One Guard

At 7:30 in the evening, there was no one in the training ground of the American Airlines Center Arena. "Administrator" Cardinal still followed the old habit and helped the staff pick up the scattered basketballs one by one. Carlisle came out of the office with a briefcase in hand, and greeted Cardinal.

Afterwards, the academic coach inspected the training ground, as if looking for something.

"Looking for Yi?" Seeing Carlisle stop, Cardinal asked casually.

"Well, he didn't stay for extra practice today?"

"That kid, if he doesn't practice for a day, he will die of pain! Here, today, this kid is in the strength training room." Cardinal pointed to a room separated by floor-to-ceiling windows on the side of the training ground. That room is the Mavericks' strength training room.

Carlisle looked in the direction of Cardinal's finger, inside, a shirtless Yiyang was sweating profusely playing with various instruments.

"It's really rare, this guy is actually doing training without the ball." Carlisle looked at it with interest. Yiyang has been with the Mavericks for so long, but he rarely takes the initiative to go to the weight room for extra training. Training with the ball often takes up most of Yiyang's extra training time.

"He heard that Westbrook scored 40 points in the last game, and he went crazy. The Oklahoma City zero is a strong impact guard, so in order to effectively contain that guy, he recently They all like to soak in the weight room." Cardinal smiled and explained the cause and effect to Carlisle.

"Rome wasn't built in a day." Of course Carlisle knew that with these few days of extra training, Yiyang's physical resistance could not be compared with Westbrook's. "But...it's better than doing nothing." The academic coach still smiled with satisfaction.

"Help me watch him, don't train too hard for strength, or it may backfire! My wife is still waiting for me to go home for dinner, and in half an hour, let him go home and rest!" Carlisle pointed to his watch , Cardinal made an "ok" gesture.

"No problem, boss!"

※※※

Yiyang was still struggling to lift the dumbbell, and sweat flowed down his muscle lines. Yiyang feels that his whole body is like being poured with metal. It is hard, but it seems that he is not very flexible.

Lifting the dumbbell again, a huge soreness slowly came from the arm. Yiyang did not hold his breath, but tried his best to breathe according to the rhythm.

At this moment, the glass door of the strength training room seemed to be pushed open by someone. A few seconds later, Cardinal's face appeared in Yiyang's field of vision.

"Look at you, wipe off your sweat." Cardinal sat across from Yiyang and threw him a towel.

"Thank you." Yiyang took the towel and wiped his already drenched body.

"You can't practice like this, boy. You'll break your own body before the game starts."

"But... if you don't do this..." Yi Yang was still panting when he spoke, he really practiced too hard today.

"Hey, go to the basketball court, let's go relax. You should feel very heavy right now."

After Cardinal finished speaking, Yiyang raised his head in surprise. This guy completely described how he felt right now.

"Let's go, anyway, I have 11 years of professional career. I can still teach you these things." The white forward with few hairs left tilted his head,

Leading Yiyang to the basketball court.

On the basketball court, Cardinal led Yiyang to do some exercises to relax his body. Of course, there are also various stretches like yoga.

"Stretching after strength training is very important, and you can usually ignore this link. But if the amount of training is too large, stretching is a must! Proper stretching can stretch the muscles and make them more elastic. It makes the muscles stiff. How about it, does it feel like your body is not as heavy as before?"

While Yiyang was training, Cardinal was instructing and explaining the purpose of doing so to Yiyang.

"Well, it's much better." Yiyang felt that the "iron" that had just been poured into his body seemed to be integrated into his blood.

Although the trainers of the Mavericks will also guide Yiyang, but under the leadership of an experienced player, Yiyang still feels a little different.

"Of course, in addition to relieving muscle pressure, muscle stretching will also prevent the accumulation of lactic acid. Tomorrow, your muscles should not feel sore or uncomfortable. So, listen to the trainers in the future. I am all from them Learned."

Stretching, relaxing, and resting, when Yiyang finished all the movements that Cardinal requested, he felt that his body was much lighter, and seemed to have returned to its usual state. This feeling is completely different from just now in the weight room.

"Bryan, you really know a lot." Yiyang worshiped Cardinal from the bottom of his heart. He didn't expect that this guy, who usually doesn't even play in garbage time, would have such experience in training.

"When your career is as long as mine, you will know more than me." Cardinal smiled happily. This white striker always seemed so easy-going and optimistic.

"Last game, Westbrook scored 40 points, how do you feel?" The two sat on the floor of the training ground to rest, and Cardinal also chatted with Yiyang.

"Westbrook's 40 points made me suddenly realize that I am not the best young man in this league at all. After defeating the Lakers and Kobe, I began to be a little complacent. But the facts tell me that I am far from the best. It's far away. So, I don't want to waste any second of my time to improve myself. Only by constantly catching up can I not fall behind."

After listening to Yiyang, Cardinal nodded thoughtfully. Yiyang, this guy, always aims to be the best. As for Cardinal himself, from high school to entering the league, he seems to have nothing to do with the best.

But this doesn't affect Cardinal's love of professional players. He may not be the best, and he may be destined to live outside the spotlight. But he is a real professional professional player. As long as the team needs it, as long as he can. Then, Cardinal will go all out and do his best!

Now, since Carlisle handed over Yiyang to himself. Then, you have to do it to the end.

"If we really meet Lei Ting, have you thought about how to deal with him?" Cardinal turned his head sideways and stared at Yiyang.

Yiyang didn't answer, although he and Westbrook were evenly divided during the regular season. But when it comes to the playoffs, previous experience can only be used as a reference, and it doesn't represent anything. How to contain Westbrook, Yiyang really has no idea.

"Come on, I'll teach you." Cardinal stood up and hooked his fingers at Yiyang.

Yiyang was stunned for a moment, but he still stood up. Afterwards, Cardinal took a basketball out of an iron frame and threw it to Yiyang.

"Let's attack, it should be easy for you to break through me." After Cardinal finished speaking, he opened his arms and laid them across in front of Yiyang.

"Are you sure? Brian." Yiyang knew how much Cardinal was. Although Yiyang respected this veteran, the fact was that Cardinal couldn't defend himself.

"Come on, although I am old, I am not useless."

"Then... I can attack."

After finishing speaking, Yiyang controlled the ball and moved towards the three-point line. Cardinal didn't panic when he saw Yiyang attacking him. Although the No. 1 guard once scored 30 points on Kobe's head!

Yiyang lowered his shoulders, and suddenly stabbed to the right of Cardinal! He believes that to pass Cardinal at his own speed, only one step is enough!

The fact is the same, Cardinal has no time to move laterally, Yiyang easily overtakes and heads towards the basket.

However, Yiyang has just stepped into the three-second zone with one foot, but he feels that he is being entangled by Cardinal again. Cardinal did not give up on defense, and still tried his best to stick to the defense, although his efforts seemed to have no effect.

Under the pressure of Cardinal, Yiyang successfully completed the layup. This time Yiyang scored easily, he didn't know what Cardinal was trying to tell him.

"Again!" However, Cardinal just threw the ball back to Yiyang, and then stretched out his arms in front of Yiyang again.

Yiyang didn't say anything, it's better to be respectful than to follow orders. He faced Cardinal again, and this time, Yiyang made a crossover with a great change of direction, and still passed Cardinal in one step.

But Cardinal still didn't give up, he bit Yiyang like a mad dog. Yiyang made a three-step layup, and Cardinal grabbed Yiyang's shorts. Although the goal was still scored, Yiyang didn't feel it was so easy.

"You fouled."

"Foul, sometimes it's a better defensive choice, come again!" Cardinal didn't talk nonsense, and he was kind on weekdays, but now he was like a strict teacher.

Over and over again, Yiyang broke through Cardinal's defense and made layups. But Yiyang felt that it was becoming more and more difficult for him to score.

He scored goals again and again, and did not knock down Cardinal's will. This old man who has lost all his hair does not have any hard power, but he can do one thing and never give up!

After that, Cardinal's defensive actions became more and more serious, and Yiyang's physical energy was also rapidly consumed.

Finally, during a layup, the frantic Cardinal cut off the basketball in Yiyang's hand. Yiyang just wanted to reach out to pick it up, but found that Cardinal flew straight up and pinned the basketball firmly under him.

"I won!" Cardinal lay on the ground panting, but smiling.

Yiyang stayed where he was, it was just training, but Cardinal worked as hard as he was in an official competition.

"If it wasn't for training, you would have given me a few dark elbows! If your opponent is Westbrook, you should defend him like this! Make that guy unable to get rid of you all the time, and let him live forever in the haze you created! He is physically stronger, so you fight harder than him! When he wants to make an easy layup, you throw him to the ground and tell him that you are not easy to mess with! Come on, come on again!"

After that, Yiyang's physical energy was consumed more and more, but Cardinal was still inseparable from Yiyang. Even if he is broken through, he will not give up, but try his best to chase back.

There were several times when Yiyang hit the basket and was even bravely fouled by Cardinal. Cardinal was bumped and fell down again and again, but he didn't complain, but got up quickly and threw the ball to Yiyang. "Come again!"

When Yiyang was bravely stopped by Cardinal again and he got another offensive foul, he seemed to understand something instantly. Yiyang stepped forward and stretched out his hand to pull Cardinal up.

Stalking at any cost? This is really a crazy way of defense!

"Come again, kid."

"Rest, Brian. And...thank you."

"The physical condition is not as good as others, so let's work hard to make up, understand?"

"I see, Brian."

After speaking, the sweaty two looked at each other and smiled.

※※※

At ten o'clock in the evening, Wen Xue finally heard the sound of the engine of Yiyang's Ford pickup echoing in the street. The mother hurried to the door to welcome her son.

The pickup truck was parked in the garage, but his son was not the only one who walked out of the garage.

"Mrs. Yi, I'm sorry to bother you so late!" Cardinal bowed to Wen Xue in a gentlemanly manner.

"Mom, this is my teammate, Mr. Brian Cardinal. Can you fry some eggs for us? We're hungry."

Seeing Yiyang bring her friend home, Wen Xue felt unspeakably happy. Ever since he came into contact with professional basketball, this kid is really different from before.

In the past, Yiyang was always alone, without many friends. but now......

"Come in and sit down, Mr. Brian. Also, don't let people stand outside!"

"Hahahaha, you are too polite, ma'am!"

The yellowed light was projected from the window onto the street, and the three of them gathered at the dinner table, talking and laughing.

It seems that Yiyang and his mother's house has not been this lively for a long time... 8)