Basketball Terminal

Chapter 21 So Cool
When he got home that evening, Li Wei didn't tell his parents that he had signed with the Long Island Nets. Knowing them as he did, he knew they would have to explain a lot of things, which would be incredibly troublesome. Li Wei didn't want to waste too much time and energy on that.

He wanted to wait until the situation became clearer, especially after the salaries were paid, before informing them. By the time the team departed for Florida, it would be too late for them to voice their opinions; they wouldn't have a choice.

Influenced by their personalities and forced by life's circumstances, Chen Lihua and Li Manshun cannot be considered exceptionally good parents, but they are certainly not terrible either. The comics, figurines, and sneakers in the brothers' rooms reveal that they are relatively tolerant of their children. Although this tolerance is tinged with disdain, complaints, and curses, they have compromised to some extent.

Li Wei's wall of comics and figurines was accumulated over many years, costing him a considerable amount of pocket money—every penny of his parents' hard-earned money. While Li Yue could earn some money playing with sneakers, Li Wei's hobby was purely an investment, with no return. So it's no wonder that the conflict and estrangement between his parents deepened until a new soul arrived.

After dinner, Li Wei took Ah Zhong upstairs, called Li Yue, closed the door, and took out the Long Island Nets jersey and shoes from his bag and threw them on the bed.

Li Yue frowned and looked at it, saying, "Bro, why did you buy a Long Island Nets jersey? Are you having a clearance sale? And it's number 26, what good player wears number 26? And these shoes... wow, they're 2011 KD3s, where did you get these vintage shoes? But these shoes have a good reputation, and they're a large size, so you could get a good price for them if you resell them. How much did you pay?"

As a sneaker reseller, Li Yue is quite knowledgeable about sneakers and can recognize styles at a glance.

"This wasn't received, it was given away. This shirt is mine, I'm a contracted player for the Long Island Nets now."

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Li Yue initially refused to believe it. However, when Li Wei took out his phone and opened the Netdaily website, there was indeed a very brief news item: "Long Island Nets sign free agent Victor Lee."

"Wow!!!" Li Yue had just exclaimed when Li Wei covered his mouth, telling him not to shout and disturb his parents. Ah Zhong, who was standing nearby, also barked twice, signaling Li Yue to calm down.

Calming down, Li Yue looked at his brother in disbelief, circling him and touching him all over, and asked, "Brother, did you really mutate? How did you manage to pass the trial and get into the Development League?"

“I’ve always had talent, it was just buried in the past. You’ve seen it these past few weeks, there are hardly any people who can beat me in street challenges. So I went for a tryout, and then I succeeded.”

Li Yue was very excited. Of course, he wasn't a die-hard basketball fan. He wasn't excited that his brother could play in the professional league, but rather that with his brother's connection, he could meet more people in the basketball circle, which would definitely make his future business of buying and selling sneakers much easier.

Liking basketball shoes and liking basketball are often two different things. Especially in 2021 when basketball shoes were hyped up, many basketball shoes were not meant to be worn, but rather collected, kept at home, and resold at high prices later.

Li Yue took a pair of colorful KD12s from the shoe rack and handed them to Li Wei, saying, "Brother, could you find a chance to get Durant to sign these KD12s? Their value will increase a lot after he signs them."

Li Wei said, "I signed with the Long Island Nets, not the Brooklyn Nets. Do you think I'd be able to meet Durant?"

"Anyway... anyway, we're both from the Nets, so we should have a chance to meet again, right? You can think of a way! I'll give you more basketball shoes to wear in the future."

Li Wei thought to himself that his younger brother, as a supplier, was still useful. Professional athletes go through a lot of shoe wear and tear; top players might even change their shoes after a game. So after a game, some players would throw their shoes into the stands to give to fans because the soles were worn out and unwearable.

Ordinary players wouldn't be so extravagant, but changing shoes frequently is still necessary; two or three pairs simply aren't enough.

"Okay, I'm going to the Barclays Center to watch the Nets game tomorrow night. I'll see if I can get you an autograph then."

"That's amazing! That's amazing! How did you manage to get tickets to the Barclays Center? It's not even open yet!"

"My friend works for the Nets, so I can go see them and get up close. I kept this a secret from my parents beforehand; I only told you. If you tell anyone, don't come to me with anything related to sneakers."

"Yes, sir! I guarantee to keep this a secret!"

"Woof!" Ah Zhong barked again, meaning he would also keep the secret.

The next day, January 1st, Li Wei continued to use the pretext of job interviews to go out for a run and training in the morning. He found a nearby indoor basketball court, rented it for three hours, and practiced a full set of exercises according to the standards of a professional team. Without a trainer to supervise or correct him, everything depended on his self-discipline.

Fortunately, his more than ten years of experience as a professional player has instilled many good habits in Li Wei, and some training content has been imprinted in his muscle memory.

At noon, after lunch, Li Wei went to the "Young Beauty" store to ask Kim Mi-won for some gear. When Kim Mi-won saw Li Wei again, her attitude had become very ambiguous. She called him "Oppa," moved closer to him, and broke through normal social distance, gently stroking Li Wei's firm chest.

Having just finished training, Li Wei's muscles were engorged with blood, and his whole body exuded a strong aura of hormones.

This caused Kim Mi-won to feel a flutter in her heart, a slight warmth rising in her lower abdomen, which made her feel embarrassed instead. She had wanted to take the initiative and seize the upper hand, but touching the strong, young man's body made her mind wander and feel shy.

"Hey, what are you touching? I'm here to get the equipment I need."

"Huh? Oh, oh~ Big brother, take the things out!"

After saying that, Kim Mi-won, who had originally wanted to deliberately act cute and gain some advantage, withdrew her hand, distanced herself from Li Wei, and calmed herself down a bit.

"It must be ovulation time... What's going on... Shh, relax, Meiyuan, relax."

Kim Mi-won's cousin came out carrying a large bag filled with all the sports equipment Li Wei had on his list. They were all brand-name products, and the sizes were correct. If Li Wei had gone to buy them himself, not only would it have cost more money, but the sizes would have been hard to find, especially since it's not easy to get plus-size sports equipment for someone who is 2 meters tall.

"Thank you, brother, you've worked hard." Taking the things, Li Wei also became polite. This Korean man looked simple and honest, but he was actually a good person.

"Oh, young man, are you a basketball player? On the university basketball team?" The older man's name was Park In-yong, and he seemed to be a basketball enthusiast as well.

"Yes, I play basketball. But I'm not on the college basketball team, I'm a professional basketball player."

Park In-yong looked at Li Wei with deep respect, and bowed slightly as Li Wei left. Kim Mi-won, having calmed down, scoffed, "Brother, really! He says he's a professional player, so he's a professional player? He just plays pickup basketball at most." Park In-yong replied, "What do you know? Would pickup players have such complete gear? This is all professional! It's not easy for an Asian country to produce a professional basketball player."

Kim Mi-won rolled her eyes, then realized she had forgotten something important. She had planned to ask Li Wei to give her a discount on laundry, but she missed the chance because she was distracted and lost in thought.

"Ugh!" Kim Mi-won cursed, stomping back to the dressing room in her high heels. Park In-yong muttered, "Why is she throwing a tantrum again? Wasn't the matter perfectly resolved?"
After receiving his equipment, Li Wei took some time in the afternoon to train for an hour at the Bronx Sports Center. He had to squeeze in training whenever he could, just like those big-name athletes who would take time out to train between commercial activities to maintain their fitness.

Taking responsibility for oneself and maintaining self-discipline are the basic rules for a professional player's survival. Professional sports do not believe in tears, only in sweat.

After finishing training, Levi took the subway to Brooklyn, where he had arranged to meet Scott Mitchell at the Barclays Center at 3 p.m.

Heading to Brooklyn meant getting closer to the heart of New York City, where buildings were becoming increasingly dense and outdated. The Brooklyn subway, like something out of a steampunk world, was rusty and the tracks clanged intermittently. The train was relatively clean, and everyone was wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. When we arrived at the station, not many people were getting off.

Although the NBA season has officially started and players are able to play in their own arenas, the arenas are not open to spectators due to the virus. Only a small number of staff members are allowed to attend games, and they must undergo strict testing.

Li Wei met Scott Mitchell, who first congratulated him on successfully signing the contract, and then led him through the staff entrance into the Barclays Center. The Barclays Center is a new arena built in 12, with modern decor and a very comfortable interior, but it felt empty and deserted when no one was there.

After passing two checks, Li Wei followed Mitchell to the spectator area. Most of the stands were cordoned off, with only a small area behind the players' bench containing seats, spaced one person apart.

This was the first time Li Wei had experienced the NBA up close. The gleaming mosaic floor was so shiny it was like a mirror, and the bright lights shone down from the high ceiling, making the entire court clear from every angle, without a single shadow.

Playing here, every little thing you do will be seen by people, captured by high-definition cameras, and repeatedly played on a huge screen high up, as well as on the television, computer, and mobile phone screens of thousands of households, without missing a single detail.

Although Li Wei had played professionally for many years, he had never played in such a state-of-the-art and beautiful stadium. Moreover, this was during a special period. Under normal circumstances, there would be nearly 20,000 fans in the stands, more than 40,000 eyes staring at you, and countless noises surrounding you.

Li Wei imagined himself competing here one day, a feeling of tension and excitement pumping through his body – it would definitely be a fantastic experience.

"Hey, someone's warming up. I'm going over there, you wait here." Mitchell patted Levi on the shoulder, grabbed his camera and microphone, and ran to the sidelines.

Three to four hours before the match, players will warm up on the field according to their own habits and needs. An hour before the official start of the match, they will then warm up together as a group. Warm-ups often provide a good opportunity for reporters to interview players, since not just anyone can enter the locker room.

Many reporters managed to get into the game tonight through various connections, as this was James Harden's first appearance with the Nets after their major trade, making it a highly anticipated event.

Li Wei spotted James Harden from afar. He was surrounded by reporters, all wearing masks and maintaining social distance. Harden sported his signature beard, but his hairstyle had changed from the mohawk he wore during his Rockets days to small dreadlocks. He wore a black sports jacket that concealed his muscles, but his astonishingly strong physique was still evident.

Li Wei took out his phone and recorded Harden warming up. It was just simple three-point shooting and step-back shots. When Harden practiced three-pointers from the corner, Li Wei could see him more clearly: his shoulders and back were broad like an inside player, but his calves were relatively slender, long, and full of elasticity.

This is the talent of a top player in the league. Li Wei thought to himself, if it were me, could I defend Harden? Could I stop him from taking so many free throws?
In the past, it would have been impossible for Li Wei or Ye Runzhou; the gap was too large. Now it's different. Li Wei is more confident, and he really wants to find an opportunity to play one-on-one with Harden to test his defensive abilities and see what level he has reached.

"So, how was the experience watching the game from this spot?" Mitchell asked Levi after taking the photos.

"That's great, thank you so much, it gives me even more motivation to get into the NBA."

"Haha, I hope you can do it."

"How was the interview? What did Harden say?"

"Oh, I'm not qualified to ask questions. I can only take photos and make some notes, and write an article tonight."

Li Wei understood that, like himself, Scott Mitchell was at the bottom of this pyramid, and they both needed to slowly climb up.

When will Durant be out?

"He usually comes out to warm up just before the game starts, let's wait a bit longer."

Kevin Durant came out an hour before the game to warm up, truly a monster born for basketball—this was Li Wei's heartfelt remark when he saw Durant on the sidelines.

The center's height, formidable long arms, amazing shooting accuracy, and extremely high release point. Li Wei was also recording Durant's every move on his phone, mentally wondering if he could contain Durant defensively.
Like Harden, Durant was only doing simple shooting practice. If you have a keen eye, you can see a long scar on his right Achilles tendon. This is the scar left after Durant ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing through the injury in the 2019 NBA Finals.

After a full year of recovery from injury, Durant returned this season and continues to perform exceptionally well, scoring over 25 points in almost every one of his first nine games. At 32, fully recovered from a major injury, he remains one of the most formidable scorers on the planet.

Durant attempted a long-range three-pointer, but the ball's arc was too flat, hitting the front of the rim and bouncing off the floor. The trainer missed it, and the ball flew directly towards the stands at high speed.

"Hey, watch out!" Durant yelled as he watched the ball fly toward a spectator holding a phone.

But the spectator didn't dodge. He remained motionless and caught the ball as it flew in front of him—catching it with one hand while holding his phone in the other.

"Wow, that's cool," Durant exclaimed upon seeing it.

(End of this chapter)