After a brief meeting and chat, Steve Smith led Jinguji Budo out of the airport, then got into a car and drove towards Oak Hill College.
Charlotte International Airport is about two and a half hours' drive from Oak Hill College. When Wudao arrived at the airport, it was just noon local time. Having slept for several hours on the plane, Jinguji Wudao was considered to be fully refreshed.
Along the way, I chatted with Steve Smith and enjoyed the scenery along the way.
After all, the United States is a vast country with a sparse population. After driving out of the highway near the airport, the view becomes open. Unlike the environment of Kanagawa Prefecture with tall buildings, everywhere Wudao sees is basically green space, and the buildings in the town are basically bungalows. The most common ones are two-story villas, and there are few 5- or 6-story high-rise buildings.
Steve Smith was very curious about Jinguji Takeshi's basketball experience in Kanagawa Prefecture, and kept asking him how he usually trained. In response to his questions, Takeshi answered truthfully that his personal training method was completely different from the training method provided by Coach Anzai to the Xiangbei players.
Many of the trainings are training methods of later generations, and those training methods also inspired Steve Smith, who nodded frequently while driving.
Steve Smith didn't expect that the training method of Jinguji Budo was actually quite advanced, and the training volume was also terrifyingly large.
After listening to Wudao's usual training content, he was no longer surprised why Jinguji Wudao, as a yellow man, had such strength.
Because the amount of martial arts training every day is simply not something a normal high school student can handle. Even if the players are forced to train in this way, it can enhance their strength, but it will definitely overdraw the players' talents and leave irreparable hidden injuries.
"Wu, after we get to school, I'll have the team doctor give you a comprehensive checkup."
"Our school's team doctor is a nationally renowned sports medicine expert who has experience working for many NBA teams."
"The purpose of asking him to examine you is also to see if you have any hidden injuries."
"After all, the amount of training you did in Neon is really amazing. I don't think a high school student can withstand such training."
Wu Dao certainly had no objection to this. To be honest, he himself really didn't pay much attention to this aspect, because he had been playing basketball for such a long time, and his body had not shown any obvious discomfort. In this regard, he still felt that his "external plug-in" was quite reliable.
Stephen Jackson and Adrian Brown, who were sitting in the back row, listened carefully to the conversation between Takeshi Jinguji and coach Steve Smith along the way.
When they heard about the amount of training Wu Dao had every day, they were secretly shocked and looked at each other, and saw surprise in each other's eyes. They originally thought that the person who joined the team this time was just a small fish who came to make money.
But looking at Wu Dao's physical condition and listening to Wu Dao's previous training, the two men suddenly realized that Wu Dao was not just a gilded fish. He was clearly a mighty dragon crossing the river!
...
The drive is more than two hours, which is neither long nor short.
Soon, Coach Steve Smith drove Budo to Oak Hill Academy at the mouth of Wilson River.
Oak Hill College in the United States is built by the water, and outside the school gate is a wide lawn. The entire school's architecture is of the Western European church-style, giving people a solemn and mysterious feeling. When he came here, Wu Dao even thought he was at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as the school's architectural style is very similar.
However, Steve Smith did not give Wu Dao time to appreciate the campus scenery. After parking the car in the parking lot, he took Wu Dao to register and tidy up the dormitory. Stephen Jackson and Adrian Brown also separated from Wu Dao and Steve Smith and went to the team for training.
They had to tell everyone in the team about Takeshi Jinguji's arrival and be prepared to "welcome" this Asian man, Takeshi Jinguji.
It was noon when we got off the plane, and it was already 3:30 in the afternoon when Budo had completed the enrollment process and arranged his dorm. It was the time for the basketball team to practice, and after waiting for Budo Jinguji to arrange his dorm, coach Steve Smith did not give Budo a chance to catch his breath, and hurriedly took Budo to the team doctor, who gave him a comprehensive physical examination.
You may not believe it, but this school hospital actually has a special X-ray examination room.
After completing a series of examinations at the school hospital, Coach Steve Smith rushed to the basketball hall with Jinguji Budo without waiting for the relevant test results to come out.
Wu Dao had no complaints about Steve Smith's hasty approach. In fact, he was quite looking forward to meeting other members of the basketball team and playing against them.
From the moment he saw the "Martial Saint" Stephen Jackson at the airport, Wu Dao couldn't wait to fight him. He now wanted to know what level this 1997 second-round pick was.
And this will also become a yardstick to measure the distance between him and the NBA!
The gymnasium of Oak Hill College is located in a corner of the college. Unlike Xiangbei High School, this school has more than one indoor basketball court. The indoor court of the gymnasium is used for basketball team training and hosting some competitions. In addition, there are many open-air courts on campus.
Along the way, Wudao could see students playing basketball in the open-air court. The basketball atmosphere was much stronger than that of Xiangbei. Moreover, Wudao noticed that many of these students were very skilled. If such passers-by were placed in Kanagawa Prefecture, they would probably be able to easily get a starting spot in the top four teams in the prefecture.
I don't know how much stronger he is than Kakuda, Shiozaki and the like... ..
A glimpse of the whole picture can tell the whole picture. Through observations along the way, Wudao can roughly see the level of ordinary students and basketball enthusiasts of Oak Hill College. He can also roughly imagine what level the basketball team of Oak Hill College is at.
I'm afraid that any one of them, if taken out alone and put in Japan, would be able to lead the entire team to the top four in the country, but when it comes to winning the championship, I'm afraid they have not been able to do so in recent years.
Coach Steve Smith was observing Takeshi Jinguji's expression all the way. When he took Takeshi past those open-air stadiums, he clearly saw a hint of surprise on Takeshi's face.
In response, Steve Smith also smiled faintly and said to Wu Dao:
"How is it? Do you like the atmosphere of the school?"
"I'm not bragging, but the talents of these kids playing in the open-air courts are average. There are so many kids like them in the United States."
"But I'm afraid it's quite rare for people of this age to go to Asia."
"You made a wise choice to come to the United States to play basketball!"
"I believe in my judgment, Wu. You are different from other Asians. You will become an excellent player. I even think you may be able to make it to the NBA."
Steve Smith's words were not very confident, but if you are familiar with the history of Oak Hill College, you will know how much expectations Steve Smith has for Jinguji Budo.
Since the founding of Oak Hill College, this top 1 basketball school in the United States, has only sent more than 20 players to the NBA. This data is still in the 21st century when martial arts is in existence.
At this time, Steve Smith said such words to Wu Dao, which showed how much he was optimistic about Wu Dao's talent. Wu Dao's face also showed deep surprise at Steve Smith's words. He didn't expect that this was the first time they met, and Coach Steve Smith actually recognized him so much
Even Wu Dao himself is not sure whether he has the talent to make it into the NBA.
"Coach, you think so highly of me?"
"I guess you haven't seen me play in person. At most, you've watched my playing videos in Japan. Why are you so sure that I have the potential to play in the NBA?"
Wu Dao didn’t know where Steve Smith’s confidence came from, he himself didn’t have that confidence.
"Don't sell yourself short, Takeru."
"Your talent is definitely the strongest among the yellow people I have ever seen."
"You've been on a plane all day and sitting in the car for so long. Are you tired?"
Steve Smith was praising the talent of martial arts one second, but suddenly changed the subject the next second and asked abruptly.
"Uh... not bad. I got a lot of sleep on the plane, and I don't have to deal with jet lag or anything, so I'm in pretty good shape."
Budo didn't know why Steve Smith asked this, so he answered casually.
"That's good. You're an exchange student. I think you should prove your talent in front of the other members of the team today."
"Of course, you don't have to put too much pressure on yourself. It doesn't matter if you don't perform well, you can still train with the team."
"But... you won't have the chance to participate in future competitions."
"If you perform well, I'll make you a starter for the team!"
When Steve Smith spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly, smiled and patted Wudao's shoulder. And his words also made Wudao Tongkong shrink slightly.
Wu Dao understood the hidden meaning of Coach Steve Smith's words. It seemed that there would be an entrance ceremony to welcome him soon. If he performed well, he could become the starting player of Oak Hill Academy as an exchange student and participate in the team's games. If not, he would probably just be a pendant.
From the very beginning, Wu Dao's purpose of coming to the United States was not to train or become a pendant. What he wanted was competition, fame, and to prove his strength and talent!
High schools and schools in the United States are very different from those in my country. The players of the basketball teams of the strong schools here have to play at least 200 large and small games 365 days a year. The competition experience and intensity are simply not comparable to previous competitions.
Even if it's only for half a year, once Wu Dao becomes a regular, he will be able to participate in nearly a hundred games and compete with top players from all over the United States. This is a rare opportunity for Wu Dao, and it is also an opportunity to catch the attention of the media and scouts.
"Is that so..."
“Thank you, Coach Steve Smith.”
"I think I will seize this opportunity!"
After a brief thought, Wu Dao realized that this might be a great opportunity for him to stand out from the crowd. Wu Dao had never thought that he would get such an opportunity just after arriving in the United States.
Don't think this is just an opportunity. I don't know how many people are waiting for such an opportunity! Wu Dao was able to get such an opportunity because of his talent and strength, but who knows how many "letters of recommendation" factors are there
Coach Steve Smith looked at Wu Dao's grateful face and smiled. Was he optimistic about Wu Dao? He was a little optimistic, but it was a bit ridiculous to say that he thought Wu Dao could make it to the NBA. He was just encouraging Wu Dao.
For so many years, no yellow person has ever entered the NBA, and he doesn't think Budo will be an exception.
...
“Ohhh!
!
”
Not long after, Steve Smith brought Jinguji Budo to the gym of Oak Hill Academy. As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the gym, Budo heard the amazing cheers coming from the gym.
Coach Steve Smith quickened his pace upon hearing the voice and quickly led Wu Dao into the gym.
At this time, an internal warm-up match was being held in the Oak Hill Academy Arena. Although it was just a warm-up match, the surrounding area of the arena was filled with students watching the game. There were three layers of seats inside and outside, and there were students of all ages, nearly a hundred people.
"Bang!
!”
As Wu Dao walked into the gym, he saw a black shadow quickly passing through the air not far away, and then he dunked the ball into the basket with both hands.
The person who did the dunk was a black man with a strong build. His height was estimated to be over two meters. His jumping height when he did the dunk was probably around 80cm. The estimation is not very accurate, but it should be about the same.
Considering the opponent's height and jumping ability, it seems a bit scary...
At the very least, Akagi Takenori and Uozumi probably can't jump that high.
"Haha, these guys are playing a warm-up match."
"Wu, take a look, which team do you want to join?"
Coach Steve Smith did not ask Wu Dao if he wanted to play, but directly asked which team he wanted to join. When Steve Smith and Wu Dao walked into the gym, many people noticed them.
The students all knew the coach of the basketball team, Coach Steve Smith, and with his obvious Asian features, it was natural that Wu Dao would attract the attention of these students.
Wu Dao had no time to observe the spectators watching him at this moment. His eyes were already on the court, where he found Stephen Jackson.
At this time, Stephen Jackson was wearing a white training suit and was returning to his own half of the court. Their opponents were wearing blue training suits, both white and black.
The overall height of the two teams is similar, but it is obvious that the white team, where Stephen Jackson is, is stronger, because the scoreboard on the sidelines is currently at 24:12, and the white team is leading by 12 points.
"I... will join the blue team!"
"They were behind in the score, so I thought they needed my help even more."
"And... I think it will be easier for you, the coach, to make a choice by playing directly against Stephen Jackson, the starting small forward!"
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