I'm Here to Make Money

Tang Tian put away his phone after he finished reading.

Actually, this type of combo guard is the most common type in America, but precisely because they're so common, the competition is fierce, so it's perfectly normal not to make it into the NBA.

Defensively, Tang Tian could definitely guard him, but offensively, besides his three-point shot, his other skills were barely up to NCAA standards. It would probably be difficult to score against Foster.

If they were to have a one-on-one, he would need to find rules that suited him.

The one-on-one on the court continued. Just as Tang Tian predicted, this "tank" was no match for Foster at all.

Even in a matchup where he should have had the advantage, he couldn't gain any ground against Foster.

In the end, it was 5-0. He was easily defeated, and Foster pocketed another hundred dollars.

"Anyone else?" Foster called out to the crowd.

This time, no one dared to step forward.

Although streetball players are generally free-spirited, this one-on-one was tied to money, and no one would turn down extra cash.

Foster called out for a while longer, and seeing that no one was coming up, he pouted, spread his hands, and shook his head.

Tang Tian walked out at this point.

Seeing someone step up, the crowd immediately erupted in whistles and cheers.

Streetball courts and campus basketball courts are both for basketball, but due to their different pursuits, there's very little overlap. Although Tang Tian was performing well in the NCAA, no one here recognized him.

Even though they didn't know him, they still cheered for his courage.

"You want to play?" Foster's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain when he saw Tang Tian, an Asian man.

In basketball, Asians have always been the most disadvantaged group due to their physical talents. Looking at the NBA, there's no shortage of excellent white and black players, but Asian players are truly few and far between.

So Foster's reaction was understandable. In fact, by asking, he was implicitly showing disdain for playing Tang Tian one-on-one.

"I think your offense is pretty bad," Tang Tian said directly, without answering Foster's question.

As soon as he spoke, the sidelines erupted in jeers.

Streetball values freedom and showmanship. Regardless of Tang Tian's skill level, his bold way of speaking was very much in the streetball style.

Foster thought he misheard. He smiled at Tang Tian, but as he saw that Tang Tian wasn't joking, his smile slowly faded.

"I think if I guard you, you won't be able to make a single shot out of five," Tang Tian said calmly.

At this, the sidelines exploded with whistles.

This wasn't just being bold; it was outright bragging! And forced bragging at that.

People below were whispering to each other, trying to figure out who Tang Tian was, but no one knew. The only information they got was that he was new.

The consensus they reached was that Tang Tian was an arrogant young punk who didn't know his place.

However, they enjoyed watching such brash youngsters. The bigger the talk now, the more miserably he'd be crushed by Foster later.

"Then let's do it," Foster was clearly a bit provoked. He didn't waste any more words and walked directly to the three-point line.

"Wait a minute, we haven't settled on the price yet," Tang Tian added.

"How do you want to play?" Foster asked, trying to be patient.

Tang Tian held up five fingers.

"Fifty dollars a game?"

Tang Tian shook his head.

"Kid, are you messing with me? If you want to play for five dollars, get lost. I don't have time for this low-level game." Foster dropped his stance, his interest vanishing instantly.

His reputation on the streetball court meant he wouldn't play for a mere five dollars.

The sidelines also erupted in jeers. They hadn't expected Tang Tian, after talking so big, to back down.

"No," Tang Tian shook his head.

"It's 500 dollars," he continued.

After he spoke, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent.

500 dollars!

In streetball one-on-one games, 100 dollars was already considered a high-stakes match. Even in New York, the birthplace of streetball culture, there wasn't a price as high as 500 dollars. Any higher, and it would border on commercial matches.

Commercial matches had insurance clauses. Who would risk injury playing a streetball match when they could play a commercial game?

Foster hesitated. 500 dollars was not a small sum for him, and he had never played for that much before.

"Aren't you scared?" Tang Tian asked, seeing Foster's lack of reaction.

He was genuinely afraid that if he said too much, he might scare Foster away. If that happened, it would be a huge loss.

"Scared," the word hit Foster, and his expression clearly changed.

Tang Tian had first made a lot of bold claims, then set an unbelievable price, and now he was asking if he was scared. It was like pushing him step by step into a fire. If he didn't agree, it would be an admission that he was a coward.

As a streetball player, being called a coward was the most shameful thing. It would be difficult for him to gain respect in the future.

"What exactly are you here to do?" Foster asked, looking at him.

"Me? I'm here to make money," Tang Tian replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, the whistles from the sidelines grew louder, and the jeers intensified.

This was too damn arrogant. If they were the ones standing there, they would have definitely taken Tang Tian down!

"Fine, I accept," Foster said coldly.

Having spent so much time on the streetball court, he had never encountered anyone like Tang Tian.

Although he hadn't played professionally in a while, he had maintained his physique well. He was even planning to try his luck in the NBA Summer League this summer. To defeat him, one would have to be an NBA-level player.

But how could an NBA-level player appear in a place like this and say they were here to earn money?

Those who could play in the NBA wouldn't even bother with such small amounts of money.

Even if the opponent was a young player from another professional league, he wouldn't miss every single shot out of five.

Seeing Foster agree, Tang Tian picked up the ball from the sideline, stretched his joints slightly, and then threw the ball to Foster.

"Let's go," he said, taking a defensive stance.

Seeing that a game was really about to start, the fans on site all focused their attention, staring intently at the court.

They were genuinely curious about what gave Tang Tian such arrogant confidence.

"Professor, someone's playing a $500 game over there," someone on a nearby court ran to the sideline and said to a person wearing a hood.

"$500? Who is it?" The hooded person was also a bit surprised.

"It's Killer, and the other one I don't recognize, he's Asian," the person explained.

The hooded person was even more surprised. He knew Killer, a player whose skill was very close to NBA level. For an Asian person to challenge him? And for a $500 game, this was truly unheard of.

He nodded, then went with the person to the adjacent court.

Over there, the game between Tang Tian and Foster had already begun.

A new week! Requesting recommendation votes. Just like last week, if the recommendation votes break a thousand on the same day, an extra chapter will be added.