The Legend of the Hungry Wolf in Basketball

Chapter 5 [The Invitation of the Lakers]

Ye Feng asked if Bynum had the possibility of joining the Lakers.

Bynum is very down-to-earth, answering any question.He thinks this is very possible, but it's a bit risky, Ye Feng's shooting is really bad, the only attacking area is the basket, and he must face the basket, not turn his back.It is difficult to obtain a guarantee contract in this way.The only thing you can rely on is his defense. His strength in one-on-one defense will make many inside players feel uncomfortable. If the opponent uses pick-and-roll coordination, Ye Feng's speed will definitely be able to keep up with most guards after switching defenses. As long as he exercises for a while Time, defense ability is definitely not bad.

Ye Feng also knows that it is difficult for a purely defensive player to get a high salary, but now he is more inclined to enter the NBA without being drafted. He plans to gradually improve his offensive level after entering the league.Joining the UCLA basketball team for a year of training and getting more attention to participate in the draft is naturally safe, but it will take a year to delay. The most important thing is that if he participates in the draft, it will be difficult for him to enter the Lakers.Unlike many young players who joined the NBA prematurely, he is not unable to withstand the temptation of money, but wants to hug his thigh and get a championship ring.He didn't care much about money, even if he signed a basic salary, it would be hundreds of thousands of dollars.This is already a lot of money for him who is poor and used to it.

So what if it's the first round of the draft?If he is selected to go to the Timberwolves, wouldn't he die of depression in a bitter cold place like the Raptors?Ye Feng made up his mind, and asked again: "An Zhu, can you recommend me to the uniform team? If I participate in the preseason, I hope I can try in the Lakers." (Bynum's English name is Andrew, translated into It is "Andrew" in Chinese, but the English pronunciation is pronounced as "zh". So "Andrew" reads like "An Zhu" in English. Chinese fans like to call him that.)
Bynum laughed and said: "Do you really want to change to play basketball? If you sign with the Lakers, we will be teammates. This is great. It's okay for me to find a scout to see you. I think you are strong." Meme, probably left behind."

Ye Feng knew who he was talking about, Chris Mihm, 213cm tall, created the school's block record during his playing at the University of Texas, and ranked in the history of the University of Texas in terms of total rebounds and double-double games Second, he was selected to the All-American First Team in his junior year.He is not a weakling. He was selected by the Bulls with the 2000th pick in the first round in 7, and was immediately traded to the Cavaliers.Unfortunately, he was injured three times in the first season of his career, and then continued to suffer injuries. Transferred to the Lakers in 2004, he was a starter in the first two seasons of the Lakers. In the second season, he averaged 10.2 points per game and shot 50% from the field.He would have been a solid role player, but last year he was reimbursed for the season due to right ankle surgery.Mihm is already a free agent this season, and his status is unknown.The Lakers are very likely to sign him, he is Ye Feng's main competitor.

Thinking that Mim was about to retire after his injury, Ye Feng also gained some confidence, and said with a smile: "You can help me ask. If I enter the NBA, I only want to play in Los Angeles, and I am not happy going to other places. If not, I will I just went back to school and joined the basketball team to practice for a year and participate in the draft, so I’m going to change to basketball.”

Bynum was very excited and immediately took out the phone. "Okay, I'll help you ask, but why do you want to play basketball all of a sudden?"

Ye Feng had already thought of the reason. "Because the basketball game is indoors, I have a bit of a shadow on the outdoor court now. If I am struck by lightning again one day, I may not be able to wake up."

"..." Bynum was a little speechless about this reason. He admired Ye Feng's superhuman physical fitness, and immediately called the Lakers scout.

The Lakers do not lack inside players.There are Bynum, Kwame Brown, and Mihm at the center; Odom, Turiaf, and Brian Cook are at the power forward position. If you want to get playing time, the competition is very fierce.Ye Feng also knew that the Lakers would trade with the Grizzlies in the mid-term to bring in Pau Gasol. Once the All-Star power forward came, it would be even more difficult for him to get a chance to play.But he has to give it a try. If he joins the Lakers, he might be able to defeat the Celtics and win the championship in his first season!

The next day, the Lakers sent their best scouts.It was a beautiful woman in a red dress with a nosebleed figure. Her name was Bonnie Jill Laughlin.

Laughlin was born in 1976. His father has German and Irish ancestry, and his mother is of Apache, Spanish and Hawaiian ancestry, which is super mixed.His father is a well-known NBA bodyguard and a close friend of Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Buss even regarded Laughlin as his daughter.Laughlin once worked as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers, starred in film and television dramas, not only as a scout, but also as an entertainment star.

NBA owners all hope to increase the commercial value of the team. Ye Feng is a football player who switched to basketball, which is a very good gimmick.And he is Chinese, Chinese are very eye-catching, otherwise the Lakers would not have selected Sun Yue with the 40th overall pick in the draft. Sun Yue is far less popular in China than Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming, but if there are two Chinese in the team, The Lakers may become China's home court.

Laughlin walked up to Ye Feng, shook hands with him, and said with a smile, "Hi, I'm Bonnie Jill Laughlin, a scout for the Lakers. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Laughlin, I have to say, you are more beautiful in real life than on TV or in magazines!" Ye Feng exclaimed.

"Really? Thank you." American women like to be praised, and no one would be offended by words like "You have a hot body".

Laughlin is not a vase of the Lakers, she is very efficient in handling affairs, and she got to the point without talking a few words, and gave Ye Feng a complete body.After each test, she almost had to say a sentence - "OH, MYGOD!"

Ye Feng is 201cm tall, 203cm tall with shoes on, 214cm wingspan, 108kg weight, only 6.2% body fat, 273cm standing height, 85cm vertical jump, and 92cm maximum jump.

The above are all pediatrics. It took him 3 seconds to sprint on a 4/3.15 field, and 10 seconds to turn back agility test. Such data are not inferior even compared to James. The NBA bench press standard is 87 kg, depending on the number of times.This weight was too childish for Ye Feng, he changed to 84 kg and pushed 180 times.

Laughlin did not hesitate to rate Ye Feng as S+ on the form, which belongs to the unlimited potential type in player evaluation.Leaving aside the game skills, Ye Feng's body is so good, she couldn't believe it was the body data of a Chinese.When asked about bloodlines, Ye Feng couldn't answer, he didn't know himself.

Laughlin immediately reported the situation to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, and the Lakers uniform team decided to invite Ye Feng to participate in the preseason training camp to represent the Lakers in preseason games.And he has a great chance to stay, no one will easily give up a person whose physical fitness is comparable to the number one pick.

Ye Feng readily agreed to the Lakers' invitation, but at the same time rejected the proposal to participate in the Eagles' training camp.Zasana is not from the Eagles, so he is not disappointed by this, he blesses Ye Feng and supports his choice.

After the body side was done, the way Laughlin looked at Ye Feng changed. "My God, you may be the Chinese with the best physical fitness, and Yi Jianlian is also good, but your overall quality is stronger than him. I think if you publish your body data, you will definitely get more attention."

Bynum felt like the legendary Bole, and proudly said, "I'll just say he's very good."

Laughlin said with a smile: "Andrew, you should be glad that his height is only 201cm, not 210cm, otherwise the uniform team would let him replace you."

"..." Only then did Bynum recall that Ye Feng seemed to be able to play the 5th position, and his playing time might have to be reduced.

Next, besides helping Bynum to train, Ye Feng also strengthened basic basketball training.When Bynum practiced free throws and shooting, he no longer helped to pass the ball, but slapped the ball aside, familiar with the feeling of dribbling.In terms of shooting, although his shooting percentage is low, at least his movements are standard, and his dribbling is really a mess.Don't talk about people, he can't even run around the court with the ball smoothly, and he doesn't know anything about fake moves.He studied under Bynum, learned a few low-post turn techniques, and squeezed the opponent's basket to shoot, which is considered a little more offensive means.

Bynum was a little helpless about this, he felt more like a sparring partner.Ye Feng is very good at being a man, he treats Bynum to dinner and chats every night to enhance friendship.Thinking that Ye Feng's rapid progress was due to his low starting point, Bynum also regained his psychological balance.

Bynum has also improved, he played tougher.The two fought hand-to-hand under the basket, and their muscles almost burst into sparks.Zassana said their confrontation in practice was like a playoff game.

One day, the general manager of the Lakers Kupchak went to the training ground to watch Ye Feng and Bynum practice. He was also more optimistic about Ye Feng and felt that he was better than another Chinese player, Sun Yue.

Standing at the window on the second floor, Kupchak asked Laughlin: "What position do you think he is suitable for? Is he short for the post?"

Laughlin thought for a while, and said: "His offense is too poor, he can only play inside for the time being, and there is no problem on the defensive end. I think there is no one in the league who he can't handle except O'Neal. Kobe in his golden age is also better than him. It’s not about his physical fitness. If his defense awareness is good enough, he should be able to become a star in the future, and this time we found a treasure.”

Kupchak said with a smile: "Don't be too happy too early, it's just possible. The Weaver we selected back then was also of good quality, but that person can do nothing but break through. I think golf intelligence is more important than physical fitness. , Larry Bird won’t be able to jump up? Watch him carefully when the training camp starts, and if he can adapt to the rhythm, keep him.”

In August, when the news that Ye Feng was going to represent the Lakers in the preseason came out, it immediately caused an uproar.The major media paid more attention to him. Compared with other Chinese players, he is a mysterious person.

Ye Feng's rugby teammates saw the news and called to inquire about the situation. Toba also advised him to go back to play rugby.In UCLA, Ye Feng is a very important member of the team.

Ye Feng dismissed these people with an excuse he thought up, he wants to play basketball!

(End of this chapter)