You're a Starter

Chapter 10: You're a Starter

Raul's attention had never left Sun Hao.

The look in his eyes was no longer merely surprise; he was somewhat shocked.

How could Sun Hao's attention to detail resemble that of a fifteen-year-old kid? He was clearly an old court hustler!

For a moment, Raul even wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But the truth was that they were not.

Velazquez changed direction and drove left.

There was a fierce look in his eyes.

The little boy's warning to Sun Hao had been correct. Velazquez was a left-handed player, and that was also why he had wanted another game and insisted on attacking first.

In contact sports, Left-Handed Players attacked along entirely different routes from ordinary people, making them especially difficult to defend against.

But even without the little boy's reminder, Sun Hao had guarded against Velazquez's drive. He took position early and initiated contact, refusing to let him build up speed.

Bang!

The two collided head-on.

Velazquez instantly felt as though he had run into a wall.

Most young players were still growing and had yet to develop their strength.

Even an interior beast like Howard had been just a lanky big man before entering the league.

Sun Hao had relentlessly trained his strength in the system. Once he planted himself, he really was a wall.

Velazquez was knocked backward, stumbled, and fell straight to the floor. The ball slipped out of his hands as well.

Turnover!

Raul's eyes widened again.

Sun Hao's muscle definition was not particularly noticeable, but that strength was simply unbelievable!

What kind of miraculous player had he found just to fill out the roster?!

Velazquez got back to his feet, and his eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Sun Hao.

He was not a player known for his strength, but that gap...

This Asian player was a monster!

Possession changed hands, and it was Sun Hao's turn to attack again.

After receiving the ball, Sun Hao still went for a three-pointer.

But this time, his three-pointer clanged off the rim. No one could guarantee that every shot would go in.

The one who made every shot in one-on-one training was Carmelo Anthony.

Seeing Sun Hao miss another three, the despair in Velazquez's eyes faded somewhat.

He still had a chance.

When he got the ball again, he used consecutive crossovers in an attempt to shake Sun Hao.

Sun Hao's center of gravity was extremely steady, completely unaffected by the fakes.

Unable to shake him, Velazquez forced his way in, and his shot was nearly blocked by Sun Hao. It was a complete airball!

A stir rose from the sideline.

Getting shut out 5-0 earlier had only proven how outstanding Sun Hao was offensively.

But in this game, they had now seen Sun Hao's defensive ability as well!

And compared to the previous game, Velazquez was clearly in a far more miserable state now.

He was not proving his own ability at all; he was simply serving as a supporting character for Sun Hao's show!

Possession changed hands again. This time, Sun Hao did not make a three-point shooting motion. Holding the ball, he drove directly to the right.

Seeing Sun Hao's choice, Velazquez, who had nearly shut down mentally, regained some confidence.

This time, he could stop him.

Velazquez got into proper defensive position.

Sun Hao no longer had time to change direction.

Raul felt slightly relieved at the sight.

Although Sun Hao had given him a huge surprise, he did not want Velazquez to have his confidence completely shattered.

After all, the latter was a local Spanish player. Confidence was very important for young players.

Bang!

But just as he thought that, Sun Hao accelerated and rammed Velazquez aside!

There was no technique involved at all. He simply bulldozed through him!

Velazquez had no time to react, and he could not overpower him either...

Sun Hao lightly banked the ball in.

1-0!

Raul's mouth hung open.

This... was just too much bullying!

This way of scoring was even more excessive than the earlier shake-and-drive moves or even the three-pointers!

I don't even need skill to crush you!

Velazquez's psychological defenses had completely collapsed.

The next several possessions turned into a complete rout.

Sun Hao became an emotionless bulldozer.

Even when Velazquez lowered his center of gravity, Sun Hao still drove him out past the baseline.

The second game had not ended yet, but the result was no longer in doubt.

In rhythm and physicality, Velazquez had been utterly outclassed by Sun Hao.

By this point, the shock on Raul's face had vanished, replaced by joy he could not hide.

At first, due to his prejudice, he had not thought much of Sun Hao. But after watching this, that feeling had completely disappeared.

Because he had realized he had struck gold!

Though reason told him that a player who was strong one-on-one might not necessarily play well in a full-court game, Sun Hao's strength was comprehensive!

It made Raul uncontrollably optimistic. He even wanted this one-on-one match to end sooner so that he could examine Sun Hao's full-court performance.

Although he had watched Sun Hao play full-court basketball in China before, Sun Hao's performance against a stronger opponent in one-on-one made him feel that Sun Hao's full-court ability far exceeded what he had seen before!

If he could develop a Pau Gasol for Real Madrid, like Barcelona had next door, and train a player who could leap from the Youth Team to the first team within a year, then he could rise with him instead of remaining a Youth Team coach forever!

One of Sun Hao's drives missed, and possession changed hands.

This was Velazquez's last chance. But after being overwhelmed by Sun Hao, he—despite already being at a disadvantage in strength—actually chose to post up with his back to the basket.

As a result, he could not generate force when he turned around, and Sun Hao seized the timing difference to swat him brutally in the face.

"Hiss~"

The players on the sideline could barely bear to watch.

After that vicious block, the one-on-one game had completely lost any suspense.

Another 5-0.

Although Sun Hao's shooting touch had declined somewhat in the second game, he ended the battle in an even more brutal way.

Sun Hao had arrived on the final day. Velazquez had not.

The Youth Team training had already been going on for some time, and Velazquez ranked near the top in strength at the Training Camp.

Yet he had now been completely dominated by Sun Hao.

After these two one-on-one games, everyone present had gained an entirely different understanding of Sun Hao's ability.

The person they had mocked was the strongest king here!

"Good job."

After training ended, Raul came over and patted Sun Hao on the shoulder in approval.

The changes in his expression and actions made it clear that his attitude toward Sun Hao had changed.

"Not bad. Just warmed up."

Raul froze when he heard Sun Hao's reply, then burst out laughing.

He had not paid much attention to Sun Hao before, but now it seemed Sun Hao had pride in his bones.

The one-on-one training continued. Sun Hao and the others who had finished rested by the sideline, preparing for the final full-court scrimmage.

"You're really amazing."

At that moment, the eleven- or twelve-year-old boy who had spoken to him earlier came over again.

With his innocent, friendly smile and his well-meaning warning, Sun Hao had a very good impression of the boy.

Coupled with the sense that he looked familiar, Sun Hao began chatting with him.

"Sun Hao, Guangdong, China."

Sun Hao extended his hand and introduced himself.

"Rudy Fernandez, Balearic Islands, Spain."

The little boy shook Sun Hao's hand and replied with a smile.

Sun Hao paused when he heard the name, then immediately laughed.

He had known the boy looked somewhat familiar, though he could not identify him at once because he was so young.

But once he gave his name, everything clicked.

Fernandez, a future core player of Spain's national team, with a graceful style of play and outstanding performances in the NBA as well.

Although Fernandez was young, he possessed a maturity that did not belong to his age.

There was no generation gap between the two, and they chatted quite well.

Moreover, Sun Hao learned during their conversation that Fernandez also enjoyed traveling!

Before long, the two agreed to go out and have fun together sometime later.

By the time they finished chatting, the one-on-one matches were nearly over as well.

Raul gathered the players together again, and the final full-court scrimmage began immediately afterward.

The Training Camp had been running for a while, and the groups had always been divided according to when players had arrived.

Raul acted out of selfish motives this time and deliberately placed Sun Hao with the batch that had entered the Training Camp earliest.

He clearly wanted to see whether the Basketball IQ Sun Hao had displayed was merely his own illusion or truly real.

The full-court scrimmage began quickly.

Sun Hao once again became the absolute center of attention on the court.

The thing Raul had casually given Sun Hao on the plane to pass the time was the team's tactics manual.

Although he had only just arrived at the Training Camp, he had already mastered more tactics than anyone present.

On top of that, he had just unlocked the Basketball IQ Badge.

Effortless was the best description of his performance.

He never hesitated when it was time to pass, acted decisively when it was time to shoot, and also observed the defense while directing his teammates' movement.

It was like Otto joining a Ferrari engine. The team with Sun Hao took off instantly.

Raul watched from the sideline in wild delight.

His judgment had been correct!

In China, because the opponents had been too weak, Sun Hao's individual ability had not been fully displayed!

He had truly, truly struck gold!

"Sun will start in the new season."

After the full-court scrimmage ended, Raul could no longer contain his excitement and announced the decision.

This time, no one laughed. They all felt it was only natural, and quite a few of them were filled with envy.

In competitive sports, strength spoke.

PS: Thank you Huanyu for the 100,000 reward, and congratulations on becoming this book's third Alliance Leader! Thank you Too Lazy to Change Name for the 50,000 reward, and congratulations on becoming this book's second Alliance Leader! Thank you Yun and Jie for the 10,000 rewards! Thank you, bosses! Hearts and kisses~ Remember the bonus chapters; they'll be made up after release~

Thank you Ling Tian Feichen, Minced Meat Little Eggplant, Lisbon Night Train Himself, Book Friend 160912142444935, Invincible Young Master Han, Vulgar, Jiao Jiao Shen Huai Jue Ji, Undying and Unyielding Eternal Immortality, and Hypocritical RS for the rewards~

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