December 4, 1994, Sunday. At the Gymnasium of Xiaoda Middle School. It's time for the annual tryout for the School's junior boys' basketball team again.
Gao Xinglang and his teammates sat on the sidelines, watching the dozen or so boys on the court. Recalling their own tryout a year ago, they couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotion.
The "Three Freaks of the East" had graduated from junior middle school but failed to gain admission to the senior section of Xiaoda. Without their constant harassment and pranks, Gao Xinglang had a much smoother and happier experience on the basketball team. But, to his regret, their former captain, Zhao Bolun, who also excelled academically and could have been guaranteed admission to the senior section of Xiaoda, had been "snapped up" by Dongsha, another prestigious school. Although he and Zhao Bolun had met up a few times to play basketball, their contact gradually dwindled due to attending different schools. Yu Xiaoming was now the captain of the Xiaoda junior basketball team.
Mr. Yang, the coach, addressed the boys and called out their names. And then the tryout began.
Coach Yang first asked the dozen or so boys to do basic moves such as one-handed stationary shots, three-step layups, jump shots, and floaters.
After watching the boys complete the basic moves, Coach Yang said, "Alright, everyone did well. Now let's have some real actions. You'll be divided into three groups and play a quarter against our current team members. Let's see what you can do."
After saying that, he gestured for Gao Xinglang and the other four players on the sidelines to come over.
As soon as Gao Xinglang stood up, many girls in the audience jumped to their feet, clapping and cheering, "Bravo, Gao Xinglang. Bravo, 'Little Basketball Prince'!"
When the candidate boys were doing the basic moves, their classmates and fans had also cheered them on. But it was nothing compared to the enthusiasm for Gao Xinglang.
Coach Yang glared at Gao Xinglang, who spread his hands in a helpless gesture. Coach Yang smiled and said, "Let's tip off."
Most of the candidate boys were from Junior Two, but there were also three from Junior One. Earlier, Gao Xinglang had helped scout players from different classes during the school sports meet, and recommended suitable candidates, according to the coach's request. So he had a certain idea of these boys' basketball skills and thought the "prospects" this year were pretty good.
He paid particular attention to Lu Zhenming (pron.: loo jeng ming) from Class 1, Junior One. This boy had performed exceptionally well at the sports meet, leading his class to win the Junior One basketball championship. And his three-point shooting percentage was around 30% in the game. Gao Xinglang saw a reflection of himself in Lu Zhenming, who, however, was a bit self-centered, like what Gao Xinglang had used to be. Now, on the court, Lu Zhenming constantly said to the other four in his group, "Pass me the ball, pass me the ball."
Gao Xinglang smiled and shook his head, recalling his own tryout a year ago.
Lu Zhenming tried to steal the ball but, in his eagerness, lost his balance and fell. At the same time, Coach Yang blew his whistle, signaling the end of the scrimmage.
Gao Xinglang walked over to Lu Zhenming, extended his hand, and asked with a smile, "Are you alright?"
Lu Zhenming hesitated for a moment, and then took Gao Xinglang's hand and pulled himself up. "I'm fine," he replied with a smile, "Thank you, Brother Gao Xinglang."
"No problem. You're Lu Zhenming, right?" As they walked back to the sidelines together, Gao Xinglang said, "You like basketball, so you must know this quote from Michael Jordan, 'Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.'"
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