From sparring to superstar

Chapter 97 95. Take him down!Must take him down! (Last month 1400 monthly ticket plus update)

"I respect your opinion, if you prefer to stay in Los Angeles, we can try to contact the Lakers.

From the perspective of commercial value development, big cities like Los Angeles and New York are very good choices. "

After Schwartz spoke, he closed his mouth again, letting Li Ao think about it quietly.

Unlike just now, Li Ao responded within a few seconds: "Anyway, there are trial trainings, and there are not many Lakers."

After getting the answer, Schwartz didn't say anything more, so as not to appear as if he was recommending which team.

When they arrived at the apartment building, Li Ao called Su Qun and Xu Jicheng respectively and told them that his agent wanted their contact information, and the other party enthusiastically agreed.

Finally, another Chinese player is going to enter the NBA. Both of them are very excited. Recently, they have been reporting on Li Ao's performance during college and doing publicity in China.

The two are naturally happy to get the contact information of Li Ao's agent.

Fortunately, Li Ao has not entered the NBA yet, so it is convenient to contact.

After Li Ao entered the NBA, he became busy. He started playing 82 games a year. For interviews and so on, it was convenient to contact his agent.

Schwartz was very efficient. At noon the next day, Li Ao received a call and got a trial training time.

The day after tomorrow, the 3rd, Saturday morning.

At this time, Li Ao remembered that tomorrow the Lakers will play at home in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Currently, the Lakers lead the Trail Blazers 3-1 and are expected to advance to the Finals tomorrow.

The Lakers did not go well in the Western Conference Finals this time. They won the first game by 15 points. They thought they were going to stand up. As a result, they lost by 2 points in G29 and were tyrannized by the Trail Blazers 77 to 106.

The performance of the Lakers dragged Li Ao down.

In the second round, the Lakers beat the Suns 4-1, and no one mentioned Li Ao.

Now his phrase 'OK group is number one in the world' was ridiculed by the media again.

There was nothing he could do about it, Quan Dang became famous again.

Just when public opinion generally believed that the Lakers were going to be swept by the gentleman 1-4, OK went berserk, and Kobe made 3 of 18 shots in G11, blasting the Trail Blazers outside the group;
In G4, Kobe turned into a reasonable division, making good use of the deterrence brought by his outstanding performance in G3. The Lakers beat the Trail Blazers 18-7.

Two consecutive victories in away games. With this performance, Lakers fans can stand up and shout "OK combination is the best in the world" and "Lakers championship".

After school in the afternoon, Li Ao immediately went to the Memorial Stadium and made an appointment with the coaching staff to prepare for the trial training.

At this stage of the NBA's trial training, none of the coaching staff has had personal contact.

But haven't you ever eaten pork or seen a pig running? They were prepared before, and before Li Ao went to the trial training, they would help him conduct a surprise training.

Li Ao feels good about the feeling of someone behind him!

...

Soon, Saturday will arrive.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, Schwartz came to the apartment to pick Li Ao to the Lakers training hall.

It was supposed to pick up one person, but it turned into a foursome.

The assistant aunt and good brothers all went to join in the fun, and Liam ran to the apartment before 7 o'clock this morning to play iron with Li Ao.

Li Ao did not refuse, and took the two of them together.

His mentality is very relaxed. During the two hours after school the afternoon before yesterday and the three hours yesterday afternoon, he carried out a "pre-examination surprise", and he already has a good understanding of the trial training process.

The main reason is that he is treating this trial training with the mentality of "a day trip to the Lakers training facility". He really doesn't care if the other party wants to choose him or not.

不过他估计湖人队的人今天心情不会很好——昨晚天尊拿到22分10板2助攻、皮蓬拿到22分6板3助攻6抢断4盖帽，开拓者队客场击败湖人队，把大比分扳成2比3。

Based on this factor, he doesn't have much hope for the outcome of this 'day trip to the Lakers practice facility'.

Schwartz is also in a depressed mood now—the boss doesn't take his car!Go in a luxury car!
He secretly swore in his heart that when he made money, he would also buy a luxury car, and see if the boss dared to despise his broken car...

Wait, Li Ao is the only player he has now, he just gets a commission, he earns a lot, doesn't Li Ao earn more?Li Ao will be able to buy a better car by then...

Vaco!

This breath, it seems that this life will never come out!
After half an hour's drive, the four of them arrived at the Toyota Center Training Hall.

Staples Center, Memorial Stadium, and Toyota Center training hall are not very far apart, and the walking distance between them is about 20 minutes.

It is said that it is a training hall, Li Ao looks no smaller than some university arenas when he gets close.

I heard that this is also the home court of the WNBA Sparks, and the team under the Lakers of the NBDL League, which is preparing to establish the NBA's second-level league, will also temporarily set up their home court here.

Schwartz contacted the Lakers before leaving the apartment, and the four of them arrived in the parking lot, where the secretary of the general manager of the Lakers was already waiting for them.

Vivienne and Liam were taken to the reception room to rest, and Li Ao and Schwartz came to the general manager's office.

Seeing the two coming, Jerry West got up from the desk, stretched out his hand towards Li Ao, and said enthusiastically: "Oh, Leo, I finally saw you. This is the first time I saw you playing. Just make sure you're going to be in the NBA."

"Thank you."

Li Ao shook hands with Jerry West unceremoniously.

After greeting Li Ao, Jerry West and Schwartz also exchanged greetings.

Li Ao looked at the radiant logo man and sighed softly.

This small detail was noticed by Jerry West, who asked curiously, "Leo, why are you sighing?"

Schwartz wanted to cover Li Ao's mouth. He didn't know what Li Ao was going to say, but such an abnormal sigh must not be a good thing.

Although the time of acquaintance is not long, he already knows that this guy's mouth can easily offend people.

But I didn't have time to cover it...

Li Ao said: "Didn't you lose to the Trail Blazers yesterday? I thought you would be very upset today, just deal with my trial training casually. Although this is a good thing for me, I don't know why it's a pity."

Schwartz covered his face in pain.

Jerry West laughed heartily a few times, and said: "Hahahaha, it's just a loss, it doesn't matter, and we must win in the end. Didn't you say that the OK combination is number one in the world."

Li Ao laments that the Los Angeles Lakers are always full of confidence.

Even when they get the ball at the bottom of the list in the future, their fans will still be "the Lakers champion" every day.

After exchanging pleasantries, Jerry West brought the two to the training ground.

Someone is already training!

Li Ao's eyes lit up—seeing Kobe Bryant in person for the second time!

Seeing Li Ao coming, Kobe smiled and nodded towards him.

Li Ao blurted out: "Damn it, Kobe can laugh!"

After saying hello, Kobe turned around to make the next shot. Hearing this, his hands trembled, and he made a hollow shot from outside the basket.

Kobe turned to look at the would-be rookie: (O_o)??
Why can't I laugh anymore?

No, what do you mean I can laugh? I'm not a facial paralysis wearing size 21!

Originally, he had a good impression of Li Ao. The first time he heard the phrase 'OK combination is the best in the world', he felt like he was going to fly.

He would be more satisfied if he changed 'OK' to 'KO'.

Then people will call him and O'Neal a KO combination, not an OK combination.

Li Ao didn't know that Kobe and O'Neal didn't have a "combination name" before he said that sentence.

The Lakers introduced Glenn Rice in the 98-99 season. In the two seasons before that, Kobe was just a substitute. With 97 points and 98 points, he was selected to the third team in the 15-22 season. At that time, people thought that the Lakers were O'Neal and Glenn Rice as the inside and outside facades.

Different from Li Ao's cognition, this year the Lakers seem to people to be a "three-person team", O'Neal, Kobe, and Glenn Rice.

It's just that he said "the Lakers championship" and then said "OK combination". People can understand the meaning and know that they are talking about O'Neal and Kobe, and this nickname has spread.

It's like he 'named' the OK group.

Kobe had a good impression of Li Ao before, but now...it doesn't mean that it will suddenly become worse, but he just feels that this quasi-novice is just like the rumors, and he really owes his mouth!
Kobe ignored him and turned around to continue training.

Depressed about losing last night, he vented on the basket one after another.

On Li Ao's side, Schwartz once again covered his face in pain. Before the trial training started, he offended the second head of the team. It seems that this trial training has no good results.

Fortunately, this team is not his first choice.

Jerry West laughed and said, "Leo, you don't have to care about Kobe's attitude. He has an arrogant personality. After getting along for a long time, you get used to it."

What he said, as if he had become a Lakers player, Li Ao felt weird and didn't respond, staring at Kobe who was practicing three-pointers.

wipe!Actually scored several goals in a row, the basket has no ball friction, it is lonely!

Watch for a while.

stare……

Kobe felt the hot gaze from behind, felt a chill down his back, and hit the basket with a "bang" iron.

Li Ao nodded in satisfaction, and said to the logo man next to him, "Mr. West, are we ready for trial training?"

Seeing Li Ao's inexplicable slightly smug expression, and then seeing Kobe turning his head and staring at Li Ao angrily, Jerry West shed a drop of cold sweat.

Can these two get along well?
Forget about it, tryouts first!

Jerry West responded: "Let's go to another training ground, it's ready there, Andre, you help Kobe practice shooting, Gary, you come to help Leo warm up..."

...

Came to another training ground, there are also people inside, several trainers, and... Lakers head coach Phil Jackson!
Phil Jackson, in his 50s, told Li Ao to take it easy and behave like a kind old man.

This image of a "kind old man", if you don't know this guy's coaching style off the court, Li Ao will really believe it.

Without the idea of ​​chatting with Zen Master, Li Ao first went to the locker room to change his training clothes, then took static physical fitness measurements, and then warmed up with the help of Gary Vidy.

Warm up, Li Ao is a professional!
For the first trial training, no matter what the result is, he will go all out and strive to be the best.

Unlike the past two days of training in front of familiar coaches, now he feels quite nervous.

He kept hinting in his heart that this was just a 'test trial', and the tension was relieved.

You have to make good use of this trial training, so that you can relax in the subsequent trial training——he thought so.

But once the body got hot, it lasted for nearly an hour.

Played the game last night, dealt with the media after the game, and fell asleep in the early morning. The Zen master who came to the training hall early this morning yawned many times.

The same is true for other people. Watching Li Ao warm up in an orderly manner, in the end, Gary Viddy, who was originally the leader of the warm-up session, became a support... This warm-up is too detailed!

but……

The logo man and the Zen master exchanged glances: This kind of flower player has something!

Near 10 o'clock, Li Ao's warm-up was finally done. Under the command of Zen Master's assistant coach Charlie Rose, Li Ao started the trial training session.

The first is the test of dynamic physical conditions, which is carried out in its entirety.

But the other tests that followed... yes, he gave it his all and showed what he was capable of.

If not, he directly said no, without trying.

This made Charlie Rose feel difficult. No matter how much he persuaded him, the other party was unwilling to try. He looked at the Zen master and the logo man for help, and saw that they both nodded, so he had to skip the link that Li Ao didn't want to try.

In less than an hour, all the links of the trial training were over.

The warm-up time is longer than the trial training time, and the Lakers are considered to be pulling their butts with a knife.

At the end of the trial training, the logo man and the Zen master went to the side to communicate. Li Ao rested for a while. After his body stopped sweating profusely, he took a shower under the guidance of the trainer, changed back to his clothes, and talked with Schwartz again. Come to the general manager's office.

Jerry West got straight to the point: "Leo, we are very satisfied with your trial training, we want to conduct a more detailed test on you, Jeff, when do you have time?"

Before Schwartz could speak, Li Ao said first, "Sorry, I don't want to have a second trial with you."

Jerry West was stunned for a moment, and asked in astonishment: "Why? Is there anything we didn't entertain well today?"

Li Ao shook his head: "No, Phil Jackson, the legendary superstar and one of the greatest coaches in history, gave me a trial training. This is a treatment I can't imagine, but I only accept the second try of the lottery pick. , sorry, I'm not interested in your draft picks."

Jerry West was stunned for a while, then smiled: "Okay, I see... I think we will meet again."

Li Ao responded: "Thank you for giving me this trial training opportunity, see you again when I have the opportunity."

After finishing speaking, Li Ao pulled Schwartz, who still wanted to say something, and left the office.

After reaching a corner and no one else was around, Schwartz grabbed Li Ao and complained: "Leo, if you say that, is it possible for the Lakers to choose you?"

Li Ao curled his lips: "If they really want to choose me, they will find a way. They have a lot of chips, and isn't that what you said? My draft market is very good. We want to strive for a higher pick. Only the 29th pick team wants to draft us, so let’s beg them? A 300 million contract, a 500 million contract, a 700 million contract, which commission do you want to get?”

These words, speaking of Schwartz's heart, the 29th pick, the 19th pick, and the 9th pick, the money he can get is completely different.

Seeing Li Ao's confident appearance, Schwartz also knew the reason for the opponent's confidence. He could see that Li Ao had performed well in trial training in what he was good at. Would the opponent's general manager and head coach not be able to see it?

The other party actively invited the second try!

He secretly despised himself, he was so bold when he wrote the plan, but now he was so unconfident...

On the other side, after Li Ao and Schwartz left, the man with the logo immediately picked up the phone and dialed out. After connecting, he said loudly: "Jerry! Take down that florist's kid! We want to trade up, we must choose him !"

(End of this chapter)