Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

After the wedding.

Lu Yong and Hannah then boarded a flight to Brooklyn, USA.

As the plane pierced through the clouds, Hannah leaned on Lu Yong's shoulder and whispered, "When you go back this time, will you really be saying goodbye to the person you were on the sidelines?"

Lu Yong shook her hand and smiled, "Retirement doesn't mean leaving completely; I still have new tasks to complete."

The plane landed smoothly at Brooklyn Airport, where Nets staff who had been waiting greeted it.

Although Lu Yong has decided to step down as head coach, his status as a minority shareholder of the Nets still gives him a significant role in the team.

As soon as I got into the car, the team manager called: "Lu, the whole team is celebrating like it's New Year's since you came back. There will be a lot of changes to the roster next season. You'll have to give those two Chinese kids a good talking to."

Lu Yong replied, "Don't worry, that's the main reason I came back this time."

Back home in Brooklyn, a luxurious suburban villa surrounded by greenery, quiet and comfortable.

Hannah was busy packing her luggage, while Lu Yong sat on the sofa in the living room, looking through the team's roster for next season.

The names of Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang stand out. These two young players from China carry the hopes of countless Chinese fans.

Early the next morning, Lu Yong drove to the Nets' training facility.

Sunlight streamed through the huge glass windows, casting a dazzling glow on the wooden floor.

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang were already waiting in the training hall. When they saw Lu Yong walk in, the two immediately went to greet him.

Zhou Qi is tall and imposing, like a moving mountain. He scratched his head and said with a smile, "Coach Lu, you're finally back! We've all been looking forward to your guidance."

Ding Yanyuhang's eyes shone with excitement: "Coach Lu, we will definitely train hard."

Lu Yong patted the two men on the shoulders and said, "I called you here today to give you some pointers on tactics for next season, but before that, I need to check on your current condition."

As he spoke, he looked at the head trainer, Miles, who was standing to the side.

Miles nodded, took a training plan out of his bag, and said, "Lu, this is a preliminary training plan based on their previous performance, but I think it needs to be adjusted to fit the tactics you're going to implement."

Lu Yong took the plan, looked at it carefully, and then said, "Let's start by practicing three-pointers. The current trend in the NBA is three-pointers. Whether you're inside or outside, you need to have a three-point shot."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment: "Coach Lu, I'm okay at inside, but three-pointers have always been my weakness."

Ding Yanyuhang frowned as well: "My three-pointers are inconsistent, sometimes good and sometimes bad."

Lu Yong smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll take it one step at a time. Miles, you take them through some basic three-point shooting drills first, to get them a feel for it."

Miles responded and led the two men to the three-point line.

He first demonstrated the standard shooting posture to the two of them, explaining every detail clearly, from the power generated by the feet to the extension of the arms and the flicking of the wrist.

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang began practicing.

Zhou Qi is tall and has a wide-reaching arm when shooting, but he doesn't control his power very well, so the ball always bounces off the rim.

Ding Yanyuhang is relatively more agile, and his shooting motion is smooth, but his accuracy is not high.

Lu Yong watched from the side, pointing out their problems from time to time: "Zhou Qi, you're not using your feet properly when you shoot. You need to be like a spring, squat down first and then jump up quickly to transfer the power to your arms."

"Xiao Ding, make your wrist flicking motion a little softer, don't use too much force."

After practicing for half an hour, both of them had beads of sweat on their foreheads, but their accuracy still did not improve significantly.

Zhou Qi was somewhat discouraged. He threw the ball to the ground and said, "These three-pointers are too hard to practice. I feel like I can't make them no matter what I do."

Ding Yanyuhang also sighed and said, "Yes, my hand just won't obey me."

Lu Yong walked over, picked up the ball from the ground, and said, "Don't be discouraged. You can't master three-pointers overnight. When Jokic first started practicing three-pointers, he was even worse off than you. He was lucky if he could make ten out of a hundred shots."

Both of them were somewhat surprised to hear this.

Lu Yong continued, "But as long as you keep practicing and find a rhythm and method that suits you, you will definitely improve. Come on, let me demonstrate for you again."

As he spoke, Lu Yong stood outside the three-point line, jumped lightly, flicked his wrist, and the ball drew a beautiful arc, swishing into the net.

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang both stared wide-eyed, their expressions showing surprise.

Lu Yong made several more shots, all of which went in, leaving the two men speechless.

"Coach Lu, your three-pointers are so accurate! You're practically a sharpshooter!" Zhou Qi exclaimed.

Lu Yong said with a smile, "This is all from practice. You see, when I shoot, my body is very relaxed and my power is very smooth. When you shoot, don't think too much, just focus on the ball and do the movements I teach you."

After hearing this, the two picked up the ball again and started practicing.

This time, they were more focused, adjusting their movements according to Lu Yong's instructions.

Gradually, their shooting percentage improved, and Zhou Qi was able to make a few shots occasionally.

Just as the two were getting better and better at practicing, the door to the training hall was suddenly pushed open, and the team's lead assistant coach, Atkinson, walked in.

Atkinson, who will take over as head coach next season, smiled when he saw Lu Yong and two Chinese players training: "Lu, you're really dedicated. You came to coach them as soon as you got back."

Lu Yong greeted him with a smile, saying, "These two kids are the future of Chinese basketball. I have to nurture them properly. You've come at the right time; I have something I want to tell you."

Atkinson walked over to Lu Yong, who patted him on the shoulder and said, "You'll be taking over the team next season. You'll have to look after these two Chinese kids from time to time."

Atkinson nodded quickly and said, "Lu, don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on them."

As he spoke, Atkinson walked over to Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang, and said with a smile, "You two lads, if you have any difficulties next season, just tell me."

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang were both quite excited and quickly said, "Thank you, Coach. We will definitely work hard." Atkinson looked at their training and said, "Your three-point shooting is pretty good, but just practicing three-pointers isn't enough. You also need to combine it with some tactics. Lue, what tactics did you give them?"

Lu Yong smiled and said, "I was just about to tell them that next season, I want them to play more off-ball movement and three-point plays, such as creating shooting space through pick-and-rolls or finding open shooting opportunities by using teammates' passes."

As he spoke, Lu Yong called Miles over and together they demonstrated the tactics to the two of them.

Miles acted as the passer, while Lu Yong mimicked the movements of Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang respectively.

Lu Yong explained as he ran the ball around: "Xiao Zhou, you're tall, so you can create a lot of space for your teammates when you set screens. After you set the screen, you need to quickly run to the three-point line to find an open shot. Xiao Ding, you're fast, so you can use your off-ball movement to get rid of the defender and then catch the ball and shoot."

The two watched Lu Yong's demonstration intently, nodding occasionally.

After the demonstration, Lu Yong had them try running the tactics themselves.

At first, the two were a bit rusty, and their positioning and timing of passing were not very good.

But after several attempts, they gradually got the hang of it and their tactics became more and more fluid.

Atkinson watched from the sidelines, nodding in approval from time to time: "Lu, those two kids are really good at it."

Lu Yong laughed and said, "Stop bragging."

"."

Before we knew it, it was already noon.

Lu Yong checked the time and said, "Alright, let's call it a day for training this morning. Let's go grab a quick bite and chat while we eat."

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang were both very happy to hear this.

Miles laughed and said, "Great, I'm hungry too."

The group arrived at a restaurant near the training hall.

The restaurant had an elegant ambiance, but not many customers.

They found a seat by the window, and the waiter came over with the menu.

Lu Yong took the menu and handed it to Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang, saying, "Order whatever you want, don't be shy."

The two were a little embarrassed, but Lu Yong said with a smile, "Why are you being so polite with me? It's my treat today."

The two then took the menu and ordered some of their favorite dishes.

After they finished ordering, Lu Yong looked at them and said, "The competition in the team will be fierce next season, so you need to be fully prepared."

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang nodded. Zhou Qi said, "Coach Lu, we will definitely work hard. We want to prove ourselves in the NBA and also bring glory to Chinese basketball."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yong praised, "It's good that you have this determination. When I first started teaching, I also encountered many difficulties and challenges, but as long as you work hard, you will definitely succeed. You should also have this belief."

Ding Yanyuhang said, "Coach Lu, you are our role model. We will take you as our goal and keep moving forward."

Lu Yong said with a smile, "Don't take me as a target. Next season, I hope to see you shine on the field."

At this moment, the waiter brought the dishes over.

They continued talking about basketball while eating.

Atkinson said, "Lue, you're still so dedicated to coaching the players even after you've retired."

Lu Yong said, "Basketball is my life. Although I'm retired, I still can't live without it. And these two kids have great potential. I want to help them out."

Miles also said, "Lue, you really know how to coach players. You saw how much they improved in their practice this morning."

Lu Yong said, "These are all the results of their own efforts. I just pointed out the direction for them. The key is for them to put it into practice themselves."

While eating, Lu Yong suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, the team will have some new tactical systems next season, and you two need to adapt to them as soon as possible. I will communicate with Atkinson and ask him to give you more opportunities in tactical arrangements."

Atkinson quickly replied, "No problem, Lu, I will develop a tactic that suits their characteristics."

Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang were both very excited when they heard this.

Zhou Qi said, "Coach Lu, Coach Atkinson, thank you for your trust in me. I will definitely seize the opportunity and perform well."

Ding Yanyuhang also said, "We will not let you down."

The meal was very enjoyable; everyone ate and chatted as if they had endless things to say.

After finishing their meal, Lu Yong paid the bill and then led everyone back to the training hall.

In the afternoon, they did some strength and conditioning training, which further improved their physical fitness.

After a day of training, Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang were both exhausted.

But their faces were beaming with satisfaction and confidence.

Lu Yong looked at them and said, "You did well today. Keep up the good work tomorrow. Remember, there is no end to the road of basketball, only continuous progress."

The two nodded and said, "Coach Lu, we've got it."

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Lu Yong sighed.

He knew that it would be difficult for these two young players from China to make a name for themselves in the NBA.

But as a Chinese coach, he still wanted to lend a hand.

Because they're on our side. (End of Chapter)