Y13 [EN]: Chapter 2

Y13-2 Regression (2/296)

00002 Regression ====================================================

Regression to 18 years old.

“……”

Dazed.

Youngjae didn’t even realize his head was in the clouds as he looked around. It was definitely his house. His own space.

Even after sleeping another day, it was the same. As the last bit of anxiety that it might be a terrible nightmare disappeared, Youngjae raised his arms high and started laughing like a madman.

The Youngjae who, until three days ago, would have said, ‘If there is a God, and if he were in front of me, I would grab him by the collar even if I fell into hell,’ was gone. Now, he was jumping around on the bed like a fanatic who believed in God more than anyone else.

“If that’s the case…”

Youngjae swallowed hard and looked at the paper on the desk.

[2009 Admission Notice

San Diego State University]

“Heh…”

The end of high school life and the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] entry he had dreamed of. Youngjae had returned to that very point in time. With an unbelievable expression, Youngjae repeatedly scanned the admission notice, then began to read it aloud, shouting, “Hahaha!” as he ran around the house.

The ankle pain that had plagued his career was gone. The aftereffects of the surgery after his ankle bone was crushed, the arrogance that had been so presumptuous, and the fall to the bottom after thinking he was so high up—all of that had not happened.

“……”

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, Youngjae looked at the 18-year-old student who had not yet been fully formed. Another version of himself. A figure with the youth to absorb everything like a sponge.

“Good.”

Youngjae, with a calm expression that made it hard to believe he had been laughing like a madman just a moment ago, began to examine his body.

“?!”

It was astonishing. He had truly returned to the 18-year-old Yoon Youngjae, exactly as he was.

Freshman year of college. That was the last time he grew taller. He barely reached 185cm [approximately 6 feet 1 inch], growing only 3cm from 182cm [approximately 5 feet 11.5 inches]. Youngjae desperately wanted to be 190cm [approximately 6 feet 3 inches], but there was no further growth, and he had to change his style, and his position was limited because of those 5cm.

In the NBA [National Basketball Association], he was just an ambiguous combo guard. As a point guard, he had ordinary court vision and limited passing ability, and as a shooting guard, he had a small height and a poor jumper.

And physique. Youngjae basically didn’t have a very good frame. That’s why, no matter how hard he tried to build strength, his natural frame was just okay. As an Asian, his frame was decent, but he couldn’t overcome his limitations.

It’s not true for everyone, but Asians are generally weaker than whites and less flexible and fast than blacks. Moreover, Asians tend to have shorter arm spans on average. Arm length is very important in basketball.

This arm length, commonly called wingspan, affects various metrics such as standing reach, and players with short wingspans are even mockingly called ‘alligator arms.’

Although the sport is different, the reason why Asian hitters, including Choo Shin-soo, are weak against outside pitches in Major League Baseball is also due to the physical limitations of Asians in various sports.

“Ha, haha! I’m back!”

But Youngjae, who had to endure all of that again, was happy even though the situation was the same as before. A skinny physique of 182cm. But even with that, Youngjae thought that this time he could properly fight his weaknesses. Even though his body was the same, he would be able to walk a much better path than before.

Because he has the knowledge and experience gained through years of trial and error. If he stands out in college and gets drafted high, he will be given more opportunities.

Youngjae was at least a specialist in the ‘limited point guard role.’ Penetration after receiving a screen, and understanding of tactics. He was a player who was recognized to some extent as a point guard, number 1. His penetration after the dribble and his kick-outs to the outside, and his assists to the rolling big man after the pick and roll were all decent.

But he had many more weaknesses than that. He was weak in physical play, so it was difficult to penetrate alone, and because his jumper was not good, he would turn the ball over or make a dead pass to another player if his penetration was blocked. He was good at following 2:2 screen defense because of his high understanding of tactics, and his helping and steal timing were good, but he struggled to stop players who pushed in with their bodies.

Also, because both his height and jumping ability were weak, he was often shot over in front of him. His weak physical play led him to adapt to team play, such as receiving a screen and penetrating. When he had to engage in physical play, he would somehow draw or induce a foul. That’s how Youngjae survived. Fortunately, his team had many excellent screeners, and all the players on the court moved organically.

There were also some disappointing aspects. After all, basketball has a higher proportion of physical ability than baseball or soccer, and the gap in talent between players is one of the biggest in sports. He was clearly a guard who had a long career in the NBA as an Asian, but he had not made a significant impact.

Above all, it was difficult to even survive among the monsters of the NBA in terms of physical ability. He had been constantly improving his skills by honing his constant effort and natural sense, but the limitations were clear.

Youngjae stared at himself in the full-length mirror and smiled playfully.

‘I have time to overcome everything!’

He already has nine years of experience and knowledge accumulated. And the time he spent in the NBA for five years was as vivid as yesterday. He is starting with the most valuable asset of all.

“Let’s go, to San Diego!”

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★Thank you to those who gave advance subscriptions, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!