Legendary star

Chapter 7 San Antonio Spurs

On May 1999, 5, the second round of the NBA playoffs officially started. After the Spurs defeated the Timberwolves 17:3 in the first round, they ushered in their second opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers, at their home stadium, the Alamo Stadium.

Two days ago, Meng Xu received two tickets to today's game from Duncan. To be precise, every Wake Forest player received Duncan's tickets. This year is Duncan's second season in the Spurs. Making it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time, so the Wake Forest Devil Deacons received a few tickets for today's game from everyone from coaches to players.

NBA 1998-1999 regular season has shrunk significantly due to labor negotiations, from the original 82 games per season to only 50 games. The San Antonio Spurs have a record of 37 wins and 13 losses, tied with the Utah Jazz for the best regular season. record.Just as the playoffs were in full swing, the NBA's rookie training camp was about to open. Meng Xu signed up for this year's NBA draft. When he was about to go to the rookie training camp, he received a gift from Duncan. So he and He Hui came to the Alamo Stadium, the home of the Spurs, to watch the game between the Spurs and the Lakers.Originally, Meng Xu thought that He Hui didn't like basketball, but when Meng Xu took out the tickets and invited He Hui to watch the Spurs game, He Hui agreed with excitement, and Meng Xu was a little confused. .

When the Spurs players walked out of the player channel one by one, they were greeted with thunderous cheers, especially when the team's signature players David Robinson and Tim Duncan made their final appearances, the atmosphere reached a climax. At the apex, the cheers of nearly [-] spectators almost lifted the roof of the stadium.

"I must step on this stage and become the most dazzling star." Meng Xu looked enviously at Tim Duncan who was waving to the audience, and swore secretly.

"Xiao Xu, what's the matter with you?" He Hui asked, pulling Meng Xu's arm, as if sensing something unusual about Meng Xu.

"It's okay, I'm just a little excited." After a long silence, Meng Xu finally mustered up the courage to say to He Hui, "Sister Hui, I have signed up for this year's draft, and I want to enter the NBA."

He Hui looked at Meng Xu in surprise. After a long time, he finally said, "Xiao Xu, I know that your dream has always been to enter the NBA, so I will support you no matter what."

"Sister Hui, thank you." Meng Xu grabbed He Hui's hands excitedly and nodded repeatedly.Ever since Meng Xu decided to participate in the NBA draft, He Hui was the one he was most afraid of seeing, because Meng Xu didn't know how to tell her about it, and he was afraid that she would object and get angry.

"The match has begun." He Hui broke free from Meng Xu's hands, with a slight blush on his face.

Amidst the cheers of the home fans, the Spurs won the game 87-81 at home, but the person who impresses Meng Xu the most is the big fat Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers. With such a huge body, he can still be flexible. It's incredible, and his destructive power is obvious to all. Neither David Robinson nor Tim Duncan can completely limit him.According to Anna, this big fat man has officially entered the peak state of his career since this year. At his peak, he was a superstar with a comprehensive strength of 98. He is also the most dominant inside player in NBA history. one.

After the game, at the invitation of Popovich, Meng Xu visited the Spurs' locker room and the team's history showroom, and had a general understanding of the club. The Spurs have a long history but lack honor and heritage. The Spurs don't even have their own dedicated basketball stadium, and the current home stadium, the Alamo Stadium, is a football stadium.After the visit, Meng Xu came to the Spurs training hall and took a comprehensive physical examination under the guidance of the staff.

Name: Meng Xu

Barefoot height: 6 feet 5.61 inches (200cm)

Height with shoes: 6 feet 6.66 inches (203cm)

Weight: 180.7 lbs (82kg)

Wingspan: 7 feet 2.17 inches (220cm)

Standing reach: 8 feet 9 inches (271.2cm)

Bench Press: 200 lbs (91kg)

Body fat content: 8.1%
Hand length: 9.5 inches (24.1cm)

Hand width: 11 inches (27.9cm)

Three-quarter sprint: 2.9 seconds

Run around the penalty area: 10.3 seconds

Vertical bounce: 25.5 inches (65cm)

Approach bounce: 30.7 inches (78cm)
"Greg, is this the rookie you've been talking about?" Mike Budenholzer, the assistant coach of the Spurs, said with a stack of physical data in his hand, "This rookie's wingspan Very good, as a player who is close to 6 feet 7 inches, it is amazing to be able to run a three-quarter sprint in less than 3 seconds, but his strength, jumping and explosive power are simply too bad, and the speed of the ball is not good. A perimeter player with a very average shot."

"Mike, I think you should ask him by the standard of a team's main player, or even a star player. Mike, you must know that we only have the last pick this year. If this player has outstanding talent, offensive and The defense is very good, then he can become a lottery pick." Popovich sat at the desk, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically: "Mike, tell me, our team needs supplements the most right now. Where is the strength?"

"Substitute, our team's substitute is the most in need of reinforcement. If our team can have two qualified substitutes, then our lineup will be perfect." The Spurs' substitute lineup has always been the most The point of criticism is that among the 29 teams in the league, the Spurs' bench score has always been the lowest, and due to the lack of substitute players, the Spurs can only play David Robinson and Tim Duncan in the regular season, playing too much time in the regular season, Not getting enough rest, poor performance in the playoffs, and declining statistics, this is one of the reasons why David Robinson has always been called a soft guy and a regular season player.

"Well, yes, our team's inside substitutes have always been a weakness, so David and Tim can't get enough rest time, and there is also a lack of a sixth man. The current substitutes are too poor in scoring." Bo Povich looked at Mike Budenholzer and said with satisfaction: "Our team still lacks a qualified perimeter defender. Whether it is Sean, Mario or Avery, they are not good at defense, and they are not good at perimeter defense. It has always been the weakness of our team. I have watched this Meng’s game. His one-on-one defense, anticipation, and stealing ability are all top-notch among all NCAA players. I think he can adapt to this role very well.”

"How about I arrange a confrontation to test his defensive skills." Seeing Popovich's confident expression, Mike Budenholzer continued: "It just so happens that Sean and the others are still training. "

"Okay, you go and make arrangements." Popovich picked up the physical measurement data that Mike Budenholzer put on his desk and began to look through: "By the way, you ask Tim to come to my office and tell me by the way Sean and the others just finished a game today, don't practice for too long, pay attention to rest."

(End of this chapter)