No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 99 - 81. He is Kobe, not even 17 years old yet, but what if he has only been practicing basketball for two years?_4

Chapter 99: 81. He is Kobe, not even 17 years old yet, but what if he has only been practicing basketball for two years?_4

At some point, the Logo Man and Tellem had already come to the sidelines to watch.

The Logo Man, looking at Zhang Yang’s test and then at the physical side chart, said, "Arn, you’re exaggerating too much, Jack is good, but he doesn’t have the talent of a 17-year-old Kobe."

Tellem: "What if his current level is the result of only playing basketball for two years, how would you compare then?"

The Logo Man: "Has he really only played for two years?"

Tellem: "To be exact, it’s less than two years, Jack spent 5 years playing baseball before basketball, and he grew 5 inches at the age of 14. In July of ’03, he suddenly took an interest in basketball, went to the park to play, and was spotted by Compton High School’s Thomas. At that time, Jack could dribble the ball off his foot, but Thomas saw his talent in positioning and teamwork, lured him to Compton, and in less than two years, he has become Mr. Basketball of California."

The Logo Man, a fan of long-term planning, always paid attention to high school and college talents. He had heard about the commotion Zhang Yang and DeRozan stirred up in California’s basketball scene during the ’04-’05 season and had come across the claim of Zhang Yang being a ’conversion from a baseball player.’ However, he regarded it as nothing more than a media stunt.

Becoming Mr. Basketball of California as a junior, even if he had been a baseball player, meant at most he was an early dual-sport talent who played basketball alongside baseball.

But when Tellem mentioned it, the Logo Man didn’t think his friend was lying. He could easily confirm such a thing with a bit of networking.

From July ’03 to now, a full count of 20 months, Zhang Yang’s fundamental skills, shooting, technical versatility... the Logo Man’s interest was piqued.

Especially the post move from just earlier, it reminded the Logo Man of a man from the ’80s who used to give his team an awful headache...

The Logo Man turned to his assistant Cooper and said, "Michael, bring Louis Williams over..."

...

Zhang Yang was about to start the second round of technical tests when he was stopped. It seemed to be the only player in Lakers history with the Best Defensive Player award, Michael Cooper, asking him to play one-on-one against Louis Williams!

This player, Zhang Yang remembered, would later play in the NBA for 17 years as an evergreen, having a modest career in the beginning but taking off in 2013 after the NBA revised the cylinder rule, becoming one of the best sixth men in the league, winning Best Sixth Man three times in five years, having two girlfriends at once and living in harmony... and currently the fifth-ranked high school player in the nation.

Zhang Yang took a deep breath, suppressing the nervousness. He hadn’t yet faced a top ten high school player in America. In the class of ’05, there was only one in the top twenty in California, Tasmin Mitchell from Delram City Prince High School, but they were not in the same district and didn’t meet in the championship stage; Prince High School lost in the quarterfinals to Mater Dei High School.

Louis Williams was also nervous, not so much because of Zhang Yang, whom he knew as the ’05 Kobe,’ a laughable nickname. He was more concerned that if he lost to this not-yet-17-year-old guy, it might affect the Grizzlies’ evaluation of him.

The Grizzlies’ three big shots, the Logo Man, Cooper, and Floyd, were all watching from the side!

Zhang Yang adjusted himself and took the ball from the trainer, passing it to Louis Williams.

He intended to let the opponent shoot first to see his shooting capability, but the other party just retreated beyond the three-point line and gestured to him...

Forget it, who lets him have the skill to manage two girlfriends at once without family conflict? For such a boss, it’s okay to give some leeway; maybe they’ll become teammates in the future and he can learn some advanced American experiences.

Zhang Yang went to the free-throw line, lowered his center of gravity, and prepared his defensive stance.

Seeing that Zhang Yang was ready, Louis Williams started his offense!

The moment Louis Williams took off, Zhang Yang immediately backpedaled, keeping himself between Louis Williams and the basket.

Louis Williams drove straight to the basket, and Zhang Yang, without getting too close, maintained the right position, time his jump to disrupt... Louis Williams changed hands mid-air to avoid Zhang Yang’s interfering hand, made a layup... the ball hit the neck of the basket, bounced up to the backboard, then dropped, finding its way into the hoop!

Zhang Yang moved towards the top of the arc with regret, almost managing to defend the shot.

But the speed difference was a bit much, and if he had gone for a physical confrontation, there was a high probability he’d have been left without a trace—the defensive experience from playing against Darren Collison.

However, he wasn’t satisfied with his performance, but his opponent was frightened.

When had Louis Williams ever encountered such defensive awareness on the outside in a high school game?

No, this was just luck for the 16-year-old kid.

From the side, the Logo Man saw more clearly!

He noted Zhang Yang’s footwork, how he used his height and wingspan advantage when disrupting the shot instead of jumping... He wanted to see more.

On offense, Zhang Yang felt less nervous. He reached the three-point line, and just as he caught the ball from Louis Williams, the latter immediately stuck to him.

Zhang Yang protected the ball, without any fancy moves, and went for a power drive!

Zhang Yang, at 193 cm and 88 kg, against the 188 cm and 76 kg Louis Williams, didn’t need any tricks.

Watching Louis Williams get bulldozed on the drive, the Logo Man’s expression turned awkward. It was smart, but such a crude method of play...

At that moment, something not so crude happened!

Zhang Yang decelerated on the right side of the free-throw line, and the fiercely defending Louis Williams took a big step back. Zhang Yang then accelerated, with Louis Williams hurriedly sticking to him.

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