Basketball Terminal

Chapter 33 Assistant
Scott Mitchell drove Levi to the entrance of the Hong Le Laundry. Before parting, Mitchell told Levi that he would try to get an opportunity to work as a reporter for Netsdaily in Florida.

"I think this opportunity might not need to be fought for; it's very likely that no one would want to take it."

“You’re right, nobody wants to be stuck at Disney for two months, but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to report.”

“I think you should stay in New York, where the media is. I won’t be at Disney for long; I’ll try to get picked up by an NBA team as soon as possible. I’ll need your help; if you’re in Florida, I won’t have anyone to contact in New York.”

“That makes a lot of sense. I’ll stay in New York and do more reports for you. Anyway, the internet is so advanced now.”

In just one week, the 2020-2021 G League season will begin, held in the same format as last year's NBA bubble, concentrated in the Disney World. Scott Mitchell wanted to go along to do a follow-up interview with Levi. During dinner that evening, he was deeply captivated by the persona and storyline Levi had created, believing that this could very well be the next Jamie Lin-esque basketball fairytale.

However, Levi remained calm. He told Mitchell that it was too early to tell his story. An outstanding performance in a preseason game might attract the attention of league professionals, but most fans wouldn't care. Levi needed more excellent performances and statistics to build a compelling narrative.

Therefore, the upcoming G League bubble is very important for Li Wei. Of course, he doesn't want to waste too much time in the G League, but rather wants to quickly attract the interest of NBA teams, especially his former team, the Brooklyn Nets. He hopes to sign a 10-day contract to officially enter the NBA, at which point he will truly enter the public eye, and the opportunity to tell his story will come.

Li Wei didn't know how long this process would take. It took Jeremy Lin a year and a half to truly break out. Moreover, his starting point was higher than Li Wei's; he played 29 regular season games for the Warriors in the 11-12 season and became a full-fledged NBA player.

In the 2012-2013 season, Jeremy Lin also played in the Development League. He was assigned to the Irie Bay Hawks by the New York Knicks, where he impressed the coaching staff with a triple-double performance of 28 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. At that time, the Knicks were short-handed on the perimeter, and Lin was recalled. He seized the opportunity to play and soared to new heights, creating the phenomenal "Linsanity" phenomenon and opening a new chapter in his career.

Later, for various reasons, Jeremy Lin was unable to recreate the magic of "Linsanity". Now he has left the NBA and plays in other professional leagues, leaving only his legend behind.

A year and a half is too long for Li Wei; fame must come early. Athletes have a short career span; there are no stories of late bloomers here, only young heroes emerging, riding high on success, seeing all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day.

The current situation is quite good for Li Wei; the Brooklyn Nets are a very good target. First, the Nets' owner, Joe Tsai, is the only Chinese-American owner in the NBA, and Li Wei's Asian heritage can only be advantageous here.

Secondly, the Nets lacked a frontcourt player. After Novan Pelle was waived, they added Robertson, but he wasn't a qualified frontcourt player. The only reason he went to the Nets was because he had played with Kevin Durant before; the two were former teammates.

Finally, there's Durant. Li Wei can barely be considered to have any connection with Durant. Although there wasn't much interaction between them after Durant followed Li Wei's account, Li Wei consistently liked Durant's posts and replied to his messages to maintain his presence.

Since joining the Long Island Nets through a tryout, Li Wei's "No Scoring Challenge" account hasn't been updated. As a professional player, he can no longer afford the risk of injury from playing pickup games. However, if Kevin Durant were to participate in the challenge, the situation would be different; it would undoubtedly generate a massive surge in popularity and take the account to new heights.

However, Durant's path will obviously be difficult. That comment at the Barclays Center was just a casual remark; there's no reason for him to challenge you to a one-on-one match just to generate buzz. Like Jordan once said, if you beat me, you can brag about "beating Jordan," but if I beat you, what's the point?

At this point, Li Wei thought of Luo Ping, who had connections with McCalil, a scout for the Nets who had selected Novan Pelle. Now that Pelle had been waived, McCalil was undoubtedly looking for potential signings. If Li Wei could also get in touch with McCalil, who had influence within the coaching staff, it would certainly benefit him.

Of course, the opinions and views of the Long Island Nets coaching staff are also very important. Currently, head coach Brett and the three assistant coaches have a very good impression of Li Wei. Therefore, overall, Li Wei's situation is good; what he really needs to do is continue to improve his abilities and deliver strong performances.

This is why Li Wei now deeply feels that handling various matters alone is very troublesome. For example, getting medicine from Luo Ping is both time-consuming and risky; going alone is always a hassle. Maintaining social media accounts is another issue; since training and competitions started, he simply doesn't have the time or energy to manage them properly. Even his dog, A Zhong, needs care. Li Wei desperately needs someone to lend a hand and help him out.

The laundromat was closed, and Chen Lihua and Li Manshun, who had been busy all day, had gone back to their room to rest. For many Chinese people who come to America, life doesn't really change much. Every day is work, eat, rest, then work again. Except for the Spring Festival, they rarely have time for leisure, and they don't particularly enjoy it. Like worker bees, they toil their whole lives, accumulating honey but barely enjoying it themselves.

Li Wei knocked on the door, and Chen Lihua opened it. Seeing Li Wei, she asked, "Back so late again? You've been out fooling around since then, haven't you?" Li Wei didn't waste any words, pulling a roll of 50 $20 bills from his pocket. He said, "I got paid, here's some for you." Chen Lihua didn't take it, saying, "You…you keep it. You'll need the money when you go out." Li Wei said, "I'm going on a business trip next week. The company will reimburse all expenses; it won't cost much."

Chen Lihua wiped her hands on her clothes, carefully took the money from Li Wei, and asked him if the job was legitimate and whether she would be tricked into going to South America or Mexico. Li Wei repeatedly denied it and told her to rest assured.

Ah Zhong had heard Li Wei's voice long ago and followed him, wagging his tail. Li Wei got him some food, but Ah Zhong wouldn't eat it. Instead, he grabbed Li Wei's trouser leg and pulled him upstairs. Li Wei wondered what was wrong. Was something happening upstairs? Had Li Yue returned? So he quietly went up to the attic and saw that the door was locked, knowing that Li Yue was inside. Seeing Ah Zhong wagging his tail at the door, Li Wei guessed that something must be going on inside. He listened closely to the door and, sure enough, heard rustling sounds.

"You brat, what are you messing around with? Don't ruin my comic book figurines."

Li Wei took out his key, quickly opened the door, and pushed it open. The scene before him was exactly as he expected: Li Yue and a girl were lying half-naked on the bed. Startled by the sudden intrusion, the girl screamed and wrapped herself in a blanket.

Li Yue quickly covered the girl's mouth and said urgently, "Don't shout, don't shout, this is my brother! Brother, why didn't you say you were coming back? You could at least have knocked on the door!"

Chen Lihua's voice came from downstairs, asking, "What's going on between you two? What's that sound?"

Li Wei shouted, "It's nothing! Li Yue's foot got hit by a shoebox!"

Li Yue and the girl began to get dressed. Under the dim light, Li Yue could roughly make out the girl's appearance. She was of Chinese descent, with an average appearance, and was probably Li Yue's classmate.

The girl finished dressing, glared at Li Yue, put on her shoes, and was about to leave. Li Wei nudged Li Yue: "Don't just stand there, take her downstairs. If it's far, take a taxi." As he spoke, he took out a $10 bill from his pocket and handed it to Li Yue.

Li Yue said "Oh," took the money, and quietly escorted the girl downstairs.

Ten minutes later, Li Yue returned to his attic room and complained to Li Wei again.

"You eat well, though. That pretty Korean girl comes to see you every few days, and she even drives over herself. She'll be out for an hour or two each time. As for me? Sigh~ I'm just average. I can only kiss and touch her. I haven't even gotten to base yet, and you scared me away."

Li Wei didn't respond. Ah Zhong, who was nestled to the side, hummed twice. Li Wei patted Ah Zhong's head and said to Li Yue, "Li Yue, there's an opportunity in front of you now. It may not bring immediate benefits, but it has great potential for the future. Do you want to give it a try?"

Li Yue asked, "What kind of opportunity? Can I make money? Can I pick up girls?"

"What kind of opportunity is it if you can't make money or pick up girls?"

"Such a good opportunity, you'd give it to your younger brother like me? Although you've always been good to me, older brother, but..."

"Because this opportunity can only be given by me. Now I'm formally inviting you to be my assistant and manage all my affairs. What do you think?"

"Dude, are you running a fever? You're such a big star, why do you need an assistant?"

"That's why I asked you to be my assistant, because I don't have any big names in the industry."

"What do you mean?!"

"It means that only room and board are provided, but there is no salary."

"..."

(End of this chapter)