Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 165 The Dark Side
Inside the arena.

Yao Ming took a low-post probing step, pulled back, and turned to hook the ball.

With a clang, the basketball missed its target again.

"stop!"

Tang Sen walked over directly and stopped Yao Ming's training.

"Yao Ming, if you don't want to practice, just go home and lie down. There's no need to waste your time here." Tang Sen's tone was unusually stern.

Not far away, Sasser was doing short-distance sprints with resistance bands attached to him.

Even Stoudemire, who was holding a basketball and standing upright, stopped and turned to look.

Yao Ming was startled and quickly said, "Brother Sen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean I didn't want to practice."

"Then what are you doing?"

Tang Sen asked back.

If you do 20 hook shots in a training session and miss them all, what's the point of wasting time here?

"I know today is the lottery ceremony, which will determine who will draw the top scholar's lot."

Tang Sen noticed during the morning training session that Yao Ming seemed a bit distracted.

It's obvious that they're being influenced by the lottery ceremony that's going to be held this evening; they're overthinking it, feeling anxious and unsure which team will get the top pick.

"But is that something you can decide?" Tang Sen continued to ask, "With your abilities, it's not even certain whether you can become the top scholar."

They're talking about top candidates; what if they don't choose you?

"If you have time to worry about this, then go back and worry about it to your heart's content. When you've cleared your mind of it, then come back to training."

It's understandable to worry about the lottery results, since it will affect one's future.

But since we're here to train, let's focus and train hard.

Otherwise, you might as well stay at home.

And like I said, is thinking about this useful?
You can't control the outcome either.

The only thing you can control is yourself. Train hard and become the top scorer.

Then, hone your skills and become a star player, helping your team win, no matter which team you join.

Having had little contact with him before, Tang Sen only thought Yao Ming was very smart.

Having gotten to know Yao Ming better, Tang Sen discovered that Yao Ming is quite thoughtful and always gives the impression of carrying a heavy burden.

"And you!"

Yao Ming's English is still poor, and he was afraid that if he spoke too fast, Yao Ming wouldn't understand him, so Tang Sen deliberately spoke in Chinese.

Stoudemire couldn't understand, but he listened intently with a curious expression.

He was startled when his name was called out.

Tang Sen glared at him: "At least other people can worry about who gets the number one pick and which team they'll go to. What about you? You don't even have the chance to worry about that. You should be training properly."

Those words were a bit harsh, and Stoudemire shrank back, immediately straightening his posture.

Surprisingly, Tang Sen also received a system notification.

[The Truth] This badge actually worked on Stoudemire.

Tang Sen shook his head inwardly. Seeing Yao Ming fall silent, he shouted, "Are you still going to practice or not? If not, go home."

Yao Ming realized what was happening and quickly picked up the ball to start practicing.

Still in the same position, low back, sway left and right, then turn to the left and jump to hook your hand.

There was a clang, but it still didn't go in.

It was too short and hit the rim.

Tang Sen watched silently from the side.

This time it wasn't that he was distracted or absent-minded; it's just that this is his current level.

Out of 10 attempts, you might only score once or twice.

There are many reasons.

But to sum it up, there's really only one problem: the skyhook is too difficult to master.

In the heat of the game, you jump off one foot, then hold the basketball in one hand, making a shooting motion.

In Tang Sen's eyes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook, which had a range covering mid-range, was essentially a type of shot.

It was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who, by combining his own characteristics with the defensive environment he faced on the court, developed a special shooting style through hard work.

If we refer to shooting practice...

Whether the feel is soft or whether the hand can wrap around the ball well is another matter.

First, your shooting form must be standard and stable enough.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's shooting form is characterized by raising his arms high, which involves three 90-degree angles.

But the biggest difference is that the Skyhook is an arm.

Without a supporting hand, you can't be as stable as when shooting with both hands during the upward movement.

An unstable posture makes it difficult to throw accurately.

Even if you manage to lift it up successfully, without a supporting hand to hold the ball, it's difficult to maintain its stability when holding it with one hand.

Brown didn't get the job, as Tang Sen analyzed afterwards.

Having a stiff wrist is one aspect.

Brown's shooting is a solid, hard-hitting mid-range shot.

A larger part of the reason is that Brown's hands are too small.

If you have small hands, you can't hold a basketball properly.

Based on Tang Sen's experience, if you want to practice skyhook, you first need to have a pair of big hands like McGrady and Jordan, which can catch the ball with ease with one hand.

Given Yao Ming's physique, his hands are relatively small, with a hand length of only about 25 cm.

But he can catch a basketball with one hand.

This is the foundation, and it's also why Tang Sen kept making Yao Ming practice even though he couldn't make the shots.

He has a solid foundation built through practice.

With this in mind, Tang Sen had some ideas.

So they decided to try having Yao Ming practice like he was shooting hoops.

If that's the approach, then improving the core is very important.

Only when the core is stable can the upper body posture be stable.

Then Tang Sen also wanted to change the labels attached to Yao Ming.

Forget about the "hook shot master," switch to a shooting style.

For example, the "High Difficulty Shooting King".

The skyhook is definitely a difficult shot.

There's still this distance.

Let's just put it further away.

Now, Tang Sen is having Yao Ming practice at a distance of about 5 feet, around the basket.

Then why not just take a mid-range shot, placing it above 10 feet?

Tang Sen pulled out the system and adjusted it according to Yao Ming's existing training plan.

Increase core training, and the distance of the skyhook will also increase.

Then, an 18-day simulation was conducted.

To be fair, the final feedback on the hit rate of the Skyhook did show an improvement.

In previous training sessions, my shooting percentage fluctuated around 18%.

It has now been mentioned that it is 21 percent.

There is a 3-point improvement.

That means the general direction is correct.

Focusing on core training is also beneficial for developing the Dream Footwork.

With the general direction in mind, the next step is to gradually adjust and seek the optimal outcome.

If the goal is to improve upper limb stability, then you should increase upper limb training, especially shoulder training.

We should not neglect the lower body, such as the explosive power of the lower limbs.

Especially the dynamic rotational take-off.

Training time is fixed, and the intensity can only fluctuate within a limited range. Each type of training will affect the results, so you can only try it again and again based on experience and adjust it gradually.

It's a meticulous and troublesome task.

But once you find the general direction, you can gradually figure it out by trying different things out.

Training ended at 5 p.m.

Yao Ming silently packed his backpack. When he looked up, he found Tang Sen standing in front of him with Stoudemire and Sasser.

"What are you daydreaming about? Come on, let's go to your place and watch the live stream," Tang Sen said with a smile.

Yao Ming was taken aback; this was the first time he had ever seen Tang Sen lose his temper during the training session.

But judging from Tang Sen's expression right now, he seems to be completely unaffected.

Tang Sen patted him and said, "Training is training. I'm the trainer. If I'm not strict, it would be irresponsible of me to you. But outside of training, we'll continue as usual. It won't affect anything."

"Besides, you're curious about who will draw the top scholar's lot, aren't we curious too?"

These days, the media is buzzing with all sorts of analyses and predictions.

Even the Sentinel newspaper had the outlandish idea of ​​trading a few role players for the number one draft pick.

"Yao, I think it's either the Bulls or the Grizzlies," Sasser said earnestly.

Tang Sen wanted to roll his eyes at him.

Like the Grizzlies, the Bulls have a 22.5% probability, meaning it's either the Bulls or the Grizzlies.

Yao Ming came to his senses and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been reprimanded before, but he didn't take it to heart at all.

It's normal for players to get scolded by coaches during training.

He was worried that Tang Sen might harbor resentment, thinking he hadn't trained properly. "Actually, going to the Bulls would be pretty good too," Yao Ming said as he walked out with the others.

That was a bull, a great bull.

"Probably not." Tang Sen curled his lip and said, "Honestly, I don't think the Bulls would necessarily pick you even if they got the number one pick."

"They have Chandler and Curry, both high school prodigies from last year, especially Chandler, whom they acquired in exchange for the number one draft pick, Brand. Are they just going to bench him and not develop him?"

The Bulls have no shortage of centers.

It's not that if you get the number one pick, you have to choose the most talented player; you also have to consider the team's needs.

“Then the Grizzlies,” Sasser said immediately, then added with envy, “As long as the Bulls don’t get the number one pick, Yao, you’ll definitely be the number one pick.”

Aside from the Bulls, who wouldn't want a center?

Yao Ming said, "It's the same wherever I go."

Tang Sen's words had also enlightened him. Since he couldn't decide which team he would go to anyway, it didn't matter where he went. The important thing was to train hard and play well.

When the group arrived at Yao Ming's house, the NBC film crew also arrived at the scene.

Yao Ming will also connect with the live audience and give an interview.

While filming was taking place, Tang Sen didn't join in the fun, but noticed Duffy strolling around the back garden.

"Bill, do you really need to be so nervous?" Tang Sen walked over and teased with a smile.

Regardless of who gets the top draft pick, Yao Ming will most likely be the top pick.

For Duffy's agent, becoming the number one draft pick would be the best outcome.

Duffy shook his head and said, "Don, there's a big difference. Anyway, I hope Yao can go to the Warriors or New York."

Tang Sen knew the reason.

San Francisco and New York have large Chinese populations, so Yao Ming's commercial value would definitely be higher if he went to one of those two teams.

"You could consider the Warriors, but the Knicks? Probably not."

The Warriors at least have the third-worst record in the league.

They had the same number of wins as the Wizards, but were luckier, winning a coin toss against the Wizards, which put them third from the bottom.

The Knicks are seventh from the bottom, with only a 4.4% chance of getting the number one draft pick.

"The Warriors would work too," Duffy said optimistically.

In the living room, the TV was on, Yao Ming was sitting on the sofa, and the camera was pointed at him.

Off-camera, Tang Sen, beer in hand, waited with Duffy and the others for the lottery to begin.

It will start at 6:30 pm.

Representatives from all 14 lottery teams have arrived at the scene.

On television, Knicks owner James Dolan and Dave DeBusschere, nicknamed "Big D," stood together, being interviewed by reporters.

“I hope Lady Luck will smile upon New York.” Dolan made a praying gesture.

Then, pointing to Debussy, he said, "So I invited Dave over as our representative, hoping he can bring us another stroke of luck, just like he did in '85."

In 85, then-Knicks general manager DeBuscher helped the Knicks win the number one draft pick, selecting Ewing from Georgetown University.

And so, New York was reborn.

Duffy, standing next to him, curled his lip and said, "New Yorkers are really something. I remember Dave wasn't feeling well; he was even hospitalized a while ago."

An old man in his sixties was pulled over to help out.

Tang Sen nodded in agreement.

Of all the teams in the league, the Knicks seem to be the most dedicated.

Like before in Chicago, they specially filmed an invitation video and even asked Houston and Ang Lee to help persuade and recruit.

The key is that if you want Yao Ming, you should plan ahead. Learn from the Wizards, tank, and push your draft position up.

Now you're in a panic. With only a 4.4% chance, you really need to plead with Lady Luck for a second.

And Debuscher.

The old man drew lots in 85, and the media is still clamoring about a shady deal. So, it's really appropriate for him to come and lend his support.

And if the old man were to actually draw the top scholar's lot twice in a row, wouldn't he be afraid of shortening his lifespan?
On television, the camera also focused on the scene in New York.

The Knicks organized a large number of fans to travel to Chinatown in New York.

They held up various signs, including a half-body photo of Yao Ming, jumping and hopping excitedly.

It's like a holiday.

There are also a large number of Chinese people among them.

The same scene also occurred in San Francisco.

However, looking at head coach Dave Cowens, who came to represent the Warriors, he appeared calm and composed, not nervous at all.

Jerry Krause is the same; he's very patient.

At that moment, the camera focused on Jordan.

This person actually came in person on behalf of the Wizards.

Facing the camera, he said confidently, "Believe me, good luck will come to Washington, just like it did last year."

"Of course, if we get the number one pick, we will only have one goal, and that is Yao Ming."

“We scouted him last year. I’ve always thought he’s a genius, just like Kwame. I look forward to playing with him.”

"Seriously, even if I had to choose a hundred times, I would still choose Yao."

Jordan even made a self-deprecating remark.

The reporter who asked the question had ulterior motives and asked Jordan what he thought about the Magic's possibility of making it to the NBA Finals.

Mentioning the Magic's desire to reach the Finals at this point clearly implies that if Jordan wanted to play alongside a center prodigy, he would have had that opportunity last year.

Sure enough, as soon as the question was asked, even Tang Sen sensed that Jordan was starting to feel awkward, and his gaze towards the reporter began to turn unfriendly.

But since it was being broadcast live across the US, Jordan couldn't afford to lose his temper. He held his nose and praised Brown again before the reporters let him off the hook.

The draw ceremony was hosted by NBA Vice President Lars Granick.

The overall process is actually quite short.

The envelope marked with the number 123 has been delivered to Granic.

Tang Sen sat up straight, feeling a slight tension involuntarily.

Without hesitation, Granic picked up envelope number three, opened it, and revealed the card inside.

The logo above is for the Washington Wizards?

The camera immediately focused on Jordan.

He was clearly stunned.

Logically, rising in the rankings should be a good thing, but this is far from the result he wanted.

In the footage, the expressions of the various team representatives were varied.

Jerry West's lips curled into a wide smile, barely able to contain it.

This result means that one unlucky person was eliminated from the top three.

He hoped it was a bull.

He turned to look at Granick, anticipating the second envelope.

Without hesitation, Granick began to open the second envelope.

"Grizzly bear, grizzly bear..."

Duffy began chanting scriptures beside Tang Sen.

In his mind, even if he couldn't go to the Warriors or New York, going to the Bulls would be a good choice.

Instead of Memphis, a remote city.

On television, Granic displayed the cards.

"Fake!"

Tang Sen let out a low cry.

The runner-up pick was surprisingly the Bulls.

Their ranking actually dropped.

In the footage, Klaus looks as if he has lost his parents.

Duffy next to him was in a similar state, completely dumbfounded.

Someone in the top three has definitely fallen behind, but it's most likely the Warriors.

The probability of it being a grizzly bear is too high.

Now that the Bulls have slipped to second overall pick, it's almost certain that the Grizzlies will be the number one pick.

In the shot, West couldn't hold back any longer and smiled, his lips pursed.

His body was trembling, which shows how uncomfortable he was holding it in.

With a single, decisive strike, his grand plan is about to unfold.

At that moment, Granic glanced at him and then opened the first envelope.

Everyone present instinctively craned their necks to look at the envelope in his hand.

The moment the card was drawn and flipped over, West couldn't help but want to stand up and cheer.

Come on, baby!

But the logo on the card isn't a menacing bear; it's a yellow basketball.

New York Knicks!
“F...K!” West’s eyes widened.

Not far away, Dave Debussyr had already stood up excitedly and cheered.

On Yao Ming's side, there was complete silence.

Duffy's eyes widened in disbelief.

Tang Sen was also stunned.

It's a 4.4% probability.

If there's no shady dealings involved, I'll write my own name backwards.

(End of this chapter)