The first punch that shocked the basketball world

Lin Fei left the restaurant and headed towards the nearest bus stop.

In the early morning in Alhambra, there were hardly any people on the streets.

The buildings on both sides of the road are dilapidated.

The paint on the walls is peeling off, and the signboard is fading.

However, because it is a Chinese community, many small food stalls that are only found in China have opened on both sides of the road.

Mala Tang (spicy hot pot) and mutton soup restaurants.

Lanzhou ramen and jianbing guozi.

The densely packed Chinese signs made me feel like I was walking through a small county town in China.

After traveling for more than half a month, Lin Fei was already familiar with the surrounding environment.

He knows exactly which steamed buns are delicious, which supermarket has discounts, and which park offers free ball games in the morning.

The bus arrived shortly after we stopped at the bus stop.

Lin Fei put in his coin, boarded the bus, and chose a seat towards the back.

His height of 2.01 meters is particularly eye-catching among ordinary people.

Passengers turned to look.

He's that tall, so he's probably involved in sports, maybe even a professional player.

This is most people's first reaction.

Lin Fei was already used to this kind of gaze.

He took out his phone and started browsing the news.

Several NBA news items popped up on the screen.

Article 1: [Carmelo Anthony publicly pressures Knicks management: Either strengthen the team or trade me!]

The comments section was in complete chaos.

Some people criticize Carmelo Anthony for being a cancer who only cares about stats, while others criticize the Knicks for being stingy and not providing him with any help.

Article 2: [Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant's conflict escalates again, creating tension in the Lakers' locker room!]

The accompanying picture shows the two players not interacting at all on the field.

The comments section was even more lively.

"Dwight's a wimp!"

"Kobe, the ball hog!"

"The Lakers will be lucky to even make the playoffs this season, let alone win the championship! Dream on!"

Lin Fei looked at these reports and comments.

It feels so close, yet so far.

The most recent thing is that he is confident he will be able to enter that circle in the future.

The far-fetched part is that he hasn't even gotten close to the development league yet.

After scrolling for a while, Lin Fei put away his phone and closed his eyes to rest.

NBA gossip has nothing to do with him for now.

This trial training is the most important thing right now.

...

At 8:20 a.m., the bus stopped at the bus stop near the Toyota Sports Center.

Lin Fei got off the bus.

The surrounding environment is much better than that of Alhambra.

The roads are wide and the buildings are brand new.

Several office buildings, a large shopping mall, and neatly trimmed lawns.

As a professional team training base, the supporting facilities are naturally in place.

Lin Fei stood by the roadside, looking up at the Toyota Sports Center not far away.

The massive, modern building, its glass curtain wall reflecting the morning light.

He took a deep breath and strode towards the registration area in the stadium lobby.

The registration area is located on one side of the lobby.

Two staff members, a man and a woman, were sitting behind the long table.

The table was piled high with resumes.

Lin Fei walked over.

"Hello, I'd like to participate in the trial."

The male staff member didn't even look up.

"The registration fee is two hundred dollars. Give me your resume."

Lin Fei took out some money and handed it over, then took out a resume from his backpack and placed it on the table.

His resume is almost entirely blank regarding his basketball experience.

He was a fringe player on both high school and college teams, played in NCAA Division II, averaging 4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game, and had no individual accolades.

Lin Fei could completely understand why those teams rejected his tryout application.

If it were him, he would also throw this resume in the trash.

However, as a time traveler, I am used to seeing things from God's perspective, so I am inevitably a bit impatient.

The staff member picked up the resumes, flipped through them, and then looked down at the list on the computer.

I swiped the mouse a few times.

He shook his head impatiently.

"Your name isn't on today's trial list." The tone was flat. "Go back, get your money back at window number two."

The development alliance has a fixed procedure for its trials.

Paying money doesn't guarantee you a spot on the field.

You have to apply online first, pass the screening, and your name will appear on the new batch of trial training list before you can pay the fee to enter the venue.

To put it simply, it's a preliminary selection process.

Lin Fei used West's personal connections to speak directly with the head coach by phone.

He naturally wouldn't be on the list.

Lin Fei was not surprised.

"Lakers scout Ryan West sent me here," he explained. "He gave me your head coach's phone number, and we spoke yesterday and scheduled a tryout for 9 a.m. today."

The staff member looked up, and their expression changed.

There are two types of people for the trial training.

A type of candidate who submits their resume online and passes the screening process, a typical open selection process.

Another type is invited through personal connections.

Both are trial training sessions, but the level of importance is completely different.

They got in through connections; the staff can't afford to offend them.

Even though the staff believed the list to be mostly true, they still followed the procedure.

"Since it was Mr. West who recommended you, please sit here and wait a while." He pulled over a chair and handed over a bottle of mineral water. "The head coach should be arriving around this time. If you arranged to meet, you can go in with him."

"I'm following the procedure, please don't mind."

Lin Fei waved his hand to indicate his understanding.

Chinese people in the United States will encounter discrimination to varying degrees.

The staff member added this sentence specifically to prevent him from misunderstanding it as racial discrimination.

After all, players who come through connections usually have a high probability of passing the trials.

The staff member was just an employee and didn't want to offend anyone over something like this.

Lin Fei sat down and waited for the head coach.

He wasn't using his phone.

Not knowing when the other person will arrive, and if they happen to see you looking down at your phone, your first impression will likely be negative.

First impressions can be quite important sometimes.

Lin Fei simply took out a basketball from his backpack and sat down to practice dribbling.

Fingers flick the ball, between the legs, behind the back.

Even while seated, her movements remained fluid.

The basketball bounced between my fingertips, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.

More and more people are signing up.

Most of them were young Black men, each with an incredibly muscular physique.

The resumes on the table kept piling up higher and higher.

The staff checked off each item on the list one by one.

Those who pass are allowed into the stadium, while those who fail are sent to get a refund.

Some were disappointed, some were angry, and some pleaded.

The staff ignored them completely.

I've seen this kind of scene so many times that I'm already numb to it.

At this moment, a man in his thirties walked up to Lin Fei.

Hey, bro.

He spoke familiarly: "A new employee? I've never seen you before."

Lin Fei looked up.

The man is around thirty years old and has an average appearance.

The most noticeable thing is that the left sleeve is empty.

One-armed.

Lin Fei stood up.

"I'm not an employee," he said calmly. "I'm here for a trial period, waiting for someone."

The one-armed man suddenly realized.

"I see." He smiled. "Good luck."

After offering a word of encouragement, he walked to the registration desk, paid the fee, handed in his resume, and then carried his bag into the stadium.

The entire set of movements was fluid and graceful, clearly not the first time.

Lin Fei looked at his retreating figure, somewhat surprised.

What's the point of coming for a tryout at thirty?

A basketball player is considered a veteran at thirty.

Not to mention, he only has one arm.

And the application was approved.

What the hell is going on?

The staff member next to him noticed his confusion and offered to explain.

"That guy's name is Carl Miller, a Los Angeles local, he comes here once a month."

Lin Fei was even more confused.

"I don't mean to discriminate," he said. "I'm just curious, what's the point of coming to a tryout with only one arm? Can you really play in the NBA?"

He certainly didn't mean any discrimination.

Before I traveled back in time, there was also a one-armed boy in China who played basketball very well; his spirit deserves respect.

But coming to the Development League for a tryout is a bit outrageous.

"It's not about getting into the NBA," the staff member said in a low voice. "It's work."

Seeing that Lin Fei didn't understand, he spoke even more bluntly.

"It's for news exposure, for publicity purposes. Reporters will be interviewing him later."

"Just think about it, a one-armed man coming to the Development League every month for tryouts—I don't need to elaborate on the impact of that kind of news, right?"

Lin Fei suddenly realized.

So the team is using the one-armed guy as a gimmick to grab attention.

On the one hand, it attracts traffic and increases attention; on the other hand, it cultivates a positive image that supports all dream chasers.

It's engaging, politically correct, and inspiring.

Get more in one fell swoop.

The sports industry also needs to make a living and maintain a good reputation.

The one-armed player comes for tryouts every month, and the staff greets him warmly.

It's a ready-made promotional material.

Once they started chatting, the two talked casually.

"Are there so many people coming for tryouts every day?" Lin Fei asked.

"Of course, January is the peak season for tryouts, there are a lot of people."

What is the typical trial training process?

The staff member shook his head.

"I don't know, I'm just signing up."

"The process is different every time; it's not fixed. Anyway, the competition is quite fierce."

"Each time there are dozens of people, and in the end, it's considered good if two or three can stay. Sometimes there are none at all."

Lin Fei silently made his plans.

If the Development League is in such a mess, the NBA is even more so.

This bowl of rice doesn't taste good.

The two chatted about everyday things.

Lin Fei asked him how long he had been working there and how much his salary was.

The staff asked Lin Fei where he was from, how long he had been in the United States, and what his relationship was with Little West.

It's a back-and-forth affair, so it's not boring.

As they were talking, a middle-aged man in a suit walked over.

She's in her forties, maintains a good figure, and walks with a brisk pace.

The staff quickly patted Lin Fei on the back.

"Coach Harris is here, hurry over there."

...

Mark Harris.

Head coach of the Los Angeles Defenders.

Forty-five years old.

He played in NCAAD1 during his playing career, but his skill level was average. He went undrafted and spent a few years in Europe before retiring.

He started as a high school coach, then a college assistant coach, and finally a development league assistant coach, working his way up step by step.

I was hired as the head coach of the Defenders three years ago, and their performance was mediocre, neither good nor bad.

He was a marginal figure in the Lakers' system, not a confidant of management, with no strong background, just a worker.

The job of a G League head coach is very varied.

It's not just about leading the team in training and playing matches.

They also need to manage tryouts, supply talent to the Lakers' first team, and find ways to attract players.

For example, one-armed Carl Miller is a tool for attracting traffic.

With increased traffic, more people come for trials, resulting in higher registration fees and a wider pool of potential candidates.

This job is quite tedious and stressful.

Carl Miller pays an registration fee each time he comes, but the team refunds the full amount after the tryout.

The human touch has been added, and the selling point has been established.

"One-Armed Youth Pursuing Dreams: Enrollment Fee Waived! The Defenders Team Supports Every Dream!"

In a sense, this is a political show put on by the United States.