picked up the ball, and threw it back.

"Coach Harris said the Lakers are ready to sign you?" she asked, tilting her head. "Has a date been set?"

The news has already spread within the team.

No one knows the exact time.

Lin Fei was about to shake his head and say he didn't know.

My phone suddenly started buzzing on the chair by the sidelines.

He walked over and picked up the screen to take a look.

Caller ID: Mickey Kupchak.

Lin Fei's heart skipped a beat.

coming.

He gestured for Sofia to be quiet and then answered the phone.

"Hello, I'm Lin Fei."

"Lin, this is Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak." The voice on the other end of the phone was steady. "If you're free this afternoon, come to Staples Center to sign a ten-day contract. Do it as early as possible; the team is flying to Boston tomorrow, and the paperwork needs to be completed before departure."

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, we got straight to the point.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Lin Fei tried to keep his voice steady.

After hanging up the phone, he stood there stunned for two seconds.

It's really coming.

NBA.

"What's wrong?" Sophia leaned closer, looking curious.

Lin Fei suddenly turned around and hugged her tightly.

"It's the Lakers' general manager calling." His voice was tinged with laughter. "We're going to Staples Center this afternoon to sign the contract."

Sofia was caught off guard by the hug, and her cheeks flushed.

Upon hearing this, she forgot all her shyness.

She hugged Lin Fei tightly, her eyes shining.

"Really?! That's great! I knew you could do it!"

Lin Fei, emboldened by his excitement, lowered his head and kissed her cheeks twice.

"certainly!"

He smiled and said, "It must be you who brought me good luck."

Sofia was completely stunned.

My face was burning hot, and my voice became soft.

"No way... it's all thanks to your own hard work..."

Seeing that she was truly shy, Lin Fei knew when to stop and released her.

I've gotten enough of a bargain.

"Could you give me a ride?" He pointed to the door. "I want to get there quickly."

"no problem!"

Sofia grabbed her coat and headed outside.

Their steps were lighter than usual.

In the car, Lin Fei sent a message to Marcus Tucker.

[Signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers this afternoon.]

Within two seconds, Marcus called directly.

Lin Fei's voice was so loud that he had to hold his phone further away.

"Holy crap! Really?!"

Marcus's voice trembled: "So fast? It really worked, bro!"

"I just received the notification," Lin Fei said with a smile. "I'm going to sign it this afternoon."

"Okay, okay!"

Marcus said "Okay" three times in a row: "You go first! We'll talk in detail when you come back!"

Marcus was probably jumping for joy on the other end of the phone after I hung up.

Lin Fei could imagine what he looked like.

The Toyota Center is not far from Staples Center.

There's no traffic, it only takes twenty minutes to get there.

The car was parked in the internal parking lot.

Sofia suddenly spoke as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Lin, I'm planning to take the internal exam for Lakers beat reporters."

Lin Fei was stunned for a moment.

Reporters in the Development League who want to be promoted to the home team either need a referral or have to take an exam.

Those without strong connections have no choice but to take the exam.

Sofia usually seems quite laid-back, I never expected her to have such thoughts.

"That's great!" Lin Fei smiled. "It'll definitely pass, and then we'll be colleagues again."

Sofia smiled, pursing her lips.

"Thanks for your kind words." She opened the car door. "Let's go, I'll take you to the staff entrance."

The two used the internal staff entrance.

They were all officially part of the Defenders team; their identities were verified quickly.

Lin Fei went to the general manager's office on the second floor by himself.

Sofia didn't have permission, so she went to the reporters' rest area to wait for him.

Lin Fei stood at the door of the general manager's office and took a deep breath.

Knock on the door.

"Enter."

A deep, steady male voice came from inside.

Push the door open and go inside.

The office is large, and the Los Angeles skyline can be seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

A middle-aged man with blond hair, glasses, and a square face sat behind the desk.

Mitch Kupchak.

The Lakers' general manager was also an NBA star during his playing days, winning a championship with the Lakers in the 80s.

He has a keen eye and acts with composure.

In the Lakers, he is the second most important person after the Buss family.

"They're here."

Kupchak stood up, a perfectly timed smile on his face: "You've come pretty quickly. Looks like you're eager to play for the Lakers too."

"I'm very happy to play for the Lakers," Lin Fei said, half-jokingly.

Kupchak gestured for him to sit on the sofa.

He walked over and sat down, personally pouring a cup of coffee and pushing it over to her.

After a few polite words, let's get straight to the point.

He took two contracts out of the folder and pushed them in front of Lin Fei.

"A standard ten-day contract, $40,000 in salary," he said. "If you perform well, you can get a second contract. After both contracts expire, you either sign a guaranteed contract until the end of the season, or you terminate the agreement. You should understand the rules."

Lin Fei picked up the contract and flipped through it.

The terms are clear and there are no hidden pitfalls.

Forty thousand US dollars.

Ten days.

He only earned $45,000 for a full season in the Development League.

Ten days is equivalent to a season.

No wonder everyone in the development alliance is scrambling to get in.

The difference is ridiculously large.

Without much hesitation, he picked up the pen and quickly signed his name.

"I suggest you find an agent." Kupchak put away the contract. "I can handle all your future contracts and business activities."

"We can't afford to raise them right now." Lin Fei put down his pen, smiled, and said, "We'll talk about it once we've established ourselves."

Kupchak nodded.

"A very pragmatic idea."

As they were talking, the office door was pushed open.

D'Antoni walked in.

He spotted Lin Fei at a glance and smiled.

"Oh, what a coincidence!"

He walked over and looked Lin Fei up and down: "Just in time for the signing. Welcome to the team, Lin. I hope your number 9 can really bring some championship luck to the team."

Lin Fei understood the joke.

During our last phone call, I joked that the last Chinese player to wear number 9 helped the Lakers win a championship.

He stood up and shook hands with D'Antoni.

"If the coach gives me more playing time, I can surprise you."

"I've seen the defensive tapes." D'Antoni patted his arm. "If you can maintain that defensive intensity from the G League, you'll get plenty of playing time."

He paused, then said seriously, "The team flies to Boston tomorrow to play the Celtics. You need to finish all the paperwork today and leave with the team tomorrow, otherwise you'll have to go three days later."

"So urgent?"

Kupchak chuckled and chimed in, "Anyone who didn't know better would think we're out of options."

D'Antoni sighed, his face grim.

"You know how bad our perimeter defense is," he said. "With Dwight injured, our interior defense is also stretched thin. Having another defender is better than having none."

As he spoke, he patted Lin Fei on the shoulder again.

"Go get your gear, kid," he said half-jokingly. "Maybe tomorrow you'll be matched up against Paul Pierce."

Lin Fei didn't take it as a joke.

He looked very serious.

"No problem, I'll make him uncomfortable."

D'Antoni paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Okay, that's great." He waved his hand. "Hurry up, or you'll miss the alliance registration."

Lin Fei nodded and took his leave, then walked out with his assistant.

In the office, Kupchak looked at D'Antoni.

"You seem to think highly of this kid," he said. "I've never seen you talk this much to newcomers before."

D'Antoni shrugged.

"I wouldn't say I'm optimistic," he said, leaning back on the sofa. "It's just more comfortable being with a humorous person. It's better than facing Kobe's grumpy face every day."

Kupchak smiled but didn't reply.

Serving star athletes is never an easy task.

They both understand this.