The opponent's point guard chuckled: "Hey, that 'pass' just now was indeed very exciting. But, you are almost done, right?"

In the next second, UKB's point guard received the ball and quickly passed Nie Chuan and rushed to the back of DK.

Nie Chuan ran forward vigorously, but he couldn't catch up. This feeling of powerlessness made him depressed.

But Reese instantly got rid of the opponent's small forward, rushed back to his own basket, and blocked the ball before the UKB point guard could make a layup.

UKB's point guard fell to the ground. He had no idea how Reese caught up with him and even surpassed him.

Reese dribbled the ball quickly and the fast break began.

Carlo had already rushed into the opponent's area. Facing the small forward who was following closely behind him, Reese suddenly stopped and held up the ball. The opponent thought he was going to pass the ball to Carlo and jumped high to intercept the ball, but unexpectedly he threw the ball back in a cool manner. After Ewing got the ball on the three-point line, he jumped without hesitation and made a beautiful three-pointer to secure their victory.

Ewing made the "V" sign while falling.

"Well done Ewing!" Montenegro gave thumbs up from both hands.

"Haha, Reese passed it well!"

"Why have I become a deception again?" Carlo looked depressed.

The two teams lined up to say goodbye.

The center of UKB punched Carlo with his fist: "Today, we are actually sparring partners, right?"

Carlo smiled sheepishly.

"It feels like you haven't shown the same drive as in last year's league game. Last year we were running all over the court with you guys!" The opposing point guard pouted and seemed very dissatisfied.

Ewing responded: "Why, you think losing by only two points is not enough, you want to lose by twenty points?"

At this time, Nie Chuan couldn't hear what they were saying. His legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and his ears were buzzing.

"Hey, black-haired guy." The opposing point guard came up to him.

Nie Chuan lowered his head and did not react until Ewing next to him gently bumped him with his shoulder: "Hey, Allen, he's calling you."

"Ah? What?"

"You should run faster and breathe less." The other party raised his chin towards Nie Chuan, "In the real league, there are many players who are faster than me."

Although the other party looked a bit arrogant, Nie Chuan could sense that he felt sorry for his performance today.

"Let's go - we have to win the regular season!"

The UKB people packed up their things and waved goodbye to Carlo and the others.

"Nonsense, you don't want to be eliminated!"

"These guys are actually pretty good players," Montenegro said.

"Ah? What do you mean?" Nie Chuan raised his head.

"That is to say, he won't look angry even if he loses the game, and he won't commit fouls on the court because he is angry and can't control his temper." Ewing put his arm around Nie Chuan's shoulders.

Nie Chuan suddenly understood why Carlo organized this practice match.

The real target of the practice was not the four of them, but him, Nie Chuan.

"Let's go! Let's go see Connor." Carlo suddenly said as he put the sports bag on his shoulder.

Nie Chuan was stunned: "Con...Connor?"

Looking at Ewing and Montenegro, their expressions were also calm, as if they had already known that Connor was staying in the hospital nearby.

Nie Chuan looked at Reese. Reese just tilted his head back and drank the mineral water. The movement of his Adam's apple was very powerful.

He put the cap back on the bottle and said calmly, "You all know it."

Carlo put away the scattered smile on his lips: "Do I look like a fool?"

"Yes." Reese's answer was simple and straightforward.

"…Connor left a message on my Facebook page. He said he and his parents were going to another country and he was going to give up basketball. But when I checked the IP address of his message, it turned out to be this hospital."

Ewing wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. "So the three of us came to this hospital quietly and saw Connor from a distance. Then we understood everything. Connor was afraid that we would not accept new teammates and that we were worried that we would not be able to open our hearts. We understood. So we pretended not to know about it. But now we have Allen! Connor can go to Washington for treatment with peace of mind, right?"

Montenegro looked in Reese's direction: "Did you tell Connor that we will play in this stadium?"

"Of course." Reese nodded.

Nie Chuan's heart was shaken. This meant that the reason why Carlo did not rent a basketball hall for the practice game was so that Connor could watch the game from the window of the ward!

"What are you still standing there for? Let's go!" Carlo snapped his fingers, and the group put on their bags and walked towards the hospital.

Nie Chuan looked at everyone's backs, and his eyes felt sore.

When they arrived at Connor's ward, it was empty.

A passing nurse told them that just five minutes ago, Connor had completed the hospitalization procedures and was taking a car to the airport.

"This guy... didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye? That's too much." Ewing pouted and his eyes turned red.

But Connor left a card for Reese.

He told Reese not to worry about him or to come to Washington to see him. He would be fine.

"He said it was a really great game, more exciting than any NBA game he's watched here."

Reese said this in a calm tone, but everyone could imagine the expression on Connor's face when he wrote this.

"This guy...next time I see him...I must teach him a lesson. He absolutely cannot...leave without saying goodbye." Carlo's voice trembled slightly.

"Let's go! Let's go to a tea restaurant! I want to eat shrimp dumplings! Barbecued pork buns! Rice rolls! I will also take pictures and post them on my Facebook. Connor is drooling with greed!" Ewing smiled widely.

"Huh? I didn't expect that no one can learn Chinese normally, but when it comes to food, you speak so much like Chinese?" Carlo said.

"My language neurons are more developed than yours." Ewing raised his eyebrows, leaving Carlo speechless again.

"Alan, you don't know Connor, so you don't understand what's going on when we talk about Connor, right?"

Just as Carlo was about to say something about Connor, Reese suddenly said, "Everyone is hungry, let's go eat."

so far so good……

At this moment, Nie Chuan didn't know why, but every time he heard Connor's name, his heart ached.

He looked in Reece's direction, but Reece's expression remained the same.

That night, Carlo sent Nie Chuan home, waved to him with a smile and said, "See you at school tomorrow!"

Nie Chuan also said goodbye to him with a smile, and when Carlo walked away, Nie Chuan lowered his head.

He did not knock on the door before entering the house, but sat down on the steps downstairs.

"If you don't want to smile, you don't have to smile at Carlo. He won't mind."

A cold voice sounded, but it was just a simple sentence, and Nie Chuan's tears were about to fall.

Nie Chuan quickly rubbed his eyes, raised his head, and saw Reese standing under the street light. His figure was always so clear that Nie Chuan couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to.

"Why...are you here?"

Reese didn't answer him, but sat down next to him with his pockets in his hands.

"You look sad."

"Why didn't you tell me? Connor was watching? My performance was terrible!" Nie Chuan said sullenly.

“Definitely not the best thing in your life, but definitely not terrible.”

"Maybe I'm really not suitable for playing basketball. I don't have enough speed, explosiveness, or physical strength... You should..."

"What should we do? Find someone else? The problem is that Connor has already recognized you and affirmed you."

"Did he? How is that possible? I was a mess in the first half and couldn't run in the second half..."

Reese stretched out his hand and pressed it on Nie Chuan's head.

"I thought I tried my best, but it wasn't enough." It was the first time that Nie Chuan felt so regretful.

He regretted why he had not persisted in exercising, continued playing basketball, and kept his physical fitness in the best condition.

"I would think so because you tried your best and I was unwilling to give up. But you let him see your ball-handling ability and dispatching ability as a point guard. If he doesn't agree with you, he won't leave a message saying 'It was a great game'.

"Are you sure this isn't a comfort?"

"I am sure."

"But this is not the most exciting game. I need more energy and faster speed. I also need to be able to jump higher and dribble past opponents with a wider range. UKB said that they are not the fastest in the league." Nie Chuan said, looking at his clenched fist.

"Nie Chuan, do you know why Carlo chose you, and why Ewing and Montenegro accepted you so quickly?" Reese asked.

"Why?"

"Because if you are only dealing with your own affairs, you may let yourself go, you may be lazy, and you may choose to handle things in an easy way. But if this matter is related to someone you think is important, you will go all out."

"What?" Nie Chuan raised his head and looked at Reese's profile.

"That's why Carlo and the others trust you so much. Because they know that on the court, you will always create the most ingenious opportunities for them and always be in the best position to meet them."

"Will I?"

"Of course you do."

Nie Chuan's tears finally fell.

"Xiaochuan." Reese's knuckles brushed across Nie Chuan's cheek and caught the tear. "Although crying never means weakness. But I hope this is the last time you cry because of regret."

Reese's "Xiaochuan" was so light that Nie Chuan even wondered if he had heard it wrongly.

But what he said made Nie Chuan's mind, which was unable to find a support point, suddenly become hardened.

"Also, welcome to join UDK's  basketball team ." Reese extended his hand to Nie Chuan.

His fingers were very long, and the fingertips had an unreal beauty in the dim light.

"Huh? I don't think so. I haven't met Coach Gordon yet."

"You've already met him, during the practice match."

"What? Where is he?" Nie Chuan racked his brains but couldn't remember...

Suddenly, the image of the stern man with gray-blue eyes flooded into his mind.

Nie Chuan's shoulders trembled: "He...he can't be the coach sitting behind ukb, right?"

"yes."

Nie Chuan raised his hands to cover his face, thinking about his helpless performance in the first half, it was really embarrassing.

"He looks...serious..."

"As the head coach of a  basketball team , it's hard to expect him to be gentle and patient. I'll take you to see him after class on Monday afternoon."

"Did he really agree to let me join?" Nie Chuan found it unbelievable.

"Yes."

"Why didn't Carlo and the others tell me that was Coach Gordon?"

"If you knew it was Coach Gordon, you'd be more nervous, right?"

Reese stood up and walked towards his Land Rover.

"Hey... am I really joining?"

Before, Nie Chuan might not have understood what the college  basketball league meant, but now he knows.

That is the cradle of the NBA, and even when its finals come, the NBA has to stop all games to show respect.

"What you should be asking is not this question, but whether you like playing  basketball . A person can never give his best when facing something he doesn't like. So, do you like it?"

At that moment, he passed the ball to Montenegro for a slam dunk, Carlo received the ball from him and slam-dunked, Ewing made a beautiful three-pointer...

That feeling of tense nerves, blood rushing through the body, the urge to keep running even if the heart can't beat...

“Yes, I like playing  basketball .”

Nie Chuan looked in Reese's direction and said very seriously.

"As long as you like it."

Reese's smile was faint, with a warm curve on his lips.

He opened the car door and stepped in. Nie Chuan stood at the door and watched his car go farther and farther away. He had a vague premonition that his uneventful life was about to change.

Reese's Land Rover stopped under an apartment building. He went to the top floor and rang the doorbell. A middle-aged man in casual home clothes opened the door for him.

"Wow, that's rare. I thought you wouldn't come. What would you like to drink, coffee or ice water?"

"Ice water." Reese sat on the sofa.

"I thought you preferred coffee." The middle-aged man smiled indifferently and threw a bottle of ice water over, which was caught steadily by Reese.

"Because the coffee you made was terrible."

"Well, you are always painfully honest." The middle-aged man sat on the coffee table with his coffee, facing Reese. "Reese, I know Carlo and the others really want that black-haired Chinese kid to join the team. I admit that he has certain potential, but I want to hear your real thoughts."

"Why my idea, Coach Gordon?"

"Because you are the most stubborn, principled and uncompromising guy in the whole team. If you think he is good, you will pull that kid in even if others think he is not. If you think he is not good, you will kick him out even if Carlo and the others like him."

"Coach, you just said that Nie Chuan has potential, so what do you think his potential is?" Reese asked with his arms folded.

Coach Gordon smiled. "He has a great sense of the ball and the ability to control rhythm. His ability to shift his center of gravity and control inertia is probably better than yours. And he is not like you, with an overly strong personality. He is more suitable for fighting alone. He is more adaptable to a team than you."

"What about the disadvantages?"

"The shortcomings are obvious. His explosiveness, speed and endurance are not up to the standard I want. Not to mention his lack of experience playing against high-level teams."

"So why did you text me and tell me that you agreed to let him join the team? Was it just to appease Carlo and the others?"

"No, because I think he still has room for improvement. And with the regular season starting in late November, we still have enough time for him to have the qualities we think he should have."

Coach Gordon stared at Reese's face, trying to read his eyes.

"Oh, and more importantly, I see in you a desire to connect with someone on the court."

Reese leaned forward and looked into Coach Gordon's eyes: "Now that you've said that, do I have any reason to refuse?"

Coach Gordon was stunned. He thought Reese would coldly deny the last point he made.

"See you Monday, then."

"See you on Monday." Reese stood up and walked to the door as if he had thought of something. He turned his head and said, "I forgot to tell you that he seems to be very afraid of you."

"Are you afraid of me? Why?" Coach Gordon showed a surprised expression.

"Maybe it's because you always try to make yourself look mysterious, unlike me who is honest."

After Reese left, Coach Gordon shook his head helplessly.

Nie Chuan fell asleep very quickly that night because he was too tired.

The first time he met Coach Gordon was after class on Monday morning. As soon as Nie Chuan walked out of the classroom, he saw a middle-aged man in a suit leaning against the corridor and looking at him with a smile.

He waved his hand and said "Hi".

Nie Chuan suddenly became nervous.

"I think you should already know that I am your coach."

This sentence made Nie Chuan even more nervous. Coach Gordon was different from his  physical education teacher in middle school. He was a very professional coach.

"Yes, I understand."

"Although you should answer me 'Yes, coach' at this time. But since I am a kind coach and we have an equal relationship, I care more about your attitude than all the superficial things."

Coach Gordon looked at Nie Chuan carefully. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that the Chinese boy seemed even more nervous.

"Let's go and talk together."

Coach Gordon bought two cups of instant coffee and sat on the lawn of the college with Nie Chuan. They were surrounded by classmates reading books or couples in love.

"The school has very clear rules about training time for the team. From April to October, tactical drills and on-field training are not allowed because the children have to study hard."

Nie Chuan nodded.

"Of course, it's your freedom to organize small-scale unofficial practice games on your own. It has nothing to do with me." Coach Gordon tactfully shirked responsibility.

Nie Chuan nodded again.

"So from April to October, it's up to you to do the physical training, not me. All I can give you is advice and suggestions."

"Yes, Coach."

"Well, good boy. I think you know exactly what your problem is now."

"I think I understand."

"tell me the story?"

“Speed, endurance, explosiveness, experience and shooting accuracy.”

"Ah... I didn't notice the problem with your shooting percentage in that game." Coach Gordon said seriously.

Nie Chuan wanted to lower his head and wipe the sweat off his face. Didn't that practice match reveal all his problems?

"But the first three are fatal." Coach Gordon's smile disappeared.

"Yes, they are deadly." Nie Chuan lowered his head and frowned.

Coach Gordon flicked Nie Chuan's brow with his finger and said, "Boy, never lower your head in front of me. It will make it difficult for me to see your expression."

"Yes, coach!" Nie Chuan raised his head seriously.

"Although many college students...will hire a private coach in order to perform well in the league and get the NBA's favor. But I think your goal is not the NBA, but to play  basketball happily ."

"Yes, Coach."

NBA or something... it's too far away. I guess it would be great if Nie Chuan didn't end up on the bench when the league starts!

"In order to improve your speed, endurance, and explosive power, this is the training plan I have prepared for you."

Gordon handed a USB flash drive to Nie Chuan.

Nie Chuan never expected that the other party would actually draw up a training plan for him? Does this count as being given special treatment?

"Don't expect to accomplish it all from the beginning. It's just a goal. I hope you can achieve this plan on the basis of completing your college studies. I also hope that you can have a rich extracurricular life and enjoy your life besides  basketball ."

Nie Chuan nodded. It seemed that Coach Gordon was not as unkind as he had imagined.

"Of course, I also understand that kids your age may be a little lazy and lack perseverance sometimes, which is understandable. So I have also arranged for you to have a teammate you already know as an assistant coach to urge you to complete the practice as much as possible. I call this 'package practice'. We can supervise and correct each other, and help each other, which is easy to improve team cohesion."

"Huh? Then who is my packing practice target?"

"Don't worry. From what I've heard, he has a good temper, is highly skilled, and has always taken good care of you. You two will get along well."

Nie Chuan's mind began to search for the possibility of this person.

Is it Heishan? Although Heishan looks scary, Nie Chuan thinks he has a really good temper, is considerate and comforting. It should be a pleasure to practice with him, right?

When it comes to superb skills, the one that flashed through Nie Chuan's mind was Ewing. What a cool and elegant three-pointer!

And Ewing is also a foodie. After practice every day, they can go to a Chinese restaurant together to eat snacks. What a tacit understanding!

But if I were to say who has always taken good care of me, it would be Carlo! It's just that Carlo is sometimes off the mark...but they can still get along happily, right?

"Okay, go back and take a good look at your training plan. I will accept consultations once a week. Of course, if you can contact me every week..."

Coach Gordon left comfortably with a sly smile on his lips and instant coffee in hand.