Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 191 Then I'll just resign.

Inside the training hall.

Four marker discs were placed horizontally on the floor. Carter walked around the marker discs at an extremely fast pace, then jumped back and forth between them repeatedly.

The overall shape resembles the number eight.

"Hurry up!"

Tang Sen clapped his hands, urging Carter to speed up.

He was shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat; after two weeks of hard training, his muscle definition had become much clearer.

His weight also dropped from 102 kg when he entered the training camp to 99 kg.

"Tang, I'm already the fastest."

Carter spoke up in rebuttal.

Tang Sen's face was devoid of a smile as he snapped, "You still have the energy to talk, and then tell me you're the fastest? Look at Tracy, he's much faster than you."

Tang Sen pointed to the side.

Not far away, McGrady was doing the same thing, wearing a vest and quickly jumping back and forth between the cones.

Apart from Hill doing slow resistance training with Tedeschi on the sidelines, all the trainees were doing similar footwork training.

Watching the stopwatch and silently calculating the time, Tang Sen called for a stop one after another.

Carter was the last one.

The training intensity varies slightly from person to person. Carter needed to improve the most, so his training intensity was the highest.

This guy can shoot threes and drive to the basket to finish, but he lacks a lot of skill in the mid-range.

His biggest weakness lies in his ability to move around in a small space and seamlessly combine various dribbling and footwork techniques.

He needs to vary his play, rather than resorting to straightforward attacks.

Therefore, Tang Sen started some football-related training.

No special venue is needed; some marker discs and tape are all that's required to complete the training.

This kind of training can increase their control over their feet and improve their ability to control and coordinate when changing direction at high speeds.

Speaking of which, Kobe received professional soccer training when he was young, and his excellent coordination and quick learning of various low-post footwork skills are probably related to that.

"Relax and breathe, don't stand still, get moving."

Tang Sen urged him loudly again.

James got up and walked around with Yao Ming, shaking his legs to relieve muscle fatigue.

After spending half a month together, the newbies have become quite familiar with each other.

"Yao, have you noticed that Tang hasn't smiled at all during training since last week? In the first few days, he would still joke with us," James whispered.

Stoudemire nodded beside him; he had noticed it too.

Yao Ming glanced at Tang Sen, thought for a moment, and said, "It's alright, he's just in training."

During training, Tang Sen, as the trainer, felt it was fine to be strict.

Laughing and joking around doesn't work either.

He had just finished speaking when Tang Sen, who was chatting with Guo Yonglin not far away, suddenly burst out laughing.

"Old Guo, you really are..."

Tang Sen looked helpless.

This guy watched a talk show on TV and then learned a really bad joke. Tang Sen couldn't help but laugh.

That one smile was the key; it was as if all the effort of the previous hour had been wasted.

July is here, and it's time to draw badges again.

My luck was still a bit lacking this time, and I only drew a bronze badge.

Thankfully, it's a new badge.

[Bronze Badge: Can you see the smile on my face?]

This is training, not a game of pretend.

[If a trainee can remain calm and not laugh during a training session, their obedience will increase by 10%.]

Previous badges included those that enhanced training effectiveness and those that improved technical understanding.

This badge has an additional bonus.

Obedience!
Tang Sen's understanding is that it means exactly what it says: being able to obey his training and not being lazy or slacking off.

As the notes say, training is not child's play; it should be rigorous.

That's why Tang Sen has been keeping a serious expression during training these days, as required by the badge.

Unexpectedly, Guo Degang's ridiculous joke ruined his own chances.

But it doesn’t matter.

These guys are quite self-disciplined.

Even Carter.

Tangsen and Carter were teammates, so he knows him.

Although he was abandoned by his biological father when he was young, his stepfather treated him very well. He came from a well-off family and received a good education from a young age.

He can also play musical instruments.

But precisely because of this privileged background, coupled with his exceptional talent, he, like McGrady, lacked a certain fighting spirit.

Success came too easily.

However, McGrady's championship win this year still spurred him on.

The two brothers have been secretly competing with each other.

In Tang Sen's view, this badge was aimed at troublemakers.

After the morning training session, everyone returned to the hotel.

Although training still starts at 5 a.m., the schedule can be adjusted since it's the off-season.

In addition, there is a lunch break, so after early morning training, you won't be as tired as during the season and have to catch up on sleep in the morning.

So the physical therapy massage after training was also moved to the hotel.

Enjoy a massage from Guo Yonglin and his apprentices in a spacious and comfortable SPA room with a view of the sea.

Tang Sen still couldn't avoid keeping an eye on things.

While Guo Yonglin and his companion were busy working, the others chatted and waited.

Since they're all players, the conversation inevitably turns to basketball, especially since today is the first day after the suspension period ended.

“We’ve signed Larry Hughes.” Hill waved his phone.

A journalist friend messaged him.

Stoudemire asked Hughes curiously if he was good or not.

He was drafted by the Wizards and is now very close to Hill, who takes good care of him.

"good."

Hill thought for a moment and said.

"His defense is good," Kobe interjected.

In Tang Sen's memory, Larry Hughes was a pretty hard-working player. Although he was a bit thin, he had height and was good at limiting perimeter players, averaging almost 2 steals per game.

Their organizational skills are somewhat lacking.

However, with Hill on the Wizards, Unseld may be hoping that Hill will take on the role of organizing the team next season.

If all else fails, there's always Jordan.

Therefore, there is no problem with prioritizing scoring when selecting a point guard.

Next season, the Wizards will likely field a starting lineup of Haywood, Stoudemire, Hill, Jordan, and Hughes.

This lineup seems pretty strong, except for the center position which is a bit weak.

The prerequisite is that Hill can return to the team in good health.

Tang Sen then remembered that today was the first day after the freeze period ended.

As is customary, news will gradually emerge in the morning.

Now that he's a member of the Knicks, Tangsen is quite curious about how the team will adjust its roster.

The news came during lunchtime.

"Tang, they traded Latrell away." Allan Houston frowned and looked at Yao Ming not far away.

The trade of Layden for Chandler clearly indicates an attempt to find a backup for Yao Ming.

But Sprewell was an All-Star, and all he got in return was a second overall pick, which he felt was a bit of a loss.

Tang Sen did not expect that Sprewell would be the first to be sent away.

Leiden's actions may indicate that he intends to build the team around Yao Ming.

With a new core player, it's common practice for many teams to clear out veterans. I just didn't expect them to replace him with Chandler.

Earlier, Ryden had even called to ask him about Chandler's talent.

And then there's Eddie Robinson.

Tang Sen didn't remember him well; he was probably just a bonus in the deal.

In this way, the Knicks essentially traded an All-Star caliber player like Sprewell for Chandler.

We need to add another first-round pick.

No wonder Houston felt they were at a disadvantage.

And at this moment, Houston is probably also worried about whether he will be traded.

Tang Sen thought it was unlikely.

Houston is getting old, and no team will likely take on his massive contract worth over $100 million.

Beside him, Brown whispered to McGrady, "Tracy, have you contacted Chauncey?"

McGrady shook his head, knowing what Brown was worried about.

This summer, according to the Sentinel, the Magic's top priority is to keep Billups.

Unfortunately, the Magic don't have enough salary cap space, so all they can do is hope that Billups himself wants to stay and pursue a repeat championship.

"Let him choose for himself," McGrady said softly.

If Billups wants to leave, he can accept it.

In professional basketball, aiming for a big contract is perfectly fine.

Soon after, news broke that Billups had signed with the Knicks.

Two years, a special case for the middle class.

Even Tang Sen was somewhat surprised by this result.

There was no prior news that the Knicks were also pursuing Billups.

The key is that the Knicks only used a mid-level exception to sign him.

The Knicks have hit the jackpot with a championship-caliber point guard.

Previously, Tang Sen thought that the trade between Leiden and Sprewell was a bit hasty, but now, Tang Sen just wants to give Leiden a thumbs up.

How did this guy manage to convince Billups to accept a middle-class exception?

Today's protagonist is clearly the Knicks.

Following that, they acquired Darius Miles, the third overall pick, from the Clippers.

From any perspective, the Knicks are the ones who benefited from this trade.

Almost no cost was paid.

Then it was Jonathan Bender.

When they received the news, everyone was playing badminton in the hotel's indoor court.

This is already the fourth transaction.

But it's not over yet.

Soon after, the Knicks acquired DeShawn Stevenson directly from the Jazz in a cash trade.

The fifth transaction of the day.

It's not over yet.

In the evening, the NBA official website updated another trade.

The Knicks traded point guard Charlie Ward and center Tyrese Knight to the Hawks for Demar Johnson and Alan Henderson.

The Hawks clearly made this trade to clear out Alan Henderson's bad contracts.

Although he had won the Most Improved Player award, he suffered a serious injury last season and was also carrying a three-year, $3 million contract.

Clearly, the Hawks don't want to gamble on him anymore, fearing it will become a bad contract and they'll be stuck with it.

But the Knicks are used to being taken advantage of, so they don't care about this.

In a single day, the Knicks remarkably completed six trades.

I've seen teams dismantle and rebuild, but I've never seen one dismantle so drastically.

While having dinner at the hotel, Houston kept glancing at Garnett.

"Alan, why are you staring at me like that?" Garnett couldn't help but ask.

Houston said, "Kevin, did Scott contact you, wanting you to come to New York, and then you turned him down?"

Garnett was taken aback by this question and asked in return why he was being asked that.

"Think about it."

Houston counted the costs on his fingers with Garnett.

“We got Jonathan and Darius in the trade. Don’t you know who they are?”

Garnett shook his head.

Houston pointed at him and said, "You're their draft comparison."

One is the original Garnett, and the other looks exactly like him.

"It must be that Scott wanted to trade you, and then failed, so he chose to trade for your replacement."

This must have been because they got thwarted by Wolves, which is why Ryden went all out and traded for two Garnetts in one go—the kind that's in quotes.

"Alternatives?"

Garnett's expression was extremely strange.

Carter on the other side couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Tang Sen smiled too.

It really seems to be true. Unable to get the real Garnett, he got two fakes in a fit of pique.

Meanwhile, on the television across the street, KABC host Evan Michaels was summarizing the day's trades.

He quickly brought up the Knicks.

He said in a teasing tone, "My God, New Yorkers must be ecstatic today. Look who they've all gotten."

He also started counting on his fingers.

"They got Yao, and some media outlets said he was as agile as Hakeem Olajuwon."

"They also got two Garnetts in one go, yes, two Garnetts!"

He made a funny face and held up two fingers to the camera.

The person in question was right there, and he couldn't hold back any longer.

"They also got DeShawn Stevenson, and oh my god, he's even more terrifying because his role model is Michael Jordan."

"My God." Michaels put his hands to his head, looking incredulous, and said, "The New Yorkers have welcomed their basketball god. Damn it, please award the championship directly to New York."

His exaggerated expression made everyone present laugh.

Houston silently covered his face, feeling that New York's trading operations today were a joke.

On television, Michaels continued, "But guys, it's not over yet. New York has Olajuwon, two Garnetts, and a Michael Jordan, and they're still not satisfied!"

"They needed a point guard, so they got Magic Johnson."

"That's right, it's Demar Johnson! My God, they both have the surname Johnson!"

“I’m not kidding. When DeMar was drafted, many media outlets thought he would become the next Magic Johnson.”

"Honestly, I can't even imagine how strong the Knicks will be next season with this starting lineup."

Houston was there, but Carter couldn't help but laugh so hard his shoulders were shaking.

Garnett gave him a sympathetic look.

If I had known you were so infatuated with me, and that you would go so far as to create two fakes if you couldn't have me, you would have just said so directly.

Garnett really wanted to join the Knicks, who had Yao Ming on their roster.

Hill, with a forced smile on his face, sat down next to Tang Sen and couldn't help but say, "Tang, you might have a tough time next season."

Tang Sen didn't understand and asked him what he meant.

Hill, unable to hide his amusement, said, "You're the Knicks' head trainer now. What would you do if Scott asked you to train DeMar and DeShawn to be like Jordan and Magic?"

Tang Sen was stunned for a moment, then gasped.

Yup!

The inexplicable trade of these young rookies by Leiden, with their increasingly outlandish player archetypes, makes one wonder if he's eyeing him and hoping he'll train them into those archetypes.

The next Jordan, the next Magic Johnson?
Are there two more Garnetts?

Tang Sen shuddered, then said, "If it's really as you say, then I'll just resign."

I am not a genie.

(End of this chapter)