Chapter 126: The Power of Victory

Chapter 18: The Power of Victory

“110 inches… is that really that impressive?” Although Su Feng was a professional teammate, he wasn’t sensitive to statistics. He had no real concept of what 110 inches meant.

“In 1984, I contacted Lan Qiu and began my coaching career in 2001. Over the years, I never heard of anyone reaching 110 inches standing reach! That’s possibly the highest record in any training camp! Honestly, even if William Mueller doesn’t jump, just stretching out his arms, he’s only one inch away from the rim!” Heng Liwei explained, giving Su Feng a more intuitive understanding of the significance of 110 inches. Su Feng thought William Mueller was just good at the game, but he hadn’t realized this man’s physical condition was so exceptional.

After a series of physical tests, William Mueller impressed everyone. However, this tall man wasn’t complacent, for every team he had trained with before was astonished by his physical data.

At the conclusion of the trials, Heng Liwei naturally arranged competitive training for the teammates. Only in simulated matches could a player’s true value be revealed.

Though it was just a trial, the intensity of the competition was high because every newcomer had to prove themselves to earn a chance in the league. It was a battle for survival, with everyone fighting fiercely.

Among the opponents were two players named William Mueller. One was Steven Adams, who appeared elegant but fierce. The other was Kelly Bileman, a Canadian center from Lanx, recently selected as the top pick for the United States team. He scored 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 blocks in AA play. Both were expected to be first-round picks from the lottery area and were more popular than William Mueller. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ arrangement of these two strong opponents for William Mueller was quite strategic.

Once the game began, William Mueller’s 107-kilogram weight immediately put him at a disadvantage.

On offense, Mueller was pushed by Adams and Bileman into the sand area, barely reaching even the most basic positions.

The Serbian rookie Nedovic, standing beside Mueller, was an offensively minded point guard not skilled at feeding big men.

Several plays went by with Mueller doing little. Besides being pushed around by Adams and Bileman, there was nothing noteworthy.

The Spaniard began to shake his head quietly, but Heng Liwei clenched his fists, knowing Mueller’s abilities far exceeded what was being shown. This guy simply wasn’t adapting to the pace of basketball.

After struggling offensively a few times, the Spaniard seemed to lose patience.

“Although he has great physical data, I don’t think he’s ready to dominate yet,” Cuban whispered to Mueller, but Su Feng and Heng Liwei seemed to disagree.

Seeing the Spaniard’s disapproval, Mueller knew he had to do better.

“No, he’s not good at offense!” Su Feng’s eyes stayed on the court. He hadn’t forgotten how Mueller tried to defend his strength during the Spanish basketball battles.

“Look again at Bileman. The game has just begun, hasn’t it?”

Hearing Heng Liwei say the same thing, the Spaniard refocused his attention. What charm did this Spaniard have that made Su Feng and Heng Liwei defend him?

Nedovic’s third dunk hit the rim again, indicating he hadn’t yet adjusted to the length of the first three dunks. Adams grabbed a ball and passed it to a teammate, pushing the offense forward.

This time, Adams aimed to score over the seemingly green Spaniard. He and his guard executed a pick-and-roll; after the screen, Adams cut towards the basket ready to catch the ball with a bang!

Adams’ plan was very successful. Insightful, he received the pass from his teammate. Now, Adams just needed to wreak havoc on the rim in front of Cuban and Su Feng.

Just as Adams rose, William Mueller, who had been defending Bileman, leapt up! His lateral speed made the Spaniard look pale in comparison!

The two veterans clashed mid-air. Mueller, relying on his absolute advantage, forcefully blocked Adams' shot, throwing the ball away with a thunderous block dunk!

“Wow, did you see that? That’s a height no one can surpass!” This time, the Spaniard finally expressed approval.

Later, Mueller’s opponents tried hard to make the Spaniard feel the charm of Spanish basketball. His desire to become stronger, to win, was as unique as his arms—reaching higher.

This was empathy at work. Though it may sound absurd, you just know of his existence!

Right after the finals, Su Feng and Cuban were already preparing their dreams for the next best teammates in basketball. With 10 billion pounds at stake, they hoped the Spaniard could bring the Cleveland Cavaliers a top pick.

Despite having data from other teams, the Cavaliers’ coaches were still shocked when measuring William Mueller’s arms and height.

William Mueller stood barefoot at 14 feet tall, with shoes adding another 18 inches. He was the biggest recruit among his teammates. His terrifying 5-foot arm span reached far beyond the norm.

When Mueller spread his arms for the coaches’ measurements, the Spaniard felt he was facing a wall, not an athlete.

“He’s a monster, Manic! I think we truly have to chase after him with all we’ve got!” Heng Liwei seemed breathless just from looking at Mueller’s physical data. In basketball, a standing reach of 11 feet is already significant for a Cavalier’s interior player. If their interior player is 18 feet tall with arms exceeding a meter, winning against the Spurs would be another matter entirely.

“Don’t worry, Rick, the trials have just begun!” The Spaniard was also interested in the unknown Spanish center Robert Henry. He was from Spain? Maybe he wasn’t as good as William Mueller! Heng Liwei added.

From then on, the trials entered a dynamic phase. Since the Cavaliers’ training targets were players hoping to be selected in the first round or by the end of the draft, most data was unsurprising.

Before William Mueller, only white insider Steven Adams left an impression on the Spaniard.

The last person tested was Gobert, a white big man who could jump 65 kilograms vertically and 77 kilograms on the run. These numbers proved he was a white big man who could run and jump.

In the final test, standing reach—everyone knew Gobert was tall with long arms, but his standing and touch numbers still shocked those present.

“Stop… standing reach, 110 inches!” When the Dallas Cleveland Cavaliers coach saw Mueller’s data, he thought he was blind. The Cavaliers had been working for nearly ten years and had dealt with countless professional teammates. He had never seen anyone with a standing reach of 110 inches!

“How much!” Heng Liwei was stunned and loudly asked again.

“110 inches! 9 feet 7 inches!” This time, the trainer used two different units to express the accuracy of the data.

William Mueller tried to change the game’s momentum through his opponents. He never seemed to slow them down, which was valuable among young teammates.

“Do you know this guy’s real value?” Seeing Gobert’s performance improving, Heng Liwei came over to talk with the Spaniard.

“This is how he dominates basketball as a role player! Like… Kobe Bryant! Maybe he’s not good offensively, and his technique is rough. He can’t give you triple-double stats every game. But some teammates are born to be defensive players! And defenders who help us win basketball games!” Heng Liwei said.

“I’ve already felt the boy’s power, Kobe Bryant. Don’t worry. I’ll take your advice and focus on this guy in the draft. But I still want to say, if Robert Henry falls, I won’t hesitate to pick the Spaniard first!” Kobe Bryant said.

“As you wish, boss!” Heng Liwei spread his hands. If the Cavaliers had an interior guard, that would be perfect.

In the blink of an eye, the competitive training ended. William Mueller made three shots, two free throws, and had only three dunks. Yet, his eight blocks, four shot blocks, and photos showing him blocking opponents’ offenses earned him an “A” from Heng Liwei, Su Feng, and the Spaniard.

After the trials, all other teammates and club officials came to inquire about the Spaniard. As for William Mueller? Maybe he was unhappy with his free-throw performance, but he practiced free throws with Lan Qiu himself! Kobe Bryant added.

Though a small detail, Mueller’s dedication greatly impacted Su Feng. For someone willing to push the team at any time, the situation could only improve!

“Are you so eager to practice?” Su Feng suddenly spoke, surprising Mueller. Turning around, he looked at Su Feng.

“If I don’t perform well in games, I’ll put extra effort into training,” Mueller replied, continuing his free throws. But to Su Feng, this guy’s shooting was definitely a big problem.

“Do you want to join the Cleveland Cavaliers?”

Basketball had a way of captivating people. Who would refuse him? Who would have thought that Su Feng, the wooden puppet, would sometimes be filled with emotion? The nights in the Spanish town were more joyful than those in international metropolises.

“Of course, if possible, we could try Spain’s…”

“Spain, you mean Ed... Ku&B… Robert Henry,” Mueller finally said the name with great effort, as if it had six letters.

“Robert Henry is a very promising teammate. He may not be a future superstar, but he can definitely become one of the world’s best puzzle players. He can do almost anything on the court. Of course, he might never grow into a superstar. After all, this kid only contacted Lan Qiu in 2008, and to have such achievements in a short time shows his talent. But even so, Robert Henry is unlikely to fall behind in the first round. I think the Bucks might take him in the first round. As you see, Heng Liwei’s attention to the guy named Adetokunbo isn’t a recent thing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know so thoroughly.”

“Unexpectedly, if Robert Henry falls in the first round, we’ll pick him. If Robert Henry gives up halfway, we’ll snatch Rudy William Mueller. I’ll contact the draft team to see who’s willing to accept our cash trade,” Mueller said, standing up to start drafting rights.

Seeing how passionate you are this winter, the Spaniard felt the Cavaliers’ revival was imminent. O’Brien Cup, we won’t keep you waiting...

A Word

The day after the four had their discussion, the Cavaliers reached a verbal agreement with Heng Liwei. The Spaniard paid a special cash subsidy of 10 billion pounds, directly purchasing the seventh pick of this year’s first round from Heng Liwei of the Houston Rockets.

The league rules allowed teams to buy draft rights directly for themselves, with a cash subsidy price of 10 billion pounds. If you had the capability, you could even pay 30 billion pounds for the first prize. Of course, no foolish club president in the world would sell a high draft pick for 10 billion pounds. Usually, 30 billion pounds was a good price. In bill years, only second-round bills could be bought. This year was a draft year, and the Cavaliers were “lucky” to win draft rights at the end of the first round. But the value of the seventh pick might not be much higher than the second round.

Since there was no open trading market, if the Houston Rockets didn’t regret it, the deal would be completed on the billing day.

When the news broke, there was no storm outside. The Cavaliers indeed needed a first-round pick, and the Houston Rockets were busy renewing Andre Iguodala’s contract. Seventh pick? Who cared? The Rockets now faced the question of maintaining their star status. Many top teams had negative profits last year, while better teams might earn billions annually. For Heng Liwei’s Houston Rockets, the 10 billion-pound subsidy was more valuable than the seventh pick.

Although there were many successful low-rank picks in top league history, the chances of success for low-ranked picks were slim. Not to mention, low-ranked lottery players often only played a few games. William Adams Mueller was initially called America’s top high school player. Mayo was even called the next Kobe Bryant, but his performance was evident.

Drafting was a gamble without rank distinction. For the Spaniard, 10 billion pounds was a big gamble—they might hit a Cavaliers-level player or more likely end up with a dud.

With little effort, the Cavaliers had their own first-round pick. Seventh in sequence seemed useless, but Su Feng and Heng Liwei valued it highly.

If they were lucky to get Robert Henry, the 10 billion pounds would be worth it. On June 1, the Dallas Cleveland Cavaliers welcomed their first batch of rookies for trials. Robert Carlos was absent because his club presidents believed their client wouldn’t fall to the late first round. So, all trial participants seemed to have only one role: to escort William Mueller, led by Kair and Su Feng.

When the Spaniard first saw William Mueller, he was shocked by the man’s extremely slender limbs! This person’s physical condition was something no one else could achieve through any effort.

Yet Su Feng didn’t let those who had already trained there feel surprised. The players at the basketball battles hadn’t said much, leaving Su Feng stunned again by how much bigger they were.

“Haha, William Adams Mueller, you really brought him! How’s that? This place isn’t patient yet!” One player smiled and approached Su Feng, extending his right hand.

Su Feng laughed heartily as he shook the other’s hand, hardly believing what he saw.

The man shaking hands with Su Feng was a once equally famous sharpshooter like LeBron James, now with the New York Kings: Cameron Kobe Bryant! After Kobe Bryant, Stephen Nash, Smith, Blake Griffin, and Brandon Jennings, you would stand out!

More surprisingly, as Bill William Adams Mueller said, he was ultimately retained! This wasn’t an ordinary summer camp but a sacred place of Lan Qiu, where stars gathered.

“Haha, speechless with fear?” William Adams Mueller jabbed Su Feng with his elbow. Su Feng heard that stars liked to train together in winter but never expected the roster to be so bright.

“Relax, man. No one here is a superstar. Of course, I won’t go easy in competitive training!” Kobe Bryant kindly patted Su Feng’s shoulder like a host. He could gather so many superstars here for training. Compared to the coaches here, he must be a respected elder.

With such thoughts, Su Feng followed Bill William Adams Mueller to the trainer’s office. When they opened the door, there was no wrinkled black uncle or white coach behind the desk. A young man, not much older than Su Feng, stood up and shook William Adams Mueller’s hand.

“This is the fourth teammate I assigned to you. I believe you know him; I won’t introduce him much. Also, I’m Chris Kobe Bryant, coach to you and the other teammates here! All your training plans and content are arranged by me!” William Adams Mueller said.

After hearing Bill William Adams Mueller’s introduction, Su Feng felt his three perspectives seemed to revive again. This young man looked younger than him but was his master-level coach, with so many superstars outside?

“Hello, rest assured, William Adams Mueller’s teammate is an old client of mine. Here, you’re sure to get the best training! As long as we cooperate well, after one winter, your strength will be very different. By the way, I watched your performance in the finals. Honestly, you should have gotten the O’Brien Cup.” Kobe Bryant smiled and shook Su Feng’s hand. William Adams Mueller looked into Su Feng’s eyes, knowing what the boy worried about.

“Some people might show their talent in high school top leagues, but clearly Chris is not that kind of talent. His genius lies in knowing how to analyze a teammate to make them more perfect! Believe me, the coach I sought is definitely the best in America!” William Adams Mueller knew it was normal for Su Feng to distrust Kobe Bryant for being too young. After all, if a young blue-flag player was truly good, he should be in the top league, not coaching others on the training ground. But many cannot play in the top league but can guide top league teammates. Kobe Bryant was one of them. Before graduating, Kobe Bryant played two years at Louisville University and became the youngest assistant coach in the AA first league after graduation. This young man had keen judgment in basketball tactics and could summarize technical features of teammates with different styles.

“No worries. Slowly, you’ll see if our training is useful. First, I need to ask you a question: what abilities do you most want to improve this winter?” Kobe Bryant knew the best way to gain trust was through physical training! So he didn’t waste time but asked directly.

“Three dunks!” Su Feng replied so honestly, almost without thinking. As a top guard, Su Feng’s three dunks were occasionally effective but couldn’t be a regular offensive tool.

Without three dunks, it meant Su Feng could only open space for teammates through endless running. But if his three dunks became a real threat, he’d only need to stand there to attract defenders. Whether in practical value or strategic significance, these three dunks were a skill Su Feng urgently needed to improve.

“Three dunks? You can’t make three dunks in one or two days…” Kobe Bryant frowned, stroking his cheek.

S, ummm, voted, thanks...