One Guard

After the crazy parade celebrations that day, the Dallas Mavericks were disbanded on the spot, and the players officially started their long vacation.

This long holiday is not a decoration, but this year's holiday is likely to be really long. When the Mavericks players were still celebrating wildly in Dallas, in New York, the players union and the league were conducting a new round of labor negotiations.

Judging from the news in recent days, the negotiations are not going well. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement in the end, then the league is likely to experience the fifth major shutdown in history. No one knows when the new NBA season will come after the lockout.

The last NBA lockout occurred in 1998. The lockout lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999. This also led to each team playing only 50 games in the 1998-1999 season. God knows this year, will the shutdown be longer?

So this holiday is likely to be longer than everyone expected. But as far as Yiyang is concerned, he doesn't worry much about it. He believed that Bill Duffy, the ace manager, would not let himself fall into a situation where there was nothing he could do. As long as you prepare yourself well, the new season will definitely start.

At present, what Yiyang needs to consider is not whether the league will be suspended, but whether he wants to join the Chinese national team.

This year's Men's Basketball Asian Championship will be held in Wuhan, China. As the host, China naturally attaches great importance to this event. What's more, the results of this year's Asian Championships will directly affect whether the Chinese team can get tickets for the 2012 London Olympics. In addition to the last Asian Championships, the Chinese team shamefully lost the championship, creating the most humiliating defeat in 34 years of participation

, So now, they also urgently need to win the championship to consolidate their position as the hegemon in Asia.

Therefore, the Chinese Basketball Association naturally hopes that Yiyang will join. The joining of an NBA All-Star player will definitely improve the strength of the Chinese team by more than one level. But they did not contact Yiyang directly, but sent Yao Ming to persuade Yiyang. If the Basketball Association contacts Yiyang directly, the outside world will definitely spread the news that the Basketball Association is forcing the players.

According to the agreement with Bill Duffy, Yiyang should give him an answer today after the championship parade. But when Bill Duffy talked with Yiyang on the phone, Yiyang's answer was still: "I don't know".

"Have you not decided yet? The Asian Championships will start on September 15th, and the Chinese team may start training camp in August, and the registration of all players for the Asian Championships will be completed in July. If you can't get If it’s right, I can come here in person to discuss it with you and listen to your thoughts.” Duffy didn’t blame Yiyang, he knew that for a Chinese who was used to living in the United States, he always said that he should do this. The decision is not easy.

after all,

Yiyang did not only receive an invitation from the Chinese team. International strong teams such as the Canadian men's basketball team and the Spanish men's basketball team all have the willingness to naturalize Yiyang. Compared with these other teams, the Chinese team really has no advantage. But how easy is it to get a guy with yellow skin and black hair to play for another country?

"Is that okay? Mr. Duffy isn't busy recently, is he?"

"Of course it's no problem. I'll be in Dallas tomorrow afternoon. Don't think too much, just relax. It's a big deal, let's not go." Duffy didn't put too much pressure on Yiyang, after all, the NBA is a professional player. main battlefield.

After hanging up the phone, Yiyang took a deep breath. What should I do? National team, national team...

Yiyang walked into the living room and found that Wen Xue was putting the photo of herself holding the O'Brien cup next to the photo of her father on the bookshelf.

"Look, our son is promising! NBA championship, this honor, you never dared to dream about before." Wen Xue put the photo frame and smiled at the father and son in the photo. It would be great if the father and son could really embrace each other now...

"Mom." Seeing that Wen Xue was fascinated by the photos, Yi Yang couldn't help shouting from behind.

Wen Xue turned around, her face was no longer as pale as when she was in Wood District, and her blood color looked much better. However, this woman is still thin, and the fatigue and torture she suffered before cannot be made up for in just one year.

"If your dad can see today, he must be very proud!" Wen Xue's eyes were a little rosy, but she was still smiling. After so many years, Wen Xue also knows how to control her emotions.

"Okay mom, daddy will be proud of me in heaven." Yiyang hugged his mother into his arms, even for Vignelli, Yiyang has never been so gentle.

"You know? Although we live better now. But what I miss the most is the time living in China. Watching your father play on the court, watching you thrive...It's just that after arriving in the United States, Everything has changed." Wen Xue stopped abruptly in the middle of speaking. Yiyang just won the championship these few days, everyone is obviously very happy, she doesn't want to spoil the happy atmosphere.

"It's okay, mom, from now on, our life will be better."

"Well, our life is already pretty good." Wen Xue nodded, deciding not to think about the past. People should always look forward.

"Do you want to go back to China?" Yiyang let go of Wenxue, grabbed the young mother's shoulders, and asked seriously.

In the past, they did not have this time, nor did they have this financial strength. Both mother and father passed away early, and Yiyang's family has no important relatives in China, so there was no need for them to go back in the past.

But now, they have money and time. If Wenxue wanted to, Yiyang would be very willing to take her back to have a look.

Wen Xue stared at Yiyang. Since Yiyang was in high school, this was the first time they discussed whether to return to China. In the past, Wen Xue thought about taking Yiyang back, but over time, this plan was finally shelved. After many years, it was Yiyang who wanted to take Wenxue back.

"Things about the national team..."

"Don't worry about that, Mom. Even if I don't join the national team, I'd like to accompany you to China." Yiyang knew that his mother didn't want to bother him. This woman is like this, always dedicating only to herself, but never asking for anything in return.

"No, no, you are very busy during the offseason. What are you going to do when you go back? We are fine in the United States, hehe." Wen Xue smiled and forcibly ended the topic.

Wen Xue left the bookshelf, while Yi Yang looked at it with an old photo frame. This photo is Wen Xue's only surviving photo of her husband playing on the court. The man in the photo is laying up and looks powerful.

Yiyang now plays for money and honor. But in the era when Yiyang's father played, the income of a professional basketball player was almost the same as that of an ordinary worker. And the team where the father is, it seems that there is no possibility of winning the championship. Not for money or for honor, what is it for?

"mom."

"Huh?" Wen Xue, who was preparing for good afternoon in the kitchen, responded.

"Dad...why did he choose to play professional basketball back then."

"Why? I hope that one day I can enter the national team and play for the country." Wen Xue answered casually, not caring. Now if a player says he plays basketball to play for his country, people will just call him fake. But the professional players at that time and the professional players now have completely different pursuits. "It's a pity that your father's dream has never been realized."

Yiyang listened to it, and gently put the photo frame back to its original place. Father's dream? It seems that I want to see it myself.

※※※

In the afternoon of the second day, Bill Duffy paid a visit on time. Wen Xue has already prepared afternoon tea snacks for Duffy, and Duffy salutes Wen Xue embarrassedly. "Madam, you are very kind."

Duffy and Yiyang sat in the living room, while Wen Xue went to the yard to water the flowers and trim the grass by herself. She didn't want to disturb the conversation between the two men, some things had to be left to Yiyang to make his own decisions.

"How are you thinking?" Duffy didn't beat around the bush, and went straight to the point.

"What's your suggestion?"

"My suggestion is that I hope you play this Asian Championship. First, joining the Chinese national team to play in the Asian Championship is actually nothing for you to lose. Believe me, as long as you are willing, the Basketball Association will definitely go all the way. Give you the green light, even if you don’t go to the training camp until the end of August or even the beginning of September, there is no problem at all. The Chinese Basketball Association is no longer what it used to be. They are very supportive of players going abroad to play, and players who play in the NBA also enjoy privileges. And the Asian Championships The competition schedule is not long, only ten days, and it will end soon. Second." Duffy said, stretching out two fingers.

"Joining the Chinese national team to play in the Asian Championships will help you completely open up the Chinese market. Chinese people have a strong sense of national belonging. If you join the national team, Chinese fans will definitely worship you even more. From a commercial point of view , This is also a very good choice. Third, personal honor. I believe that as long as you go, it will not be a problem for the Chinese team to win the Asian Championship. Generally speaking, joining the Chinese national team is not a bad thing. If you want to win the Olympic champion or the World Championship champion, it doesn’t mean much to you personally to be naturalized into another national team to get this honor. After all, these things are more related to national honors than individuals Honor. Joining these awards from other countries does not have a high gold content. Of course, the choice is in your hands. I still said that, big deal, we are not going anywhere."

After Duffy finished speaking in one breath, he tasted a small biscuit baked by Wen Xue himself. I have to admit that Madam's craftsmanship is really good.

Mother's desire to go back and see, father's unfulfilled long-cherished wish, Chinese market, personal honor...

Yiyang's head was spinning wildly, he didn't know what his decision would mean in the end. But at least for now, he's doing it.

"Call Yao Ming, Mr. Duffy, I'll join!" Yiyang smiled slightly, China, I really have some expectations...