The longest river

Chapter 31 Top Five in the United States
Wakkalo?
When Yang Shuai heard the name again, he didn't seem too surprised.

There's a saying that goes, "What you can't have always seems more desirable." Last time, Vaccaro watched the AAU Championship finals live and extended an invitation to him to the ABCD training camp, but he didn't go. Vaccaro probably had some impression of him back then.

After that, he went to the Nike training camp and his ranking soared, and that impression probably turned into an interest.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Charles explained his purpose: he hoped to participate in Paul's documentary filming.

It's obvious that the other party has come to test me.

Now that the elite training camp has ended, Vaccaro's purpose in arranging that move is self-evident.

That can only be related to sneaker endorsements.

As an Asian player, if Yang Shuai can really make it into the NBA, his commercial value will be very attractive.

It's worth noting that only five years have passed since Stern used videotapes to open the door to the Chinese market.

Yang Shuai agreed.

"Do you hope I can sign with Adidas in the future?" Yang Shuai couldn't help but ask after Charles left.

This is the second time the other party has helped Vakaro, making it hard not to suspect that they have received benefits from Vakaro.

Paul shook his head: "It's too early to talk about signing with any brand now, but having more options means having more opportunities."

Yang Shuai chose to believe Paul because the other party was very honest with him from the beginning.

Moreover, his thoughts were actually quite similar to what Paul said.

He's not the kind of person who has to sign with Nike just because he attends a Nike training camp.

My mom used to compare prices at three different stores before buying him shoes. If you put all your eggs in one basket, you'll only end up losing money.

“But I heard that Vaccaro is now paying special attention to high school students. He has moved from the West Coast to New York, where he can observe Marbury in New York, Carter in Florida, and of course you in Ohio.”

Adidas is currently at a disadvantage compared to Nike, and if it wants to snatch players from Nike, it must act quickly.

Compared to waiting for those people to finish the NCAA before competing for the draft, starting to build connections during high school is obviously a smarter choice.

As Paul was talking about this, Yang Shuai suddenly thought of Kobe.

New York is closer to Philadelphia than to where he is.

He just remembered that Kobe was a Nike, and he didn't know if Vaccaro hadn't paid attention to Kobe, since Kobe hadn't achieved anything significant yet, or if Vaccaro had lost out in the competition with Nike.

In any case, it wouldn't do him any harm to have Charles observe his training.

Time flew by and it was January 1995 when the Ohio NSAA regional preliminaries came to an end.

Cleveland High School achieved an impressive record of 21 wins and 1 loss, ranking first in the Cleveland division.

This achievement also sets a new record in the history of Cleveland High School.

Yang Shuai was the direct architect of this achievement.

他场均能够轰下30.8分10.5篮板5.5助攻3抢断3.5盖帽，投篮命中率50.4%，三分命中率40.5%，数据相比上赛季有了质的飞跃。

His performance has propelled him to new heights in media rankings, where he has now reached number 10 in the 1995 class.

The loan Eskridge took out in the summer had already become a reality by winter.

After the regional preliminary rounds concluded, Yang Shuai, facilitated by Paul, was interviewed by Sean Powell of The New York Times.

Powell is a seasoned writer who excels at uncovering the stories behind players.

Yang Shuai's tragic childhood experiences and his adoption by Lin Xiulan's family provide excellent news material.

Yang Shuai spoke candidly in the interview.

This was something Paul had discussed with him beforehand. He didn't have any connections, and in order to continue improving his media ranking, in addition to his performance on the court, a compelling story was also essential.

After the interview, Yang Shuai returned to the training hall for extra practice.

To his surprise, Johnson was there, looking quite worried.

Yang Shuai had already walked up to him, but he didn't even notice.

"Sir, what's wrong?" Yang Shuai patted Johnson on the shoulder with a smile.

"Is it over there?" Johnson saw that Yang Shuai's expression was not surprised, but rather as if he had been waiting for him.

This puzzled Yang Shuai, who wondered what important matter Johnson wanted to discuss with him.

"Have you felt that your relationship with your teammates has been a bit tense this season?" Johnson then asked.

"Have it?"

Yang Shuai looked puzzled, but seeing Johnson's serious expression, he thought about it carefully again.

His communication with his teammates has indeed decreased significantly compared to last season.

This is mainly because of him.

Because of the sense of urgency brought about by the training camp, his pursuit of points has become somewhat obsessive.

He has selectively forgotten the Truth incident and dragged Rondo along to play pickup basketball.

His attacks on his opponents during the match also increased exponentially.

Even out of habitual thinking, he became harsh on his teammates.

He should have realized it, because his teammates were generating negative energy towards him. The reason he subconsciously ignored it was because doing so brought him substantial rewards.

He earned over 8 points over this period, then used 5 to redeem a B-grade jump booster pack, and the remaining 3 to redeem C-grade booster packs to enhance his explosive power, straight-line speed, and core strength.

That's also the reason for his dramatic change in performance this season.

"Try to find a way to ease things up, and don't let your high school career leave you with regrets," Johnson said earnestly.

Although Yang Shuai is now free to choose his school, he made a promise last year to lead Cleveland High School to the state championship.

If it ultimately fails to materialize, it will be a lifelong regret for Yang Shuai, because there will be no second chance.

"Thank you, sir."

Johnson's reminder was timely; he would definitely regret it if internal discord led to failure at the last minute.

Before the start of the training session on the second day, Yang Shuai told everyone in the locker room that he would treat everyone to dinner after training.

The team members were initially uninterested, but when they heard that they would be eating steak, the locker room instantly erupted in excitement.

Just like the conditions in Longdo's house, being able to eat a steak in this era is a very satisfying thing for most people.

There's nothing in the world that can't be solved with a meal; if there is, then two meals will do.

Yang Shuai treated his teammates to steak for two consecutive days, which not only improved their relationship but also made them incredibly close.

Although it cost him a full five hundred dollars, it was worth it in the end.

Especially when January arrived and the regional competitions officially began.

Cleveland High School's first opponent in the regional competition is CityWest High School.

After Daniels left the team, Reed became the star player of West City High School, averaging 20 points per game and leading the team into the regional competition.

However, Reed was clearly not the main character in this game.

After two steak meals, the Cleveland High School team members were noticeably more motivated.

Their defense is more aggressive, their off-ball pick-and-roll is more solid, and they are more aggressive in their rebounding.

The end result of all this was that Yang Shuai got more and better scoring opportunities.

Yang Shuai scored 12 points in the first quarter.

This is an 8-minute quarter, which means Yang Shuai is scoring every minute.

Moreover, this momentum did not change as the competition progressed.

In the second quarter, Yang Shuai scored another 11 points, bringing his total to 23 points by halftime.

Under his leadership, Cleveland High School had already taken a 15-point lead over CityWest High School by halftime.

Just when everyone thought the game would end early in the third quarter, Reed made a strong response.

He showcased his talent, scoring 7 points with drives and outside shots, helping Chengxi High School quickly close the gap.

Then the fans saw Yang Shuai in full attack mode.

Yang Shuai responded with a three-pointer, followed by a difficult spin layup after dribbling past defenders, and finally a steal from Reed on defense to complete a fast break dunk that ignited the crowd.

Yang Shuai scored 20 points in this quarter alone, bringing his total to 43 points by the end of the third quarter, breaking his NSAA single-game scoring record.

而且这还不算结束，末节比赛他再得8分，全场比赛轰下51分11板4助攻5抢断3盖帽！

Thanks to his outstanding performance, Cleveland High School defeated CityWest High School 80-61, winning their opening game in the regional competition.

After the game ended, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

In this era, scoring 50+ points in an NBA game is considered an absolute high score, and an NBA game lasts 48 minutes.

But now, Yang Shuai has scored 50+ points in 32 minutes of the game!

The next day, Reed, back in Columbus, said something full of emotion in an interview with the school newspaper: "Without a doubt, Hansen is the best high school player in Ohio, or he should be the best in the country."

This quote was cited by the Ohio Sports News and has attracted attention.

However, what truly attracted strong attention was Sean Powell's article "From Outcast to Five-Star High School Student" published in The New York Times.

This article, which details Yang Shuai's past experiences, resonated strongly with readers.

Compared to stories fabricated to create a persona, the authenticity of the story in this article is more convincing.

Especially since the release time was right after Yang Shuai scored 50+ points in a single game.

Even Paul's article, "Why Asian Players Can't Be the Best High School Players in America," published in the Ohio school newspaper, sparked widespread discussion.

Hansen Young's name suddenly became a hot topic across the United States.

Subsequently, in the national high school rankings released by the media for the class of 1995, Yang Shuai improved further, reaching the 5th position in the nation.

The four players before him were Garnett, Raheem, Marbury, and Carter.

It was at this time, after the daily training and filming had ended, that Charles extended an invitation to Yang Shuai.

Vaccaro hopes Yang Shuai can go to New York; he has something important to discuss with Yang Shuai.

(End of this chapter)