Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 210 - 160: Why Are the Phoenix Suns Interested?

Chen Yu gave Lucas a surprised look. The guy had actually used the word "absolutely."

"Is he that good?" Chen Yu turned to look at the court.

On the court, Yao Ming was practically having his way. The player matched up against him couldn’t stop him at all.

But the overall level of play wasn’t very high; it felt like it wasn’t even on par with the university teams during NCAA March Madness.

Lucas nodded. "Chen, when we scouts evaluate a player, we focus more on his potential, his fundamental attributes. A lot of people might just look at whether his skills are good or how many points he can score, but those are things that can be improved."

"But some things can’t be improved through hard work, especially in competitive sports, and particularly at the highest levels of play. What truly determines a player’s ceiling is talent. Look at him—his offense might be inconsistent, and he doesn’t have a wide array of moves, mostly just scoring near the basket. But that’s something he can practice. Very few players can do it all right from the start."

"But we look at other things, like his hands. Did you notice? His hands are huge."

Lucas pointed at Yao Ming.

"For his height, his hands might even be considered on the smaller side, but they’re still more than big enough. And when he shoots, he has a very soft touch. That’s talent."

"Of course, his greatest talent is still his height. On top of that, to have such good mobility at that size... these are things that no amount of hard work can achieve. This is the kind of talent we value most, and it’s the key to how much he can improve after entering the NBA."

Chen Yu got the gist. After a moment’s thought, he asked Lucas if Yao Ming could develop into an All-Star.

"There’s a very good chance," Lucas answered quickly. "His height advantage is just too great. It will make scoring very easy for him. Even if his scoring ability isn’t outstanding, he can rely on his height to be a strong rim protector. So I think being able to pick him in the lottery would be a very worthwhile choice."

Chen Yu trusted Lucas’s judgment.

However, the draft was unpredictable. Whether you could even pick him was one thing; even if you did, no one knew how he would ultimately pan out.

Even the number one pick could be a bust.

Perhaps due to his and Lucas’s arrival, the game had become somewhat disjointed. There was less teamwork and more players going one-on-one, as if everyone wanted to show off for them.

Chen Yu could understand. When people like Lucas went to watch college games, the players there acted the same way.

Everyone needed an opportunity, a chance to perform.

It was just like him back then; he had only made a name for himself after successfully treating Hill.

At the Eastern Team’s bench.

A man hurried over.

"Coach Li." The man nodded to Li Quping, then immediately glanced toward the stands, his eyes quickly finding Chen Yu and Lucas. "Are those the two?"

The newcomer was Li Yaoming, the Vice General Manager of the Eastern Team. He was generally in charge of the team’s daily affairs.

Li Quping nodded. "The white man is likely a scout from the Suns, and the Chinese-American, Chen Yu, is the Suns’ team doctor. He’s a very skilled physician, and apparently, he has some official role with the NBA as well."

As he spoke, Li Quping lowered his voice and asked, "GM Li, are you going to talk to them?"

He’d sent Li Yaoming a message, and for the man to arrive so quickly showed just how seriously he was taking this.

Li Yaoming said, "We’ll definitely talk, but the game isn’t over yet. Let’s not be hasty. I’m waiting on some intel. ’Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat,’ as they say. It’s not too late to talk once we have a better grasp on them. Oh, and I’ve booked a table at the International Restaurant. After the game, I’ll treat them to dinner. You come too."

Li Quping nodded in agreement. As they both sat down, he added, "I never expected the Suns to be interested in Yao. I always thought it would be the Wizards and the Grizzlies."

Last year, Yao Ming had wanted to enter the draft.

At the time, the NBA teams that were most interested in Yao Ming were mainly the Wizards and the Grizzlies.

Especially the Wizards.

But Li Yaoming laid out three conditions that scared them right off.

Because of that, things had gotten a little unpleasant between the team and Yao Ming.

But this year, the attitudes of Li Yaoming, as well as Modu Television, the Modu Sports Bureau, and the Basketball Management Center behind him, had changed. They had softened their stance and were now supportive of Yao Ming going abroad.

Li Quping just never expected the Suns to be the first to show interest in Yao Ming.

"What’s wrong with the Suns? They’re a good team," Li Yaoming said with a purse of his lips.

The Wizards and Grizzlies were both bottom-feeder teams. The Suns had struggled in recent years, but at least they were a playoff-level team.

Especially this year, they had a lot of momentum.

The point of letting Yao Ming go abroad was to expose him to a higher-level league and improve his skills, so if he was going, he should definitely go to a strong team.

Last year, Li Yaoming had said he wanted Yao Ming to go to a playoff-caliber team.

In that regard, the Suns met the requirements.

In the end, the Eastern Team won the game. Yao Ming had an outstanding performance, racking up 35 points.

Lucas couldn’t stop praising the performance.

"Let’s go." Chen Yu stood up, ready to leave. He hadn’t gotten enough rest and was still feeling drowsy.

But just then, a middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd and came up to them.

"Greetings. I’m Li Yaoming, the Vice General Manager of the Eastern Team," the man said, introducing himself with a broad smile.

Chen Yu and Lucas exchanged a glance, showing little reaction.

Their original plan had been to contact the Eastern Team anyway.

They departed by car.

"This is the Bund, and over there is the Oriental Pearl Tower, a landmark of Shanghai. If you two have time, I can take you on a proper tour of the city."

Li Yaoming had specifically asked the driver to take a slight detour through the Bund, enthusiastically pointing out the sights to the two of them.

Chen Yu had already spotted the tall tower when his plane was landing.

Now, with the night in full swing, the riverbanks glittered with colorful lights, making the city seem even more vibrant.

They soon arrived at the hotel.

In a moment alone on their way upstairs, Lucas discreetly asked Chen Yu how they should handle the upcoming conversation.

He was just a low-level scout; who the team signed, or could sign, had absolutely nothing to do with him. If Li Yaoming were to bring up Yao Ming and the draft, he had no authority to speak for the Suns.

And he couldn’t make any promises, either.

’How long has it been since the Minnesota Timberwolves’ illegal contract scandal?’

Therefore, with Brian absent, Lucas felt he should follow Chen Yu’s lead.

’Besides, Chen Yu has an official role with the NBA.’

"We’ll play dumb," Chen Yu whispered after a moment’s thought.

Lucas nodded slightly.

To Chen Yu’s surprise, however, Li Yaoming hardly mentioned anything about Yao Ming or the draft during dinner. They just ate and made small talk.

The man was a gifted and engaging conversationalist, well-informed and tactful. All in all, Chen Yu thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

The food was delicious, too.

The liquor was also good. ’Mao-something,’ he thought. It was Chen Yu’s first time drinking baijiu, but he found it quite tasty.

There were also a few specialty dishes that left a deep impression on him.

Chen Yu knew how to cook. It had contributed quite a bit to winning over Lexi back in the day. He had also learned some Chinese dishes from his mother, but after tasting authentic Chinese food, he realized the so-called "Chinese food" he made couldn’t be called that at all. They were completely different things.

The next day, a groggy Chen Yu was woken up by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

Opening his eyes, Chen Yu realized he wasn’t in his original hotel.

He struggled to recall the previous day’s events.

’I must have had too much to drink and ended up staying at the hotel where we had dinner.’

’At least there wasn’t a strange woman lying next to me.’

Chen Yu got up to open the door.

It was Lucas. He stumbled in, shaking his head and rubbing his temples as he asked Chen Yu if he had said anything he shouldn’t have the night before.

"How would I know?" Chen Yu said with a bitter smile. ’I was wasted, too.’

But on second thought, probably not. They had just chatted about local customs and other light topics.

They had also touched on the developmental differences between the NBA and the Jia A league, but only superficially, without going into depth.

Lucas let out a small sigh of relief. Chen Yu could afford to be nonchalant; as a top-tier doctor, he wouldn’t have trouble finding a job. The Suns had to beg him to be their team doctor. But it wasn’t the same for him. If he said something out of line, he could lose his job at any moment.

Chen Yu took a shower, which made him feel a bit more human. Then he couldn’t help but complain, "That bastard Brian. Did he really just dump us here and wash his hands of us?"

Calls to Brian wouldn’t go through.

Lucas gave a wry smile. He didn’t dare call Brian a bastard.

Just then, there was another knock on the door.

He opened it to see none other than Li Yaoming.

He came in, smiling cheerfully, and asked if the two of them had rested well and if they had enjoyed the food last night.

"It was great. All my life, I thought I was eating authentic Chinese food. It took until yesterday for me to realize I’d only ever had the counterfeit stuff." This wasn’t just flattery; Chen Yu genuinely meant it.

Li Yaoming laughed heartily. "Dr. Chen, the motherland has developed rapidly these past few years. If you have time, you should come back and visit more often."

Chen Yu nodded with a smile.

"Shall we set off, then?" Li Yaoming added.

Chen Yu was taken aback. ’Go where?’

Li Yaoming was quick-witted enough to realize Chen Yu might have forgotten. He said with a smile, "I’ve long admired the training standards of the NBA. Dr. Chen, you understand both medicine and training. For us, having you tour our training base and offer some guidance on our daily regimen would be an important learning opportunity."

Only then did Chen Yu remember. They had apparently talked about this at dinner yesterday, and he had agreed to go observe the Eastern Team’s practice.

He needed to get in touch with the Eastern Team anyway, so visiting their training facility was perfect.

The group set off by car.

Their destination was the Meilong Training Base, located near Modu South Station.

This was also the Modu Sports Vocational College, a sports university where a large number of professional athletes trained.

When Chen Yu and Lucas arrived, a vice director of the Modu Sports Bureau named Yao Songping arrived at the same time.

He was no ordinary figure.

Not only was he a vice director, he was also the Vice President of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Vice President of this sports vocational college.

He was in his fifties, his hair neatly combed, though with specks of white at his temples. He, along with Li Quping and some administrators from the college, personally received Chen Yu and Lucas.

There was even a red banner hanging over the main entrance of the office building where they met.

Chen Yu couldn’t read what it said, but he did recognize his own name.

"Welcome!" Yao Songping stepped forward cordially, immediately grasping Chen Yu’s hand. "Dr. Chen, I’ve heard so much about you. I can safely say that in the field of sports medicine, worldwide, you’re this."

He raised a thumbs-up without hesitation.