One Year Left to Play-Chapter 42 - 14: Bros Before Hoes

Pierce switched into chatterbox mode once again, and Zhang Hao didn’t refuse. When they went out to eat, it typically cost them between ten to twenty US dollars. Even a really good meal would cost just 100 US dollars at most, as they never went to any upscale restaurants. They were all students without much to splurge.

Originally, the team manager wanted to hold a celebration event for Zhang Hao’s victory in the slam dunk contest at noon today. Zhang Hao declined, and his teammates were not surprised. Zhang Hao always seemed like a loner. It was just a bit of a pity that both Zhang Hao and Pierce had the potential to enter the NBA. Most of their teammates this season were quite ordinary. Although they were decent players, they were just among the better ones from the average folks. Only one named Jason Hart was being groomed as the core for the next season. If these two really made it to the NBA in the future, teaming with them for this one year or two years, or teaming with Pierce for one to three years would truly become their bragging rights for the future – I once played ball with NBA players!

However, different people have different feelings towards the same thing. Zhang Hao found it troublesome. After integrating the future and beyond, he didn’t feel there was anything special about these two years in high school. Although recalling the scenes where they together defeated South California High School and won the California championship still made his blood boil, that was about it.

Having agreed to have lunch with Pierce at noon, Zhang Hao came to school and found Aprile Clark, who was preparing for the last SAT exam early May.

Aprile Clark was in a small pavilion by the school lake memorizing notes. When Aprile Clark took a break, Zhang Hao asked, "Aprile, do you have time at noon? Want to have lunch together?"

"Tomorrow. At 12:40 PM, I need to go to a tutoring class. I also have a class tonight. I’ll be free tomorrow at noon," Aprile Clark replied.

"Oh, a class tonight..." Zhang Hao took out two game tickets, and before he could finish speaking, one was snatched away.

"What class, I’m free tonight, what time? Let me see, the game starts at 8 PM, let’s leave from the apartment at 6 PM! You eat early tonight! Let’s head there early!"

Seeing the tickets, how could Aprile Clark not know what it meant? Tutoring? Ahem, missing a day wouldn’t matter...

"Aren’t you having dinner with me tonight?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I’m on a diet, haven’t exercised much lately, started gaining weight... By the way, aren’t you watching the game with Paul?"

"I got him a ticket; it’ll be next to us."

"That’s good then..."

...

At noon, Pierce treated Zhang Hao to a steak meal and ordered two expensive cakes as a lavish celebration for Zhang Hao, spending much more than what Zhang Hao anticipated. They ate for 200 US dollars, as Pierce always had an outstanding ability to get money from his mom.

Pierce was genuinely moved this time; Zhang Hao got the tickets and the first thing he thought of was him... or at least that’s what Pierce thought.

Then, Pierce took a nap, recharged, woke up in the afternoon, and happily played video games all afternoon. By evening, at 5 PM, he and Zhang Hao went to have a pizza, two burgers, two chicken legs, two chicken wings, and this time they spent only 25 US dollars together...

Pierce was even more eager, at 5:30, he was anxious to leave, complaining Zhang Hao was too slow, dawdling. Then, close to 6 PM, he saw Aprile Clark show up...

At the stadium, they first found their seats, and seeing Zhang Hao and Aprile Clark sitting next to him, asking Pickley to take their Polaroid picture, Pierce felt his fragile heart was deeply wounded!

It was one thing for Zhang Hao to take photos with the girl, but not even inviting him to the photo? Pierce deeply understood what it meant to be neglected for romance!

...

...

Time passed day by day, and after watching the Lakers and SuperSonics game, Zhang Hao resumed his personal training the very next day.

Life should not be wasted; that’s what Zhang Hao thinks now. Seeing the remaining lifespan, he feels wasting even a day is a luxury.

If rest is necessary, he will definitely choose to rest. If there’s something to do with friends, he could certainly find time.

But now, besides training or playing games, Pierce had nothing else, Aprile Clark was busy with study and exam preparation every day, and some of the school’s team matches were being taken over by lower-grade students. Zhang Hao and Pierce, in their graduating year, had already contributed enough by winning the California championship for the team...

In terms of college applications, even though Zhang Hao earned himself the nickname "Aix through the legs" from the American Cable TV Station commentators after the slam dunk contest, and Carter got the nickname "Carter the windmill", the spread was just so-so. After all, it was just high school competition; even though their performances in dunks were amazing, like those dunking aces from street courts, the influence was mediocre. Good performances from professional players in dunk competitions can truly gain popularity, whereas matches from amateur players remain amateur, as dunk contests cannot happen every day, and spectacular dunks cannot appear daily given the dense schedules.

However, through this dunk contest, both Zhang Hao and Carter, these young dunking talents, gained some fame.

For Zhang Hao, several schools from the minor leagues approached him, but his primary target was definitely schools from the NCAA Division I leagues. These schools commonly shared the trait of not only being strong in sports but also being generally good schools. The sequence is as follows—being a good school with ample funding, able to nurture student interests and pursuits in spiritual domains, then the sports programs develop better, and they become more renowned...