One Year Left to Play-Chapter 133 - 42: Genius! An Absolute Genius!
When Coleman entered the NBA, he was already 23, averaging 18+10+2+1+1 in his rookie year. He was definitely showing superstar potential, and he had always been in Coleman’s shadow, especially since Coleman averaged 20+10+3 for three consecutive years, making his top position unshakable.
Even now that Coleman is gone, the media never referred to Kenny Anderson as the new leader of the Brooklyn Nets.
He understands that for him to be recognized as the leader, he needs to prove he can lead the team on his own. Although Coleman’s reputation is terrible due to his mistakes, no one has ever doubted his abilities. The biggest reason the Brooklyn Nets made it to the playoffs three consecutive years from 92 to 94 was because of Coleman.
Kenny Anderson’s goal is to lead the team to the playoffs himself. He loves hearing others call him the boss.
"Haha, you don’t have to thank me. From today on, you’re with me! If you carry my bag, no veteran will boss you around... Oh no, coach is coming. I have to go lose weight. Damn, why did this lockout end so quickly? I haven’t even lost weight yet..."
Watching Kenny Anderson run back to the gym, and thinking about what Kenny Anderson just said about carrying his bag, Zhang Hao thought to himself how great it felt!
He was already prepared for being ordered around as a rookie. In those days, it was common for rookies to be bullied.
Although he’s not the type to easily take offense, he’s prepared for the experience he has to undergo. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
And now that there’s a recognized core player to look out for him on the team, he’s naturally happy.
Thinking it over, Zhang Hao realized it was his playing style as an off-ball shooter who doesn’t fight for ball control that was beneficial. Just like Klay Thompson would in the future, no one would refuse to team up with a player like him, especially ball-handling cores.
However, Zhang Hao obviously didn’t realize how shocked Kenny Anderson and the coaching staff were at his strength after using the Mid-range Growth Card and Static Resistance Growth Card, as well as his age.
Because what he saw was an ability evaluation of 69 based on his technical skills, physical fitness, and shooting capabilities...
Butch Baird returned to the office, confirmed once again with the trainers who tested Zhang Hao’s physical abilities about his bench press results. The outcome wasn’t just that Zhang Hao barely managed it; in fact, he had more strength to spare. It was the trainer who was worried Zhang Hao was overextending himself to prove his strength, pushing too many reps without letting him continue the bench press test. Butch Baird became even more anxious.
At this moment, Zhang Hao, after showering and changing, returned to Butch Baird’s office. Butch Baird asked, "Aix, do you want to live in the apartment arranged by the team or find a place on your own? Of course, you’ll still need to pay the rent for the team-arranged apartment, but it’s closer to the arena and safer..."
The main concern is safety. Zhang Hao had been in the United States for several years and understood the security situation there... Especially as an Asian who was neither black nor white, security was even worse, and Rutherford Town couldn’t compare to Inglewood City.
Without hesitation, Zhang Hao replied, "Coach, I’ll live in the team’s arranged apartment. I want to get to the team early every day for training."
Building a good image is important!
Hard work and diligence are the traits Zhang Hao wants to establish as his image.
It’s not enough to just work hard silently; people need to know about it.
For example, Kobe might not have intended to showcase his insane work ethic, but he had a father who loved to brag about him, which helped establish Kobe’s hardworking image.
It’s just that Kobe’s father didn’t know Kobe was very annoyed by this.
After joining the NBA, Zhang Hao’s mindset from his time at the McDonald’s All-Star and Adidas Training Camp had changed. Back then, he needed the spotlight. Now, he needed to show the team his diligence while keeping a low profile outside...
Butch Baird was very satisfied with Zhang Hao’s effort. The only thing he regretted was his lack of coaching ability; otherwise, having such a player under his guidance would have been great. He could absolutely set an example!
But knowing his limitations as a coach, Butch Baird remained calm. He realized Zhang Hao was still young, that standing out too soon could provoke envy. It was best for Zhang Hao to develop inconspicuously for now, with the idea of setting him up as a role model reserved for when Zhang Hao truly proved himself on the court.
After all, he was the one who chose Zhang Hao and persuaded the management to select him, even though it was a gamble. But he needed to give Zhang Hao special attention, just like in relationships where the investing party always cares more.
And if Zhang Hao didn’t succeed, setting him up as a role model prematurely would make him look like a fool...
