One Guard

"You should have shown me these game videos earlier! If you had done this earlier, I guarantee that kid would be in Indianapolis by now!" Early in the morning, Brad Stevens, the coach of the Butler University Bulldogs As soon as Stan walked into the office, his chief scout, Roger Happy, rushed in excitedly.

"Damn it, Roger, you didn't sleep last night, did you?" Stevens looked at his scout, the dark circles under his eyes were more conspicuous than his beer belly.

"Sleep? God, he's got me excited! A guard who can challenge John Wall, we'll be the first to spot it. You know what man, if he and Gordon Hayward can team up, We might win an NCAA championship!" Happy sat at Stevens' desk, and from his eyes, it was clear that this guy was still in a state of extreme excitement.

For a scout, being able to spot a talented star who has never been discovered by others is almost as happy as winning the lottery.

"Don't be so quick to judge, buddy, we'll have to wait until he passes our trial training. Also, I heard that the kid's academic...doesn't seem very optimistic. If his grades are not enough to let If he enters the university, there is nothing we can do." Stevens is much calmer than Happy, and it is not an easy task for a university to recruit players into the team.

"What's the trial? I'll fly back to Long Beach tomorrow to watch his performance in the high school league for half a month and send you a report in real time. As for the results, I believe that as long as I put pressure on his mother, his mother will help us get it done Yes. That is a very educated lady, and she will definitely be willing to persuade her son's future earnestly. You know, John Wall also came here." Happy looked full of confidence, and one night In that time, his attitude towards Yiyang has undergone a 180° change.

"High school league? You know why no college has approached him yet, Happy? Because the kid we're looking for was cut from the high school basketball team a month ago. I called because he Got into a fight with a teammate during practice and broke a kid's nose. So, he's out of high school. In other words..." Stevens' expression turned serious, He stared at the scout in front of him and said word by word. "We are the only chance for him to continue playing basketball!"

Reminiscent of what happened to him in Long Beach City yesterday, Happy felt that it was not surprising that Yiyang did such a thing. He immediately walked out of Stevens' office, ready to go home and make arrangements for his wife and children.

after? After that, Happy will return to Long Beach again. Maybe the child who robbed me was not as bad as I imagined?

※※※

At noon on the weekend, the sunshine in Long Beach was very vicious. Many people will choose to go to the beach to swim at this time, or simply hide at home and not come out.

But Yiyang, still holding a basketball that looks old, came to the basketball court downstairs of the apartment. Only in this place, Yiyang's heart is happy. Only this place will make this rebellious "bad boy" full of respect.

Although Yiyang lives and studies in the United States, he is not an Asian-American, but an out-and-out Chinese.

Yiyang's father used to be a basketball player. Although he is not a star in the CBA league, he can make a living by playing basketball.

When Yiyang was eight years old, his father had to retire due to injury. This sudden blow made Yiyang's father unable to fully accept it. He wanted to leave, to leave this place that caused him so much pain.

Heartbroken, he brought his wife and Yiyang to the United States, hoping to use his savings over the past few years to start anew on American soil. However, this land is far from as beautiful as Yiyang's father imagined.

One day, Yiyang had just finished school and was going to find his father who was playing on the street basketball court and waiting for him. Just as he arrived at the gate of the court, Yiyang saw that his father seemed to have had an argument with several people on the basketball court. Afterwards, one of the black men suddenly pulled out a gun, aimed at Yiyang's father's chest and pulled the trigger.

Yiyang, who was only 8 years old, witnessed the whole process of his father being shot to death. The local police only dealt with the murder of an Asian family casually. After all, in the Wood District, it is nothing new for people of color to be shot.

That day, the basketball court was stained with blood. This place, which is always full of laughter, has become heavy since then. And Yiyang has changed from a good boy to what he is now.

He fought and made trouble not because he was naughty, but because he knew that on this land, only his own fists could protect him.

His father passed away, and his mother was too weak to do the overworked work. In less than a few years, all the savings of Yiyang's family were exhausted. Their family can only rely on their mother to support them.

This is also one of the reasons why Yiyang chooses to rob now, he doesn't want his mother to continue to work hard. He's going to be 18, and he's going to be an adult soon. He also hopes to support the family like his father. Poverty is one of the biggest reasons that drive people to commit crimes.

Yiyang shook his head and began to dribble on the basketball court. He didn't know why he was thinking about these things today, maybe he was thinking about how to become like his father as a man.

After Yiyang controlled the ball and ran around the court for a few laps, he began to practice fixed-point shooting. Although he has been removed from the high school team, he still trains himself from time to time. The habit of so many years suddenly stopped, how could it be so easy to stop.

Moreover, Yiyang doesn't regret hitting that teammate at all. Who told that fat man to say that his mother was a lowly woman, he was completely reaping the consequences.

As for the days ahead? Yiyang doesn't want to think about these things now. During the time on the basketball court, let him enjoy the few happy moments brought to him by basketball......

※※※

Yiyang, who played basketball by himself all afternoon, walked home sweating profusely. As soon as he entered the door, he saw his mother seemed to hide something behind her.

"What's in your hand? Mom." Yiyang put the basketball on the ground and walked towards his mother whose tears hadn't completely dried off.

"No...it's nothing, I'll cook for you." Yiyang's mother squeezed out a smile, and then quickly walked to the kitchen.

Yiyang spotted the note in his mother's hand, dashed forward, and snatched the note easily. For a person who can steal Wall's basketball from behind, these are simply a piece of cake for Yiyang.

He opened the note and saw that, as expected, it was the latest bill for this month. And this number has exceeded the limit that their family can bear.

"Why so many?" Yi Yang asked.

"The child you injured, I paid their family some medical expenses. It's okay, I can go to the convenience store to work as a cashier at night, we can afford it." The mother took the note from Yiyang and started Cook.

Yiyang stood there blankly. All along, he hoped to help his mother share a little pressure. He hoped that this family could be supported by himself. But looking at it now, he just made things worse for his mother.

Sure enough, is he just a child? Yiyang clenched his fists tightly. He didn't want to live like a child under the protection of his mother.

"mom."

"Huh? The meal will be ready soon. Today I have chicken curry that you like. The convenience store on the corner is having a sale, and I bought a lot of curry." Yiyang's mother's voice was still so gentle.

"I want to try it."

"I said, I don't want you to be a car mechanic."

"No, I mean, I want to try at Butler University."

The whole room suddenly fell silent.

"You want to go to college!?" Yiyang's mother poked her head out of the kitchen with a heartfelt smile on her face.

"I think that full scholarship should be quite a lot." Yiyang said as he recalled the bill just now.

※※※

Early the next morning, Happy stepped into the place where he said he would never come again the day before.

The Wood District of Long Beach is simply a melting pot of people of color. Not only is it poor, but it is also very chaotic.

But today, Happy wasn't as nervous as he was the last time he was here. As soon as he walked downstairs to the apartment building, he saw Yiyang shooting on the basketball court.

"You're here." Yiyang said coldly, greeting Happy.

"You knew I would come?" Happy smiled and stepped onto the basketball court.

"Of course you will come again, because you haven't taken away the best basketball player in Long Beach." Yiyang found that when the fat man smiled, he didn't seem so annoying.

"Is your mother at home? Where's your father?" Happy looked at the dilapidated apartment behind him, hoping that the fate of this child could be changed because of basketball.

"My dad is dead."

"Oh... sorry."

"Let's go, go up, my mother has prepared toast and milk for you." Yiyang tucked the basketball around his waist and walked ahead of Happy.

"Hey, something about Butler University..."

"I'll go to tryouts, you guys, get the scholarship ready." Before Happy could finish speaking, Yiyang took over the right to speak.

Ha Pi originally prepared a lot of arguments to persuade Yiyang, but unexpectedly, Yiyang agreed without saying anything.

Happy followed behind Yiyang, and the excitement in his heart couldn't be restrained.

Seventeen-year-old Yiyang is desperately trying to make money so that he can take his mother out of such a dim place like the Woodlands. If he doesn't want to die on the street or be imprisoned one day, he can only rely on basketball!

Happy can even see, for a child like Yiyang. A door to a new world seems to have been opened.

Years later, when Happy recalled today's experience. He never imagined that this would be the starting point of a legendary story...