Anyway, it’s just one season, bear with it, Ah Gan and Jordan, these two old guys, can’t jump around for much longer.
As for O’Neal, Jerry West said, the future is yours, just keep waiting.
The Lakers had no choice but to trade O’Neal, as O’Neal was determined to leave. Between Shaq and Tracy McGrady, they could only choose one.
The Lakers are unwilling to give up Tracy McGrady’s market value; if they can’t get a championship, at least they can sell tickets, right?
Moreover, the Heat’s offer was really good, Rashid Wallace + Jim Jackson, giving the Lakers a richer combination. Wang Zhizhi would become the second Chinese player to play for the Lakers.
When the news that the Glory would move to the Eastern Conference next season came out, the Lakers were absolutely thrilled.
Actually, it wasn’t just the Lakers; all the powerhouses in the West breathed a big sigh of relief. These two troublesome figures were finally leaving. If they teamed up in the Western Conference, next season’s competition would be too fierce to watch. Going to the East would be a good match for strong contenders.
After this was settled, the Glory didn’t need to make any adjustments; they didn’t have to move.
They just had to wait for the NBA schedule, to make their flight plans.
Yao Ming’s days in Las Vegas were fulfilling and peaceful. He strictly followed the team’s training plan to complete his daily tasks.
His parents in China called him every day, caring about their son’s situation.
Yao Ming was a player cultivated within the system, just like Wang Zhizhi. In the past, every aspect was managed by the organization, allowing him only to focus on training, without considering anything else.
After coming to America, although the Glory Team took good care of Yao Ming’s life and managed everything well, it ultimately wouldn’t manage everything like back home. Yao Ming had to handle many things himself.
Especially socializing and training, he had to schedule his own time.
Gan Guoyang is a good role model, a training fanatic, but he wouldn’t force Yao Ming to practice with him every day.
Moreover, Gan Guoyang and Jordan are players in the late stages of their careers; their training focus is very different from newcomers like Yao Ming, and they don’t practice together.
Without the team supervising, without parents, and without an elder brother figure, Yao Ming obtained unprecedented freedom. He didn’t let this freedom turn into emptiness, but kept enriching himself.
By mid-August, when the Chinese National Team came to Las Vegas for training, Yao Ming joined them. Men’s basketball head coach Wang Fei was surprised to find that compared to a month ago, Yao Ming’s overall state had significantly improved.
Firstly, his shooting posture had been adjusted, with a softer hand form and increased forearm bend, making the ball arc higher and improving his mid and long-range shooting accuracy.
Secondly, his weight didn’t increase, but his body fat rate was slightly lower, and his muscle definition was a bit more pronounced.
His basic skills were more standardized, his feel on the court was great, and his overall competitive state was very good.
With more NBA experience, Wang Zhizhi, who was just traded to the Lakers, was surprised during training, asking Yao Ming: "You’ve improved quite quickly. Your practice during this period is pretty good."
Yao Ming joked: "Training here lets you catch some magic energy; progress is indeed fast."
The men’s basketball team received a warm welcome in Las Vegas. Training venues, accommodation, everything was well-treated, and after the Las Vegas Summer League started, they had the opportunity to face each prospective NBA team and hone the team’s tactics.
Gan Guoyang and Jordan watched two of the games. As the most famous spectators on the sidelines, their presence was more attractive than the match itself.
Observant reporters noticed that compared to last season, both their body shapes and appearances had changed.
Gan Guoyang was stronger than last season. Last season his body reverted to his rookie days, relatively thin.
This summer, Gan Guoyang gained weight, gradually going back up to around 260 pounds.
In Gan Guoyang’s plan, if he wants to continue working in the league until over 40, as long as his knees can withstand it, he would keep increasing his weight gradually, returning to a power player.
Because after 40, he would completely lose explosiveness and speed, becoming mediocre in speed, and the outside playstyle would no longer suit him, making strength the most important.
Throughout his career, every season Gan Guoyang adjusted his weight and muscle mass to reach the ideal state to adapt to the current league environment.
On the other hand, Jordan had slimmed down. Last season, Jordan was clearly a bit bloated; as a shooting guard, he was too heavy, and his body fat rate was too high.
No matter how hard Jordan denied it, last season he was just too heavy. At the start of the season, he even reached 240 pounds at one point, only slightly lighter than Gan Guoyang, and gradually dropped to around 230 pounds during the season.
He’s a 198 shooting guard, not Charles Barkley.
Even so, Jordan still averaged 22 points per game with the Supersonics, scored 50+ in games, and made the playoffs, showcasing his skills and scoring ability.
This time, under Gan Guoyang’s suggestion and pressure, Jordan lowered his weight, reducing knee stress, aiming to return to his 1998 form at the start of the season, controlling his weight around 220 pounds.
The two supervised each other, trained together, with quite good results.
At their age, it’s hard for others to push them further, only people of their level have the capability and effect.
Watching the Chinese National Team train, Jordan sighed, "I can’t believe it, how did you lead this team to win the Olympic gold medal?"