Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 285 Talent Visible to the Naked Eye

Far away in Cleveland.

After receiving a $10 million advance from Nike, James immediately bought a large house for his mother.

Other rookies have started tryouts, but James doesn't need to.

Could the Cavaliers possibly not choose themselves?
The number one draft pick has already been decided. Now, James' biggest concern is how to improve himself in the summer.

Last summer, I was lucky enough to get into Tangsen's million-dollar training camp.

Although he remained relatively unknown throughout the training, James genuinely felt that his physical fitness had improved by participating in the workouts.

Stronger and more explosive.

In my senior year of high school, I was already averaging 29 points and 8 rebounds per game.

But after a summer of hard training, and having learned a lot of training methods from Tang Sen, James really had a feeling of dominating and getting whatever he wanted.

In his final season of senior year, James averaged 36.4 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.

Even so, James felt he was still holding back.

If he really focused on scoring, he could average 40 points per game.

This is thanks to Tang Sen.

Physically, I'm ready to play in the NBA, but technically I'm not.

When James left training camp last summer, he specifically asked Townsend about it.

Tang Sen said at the time that he could use this summer to practice his skills.

James had been looking forward to this all season, especially after seeing how successful Yao Ming was. He dreamed of becoming the next Brown, the next Yao Ming.

He averaged over 20 points per game upon entering the league, or even more, leading the Cavaliers to the playoffs and becoming a city hero in Cleveland.

But all those beautiful fantasies were shattered when Tang Sen announced he would no longer train rookies.

James dared not think that Townsend was targeting him, because Townsend had said that it would start this year.

He wanted to visit Tang Sen in person and ask him to take him in.

She even tried to win Tang Sen over with her sincerity, just like she did last year when she waited for him at the hotel.

But the Knicks were busy with the Eastern Conference Finals, and Townsend was too busy to take care of himself.

So James waited until the Knicks were eliminated before he even considered going to Townsend.

Even after meeting Tang Sen, James had already mentally rehearsed how to talk to him many times.

Before he even set off, he received news that the Knicks had extended tryout invitations to a large number of rookies in this year's draft class, including small forwards and shooting guards.

It is said that there were more than a dozen people.

There are 42 American players, and that's about all the players available for those two positions.

In other words, they swept everyone away and sent invitations to all of them.

I was the only one not invited!
I've been left behind again.

James was going crazy inside the big house.

"Why?"

James spread his hands and posed a profound question to Goodwin.

Why invite yourself when you invited so many people?

Am I really that disliked?
Aaron Goodwin quickly tried to persuade James, saying that his situation was different, that he was a sure thing for the number one draft pick, and that the Cavaliers wouldn't trade the number one pick, they would only draft him.

In that case, why would the Knicks invite you for a tryout?

Furthermore, this was merely a tryout invitation, an action taken by the Knicks, and had nothing to do with Townsend's plans for the summer.

“You don’t really want to go to the Knicks, do you?” Goodwin concluded.

James pursed his lips.

He would like to go.

With a big city and a talent scout like Tang Sen who can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and the extraordinary into legend, what's wrong with going to the Knicks?

It's a pity I can't go.

"Aaron, can't you contact the Knicks and invite me too? That way I can see Tang." James said unwillingly.

It would be a bit embarrassing if everyone else went and I didn't.

"And think about it, when you go there, they say you're going to try out for the Knicks, but it's really just a tryout for Don."

"After this tryout, if Tang tells reporters that a certain player has great talent, that player's draft stock will definitely rise."

“I don’t need to do that, but if I can get Tang’s praise, it would be an important affirmation for me.”

How talented you are isn't something you boast about; it's what others say about it.

As a renowned talent scout in the league, Tang Sen's evaluation is crucial, having trained two superstar number one draft picks.

Goodwin had a headache.

He didn't really want James to join in the fun of the tryouts.

There are too many people; it's pointless.

But James had a lot of ideas, and Goodwin could only try his best to accommodate them.

With no other option, Goodwin contacted Ryden, wanting to send James over for a tryout.

And then it was rejected.

Goodwin was stunned. A once-in-a-decade super genius had come to try out, and you guys didn't want him?
What Leiden truly wanted was something he couldn't have; seeing it only added to his sorrow.

Moreover, after the Knicks extended tryout invitations to many rookies, a large number of agents contacted him, wanting to send their players over for tryouts.

Especially the inside players.

Nobody's a fool; everyone sees it clearly.

The Knicks lost. Where did they go wrong? They went wrong on the perimeter. They didn't have a backcourt player who could match McGrady.

Since there are no suitable free agents this summer, they can only continue to scout for talent among rookies.

For this year's rookies, if they can be spotted and drafted by the Knicks, it means they will have the opportunity to train with Townsend for a season.

Look at the group of players the Knicks scouted last year, like Harvey and Wallace, who were all unknown players, yet they all made a name for themselves.

In this situation, once their rookie contract expires, they can get a big contract anywhere.

For that reason alone, which rookie wouldn't want to come to the Knicks?

Especially interior players.

Brown and Yao Ming, the two big men, have already become superstars under Tang Sen.

So if you were to rank the teams a rookie would most like to join, it would definitely be the Knicks.

Layden has already rejected too many people; he won't miss James.

Right now, he's having a headache too.

He invited a total of 13 American players, all of whom were forwards and guards who met the size requirements.

But there are also international players. Many agents want to send their international players to the Knicks for tryouts and have offered to coordinate their schedules to cooperate with the Knicks' plans.

Another draft prospect is Darko Milicic, touted as the next Kevin Garnett.

Leiden has studied this kid, read his scouting report, and is very interested in him.

The main reason is that he's young; he's still a little over ten days shy of turning 18.

Youth means potential.

The other international players are all older and their skills and tactics are mature, so Renden doesn't really think much of them.

However, Carlisle refused.

The Knicks' interior defense is too crowded, with a bunch of players waiting to step up.

He only wants forwards and guards now, and he's not considering anything else.

On June 4th, the day the first game of the Finals was to be played, all the invited players arrived in New York as scheduled.

As Stern predicted, the Magic and Lakers met again in the Finals.

The popularity is very high.

You can tell by looking at the ratings.

In 98, Jordan won his second three-peat, and the Finals achieved the highest viewership rating in history, reaching 18.7.

His retirement caused the ratings to plummet, with the finals the following year only garnering an 11.3% viewership.
And then it never went up again.

This is also the main reason why Stern was so eager to find a successor for Jordan.

Poor viewership means lower broadcast contracts, directly impacting the league's revenue. Last year's viewership was 13.1.

This year's ratings are even higher, especially for the Eastern Conference Finals, which have already reached the level of last year's NBA Finals. The Game 7 even achieved a rating of 13.7.

The rematch between the Magic and the Lakers is now full of grudges, and the viewership ratings are expected to exceed 14.

This is good news for the league.

But for New York fans, all they want now is for the Magic to defend their title and prove that the Knicks were just a hair's breadth away from winning the championship—just one more ball, one more foul.

However, this has no effect on Tang Sen.

With the season over, Tangsen can relax a little.

Tang Ling is also preparing to start her own company, which will be registered in Delaware, a state with a more comprehensive legal system and a lower tax rate than any other state in the United States.

The specific team is still their old core group.

They also plan to bring Brittenham in. Since they're already looking for clients during the offseason, it's better for him to work at Townsend, where his income is guaranteed.

That day, Tang Sen got up a little early and rushed to the training center to prepare.

When they arrived, Carlisle had already arrived.

Soon after, Leiden arrived.

Tang Sen said, "Scott, we really don't need to invite so many. We only have one target."

Initially, 13 rookies were invited, but today a total of 19 people are coming.

A few overseas players were added.

What about French Jordan?
A player named Michael Pietrus.

It seems like Layden is going after Jordan.

Leiden chuckled awkwardly, then said, "Don, I really think this Milic is very talented, and the key is that he's young."

The Serbian basketball prodigy, a top draft prospect, had his agent contact Reidon, wanting him to come for a tryout.

Leiden knew what these people were up to: they wanted to use Townsend's name to inflate the draft stock.

Aside from James, whom he simply couldn't get, there was no reason for Layden to refuse someone with such talent.

This kid is touted as the next Garnett.

Bender's performance is comparable to Garnett's, but still far from it.

Therefore, if given the opportunity to get his own Garnett, Layden would not give it up.

Before Tang Sen could speak, Carlisle waved his hand and said, "Forget it."

The Knicks have no shortage of players in the paint.

The goal is clear: shooting guard, or top small forward, directly comparable to McGrady and Kobe.

The goal has already been set.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and a prodigy at Syracuse University, Carmelo Anthony is a small forward who was touted as a potential number one draft pick alongside LeBron James.

He was also invited to New York.

Carlisle was very fond of him.

The Knicks are in the East, so their priority should be to deal with the Magic and then challenge McGrady.

He excels at shooting, has outstanding skills, and is a strong scorer. He plays a key role at Syracuse University and averages 22 points and 10 rebounds per game, which is exceptional.

Anthony was very interested in returning to New York and happily came over as soon as he received the invitation.

Tang Sen took a moment to look at the media reports about this kid and his college competition videos.

My initial impression is that the basic conditions are good.

He has broad shoulders, a large frame, and a big butt.

These are actually innate advantages that cannot be changed.

Putting aside his technique, he's decent in physical combat, given his considerable weight.

He weighed 100 kilograms in high school, and now, during the previous joint training, he weighed 106 kilograms.

His large weight may have had some impact, which is why his jumping ability is average.

The bullet speed is decent.

Then, watching the video, my immediate impression was that he had good strength, or rather, very strong physical strength, and also a certain amount of explosive power.

Therefore, he can withstand a lot of people in the game.

Tang Sen felt that he was somewhat like Barkley.

Besides that, what Tang Sen found most remarkable, and what was extraordinary and rare, was his ability to combine ball skills.

This ability is not simply about ball control.

It's not just about good coordination; it also involves some perception and control abilities.

Simply put, it means being very good at playing ball.

It's a very intuitive feeling.

Some people have nimble fingers and big hands. A basketball that big looks like a glass ball in their hands, and they can play with it very well and beautifully.

McGrady has it.

The white horse and long spear, the movements were very elegant.

This is actually a rare talent.

It's almost time; they should have already started over there.

The three of them got up and headed to the training ground.

The agents were all kicked out, leaving only 18 players.

Under the arrangement of Tedsky and others, they conducted detailed physical measurements.

Hand size, shoulder width, and hip size all need to be measured.

Carlisle wants a player comparable to McGrady and Kobe, so Townsend can only look for those with extraordinary talent.

Therefore, some unchangeable talents are the most precious.

Tang Sen's arrival excited many players, and their eager eyes stared intently at him.

Tang Sen ignored him and silently flipped through everyone's names.

The list was decided by Leiden, and Tang Sen didn't know how many people were ultimately included.

After quickly glancing at it, Tang Sen frowned.

"Scott, how did this guy get in? His height doesn't seem right."

Tangsen needs a standard-sized number two.

Then let's compare him to Jordan, who is 1.98 meters tall.

The height limit was appropriately relaxed, but the guy in front of me, Dwyane Wade, is only 1.93 meters tall.

Moreover, he is 21 years old and has played in college for three years, so he should be very mature.

The most crucial factor is still height.

He's 1.93 meters tall, and that might be inflated; he's a full 5 centimeters shorter than Jordan.

Feeling a little guilty, Leiden pointed to a tall guy on the court and explained the reason.

One of the draft prospects, a big man from Georgia Tech, is named Chris Bosh.

Tang Sen could tell who his draft comparison was just by looking at his physique, and he also understood why Layden had included him.

This guy still can't forget Garnett.

Bosh's agent was Henry Thomas.

This Chicago agent has two more rookies on his team this year: one is Dwyane Wade, his fellow countryman, and the other is Udonis Haslem, also an inside player.

He brought Bosh over, and along the way, after some pleading with Redden, he also managed to get Wade in.

It is said that although Wade is a bit short, he has always played shooting guard and has a strong scoring ability.

Last season at Marquette University, he averaged 21 points per game, helping the team defeat the Kentucky Wildcats to reach the Final Four.

In other words, he's someone with connections.

I guess Leiden also felt that since he was only choosing one person and most people were just there to make up the numbers, he might as well come along.

Tang Sen looked up, searched through the crowd, and spotted a short young man with a somewhat blank and bewildered expression.

I glanced at it twice, then looked away.

(End of this chapter)