Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 169 Then I'll wait for him

Staples Center.

Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Kings and the Lakers.

With ten seconds left, the Lakers trailed by two points, 97-99.

Trailing 1-2 in the match, if they lose again and fall behind 1-3, the defending champions' fate will be in jeopardy.

In the final moments, Kobe drove hard to the basket but missed a floater.

O'Neal missed the putback.

In the chaos, Divac, who was traded for Kobe, slapped the ball out of the penalty area.

At that moment, Horry's brain seemed to magically align with Divac's. He received the pass from Divac, and with a swift motion, launched a three-pointer.

The whole place was excited!

With three championships already under his belt, Horry saved the Lakers' dream of a three-peat.

After the game, facing reporters, O'Neal excitedly said: I want to thank Horry's dad for meeting his mom!

Horry was speechless and choked with emotion, unable to refute her.

When the locker room opened, Kobe, wearing a vest, was surrounded by reporters and asked a question.

"Who?"

Kobe, who was beaming with excitement, suddenly froze.

"Jeryl Sather, the magician's secret weapon for you!" the reporter exclaimed.

Kobe asked again, "Who?" and instinctively gave a question mark look.

Over the years, as my fame has grown, there have always been some arrogant individuals who want to step on my head to achieve fame.

Kobe was used to it.

If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

To become the next Jordan, you have to defeat all your opponents.

Therefore, Kobe never bothered to respond verbally, at most giving a disdainful smile before going on the court and silently crushing his opponent.

But this name seems strangely familiar.

The next moment, Kobe remembered.

That early morning in Orlando, when I first experienced how terrifying Townsend's training was, and exclaimed that McGrady was practically cheating, there was one player.

Yes, that's him!
Kobe suddenly remembered the guy who was warming up when he arrived.

At first, Kobe thought he was a sparring partner that Tang Sen had found for him.

I asked Tang Sen and found out that he was a rising star in the Magic.

I still remember Tang Sen smiling and telling me that I should get to know him better.
"What is he, a secret weapon prepared for me?" Kobe asked in confusion.

The reporter nodded and said, "In yesterday's game between the Magic and the Nets, Sasser started and defended Kerry Kittles, who only scored 6 points on 3-of-17 shooting."

"The Magic arranged for him to train with Townsend for four months, hoping to make him a defensive specialist to guard you in the Finals."

Kobe understood, but for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Four months of grueling training, just to deal with yourself? Is that really necessary?

The key question is, can he defend himself?
Kobe instinctively found it funny, but then frowned.

They were trained by Tang Sen himself.

I've already witnessed Tang Sen's training level; it's practically cheating.

Sather had been undergoing this training for four whole months.

In just four months, Brown has become the youngest player to score 50 points. How far will Sasser go?
Kobe cursed under his breath, his expression turned serious, and after thinking for a moment, he said proudly, "Then I'll wait for him."

Kittels is not worth mentioning.

Kobe wanted to see just how powerful this secret weapon that Tang Sen had trained really was.

……

Orlando.

Yao Ming stepped onto the scale.

127 kg.

Yao Ming himself looked puzzled.

This is wrong!

I've been eating and drinking like crazy for a month, and I've only gained 6 kilograms.

He looked at Tang Sen with suspicion and asked if the scale was wrong.

He knew Tang Sen's plan: to gain weight to 130 kilograms within a month.

This doesn't meet the standard.

"No rush, you've only just begun. And haven't you noticed that your physique is already almost back to what it was before you started losing weight?"

The basic principle is that building muscle will definitely lead to weight gain.

However, if the weight does not change much after gaining muscle, then it must have achieved the effect of fat loss and muscle gain.

So even though Yao Ming only gained 6 kilograms, his physique has become much larger.

Muscle size has increased.

Stoudemire, standing nearby, nodded in agreement: "Yao, I really feel like you're stronger than before."

When I first met Yao Ming, he was very thin.

But now it's like my body has been inflated; it's noticeably bigger.

"Don't rush, take your time," Tang Sen said again.

Initially, Tang Sen's target was 130 kilograms.

But now, after continuous simulations and adjustments, and by observing the final athletic performance, Tang Sen feels that this goal can be raised even higher, to over 130 kg, with a maximum of no more than 135 kg.

This weight, apart from monsters like Shaquille O'Neal, is already among the top weights in the league.

Adding more weight will put a greater burden on the body and severely affect physical fitness.

However, if it's too light, it will affect the inside game.

He is that tall, after all.

Tang Sen wants to balance his weight and athletic ability.

Ultimately, it all comes down to athletic performance.

Furthermore, Yao Ming's goal is to emulate Sabonis, a technically skilled player. Excessive weight gain would only diminish his athletic performance.

Yao Ming simply said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

Stoudemire, on the other hand, excitedly stepped onto the electronic scale as well.

He needs to gain weight.

When he first started working with Tang Sen, he weighed only 105 kilograms.

Now, when I stand on the scale, it weighs a towering 110 kilograms.

"Still so much. I thought I'd lose weight after training so hard lately," Stoudemire muttered.

By mid-May, his weight had reached 110 kilograms.

"Don't always focus on weight, look at athletic performance."

All physical training is ultimately for the sake of performance on the field.

With that, Tang Sen told the two to continue training.

It's already the end of May, and there's only a month left until the draft.

Especially in June, people like Stoudemire will start trying out for jobs everywhere.

Yao Ming is alright, though.

New York has already announced that they will only select Yao Ming, so it doesn't matter if you don't participate in the tryouts.

On the contrary, it was Stoudemire.

When I first met him, this kid had a great physique but terrible technique.

Tang Sen's initial idea regarding his training was very straightforward: he was definitely aiming for Rain Man, Kemp.

It's a real shame that Stoudemire's speed, impact, and explosiveness weren't developed into a power forward like Kemp.

But in Tangsen's mind, while Kemp's style of play was certainly eye-catching and his high-flying, ground-based style was very entertaining, it might not be the optimal solution for a player's long-term career planning.

Just look at his career.

When he joined the league, he possessed rare running and jumping abilities and movement speed.

His physical attributes are also amazing, and his 2.21-meter wingspan is absolutely top-notch.

Therefore, he is particularly good at attacking the basket.

He's like McGrady at the beginning, relying entirely on his talent to propel himself to stardom.

However, this playstyle is quite dependent on team composition.

With the SuperSonics, he had a group of shooters to create space for him, allowing him to attack the basket with impunity. But after leaving the SuperSonics, his aggressive drives to the basket decreased significantly.

If he settles down at this point and develops his post-up skills properly with the Cavaliers, his career should reach a new level, improving from less than 20 points per game to 20 points and 10 rebounds, truly reaching star level.

Unfortunately, he indulged himself and lost control of his weight in 99, eventually fading into obscurity.

Stoudemire may not have a problem with self-discipline, but in Townsend's mind, this style of playing that over-squanders talent is not sustainable.

It's exhilarating to drive to the basket with force, but technique is what truly matters.

The key is to develop like Duncan and Garnett, who were well-rounded in both offense and defense and possessed comprehensive skills.

Therefore, in developing Stoudemire, Tang Sen still wanted him to first improve his shooting skills.

Then defense, playmaking, and back-to-the-basket moves all require practice. You need to work on becoming a well-rounded player.

Only when you have the skills can you use your talents to achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts.

The only problem is that it might affect his trial period.

These skills can't be learned overnight. Brown spent so much time on them, and even if he's quick, he'll still need to practice until the new season starts.

Just then, an acquaintance arrived at the stadium.

Connors.

"Don."

He waved to Tang Sen.

Judging from his excited expression, he must have some good news.

"A prodigy?"

Sure enough, Connors came because he received a tryout invitation.

From the Wizards, scheduled for June 2nd.

When the Wizards are mentioned, Tang Sen seems a bit awkward.

However, it's reasonable for the Wizards to invite Stoudemire to a tryout.

I picked Brown last year, a high school student, and I failed.

Coincidentally, Stoudemire is also a high school student this year, and the second-best high school student in the nation.

If Anthony hadn't run for the NBA draft and had chosen to go to college, he would have been the number one high school player in the nation.

Get up from where you fell down.

Moreover, the Wizards really lack interior players.

According to news reports, Hill has begun to resume training. After missing another season, his foot injury should have healed.

Next season, Stoudemire, Hill, and Jordan will make for a pretty intimidating combination.

Oh, and there's also Hamilton.

The task of organizing the offense could have been entirely handled by Jordan or Hill.

“Okay, I’ll try to give him some extra lessons these next couple of days, see if he can practice a bit more before the draft and try to have a good performance.” Tang Sen nodded.

If Stoudemire had been drafted by the Wizards, he would at least have been the third overall pick.

Connors nodded repeatedly; that was exactly what he thought.

That evening, Tang Sen adjusted the training plan.

The badge that Tangsen arranged for Stoudemire to receive the "last-minute cramming" award.

The trial training starts on June 2nd, so there are four days left.

So now it's truly a last-minute effort.

"There is nothing wrong with your physical talent."

Stoudemire's dynamic and static talents are undoubtedly top-tier.

“I reckon the Wizards will definitely arrange for you to practice with their opponents. I asked Ryan, and they invited both Drew Gooden and Nene Hilario.”

"The former is very fast, but I watched his competition video and his physical strength is relatively weak, especially his power."

Tangsen asked Connors to find Gooden's college game videos.

He has a beautiful mid-range shot and excellent athleticism, often driving to the basket for alley-oop dunks.

He has speed comparable to a small forward.

However, he is relatively light, weighing just over 100 kilograms.

Most importantly, he doesn't have much strength. You can tell by watching the video. He relies more on his speed to overpower his opponents in the paint than on his physical strength to force his way to the basket.

"If you have Kwame's low-post ability, it's easy to beat this kind of player."

Just like Brown played against Chandler last year, he easily beat him in the paint with his tough play.

Unfortunately, Stoudemire doesn't have that ability.

"But you have strong upper body strength, so in the next few days, when you practice starting your breakthrough, use your upper body to actively seek out contact, like a bulldozer, pushing your opponent towards the basket."

Stoudemire nodded and noted it down, then asked the remaining player.

Tang Sen was just about to say something to him.

"Hilario is a much better player in terms of physical attributes than you."

Barefoot he's 206cm tall, with a wingspan of 225cm—he's practically a monster.

His athleticism is also quite good. Looking at his performance at the Goodwill Games and the Chicago training camp last year, he has a beast-like playing style, flying high and diving low, able to run and dunk.

According to Connors, it seems that Jordan suggested he come to the draft this year last year.

He has both manual skills and mid-range shooting ability.

After all, he's played in the professional league for two years, so he must know a little bit about everything.

Of course, being good at everything doesn't necessarily mean being good at it.

The same applies to defense; being able to defend doesn't mean being outstanding.

"If you're going to hit him, it's the same: use your momentum to get going. He's heavier than you and slower. Most importantly, you can add some variation to your last step."

"Stop suddenly, or give them resistance, pull them out a step and throw them."

Tang Sen waved to him, then dribbled from the free-throw line, charging towards the basket, and before taking the final step, he used his shoulder to push against him for contact.

Of course, given Tang Sen's weight and height, he definitely couldn't squeeze this guy.

Then, with the final step, step outwards to create distance and throw the ball to score.

That's the gist of it; just make sure he understands.

"And there's emergency stopping."

Tang Sen made the same move, but on the last step, he suddenly stopped and shifted his body, throwing the ball into the net.

"If your opponent is not as physically strong as you, you can just charge in. But if your physical strength is similar, you need to be more varied."

To put it simply, it needs to be technically sophisticated.

Simply charging in blindly is too mindless.

"Believe in your dribbling skills. All that practice you've put in has paid off."

To make a difference, you need to improve your dribbling skills first.

From the moment Stoudemire started training with him, Townsend had him practice dribbling. After so long, it must have been effective.

Stoudemire nodded and took note.

"Then what are you waiting for? Start practicing, practice with Yao Ming, he'll defend your offense."

Since there were no suitable sparring partners, Yao Ming had to fill in.

Consider it a chance for Yao Ming to gain some defensive experience against forwards who drive to the basket.

The two got into fighting stances.

Yao Ming is certainly considered agile now, but compared to Stoudemire, his agility is simply not enough.

With a single start, Stoudemire can create a half-body length gap.

Following suit is even more difficult.

If Yao Ming wants to defend Stoudemire, he has to camp under the basket, wait for him to rush over, and use his height and size to block him.

But judging from Yao Ming's frustrated expression right now, you can tell how badly he was beaten.

Meanwhile, the fourth game between the Magic and the Nets also began.

This is a do-or-die game for the Nets.

If we lose, we get a holiday and go home.

But Rivers didn't want to give the Nets too many opportunities; he was looking to end the series early so he could prepare for the Finals.

So in this match, he still started Sasser and made higher demands on him.

Stop Kidd.

It was the final game, and he felt that Scott's only hope was Kidd.

Kidd's offense is average, but in crucial moments, he's more reliable than the other players on the Nets.

(End of this chapter)