Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 161 Whether it's powerful or not depends entirely on imagination

In the hotel banquet hall, a recruitment video specially produced by the Knicks was being played on the projection screen.

The world-famous lady holds a torch, overlooking the entire Hudson River.

As night fell, the Empire State Building lit up, its lights reflecting off the bustling Manhattan skyline, along with Times Square and Central Park.

New York's iconic buildings are featured in the photos.

Finally, there is the glorious history of Madison Square Garden.

When Holzmann arrived in the city, he instilled a defensive gene into the team.

The magnificent Rolls-Royce backcourt!
Facing Chamberlain, Willis Reed, limping, staged one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history.

Of course, we can't forget Patrick Ewing, the new king of New York.

The exciting scenes kept flashing by, so much so that Yao Ming, sitting next to Alan Houston, couldn't help but be mesmerized, watching intently.

Not far away, Cheney was still sitting with Redden. After watching for a while, he suddenly asked in a low voice, "Scott, you said before that you were going to send Latrell away. You weren't really serious, were you?"

"What do you say?"

Leiden mumbled something indistinctly.

He didn't say anything definitively, but to be honest, he did look down on Sprewell.

This troublemaker has done countless terrible things.

Coach Carlesimo, who was banned for a year, didn't rest. He sped and injured two people, serving three months in prison. After his release, he told everyone, "I'm going to turn over a new leaf."

Then he seemed to have really changed, helping the Knicks create the upset miracle.

The Knicks reciprocated by offering a 5-year, $6200 million contract.

As a result, right after signing the contract, this guy started causing trouble, turning the Knicks' locker room into a complete mess.

I only tolerated him because he performed well on the field.

However, if there is an opportunity to acquire suitable assets, such as a cornerstone player, then Leiden believes that would be a good option.

Moreover, his contract still has 3 years and 4000 million left, which is too much.

The Knicks don't care about money, but the owner will definitely be happy if they can save money.

Because starting this season, the league will officially begin collecting luxury tax.

Back when the league salary cap was only around 40 million, the Knicks' annual salaries of 70 to 80 million were practically a huge drain on their wallets.

Not to mention the economic benefits that Yao Ming's arrival could bring, given that New York is full of Chinese people.

Most importantly, Yao Ming is talented.

Such a big guy, so agile, and with such skill, he can't possibly be a slacker.

"Don't you think he could become a superstar center?" Renden retorted.

Cheney was frank: "He has the potential to become a superstar center."

He is still conservative.

He has potential, but who can predict the future?

"Having potential is enough. We have Tang, don't we?" Leiden gestured towards the distance.

If Tang Sen could train Brown to become a star, why couldn't he train Yao Ming to become a star?
Cheney paused, taken aback.

That's true, Tang Sen could be considered a plus.

"By the way, how did your talk with him go? Is he willing to come to New York?" Cheney asked.

He couldn't help but fantasize about how much easier things would be for him if Tang Sen came to New York.

The media had already reported it.

Half of the magic skills were trained by Tang Sen.

Rivers is having an incredibly easy time as head coach.

Some media outlets have even joked that a dog tied to the Magic's bench would be just as effective as Rivers.

“Don’t even mention it,” Leiden said, looking frustrated. “He made it clear to me that he wouldn’t join any team.”

Cheney paused, then asked, "You didn't mention salary?"

Show some of your New York sucker generosity!

Leiden picked up on the implication and rolled his eyes, saying, "Why didn't you mention it? You could have just given him a blank check and let him fill it in however he wanted, but he wasn't interested. Maybe he thinks he can earn more as a personal trainer than with the team."

Cheney grinned, guessing that Leiden's offer probably wouldn't be low.

I couldn't help but feel a little sour.

A trainer earns more than the head coach; it's outrageous!

The party is over.

Layden certainly didn't expect Yao Ming to be so moved that he would immediately bow down; he just wanted to show the Knicks' sincerity.

Meanwhile, Tang Sen, who had returned to the hotel, also pulled Yao Ming aside to review the afternoon's individual tryouts.

"The first problem is that you're a bit reserved. You need to understand that you are the main character, and everyone else on the field is just playing along with you."

Yao Ming said "Oh," as if to make a note of it.

Tang Sen continued, "Tomorrow will be different from today. Today was too short, but tomorrow it will be an hour, and there will be sparring partners and coaches."

Because Jeff Van Gundy will be commentating on the playoffs, Peter Carlesimo, who was once choked by Sprewell, will replace him and be in charge of the entire tryout.

"Yao Ming, the purpose of the tryout is indeed to fully demonstrate your abilities, but in reality, you can't be too honest with the players."

"You need to have a sense of what your strengths are and what you can showcase."

According to Tang Sen, Yao Ming has four main advantages.

His low-post hook shot demonstrates excellent footwork coordination and a particularly good feel for the shot.

This is also why Tang Sen tried to get him to practice the skyhook.

Secondly, there's his shot-blocking. During his five years in the Chinese Super League, he contributed six double-digit blocks, with a single-game high of 13 blocks.

Then he also had good support, after all, he had been double-teamed too many times.

Finally, of course, is shooting.

"Weaknesses should be hidden, but some weaknesses can be shown."

"Because people are prone to fantasy, you need to leave them some room for imagination. For example, if you occasionally shoot a three-pointer, just one, they will inevitably fantasize about whether you have the ability to shoot three-pointers and whether your shooting can cover the three-point line."

"Or you could make a turnaround jump shot. Even if it doesn't go in, as long as you perform well, they'll start to have expectations of whether you can play like Garnett."

"So don't hold back, just show off all the fancy techniques. Raising their expectations won't be a bad thing for you."

Yao Ming was a little confused.

"So, does that count as lying?"

Tang Sen shook his head: "How can it be considered a lie? In the NBA, there are many cases where teams make mistakes in their assessments. Otherwise, where would all these so-called busts come from?"

It's not trial training yet, so they only show their strengths and hide their weaknesses.

When dealing with a team management that is overly idealistic, it's easy to make a mistake.

Moreover, it's not just rookies; there are also many players who put on a crazy performance in their contract year, only to immediately go quiet after signing a big contract.

Raising expectations and trying to secure big contracts is nothing new.

"And just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you can't do it in the future," Tang Sen said with a smile.

You still have yourself, don't you?

Right now, raising team expectations and trying to get a higher draft position is the most appropriate option.

Yao Ming nodded thoughtfully; these things were somewhat overturning his worldview.

Tang Sen added, "Finally, play more aggressively. If you can dunk, don't go for layups. In the NBA, you have to learn to perform, because it's a business league, and playing attractively is also an advantage."

Otherwise, Carter's ability to be the All-Star vote leader year after year wouldn't be solely due to his handsome playing style.

"You're a smart person, you should know what to do."

Unlike Brown, Yao Ming, who is about to turn 22, is clearly more mature.

Therefore, for some things, Tang Sen only needs to say one sentence.

"Brother Sen, thank you."

Yao Ming got up to see Tang Sen off.

Tang Sen waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary.

It's a win-win situation. If Yao Ming makes a name for himself, he'll also feel proud.

Back in his room, Tang Sen didn't rush to rest, but deliberately waited until after midnight.

It's time to draw badges again.

Although there were some minor disappointments last month, overall, my luck this year has been pretty good. The "Charm" and "Tag" badges, in particular, have been especially useful.

So Tang Sen hopes to have good luck this month as well.

As soon as midnight struck, we started drawing lots.

Light and shadow flicker.

Tang Sen's eyes lit up – no air force!
But the silver light that followed left Tang Sen with a slight sense of regret.

The results came out the next moment.

[Congratulations on obtaining the Silver-level badge: Last-minute cramming]

It shouldn't have happened, but it's a solution; however, it will also have consequences.

[Before the critical moment, you can choose to activate the badge, which will grant your trainees a 40% training bonus for a short period. After the critical moment, the training effect will be reduced by 20% for the same duration.]

Tang Sen was a little surprised.

This is the first time I've encountered a badge with a debuff.

But after carefully understanding the function of the badge, Tang Sen found that it was quite useful if used properly.

For example, right now, the Magic are aiming for the championship.

Undoubtedly, it aligns with the badge's supposedly pivotal moment and can be activated.

McGrady Brown is unusable.

You used it just before the finals, and in just a few days, the effect was negligible.

If you start using it now, in a month and a half, a 40% boost is quite significant, and it will definitely be effective.

However, the ensuing two-week weakening period will affect their offseason training.

It wouldn't be a problem to use them as role players like Miller.

Anyway, they don't train with me during the offseason.

But on second thought, Tang Sen felt that it wouldn't be a problem even if Brown and McGrady used it.

If the Finals end on June 15th, Brown and his team should at least have two weeks to rest.

This will then affect July.

Now that I have more badges and my title level has increased, a 20% nerf isn't actually that scary.

But if, at the last moment, they seize the opportunity to hone their signature move and win the championship, then this loss is nothing.

Most importantly, this is a badge that works on a group basis.

For that reason alone, it is a good badge.

……

The joint training was held at the training facility of Royella University in Chicago.

Semi-public.

There were a lot of people at the scene; there were seventy or eighty general managers, scouting directors, and head coaches from just the 29 teams.

There were still hundreds of reporters present, their cameras and microphones practically filling the entire area.

A large number of students from the school gathered outside the venue to watch the spectacle.

When Tang Sen followed Yao Ming into the arena, he could clearly feel the intense gaze directed at him.

More than two hundred people, all eyes are on you, that's quite a show of force.

Tang Sen glanced over and saw a large number of familiar faces.

Stu Jackson, Vice President of the League.

Pat Riley, the mastermind behind the Wizards; Unseld and Roy Higgins of the Wizards; Jerry Krause of the Bulls; Nate McMillan of the SuperSonics…

And then there's Jerry West, the man behind the logo, who has confirmed he's joining the Grizzlies and will officially become their general manager.

Townsend even saw his mentor Kruger, who was sitting with Hawks general manager Pete Babcock.

Upon seeing Tang Sen enter, he immediately nodded to Tang Sen from a distance.

"Don't be nervous, remember you're the main character."

Tang Sen patted Yao Ming on the back, and after he greeted the league officials, he took him to the sidelines to warm up.

There was some commotion among the reporters.

"This seems to be the first time Tang has publicly led the players in a warm-up," a reporter muttered.

The surrounding reporters nodded in agreement.

"According to the Magic players, Tang's warm-up is different from other trainers, and the warm-up is very effective."

"It's not just good, it's exceptionally good. I remember what PJ Brown said, that after warming up, it felt like I had just taken a sauna, incredibly comfortable."

As the reporters spoke, their eyes began to light up.

Top trainers reveal their warm-up routines!
Not only the reporters, but all the professionals present remained silent, watching intently.

Some cunning individuals have already pulled out their notebooks and started taking notes on Tang Sen's warm-up exercises.

Pete Babcock nudged Kruger beside him and asked if he wanted to ask the reporter for a copy of the video footage after the event.

Kruger instinctively wanted to say no.

Given my relationship with Tang Sen, getting a training plan would be a piece of cake.

Moreover, he knew that experience was crucial in training; the same training could yield different results depending on the trainer.

But he changed his mind before he could say it, nodding and saying, "I can have one."

This should be considered Tang Sen's exclusive secret technique.

And as he watched, Kruger really noticed that, in terms of warm-up alone, Townsend and the team's trainers were quite different.

It's very detailed, with many complex projects, including both static and dynamic ones.

Then, contrary to common sense, the intensity was increased to a considerable level.

"To be honest, he's really tall," Babcock remarked, looking at Yao Ming.

At 7 feet 5 inches, and with shoes on, he'd be 7 feet 6 inches tall; it's really visually striking.

When Yao Ming finished warming up and stepped onto the court, running alongside the Royella University players, the impact was even stronger.

"Look!" Babcock's tone had become urgent.

Kruger didn't speak, he just watched silently, his eyes shining.

Yao Ming can run, and he's not slow.

I'm not praising him, he really is fast.

During the shuttle run, he can nimbly stop and turn suddenly.

Royella University's starting center is Chris Fordson, who is also 2.18 meters tall.

But compared to the taller Yao Ming, he appeared more clumsy and lacked coordination when running.

For someone of that size, coordination is extremely important.

Kruger murmured, "It's really rare for someone his height to have such agility."

What's rare is talent.

This feeling intensified as Yao Ming and his sparring partners began running some basic tactics.

Especially after Yao Ming set a screen and then rolled to the basket, dribbling and slamming the ball down with one hand, Kruger's eyes lit up.

Exclamations of surprise erupted from the stands behind them.

"He might be able to attack with the ball!" Babcock whispered excitedly.

He couldn't help but start fantasizing about Yao Ming playing like Nowitzki.

Yao Ming demonstrated this move.

After the presentation, he heard gasps from the stands and then remembered Tang Sen's instructions.

He began to understand what Tang Sen meant.

Like a woman half-concealing her face while playing the pipa, her strength or weakness is entirely up to imagination.

Thinking of this, Yao Ming, who was practicing shooting, silently took two steps back to the three-point line and then reached out for the ball.

The ball arrived, and after a quick aim, Yao Ming released it.

With a whoosh, it went into the net hollow.

In the Chinese Super League (CSL), he actually did shoot three-pointers. In his last season, he averaged one three-point attempt per game, with a 40% success rate.

As expected, there was another gasp from the stands.

(End of this chapter)