Basketball Terminal

Chapter 36 Park
Thanks to the experience gained from last season's NBA bubble tournament, the conditions for G League players to play here are quite good in all aspects. Food, accommodation, and leisure activities are all well-supported.

For example, the food. When the bubble season started last season, the NBA players' food was like that of prison prisoners. It was unpalatable and the portions were small. The players were not full and had nowhere to eat. They almost rioted because they were playing on an empty stomach.

I don't know which executive's relatives or friends the catering for the park was contracted out to at the time, but the problem was eventually solved. The park increased the variety of food and improved the taste, and all of this continued into this park competition. The league executives still have some conscience.

After having their first dinner and taking a nap, the players woke up the next day to find the Florida sun shining brightly. They realized that the living conditions here were really good, and that playing on the moon here without ever leaving didn't seem like such a bad thing.

The Long Island Nets' hotel has a yacht club. The entire hotel is built around two connected lakes and consists of rows of three-story manor-style villas. There is a small dock and lighthouse near the lake, where you can take a yacht to sightsee on the lake.

In front of the hotel, there are several natural lake-shaped swimming pools where you can swim, lie on inflatable mats, and sip cocktails while sunbathing. At this time, New York was still shrouded in the gloom of winter, while Orlando was already enjoying a more comfortable weather with a high of 26 degrees Celsius, allowing the players to take off their down jackets and go out in ordinary light clothing.

After breakfast, the players boarded a shuttle bus provided by the park, which took them ten minutes to reach the ESPN Sports Center Worldwide in the southeast corner. During the day, the center truly revealed its true nature to the players; as its name suggests, it's a massive, multi-functional sports complex.

The 200-acre park has a total of 9 types of venues, including a main stadium, 2 multi-functional gymnasiums, 1 track and field stadium, 1 multi-purpose gymnasium, 4 baseball fields, 6 softball fields, 10 tennis courts and 17 multi-functional outdoor fields.

These venues can host more than 60 sports events, including mainstream sports such as basketball, football, baseball, and rugby, as well as less mainstream sports such as bowling, indoor soccer, volleyball, and hockey. Planning and construction began in 1995, and it opened in 1997. In 2010, it became the title sponsor of ESPN and has since hosted countless sporting events.

Among the many venues, two basketball arenas and one multi-purpose arena can host basketball games. Last year's NBA games were held in these three venues.

The Nets players disembarked at Visa Sports Complex, the smallest of the three venues, which serves as a practice and backup facility during the bubble tournament. The Nets were scheduled to practice here, and since all 18 teams participating needed venue familiarization practice, they only had two hours and had to practice with the other teams.

After training, the players returned to their hotel by bus, leaving them with free time to arrange as they pleased. Compared to last year's bubble tournament with its numerous checkpoints every few steps, the controls this year have been much more relaxed. Testing is not as intensive, and many restricted areas are open for players to enter, which has made everyone very happy.

Li Wei, however, didn't want to go back with the main group. He applied to stay at the sports center to continue training. Ricardi told him that unless he could find a car to take him back, he would have to walk for an hour to get back to the hotel. And there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to get into the hotel because no one knew where he had been, and he would have to undergo another medical examination.

Li Wei said she knew a journalist friend and could ride back with her. Ricardi agreed; if he couldn't get back and missed the game, so be it, the team didn't really care. Back in the day, when Thabeet was demoted as a second overall pick and forgot his shoes during a game, no one went to get them for him or buy him new ones. If you don't have shoes, just sit on the sidelines and rest; the game won't stop just because you're not there.

That's how the G League is. Unlike the NBA, which relies on star players and needs to sell tickets, the G League doesn't care about star players. It caters to all their needs, just so they can play and perform well. The G League is different; it doesn't matter who's missing. Besides, if you're in the G League, who's going to cater to you?

So in the Development League, how you train, how you arrange your life and games, and how you handle all sorts of trivial issues mainly depends on your own abilities.

After his teammates left, Li Wei contacted Tiandi Zhenli. The two had previously agreed that after all the interviews were finished in the afternoon, Li Wei would go back to the hotel with her interview vehicle.

Although Truth is just an intern reporter, she wields considerable power. She's an official member of the league, and all reporters from major media outlets covering the event in the park are under her unified command and control, including their transportation. During the park's events, all private vehicles are prohibited from entering or leaving.

Li Wei lingered in the gym for over an hour, practicing his shooting. Without any assistance, he dribbled, positioned himself, shot, ran to retrieve the ball, then positioned himself again and shot once more.

This not only improves his shooting accuracy and feel, but also trains his physical fitness, which is extremely important to him.

At noon, Li Weiyue and Zhenli had lunch together; there was a restaurant in the building at the center.

"The Truth of Heaven and Earth, what a... grand name! Is this the real name?"

"Yes, my dad named me that. When he was young, he was a huge fan of Ms. Tenchi Mari, a really, really big fan. After I was born, he gave me this name, and I think it's pretty good."

Mari Tenchi was a national idol in Japan in the early 70s, enjoying immense popularity, but her fame quickly faded. She made a comeback in the 80s, starring in a topless erotic film in an attempt to revive her career, but it failed to make any impact, and she eventually disappeared from the public eye.

However, no matter how popular an idol may be, they will always have loyal fans, especially those who were once extremely popular. Li Wei calculated that if Zhenli's father was indeed a fan of Tiandi Zhenli, he must have been born in the 50s or 60s. Zhenli is about the same age as Li Wei, so it seems that her father was already quite old when she was born.

"Your eyes are blue-gray, are you of mixed race?"

"Yes, my father is American and my mother is Japanese."

Li Wei nodded, thinking that a father naming his daughter after his idol didn't seem to take it very seriously. Besides, this idol's life didn't seem to be going very well; in Chinese terms, her name was too grand, and most people wouldn't be able to keep up with it.

Li Wei also shared a lot about himself. The two had a lot in common about comics, and their conversation flowed more and more. Li Wei gradually learned that Zhenli's father was a high-ranking executive working in the NBA, which explained why he was able to get an internship and even had some power. The basketball circle really was full of second-generation rich kids.

Over the next three or four days, some of the others became so engrossed in the beautiful environment and warm sunshine of Disney and Florida that it's no wonder some people said the 2020 tournament in the park wasn't of high quality; playing here can indeed corrupt one's mentality.

But Li Wei remained on high alert, making both physical and mental preparations for the upcoming match.

He has been following the NBA games closely. The biggest news in the NBA these past two days is that Raptors guard Fred VanVleet scored a career-high 54 points against the Orlando Magic, helping his team defeat their opponents and setting a new all-time scoring record for a non-NBA draft player.

The previous record holder was Moses Malone with 53 points. Although Moses never went through the NBA draft, he was a member of the ABA draft and was one of the top talents at the time. Strictly speaking, he is different from the so-called undrafted players.

Therefore, VanVleet's 54 points are all the more impressive, and his legendary experience of helping the Raptors win the championship in 2019 adds even more glory to him among the undrafted players.

The game took place in Orlando. After seeing the news and video replay, Li Wei was thrilled and became even more determined to make it into the NBA.

February 9th arrived in the blink of an eye, and the 2020-2021 G League season officially kicked off. Six games will be played on the first day, at the Advent-Health Center and the State Farm Stadium.

The Nets' game was scheduled for 2 PM at the Advent-Health Center (AH Center), against the Iowa Timberwolves, and was the last game of the day. This wasn't good news for Levi.

The G League attracts numerous scouts and NBA management personnel to observe and assess player performances, contributing to NBA roster considerations. The earlier the games begin, the more focused the scouts are, making it easier to spot outstanding performances. As the season progresses, scouts become more fatigued, and some simply leave, making it harder for players to be noticed.

However, Li Wei thought that the best show always comes last, so it wouldn't matter if it was a little late.

The first match kicked off at 8:00 AM. Only 18 teams are participating in this G-League; the remaining dozen or so have withdrawn due to the virus. It's not that they're afraid of infection, but rather that they're so broke they can't afford to play, so they've temporarily disbanded their teams to save money. After all, the G-League doesn't generate much revenue.

This year's G League also includes a special team, the G League Ignition Team. It's a special project between the NBA and the G League that directly recruits high school players, allowing them to skip college and play in the G League, with the potential to go directly to the NBA in the future.

The opening game of the G League was between the Ignition and the Santa Cruz Warriors, with the Ignition ultimately defeating the Warriors 110-104, securing their first victory of the season. However, the Ignition's top scorer wasn't one of the promising young players, but rather a 38-year-old veteran, Jarrett Jack, a talented backup point guard who has played for several NBA teams and now plays for the Ignition.

The Ignite team's roster mainly consists of talented young players and some veterans with extensive NBA experience who have left the league. The team hopes to use experienced players to mentor newcomers, pass on their experience, and create a new professional player selection model to compete with the NCAA.

The Santa Cruz Warriors' top scorer was guard Jordan Poole, who took the most shots but only managed 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting. Another notable player for the Warriors was Jeremy Lin, who efficiently scored 18 points on 4-of-9 shooting, along with 5 assists.

After leaving the NBA, Jeremy Lin played in the Chinese CBA for a year, but it wasn't a great experience. Now 32, he has returned to the G League, attempting to make another run at the NBA. However, the situation is very different from 2012 when he was just 23.

Even though he performed efficiently in the game, scouts and management still focused their attention on the inefficient Jordan Poole because he was young and had more potential. The G League is always a young man's world, and 30-year-old veterans are just supporting roles, like Jarrett Jack, who guides the younger players.

As one of only two players of Chinese descent in this G League tournament, Li Wei had some contact with Jeremy Lin during training and daily life. Lin was very polite and enthusiastic, and the two took a photo together, seemingly sharing some of the spotlight. However, after a few interactions, they didn't have much in common.

Jeremy Lin comes from Taiwan, comes from a Christian family, and grew up in an affluent area of ​​California. His upbringing and background are vastly different from Li Wei's. Furthermore, Lin frequently mentions God, and while Li Wei also believes in God, it's not the same kind of faith Lin holds. Their styles of conduct and values ​​are also completely different.

Therefore, despite being of Chinese descent, the two people don't actually have much in common, aside from their similar appearances. This is one reason why many people say "overseas Chinese are not united." They only share blood ties; in other aspects, due to complex political and historical reasons, they are vastly different, even hostile to each other. It would be strange if they could be united.

Of course, Jeremy Lin's legendary experience, his unwavering love for basketball, and his diligent training have had a significant impact on Li Wei, and are well worth learning from.

After a morning of anxious waiting and four matches across two venues, around 1 p.m., Li Wei and his teammates were finally about to face their first G League match against the Iowa Wolves.

Before the game, in the locker room, Brett told the players: "Tonight our opponent is relatively weak, so everyone will get a chance to play. The tactics are the same as the last preseason game, a combination of 3-2 zone defense and man-to-man defense. Use your brains and perform well on the court!"

Brett looked exhausted; the job of head coach had taken its toll on him both physically and mentally in just two weeks. He had a mountain of tasks to handle, unexpected situations arose daily, and not a single day went smoothly.

On the other hand, he has to bear the pressure from his original team. The coaching staff of Steve Nash and the management of the Brooklyn Nets have made all sorts of demands on him, requiring him to not only take care of the team's record, but also to develop the team's strength to provide support for his original team.

It's another situation where you have to have both, balancing performance and providing strength to your parent team, which presents a clear contradiction. If your best players are given to your parent team, your subsidiary team's performance will definitely be affected.

But there's no way around it; that's the current situation for the Brooklyn Nets. The whole team is restless and unbalanced. They desperately need results, and everyone from the owner and management to the coaches and fans is aiming for the championship.

Otherwise, the management wouldn't have made such a huge investment to forcefully acquire Harden and form a Big Three, leading to an imbalance in the team's roster.

Only Li Wei, well-prepared and calm, even meditated in the locker room to concentrate. After the preseason game, he had been quickly promoted to the starting center position; in the G League, everything moves at an accelerated pace.

At 2:00 PM sharp, both teams' players appeared on the floor of the AH Center. There were no pre-match performances, no national anthem ceremony; the referee signaled for the two teams' centers to prepare for the jump ball, and the game was about to begin.

Li Wei stood in the center circle, opposite him was Timberwolves center Tyler Cook, a 2.03-meter tall forward who also plays center in the G League.

Unbeknownst to the two players, their on-court matchup was being closely monitored by the Nets' scouting team, who were preparing a behind-the-scenes showdown. Whoever gained the upper hand in this game would become a key target for the Nets' observation and potential signing.

"Are you two okay?" the referee asked.

The two nodded, the ball flew into the air, and the game began.

Levi was not in a good position to contest the ball, and Cook, who was taller and more explosive, got to the ball first, giving Wolves possession and starting their first attack.

The Timberwolves are indeed weaker overall than the Nets, for a simple reason: they lack a strong small forward. In the G League, the strength of the guards determines the strength of the team; if the guards are not offensively capable, the team's overall strength will be insufficient.

The Wolves' most potent scoring threat is Cook.

Tyler Cook is a typical mediocre player. In lower leagues, he is versatile, capable of playing inside and outside, shooting and dunking. However, in higher leagues, he is too short to play inside and too slow and rough to play outside.

After going undrafted in 19, he was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, played a dozen or so regular season games with mediocre performance, and was then sent down to the Development League. He later joined the Timberwolves, where he quickly established himself as a core player in training and the playoffs.

The Timberwolves' opening tactics revolved around Tyler Cook, with two 45-degree pick-and-roll drives and low-post back-to-the-basket plays in the flanks. It was clear that the Timberwolves' offensive tactics were quite retro.

The result of going against the grain is that it's impossible to fight back.

The Timberwolves' first three offensive plays centered around Tyler Cook failed to find the net. A pick-and-roll was intercepted, a strong post-up move was contested and missed, a fast break layup was blocked, and a floater missed.

Tyler Cook thought he would have a good start, especially since his main defender was a Chinese American. He was prepared to finish his first three possessions with dunks, as his explosiveness and speed were indeed amazing.

However, Levi's defense was sometimes dense and sometimes hard, and every move he made was just right, with incredibly accurate anticipation, leaving Tyler Cook helpless.

It wasn't until five minutes into the first quarter that Tyler Cook scored his first point of the game, using his speed and explosiveness to get past Levi on a fast break, receive the ball, drive to the basket, and dunk with one hand!

Cook's explosiveness is indeed very strong. When he receives the ball and gets to the basket, he explodes almost instantly. If he is given space, it will be very difficult for the inside players to defend him if they do not have height.

However, Li Wei was able to control his space very well, always anticipating his movements one step ahead, and never falling behind in physical confrontations. No matter how Cook tried to elbow him from the left and right, once he was in position, Cook, whose technique was not refined enough, didn't have many good solutions.

Li Wei employed a strategy of supporting and stealing rebounds on offense, avoiding direct ball possession and instead setting screens for teammates to grab the ball under the basket. Cook, a former forward, struggled with defensive rebounding, and Li Wei stole four offensive rebounds in the first quarter.

Li Wei scored two goals, made an assist for another, and had one shot blocked by Cook. Overall, he made a big profit, so the Nets quickly took a 19-10 lead, forcing the Timberwolves to call a timeout to make adjustments.

Cook looked frustrated as he left the game, and when he returned to the bench, he complained to the coach, "That number 26, the yellow-skinned guy, is such a strong defender, I couldn't get past him." For Cook, if he can't overpower his opponents with strength and explosiveness, it's hard for him to perform.

Meanwhile, on the Nets' bench, assistant coach Banch said to Brett, "I don't think we can keep Victor for much longer." A hint of worry flashed in Brett's eyes as he thought, "Am I about to hand over this treasure that I stumbled upon?"
In the press box, Tiandi Zhenli, wearing a gray vest, saw Li Wei's performance in the first quarter and her impression of him changed even more. She wanted to call her father that night to talk about him, and she also wanted to try to get an opportunity.

(End of this chapter)