blogombal Chapter 3: The Draft, Selected in the Second Round
Chapter 3: The Draft, Selected in the Second Round
June 26, 2002, Madison Square Garden, New York.
The draft venue was scorching hot under the spotlights. The front row of the green room was filled with hot prospects in suits and slicked-back hair. Everyone had a tense yet expectant look on their faces, and their ties were crumpled in their hands.
Only in the corner of the last row of the venue was the painting style out of place.
Lin Hao sat with his legs crossed, wearing a second-hand suit that he had found in Chinatown. It was too big and didn't fit him well, but he didn't care. He was playing with the ebony suona in his hand, and had the well-worn youth training notebook in his pocket. There was also a freshly opened can of yellow peaches on the table, and he was using a fork to put the fruit into his mouth.
Reporters and scouts passing by would all turn around and glance at him, their eyes half curious and half amused.
Who doesn't know him?
Two weeks ago, during halftime of the NBA Finals, a tough guy from Northeast China, known for his loud suona dunk, blew the crowd away and then rushed onto the court to dunk over Shaquille O'Neal. Overnight, the nickname "Suona Dunker" spread throughout the United States, and the video of him dunking on O'Neal on YouTube garnered over ten million views. In Chinese forums, he was even hailed as "the second best player on the Chinese men's basketball team."
Despite the excitement, when it came to the actual draft, nobody treated him like a serious rookie.
All the major draft websites predicted he would be "undrafted". The scouting report clearly stated: no NCAA experience, no professional league experience, gained attention only from a sensational halftime performance, mediocre physical talent, unknown skills, labeled as a "celebrity player".
Even the few unsuccessful candidates sitting next to him were secretly gossiping about him.
"This is the kid? Someone actually would choose him?"
"Why draft him? Just to play the suona for the crowd during halftime? Does the Warriors need a circus performer?"
"I bet five dollars that his name won't even be called tonight."
Lin Hao heard this but wasn't angry. He forked a piece of canned yellow peach and stuffed it into his mouth, muttering to himself: "What do you know? In my past life, when I was coaching a youth training team and turning a group of junior high school students into provincial champions, you guys were still in college throwing tantrums at your coaches."
Despite his muttering to himself, his palms were still secretly sweating.
In his past life, he sat in front of the television, watching the NBA draft for over twenty years, from Yao Ming to Yi Jianlian, from LeBron James to Stephen Curry; he could recite every lottery pick with his eyes closed. But he never imagined that one day he would be sitting in this arena, waiting for someone to call his name.
Just then, all the lights in the room suddenly focused on the podium, where the vice president walked up with steady steps, holding a white envelope.
The room fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.
Stern adjusted his glasses, smiled, opened the envelope, and, in his signature rapid-fire delivery, clearly read the sentence: "The Houston Rockets, with the first overall pick in the first round of the 2002 NBA draft, select—Yao Ming from the Shanghai Sharks of China!"
The moment the words fell, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers and applause. All the cameras focused on Yao Ming, the 2.26-meter-tall Chinese giant, who stood up, embraced his family, and, with restrained excitement on his face, strode onto the stage.
Lin Hao also put down his fork and clapped vigorously.
In his past life, he had watched this scene countless times on television, witnessing this milestone moment for Chinese basketball. But now, sitting right there in the stadium, watching it unfold with his own eyes, he felt a fire burning in his chest, making his whole body feel hot.
He looked down at the youth training notebook in his hand. The cover had been polished smooth by his use, bearing the three words "Coach Lin," and the first line inside contained a neatly written sentence in pen: "Chinese basketball, one day..."
One day, more Chinese players will stand on this stage.
One day, Chinese basketball will stand at the top of the world.
He clenched his fist, and the slight anxiety in his heart vanished instantly. "I've already come all this way, how can I go back empty-handed?"
The rest of the draft process was like it was on fast-forward.
Jay Williams, the second overall pick, was selected by the Bulls, while Mike Dunleavy, the third overall pick, went to the Warriors. The names of the first-round picks were read out one by one, and the rookies went up on stage one by one, shook hands with Stern, put on the team's hat, and held up their jerseys to receive the baptism of flashing lights.
The camera panned across the room again and again, but never landed on Lin Hao in the last row.
The first round has ended, and the second round has begun.
31st pick, 35th pick, 40th pick, 50th pick...
As the names were read out in the second round, fewer and fewer people remained in the hall. Many of the unselected rookies left with tears in their eyes. The candidates next to Lin Hao were pale-faced, constantly rubbing their pants.
Lin Hao outwardly crossed his legs and casually twirled the suona in his hand, but inwardly he was starting to feel uneasy.
The second round of readings was almost over, and his name still hadn't been called.
Is he really going to lose the election?
He mentally yelled at the system, "System! System! Say something! Am I really going to have to go back to Northeast China to play the suona?"
The system remained silent for a long time, as if it were dead.
Lin Hao's lips twitched, and he had already started thinking about his backup plan. If all else failed, he would go to a European league for a couple of years; if that didn't work out, he would go back to western Liaoning and open a youth training camp, while also taking on suona (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) jobs for weddings and funerals. He could live a pretty comfortable life that way.
Just as he was pondering how much revenue and tuition fees he should generate by opening a youth training program in Northeast China, the NBA Vice President stepped onto the podium.
The rest of the crowd held their breath. This was the penultimate pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, the 57th pick in the second round, the Golden State Warriors' draft pick.
The vice president smiled, opened the envelope, glanced at the name inside, looked up at the meeting room, and slowly read out the sentence:
"The Golden State Warriors selected Lin Hao, from China, with the 57th pick in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft!"
boom!
These words were like a thunderclap, instantly exploding in the quiet meeting room!
The previously sparse chatter suddenly surged, everyone was stunned, the reporters stopped pens in their hands, and the cameras frantically panned to the corner of the last row, focusing on the young man from Northeast China who was still clutching a suona.
Lin Hao himself was stunned for two seconds.
Immediately, an indescribable excitement surged from the soles of my feet to the top of my head!
He suddenly stood up, put the remaining half-can of yellow peaches on the table, stuffed the suona into his pocket, and clutched the youth training notebook tightly in his hand. Facing the gaze of everyone in the room, he walked steadily towards the podium step by step.
Passersby made way for him, their eyes filled with surprise, mockery, and disdain, but Lin Hao ignored them all. His eyes were fixed only on the NBA logo on the stage and the Golden State Warriors jersey.
I actually made it into the NBA!
He walked onto the stage, shook hands with the vice president, put on the blue Warriors hat, and received the number 1 jersey with his name on it, which he then held up.
The flashbulbs instantly enveloped him, and the clicking of the shutter was louder than the firecrackers he heard at the banquet in the county town.
During the interview, reporters immediately surrounded him, practically shoving microphones into his mouth.
The first reporter eagerly asked, "Lin Hao, congratulations on being selected! Who is your basketball idol? Is it Yao Ming or Shaquille O'Neal?"
Lin Hao, microphone in his mouth, grinned and spoke in fluent Northeastern dialect through the microphone: "It's me. Because I haven't played yet. Once I play, I'll be my own idol."
One sentence left all the reporters stunned, then they burst into laughter. This kid really dares to say something like that.
More reporters pushed their way up, their tone laced with undisguised skepticism: "Lin, you have no professional basketball experience. Many people say you're just an internet celebrity, and the Warriors only drafted you for traffic and ticket sales. How do you respond to that?"
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow, his eyes instantly turning serious. He spoke into the microphone, word by word: "So what if I get attention? I got attention with my own spiking and dunks. Today, all of you who look down on me, who say I'm just an internet celebrity and don't deserve to play in the NBA, you just wait and see."
He paused, a ruthless smirk playing on his lips: "I'll make sure you regret it so much you'll be slapping your thighs until they're swollen."
Upon hearing this, the sound of camera shutters went even more frantic.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the venue, Warriors general manager Gary Saint-Jean was being swarmed by reporters and was almost out of breath.
"Mr. Gary, why did the Warriors use a second-round pick to select a social media influencer with no professional experience? What are your selection criteria?"
"Are you after his popularity in the Chinese market, or are you just trying to capitalize on his fame to sell tickets?"
Do you think he can make it in the NBA?
Gary's face turned green; he cursed his boss a hundred times over in his mind. If his boss hadn't decided that this kid had popularity, could sell tickets, and could ride the wave of the Chinese market, would he have been crazy to use a single slot to choose someone who played the suona?
But he still had to force a professional smile and say to the reporters, "Our scouting team has been observing Lin Hao for a long time. He has outstanding athleticism and top-notch basketball IQ. His talent is worth using this draft pick on. We believe he will bring surprises to the Warriors."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a reporter nearby whispered, "What were your scouts observing about him? How loud was his suona?"
Gary's face turned even greener.
By the time the draft ended, it was already dark in New York.
Lin Hao walked out of Madison Square Garden, clutching the Warriors jersey in his hand and the youth training notebook in his pocket. Only when the evening breeze blew did he slowly calm down.
He flipped to the first page of his youth training notebook, looked at the line "Chinese basketball, one day," gently stroked it with his finger, and silently said to himself: Just wait, I will not only make a name for myself in the NBA, but also let more people know that Chinese people can also make a name for themselves in the NBA.
[Ding! Main quest: Land in the NBA, complete!]
[Congratulations, host! From a local barbecue stall to the NBA draft, you've turned your boasts into reality with a suona and a dunk!]
[Reward: Slight increase in physical talent. Unlocked skill: Youth Coach's Intuition (Passive) - Accurately assesses young players' potential and technical deficiencies!]
[Warning: Your performance in the Summer League will determine your regular season contract. Rookie, the real test has just begun.]
Lin Hao smiled and put the notebook back in his pocket.
Summer League, huh? Here I come.
One week later, in Oakland, California, at the Warriors' training facility.
Lin Hao dragged a large 28-inch suitcase with a sticker of a Northeast Yangko dance on it. Half of the suitcase was filled with basketball jerseys and shoes, and the other half with canned yellow peaches and seasoning packets for sweet and sour pork. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the Warriors' locker room.
The once noisy locker room instantly fell silent.
A dozen pairs of eyes swept over and landed on his unfamiliar Eastern face.
The team's leader, Jason Richardson, was sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of the locker room, twirling a basketball in his hand. He glanced up and down at Lin Hao, a sneer playing on his lips.
He slammed the basketball to the ground, then slowly began to speak. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the entire locker room:
"I heard you're that internet celebrity who plays the suona? Welcome to the NBA, rookie."