One Year Left to Play-Chapter 152 - 47: No Game Experience at All

Randy Whitman recalled the "shock of talent" he felt since knowing Zhang Hao and said to Butch Baird, "Butch, we can’t be too optimistic, we need to continue observing in the upcoming preseason games..."

Butch Baird made no comment about Randy Whitman’s consistently calm thoughts.

...

"Remaining lifespan 264 days, usable lifespan 263 days..."

On the morning of October 9th, Zhang Hao woke up, and the cruel reminder came again.

As time passed day by day, today he could finally start "extending" his life! The games were finally here!

Tonight, he and his Brooklyn Nets team would welcome his career’s first preseason game!

He got up, looked at the calendar on the wall, where each day featured his work content. During training camp, it was one project he needed to practice daily. Starting today, it was the first game of the NBA 1995–1996 season, a preseason game against the Hornets!

He checked the preseason schedule again: playing the Hornets at home on the 9th, away against the Hornets on the 12th, away against the Bulls on the 14th, away against the Pacers on the 16th, home against the Magic on the 19th, home against the Bucks on the 21st, and home against the Timberwolves on the 24th.

After washing up and changing into his training clothes, Zhang Hao walked to the arena’s restaurant, and got a nutritious breakfast.

After this period of training, the Brooklyn Nets’ coaching staff had made a plan for his food intake. They didn’t schedule his weight gain phase, which could affect his shooting and athletic abilities, and under such potential risks, the coaching staff was unwilling to try recklessly. In previous position training and practice matches, Zhang Hao had shown excellent confrontation, so they made this arrangement.

After breakfast, Zhang Hao strolled around near the arena to digest his food. Soon, he would participate in team training to prepare for tonight’s game.

Zhang Hao had been here for almost a month and realized he hadn’t really explored this place. At first, it was because he didn’t find this place very appealing—a small town where a ten-minute walk led to cornfields. Although there were loyal fans, most were Bulls, Knicks, or 76ers fans, and the team’s players weren’t very popular locally. Later, he became busy with training and had no time to explore properly.

However, as time went on, Zhang Hao found the place wasn’t so bad. Compared to Jersey City’s industrial areas, the air here was quite nice, with green plants visible everywhere, and the roads were spacious with not many cars. In the era of online shopping, living here wouldn’t be bad.

When Zhang Hao reached the only park near the arena, he heard a scolding voice.

"Stephen, how far did you run? 1000 feet or 800 feet? Come on, keep up..."

Looking in the direction of the voice, Zhang Hao saw a young man in a tank top and shorts running in place, scolding a kid in similar attire behind him.

The key was, this young man was black, but the kid... judging by his skin color, should be white...

Yet, the kid called out "Daddy"...

This was in the northern part of the Mid-East, almost late autumn, and the temperature was probably only seven or eight degrees. Zhang Hao, wearing training clothes, already felt the coolness, yet this father-son pair was out jogging in tank tops and shorts.

This father was quite a character!

Could it be a father-son duo with a tragic family background?

"Dad, I can’t run anymore..."

"Then don’t follow me out when I play games in the future!"

Hearing the father’s tone, Zhang Hao sensed a deep resentment, as if taking the kid to play games was affecting him in some way. A father-son tragedy? ...Wait, playing games?

Looking closely, this man was Dale Curry, the Sixth Man of the Year for the 93-94 season!

Then this little boy... taking a closer look, seems like the future greatest three-point shooter in history... no, not seems like, it is!

No wonder Dale Curry sounded so resentful. Bringing the kid to play games meant he couldn’t hit the nightclubs anymore. Some states have laws preventing kids from being left alone in a room. That’s secondary, but Zhang Hao guessed Little Curry’s mom probably told him to watch his dad and stop him from messing around.

At this moment, Little Curry responded immediately, "I can still do it! Dad, wait for me 10 seconds... no, 5 seconds!"

Stubborn!

Zhang Hao sensed a strong stubbornness from Little Curry’s words.

This was an innate quality, born stubborn...

Zhang Hao wanted to ask, "Little elementary schooler, can you get there that fast?"

But thinking that the other party really looked like they were still in elementary school, probably couldn’t get there fast even if they tried...

When Dale Curry heard this, his emotions were complex. Happy, very happy, but also very complex. But he stopped and took a break.

Though he said 10 seconds, Dale Curry also had to wait until his son caught his breath before they continued running. After all, his son was only 7, and when he said he only ran 1000 feet, which was 300 meters, he had actually run nearly ten times that distance.

At this moment, Dale Curry noticed someone watching their father-son interaction. It was a tall young guy, vaguely familiar... right, it was tonight’s opponent, the Brooklyn Nets’ high school rookie!

Seeing the other party had noticed him, Zhang Hao, although not sneaking but just coincidentally standing there, still felt a bit guilty and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, "Good morning, Mr. Curry. I’m Zhang Hao, English name Aix, a Brooklyn Nets player."

Being recognized, Dale Curry wasn’t surprised at all. In terms of reputation, he was far more famous than Zhang Hao.

In high school, Dale Curry was a football, baseball, and basketball star. Upon reaching university, due to a fractured arm, he gave up football. But in baseball and basketball, he remained top-notch nationwide.

How good was he during his student days?

In his sophomore year in ’85, he participated in the Major League Baseball draft, entered the lottery area, and Baltimore Orioles even sent a contract to his university. However, he gave up signing it, spent another year in university, played another NCAA basketball tournament, and after his junior year, entered the NBA draft. He was also selected in the mid-first round but refused to join the NBA, stubbornly stayed to finish college, and then chose the NBA over MLB.

Though he didn’t become as much of a star as he was in university, with average popularity and a reasonable number of fans, his notoriety was high.

"No need to be so formal, just call me Dale. This is my son Stephen. Stephen, come, call..." At this point, Dale Curry was suddenly at a loss for words. He had just said to talk to Zhang Hao on equal terms, but now he remembered he had a son, and his son was only about ten years younger than Zhang Hao...

However, letting his son call an NBA player "brother"... that would be taking advantage, right?

Dale Curry had his pride! He couldn’t do such things.

Regardless of what his son thought, Dale continued, "Stephen, call him uncle."

Hearing this, Zhang Hao’s breathing became a bit quick—the future greatest three-point shooter in history, two-time MVP superstar, only 11 years younger than him, calling him uncle! How could he refuse such a thing?

Little Curry looked at Zhang Hao, who was tall but had a face that seemed like an older brother. Being kind, he hesitated, worried that calling him uncle might make him seem old.

But since his dad insisted, Little Curry promptly called out, "Good morning, uncle."

Clearly, Little Curry’s kind concern was unnecessary. Zhang Hao decisively responded, "Hey..."

For some reason, the seven-year-old Curry sensed a slight malice from this older brother-like figure, not in a threatening way, but in a way that made him uncomfortable, like he was being taken advantage of.

Now that he was an uncle, he of course had to act like one. Zhang Hao said, "This kid looks smart."

Hearing his son being praised, Dale Curry was pleased and laughed, "This kid isn’t as smart as he looks, just likes to listen to his mom, not even me, his dad. Doesn’t he realize who earns the money to support the family..."

His smile held sadness, his joy was tinged with despair, and his tone carried a hint of grievance...

After introductions, Zhang Hao and Dale Curry didn’t have much more to chat about. Dale still needed to run with his son, so he apologized and took the rested Little Curry to continue running.

Zhang Hao didn’t force staying; although he wanted to interact more with the real "little student", he really had no reason to stay, which might just make people uncomfortable. Instead, he prepared to return to the arena to get ready for tonight’s game.

For this evening’s preseason, the Hornets’ veteran players didn’t care much, still having time to walk their sons in the morning.

Meanwhile, Little Curry, being walked by his dad, recalled the NBA rookie uncle he had just met. The more he thought about it, the more off it seemed, yet his age meant he couldn’t figure out exactly why it was off...