Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 154 The Boys of Akron

Tang Sen walked over and asked about the situation in detail.

This guy was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 82, and later moved to Brooklyn, New York, which is not a good place.

But this kid has amazing talent.

He grew to 1.93 meters tall at the age of 14, and was even more formidable than Stoudemire and McGrady. He didn't start receiving systematic basketball training until he was 16.

He is not yet 20 years old.

In other words, all told, he played basketball for less than four years.

In the summer of 2000, after playing basketball for only two years, he had already swept the scoring and rebounding titles at the ABCD training camp.

At Rucker Park, he could even compete with NBA stars like Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen, averaging 23 points per game.

He has become famous in New York and has been called the most talented high school student in New York by the media.

As a result, last year they ran into that kid from Akron.

LeBron James.

Even Tang Sen had heard of this name.

So last year, in front of Kobe Bryant, a coach at the training camp, Lenny Cook got completely dominated by LeBron James.

But that's okay, he's still one of the top high school students in the country.

"Tang, how's it going? His adoptive parents think you're amazing, and they're willing to invest in Lanny. You have no idea how many agents are coming to him; they're practically wearing down his doorstep."

"There are many universities waving scholarship checks to him, but it doesn't matter, Tang, you are the real deal."

In Connors' view, what college coaches and independent agents promised was far less attractive than the prestigious Townsend brand.

No high school student who could run for office wanted to become the next Kwame Brown.

"Ryan, forget about New York, I don't have time to go right now."

“You can negotiate it yourself. Like you said, if he’s willing to pay $100,000 a month, then let him come directly to Orlando, and I’ll take over his training.”

With half of the magicians training, Tang Sen was incredibly busy.

Therefore, Tang Sen has no shortage of students.

Also, forget about geniuses; everyone who makes it to the NBA is a genius.

Among the players who participated in the draft, he personally recruited Yao Ming and Stoudemire.

One reason is his Chinese identity.

The latter is largely because it's close by; it's a local Orlando.

Does he expect me to make a special trip to New York to recruit students?

It is simply contrary to Tiangang.

If you're going to come, come to Orlando yourself.

Moreover, Tang Sen wouldn't even be interested in talking to them if he wasn't willing to pay $100,000 a month.

Connors didn't give up and pleaded, "Don, I know you're busy and it's affected your plans. I'm sorry, but this opportunity is too important to me."

This year's draft has many talented high school students who are eligible to participate.

But in Connors' view, aside from Stoudemire, who has the advantage of proximity, he should sign the best of the remaining players.

If Kwame Brown and Lenny Cook both become superstars, then I, holding these two trump cards, will have truly made a name for myself in the agent's business.

"Tang, we're good friends. This is the last time, please help me. Just one day. I'll make all the arrangements in New York. You just need to show up and check out that kid, that'll be enough."

Tang Sen thought about the Magic's schedule.

"Then let's go with the 14th."

Since Connors has already put it this way, as a friend, I should give him face.

I'm going to New York on the 14th, the Magic have a game on the 15th, and I also happen to be going to China.

I can fly directly from New York to China. The Magic have an away game on the 17th, so it won't interfere with my return to Orlando on the 18th.

"Tang, thank you."

Connors quickly thanked him and said he would arrange everything and wait for him to go to New York.

hang up the phone.

Wesley and his friends had already started playing in the water, while Brown was still training methodically.

It's still unstable, constantly collapsing.

He didn't care and got up to continue.

This attitude pleased Tang Sen. He always said that Brown relied on himself, but his success was truly inseparable from his hard work and diligence.

14 number.

Tang Sen took an early morning flight. By the time he arrived in New York, it was almost noon.

Connors picked up Tang Sen at the airport.

He was very excited on the way, saying that Lenny Cook had just fired his agent and that it was perfect timing for him to take over.

"Fire the agent?"

Tang Sen felt a bit embarrassed and asked Connors if he wasn't afraid Connors would fire him later.

Connors, however, was brimming with confidence: "Don, not all agents are the same."

Tang Sen chuckled inwardly, wondering if this guy had forgotten that he himself had once worked as a lowly agent.

The time is set for the afternoon.

Connors had everything arranged. He found a basketball arena and had Townsend give Cook some pointers.

"In my opinion, this is completely unnecessary; your involvement is sufficient," Connors scoffed.

A person's name is like a tree's shadow; Tang Sen is a golden brand, and he doesn't need to personally guide Cook at all.

“But it was at the insistence of his adoptive parents,” Connors added.

Cook's affairs are currently being handled by his adoptive parents.

In Connors' words, although his adoptive parents adopted and supported Cook, they were also shrewd people who were making an investment.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be a wealthy person who owns a private jet.

The agreed time was 2 PM.

After a short rest at the hotel, Tang Sen set off with Connors at 1:30 p.m.

As they passed through the hotel lobby, before they even stepped out, two people blocked their way.

They are two Black brothers.

I've never met Tang Sen.

However, they recognized me and greeted me as soon as they came up, calling out my name and then smiling as they took out their business cards.

Connors's expression changed slightly, and he pulled Tang Sen away.

He knew those two people.

The Goodwin brothers.

Agents for players such as Payton and Webber.

While he may not be as prominent as Arne Tellem or Sonny Vaccaro in the agent industry, he has been working in the field for many years and is a well-known agent.

They are at least much better than me.

"Tang, I've known of your name for a long time, and I came here specifically to see you." Aaron Goodwin also ignored Connors and followed him out, warmly complimenting Tang Sen.

As he spoke, he waved to the distance and called out, "LeBron, come here quickly."

Tang Sen then noticed.

Right next to the hotel entrance in the rest area, there stood a tall boy in a tracksuit with a backpack slung across his shoulder. He was gripping the backpack strap and staring intently at me.

Stop.

Tang Sen remembered.

LeBron James, the genius from Akron.

It seems like it was last month, I forget the exact date, but anyway, after the All-Star Game, this kid met with Jordan and then appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

He is said to be the first high school student to appear on a magazine cover in many years.

In the photo, he is stretching out his big hand towards the camera, his mouth open in an "O" shape, with an exaggerated expression.

The title is "the chosen one".

The Chosen One?
They certainly have a big mouth.

"Hello, sir."

James immediately stepped forward, his face still showing signs of youthful innocence, and hurriedly bowed to greet him.

They were quite polite, though.

Tang Sen prefers polite children.

Tang Sen asked curiously, "How did you know I was in New York?"

I glanced at Connors.

Only Connors knew that I had come to New York.

But Connors's extremely wary expression clearly wasn't something he said.

Before Aaron Goodwin could answer, Connors frowned and said, "Did Bill tell you we came to New York?"

He cursed silently.

When the Goodwin brothers first started out, they learned the business of being an agent under Bill Duffy and became very familiar with it.

Aaron Goodwin smiled, tacitly agreeing, and then said, "Tang, actually I've known for a long time, because of that big guy in China, you and Bill have a partnership."

"Besides, I was originally planning to go to Orlando to see you, but then I heard that you had come to New York, so I came over."

As for why they were in New York, it was related to James.

Just last week, LeBron James' senior year basketball season ended.

Unfortunately, his team did not achieve a three-peat.

Although James still has to go to school after the season is over, he is already famous and can't stay idle. Countless media outlets are lining up to interview him.

His trip to New York was specifically for an exclusive interview with The New York Times.

Tang Sen glanced sideways. A New York Times interview?

That kid truly achieved fame at a young age.

The first time I was featured in the New York Times, I was called a fraudulent trainer by them.

"Don, even though LeBron can't participate in the draft this year, I think he needs to prepare for the NBA a year in advance, and that's his own idea too," Aaron Goodwin said.

James nodded hastily.

Aaron Goodwin continued, "And you are the best trainer in the league. You trained Kwame, a genius, so I think if you were to train LeBron, he would definitely become the best basketball player on the planet."

Hey!
Tang Sen glanced sideways.

The best basketball player on the planet?
That's quite a boast.

But it must be said, this kid is clearly the kind of person with extraordinary talent.

He's 17 years old, and he's already grown to two meters tall.

He looked a bit thin, but his upper and lower body were well-proportioned, and his arms were surprisingly long.

And the shoulders look very broad.

Just as I was about to speak, the waiter drove the car over.

Connors tugged at Tang Sen, indicating that they were still waiting over there.

"Let's talk about it later."

Tang Sen waved his hand and got into the car.

They knew why the two brothers had come.

But we're not familiar with each other.

Moreover, Tang Sen was too busy and didn't want to spend too much energy on the rookies.

With Yao Ming, Stoudemire, and Lenny Cook, that makes three players, which is already a lot.

Even if it comes to summer, Tang Sen's plan is still to recruit star players.

My energy is really limited.

Besides, this kid can only participate in the talent show next year, so why is he getting involved this year?

Aaron Goodwin hasn't given up yet.

He chased after the car somewhat awkwardly, gesturing and begging Tang Sen to call him.

They finally managed to slip a business card through the crack in the window before they stopped.

Looking in the rearview mirror, Tang Sen saw James standing still, still gazing in his direction from afar.

"Don't pay any attention to him, he's not LeBron's agent yet," Connors said indignantly from the side.

He's even planning to use Tang Sen's connections to try and become James's agent next year.

That's good, Goodwin had already planned to find Tang Sen.

Tang Sen did not respond.

As I said before, my energy is limited.

Outside the hotel, Aaron Goodwin was already cursing angrily.

They insulted Connors.

"What a lucky clown!"

In Aaron Goodwin's view, Connors was just lucky to have met Townsend.

Thanks to Townsend, Brown had such a brilliant rookie season, which made him famous and established his reputation.

And now they're guarding against themselves like thieves, it's awful.

“Aaron, what do we do now?” his brother Eric asked from the side.

They discovered the exceptionally talented LeBron James back in 99, and then spent a lot of effort building a good relationship with James' family, inviting them to meals, and helping James' stepfather resolve issues.

It's fair to say that they both put a lot of effort into developing James.

So they promised James that this summer, they would hire Townsend to train James and make him stronger.

It would be ridiculous if I didn't keep my promise.

Aaron Goodwin snorted and said, "We'll go straight to Orlando later."

As he spoke, he glanced at the silent James and said, "LeBron, believe me, training with him is the right thing to do. He will unleash your full potential and make you a superstar."

James nodded, looking dejectedly in the direction the car had gone.

Meanwhile, Tang Sen and his companion quickly arrived at the basketball court.

Why are there reporters here?

As soon as Tang Sen entered the stadium, he saw reporters carrying long lenses and microphones on the sidelines.

Connors's expression changed, and he gestured for Tang Sen to calm down while he went to find out what was going on.

Before they even got up there, the reporters had already spotted the two of them.

Then they surged over all at once.

"Tang, you came all the way to New York because you think Lenny Cook has the potential to become the next Kwame Brown?"

What do you think of Lanny's talent?

In an instant, a barrage of questions came at me.

Tang Sen quickly glanced at the origins of the group of reporters.

It's not a small media outlet yet.

ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report—these are all major media outlets.

Connors pushed his way through the crowd to meet Cook's adoptive parents, Debbie and Bernard, and asked what was going on with the reporters.

Tang Sen is experienced in dealing with reporters.

"No comment!"

Tang Sen waved his hand and squeezed through the crowd of reporters.

Unlike a player, I don't need to feign politeness with a bunch of reporters.

Connors already knew the reason. He pulled Tang Sen aside, cursed a few times, and then apologized to Tang Sen.

"guessed."

Tang Sen glanced at the Bonat couple.

Connors said they specifically invited reporters to interview them.

As for the reason, it's easy to guess.

This is probably to create momentum for Cook.

After losing to LeBron James last year, this kid's draft stock has been declining.

Then he was a terrible student, and it took him almost six years to finish high school. This year, because his grades didn't meet the requirements and he was over the age limit, he didn't meet the New Jersey regulations and only played eight games this season.

His adoptive parents then arranged for him to attend an adult high school in Michigan, where he managed to obtain a high school diploma.

Some media outlets have already begun criticizing him for not training hard enough and for not being mature enough.

These are all negative impacts on the draft.

In this situation, publicly stating that Cook hired him as a trainer, and that he has turned over a new leaf, should be able to salvage some of his image.

"So what do we say now, shall we leave?" Tang Sen asked.

I only came here because of Connors's influence.

But it's clear that they're taking advantage of him and Connors.

No wonder they're willing to pay $100,000 a month.

Connors gritted his teeth and said, "Don, let's wait a little longer. This kid really is a genius."

He still hasn't given up.

Tang Sen nodded. He would just wait. He didn't care.

Whether he's here or not, it won't make any difference to me.

When the appointed time arrived, Cook still hadn't shown up.

"Sorry, I've already called him. He said there's traffic on the way, but he'll be there soon," Bonat said, apologizing repeatedly.

They said he'd be there soon, but we waited until after 2:40 before he finally showed up.

He was also holding a child.

That's right, at only 19 years old, he already has a 2-year-old son.

Reporters who had been waiting flocked to the scene.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." Connors apologized repeatedly, while also letting out a sigh of relief; at least they'd arrived.

Tang Sen shook his head to indicate that he was fine, and sized up the young man.

In terms of physique alone, he seems to have some natural talent.

He is 1.98 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.1 meters.

According to Connors, it is incredibly fast and powerful, and its suddenness is unbelievable.

He carried the child and walked past the reporters.

She combed her hairline and wore a flashy shirt. Only when she came up to Tang Sen did she take off her sunglasses, put them in her son's hand, and look Tang Sen up and down.

Bonat nudged him from behind, urging him to say hello quickly.

He then lazily stretched out his hand and said, "Are you that trainer? I don't think you're as good as they say. And $100,000 a month? You're too expensive."

Connors was stunned.

The Bonnets were also stunned.

The group of reporters who followed were all stunned.

Tang Sen himself was stunned, looking at this guy in surprise.

Kid, do you want to think this through before you speak?

(End of this chapter)