Training: 1000 Three-Pointers

That night, Wang Yi, who had received a training mission, barely slept.

Once the training mission was completed, his three-point shooting percentage would reach 45%.

This was already that of a top three-point shooter.

Even the great Curry's career three-point shooting percentage was less than 45%.

In the entire NBA, only the Warriors' head coach Kerr had a career shooting percentage over 45%.

What was the Lakers' biggest need right now?

A stable three-point shooter!

Pope, Kuzma, Schroder, Tucker...

Although they could all shoot threes, their accuracy was truly painful to watch.

In the small ball era, without stable outside shooting, games became a struggle.

He could imagine that if he could raise his three-point shooting percentage to 45%, he would be highly sought after by the Lakers.

Then, converting this second ten-day contract into a guaranteed contract would be easy.

The next day, at four in the morning, it was still dark.

Wang Yi quietly left Caruso's garage and headed for the Lakers' training facility.

He had barely slept last night and had wanted to go to the training facility then.

But it was too late, so he had to suppress his excitement.

He walked down the street, unable to even hail a car.

It was winter.

Los Angeles had a Mediterranean climate, so the winters weren't too cold.

But at four in the morning, the temperature was only about eight or nine degrees Celsius.

Wang Yi tightened his collar and looked up at the dim streetlights ahead.

He remembered the famous quote, "Have you ever seen Los Angeles at 4 AM?"

Although it was later pointed out that Kobe only occasionally woke up at 4 AM to train.

This sentence could still serve as a testament to Kobe's diligent training throughout his career.

This was the motivation that had driven Wang Yi forward for twenty years.

He began to jog, considering it a warm-up.

After jogging for half an hour, by the time he arrived at the training facility, steam was rising from his head.

He knocked on the guardhouse door, waking the dozing security guard:

"Hello, I'm here to train."

The guard rubbed his sleepy eyes and squinted for a moment before recognizing the Lakers' newly signed ten-day contract player.

He looked at the dark night sky outside the window.

Then he looked at the time on the computer.

He asked in surprise:

"So early?"

Wang Yi nodded. "I couldn't sleep, so I came to train."

"Are all Easterners as hardworking as you?"

The guard let him in, asking with a smile.

Wang Yi nodded without saying much.

The guard watched Wang Yi's retreating back and reminded him:

"The air conditioning isn't on yet; it won't be turned on until eight."

Team rules stated that training was at ten in the morning on non-game days.

But James usually arrived at eight.

So the air conditioning in the training facility was turned on at eight.

Wang Yi didn't look back and shook his head. "It's okay."

The Lakers' training facility was called the UCLA Health Training Center.

It included a basketball court, two whirlpools, ten ice baths, a weight room, offices, and many other facilities.

Wang Yi entered the gymnasium and turned on the lights.

The first thing that caught his eye was the ten gleaming O'Brien Cups displayed high on the opposite wall.

They proclaimed the Lakers' glorious history.

With these ten championship trophies as inspiration, training here felt full of motivation.

Wang Yi silently vowed in his heart: "One day, I will personally lift an O'Brien Cup."

He then stopped wasting time and set up the shooting machine.

The System's mission was to make 1,000 three-pointers.

Considering his stamina would decrease later, his shooting percentage would also drop.

He estimated he would need to shoot around 3,500 three-pointers.

Soon, he activated the shooting machine.

Then he quickly moved to the three-point arc and got into position.

He took a deep breath.

With a soft hum, the shooting machine fired a basketball towards Wang Yi at the three-point arc.

Catching the ball, Wang Yi quickly jumped, raised his arm, flicked his wrist, and shot.

Swish!

Three-pointer made.

At the same time, a notification appeared in his mind.

[Mission Completion: 1/1000]
[Time Remaining: 11 hours 59 minutes]

From the moment he shot his first three-pointer, the training had officially begun.

A 12-hour countdown.

This was very straightforward.

One second after his first shot, the shooting machine fired another basketball.

Wang Yi caught it and shot again.

Swish!

Another three-pointer made.

He shot ten in a row.

Making seven out of ten!

It was normal for any player to have a higher shooting percentage in training than in a game.

Superman Howard, when he was with the Lakers, only had a free-throw percentage of just over sixty percent in games.

But in training, he could shoot over ninety percent.

Wang Yi continued to shoot three-pointers relentlessly.

When he made his twentieth three-pointer, his right wrist began to ache faintly again.

He couldn't help but frown.

Making 1,000 three-pointers wasn't the difficult part.

The difficulty lay in his current right wrist injury.

If he practiced three-pointers frequently, his right wrist injury would only worsen.

He wasn't like players with guaranteed contracts who could rest when injured.

As a player on a short-term contract, he had to fight for his guaranteed contract!

Even with an injury, he had to grit his teeth and push through.

Thinking this, he gritted his teeth and continued to practice his three-pointers.

Half an hour later, the pain in his right wrist continued to increase.

He glanced at the mission completion status in his mind:

[Mission Completion: 103/1000]
[Time Remaining: 11 hours 26 minutes]

He had only completed a tenth of the mission.

He frowned deeply, shaking his head.

He couldn't continue like this.

He had already shot over 150 times, and his wrist was already in a lot of pain.

If he continued, he might not be able to play in the next game—although as a player on a short-term contract, his chances of playing were already slim, he had to be prepared to play at any moment as an athlete.

But if he didn't continue, this opportunity to improve his three-point shooting percentage would be wasted.

This was something he absolutely could not allow.

You see, the Lakers' biggest need right now is a stable three-point shooting option.

If he could quickly raise his three-point shooting percentage to 45%, he would have a great chance of breaking into the rotation.

At this moment, Wang Yi faced a dilemma.

But the consequences of both choices were not ideal.

He glanced at the mission countdown in his mind.

The red timer pulsed coldly.

The System wouldn't pity him; it wouldn't stop the countdown just because he was injured.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yi came up with a desperate plan.

Shoot with his left hand!

He had practiced shooting with his left hand for a while, so it wasn't unfamiliar to him.

It was just that his proficiency was much lower compared to his right hand.

At this moment, another basketball flew towards Wang Yi.

He caught it with both hands.

Holding the ball with his left, his right hand supporting it.

He jumped and shot!

Clank--

Undoubtedly, a three-point miss!

However, the pain in his right wrist had indeed lessened slightly.

The second ball.

Clank!

Another miss!

The third ball.

Clank!

Still a miss.

But Wang Yi was not discouraged in the slightest.

His eyes revealed a look of determination.

He had no retreat!

He had to burn his bridges!

Swish!

Finally, on his fifth shot, he made a three-pointer.

On his tenth shot with his left hand, he made his second three-pointer.

His left-handed three-point shooting percentage was twenty percent.

This meant that the number of shots he needed to take to complete the mission would greatly increase.

But he had no other choice.

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

Swish!

Clank...

The sounds of misses echoed in the empty stadium.

Occasionally interspersed with the sound of a three-pointer going through the net.

His training uniform was already soaked with sweat.

Steam rose from his head.

He was already starting to pant.

But he couldn't stop for a moment.

Because the red countdown in his mind, like a life countdown, didn't stop at all.