against the front

Chapter 9 Decision
On May 2008, 5, in Houston, USA, when the season's NBA playoffs were still in full swing, Yan Hua accompanied his translator and English teacher Zhou Feng, life assistant Long Sanfeng, and Yao Ming's agent , Bill Duffy, who is also Yan Hua's agent, came to the Houston Rockets Club together, preparing to participate in the rookie training camp held here.

Because they were eliminated in the playoffs early, the Rockets had plenty of time to prepare for the draft. Before Yan Hua arrived, the Rockets had already held a rookie training camp. Lei invited Yan Hua to participate in the rocket's second rookie training camp.
Originally, when Keith Jones called Morey and said that he had found a very good center seed, the second rookie training camp of the Rockets had just started at that time, but because Yan Hua had to apply for a passport visa, so By the time Yan Hua and his team arrived in Houston, the Rockets' second rookie training camp was over.

Although he missed the rookie training camp of the Rockets, after Yan Hua and his group arrived in Houston, Morey, the general manager of the Rockets, still gave Yan Hua a strict side-by-side, and invited the assistant coach of the Rockets, Yao Ming, to join the team. Patrick Ewing, the mentor after the NBA, made a comprehensive evaluation of Yan Hua.

"Patrick, what do you think of Yao's fellow countryman?" Sitting on the sofa in the office, holding Yanhua's side data in his hand, Morey asked Patrick Ewing seriously. The Rockets have always been short of a qualified one. As a backup center, when Morey heard Keith Jones calling and telling himself that Yao Ming had found a very good big man, Morey, who was overjoyed, immediately called Yao Ming and asked Yao Ming to make a call no matter what. The big man was sent to Houston to participate in the rookie training camp organized by the Rockets.

"Darrell, this big man has very good physical talent, a standard 7-foot height, a very good wingspan, and a big palm. This is a big man with great potential, but he has no experience in professional leagues. Age It is also 19 years old. No one can predict what it will be like in the future, but according to Keith, this big man is fully capable of becoming a rotation player. Maybe we can find another time and let me Let's test his current strength and status." Patrick Ewing's evaluation of Yan Hua can be said to be very objective. As far as Yan Hua's shortcomings are concerned, he is underweight and has no professional league experience.

"I have also read Keith's report, and his conditions are indeed very good, but he does not have any professional game experience. If he has experience in the NCCA first-level league, or has played professionally in the CBA in Huaguo In the league, we can all sign him with the No. 25 pick in our hands, but now, it's a bit difficult."

Morey, who watched Yan Hua's body data over and over again, still couldn't make up his mind to take a gamble. Although in previous drafts, big players have always been popular, but his physical talent exploded, but he was beaten. Big guys who can't come out are everywhere, not to mention players like Yan Hua who haven't experienced professional leagues, so after finishing at the side of the body, after arranging a hotel for Yan Hua and others to stay in, Morey was thinking about it over and over again. , thinking about countermeasures.

"Darrell, do you think we can trade for a second-round pick, and then use this second-round pick to sign him?" Seeing Morey's uncertain expression, Ewing made a compromise suggestion to Morey Well, there are risks in picking him in the first round, so use a second-round pick, sign a contract with no full guarantee after selection, and give him up if it doesn't work. Anyway, a second-round pick is not a big deal. There are many players who are drafted and then given up every year, not many Yanhua.

"Well, your suggestion is feasible, but we still need to continue to observe and see if he is worth the pick we paid for."

. . . . . .

"Yeah, although Houston's training camp is over, I can still help you contact the training camps of other teams." As a shrewd professional agent, Bill Duffy knows the truth that eggs cannot be put in one basket , and from Morey's expression when they left, Bill Duffy knew that Morey was still hesitating, but there is still a month before the draft, and they still have enough time to sell themselves.

"Well, everything is up to you." Before Yan Hua decided to come to Houston, Yao Ming gave Yan Hua a thorough analysis. With Yan Hua's current strength, it would be better if he wanted to be selected by an NBA team in the first round. It is more difficult. Although Morey said on the phone that he is very interested in Yan Hua, but based on Yao Ming's understanding of Morey, this guy has always been a master who does not see the rabbit and does not throw the eagle, unless Yan Hua can really show his convincing. Strength, otherwise interest can only be interested in words.

While analyzing with Yan Hua, Yao Ming also told Yan Hua about his plan for Yan Hua, which is to strive to send Yan Hua to the Shanghai Men's Basketball Team, to hone in the professional league for one or two seasons first, and then go to participate in the competition. In the NBA draft, this is much better than going directly to the NBA to sit on the bench. What's more, with Yan Hua's strength, he may not be selected, and once he loses, it will not be so easy to enter the NBA in the future.

However, after much consideration, Yan Hua still decided to come to Houston to give it a try, and on May 5, the last day before the NBA draft registration deadline, Yao Ming's agent Bill Duffy submitted the draft to NBA officials When it comes to applications, whoever allows himself to have a system, he must be willful when he should be willful.Of course, there is also a very important point, that is, the system tells Yan Hua that there are very few big men participating in the NBA draft this year. Impulsive decision.

After Yan Hua made the final decision, Yao Ming didn't say much. Instead, he arranged for his own agent, Bill Duffy, to help Yan Hua handle all matters involved in the draft. At the same time, he also found a translator and Assistant, to help Yan Hua deal with other affairs in life.

"Well, that's good, you should take a good rest for a while, clear up the jet lag, and leave the rest to me." After getting Yan Hua's affirmative answer, Bill Duffy left Yan Hua's room, and With Bill Duffy's connections in the NBA, it is no problem to help Yan Hua contact several rookie training camps.

As for Yan Hua's prospects in the draft, Bill Duffy and Yao Ming have completely different views. His vision has always been very accurate. In Bill Duffy's view, to participate in the NBA draft, one must either have talent or skill, and talent is far more important than skill. Therefore, with Yan Hua's current physical talent, in In addition to his extravagant sales promotion, it is guaranteed that Yan Hua will have no problem entering the NBA. As for what happens after entering the NBA, it depends on Yan Hua himself.

(End of this chapter)