Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 168 Kobe, you'd better watch out.
In the players' tunnel.

Sather stood behind Grant.

At the exit of the passageway ahead, the sounds of the live music DJ and the cheers of the fans mingled together, like a torrent, making the players' tunnel seem to tremble.

"What's wrong, are you nervous?" McGrady, who was standing behind him, suddenly leaned out and asked.

"No."

Sather quickly shook his head.

McGrady gave an "oh" and then fell silent.

Sather was still feeling uneasy, so why don't you keep asking?

He was genuinely nervous.

Come to think of it, this seems to be my first start since entering the NBA.

Then came his fifth appearance.

Sather remembers clearly that, excluding the preseason, he trained with Tangsen for half a season.

In the first half of the season, I only made 4 appearances in total.

The game lasted a total of 19 minutes.

It doesn't even equal the playing time of someone else in a single game.

He was a real water dispenser manager, an unknown nobody.

Now, in the Eastern Conference Finals, a game broadcast nationwide, I'm going to play, and I'll be a starter.

Yesterday, I made a special call to my parents and all my relatives, asking them to watch my game on time.

I lingered for a long time before finally falling asleep that night.

Excited.

After four months of hard work, the moment to test the results has finally arrived.

I am the secret weapon, the Kobe killer!
But when it came time to actually go on stage, Sasser couldn't help but get nervous.

I couldn't help but think, what if I don't perform well?

He tried to stop himself from thinking about it, repeatedly telling himself that he was ready.

That's what Tang Sen said.

But it's completely out of control.

There was no time to think, and the players came on the field.

The scene was deathly silent, like a tomb, with only a few scattered hisses.

New Jersey fans wanted to give the Magic a taste of their own medicine.

Sather stood in the crowd, his heart starting to race.

Before I knew it, the national anthem was over, and Rivers was standing next to me.

“Jeryl.” Rivers put his arm around Sasser’s shoulder and led him around the arena.

Twenty thousand spectators filled the Continental Aviation Center stadium to capacity.

Rivers said gently, “I still remember my first game in my professional career. I was selected by the Hawks in the second round, seventh overall, which is about the same as your draft position.”

"It happened to be an away game against the Nets, on October 28, 1983, a Friday. I remember it very clearly."

"I was so nervous at the time, thinking about what would happen if I performed badly, and whether my teammates and coaches would be disappointed in me."

Sasser turned his head, completely absorbed in Rivers' story, and hesitated for a moment before asking, "So, Coach, you scored a lot of points and proved yourself?"

83 is too long ago; I was only 4 years old then.

"How can it be."

Rivers shook his head: "I played 19 minutes, went 3-for-8, and scored 10 points with 4 free throws."

"This performance can't be called too bad, but it's definitely not good either."

“Jeryl, I want to tell you this,” Rivers said in a deep voice, “Every player is nervous at the beginning, and doesn’t know what the future holds. I was like that back then, nervous and uncertain.”

"But I thought about it. I've already come to the NBA, the stage has been set up for me, and I've worked hard for this day for countless days and nights."

"Just like you've practiced hard for four months, so don't be afraid, just keep trying, even if you fail."

"Jeryl, I can allow you to lose one game, but only one."

Rivers held up one finger.

"For the next game, and the finals, I need you to be ready to help us win. I believe you have the ability."

He punched Sather in the chest and then exaggeratedly said, "My God, how did Tang train you? Your muscles are as hard as iron."

Sather was amused by his exaggerated reaction.

Moreover, Rivers' words resonated with him.

He looked around the entire stadium once again.

The stage has been set for me; it's time to put in the effort.

For myself, and for my family, for my wife and son, to give them a better life.

"Coach, don't worry, I won't lose a single game."

Sather said firmly.

……

The competition began at 5:30 p.m.

Scott stood on the sidelines, silently watching Sasser, who was wearing the number 5 jersey.

He knew this was Rivers' secret weapon for the Lakers.

In the TNT studio, Barkley and his two companions fell silent for a moment, watching Sather from a distance.

“I hope he succeeds,” Barkley suddenly said.

Seeing Smith and the other man looking at him, Barkley shrugged and said, "Although this is the NBA, and every player who enters the NBA is a prodigy, the reality is that many fans only pay attention to those star players."

"There are only so many star players; the league is mostly made up of ordinary players like Jerell."

"They don't get much playing time and may be eliminated after a few seasons."

"But the NBA is a place where miracles can happen, so if Jeryl succeeds, it will at least prove something."

He didn't say what he was proving, but Smith understood.

If he had a glass of wine right now, he would definitely clink glasses with Barkley to pay tribute to those who work hard and prove that hard work always pays off.

But the next moment, Barkley seemed to collapse again, yelling, "Damn it, what am I talking about? He's bound to succeed, is there any doubt about that?"

"We need to trust Tang; he'll train Jerell into a defensive specialist. Kobe, you'd better watch out!"

Barkley sent a message from afar.

As they spoke, the Magic's first attack had failed.

The tactics didn't work out; Sasse hadn't played with the team for too long.

He hasn't adapted to the Magic's offensive system yet.

Nets on offense.

Sather stood in front of Kittels.

The Nets' fast break failed to materialize, and they once again entered the half-court game that Kidd hates most.

He passed the ball to Kittles.

Like Billups, he was also in control of the game.

So Kidd also wanted to know what the quality of Sather's secret weapon was.

The others tacitly stepped aside, leaving the stage to Sasser and his companion.

Kittles has the ability to attack with the ball.

His shoulders were particularly narrow, making his arms appear exceptionally long.

He is indeed very thin, but among the guards, he is not so physically imposing that he would fall over at the slightest touch.

His speed is decent, and his breakthroughs are quite distinctive.

He would use his narrow shoulders and long arms to dribble the ball very low and then cut inside while sticking close to the defender.

In this breakthrough method, his particularly narrow shoulders actually became an advantage; the small contact area made it easier for him to squeeze in.

Sather, with his right foot forward, bent down and silently watched Kittels.

Kittels also stared at Sather.

Before the game, Scott specifically mentioned the Magic's secret weapon and reminded himself to be careful.

Kittels dared not be careless, but he really knew nothing about Sasser.

Even the team's video analysts couldn't find any video footage of Sasser's games.

Without further hesitation, he chose to break through and launch a strong attack.

The moment he started moving, Sather also moved, his whole body like a spring, taking a light yet powerful step forward.

As Kittels initiated the attack, he also stepped forward, actively seeking confrontation.

The two men collided.

Kittles felt like he'd hit a steel plate; his body lurched, he immediately pulled back, and with a flick of his fingers, tried to control the ball.

But while he was pulling back, Sasser was still pressing up.

The imposing presence of his strong physique caused Kittles to lose his footing and neglect to protect the ball. Just then, Kittles felt the movement of Sasser's arm.

He's going to steal the ball!

As the ball bounced back after being pushed down, he instinctively tried to reach out and grab it, but it was too late.

Sasser has a good wingspan, but more importantly, he's accurate with his shots and the timing of his strikes is perfect.

The basketball was poked away.

The moment after losing the ball, Kittles felt Sasser push him aside and rush toward the basketball.

It sounds slow, but to everyone else it was just that Kittles failed to break through, was blocked by Sasse, and then forcefully reached out to poke the ball away and successfully intercepted it.

"Steal!"

Barkley yelled, "Jerelle blocked it! She made the steal! I feel like Kerry just walked right into Jerell's arms!"

The Magic launched a fast break, with Billups leading the charge and scoring a layup.

Smith chimed in, “Kerry is too light. He’s only 180 pounds and 81 kilograms, while Jeryl weighs 95 kilograms. He simply can’t carry that weight.”

"It's not just about weight."

Barkley immediately interjected, saying, "You have to look at Jeryl's speed. His footwork is not slow at all, and his reaction time is frighteningly fast. I told you, Tang can definitely train him into a defensive expert."

Ernie Johnson stopped Barkley and said, "Charles, that's only one goal."

Most importantly, this is Kittels, not Kobe.

Barkley shrugged and said, "Ernie, just you wait and see. I believe that Jerell will definitely give Kobe a surprise in the Finals. Really, I have a feeling."

The scene of the game.

Rivers stood on the sidelines, applauding and cheering loudly for Jeryl.

Rivers feels that Magic is ready in every aspect now, and the last piece of the puzzle is Sasser.

For four months, he didn't participate in team matches, but focused on training with Tang Sen.

This has never happened before in the NBA.

Even Tang Sen couldn't guarantee it, and Firth was even less certain that this method would work.

But in that one round, he saw Sasser's sharpness.

His movements were agile and nimble, and his defensive pressure was immense; it was practically an offensive form of defense.

On the field, Billups gave Sasse a thumbs-up.

Sather managed to suppress a smile, but most of his tension had dissipated.

If you succeed once, you'll succeed again next time.

He had made a bold statement before the game, saying he would make sure Kitters didn't score 10 points.

In the next round, Kidd tried to push for a fast break, and when he looked up, he saw Sather next to Kidd, following him closely.

He made a hand gesture, signaling for the tactical sequence to begin.

Kittles is a master of off-the-ball movement; he excels at finding open spaces while running.

This season, he's been thriving even more.

Because Kidd has such good vision and such excellent passing, as long as I create an opportunity, Kidd can always deliver the ball in time.

But this time, Kittels was a little frustrated.

When they started running, Sasser followed him.

He slid along the baseline, with Sasser following behind.

Van Horn set a screen, and Kittles rushed to the baseline, turning to receive the ball, confident that Kidd would pass it to him.

But the ball didn't arrive; the person did.

Looking up, I was met with Sather's expressionless face.

This guy's speed in getting around cover is frightening.

Kittels didn't get a chance to make a move.

This situation kept happening, and Kittles realized that Sasser was following him too closely, not giving him any chance to catch and shoot.

The problem is that even receiving the ball normally doesn't help.

Kittles knew his own level; he was no match for top stars like McGrady or Iverson who excelled at driving to the basket.

But when you're in good form, you can also outpace others.

But now, in the entire quarter, they haven't managed a single successful breakthrough.

Like a shadow.

No matter how he changes direction, Sasser can always accurately block his path.

A breakthrough is not an option, and neither is a forced shot.

Sather's speed was astonishing; his legs were like springs.

In the entire first quarter, the only basket Kittles made was one that even he himself thought was unlikely to go in when he took the shot.

A complete stroke of luck.

Kittles went 1-for-6, scoring only 2 points – that was his contribution in the first quarter.

When he left the field, Kittles' face was dark.

He knew Scott had warned him to be careful, but this level of defense still caught him off guard.

"Coach, I'm sorry."

With a score of 17-26 in the first quarter, Kittles was down by 9 points right from the start. He felt that he was the biggest culprit, having wasted too many opportunities.

Scott waved his hand.

Should I hurl a few insults?
He was also embarrassed.

He saw it clearly: it wasn't that Kittels wasn't trying; this was just his level, and he had done his best.

Sather defended too well.

damn it!
Scott turned to look across the street.

They were already no match for magic, and now they've got a secret weapon. How are they supposed to win now?
At that moment, Scott felt a strange envy for magic.

He felt that magic was like Aladdin.

I made a wish to Townsend: I need a master at organizing the offense, and Billups has been trained.

Then I said I also need a defensive stalwart.

Four months later, Tang Sen gave Sather a chance.

How is this any different from cheating?
the other side.

As the players left the court, Rivers stood on the sidelines, arms outstretched, his eyes fixed on Sasser.

It was like a king welcoming his victorious general home.

"Jeryl, you're amazing!"

Rivers hugged Sather tightly, patting him excitedly on the back.

“Good boy, I know how much effort you’ve put in these past four months, thank you.” Rivers was even a little moved by the emotion.

Sather was also moved.

Rivers' words really struck a chord with him.

During these four months, I not only trained with all my might, but my wife also put in tremendous effort to ensure I had no worries.

All the efforts finally paid off.

Rivers released Sather, his face beaming with pride: "Jeryl, just wait and see. When you reach the Finals, you'll succeed."

"By then, the whole world will know your name, and no one will dare to look down on you anymore!"

He grabbed Sather's shoulders and passionately outlined the future.

His words seemed to have a magical power, making Sasser's blood boil and making him wish he could rush onto the field right now.

After four months without a match, Sasser was brimming with energy.

He tirelessly guarded against Kittels.

And it wasn't just Kittles; he even went to help defend.

At their peak in the second half, they put the Nets on a four-minute scoring drought.

The game ended with the Magic scoring 93 points.

Sather focused on defense, taking only two shots and making one for two points.

He lowered the Magic's scoring ceiling to some extent.

However, the Nets scored even fewer points.

Only 72 points.

Kittles played for 39 minutes.

Scott knew he was being defended, but there were no better options on the bench.

Despite being defended by Sasser, Kittles managed a dismal 3-for-17 shooting performance, a shooting percentage of less than 20%, and scored only 6 points in the entire game.

This kind of defense made Barkley and his two teammates feel uneasy.

Barkley even shouted directly at the camera: "Kobe, you better watch out, I'm serious, I'm not kidding."

(End of this chapter)