Basketball Terminal

Chapter 112 Love
Kevin Durant often thinks about that "mountain" in Washington, D.C. Not far from his home, past the corner of L Street, is a long uphill road that locals call "Hunter's Hill," or simply "the mountain." It's not actually a mountain, but a long asphalt road built on a hilly terrain. Running from the corner to the highest point offers a view of Washington, D.C. at night.

After each day's basketball practice, his high school coach, Brown, would take Kevin Durant here and run up the long hill, sprinting as fast as he could just before reaching the top. Once at the top, there was no time to admire the city view; he had to run down immediately. The downhill section would be easier, but the coach wouldn't allow him to relax; he had to slide down in a basketball defensive stance.

One uphill and downhill run counts as one repetition. Normally, Durant needs to complete 25 repetitions a day to satisfy Coach Brown. This is extra training every day, extremely arduous. Each uphill run causes his leg muscles to shake violently, and his lungs feel like they're about to explode.

His mother often came to keep him company. She would park her car at the foot of the mountain and wait for her son to finish his run so she could drive him home for dinner. This was one of her rare moments of leisure; she didn't have to work or do housework, and she would sit in the car reading. Sometimes, she would become so engrossed in her reading that she didn't want to stop, and she would make Durant run another twenty-five laps.

This long slope is roughly the length of several basketball courts. Durant ran here for many years, braving wind and snow, not only to train his endurance but also to cultivate a tenacious will. Whenever Durant wanted to give up because of the pain, Coach Brown would always tell him, "If you can conquer this hill, you can conquer the basketball court, and then conquer the NBA."

Whenever he recalls that time, Durant feels incredulous; he himself doesn't know how he persevered. He's not a physical monster, not the kind of crazy person who can run nonstop and get happier the more he runs. He gets tired, he's in pain, and every time he finishes a run, he wants to give up and say he'll never come back tomorrow. But the next day after training, he'll still come back here, look at the long hillside, and encourage himself.

Why? Because he loves basketball, and he knows that running is good for his game.

Not far from Hunter Hill is the Seat Pleasant Activity Center, where he often trains. He arrives very early every day to wait for it to open so he can play. The activity center doesn't open until 10 a.m., and he arrives so early that he keeps dribbling the ball at the entrance. After it opens, he plays from 10 a.m. until the center closes at 5 p.m., only stopping for a meal in between.

But five o'clock wasn't the end; the center would reopen at seven in the evening, and he could play for another two or three hours. During the two hours the center was closed, he had nowhere to go. He didn't want to wander outside, nor did he want to go to his grandmother's house. So he hid behind the huge curtains of the activity center's floor-to-ceiling windows and waited inside for two hours without the staff knowing.

For those two hours, he did nothing. Afraid of being discovered, he hid behind the thick, long curtains, clutching a basketball, lying on a mat for a nap. If he couldn't sleep, he would just space out. It was dark inside, filled with the smell of dust and mold, but Durant didn't care. He was only thinking about being able to play again in two hours. When the activity center opened at seven o'clock, he sneaked out, just as he had entered from the outside, completely unnoticed.

Then, he would go to Mount Hunter in the evening.

At the start of the second half, Durant was still on the bench, waiting for his chance to return to the court. Besides this game, the coaching staff also required him to start from the bench and play under 20 minutes in the next game. He is scheduled to start on April 16th against the Charlotte Hornets and play over 30 minutes. He will also miss the back-to-back game in between.

Durant felt anxious. When he could play but couldn't enjoy the game, it was like hiding behind a dark curtain. As a child, he was calm because he knew he could play in two hours. Now it's different; in two hours, the game will be over, and he can only play for another seven or eight minutes.

The game was already decided at the start of the third quarter, with Joe Harris and Kyrie Irving constantly punishing the Pelicans' slow interior defense with shots. Steven Adams was repeatedly pulled out for a tough test. Irving used his dazzling dribbling and sudden stops to test Adams' ankles, before finishing with a beautiful pull-up jumper, delivering the fatal blow to the giant.

Adams' primary defensive objective is to avoid getting too tangled up, rather than to completely shut down any opponent. In this era, while a large, dominant center like Adams isn't entirely useless, his effectiveness has been significantly diminished. Adams' most valuable asset isn't his defense, but rather his outstanding offensive rebounding ability, which can punish weak opposing centers.

Tonight, Levi protected the rebounds well in the paint. Although Adams is very strong, Levi's accurate rebounding anticipation and numerous subtle moves prevented Adams from gaining an advantage. Furthermore, offensive rebounds must be combined with drawing fouls in the paint for outside shooters to maximize their effectiveness. Otherwise, simply conceding a few rebounds won't significantly impact the overall game. When the Pelicans' offense couldn't keep up with the Nets' pace, and Adams was repeatedly targeted and scored on during switches, his height and size became a disadvantage, not an advantage. Harris's agile movement and Irving's dazzling dribbling kept Adams constantly on the run, but this also showed that he was the only one on the Pelicans who was truly providing solid defense.

In the third quarter, Levi had many opportunities to match up against Adams. Because he was two sizes smaller than Adams, Levi had to resort to some dirty tricks. But Adams remained clean, not getting angry even when Levi's tricks bothered him, and continued to play as usual, making Levi feel quite embarrassed. He thought he would shake hands and hug Adams after the game.

Adams is an interesting player. He entered the league looking like a clean-cut young man, but he played incredibly dirty and was despised by the entire league. In his rookie season, Adams set an NBA record by fouling out in three consecutive games: January 16th against the Rockets, January 17th against the Warriors (a back-to-back game), and January 19th against the Kings.

In those three games, he played for 10 minutes, 10 minutes, and 19 minutes respectively. His fouling explosiveness was rare in the world, and his fouling efficiency in 36 minutes was even more astonishing. For a time, the rudeness and barbarity of this New Zealand Maori man became a hot topic of discussion in the league, and people once thought that this guy would become the second Bill Laimbeer.

As he aged, Adams grew stronger, his once clean-cut face now covered in a beard, his arms adorned with Maori tattoos, and his hair grew long and tied up, making him appear powerful and imposing, like a Maori warrior or the superhero Aquaman. Surprisingly, however, his playing style on the court became increasingly clean and humble, earning him a reputation as a model player.

Even after being kicked in the groin by Green during a fierce playoff game, he didn't react excessively or retaliate. He didn't become another Bill Laimbeer; instead, he became one of the most gentle and polite giants on the NBA court. This contrast and growth truly makes one reflect on the unpredictability of life.

What's even more unpredictable is that Adams and his older brother from the Thunder are no longer with the team. After playing the Warriors, his brother said he was going to meet up with the opposing team, and then he never came back.

Midway through the third quarter, Durant returned to the court. The Nets maintained an 18-point lead. The game became an offensive showcase for the Nets; they spread out completely, all five players capable of three-point shooting, and their outside passing was fluid and almost like a high school drill, with no dribbling involved. The ball was eventually passed to Harris in the corner.

Harris was on fire tonight. Adams, who had been diligently helping out in the right corner, was blown away by Harris's fake and drove to the basket. The Pelicans collapsed the defense, and Harris passed the ball to Griffin, who was cutting in from the baseline. Griffin received the ball and slammed it home with both hands!

When Harris can execute such a no-look pass and assist after a breakthrough, it means the game is no longer in doubt. In the latter part of the third quarter and the fourth quarter, the Nets were practicing their offense, the players passing, moving, and driving and dishing with great enthusiasm – beautiful basketball. When Durant was substituted out, there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes; he wanted to play a little longer.

But when the time came, he sat back on the bench, watching his teammates' smooth and coordinated performance, and Durant thought to himself, "This season, I should finally achieve my dream, right? Wait, no, I've already won a championship, so what is my dream? The championship as the team's leader?" Durant then came to his senses and wondered if he was still considered the team's leader.

At this point, the game entered garbage time, and the previously overlooked player, Li Wei, was happily padding his stats on the court. He played with excellent chemistry with his teammates, managing to go from single digits in scoring to adding 10 rebounds, reaching 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists – a perfect performance. The Nets cruised to a 31-point victory over the Pelicans at home. It was a respectable comeback for Durant, but whether he was truly satisfied is something only he knows.

As the final buzzer sounded, Levi shook hands and hugged Steven Adams, saying, "Brother, I sometimes play a bit dirty, please don't mind." Adams replied, "I've encountered much dirtier players, this is nothing, I won't take it to heart."

(End of this chapter)