Almighty Coach

Chapter 622: The Man God Has Forsaken

Los Angeles Staples Center.

It was the fourth game of the Championship. The Clippers had won the previous three matches and led the Bucks by a dominating score of three-zero. The fourth game was at home for the Clippers so the win was all but guaranteed.

As the buzzer signaled the end of the game, all of the Clippers players rushed onto the court and hugged each other. The few veterans on the team had started bawling their eyes out a long time ago.

To these veterans, returning to the court had been a miracle. This had filled the void of regret that had haunted each of them for so long.

The camera shot straight at these veterans. Their expressions touched the heart of every fan, not only in the stadium, but also those watching on television.

These fans had been rooting for these old stars since they had been children. Every year, these fans hoped that these people that they supported would win a championship. Still, many retired without ever winning one.

That day not only fulfilled these veteran players’ dreams, but it also fulfilled the childhood dreams of many fans.

Dai Li, who was on the sideline, was also touched. He felt more reluctant to leave basketball behind.

After this game ended, he would resign and leave his post as the head coach of the Clippers. He would return to his physical fitness training centers.

There would be another Olympics next year, so the physical fitness training centers would be busy.

…

As news of Dai Li’s resignation head coach got out, it attracted a considerable amount of attention instantaneously.

After all, the Clippers had just won the championship. A head coach in the NBA had never left a team after winning a championship.

If they had been any other team, it would certainly cause a lot of speculation. There might even be conspiracy theories that developed.

The Clippers were different. Everyone knew that Dai Li was the son-in-law of the team’s boss so he was likely to be the future boss. Of course, there were no conspiracy theories. It was their family business, why shouldn’t they come and go as they pleased?

Many people felt that Dai Li had achieved his objective of conquering the NBA after winning the Championship, so he simply quit.

Cassel was promoted to the head coach role and fully inherited the work of handling the Clippers. Everything proceeded smoothly.

That was the benefit of internal promotions. Everyone was originally from the same team, so everyone was familiar with each other. The work was easier. If they had hired a new coach from external sources, it would take at least a month for the new coach to integrate with the team. Cassel had always been the deputy and the second-in-command of the coaching staff, so he was already very familiar with the job of coaching.

Initially, Dai Li thought that after handing over his work to Cassel he would have nothing left to do. He never would have thought that by late June, Cassel would once again invite Dai Li to New York.

Madison Square Garden.

A new season of the NBA draft had started.

“Coach, your instincts are great when it comes to drafting new players. Without you here I could not feel confident,” Cassel said charmingly.

Dai Li was speechless. He used the detector on the rookies participating in the draft for the team.

“This batch of rookies are quite decent. The players with a lot of potential are all concentrated in the lottery area, so the Clippers will not be able to get them.”

Dai Li sighed in disappointment. Players with exceptional talent had long been targeted by other people. These players would be taken during the lottery phase. The Clippers had the 28th pick, so they had no chance of getting a rookie with exceptional talent.

“The 28th pick. It would be good to get a passable rotational player. Getting a star player with the 28th pick was like winning the lottery.”

Dai Li had no hope in the first round. As for the rookies in the second round, they did not have any exceptional talent.

Of course, many players who were on the roster would not turn up to the event, so Dai Li had no way of using the detector on them to measure their talent.

This is what scouts were for. Every team had a fair evaluation of the rookies. The exceptionally talented rookies had long since been booked. They were taken during the lottery phase.

The CEO of the NBA announced the 14th picked player. Dai Li shook his head in resignation. As expected, the players that Dai Li fancied did not make it out of the lottery phase. It looked like there was no hope for the Clippers to pick up leftover gems.

On the stage, the CEO produced a piece of paper from his pocket.

“What’s going on? Did the 15th team already finish choosing? That fast? That’s not right, even if the team has chosen, the CEO wouldn’t have the results in his pocket!”

Dai Li was still deliberating when he heard the CEO announce, “The 14th pick of the NBA is Saya Austin!”

What? Another 14th pick? The NBA chose? What’s going on here? Dai Li became even more confused.

The big screen showed a picture of a player. At the same time, a big man wearing a suit walked on stage. This person was the player shown on the big screen; however, this person looked a little weird. His facial features seemed a little distorted. His left eye was bigger than the other. His right eye looked as if it could not be opened.

“Who is this guy? What’s going on here?” Dai Li asked Cassel.

“Coach, you really don’t pay attention to high school or college basketball, do you?!” Cassel smiled gently. He then began to explain what was happening. “His name is Saya Austin. He’s from Baylor University. He’s seven feet and one inch, a center. Do you feel that there’s something off about him?”

Dai Li nodded. Cassel said, “He has a disease, Marfan syndrome!”

Dai Li nodded in realization.

Marfan syndrome, also called Spider Fingers, was a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. The disorder made it so that the one inflicted with the disorder experiences congenital mesoderm dysplasia. Symptoms of the disorder include having uneven length and width of the limbs, fingers, and toes, and an unordinary height. These were accompanied by vascular system abnormality, particularly a combination of heart valve abnormality and aortic aneurysm.

Throughout history, many basketball and volleyball players were found to have been inflicted with this syndrome. Most of them died from an aortic aneurysm, pericardial tamponade, the incomplete closing of the aortic valve, an mitral valve prolapse, which occurs when in the heart to weaken myocardium.

Cassel continued, “When Austin was 12 years old, his right eye became blind after being hit by a baseball. He currently has a fake eyeball in his right eye socket.”

“No wonder one of his eyes is bigger than the other one. He lost an eye, surely it will affect his shooting! His turning from the right will also be greatly limited,” Dai Li commented.

“That is the case; however, it never stopped him from chasing his basketball dream. He was hard-working. In high school, Austin was one of the top three high school students in the U.S. At Baylor University, he managed to average 13-8 in his first season. Back then, there were even draft pick websites that predicted him as the second pick,” Cassel said.

Dai Li nodded in silence. For a center to get a 13-8 in his freshman year was indeed amazing. Exceptionally huge centers always had higher draft positions. This could be seen from the drafts of previous years.

Teams with the first pick always prioritized choosing a top center. The strongest basketball players might only be the third pick in the diamond generation because the first pick of those years was naturally a center. From 2001 to 2010, seven of the first picks had been centers.

A huge center who could get a 13-8 on the NCAA stage certainly had the pedigree to be a top three pick in the draft.

Cassel said, “Last year, Austin did not take part in the draft and, this year, he chose to participate. During the medical checkup, he was found to be inflicted with Marfan syndrome. This meant the end of his professional basketball career. To be an eye down as well as have Marfan syndrome, he has definitely been forsaken by God!

“He did not give up. He still wants to play. Although the doctors have already provided reports that allows him to play, I don’t think any team will choose him. No team would select a player with the Marfan syndrome. Perhaps his inspirational story will help him get a job in a lower-tier league overseas.”

“What a waste, what a waste.” Dai Li could not help but lament.

The reason Dai Li sighed was that he detected that Austin had a grade A basketball talent potential. This meant that it was possible for him to grow into a star player. He was a seven-foot one-inch star center. His value was much higher than forwards and guards at the same level. His disease made all of this meaningless.

It’s unfortunate that my athlete’s patch can’t treat diseases. It’s not like he’s missing an arm or a leg…

Dai Li lowered his head and deliberated for a while before opening his mouth to ask, “Do you think that his body can adapt to the physicality of the NBA?”

Cassel thought for a moment before answering. “He is a little bit light, so when it comes to physical battles, he is definitely at a disadvantage. He’s 225 pounds, which is considered passable in the NBA. His leaping ability and wingspan are top-tier. His rebounding ability and awareness are also amazing. What is most important is the way he shoots, he has the ability to make three-point shots.”

“Sounds like he is suitable in a high post and pivot position.” Dai Li furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. He then said, “With his talent, it’s too much of a waste to not let him play basketball. I will let him train with me at my physical fitness training center for a few months. I want to observe him. If he can satisfy my requirements, give him a two-way contract! This is a young man with a dream. If possible, I would like to help him realize his dream!”

…

Austin knew what receiving a training invitation from Dai Li meant.

Although it was not a training trial with the Clippers, Austin knew that this was his way of getting into the NBA. If he could get the recognition of Dai Li, he would have a chance to play in the NBA.

For Austin, even if he did not play in the NBA but played in the NBA development league, he would be fine. The development league took in many rookies who did not make the cut or those who had lower draft positions. If Austin played in the development league, he would at least have the same starting position as the other rookies who did not make the cut and the lower draft positioned rookies.

For a person inflicted with Marfan syndrome, it was a very rare opportunity just to be able to compete against normal people.

When Austin read through the training plan that Dai Li drafted, however, he could not help being slightly confused.

“Coach Li, this training plan has an hour for a nap every day? What does this mean?” Austin asked.

“It means to go to sleep after lunch,” Dai Li explained.

Americans did not normally nap in the afternoon. In the afternoon, if there were time to rest, they would definitely rather get a coffee than find a place to rest. So Austin did not understand the meaning of napping in the afternoon.

Dai Li explained, “An afternoon nap is beneficial for the body. German scientists have relevant research findings. They believe that naps are part of the natural sleeping cycle. In my opinion, naps can not only reduce fatigue, but also protect the heart. I believe that it would be beneficial in your current situation.”

The most lethal characteristic of Marfan syndrome was the pathological changes of the aortic valve, especially aortic aneurysms. Aortic aneurysms were the most common cause of death of Marfan syndromes. As such, Dai Li stating that naps could protect the heart really did correspond with Austin’s situation.

Although Austin did not think that Dai Li’s reasoning was reliable, he needed to ensure his coach was satisfied, so he nodded in agreement.

If an hour of napping was required to get into the NBA, would nap for an hour!

…

Patients with Marfan syndrome had no problems participating in sports as long as there were no pathological changes to their hearts. Austin had received approval from the doctors allowing him to play basketball.

As such, Austin’s training plans were designed based on the standards of normal humans.

After lunch, Austin followed Dai Li’s plan and lied down in the lounge. He then started his nap.

To make Austin fall asleep faster, Dai Li intentionally added rice into his lunch menu; he also prohibited Austin from drinking coffee.

Ingesting carbohydrates increased the blood glucose level, making it easier for a person to feel sleepy. Westerners rarely ingested a large number of carbohydrates during their lunch, so they did not feel sleepy in the afternoon.

He prohibited coffee to stop it from stimulating his nervous system. Countries in Europe where people get off work around three or four in the afternoon start work immediately after lunch to ensure their work efficiency in the afternoon. After lunch, they must drink a cup of coffee. They liked to enjoy a cup of strong coffee in the afternoon so that they remained energetic the entire afternoon.

After eating rice without any coffee in his system, Austin definitely felt sleepy. The training in the morning had also exhausted him. Before long, he fell asleep.

At the same time, Dai Li used the Dream Creator Top and initiated dream training.

Although Austin had grade A basketball talent, he was not a healthy person. As such, it was impossible for him to have an explosive and powerful body like the other NBA players.

At 7’1″, 225 pounds, he was certainly a little thin. His body was definitely at a disadvantage in the paint; however, Dai Li did not plan to increase Austin’s weight because Austin had Marfan syndrome. The most lethal aspect of Marfan syndrome was pathological changes in the heart. If he increased his weight, the pressure on his heart would also increase. It might induce heart-related complications. For Austin’s safety, Dai Li wanted him to maintain his current weight.

Since basketball could not strengthen his body, the only focus left were technical skills and match experience.

Training technical skills took time while as did accumulating match experience. As such, Dai Li chose to use the Dream Creator Top. This would allow Austin to gain skills and experience in his dream.

…

Austin had a dream. He dreamed that he had become part of the Clippers and he appeared in an NBA match.

Austin had really wanted to play in the NBA. Now, he was really dreaming about it.

He was thoroughly beaten. He was blocked, his ball was stolen, he was tricked into fouling, lost his man in defense…

In just a few minutes, Austin committed six fouls and was forced to leave the court.

Although it was just a dream, Austin was still very frustrated.

The scene in front of Austin changed. He stood on the court again. He was once again in the NBA, the league he dreamed about. A new match was about to begin.

Once again he was blocked, had his ball stolen, was tricked into fouling, lost his man in defense, and was forced to leave after six fouls. Austin experienced it all over again.

In the next second, the scene in front of Austin changed yet again and another game started. The same happened again.

A newbie had appeared on the court of the NBA. This sort of performance was normal.

After numerous attempts, Austin started to score and there were times he defended successfully. He was not as easily tricked into fouling and he was not forced off the court due to six fouls in the first quarter.

Austin himself did not know just how many games he had played or how many times he was forced off the court after six fouls. A bell rang and he instantly opened his eyes and found that he was resting in the lounge. He remembered that he was following Dai Li’s instructions and was taking a nap.

I had a very weird dream. I dreamed that I went and played in the NBA. I was thoroughly beaten. After returning to reality, Austin shook his head and stood up to prepare for training in the afternoon.

That night, Austin had another dream. He dreamed he was standing on the training ground practicing his footwork under the basket.

That night, he slept for seven hours. In his dream, he practiced his footwork under the basket for an entire 70 hours.

The second night, Austin practiced his hook shot for 70 hours.

The third night, Austin played in NBA games for 70 hours.

In the NBA, a common bench player had less than 30 minutes of game time. Based on a calculation of 82 games per season, a player could play around 40 hours per season.

With Austin’s nap and nightly sleep, he could play 80 hours in his dream. It was the equivalent of two seasons for a normal bench player of the NBA.

One day was equal to two seasons. Five days equaled ten seasons. To continuously play ten days of games, Austin’s cumulated match experience was comparable to a veteran whose professional career spanned for two decades.

Even if one were to look throughout NBA history, there weren’t many whose basketball career spanned for 20 years.

…

Austin suddenly felt tired. It was not fatigue of the flesh, but fatigue of the mind.

Every time he slept, he would have weird dreams. For example, he would be doing all kinds of training or playing in the NBA, suffering from the punishment dished out by the NBA superstars.

Austin did indeed want to play basketball in his dreams, but he actually did it every time he dreamed. It was certainly quite frustrating as well.

He even complained to his doctor during his medical re-examination. The doctor said that he was feeling too stressed or that he wanted to play basketball too much, which was why he had those dreams.

Austin had no solution. One had to sleep after all. To be able to face off against those NBA superstars in his dream was still quite an exhilarating experience.

…

New York. NBA headquarters.

“Mr. President, we’ve just received a notice from the Clippers. They want to give Saya Austin a two-way contract,” the secretary said, handing over a document to the NBA president, Adams.

“Austin. That’s the kid who lost an eye and has Marfan syndrome!” Adams nodded. He remembered the draft a few months ago. He chose Austin using the NBA as a charitable move.

“This kid’s story is inspirational. Although God has forsaken him, he did not give up on himself and continued to work hard. If a team is willing to give him a two-way contract, it’s a good thing.” Adams put down the documents in his hand and continued, “I really hope the other teams can imitate the Clippers and are not always so cautious in spending a few hundred million dollars. They should be more charitable so that the NBA has a better reputation, it’s also helpful for promoting the NBA!”

Just as Adams said, everyone thought that the Clippers signing on Austin was simply charity.

A Marfan syndrome patient couldn’t play in the NBA. He might not even make it in the development league. Spending money on signing him must be charity.

…

Before Marcus was injured, he was the number one center in the NBA. He had the standard body of a center. He had a strong physique, nimble footwork, exceptional leaping ability, as well as amazing technical skills. He was chosen as an All-Star multiple times and joined the U.S. national team. He won the gold medal in the Olympics.

At the end of the season two years ago, Marcus tore his left Achilles tendon. He missed the remaining games of the season and the entire season after that to rehabilitate.

Now, Marcus had finally recovered from his injury and the new season approached.

Marcus felt that after not playing for more than a year, his form and touch would be out of place. As such, he decided to play a few low-intensity games first to recover his form and touch.

Marcus requested to be put in the development league. He wanted to find his form and touch by dishing out punishment to the newbies in the development league.

The first opponent Marcus faced in the development league was the Ontario Clippers, the sub-team of the Los Angeles Clippers in the development league.

Marcus was unfamiliar with his opponent. He did not even know their names.

Of course, before Marcus came to the development league, he did not even know the name of his own teammates.

The number one center of the NBA and a starter of the All-Star lineup, why would he follow the happenings of the development league?!

Marcus knew that he was in the development league to crush weaklings, that was all he thought he needed to know.

Before the game, the coach specifically called Marcus to the side.

“Marcus, our opponent in your contraposition is Saya Austin. You have to pay special attention to him,” the coach said.

“Pay special attention? Is he really good? Relax, I’ll destroy him,” Marcus said with a smirk. To him, no matter how great a development league player was, he was a weakling.

“No no no, you misunderstand, this Austin is a rookie who failed to get signed during the draft. He has Marfan syndrome,” the coach explained.

“Now that you mention it, I remember. He’s the cripple who is blind in one eye and has a disease! I saw his story on the news. A poor fellow forsaken by God. Alright, seeing that he’s so pitiful, I’ll take it easy on him. I won’t bully a cripple,” Marcus said.

“That’s what I mean.” The coach paused and continued, “Also, if it is possible, let him score two points. It’s difficult enough for this kid to get on the court, we have to be sympathetic to him.”

“Understood. I will give him opportunities to score. It’ll be charity!” Marcus smiled and said, “I will get him a jersey which I signed, he’ll definitely love it.”