One Year Left to Play-Chapter 87 - 27: I Want Them to Regret It!_3

The head coach of the Lakers is the veteran coach Del Harris, known as the Silver Fox. At 58, he was this season’s Coach of the Year, an outstanding talent who has led an NBA team to the finals.

Apart from Jeanie Buss in charge of business operations and the Lakers’ big boss Jerry Buss, several key decision-makers from the Lakers are present!

Zhang Hao feels a bit disappointed not to see that hot and bold female vice president, but he simultaneously starts to get nervous. Even though he never expected the Lakers to pick him, seeing so many executives from the team still makes him anxious.

The elderly man, with a full head of white hair, regardless of the actual situation, at least looks kind. Del Harris smiles and says to the somewhat nervous Zhang Hao, "Hello, Aix, don’t be nervous, just introduce yourself."

A tryout is essentially an interview, like job hunting... Judging character from language interaction, assessing capability through physical and technical tests.

Zhang Hao quickly composed himself and responded, "My name is Zhang Hao, English name Aix, from China. I’m currently studying at Inglewood High School, 18 years old. I’m good at playing off the ball, mainly catching and shooting, but I can also drive and attack the basket..."

Zhang Hao made a simple self-introduction, without boasting, but also without hesitating to mention his limited technical skills, honestly and straightforwardly stating what he’s good at.

Players eligible for the draft started reporting in Los Angeles yesterday. Although the Lakers only have a 37th pick, among the vast number of players entering the draft, to most of those with bleak draft prospects, the 37th spot is already a dream position.

For NBA teams, every new player is important. So besides those overseas players automatically eligible after turning 22 that teams can directly select, most American players entering the draft need tryouts for assessment. For the Lakers, every draft candidate who attends the tryout gets an interview.

The Lakers’ four interview panel members were very satisfied with Zhang Hao’s self-introduction.

Simple, direct, and unlike many players who boast excessively.

What Zhang Hao mentioned reflects his exhibited abilities: Inglewood High School Dunk Contest Champion, indicating surely good athleticism; MVP of Adidas Training Camp, scoring 10 mid-range shots in an elite game with a very high shooting percentage, representing his exceptional mid-range shooting capabilities and the ability to perform in actual games.

After Zhang Hao’s self-introduction, Logo Man jumped in before the Silver Fox, asking, "You are currently a sought-after player by various universities. Why take the risk of skipping college and directly entering the NBA draft?"

This question was anticipated by Zhang Hao, who responded, "I’m good at taking shots after getting the opportunity, which is a single-dimensional skill. I believe that my style suits the NBA more and doesn’t have as much growth space in the NCAA."

This was Zhang Hao’s calculated response, tested with both the Lakers and Clippers to gauge their reactions. Since the Lakers only have a second-round pick, and although the Clippers have a first-round pick, it’s as high as second overall, neither is his target placement, allowing him to experiment with his answer.

The primary goal of participating in these local team tryouts was to understand better what aspects to focus on during such tryouts.

Jerry West nodded upon hearing this and continued, "It seems you have a clear plan for your career. I also believe your shooting doesn’t need NCAA improvement; playing in the NBA better suits further refining your mid-range shooting skills. However, you’re still young and have a lot of time to perfect your skills..."

When Logo Man said these words, not only did Zhang Hao look at him in surprise, but also the Lakers’ head coach and the other two managers did not expect Logo Man to give such high praise to Zhang Hao.

The notion that you don’t need NCAA experience to improve your mid-range shot... that’s really high praise.

Realizing he said too much, Logo Man quickly wrapped up that section and asked, "Okay, we have no questions regarding the tryout. Now I have a personal question. Can you answer?"

Though unsure, Zhang Hao nodded and responded, "Of course, please go ahead."

Logo Man, displaying the expression of a curious bystander, asked, "I remember you said during the dunk contest that you wanted to use such competitions to get into an NCAA Division I school. What made you change so quickly?"

Zhang Hao hesitated for a moment but still answered, "Before deciding to enter the NBA draft, I indeed worked hard to get those NCAA Division I schools to recognize my ability, and I succeeded.

However, my efforts to win their recognition were not to join them, but to make them regret why they rejected my scholarship application back then."