One Year Left to Play

Chapter 545: Chapter 166: He Really Should Come to Los Angeles (2)

As for defense, this is an area where attitude matters; no matter how high the evaluation is, unwillingness to defend equals nothing. Zhang Hao truly felt his progress. From defending shooting guards to power forwards, he might not be great, but at least, unlike at the start of the season, he wasn’t called out by the opponent so much that he almost wanted to change his last name like his godson.

Of course, it’s not that great. When he defends these positions, if the opponent is a ball-handler, they’re likely to play more aggressively.

But the two positions he defends pretty well...

"Defending a swingman... why does it seem so strange when it comes to me? And this isn’t defending a swingman; it’s defending someone who jumps sideways, from guarding the rim to leaping to defend the guard."

...

...

"I can’t..."

"I can’t either... Aix, what you should do now is practice what you’re currently learning even better. The team can see your talent. You’re already performing well; you don’t need to take on that extra pressure." The Magician started his talkative mode again.

"I know I’m excellent. I want to learn post-up techniques to integrate my turnaround fadeaway with a post-up spin better, so I can be as outstanding as you were early in your careers and compete for championships."

Truly honest!

James Worthy and the Magician felt this kid was sincere and polite, eager to become stronger, training diligently, and actively learning all techniques... truly a good prospect.

But neither is particularly good at posting up. At this moment, it’s also not suitable to ask for help to find someone to guide him. The newly hired trainers need to get to know and adjust to each other, which takes time. Then, by the time training starts, it’ll be nearly playoff time.

But seeing Zhang Hao’s eyes expecting them to teach him everything, James Worthy and the Magician exchanged glances and understood each other’s thoughts—they must get the Celestial Hook back during the offseason!

Even though there was no high expectation initially, James Worthy and the Magician, although not known for posting up, couldn’t teach it. Zhang Hao still felt a bit regretful.

The only option was to rely on iron elbows when the opportunity was right.

The bonus was substantial. Next time facing Kemp’s one-on-one defense, maybe relying on the bonus, he’d perform a bit better.

Since there was no chance to learn before facing the Magic, he would just go with the flow.

Before team training, Zhang Hao continued practicing switching defense on the perimeter, close-range defensive movements. Team tactical training started at 10 in the morning, and in the afternoon, during personal training, he focused on catching turnaround fadeaways and three-pointers from the top of the arc. In his spare time, he practiced passing and dribbling...

...

"Penny, it’s here."

"Yes, it’s here. I heard Ferrari gave that rookie an F50. If they don’t give me one, can’t I buy it myself?"

Listening to Anfernee Hardaway’s illogical boasting, O’Neal didn’t seem to object at all and responded, "Isn’t it just an F50? Let’s see if there’s an even more expensive car."

Rarely in agreement, the two walked into the Ferrari test drive store in Beverly Hills.

On the morning of the 19th, while the Lakers were preparing, the Magic came to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, a good place, Beverly Hills, an even better place, full of stars. Both Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway, two popular stars, bought houses here.

As top players, the two were different from Payton. Payton dared to buy a sports car only after getting a big contract with a million-dollar annual salary. In contrast, Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway had already earned endorsement fees exceeding their salaries after their rookie seasons.

During his rookie season, Shaquille O’Neal signed a $3 million a year shoe endorsement deal. This season, his total endorsement reached $7.5 million. Including his salary, he was earning tens of millions a year... before taxes.

As a sophomore earning over $4 million in salary, Anfernee Hardaway received a $5 million a year shoe endorsement deal right after his rookie contract. This year, Anfernee Hardaway’s "1-Cent" signature shoe series launched during the All-Star Weekend, giving him his own logo like Jordan’s. His contract had become a lifetime deal, with endorsement fees increasing, not decreasing, throughout his career.

Anfernee Hardaway seemed calm, but his goal had always been clear—to become the brightest star.

On the court, the two worked well together. O’Neal, not yet overweight, and Anfernee Hardaway, without strong shooting ability, complemented each other well.

But off the court, they competed in every aspect.

Last year, when coming to play the Lakers in Los Angeles, Shaquille O’Neal was planning to buy a house in L.A. just for vacations, and he’d chosen a $2.5 million house.

Anfernee Hardaway immediately spent two $2.5 million to buy a luxurious villa approximately one-third larger than Shaquille’s house.

It was all about who was wealthier.

Entering the test drive store, though they hadn’t booked, the manager, notified by the staff, quickly came out to lavish praise.

Reservations for the F50? Global limited edition of 349 units? No problem. Orders are always limited; not all cars can be reserved—what if the prices increase?

Indeed, only 349 were manufactured, but the accepted orders were less than half of that. Immediately contact the local dealer to ship a car over. freewёbnoνel.com

The price was $1.69 million, more than double last year’s $700,000 reservation price. Yet Anfernee Hardaway, in front of Shaquille O’Neal, wrote a check without batting an eye.