Basketball Terminal

Chapter 35 Truth
On February 3, the Long Island Nets organized a half-day shooting practice, during which they informed the players that on February 4, the team would depart for the Disney World Resort in Florida for acclimatization training in preparation for the league's opening on February 9.

After training, Levi bought the Chevrolet SUV from Shannon Scott for $800. With the title Scott gave him, he went to the vehicle management office to transfer the ownership, and Levi finally had his own means of transportation.

This 2011 Captiva, though 10 years old, is in excellent condition. It has never been in an accident, has not undergone major repairs, and has been regularly maintained. If sold on the used car market, it should fetch $4000 to $5000 without any problem.

Shannon Scott's initial offer of $2000 was already quite reasonable, but Levi pushed it down to $800, which Scott could still accept. It was practically a giveaway, a way of making friends with Levi.

Li Wei was well aware of this. He promised Shannon that if he became rich and powerful, he would never forget the days they played and suffered together in the Development League.

Scott smiled, not taking Levi's words too seriously. Although he was optimistic about Levi's future development, he felt that the kid was probably not strong enough to be able to help him.
Shannon would be satisfied if the two could cooperate more in the G League, allowing Brett to give him more playing time and rack up some stats to lay the groundwork for his next contract.

On the morning of the 4th, Li Wei got up early as usual to go for a run and walk the dog, completing his basic aerobic exercise. Then he took the luggage he had packed the night before and went downstairs. Chen Lihua said she would drive Li Wei to the airport, but Li Wei said he had already called a taxi and would arrive in a little while.

When Li Wei left home for the first time, Chen Lihua felt reluctant and worried. Looking at her son's maturity, she suddenly realized that she had not cared for and loved Li Wei enough in the past.

"Don't worry about it. Communication is so advanced now. Just call me if anything happens. It might take a month, or maybe a week or so. Stop nagging. I'm leaving once the car arrives. Li Yue, take good care of things at home. Remember to come back to the shop to help out. Also, don't damage my comics and figurines, and especially don't lend them out."

"Alright, alright, you've said it so many times, let's go, let's go, you're so long-winded, I don't know who's being so nagging..."

Having learned their lesson from the previous trip to Westchester in an open-top bus, the Long Island Nets required their players to go directly to the airport to meet up. Everyone arrived on time and waited in the departure lounge to board their plane.

Unlike NBA teams, which have their own private jets, G League teams can only travel on regular commercial flights, sharing economy class with ordinary passengers. Furthermore, there are often no direct flights, requiring transfers.

It's cheaper to transfer flights.

To save money, the Long Island Nets booked a connecting flight. They will fly to Atlanta first, wait in Atlanta for more than an hour, and then fly to their final destination, Orlando, Florida.

After health checks, everyone had to wear masks and sit separately. The cramped cabin and seats were torture for the players and also a hassle for the flight attendants, as the players' long legs were stretched out into the aisle.

Li Wei was disappointed by the flight attendants' figures and appearances; they were all middle-aged women, and even with masks on, it was clear they were not young. Some were even quite robust, and none of them made Li Wei want to ask for their contact information.

The plane took off on time and arrived in Atlanta a little over two hours later. Some people chose to wait on the plane for the second takeoff, while others wanted to get off the plane to get some fresh air. Economy class on a regular flight is too cramped for basketball players.

Upon reaching the departure point, an announcement was made at the airport, instructing passenger Paulo Eboua to board the plane as soon as possible. The players then realized that Eboua, who had said he was getting off the plane for some fresh air, had not returned.

Unable to reach Ebua, assistant coach Shessen Allen got off the plane to look for him, while the rest of the team headed to Orlando. Levi and Shannon called Ebua several times but received no answer. Where had he gone? Had he deserted?
After another hour's flight, the plane landed at Orlando International Airport. When the players assembled, they discovered that Ebua was already there! Did you leave first in Atlanta?

Li Wei asked Ebua what happened, and Ebua said embarrassedly that he was too uncomfortable on the plane. The space was cramped, he had to wear a mask, and the flight attendants were unfriendly, so he didn't want to go anymore. After getting off the plane, he found a place to hide.

Later, Coach Shessen Allen contacted him and quickly arranged a new flight—a fast regional plane—which arrived in Orlando ahead of him. Of course, the cost of the ticket had to be deducted from Ebua's salary.

The Long Island Nets players are used to such unexpected events on the road, and the coaches are also experienced and knowledgeable. When problems arise, they simply smooth things over, and no one complains or criticizes Eboue.

However, it's clear to everyone that Eboua's time in the G League won't last long.

Because of the NBA's experience organizing games in the bubble in 2020, the players were quickly arranged to travel to their game destination—ESPN Sports Center Big World, located in Walt Disney World in Orlando—after landing.

The drive from the airport to the sports center takes about half an hour. It was getting late when we were almost there. On the elevated highway, we could see the colorful Disneyland in the distance through the car window. It is the world's largest amusement park, covering 124 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the combined area of ​​Qinhuai District and Xuanwu District in NJ City.

The ESPN Sports Center is located in the southeast corner of Disney World. Upon entering the center, you can see tall palm trees lining the roadside and tropical wildflowers dotting the ground beneath them. Under the streetlights, they seem to be saying to the players, "Welcome to Florida!"

Once everything was arranged and the players checked into their standard rooms at the Disney Yacht Club Resort Hotel in pairs, all they wanted to do was lie in their soft beds and get a good night's sleep; the day's journey had been too exhausting.

In fact, this is just the daily routine of professional players. For young players who have just graduated from university, adapting to this kind of journey is the first step to becoming a qualified professional player.

Li Wei felt alright. After letting his family know he was safe, he asked Ebua, who shared a room with him, if he wanted to go to the gym for a workout. Ebua, lying on the bed, didn't want to move and waved his hand, saying, "Right now, I just want to stick to my dear bed."

Before leaving the park, Li Wei put on a special wristband issued by the park. After being tested every day, the wristband will be marked, allowing him to move freely in the park; otherwise, he will be stopped at any time.

The hotel gym was quite good, but not many players were training there; after the fatigue of their journey, everyone wanted to rest. Only a few players who were very strict with themselves persisted in training to maintain their form. Li Wei had an urgent need for physical fitness and strength, so he didn't slack off every day, strictly following the training plan set by his trainer, and would also do extra training based on his physical condition in order to perform better on the field.

Without the supervision of a professional trainer, the trainee needs a high degree of self-discipline. At this time, strength training is not only a physical exercise for Li Wei, but also a mental tempering, which is also beneficial to the improvement of his special abilities.

Halfway through his workout, Li Wei was covered in sweat. He sat down to rest for a while before starting the second half of his workout. Glancing over, he saw a very familiar… very familiar butt on the other end of the treadmill.

The more Li Wei looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. Although it was wearing gray leggings this time, the shape, the amplitude of the shaking when running, and the length of its legs were exactly the same as he remembered.

As the German philosopher Leibniz once said, there are no two buttocks in the world that are the same.

Li Wei got up and walked to the treadmill. He slammed the stop button on the treadmill, and it stopped immediately. The girl almost tripped and fell.

Although she was wearing a mask, the moment their eyes met, Li Wei knew he hadn't mistaken her for someone else, because the girl had blue-gray eyes and was the one who worked out at the Bronx Sports Center.

"You are still so beautiful, madam."

"Why are you here?"

The girl clearly recognized Li Wei, but she didn't know who Li Wei was, let alone why he was at the hotel where the G League players were staying at Disney.

Li Wei said, "I'm here to play in the G League, are you here for tourism?"

The girl asked incredulously, "Are you a G League player?" She took off her mask, revealing a beautiful Eurasian face.

"Of course, the Long Island Nets, center, Victor Lee."

The girl was even more surprised and said, "So you are Victor Lee. I've heard of you."

While Li Wei was still wondering why the girl was there, she reached out her hand and said, "Mari Amachi, a frontline reporter for the Development League, an intern, stationed in Orlando to cover the games."

This time it was Li Wei's turn to be surprised. What a coincidence! The girl was actually an intern reporter for the Development League. But thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. The NBA and the Development League have many news internship positions every year, and anyone with a good appearance and relevant major can apply.

Generally, most people leave after a while to try out other positions and jobs; very few actually stay. This "Heavenly Truth" person is probably the same; her name is really strange, so she's definitely of Japanese-Japanese descent.

The last time they met, the girl was quite fierce, but this time, after learning that Li Wei was a G League player, she became much friendlier and more polite. However, when she saw Li Wei's eyes darting around her, she still said unhappily, "Excuse me, where are you looking?"

"I admire your figure, especially your hips; I said they were very beautiful last time."

"Um... does it really have to be this direct?"

"You asked me, of course I'll tell you the truth. Otherwise, do you expect me to lie to you and say I'm admiring your tight-fitting workout clothes? God, if you don't have a good figure, this outfit is a disaster, and obviously you don't."

Li Wei's direct praise left Zhenli speechless. Not letting her off the hook, Li Wei continued, "I recognized you by your buttocks. Otherwise, with your back to me and wearing a mask, why would I come looking for you? I'm not some pervert who randomly picks up girls."

"Excuse me, is it really not true?"

"Of course not. I'll just look with my eyes before I get your permission. I won't touch you. Looking isn't illegal, right?"

Feeling speechless, Zhenli could only smile, her face slightly flushed. In her heart, she was very curious about Levi. She had heard more than one person talk about Victor Lee, who had performed very well in the first preseason game.

"Hey, can you do me a favor? I need to keep working out. Can you be my assistant? I made a big improvement last time with your help."

Truth pursed her lips shyly and followed Li Wei to the free strength area. During the training, Truth noticed that Li Wei was very focused and serious, without a single distraction. His eyes were no longer fixed on her, but were completely absorbed in the practice.

He actually looks quite handsome. I wonder how he'll perform in the official competition in a few days.

(End of this chapter)