Chapter 17: Joining the Official Joint Training Camp for Rookies
On April 8th, Tang Bei returned to New York.
Eric Fleischer had recently divorced and was now single with no children, so he arranged for Tang Bei to stay at his home, saving him the expense of renting an apartment.
In New York, renting a one-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood costs over a thousand dollars a month, and even less desirable areas still demand around the same. Renting was simply not cost-effective.
The next morning, Tang Bei met with his personal trainer, Carrie Osman.
Like John Liu’s salary, this expense was covered by Eric Fleischer’s agency as an investment, so Tang Bei didn’t have to pay for it.
Carrie Osman was nearly forty years old, standing 6 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 275 pounds. He had two seasons of NBA experience and specialized in coaching big men on their skills, along with solid conditioning training.
He was responsible not only for Tang Bei’s physical training but also for helping him familiarize himself with NBA rules, fundamental tactics, and strategies.
Besides training, Tang Bei also studied English with John Liu, aiming to develop some communication skills before officially entering the NBA.
With an English learning card in hand and his own strong aptitude for study, he was confident this wouldn’t be a problem.
After eight games and training sessions, some of his skills had improved.
In the fundamentals: shooting, dribbling, layups, dunks, and footwork each increased by one level, now standing at levels 42, 49, 71, 91, and 91 respectively.
In advanced skills: post moves, low-post back moves, man-to-man defense, and help defense each rose by one level, reaching levels 90, 61, 88, and 76.
Rebounding and tactical understanding saw significant improvements—from level 80 to 85 for rebounding, and 40 to 55 for tactics.
Pick and roll ability increased from 60 to 68.
These substantial gains were mainly due to his growing experience on the court.
On April 19, the NBA regular season ended; two days later, the playoffs began.
“Ring ring…”
On the 23rd, at 11:30 a.m., Old Zhou, the mailman riding a green bike, bumped his way to Yijie Village in Huanghuadian Township, Wuqing County.
Knowing the way well, he braked sharply in front of Tang Bei’s house, hopping off and loudly calling, “Tang Zhongchu, Tang Zhongchu…”
“Hey, hey, I’m coming, who is it?”
Everyone else was busy working in the fields; only Liu Damei was at home preparing lunch. Hearing the noise, the old lady hurried out.
Old Zhou pulled out a remittance slip from his satchel, waving it excitedly as he exclaimed, “Auntie, here’s a remittance from Tang Bei, ten thousand U.S. dollars! He’s making a fortune in America!”
“My grandson really sent money back from the States?” Liu Damei’s eyes welled up with tears of joy, her voice trembling.
“Of course! This is the remittance slip. Tell your son, Tang Zhongchu, to take his ID and this slip to the post office and collect the money.”
Old Zhou handed the slip to Liu Damei and requested a receipt signature. Since she couldn’t write, she pressed her fingerprint.
“That good-for-nothing Tang really made something of himself!” Old Zhou sighed as he watched Liu Damei close the courtyard gate.
Soon after, the rest of the Tang family returned home, and upon hearing the news, they were ecstatic.
After lunch, around one in the afternoon, Tang Zhongchu and Tang Bin each slung a machete on their waist and, along with the attentive Tang Yu, headed to the town post office.
Halfway there, they noticed a tail—a quiet Tang Ning had secretly followed them. Unable to shake her off, they reluctantly brought her along.
The ten thousand dollars converted to over 57,000 yuan. Twenty thousand was deposited into the credit union, and the rest brought home to pay off debts.
The little girl, Tang Ning, drooled at the sight of various street snacks, knowing her brother had sent money but not daring to ask for any.
Passing a small grocery store, she spotted a bright red backpack hanging on the wall—its vivid color caught her eye, and she stopped in her tracks.
“Let’s go, Fourth Sister,” Tang Yu urged.
Tang Ning looked at Tang Yu, then at the backpack, but neither moved nor said a word.
“Why are you two dawdling?” Tang Zhongchu, carrying over thirty thousand yuan and wary of being targeted, snapped loudly.
Tang Ning glanced at Tang Zhongchu and then at the backpack again, remaining silent and still.
Reading her sister’s thoughts, Tang Yu carefully said, “Dad, Fourth Sister’s backpack is all worn out.”
Tang Bin added, “Dad, the backpack she uses is actually the one I used before. How about we buy her a new one? Big brother just got that money…”
Tang Zhongchu looked at the worn clothes and shoes on his three children and said, “Not convenient right now. We’ll buy them later. I’ll get each of you a new set of clothes and shoes.”
“Yay!” Tang Ning cheered and dashed off.
“Slow down!” Tang Yu called out happily as she caught up.
On the 25th, two days after the NBA playoffs began, Tang Bei received an invitation to the NBA’s joint rookie camp.
It was scheduled from May 11 to 18 at the Chicago Stadium, the home court of the Bulls.
The first day would be physical testing, the second day basic skill assessments, and the third and fourth days featured five-on-five scrimmages among rookies.
The final days included lectures and training on tactical systems, league rules, professional conduct, and handling media.
During the last few days, teams could also conduct one-on-one interviews and interactions with players for deeper evaluation.
Additionally, the league arranged for rookies to watch Game 5 of the Bulls versus the Knicks second-round playoff live on May 12.
Another event was the NBA draft lottery ceremony to be held at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland on the 15th.
The draft itself would also take place in Portland—the first time the NBA held the lottery and draft outside New York.
On the 10th, Eric Fleischer took Tang Bei and John Liu to Chicago and checked into the Hampton Hotel designated by the league.
The lobby had NBA headquarters reception staff; after registration, Tang Bei received a key card for a double standard room on the eighth floor.
Curious, he toyed with the card. When he played in the CBA, his teams couldn’t afford nice hotels, only small inns or motels, and they used keys rather than card access.
The NBA provided accommodation only for rookies; agents and others had to pay their own way, so Eric Fleischer booked another double standard room.
The three stepped into the elevator, and as the doors began to close, a large hand suddenly blocked them. The doors reopened to reveal a young white man, followed by a middle-aged white man carrying luggage.
When Christian Leitner saw Tang Bei, he was momentarily stunned, then his eyes flashed with undisguised disdain.
Not long ago, a reporter had interviewed him and mentioned a Chinese player in the CBA reputed to have greater talent and who would be entering this year’s NBA draft. That was how he first learned of Tang Bei.
Shawn O’Neal might be overshadowed by him, let alone a Chinese player. In Christian’s mind, Tang Bei was nothing but a piece of trash trying to step on him to rise.
“Christian Leitner is even more famous in the NCAA than Shawn O’Neal,” John Liu said quietly in Chinese.