One Year Left to Play-Chapter 187 - 61: It Really Is Life-Sacrificing!
Since the Barcelona Olympics showcased the extraordinary strength of NBA stars thanks to the three transcendent stars known as the Demon Bird God, the entire world’s attention in basketball has shifted to the NBA.
From 1991 to 1993, Michael Jordan took the torch of the league’s top player from Magic Johnson, leading the team to the modern basketball’s first and only three-peat, establishing a dynasty, and turning the focus of the NBA onto the Bulls.
In 1992, a total of 90 million US Dollars was invested by numerous brands, plus 30 million from the Chicago City Hall, and 60 million from the Bulls, amounting to 180 million US Dollars to build a new arena. Due to the largest contribution by United Airlines, besides having a long-term store use right like other sponsors, they could also pay 1 million US Dollars annually to own the arena’s naming rights long-term, so this arena was named the United Center and was put to use last Christmas.
Now with Michael Jordan’s comeback, the United Center has once again become the most watched arena in the basketball world.
Because of Jordan, the excitement here surpasses that of the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, Madison Square Garden in New York, and the North Shore Garden Arena in Boston.
On the night of October 14, 1995, at 9 PM, the bustling scenes of the day had all dispersed, and the arena was silent, save for the sound of dribbling and the ball either swishing through the net or clanking off the rim.
After the game, Jordan ate something; at his age, he doesn’t go out carousing with his younger teammates during the season—not only him, but Pippen and Rodman are also players over 30, with only Rodman occasionally causing a scene.
During the season, Jordan will turn 33, Pippen has already turned 30, and Rodman is approaching 35; at these ages, they are perceived as strong, as championship favorites, but not necessarily the biggest favorites in people’s eyes.
This makes Jordan angry, dissatisfied, but he remains calm.
Age is an insurmountable hurdle, so he chooses self-discipline.
Tonight’s game didn’t tire him out; he only took it seriously in the third quarter.
Maintaining his stamina well is where his confidence comes from; he believes that with his skills, as long as his stamina doesn’t decline significantly, he remains the best basketball player on the planet.
But he doesn’t slack off because of this, constantly preparing for the new season during the offseason and keeping himself in shape.
Tonight, after dinner and a short rest, he returns to the arena to train again.
The team has a new arena, and he wants to win a championship again here, importantly by defeating Olajuwon to ensure that guy doesn’t catch up to him in titles.
However, upon entering the arena, he’s surprised to find someone there!
From the fork of the employee passage, he came to the visitor’s practice court entrance and saw that kid...
That kid—Jordan looks at Zhang Hao’s demeanor and thinks Zhang Hao is just a kid.
The mid-range shot is the hardest area to practice any shooting because it can’t just be trained from a few specific spots or distances; such makes it too easy to defend. It is said that this rookie Zhang Hao has an exceptional mid-range shot, which piqued Jordan’s interest before the game.
In the game that followed, Zhang Hao further astonished Jordan with visible talent!
But that’s all, Zhang Hao is still too weak—so weak that he poses no threat to Jordan, and even Jordan isn’t sure if Zhang Hao will have matured by the time he retires again.
Growth is something that could take four or five, even five or six years, but Jordan plans not to play until then.
Jordan had already put the barely pleasant third quarter behind him, only to unexpectedly find the kid again when he came for extra training.
Watching Zhang Hao train for a while, Jordan feels a bit irritated...
Only the mid-range shot is truly impressive; at 18, just out of high school, having such a shot is surely a combination of talent and effort; having reached the pinnacle of the basketball world, Jordan knows reaching Zhang Hao’s level is no simple task.
But beyond mid-range shooting, in Jordan’s view, Zhang Hao’s other skills are extremely lacking.
His dribbling is merely amateur level, and his turnaround fadeaway... perhaps only his agility beyond what his physique suggests is a highlight.
Just as he’s about to leave, Zhang Hao retrieves the ball and notices someone has arrived; it’s Jordan!
Out of the game, seeing Jordan, Zhang Hao is obviously excited and loudly asks, "Mr. Jordan, are you here to train too?"
After finishing dinner post-game, Zhang Hao was eager to practice his turnaround fadeaway, sought Randy Whitman’s help, and easily borrowed the Bulls’ arena for training.
Jordan quirks his neck and shrugs, indicating yes, then enters the practice court, taking a ball from the hoop and starting to practice his turnaround fadeaway, without acknowledging Zhang Hao.
Zhang Hao detects Jordan’s arrogance but is naturally eager to watch Jordan’s training.
It’s like reviewing and refining his fundamentals; Jordan moves deliberately, executing every action completely, not omitting unnecessary moves like in a game.
In reality, practice differs greatly from actual play; during training, it’s often about mastering everything basic—comprehensive foundational moves, which in actual games are selectively utilized, leveraging a part or two of the foundational skills to successfully perform a technical shot.
