I’m Really Playing Basketball

May 24, 2002, Washington DC.

After receiving an invitation from the Washington Wizards to try out alone, Chen Xiao left Milwaukee and came to Washington DC alone.

Really alone, there is no agent team or teammates such as Ron Howard or Wade.

As one of the best players in the NCAA last season.

After the NCAA ended, many professional agents approached Chen Xiao.

American, Chinese, ethnic Chinese, all of them.

However, Chen Xiao refused.

It's not that Chen Xiao is playing big games by himself.

Chen Xiao felt that Wade's agent, Henry Thomas, was right, there was no need for him to sell himself when he was about to go public.

You can wait.

Successfully entered the NBA, the stock took off, and the value doubled.

The stock price limit fell, and if he failed to enter the NBA, even those who bought him in advance would abandon him.

Of course, if you can meet a big-name agent in the middle, you can create momentum for him in the draft, and you can get him a better pick. If you sell yourself, you will sell yourself.

Unfortunately, there is no such broker.

Wade's agent, Henry Thomas, wanted to sign him, but he was honest.

"My resources are now focusing on Dwyane, and I can't help you for the time being."

If you can't help him, you can't stand in the latrine to make trouble.

This is a very open-minded person. Chen Xiao still trusts Wade in making friends.

Henry Thomas can actually lie to him like those agents who contacted him, saying that he can help him in the draft.

"Chen, you don't have to worry that not having an agent will affect your draft. You are different from those ordinary players. You don't need those ordinary agents to work hard to find opportunities for you to try out and participate in training camps. You also have tons of tryouts and training camps without the usual agents."

"Remember, the agents you need now are not those mediocre people, they are people who can really help you in the draft position. Your draft position prediction is very unstable. Among the predictions of 17 draft forecasting agencies, you are the Among all the hottest rookies, there is no one like you in the past draft history of the NBA. The highest can reach the top ten, and the lowest may even lose the draft. This is incredible, which shows that you are full of uncertainties. This kind of uncertainty cannot be controlled by ordinary brokers, and even many big-name brokers cannot control it. If the operation is not good, it may be counterproductive.”

Chen Xiao understood what Henry Thomas meant.

For a player full of "mystery" like him, he needs to operate in order to get a good draft pick.

With a good operation, it is possible to soar into the sky and reach the top ten in the draft.

If the operation is not good, it is likely to lose the election directly.

Chen Xiao agreed with Henry Thomas' judgment.

He has selling points, but more pitfalls.

Playing guard, no ball handling, no passing, no skill.

Playing small forward lacks speed, power and confrontation.

He needs an agent who can increase his selling point infinitely and at the same time cover his pitfalls.

Such an agent is hard to find. Henry Thomas has interviewed Chen Xiao a lot, and most of them are just exaggerating.

Of course, because Wade's draft competition was temporarily suspended due to the 'hacking' of the Bulls, Henry Thomas was still interviewing the agents who contacted him for Chen Xiao, so Chen Xiao was still waiting for Henry Thomas' interview results.

If there is still no suitable candidate, Chen Xiao can only complete the NBA draft journey alone.

Although you can't add points, it's better than subtracting points, right?

"Henry is right. Anyway, I don't lack teams to try out and training camps to attend."

Now it's not the trial and training camp that chooses him, but the team and training camp he chooses for trial.

Because, after Chen Xiao came to Washington DC, he received invitations from many NBA teams for trial training.

It has to be said that although the big name he achieved in the NCAA last season did not allow him to directly enter the NBA, it is still very useful.

However, most of these trial training invitations are joint trial training, and there are still few individual trial training completely prepared for him like the Wizards.

According to Henry, NBA teams generally select players, and multiple people compete for posts, so most of them are joint trials, and the best one in the trials is selected.

Trial training alone means that the Wizards have to choose him.

Of course, if the effect of this trial training is not good, the Wizards may continue to run the training camp.

In any case, he felt the importance the Wizards attached to him.

Therefore, before coming to Washington DC, Chen Xiao had a lot of expectations.

but……

After coming to Washington DC, Chen Xiao felt something different.

Logically speaking, the Wizards can't wait to send him a separate trial training invitation, it should be because they attach great importance to and welcome him, right?

But after coming to the Wizards, Chen Xiao didn't feel valued or welcomed.

After arriving at the Wizards' training facility, he didn't even meet the team's head coach.

Except for Kwame Brown and Chen Xiao, the official players of the Wizards have not seen the second one come out to greet him.

Kwame Brown is warm to him.

bang bang bang!

Aww~!

When the champion last year saw him, he saluted him with a 'wolf guard' salute.

This is a respect for him as the 'leader of the Wolf Guards'.

Well, of course, Chen Xiao also returned the gift.

Chen Xiao is very happy every time he sees a fresh 'Wolf'.

But such joy could not conceal the slight loss in his heart.

On the first day of the Wizards training camp, Chen Xiao did not meet the head coach of the team, and with the help of an assistant coach, he conducted a physical test alone.

After finishing the physical test, the assistant coach left silently with his data.

On the second day of the Wizards training camp, Chen Xiao still didn't see the team's head coach, not even the assistant coach from yesterday. This time, he was led by an ordinary Wizards coach for today's trial.

After leading him through various technical tests and training, this ordinary coach also left silently with his data.

On the third day of the Wizards training camp, Chen Xiao arrived at the Wizards' training hall on time, but at this time, the gate of the Wizards' training hall was closed...

Half an hour later, the door of the Wizards' training hall was opened by a staff member. There were no coaches or players inside. Chen Xiao practiced CIC for three hours in silence. During this period, the job who opened the door for him People have left.

At this time, on a small island in the Caribbean Sea, Michael Jordan was basking in the sun, smoking a cigar, and making phone calls across the ocean.

"Doug, how was Boy Wonder's tryout?"

"Is it not bad? Hahaha, I knew that kid was not bad."

"Hold a joint training camp after the Wonder Boy trial is over? Is this necessary?"

"OK, since this is the opinion of all of you, so be it."

After the phone call with Jordan, Wizards head coach Doug Collins breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is Wonder Boy still training?"

"Still."

After the assistant finished speaking, Doug Collins frowned.

Why don't you leave early?

How does this make me work?

Don't let Jordan hate the "arrogant" wonder boy, the Wizards will be hopeless next season!

Therefore, he hoped that after being treated coldly, Chen Xiao would be angry and 'arrogant' to leave early.

But now...

"Come on, let's go and have a look."

Surprised by his assistants, Doug Collins arrived at the Wizards' training facility.

Of course, he did not appear on the scene of the training hall, but in the control room of the training hall.

Doug Collins frowned as he watched the scrupulous shooting teenager on the surveillance video in the control room.

There was no impatience, anger, or even a little bit of resentment on the boy's face on TV.

"He has a smile on his face!"

Not only is there a smile on the face, but the eyes, even on the black and white TV, can be seen shining with curiosity.

happy?

hapiness

curious?

Not restless and angry?

Doug Collins looked incredible.

On the fourth day of the Wizards training camp, Chen Xiao arrived at the team's training hall on time again. The Wizards' training hall was still closed. It was not until an hour later that the staff responsible for opening the door for him arrived late.

"Sir, you are late again today."

The Wizards staff were surprised to see Chen Xiao, and even more surprised to see the smile on Chen Xiao's face.

Even, under the gaze of those big shining eyes, the staff of the Wizards even felt a little guilty and ashamed.

Although he is obeying orders.

Still no coaches, no players.

However, Chen Xiao, who entered the Wizards training hall, still practiced very seriously. Yesterday he practiced mid-range shots, and today he practiced three-pointers.

Chen Xiao has already raised his three-point score from 70 to 80 with two C-level potential cards.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Xiao still chose to increase his attack range.

With the three-point ability, his running position can be more flexible, and it is not so easy to be locked up.

"Is this a three-pointer from the NBA three-point line?!"

In the control room of the Wizards training facility, Doug Collins watched the jumping figure on the TV, shocked again.

Although the shooting speed is not fast, although there are no defensive players, but...

"Has he hit 50 consecutive 3-pointers from outside the NBA 3-point line?!"

"Yes, it is!"

Collins' assistant was also shocked.

Everyone knows that during the NCAA finals, Boy Wonder didn't have the three-point shooting ability, and that was the NCAA's three-point shooting ability!

But now...

"Wizards don't need his mid-range, but need his three-pointers..."

Bang bang!

51 in a row!

This is Chen Xiao's streak record, but it is still not as good as Novak's best streak of 75.

"Steve really has something. My three-point ability is 80, and it's still not as good as his open three-pointer!"

Chen Ling was a little shocked, but what Chen Ling didn't know was that there were two people who were more shocked than him not far away.

Shooting NBA three-pointers in the NBA training hall made Chen Xiao feel very happy.

Therefore, in the next two days of trial training at the Wizards Training Camp, Chen Xiao was practicing his new weapon.

Chen Xiao was very satisfied with this new weapon.

Although now whether it is the NBA or the NCAA, three-pointers are not the mainstream, and even his good friend Wade looks down on three-pointers from the bottom of his heart.

"How can Jordan fans shoot three-pointers, mid-range is the strongest!"

But Chen Xiao felt that the three-point shot was still very powerful, especially after the final against Duke University, Jay Williams' magical three-point performance shocked him.

And in the control room of the Wizards Training Center not far from Chen Ling, Doug Collins was also there these two days, and he was extremely punctual.

On the seventh and last day of the Wizards training camp, Chen Xiao arrived at the Wizards' training hall on time.

On this day, the staff who opened the door for him seemed to have 'didn't sleep late'.

"Sir, going to bed early and getting up early is good for your health. You look great today."

"..."

Is it caring or mocking?

Seeing the back of Chen Xiao walking into the training hall, the slightly ashamed expression on the faces of the Wizards staff was fleeting.

"Mr. Collins, Boy Wonder is here again..."

Chen Xiao, who came to the Wizards training hall at this time, would definitely find it incredible if he knew that the head coach of the Wizards came earlier than him.

"You said, would it be a good choice for us to use this year's first-round pick?"

Hearing what the head coach of the team next to him seemed to be talking to himself, the assistant's eyes widened.

On May 31, 2002, after finishing the Wizards' one-week individual trial training, Chen Xiao left Washington DC with a little regret, and went to her next stop, New Jersey.

Immediately after finishing the Wizards trial, Chen Xiao received a call from two friends, Ron Howard and Wade.

From the phone call, Chen Xiao knew that Ron Howard had finished the joint training camp with the Heat.

Listening to his somewhat excited voice, the result seems to be very good.

Did Luo Ge really complete his revenge on Jay Williams?

And Wade...

It seems to be still nesting at home sucking the baby.

"Chen, how was the tryout with the Wizards? With your personality, you didn't tell me interesting things about the training camp with eloquence."

There was silence on the phone.

"List?"

"Xiaotai, I don't seem to be that popular."

Listening to the voice from the phone, although the voice could not hear any sadness, but...

wow~

"Dwyane, you hug the baby!"

ah!

For a while, facing the out-of-control baby, the two new nursing parents also lost control.

Just when Wade and Theo Vaughn were in chaos, Jordan, who had come to the Pacific from the Caribbean for vacation, once again paid close attention to Chen Xiao's training with the Wizards.

"Doug, Boy Wonder's training camp is over, how is his overall performance?"

"Very good, very good? Hahahaha, I rarely hear you comment on rookies like this."

"Oh, isn't the Wizards joint training camp going to be done?"

"OK, it's up to you if I'm not here, I'll go back to the draft on time."

"Hahahaha, I really can't wait!"

Chen Xiao knew nothing about this.

On June 1, 2001, Chen Xiao came to another team that provided him with individual trial training, the New Jersey Nets.

In New Jersey, Chen Xiao met the first and only agent recommended by Henry Thomas.

"Hello, Chen, my name is Dan Fagan, and it's a pleasure to serve you."

At the same time, Chen Xiao also met the general manager of the Nets in New Jersey, Rod Thorn, who took the Nets from a poor team to the finals in just one year, and has been very popular in the United States recently. General Manager of 'God Man'.

To be honest, Chen Xiao was very surprised that such a big-name general manager personally received him.

Is this what individual trial training should look like?

"No matter what, this time, it seems to be different..."

When the Wizards met the cold, the somewhat dim eyes flickered again.

ps: The second update, after taking care of the baby and wife at 11:30 p.m., the code is finally completed, please recommend, please collect! !