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Chapter 548 - 2007 NBA Draft Pick #3

Chapter 548: 2007 NBA Draft Pick #3

Two days later, on July 1st, a new month began, and with it, the real end of the NBA 06-07 season as the free agency market opened.

DeRozan and Harden returned to Compton together. After their 12th grade season ended, they had been busy participating in various competitions, and later went to San Antonio to watch the Finals before spending a week in Charlotte. It had been several months since they’d been home, and they were missing their mothers.

As for Zhang Yang, he had taken a few days of rest and was now ready to re-enter work mode, starting his off-season training!

In the afternoon, Zhang Yang attended the team’s press conference.

Bickerstaff announced the end of his coaching career, and Rick Carlisle became the new head coach of the Bobcats.

The press conference was lively with many media outlets present.

The season that had just ended saw Bickerstaff on fire, crowned Best Manager, Best Coach, and Championship Head Coach all in one—a historical first!

His bold moves during the playoffs, which other coaches wouldn’t even dare to think about, were now legendary among fans, and he had earned the title of ’Legendary Coach.’

At the press conference, Bickerstaff said, "I thought I was just a transitional head coach during the initial team-building phase. I never expected to win a championship. My players were just amazing. But I no longer have the capability and energy to coach them. I’m leaving the team in Rick’s hands. He’s one of the most talented young coaches I’ve come across, far better than me."

Carlisle, with a smile, said, "I still have many areas that need improvement, and I need to learn from Bernie. With his help, I believe I’ll become an even better coach."

When Carlisle was asked about being fired by the Pacers, he responded, "The Pacers have entered a new phase; they’re rebuilding the team and don’t need a coach with my style anymore. I wish them all the best in the future."

Zhang Yang, who was observing the conference, thought Carlisle seemed much more low-key than he had been in the past. In 2003 when he was suddenly fired by the Pistons, he lashed out at Dumars during a press conference after being recruited back by Larry Bird.

This time, Carlisle’s conflict with Larry Bird was far greater than his conflict with Dumars had been, yet when discussing the Pacers and Larry Bird, he was not nearly as emotional.

Having faced the harsh realities of the world, Carlisle was evolving towards becoming more cunning and astute...

After the press conference, Zhang Yang went to the training court and met alumnus Aaron Afflalo.

The team had chosen Afflalo, and Zhang Yang had taken the time to catch up on the long-unseen alumnus’ college career.

After joining UCLA in ’04, Afflalo played as a substitute during his freshman year, and as a sophomore, he surpassed favored player Farmar to become UCLA’s star, leading them to the final four in March Madness.

In his last year, junior season, Afflalo was a finalist for almost every college award and was selected for the All-America First Team, AP All-America Team, NABC Coaches’ All-America Team, and USBWA All-America Team...

At college, Afflalo had already peaked, and with UCLA’s middling strength and Westbrook targeting the core spot, he left college early to enter the draft after his junior year for the sake of his development.

Zhang Yang and Afflalo weren’t particularly close during their high school team year; it wasn’t until Zhang Yang showed his talent in his 10th grade season that they started to communicate a bit. After Afflalo graduated from high school, they hadn’t seen each other for three years.

Now Zhang Yang, the once junior, had become an NBA Finals MVP, and as Afflalo joined the league as a rookie, meeting again was quite awkward for him.

But Zhang Yang was talkative, proactively finding topics to chat about, and Afflalo gradually shed his awkwardness, talking with Zhang Yang about the past few years.

Afflalo said, "Josh, that guy, insisted on going to USC, saying he wanted to uphold the century-long tradition of Compton, but after teaming up with Nick Young for one year, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He got into a fight with Nick Young and came running to me, which was annoying. But with him, we managed to reach the final four in ’06. His talent is really great. He could easily score over ten points per game in college."

Zhang Yang said, "It’s a pity he’s not interested in becoming a professional player; otherwise, he could have been selected in the first round of the draft."

Josh Hip, with season averages of 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals, was the starting small forward for UCLA, a key player in the frontcourt.

Afflalo continued, "He said that basketball is just a hobby for him, and he didn’t want to involve money in it as it would ruin his basketball dream. Besides the matches and coach-prescribed training at school, he hardly went to the community, focusing more on his studies and even joining the ’Future Elite Society.’ He spends every summer participating in activities all over the world. His future is not like ours."

Zhang Yang responded, "That’s not bad, he has his firm goals..."

People like Hip are not considered ’black’ in the eyes of Americans.

The American definition of black is very utilitarian. People like Kobe, Hill, or Battier were called ’biracial’ or ’African-American’ until they made a name for themselves. It’s only after gaining fame in the NBA or college that they are called ’black.’

If Hip were to make a name for himself in the business world one day, he too would be called ’black.’ But for now, he’s just a ’wealthy African-American second generation.’

After some casual conversation, Zhang Yang began his training, and Afflalo continued his own.

Both of them practiced three-point shooting. After deciding to enter the draft early at the end of his junior year, Afflalo began adapting to the NBA’s three-point line, and in two months, his accuracy had become quite good.

But watching Zhang Yang swish shot after shot...

In three years of college, Afflalo realized just how big the world really was.

He had worked hard for two years in college, and by his junior year, during the preseason invitationals, he faced freshman Durant, who had just come out of high school, and Durant, after only a few months in college, was already better than him.

And looking at Zhang Yang, that little underclassman who used to fumble with his dribbling four years ago, had in less than four years time, managed to win an NBA championship and the Finals MVP.

Harden and DeRozan, seeing Zhang Yang’s performance, became even more ambitious, more self-assertive, and more eager to surpass Zhang Yang, while after meeting Zhang Yang again, Afflalo chose to accept his own mediocrity...

This didn’t mean Afflalo had lost his passion for basketball or his dreams. Any player who had competed in college would understand the concept that ’basketball has more than one role.’

The two trained together for two days, and on the 3rd, Afflalo left with Randy Brown to embark on the summer league journey in Orlando.

Zhang Yang continued to train, and on the 7th, he received a notification that his ability had broken through again—his stamina had increased to 90!