The longest river

Chapter 27 Becoming the First You

"You made the right choice."

After the wild celebration ended, Garnett walked up to Yang Shuai, punched him on the shoulder, and then acknowledged Yang Shuai's choice.

If Yang Shuai were on the Nelson team, he wouldn't have had possession of the ball for the final possession, and naturally, he wouldn't have been able to deliver a game-winning shot.

But now, thanks to his last-minute winner, Yang Shuai has attracted the attention of many scouts, and his ranking will see a significant improvement.

So although he didn't approve of it before, in hindsight, Yang Shuai did make the right choice.

Even after the game ended, Garnett and Yang Shuai were still chatting and laughing.

The intense competition on the field does not affect their relationship off the field.

However, when it was evening, Yang Shuai saw Garnett in the most pain.

According to the schedule, tonight's event is neither a training session nor a competition, nor a tactical explanation, but rather the SAT and AP exams.

The ultimate goal of the training camp is to help the trainees become NBA players, because only in that way can their investment pay off.

To become an NBA player, one must first become an NCAA player, and to become an NCAA player, one must pass these two tests.

This is tough on these students. Most of them skip classes as a regular occurrence in order to stand out from the competition, so very few of them study well.

After the exam, the three of them didn't go straight back to the dormitory, since going back meant facing Iverson's cold face. Instead, they went to the training ground for extra practice.

"How did you do on the exam?" Garnett asked, looking as if he had lost his parents.

"There shouldn't be any problem," Billups said confidently.

Garnett then turned his attention to Yang Shuai.

“I’ve already passed.” Yang Shuai’s answer stunned Garnett and Billups.

After Yang Shuai explained that he had passed the two exams two months ago, he immediately attracted envious glances from the two men.

"If I could, I'd really like you to take the test for me." Garnett looked genuinely desperate.

After training for a while, they sat down to rest on the sidelines.

"What do you think would happen if we really failed the exam?" Garnett was still preoccupied with the exam.

“Then you’ll have to go to a preparatory school or a community college.” Billups was quite knowledgeable about these things.

Garnett slapped his forehead.

Whether it's a prep school or a community college, the level of basketball there won't be very high, which means the chances of making it to the NBA will be greatly reduced.

Moreover, even those schools require students to meet certain academic standards before they can transfer to the NCAA, which is essentially a waste of time.

Although the NBA draft in this era values ​​immediate performance more than potential, entering the NBA a year earlier means earning money a year earlier.

Not to mention the potential risks of injury.

"Alternatively, you could participate directly in the NBA draft, but no one has succeeded in the NBA for a long time," Billups suggested another possibility.

Garnett's eyes lit up at first, but then he fell silent.

"Kevin, you still have a year to go. I believe you can make it," Yang Shuai comforted Garnett. "And with your talent, it's not entirely impossible for you to go directly into the NBA."

He didn't know if Garnett entered the NBA straight from high school, but thanks to his classmate, a LeBron fan, he learned that Kobe and James were both.

Kobe was from the 96 draft class, which is one year later than the rest of the class, so Garnett had a real chance, and might even have surpassed Kobe.

After all, in this era, inside players are more sought after.

The training camp scheduled a psychological counseling session on the second morning.

A basketball player's inherent ability and the ability to perform are two different concepts. To maximize their potential in a highly stressful game, targeted mental training is essential.

That includes managing pre-match anxiety and building a competitive mindset, decision-making ability and emotional stability when facing pressure during the match, and even team communication during training. These are all essential elements.

However, just halfway through the class, there was a sudden commotion at the door.

Yang Shuai turned his head and saw a familiar face.

Others followed him in turning their heads, and soon the whole classroom was in an uproar.

Because the person who came in was Charles Barkley!
Nike's number one star is naturally Jordan, but Barkley is now Nike's number two.

Last year, he won his first MVP award and led his team to the Finals, but unfortunately lost to Jordan 2-4 in the Finals.

This is the best power forward currently active, a top-five superstar in the league. It's no wonder his appearance caused a sensation.

Even Garnett was eager to try, and it seemed that if allowed, he would like to go up and hug the other person immediately.

Yang Shuai wasn't that excited, after all, the Barkley he had seen the most was Barkley in the commentary booth.

However, he couldn't remain completely unfazed, as this was his first time meeting a superstar up close.

Barkley was a special guest at the training camp, where he shared some of his psychological insights with them.

He uses his own experiences as material to share his insights step by step, and combined with his humorous speaking style, it is easier for people to empathize with him compared to traditional preaching.

Everyone knows that Jordan failed to make the Varsity team in his freshman year, but few know that Barkley still couldn't do it in his eleventh year, simply because he weighed 100 kilograms but was only 1.78 meters tall.

If he hadn't grown to 1.93 meters tall that summer in eleventh grade, he would never have had a chance to play professional basketball. However, even with his height of 1.93 meters, he could hardly survive as an inside player, but he always believed in himself and continued to work hard to improve his skills.

Then, in just one year of twelfth grade, he went from a substitute to a starter, then to a core player, and finally led the school team to the state semifinals. He made a name for himself in the game against Bobby Lee Hurt and successfully made it into the NCAA Division I.

"I'm not trying to share with you how awesome I am that I did it in just one year, although that is indeed pretty awesome."

Barkley's words drew another burst of laughter from the audience.

"But what I really want to tell you is that the obstacles on your career path are far more numerous and far-reaching than you imagine. Only by persevering day after day can you possibly reach your destination."

Barkley's speech was met with thunderous applause.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but shake his head.

Barkley's mouth is more impressive than his basketball skills.

After the speech, there was a Q&A session.

This step was supposed to require raising your hand, but Treller stood up immediately.

Barkley was astonished by its enormous size.

However, upon seeing someone of similar "short" stature, he could understand why the other person was so excited, and gestured for him to ask a question.

"Mr. Jazz, you are my role model. My biggest wish in life is to play like you and become like you. Do you have any advice for me?"

Barkley has two nicknames: "Flying Pig" and "Sir Barkley." The former is related to his physique, while the latter is related to his name.

Barkley beamed upon hearing the address, clearly preferring the title "Sir Barkley."

"Use your strengths, for example, I'm very good at using my sexy butt."

Barkley's words drew another burst of laughter from the audience; he really knows how to be serious yet also how to liven up the atmosphere.

"Then always pay attention to your teammates. As a low-post player, it's common to be double-teamed. You have to be able to get the ball to your open teammates in those situations."

Yang Shuai was smiling at first, but when he heard this, he nodded seriously.

Barkley may have been joking, but what he said was actually all very insightful.

However, Barkley's next words were about Yang Shuai, something that no one present, and perhaps even the staff, had expected.

"Also, I am not your role model. I am not, Michael is not, we are not the people you need to become. Your parents, or your grandparents, your aunts, they are."

The scene was chaotic, with students whispering amongst themselves.

Barkley's view is unusual because the NBA has always created stars with the aim of attracting more children to basketball.

Yang Shuai's expression was exceptionally focused at this moment, and his opinion of Barkley underwent a fundamental change.

Previously, he thought Barkley was just a half-baked player, a loser who had no championship and could only find his presence in the commentary booth. But now he thinks Barkley is a truly responsible person, a successful person who deserves respect despite his career failures.

It was at this moment that Barkley noticed Yang Shuai, whose reaction was different from the rest of the group.

After the scene gradually quieted down, he pointed to Yang Shuai's position: "Number 101, do you have anything to say?"

Yang Shuai stood up, and everyone else in the room turned to look at him.

It's intriguing to see what Yang Shuai will say after Barkley made such an unusual statement.

Is it a rebuttal? Or is it a vague response to get by?

"I think you're right."

Then, as soon as Yang Shuai spoke, the scene erupted into excitement once again. Yang Shuai had actually agreed!
Barkley's interest in Yang Shuai grew even stronger.

He gestured for the room to quiet down and then let Yang Shuai continue.

"We don't need to, and can't, become the next someone else; we need to be the first version of ourselves."

In Yang Shuai's father's eyes, Jordan is the "God of Basketball" and the undisputed number one basketball player; but in the eyes of his classmate, a LeBron James fan, Jordan is a gambler, a bully, and a product that only came into existence because of NBA promotion.

What they know is true, but it is also one-sided.

Humans are complex beings. The fundamental difference between two completely different viewpoints held by the same person lies in the different propaganda they have seen.

So even if his deskmate thought James was a perfect GOAT both on and off the court, he wouldn't agree.

Because that's what the NBA and the media want them to see.

This is why he agrees with Barkley's views, and also why his opinion of Barkley has changed.

Of course, he didn't say things like "NBA stars are products of packaging," because that would obviously be inappropriate in this context.

However, Barkley clearly understood.

"What's your name?"

"Yang Shuai, some people also call me Hansen."

"Hansen." Barkley looked Yang Shuai up and down, as if trying to see if he was really handsome.

He nodded at the end, then smiled and said, "I look forward to seeing you on the NBA court in the near future."

(End of this chapter)