Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1087 - 610 Long Summer_3

Chapter 1087: Chapter 610: Long Summer_3 Chapter 1087: Chapter 610: Long Summer_3 There was one exception.

That was Yao Ming.

The Changsha Men’s Basketball Asia Championship in 2015 kicked off at the end of September, with Yao Ming not expected to return to the United States until mid-October.

Before training camp began, players still enjoyed their free personal time.

However, some with proactive tendencies would actively seek opportunities for improvement.

For instance, Nikola Jokić spent this past summer in the United States participating in Saint Babara’s “Soul Leap” special training camp.

It’s a camp specifically devised for elite athletes, emphasizing recovery, training, and targeted enhancement.

...

The focus is on technology, effective training, and systematic nutritional recovery.

Jokić temporarily set aside his beloved horse racing and spent the entire summer in the United States to boost his physical condition, eventually walking into Yu Fei’s training camp like a brand-new human being.

“Nikola, what brings you here?”

Yu Fei didn’t expect Jokić to come.

Jokić said, “Sometimes I also want to get better.”

Yu Fei noticed that Jokić didn’t come to the training camp with the out-of-shape physique like last year; his face began to show angles, and his body, once bear-like and stout, now looked like a piece of Ancient Greek sculpture.

This was the “subsequent” impact of Yao Ming coming off the bench in the Finals.

If Yao Ming had finished the Finals as a starter, even if he faced targeted plays from the opponents on the court, no one would have questioned his tactical place.

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But Jokić witnessed the entire process of Yao Ming being benched.

Being as smart as he is, he certainly understood how Yao Ming was targeted and why he couldn’t adapt to that intensity of the game.

Jokić faced the same challenges from pick-and-roll defense in this era but, after all, he was not a giant center of the 220 level. Even if subjected to “military training,” he wouldn’t have as much embarrassment as Yao Ming.

Moreover, he was very clear that his skills were also outstanding in the NBA, and the only thing that needed strengthening was his physicality. Therefore, he chose to spend a summer transforming his body.

After entering training camp, Yu Fei finally got to thoroughly observe his changes.

Then, Yu Fei noticed a few key points.

After shedding the excess body fat, Jokić became more agile, starting to dare to drive towards the basket from the backcourt. At the same time, his shooting accuracy also significantly improved, and his hand-eye coordination was unmatched, rare throughout NBA history.

The last and most imperceptible change was: even though the leaned-down Jokić still couldn’t jump very high, his acceleration was very quick.

In a basketball game, this was very important.

Because successful defense often depends on whether you can reach the right position at the right time, not just how high you can jump.

This also explained why Jokić’s rim protection was comparable to some of the top blue-collar centers.

After the first day of training, thinking about what to eat for dinner, Jokić heard Yu Fei laugh and say, “If you keep playing like this, by the time Yao Ming comes back, he’ll find his starting position gone.”

“Are you joking?” Jokić looked at Yu Fei seriously, “Can I really start?”

“This isn’t the time to discuss this,” Yu Fei replied.

Jokić continued to ask, “So, can I start?”

“I don’t know, kid, don’t ask me,” Yu Fei said, “I’m not the coach.”

“Ah, I’m really sad now. I’ve trained hard for 100 days, and still, there’s no guarantee for a starting spot. I’m considering retirement!” Jokić said self-deprecatingly, “The money I’ve earned so far is enough to open a horse farm back home.”

“Are you serious?” Yu Fei asked, laughing.

“For real,” said Jokić, “unless you treat me to two liters of Pepsi, my mind’s made up!”

“Get lost, how dare you make that demand to me?!” Yu Fei said sternly.

Just when Jokić thought Yu Fei was ignoring his humor, the GOAT suddenly said, “I’m an endorser for Coca-Cola, and you’re asking me to treat you to Pepsi? Do you want me to breach the contract?”

Jokić eagerly said, “Coca-Cola isn’t out of the question…”

…

The evening breeze brushed against Yu Fei’s face as he stared at the steaming Coke in front of him, muttering, “How can I, a professional athlete, drink this stuff?”

“If you plan to retire at 35, then there’s no reason to refuse it,” Jokić said.

After a day of training, Yu Fei felt genuinely tired and achy. He hesitated for a moment before finally downing the Coke.

He hadn’t had a Coke in a long time, and the momentary thrill was better than many things. It led him to a wicked thought: If I retire, can I indulge in these things as much as I want?

It was an ordinary day, a day with nothing certain.

That’s how most people’s days pass.

But for Yu Fei, it was a rare experience.

He liked this feeling.