I'm king in the basket

Chapter 5
April 6

The finals are in full swing, with the greats Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard leading their teams to the finish line.

One has to fall to the ground before the other can move on.

The finish line is ahead, fighting for a season, for this moment, they will never give up.

And Li Xing also came to the ninth team.

This is Toronto, Canada, this is the city of boars, and this is North Hollywood.

This season, the Raptors only achieved 22 victories, and Chris Bosh, the representative of the 03 golden generation of the team's core players, has expressed dissatisfaction with the team's status many times.

There are signs that Bosh will leave after his contract expires next year.

These things have nothing to do with Li Xing, he is rushing about his own future.

Currently, he has no draft commitments from any lottery pick-holding team.

Canadian Airlines Center Arena
Li Xing came here alone, without a single follower.

He has tried out with eight teams before, an unusual frequency for a popular rookie.

Coupled with the fact that the teams holding the top three picks all expressed negative comments on Li Xing, Li Xing's reputation began to reverse.

"The most wasted talent in history!"

"If I want his body, I can play in the NBA!"

"Stromile Swift has a successor!"

Li Xing memorized the content of the trial training fluently, and was well prepared.

The first side, as before, he stunned the Raptors executives on the scene.

"Sure enough, it's the same as in the legend, terrible physical talent!" Raptors assistant coach Antebo said in surprise.

Li Xing asked, "What shall we do next?"

"Spot shot."

"Damn it, I hate shooting!" Li Xing said bluntly.

So, Li Xing started shooting tests. The highest percentage of non-confrontation fixed-point shots from all angles within the three-point line was only 50%.

"This guy is just like the legend, he can't shoot."

"With such poor offensive means, he was able to average 20+ per game in March Madness, which shows that his talent is strong to a certain extent."

"However, his current performance is not surprising."

"Yes, his talent is at least worthy of a top-five pick. It may be difficult for us to select him."

Several teaching assistants were talking in the corner.

After that, it came to the part that Li Xing hated the most - confrontation training.

The Raptors' approach was relatively simple and rude. They let Reggie Evans and Li Xing play one-on-one halftime.

"Boy, I'm hurt, so let's go as far as we can."

Evans' first impression of Li Xing was that he was wretched. He was obviously a villain, so why did he look so wretched?

The bald head and the football-shaped haircut are extremely funny, and there is nothing particularly strange about the facial features, but they are combined in such a way that they continue to reveal a wretched atmosphere.

Li Xing didn't know Evans, so he was probably a small character. When he heard that he was injured, he felt relieved: "Okay, let's just hit him casually."

The inside half is not one-on-one than the outside line, and it does not rely on shooting or other methods to determine the ball.

If you want the ball, you have to fight in position. The passer will only pass the ball to a fixed middle area.

If you want to get the ball, you have to find ways to push the opponent away.

Li Xing saw that Evans was less than 205 centimeters tall, and felt a little underestimated in his heart. Thinking that he was injured, he didn't move much.

However, Evans pushed him away in an instant, as fierce as he was trying out.

Evans got the ball and yelled: "College student, what do you think this is? If you want to make a living here, you have to fight your opponent!"

After all, Evans slammed hard, pushed Li Xing away, and was about to hook.

If it was half a month ago, Li Xing would have been beaten by him directly, but now it is different, he has gradually integrated the original technology and consciousness of this body, and he himself is used to extraordinary confrontation, and his The physical advantage is too great.

A stocky insider like Evans is fierce, but in the face of absolute talent advantages, his shots have no hope of falling into the basket.

After Li Xing was knocked away, he raised his arms straight and stood up to cover Evans.

"Good boy!" Evans threw the ball to the server: "Again!"

This time, regardless of where Evans was injured, Li Xing tried his best to ask him for a position, but the result was dismal, and he lost again.

Evans took the ball again, pushed Li Xing away with heavy shoulders, yelled, and was about to slam dunk.

Li Xing was a little flustered, the instinct of his body made him make the most correct decision.

Just as Evans' ball was about to drop, the incredible long arm swung along, and it was in the air, knocking Evans' ball away.

This is the tone of the entire confrontation training.

Evans' positioning skills are extraordinary, and Li Xing can't completely defeat him.

However, after getting the ball, Evans was helpless. In front of Li Xing, it was difficult for him to score a point.

"It seems that he is not as incompetent as the legend says."

"Yeah, are those guys who said he was bad blind?"

"Wait a minute, guys, with our pick, what should we do if we take him?"

The eyes of several teaching assistants came and went, and they smiled knowingly.

They believed that Li Xing's so-called trial training was not effective, and it was the news deliberately released by the teams at the bottom of the draft to confuse other teams.

"As far as potential is concerned, he should be the No.1 of this year."

"This guy is great, DeMar is good, and we already have Chris and Andrea, do we really need him?"

"Nock, have you heard a word?"

"Only the best, not the most suitable."

The confrontation training was over, and Li Xing let out a sigh of relief.

This time should be the best confrontation training he has played in nine games.

Evans threw the ball aside and said, "If I have your talent, man, Shaq O'Neal is a fucking ball!"

"You don't have to turn a corner and taunt me, do you? I know I'm not good at playing." Li Xing said helplessly.

Evans said; "You play well, but you can be better, you know? Do you know how much talent you have? Shaq O'Neal is not as good as you, Kareem Kareem is not as good as you, all I know Among the people, there is no one who can compare with your talent, and as a result, you just got stuck and didn't beat me even once! Don't you know that I used one leg to get stuck with you?"

"I know I have a lot of shortcomings."

What can Li Xing say?He is also getting used to it, but it doesn't happen overnight.

"Those guys seem to be very satisfied with you, talent is good!" Evans complained, as if he was the decision maker who decided who the team would choose in the draft meeting half a month later.

"I don't expect you to choose me. I know you already have Chris and Andrea, and there are enough internal personnel reserves." Li Xing said.

Evans limped to the basket and sat down: "Boy, you don't know much about the NBA!"

"Maybe." Li Xing said hesitantly.

In the subsequent tactical class, Li Xing's performance was mediocre, but the Raptors were not disappointed.

At the end of the trial training, Li Xing was left behind.

"No sir, do you think the Raptors will take a fancy to me?" Li Xing was taking a shower in the shower room of the flight center arena.

"There is no indication that you will be drafted by the Raptors, however, you are graded A- for this workout."

"Oh? Are there any rewards? Like attribute points or something"

"No."

"Then what are you talking about?"

After taking a shower, Li Xing and Raptors assistant coach Antebo went to a nearby restaurant together.

"Lee, have you been to Toronto before?"

Antebe asked kindly.

"I often hear people talk about the beautiful "Northern Hollywood", but this is my first visit." Li Xing said.

"Oh?" Antebo smiled and said, "Then I have to show you the beauty of Boar City."

Antebo kept asking Li Xing what he thought of Toronto.

No matter how slow Li Xing was, he still noticed the problem, maybe...they took a fancy to me?Li Xing thought to himself.

"By the way, Lee, did your agent come to Toronto with you?"

"He knew that I was here for a trial training, but you know, I have other trial trainings recently, and he went to help me contact the team. I came alone." Li Xing said.

An Tebo smiled and said, "Please let him come to Toronto."

"Why?"

"We are very interested in you. Do you want to negotiate with Brian yourself? That's not a good decision. Brian is a vampire and he will strip you naked." Antebo said another in a joking tone people.

Brian?Li Xing recalled the name carefully, of course it would not be Kobe Bryant, which Bryant was that?
The answer is obvious -- the current general manager of the Raptors, Brian Colangelo.

Li Xing couldn't hide his excitement, this was the first team that showed interest in him.

"I see. I'll contact him when I get back." Li Xing's excitement surprised Antebo.

what happened?What is this guy getting excited about?Is the rumor true that no team gave him a draft commitment?

impossible!Such a talent, unless other teams are crazy!

That night, Li Xing contacted Sylvester.

Upon hearing the news, Sylvester rushed to Toronto overnight to meet Li Xing.

"Toronto is not your top choice," Sylvester said.

"I have no choice." Li Xing said.

Sylvester said: "Regardless of the outcome of the negotiations tomorrow, you still have to go to other teams for trial training. This will not only let more teams realize your value, but also give the Raptors a sense of urgency."

"I see." Li Xing expressed his understanding.

The next day, Li Xing, Sylvester and Colangelo met at the Raptors' training facility - Nord Center.

"I knew you were a big guy, but I didn't expect you to be so huge." Colangelo is the kind of smiling person who can make people like him at first sight.

Sylvester is neither humble nor overbearing, clarifying Li Xing's bottom line.

"To get Dante, Toronto has to have a higher pick."

"As far as I know, no team has made a commitment to Lee."

"Sir, we are not children, do you think those rumors are credible?"

Li Xing listened silently, and Sylvester's performance surprised him.

He was just an inexperienced rookie agent, and he did not lose the wind in the verbal battle with Colangelo.

After arguing for a long time, Colangelo's livid face gradually turned bright: "Okay, Lee, on behalf of Toronto, I promise you that we will give you priority in the draft."

"Thank you very much." Li Xing said.

Sylvester laughed: "Lee will go to Milwaukee and New Jersey to try out. By the way, Charlotte is also very interested in him."

"Everyone likes geniuses, don't they?" Colangelo still kept a smile on his face, but he was fucking Sylvester in his heart.

Why, stepping on thirteen boats?The teams holding the top nine picks have all tried out, but they are still not satisfied. Does this mean that all the teams with lottery picks have to go through it?

"Goodbye." Li Xing and Sylvester left.

Sylvester said: "Trust me, Toronto is not the best place, if you can, I want you to go to Memphis."

"You know it's impossible." Li Xing sighed.

Sylvester said: "Then let Milwaukee, New Jersey, and Charlotte all look at you, and let them fight for the blood!"

"I'll try my best!" Li Xing smiled wryly.

With the successful experience in Toronto, Li Xing's trial training in Milwaukee, New Jersey and Charlotte was also a great success.

They all made a draft commitment to Li Xing, and said they would strive to trade up to the top draft picks.

When Colangelo received a trade call from Milwaukee, the opponent traded their ninth pick in the first round in a 2-for-1 manner.

Milwaukee crazy?For the sake of a ninth pick, you want to take your own tenth pick and future first-round pick?
Colangelo recalled the rumors he saw today that Milwaukee was dissatisfied with the results of Li Xing's trial training
dissatisfied?I am dissatisfied with your mother hammer!
"damn it!"

Although his subordinates unanimously suggested that Li Xing be selected with the ninth overall pick, Colangelo has always been hesitant.

The Raptors' inside line is strong enough, and they need an outside line.

The question now is not whether Colangelo wants Li Xing, but whether they can afford it.

Colangelo became more and more suspicious that the previous rumors about Li Xing's poor trial results were just rumors. They deliberately made Li Xing a bad name so that those teams with higher drafts would choose others.

"That damned rookie agent really gave me a huge problem!" Colangelo gritted his teeth and immediately ordered a meeting to discuss a plan for an upward trade.

"Guys, come up with a plan for me to get a higher-ranked pick while keeping our ninth overall pick."

On the eve of the draft, a four-way deal involving the Raptors, Timberwolves, Lakers, and Eagles shook the league.

The Raptors sent the 2011 first-round pick (unprotected), the signing rights of Jason Kapono and Sean Marion (sign first and then trade), and exchanged the sixth pick in the first round from the Timberwolves and Adam Morrison (Lakers).

On the same day, the Charlotte Hornets exchanged three for one from the New York Knicks for the eighth pick in the first round.

The 2009 NBA Draft was held as scheduled at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, USA.

This class of rookies is widely underestimated.

There are athletic power forwards with undersized wingspan, bad kids who don't study hard and run around the world, and technical guards with negligible physical fitness.
If you want to find holes, all the hot rookies in this class have a lot of holes.

Bill Simmons even said bluntly: "This is definitely the worst rookie class in ten years, worse than 2000!"

As a popular rookie, Li Xing was invited into the small green room, and by his side were Sylvester, Olina, and Darren Button.

"I made a bet with the coach, I bet you will definitely be selected in the top five." Barton said firmly.

"I bet you will lose." Li Xing smiled.

What surprised Barton was not that Li Xing bet him to lose, but that Li Xing said this sentence with a smile: "Are you Larch?"

"I'm."

"Impossible, Larch won't laugh so wretchedly!"

"I suddenly regret asking you to witness this moment with me." Li Xing sighed.

After a long wait, the prelude finally kicked off.

There is no difference between the time and space that Li Xing lived in. Griffin, Thabeet, Harden, Evans, and Rubio were selected successively.

"My God! They missed you!"

Button said excitedly: "I dare to bet all my wealth, they will definitely regret it!"

"How much is your total net worth?" Olina asked.

"Counting the pair of classic AJ11s under my feet, the total is [-]!" Barton said proudly.

As soon as the words fell, David Stern came to the stage again.

"2009 NBA Draft."

"The Toronto Raptors selected it with the sixth pick."

"Lucky "Dante" Lee from Duquesne!"

Li Xing stood up silently, moved up and down, left and right, and made a standard Catholic prayer gesture.

"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!"

Olina hugged Li Xing: "Larch, you will prove those teams that missed you wrong, right?"

"I can!"

Li Xing had long been prepared for this moment, and when this moment came, he was still very excited.

Barton also hugged Li Xing: "If I come to Toronto to work in the future, will you give me a season ticket?"

"Yes." Li Xing said.

"Go, this is your moment!" Sylvester patted Li Xing on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Harry!"

Li Xing put on his hat and took the first step. From now on, he is Larch "Dante" Lee.

"Larch, how do you feel about your pick?"

"Excellent."

"You used to be the biggest favorite of the No. [-] pick, but now you have fallen to the sixth pick. How do you feel?"

Li Xing wanted to be humble, but when he spoke, a thought from the depths of his soul changed his mind.

He didn't know why he said that sentence.

"Lucky to those who win me, life to those who lose me."

(End of this chapter)