One Year Left to Play-Chapter 160 - 51: Changes Among Teammates

The boss’s attitude has to be maintained. Kenny Anderson ignored the jab from Zhang Hao and continued, "During the season, you need to reduce your training load. Although your stamina is good, health is the most important. I can see that your simple training has hit a bottleneck. You should think more based on actual combat, then train and use your brain more..."

Zhang Hao nodded repeatedly, listening intently to Kenny Anderson’s rambling.

The head coach says it, the boss says it too, Zhang Hao thinks it’s reliable.

However, Zhang Hao truly believes that Kenny Anderson has the strength and the heart to be the boss in a weak team, but perhaps he lacks the charisma.

Even the boss needs to be coaxed, making him feel like he’s the boss...

...

Charlotte, a nice place, four distinct seasons, a coastal city, with a high percentage of forest coverage, very suitable for retirement...

This is Zhang Hao’s impression of this city, putting it nicely.

To be direct—why does it feel like a semi-rural area again?

After a day of rest, Zhang Hao followed the team to Charlotte. Sitting on the airport bus coming out of the airport, Zhang Hao couldn’t help but complain in his heart.

The first away game of his career, a preseason game against the Hornets.

Sitting next to Zhang Hao, Jason Williams really wanted to bully this rookie a bit, but it’s frustrating! He can’t even bully a rookie! The guy’s got someone backing him.

While Jason Williams was lost in his thoughts, he heard Zhang Hao’s complaint: "Why do all these NBA cities look so poor?"

He couldn’t hold back the strong urge to criticize.

Jason Williams heard Zhang Hao mumbling. He didn’t understand since it was in Chinese, but he could pretty much guess what Zhang Hao was talking about because he had many questions when he first entered the NBA too.

No chance to pick a fight, but still wanting to prove himself, Jason Williams proactively said, "Actually, a lot of the cities or areas where these teams are located aren’t in the bustling areas. More often, they’re in relatively remote places."

Did he understand what I said? Zhang Hao looked at Jason Williams in surprise, then thought, maybe not. Perhaps it’s that many rookies have had the same question.

He was just venting; he wasn’t interested in the issue, but still, following Jason Williams’s words, he asked, "Why?"

Having played for five years, although Jason Williams hadn’t made a name for himself, he was quite experienced and knew a lot about this kind of miscellaneous stuff. Hearing Zhang Hao ask, Jason Williams was somewhat pleased – kid, you didn’t know this, did you? Now you have to ask me, right?

With a smug attitude, Jason Williams explained, "In the early years, most basketball teams didn’t make money, only teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, 76ers were in prosperous areas of big cities. Some teams started in wealthy big cities but later moved themselves, like the Warriors that initially moved to San Francisco and then to Oakland. Our Brooklyn Nets were initially in New York but eventually moved to New Jersey.

Some teams’ locations only became prosperous thanks to the popularity brought by NBA teams, like the Bulls. They were indeed in Chicago, but it was initially in the most rundown place in Chicago. Only after Jordan joined did real estate developers and major brands start infrastructure around the Bulls’ stadium, transforming that area into the hottest real estate market in Chicago over 10 years. The Pistons were also in the suburbs of the once-wealthy Detroit...

As you mentioned, the NBA has started making money in recent years, which is true. Look at the newly joined Raptors; they are in a big city like Vancouver, and in a bustling area too. The Timberwolves joined the NBA in Minneapolis, the same city the Lakers once called home, with a strong fan base."

Although not truly interested, solving a small puzzle in his mind, Zhang Hao smiled at Jason Williams and said, "Thank you, Jason. Otherwise, I would’ve been puzzled for a while. You really know a lot."

Hearing this, Jason Williams became even more smug, "Of course, feel free to ask me if you don’t understand anything..."

Answering questions isn’t a big deal; Jason Williams isn’t a petty person. Regarding playing, he only knows how to play his bread-and-butter game, which won’t give his game away to rivals since Zhang Hao plays quite differently.

However, Jason Williams felt something was odd. Zhang Hao’s words of thanks sounded so much like... a compliment? It felt like coaxing a child... was it an illusion?

... 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Arriving at the hotel, Zhang Hao walked into the double room he was sharing with Kenny Anderson.

But even after a long time in his room, Kenny Anderson hadn’t come. Zhang Hao wanted to discuss the Hornets game with Kenny Anderson, so he went out to look for him.

Just as he stepped out of the room, he saw Kenny Anderson with PJ Brown and Graham.

Kenny Anderson, seeing Zhang Hao, said, "Aix, get my luggage out. I’m staying in room 1204 tonight."

Seeing Zhang Hao’s confusion, PJ Brown explained, "After you play for two years, and the team arranges for you to stay with young players, you’ll also open a separate room for yourself."

The implication was clear: finding babysitting a hassle.

No veteran would refuse to take a talented rookie under their wing because it represents leadership within the team. Without leadership, the coaching staff wouldn’t arrange it that way. Of course, for someone like Jordan or Olajuwon, it’s purely up to them whether they want to do it or not, not about arrangements.