Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 390 I've only just begun to warm up

Normally, a newly crowned top scorer, once he becomes a favorite to be the top scorer, will already be surrounded by reporters.

Then, at the highly anticipated draft, he was selected as the number one pick and became the focus of media reports.

All the media outlets are praising the top scorer's prowess, eager to fabricate his incredible childhood achievements into legends.

The day after the draft, the number one pick usually travels to the city where his team is located.

The team management will give him a grand welcome, show him around the arena, and organize fans to welcome the new number one draft pick.

Then he signed a contract, became a millionaire, bought property, became a media darling, frequently appeared on television, and accepted various media interviews.

They're working non-stop, they just can't stop.

Then comes the Summer League, and everyone is looking forward to your performance.

Even a single spectacular dunk in a game can be lauded by the media as having the flair of a legendary star.

Howard had never experienced any of these things.

There were so many star players at the training camp that his brilliance was overshadowed.

All summer long, Howard lived like an ascetic, with nothing but training in his life.

Upon arriving in Phoenix, after a brief welcome from fans and media interviews, and finally returning to my rented luxury apartment where I was all alone, a profound sense of emptiness washed over me.

In New York, at least Ethan was there to keep him company.

And with teammates like Nash, there's always someone to talk to.

In Phoenix, his parents were gone, and he was all alone, without a single friend.

Howard once longed to leave Atlanta and live alone, and he fantasized more than once about how he would enjoy life when he was by himself.

But when that day actually came, I was at a loss.

There's a large TV in the living room, and a newly bought game console.

But Howard wasn't interested at all.

The boredom was nagging at him, so he got up, lay on the floor, did dozens of crunches, and worked up a fine sweat before he finally felt better.

"Fake!"

Howard cursed.

From April to October, for a full six months, I buried myself in training with Tang Sen and somehow developed a terrible habit.

Without training, I always feel like something's missing.

This eerie feeling didn't subside until the team's training camp started the next day.

I was able to train and see familiar faces.

A smile returned to Howard's young face as he enthusiastically pulled Steven Hunter into conversation.

He knew this guy was about to become his substitute.

Hunter's expression, however, was quite unnatural.

Back when he was with the Magic, he was Brown's backup.

Needless to say, Brown became a superstar, while I continued to drift through the league.

Now he's with the Suns, and he's run into Howard, another inside genius who also came through Townsend's tutelage.

Hunter had a strange feeling that it was fate.

Most importantly, he always felt regret.

Back when he was with the Magic, Townsend helped them select and train potential players.

Unfortunately, I was eliminated.

That elimination cost him a chance to succeed or defy fate.

Looking at Howard now, all smiles, Hunter couldn't describe the mixed feelings he had.

D'Antoni made an appearance.

The first day of training camp should, in theory, focus on physical recovery.

However, D'Antoni couldn't care less; he was eager to know how far Howard and the other key players had progressed after Townsend's training camp.

Especially Howard.

In his own vision, how far solar energy can go depends entirely on Howard.

There are many new faces in the team.

Apart from a few key players, the Suns' bench is terrible, and the team only has 14 players in total.

Several people were there simply to fill out the list.

There is even a Japanese point guard who is only 1.75 meters tall.

D'Antoni was helpless; he just couldn't get rid of Hardaway's huge contract, and no team was willing to be taken advantage of, not even if the Suns offered draft picks as compensation.

In order to make room for Nash's contract, his contract must be cleared out.

Finally, after much persuasion, Hardaway agreed to the buyout.

Then all the waived fees were used for this season, which finally freed up a few million dollars in salary cap space to sign Nash. Even then, it was thanks to the Knicks' undefeated championship win last year that league revenue skyrocketed, and this year the salary cap was raised to over 49 million, almost 50 million, which finally provided enough salary cap space to sign Nash.

So this season, the Suns are really short-handed in terms of personnel. In D'Antoni's mind, there are only eight or nine players who can be used.

Verifying Howard's abilities is quite simple.

D'Antoni waved to Howard and Hunter, signaling for them to have a match.

Hunter walked onto the field with a dark expression.

He already had a premonition that he would be severely abused.

The same is true.

Howard made the sign of the cross on his chest and strode onto the court with a menacing air.

He came up and immediately backed down the opponent.

He currently weighs 115 kilograms and has a body fat percentage of 9.4%.

This isn't NBA standard, so he's really all muscle and incredibly strong.

Hunter weighs just over 100 kilograms, and when Howard backs down him, it feels like a truck is hitting him, and he's being jostled and knocked over.

The moment he smashed through the space, Howard turned with practiced ease and made a quick step into the box.

That one play was enough to make all the players on the court, except for Ray Allen and others who knew Howard's abilities, gasp in surprise.

My immediate impression is that the two are not on the same level at all.

Meanwhile, D'Antoni and his coaching staff all had their eyes light up.

He is physically strong, with solid and skillful footwork, and his layup is very steady.

This is a mature and reliable interior pillar, just like Kwame Brown back in the day.

Both sides switched drivers.

This is Hunter's fourth year in the league, but due to a lack of development, he still hasn't developed a consistent offensive weapon.

As a center, he lacked a reliable mid-range shot and tried to back down the basket, but he couldn't move it at all.

Trying to make some changes in footwork, but unable to create any space.

He had no choice but to turn around and force a shot.

Slap it.

Howard leaped up like a spring, stretched out his large hand, and easily knocked the basketball away.

The moment he landed, he jumped up quickly and took control of the basketball.

DeAntoni cried out to God in his heart.

This offensive and defensive maneuver perfectly showcased their strength and met their requirements.

But it's not over yet.

Howard has been training hard for half a year, and it's not just about this little bit of skill.

He also has a mid-range jumper, and even a turnaround jump shot.

There's also the hook shot, which has a range that covers both sides of the basket.

Scoring against Hunter was a piece of cake.

Under his defense, Hunter failed to score a single point.

"That's it!"

D'Antoni, overjoyed, stopped the game, looked Howard up and down, and felt like he wanted to kiss him.

His lead assistant coach, Alvin Gentry, said softly, "Think about how strong the Knicks were last season. Tang is really terrifying. In just six months, he can improve a player to this level."

What was Howard's skill level like before training with Tang Sen?

What's it like now?

It's like a completely different person.

D'Antoni nodded in deep agreement.

The Suns have four more players like that.

Many media outlets have said that the biggest winner of Townsend's million-dollar training camp this year is the Suns.

As Howard walked off the court, he wasn't satisfied and said, "I've only just started warming up."

Howard hadn't had a chance to use many of his moves yet.

Hunter, who was following behind, was so frustrated that his face turned black. He thought to himself, "That's enough. You only have the opportunity to train with Tang Sen."

If I had been drafted by Townsend when I was with the Magic, I don't know who would be playing as whose backup now.

D'Antoni spent the first day of training camp in a state of extreme happiness.

He has only one thought in his mind right now: to get the regular season to start as soon as possible so that he can show his basketball philosophy to the entire league and even the world.

(End of this chapter)