area51novel Chapter 52 Passing the Torch! Veteran Team Members Question the Promise
Chapter 52 Passing the Torch! Veteran Team Members Question the Promise
On July 15th, after more than a month of intensive preparation, the Fengtian Xinghuo Youth Basketball Training Camp officially opened. The previously confirmed Fengtian branch will begin enrolling students simultaneously after the start of the new school year in September, serving as a talent pipeline base for the main camp.
The opening ceremony was held in the renovated training hall of the old gymnasium in Fengtian City. Leaders from the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau and the Fengtian Municipal Sports Bureau attended the ceremony. The Chinese Basketball Association sent a congratulatory letter, and Chinese men's basketball players, including Yao Ming and Battier, recorded congratulatory videos to cheer on the Xinghuo Youth Training Camp.
The training hall was packed with parents and children attending the opening ceremony, as well as reporters from dozens of domestic sports media outlets. Everyone was eagerly anticipating this basketball training camp, founded by NBA star Lin Hao and featuring "free public lectures + professional training."
The opening ceremony officially began at 9:00 AM. First, a leader from the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau spoke: "The establishment of the Xinghuo Youth Basketball Training Camp is a major event in the development of sports in our province. We hope that the Xinghuo Youth Training Camp can take root in Northeast China, cultivate more outstanding basketball talents, and inject new vitality into the development of Chinese basketball."
Next, it was Lin Hao's turn to speak. He walked onto the stage wearing a simple white tracksuit, and immediately received enthusiastic applause and cheers from the children below the stage.
Lin Hao bowed deeply to the audience, then smiled and said, "Distinguished leaders, parents, and dear children, good morning. Today is a special day. When I was a child, I dreamed of having a place where I could play ball for free and have professional coaches. Now, I've built that place."
"When I was a kid, I loved playing basketball just like you. Back then, I didn't have a professional coach or a good training ground, so I could only play on concrete. At sixteen, an injury ruined my professional dream." Lin Hao's tone became heavy. "That's why I founded the Spark Youth Training Camp—I wanted to help Chinese kids who love basketball avoid the mistakes I made."
"Here, I promise everyone: the Spark Youth Training Camp will permanently enroll children from impoverished families free of charge, and will also establish the 'Spark Scholarship' to support talented children in participating in high-level training and competitions both domestically and internationally. No matter where you come from, no matter your family's circumstances, as long as you love basketball and have a dream, the Spark Youth Training Camp welcomes you."
As soon as these words were spoken, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Many parents had tears in their eyes and clapped enthusiastically.
"I will personally serve as the head coach of the Spark Youth Training Camp, passing on the techniques, tactics, and training philosophies I learned in the NBA to the children without reservation. I hope that in the future, more basketball stars will emerge from the Spark Youth Training Camp, representing China on the world stage and letting the world see the strength of Chinese basketball."
As soon as Lin Hao finished speaking, even more enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
At the end of the opening ceremony, Lin Hao picked up the ebony suona placed beside him and took a deep breath.
The melodious and stirring tune of "Singing for the Motherland" emanated from the suona, powerful and resounding throughout the entire basketball arena.
Everyone in the audience stood up and hummed along softly to the melody.
"The five-starred red flag flutters in the wind, the song of victory resounds so loudly! We sing of our beloved motherland, marching towards prosperity and strength!"
The singing was loud and clear, full of hope. Lin Hao played the suona, looking at the young faces below the stage with unwavering determination in his eyes.
Just then, a system notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully advanced to the [Passing on the Torch] achievement!]
[Reward: Unlock exclusive youth training side story! You can later develop NBA-level players!]
[Global reputation value greatly increased!]
After the melody ended, Lin Hao put down his suona and addressed the children in the audience, saying loudly, "Children, your basketball dreams begin here! A single spark can start a prairie fire! Let's work together and strive for the future of Chinese basketball!"
"good!"
The children answered in unison, their voices clear and loud, echoing throughout the training hall.
After the opening ceremony, Lin Hao gave the children their first open class. He personally demonstrated the basic movements of dribbling and shooting, patiently corrected each child's posture, played games with them, and participated in a competition.
Watching the children run and laugh on the field, their jerseys soaked with sweat, Lin Hao smiled with satisfaction.
He knew that these children were the future of Chinese basketball. And he was the one who ignited their dreams.
On July 31, one day before the national team's training camp on August 1, more than a hundred fans had already gathered in the arrival hall of Syracuse Taiping International Airport. They held signs that read "Welcome Lin Hao to represent the country" and "Go China Men's Basketball Team!" Many also held posters of Lin Hao and basketballs, eagerly awaiting his arrival.
At 10:20 a.m., the flight from Fengtian landed slowly. Lin Hao, wearing a black baseball cap, a simple white T-shirt and sweatpants, and carrying a backpack, walked out of the terminal. Beside him were Zhao Dabao carrying a suitcase and Zhang Qingying with a camera—she had obtained the qualification to cover the Chinese men's basketball team at this Asian Championship as a special correspondent for the China Sports Daily.
"Lin Hao! Lin Hao!"
Upon seeing Lin Hao, the fans erupted in cheers, their shouts deafening. Security personnel quickly formed a human wall, escorting Lin Hao away.
Lin Hao stopped and bowed deeply to the fans: "Thank you for your support! I will do my best to lead the Chinese team to win the Asian Championship and secure a ticket to the Athens Olympics!"
After saying that, he boarded the national team's bus under the escort of security personnel and headed straight for the Harbin training base.
On the bus, Zhao Dabao unloaded two large cardboard boxes from the trunk, wiped his sweat, and said, "Haozi, I brought everything you asked for. Two boxes of canned yellow peaches, five suonas, and some Fengtian specialties like Bulaolin candy and hazelnuts for the teammates."
"Thank you for your hard work, Da Bao." Lin Hao smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "When we get to the training base, first move the canned food and candy to the locker room and share them with everyone so they can taste the flavors of Northeast China."
"Don't worry, I've got your back."
Forty minutes later, the bus arrived at the China Men's Basketball Team's Syracuse training base. Head coach Jiang Xingquan and his coaching staff were already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Lin Hao get off the bus, they quickly came to greet him.
"Lin Hao, welcome!" Jiang Xingquan gave Lin Hao a warm hug. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. With you and Yao Ming partnering on the perimeter, our chances of winning the Asian Championship are even greater."
"Thank you, Coach Jiang. I'm ready," Lin Hao said with a smile. "I'll follow the coach's instructions."
"Come on, I'll take you to the locker room so you can meet your new teammates."
Following Jiang Xingquan into the locker room, Lin Hao found it already quite full. Yao Ming and Battier, the two dominant centers, were chatting together. Seeing Lin Hao enter, Yao Ming immediately stood up, smiling, and said, "Haozi, you're finally here! We've been waiting for you. Yesterday we were saying that if you hadn't come, we'd have all the canned peaches gone."
"Yao Ming, Big Brother." Lin Hao gave them high-fives and hugs one by one, and then greeted Guo Shiqiang, Zhu Fangyu, Du Feng and other young players.
Just then, a discordant voice suddenly rang out: "Hey, is that the NBA star who plays the suona? Why is he bringing canned candy to practice? Is he here for vacation or to play basketball?"
The speaker was Fan Bin, a veteran defender from the national team. Several other veteran players around him laughed along, their eyes filled with obvious disdain.
Lin Hao frowned slightly but remained silent.
Just as Zhao Dabao was about to step forward to argue, Lin Hao grabbed him.
Seeing this, Fan Bin became even more smug, crossing his arms and continuing, "Don't think we're being blunt, but the NBA and FIBA are completely different things. There's no three-second rule, and the paint is full of big men, so your drive-and-pass style of play simply won't work. In international competitions, can you still drive like you do in the NBA? Don't end up not only failing to perform yourself but also dragging the whole team down."
"Exactly," another veteran player, Zhang Jinsong, chimed in. "Basketball is a team sport, not an individual performance. We've played in international competitions for so many years, we know how to win. Some young people shouldn't think they're the best in the world just because they played well in the NBA for a year."
The atmosphere in the locker room instantly became awkward. Yao Ming frowned, about to speak, when Jiang Xingquan spoke first: "Alright, that's enough. Lin Hao is the kind of player the national team needs; his skill and basketball IQ are undeniable. As veteran players, you should be helping the new players integrate, not making sarcastic remarks."
"Coach Jiang, we're not just making sarcastic remarks; we're doing this for the team's good," Fan Bin retorted. "He's never played in international competitions before; it's uncertain whether he can adapt. What if he messes up on the field? Who will be responsible?"
Jiang Xingquan glanced at Fan Bin, then at Lin Hao, and after a moment's thought, said, "How about this? After the joint training ends in a few days, we'll arrange an intra-squad scrimmage. Lin Hao, you'll lead the reserve team, and Fan Bin, you'll lead the starters. We'll see who has the ability and who's more suitable for the team after a match."
"Alright, we've been wanting to see what NBA stars are capable of," Fan Bin said with a sneer, his eyes full of provocation.
Lin Hao looked at him and said calmly, "No problem. See you on the court."
After saying that, he walked to his wardrobe, took out canned yellow peaches and local specialties, and distributed them to the young team members around him.
Zhang Qingying stood at the locker room door, having witnessed everything. She looked at Lin Hao with some concern. When no one was around, she went over and whispered, "Are you alright? They went too far with their words."
"It's alright." Lin Hao smiled, opened a can of yellow peaches and handed it to her. "When have we Northeasterners ever been afraid of being questioned? We'll see what we're made of. Let our abilities speak for themselves; that's more effective than anything else."
At that moment, a system notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Main quest triggered: [The National Team Establishes its Prestige]!]
[Task Requirements: Score 25 points and 10 assists or more in an intra-squad scrimmage, and lead the reserve team to a victory over the starter team by 10 points or more.]
[Mission Reward: Temporarily increase all attributes by 15% in international competitions! Unlock the prototype of the [International Competition Demon King] passive skill!]
Lin Hao's eyes hardened.
He not only wants to win this scrimmage, but also to silence all his doubters. He wants to prove that he can establish himself in the NBA not through popularity, but through genuine skill.
Back in the dorm, Zhang Qingying had already prepared hot milk for him. She said with concern, "Don't overwork yourself; you have a match tomorrow."
"It's nothing, it's just the beginning." Lin Hao took the milk, took a sip, and said, "Those veteran players have been playing for so many years, they have their pride. I can only truly integrate into this team by conquering them with my strength."
"I believe in you," Zhang Qingying said gently, sitting beside him. "No matter the outcome, I'll support you. After we win the Asian Championships, we'll go to Changbai Mountain to see Tianchi Lake."
"Okay, it's a deal." Lin Hao took her hand and smiled.
The moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the two of them, creating a warm and beautiful scene.
Lin Hao knows that tomorrow's scrimmage is just the first test of his national team career. Many more challenges await him in the future, but he is fearless.