"Come on, keep it up!"
Click, click, click...
After practice, NBA staff came over to photograph the rookies in preparation for tomorrow's Rookie Challenge.
Goodwin was constantly being posed by the photographer.
Help! When is this going to end?
Half an hour! Do you know what I've been through for this whole half hour?
Goodwin would honestly rather practice for two hours than pose for half an hour. This was so hard.
At long last, it was over. A smile appeared on Goodwin's face. Finally!
"Thank you!" Goodwin politely thanked the staff.
"You're welcome, Goodwin. If I didn't know you were a basketball player, I'd think you were a model or even a Hollywood actor," the photographer praised him.
In the photographer's eyes, Goodwin was so handsome that he could put on any suit and hold his own against popular models and Hollywood actors.
Goodwin hurriedly waved his hands. "Everyone has their own specialty. I'm an amateur at this. I can't compare with them."
Never compare your amateur skills with someone else's professional ones!
After the shoot, Goodwin rubbed his stomach and found a restaurant to grab a quick bite. LeBron James had invited all the rookies to dinner, but Goodwin declined.
"Sorry, James. I still have some training to finish today."
Goodwin had wanted to go, but after looking at his training schedule, he decided against it.
"Oh, that's too bad." LeBron James didn't press him. In the eyes of basketball players, practice and games mattered more than anything.
When Carmelo Anthony heard that Goodwin was skipping dinner to train, he almost rushed off to practice too. How could he let Goodwin beat him?
The next second, LeBron James and Wade dragged him away.
"Anthony, how can you miss this party?"
"Anthony, we can't have this party without you."
All right!
The loyal Carmelo Anthony stayed.
After eating his fill, Goodwin returned to the gym. He rested for half an hour, then began training.
He picked up the ball, jumped, hung in the air, and released!
The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air. Swish.
Daily training plan updated: Three-pointers (703/1000)
The first number showed how many he had completed today; the second showed how many he needed to complete today.
The revolution had not yet succeeded. He still had to persevere!
Keep going, keep going!
Time passed slowly. The sound of basketballs hitting the gym floor never stopped. At 12:32 a.m., the gym finally fell silent. Then the lights went out, leaving it pitch-black.
A hazy figure slowly emerged from the gym entrance, walking at a sluggish pace as if completely drained. On closer inspection, his clothes looked as though they had been soaked in water.
He slowly raised his head and looked at the dark night sky. The corners of Goodwin's mouth lifted slightly. "Another beautiful day!"
Goodwin dragged his exhausted body back to the hotel, showered, and went to sleep.
He slept without dreaming.
The next day, Goodwin woke up full of energy. Yesterday's fatigue had vanished completely. Man, that felt great!
Goodwin didn't know if other athletes were the same. Did all their fatigue disappear after a single night's sleep?
He washed up, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and headed out for morning training.
When he reached the gym, Goodwin was surprised. He wasn't the first one there.
But the person's back looked familiar.
Goodwin walked closer and saw that it was Carmelo Anthony.
"Morning, Anthony."
Hearing a familiar voice, Carmelo Anthony turned his head and laughed. "Hahaha, Goodwin! I got here before you today."
Goodwin: "..." Were they really turning this into a competition?
Uh... Fine! You win.
Goodwin gave Carmelo Anthony a thumbs-up. "Impressive." He just wondered how many days Anthony could keep it up.
Goodwin's training would have been downright brutal for other players.
Aside from sleeping, eating, and using the bathroom, Goodwin spent all his time training. He even trained for long stretches at a time. Other players might manage a day or two, but keeping it up long-term was simply unimaginable.
Carmelo Anthony's smile froze. "Goodwin, that makes me a little unhappy. You sound like an older relative talking to me." For some reason, Carmelo Anthony felt as if Goodwin had seniority over him.
Goodwin looked helpless. Who was his older relative? Get out of here.
"I can't be bothered talking to you. I'm training."
Goodwin went straight to a treadmill and started running.
Carmelo Anthony came over to a treadmill too and started running.
It was as if they had challenged each other. Neither would stop while the other kept going.
An hour later, Goodwin finally slowed to a stop.
His running assignment was done.
Seeing Goodwin stop, Carmelo Anthony broke into a bright smile. "I beat you again, Goodwin."
"Anthony, who said we were competing? I was just finishing my daily run," Goodwin replied helplessly. It looked as if they were racing, but Goodwin had only been doing his usual training.
Carmelo Anthony's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open.
Daily running? For an hour?
This, this, this...
A few seconds later, Carmelo Anthony asked, "How long do you usually train?"
"Until I finish my daily training plan," Goodwin replied calmly.
"Then what's your daily training plan?" Carmelo Anthony continued asking.
"I'm not telling you!"
"Come on, tell me."
And so, Carmelo Anthony latched onto Goodwin. Even at the Rookie Challenge, he kept pestering him with questions.
Help!
In the end, Goodwin reluctantly told him his daily training plan.
Carmelo Anthony even took out a pen and paper to write it down.
Goodwin: "..."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Of course. I can't let you beat me," Carmelo Anthony answered without hesitation.
"All right. But if you follow my daily training plan, you should ask your training staff first. Every basketball player has a different physical condition." Carmelo Anthony nodded.
While the other rookies were fighting to stand out in the Rookie Challenge, the two of them sat on the bench chattering about training. Even when they went onto the court, they took it easy.
Carmelo Anthony wanted to keep asking Goodwin questions, while Goodwin had never been interested in the All-Star Rookie Challenge to begin with. In his eyes, training was better than the Rookie Challenge.
(Rookie Challenge: Is that any way to talk?)
A worm on the court, a dragon off it.
Even so, neither of them was short on screen time, especially Goodwin. Every time he appeared on the big screen, the crowd erupted in cheers.
In the end, the Rookie Challenge was never in doubt. The sophomores crushed the freshmen, winning 142–118 behind Stoudemire's outstanding performance.
Stoudemire made 17 of 23 shots and 2 of 4 free throws, finishing with a game-high 36 points and 11 rebounds. He set a Rookie Challenge scoring record and was named the game's MVP afterward.
LeBron James, a freshman, also lived up to expectations, scoring 33 points with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
Goodwin had an average performance, playing 11 minutes and making 3 of 5 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers, for 8 points and 2 rebounds.
After finishing his postgame interview, Goodwin headed toward the players' tunnel, hoping to go back and continue training.
But just then, Yao Ming's voice called out: "Goodwin!"
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