The longest river

Chapter 29 Teasing Kobe
Philadelphia in July is as hot as an oven.

Moreover, the heat in Philadelphia is different from that in Chicago; it's humid heat, making you feel like you're in a sauna.

Rondo felt very uncomfortable after getting off the plane, and was sweating profusely.

Yang Shuai was also not feeling well, but since he was from the South in his previous life, he didn't have much psychological resistance.

Eskridge picked them up from the airport, and Yang Shuai received much better treatment this time than when he went to Inglewood.

Since it was almost lunchtime, Eskledge decided to take them to eat first.

On the way there, this native Philadelphian proudly introduced the city to them.

Yang Shuai's limited understanding of Philadelphia in his previous life came from social media, where Philadelphia was known as the "Zombie Capital".

However, according to Eskledge, Philadelphia is the second-largest city in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.

It also briefly served as the capital of the United States and is one of the oldest and most historically significant cities in the country, as well as one of the most economically, culturally, and politically prosperous.

Of course, it is also one of the cities with the most thriving basketball scene.

This place has produced historical superstars such as Wilt Chamberlain, "Dr. J" Irving, and Moses Malone. Even Charles Barkley, whom Yang Shuai met at the training camp, had a glorious season here.

It was at this moment that Yang Shuai suddenly remembered that Iverson was also from Philadelphia.

Oh, and during the AAU tournament before, Saldé said that Kobe and Hamilton were also from Philadelphia.

I wonder if they'll also play in the Hill League; if they do, that would be interesting.

Eskridge took them to a restaurant called Jim's on South Street in Philadelphia and treated them to a local specialty called a cheese burger.

This is a sandwich, but it's also like a submarine sandwich. It's made by stir-frying onions and thin slices of ribeye beef, then wrapping them in a long Italian bread roll with cheese.

This kind of food actually suits Yang Shuai's taste quite well.

After dinner, Eskledge took them to his lodgings, an unused dormitory at the high school where he taught.

The room was very stuffy because there was no air conditioning.

As Eskledge had said before, the conditions here are nothing like those at Nike training camp.

However, Yang Shuai didn't mind. Compared to sleeping in the park when he first transmigrated, this condition was already quite good.

Since they had just arrived, Eskrich did not immediately arrange a match for them, but instead let them rest for the night.

Before leaving, he gave them a key; it belonged to the school's training hall.

The school is not open to the public during the summer vacation, but students can train inside the school during the day if they have nothing to do.

There are outdoor courts, of course, but Philadelphia has a lot of thunderstorms in the summer, so if that happens, you can only play indoors.

Unable to sleep due to the heat in the room, Yang Shuai and Rondo went to the outdoor court.

As Eskledge suggested, the lights were turned on, and the two quickly started playing one-on-one.

Well, you could also say it was Yang Shuai's one-sided humiliation.

Rondo, due to his height disadvantage, had a hard time against Yang Shuai before, and now he is completely powerless against the upgraded Yang Shuai.

In the end, they simply started a basketball shooting contest there.

Even when it comes to shooting, Rondo is no match for Yang Shuai.

An hour later, the two sat down to rest on the sidelines.

"You're really going to the NBA." Rondo said this with a lot of emotion, both happy for Yang Shuai and somewhat disappointed.

"If that day ever comes, come and help me out," Yang Shuai said, patting Rondo on the shoulder.

The last time the two talked about the NBA, Yang Shuai said he would invite them to watch a game live. At that time, he felt that the NBA was still far away from him, and those words were more like an expectation.
But now, after experiencing the Nike training camp, his confidence has greatly improved, and what he says is more practical.

After entering the NBA, his life will definitely become busier, and he will need someone by his side to help him handle various matters.

Rondo is one of the few people he trusts, and the previous Truth incident also showed that he is quite quick-witted.

Rondo nodded vigorously after hearing this.

His talent means he's not destined for the NBA, but if he can learn about the NBA by following Yang Shuai, that would be a great outcome.

The following evening, Yang Shuai and Rondo went to the game venue with Eskledge.

It's called a competition venue, but it's actually just a streetball court.

Unlike ordinary streetball courts, this one was contracted out to host competitions, so it was mostly players and spectators.

Yang Shuai had mentally prepared himself, but he was still surprised by the crowd when he saw the place packed with people, with even the roofs of cars and the bridge filled with spectators.

Garnett is right, this is indeed the most well-known streetball league.

The biggest difference between amateur and professional leagues is that most of the team members are amateur players. For example, the team's center might be a truck driver, and the team's defenders might be sitting at a bank counter during the day.

This leads to a problem: the players can't train regularly and basically get to know each other through matches.

So during the pre-match warm-up, Eskrich introduced Rondo and Yang Shuai to his veteran players.

“This is Chris Rondo…” Eskridge said, looking at Rondo. Yang Shuai had only mentioned Rondo’s name before.

"I'm good at organizing and passing," Rondo introduced himself.

Eskrich nodded, then turned to look at Yang Shuai, his face full of pride:
"This is Hansen Young, who played for me at the Nike training camp. He's a five-star high school student in his eleventh year."

He took out a small loan, but in his judgment, it was only a matter of time.

Everyone else turned their attention to Yang Shuai; clearly, the title of five-star high school student was enough for his teammates to remember him.

Eskritch briefly introduced the other players again, without any specific tactical plans. After chanting the team slogan, he took the field amidst cheers from the fans. Yang Shuai was also experiencing this kind of match for the first time, feeling both a little strange and excited.

"Negative energy from Kobe Bryant +88".

However, when he heard the notification sound in his mind and looked up to see that familiar face staring at him from the opposing team, that feeling was instantly forgotten.

Yang Shuai only met his teammates after arriving at the competition venue, so it was even less likely that he would know who his opponents were beforehand.

I never expected to run into Kobe in my very first game!

His lips couldn't help but curl upwards in a smile.

He's already making some progress without doing anything; that's so Kobe-like.

Speaking of which, he heard that Kobe went to the ABCD training camp. It's a pity that the two of them were not in the same training camp, otherwise he could have earned a lot of points.

"That kid's name is Kobe, he's Joe's son," a teammate nearby reminded him, noticing that he was staring at Kobe.

"Joe was a superstar in the league when he was young, and he even made it to the NBA." He added after realizing that Yang Shuai was not a native of Philadelphia.

"I'll guard him." Yang Shuai smiled mischievously.

"You won't win this time." Kobe said this harshly as Yang Shuai came over to face him.

"Huh?" Yang Shuai looked around, as if only then realizing that Kobe was talking to him, and then looked at him and asked, "Are you talking to me?"

Amid Kobe's bewildered gaze, he asked again with a puzzled look, "Who are you?"

"Negative energy from Kobe Bryant +148".

Kobe's face flushed instantly. He had considered Yang Shuai's possible reactions, but he never expected that Yang Shuai would not remember him!
hateful! !
"We're opponents in the AAU Championship finals!" Kobe reminded him through gritted teeth.

Yang Shuai carefully examined Kobe, then, as if suddenly realizing something, shook his head under Kobe's expectant gaze: "I don't remember anything."

"Negative energy from Kobe Bryant +305".

Kobe really wanted to elbow Yang Shuai.

To be honest, if Yang Shuai wasn't a time traveler, he really wouldn't remember Kobe, since they had only faced each other once before, and Kobe was just a supporting character from beginning to end.

"You'll find out soon enough!" After uttering those harsh words, Kobe stopped looking at Yang Shuai.

Just then, the referee threw the ball into the air, and the game officially began.

Yang Shuai's team got the first attacking opportunity.

Rondo didn't start, but their point guard passed the ball to Yang Shuai after advancing it to half-court.

The team has a new player, a five-star high school student, and they naturally want to see how good he is.

Yang Shuai didn't hesitate; after receiving the ball, he immediately signaled to spread out.

Since there are no tactics, we can simply play basic basketball.

Kobe didn't call for help defense; instead, he waved his long arms and made aggressive gestures.

He has to prevent Yang Shuai from proving himself.

However, reality soon taught him a harsh lesson.

Yang Shuai immediately engaged him in a contest during his breakthrough.

His frail body struggled to maintain its balance against Yang Shuai's challenge, let alone pose a defensive threat.

Yang Shuai drove past Kobe Bryant into the paint, shoving his way past the opponent to score a layup.

Who says the tank layup is ineffective?
"Number 33, your defense isn't very good, is it?" After scoring a layup, Yang Shuai looked at Kobe and gave a casual evaluation.

"Negative energy from Kobe Bryant +207".

Kobe, who won't turn 16 until August of this year, must have felt like he'd been screwed over.

He started playing basketball with his father at a young age, and later moved to Italy and Philadelphia, accumulating a wealth of playing experience.

But Yang Shuai is the first opponent I've encountered with such a foul mouth!
He had completely lost control of his emotions.

When he turned around, he forcefully snatched the ball from his own point guard and then signaled to spread out for a one-on-one attack.

The audience began to jeer.

They love this kind of confrontational drama.

Kobe quickly took possession of the ball and initiated a drive to the basket.

Compared to his defense, Kobe's offensive skills were significantly superior.

His perception of footsteps and space, in particular, is not what one would expect from a 15-year-old.

However, he was indeed too thin, and when Yang Shuai made contact during the defense, he staggered.

"boom!"

Kobe's last shot was blocked by Yang Shuai with a volleyball-like shot.

Yang Shuai placed his hand on his forehead, gazed into the direction of the ball for a moment, then turned and smiled at Kobe:

"Your offense seems mediocre too."

"Negative energy from Kobe Bryant +410".

Kobe's eyes are bloodshot!
(End of this chapter)