Y13 [EN]: Chapter 214

Y13-214 2011-2012 Regular Season

After the game against the LA Lakers, who enjoy the highest recognition in Korea (for better or worse…), Youngjae’s name was all over the Dallas fan forums in Korea. SKE SPORTS, which had purchased the broadcasting rights, also heavily promoted Youngjae, causing a sharp rise in the NBA’s popularity.

Fresh off their win in that memorable game against the LA Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks rested for a day in LA before facing the LA Clippers, who still boasted the formidable duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Fortunately, Dallas played much better than they had against the Lakers, eking out a close 100-98 victory in the first overtime by a mere 2 points.

Following that, Dallas embarked on a grueling four-game road trip, with away games against Utah and New Orleans on the 19th and 21st. The players returned to Dallas on January 22nd, just eight days after January 14th. Since then, they played three home games against Portland, Minnesota, and Utah every other day, showing strong performances as they recovered from the road trip’s fatigue. They suffered an unexpected setback against Minnesota, losing 95-100, but won the remaining games decisively, bringing Dallas to a record of 14 wins and 6 losses and erasing their early-season slump.

The Dallas Mavericks, boasting an impressive 90% winning rate with 9 wins and 1 loss in their last 10 games, received high praise from experts, and their future prospects looked bright. Their defensive system, already solid from the previous year, was further strengthened by the unchanged roster. Although their offensive power was slightly less potent than last year, it was gradually recovering, and they resumed their pursuit of a second consecutive championship.

– Good night, enjoy~

Youngjae, who had significantly contributed to Dallas’s strong performance, tossed and turned in bed until his smartphone rang. Rubbing his eyes, he answered the call.

“Hello…”

– Yoon! –

Emily, on the video call, looked tired from a dawn photoshoot, but she smiled brightly and waved at Youngjae as soon as she answered. Seeing her, Youngjae couldn’t help but smile and wave back, his eyes still half-closed.

– It’s six o’clock, you have to get up~ –

“Yeah… I was just about to.”

Youngjae scratched his messy hair and yawned widely, covering his mouth. Emily smiled, saying he looked more like her younger brother now.

“Did you have a dawn shoot?”

Youngjae watched scenes with Emily in them several times, smiling contentedly. However, both of them were busier than the previous year, and their schedules clashed, making it difficult to even exchange a couple of messages a day.

If one person sent a message, it would take several hours for a reply, and then the other would be working, leading to further delays. But they understood each other’s busy schedules and knew that arguing over such trivial matters during their brief 5- or 10-minute calls would be foolish. So, they avoided discussing contacting each other and instead focused on making more effort for each other, which made them even more affectionate than when they saw each other frequently last year.

– Yeah. I’m going to sleep now. I have a night shoot tomorrow too, so I have to avoid the sun like Dracula while it’s up so I don’t get tired~ –

“Take care of yourself. You’re so skinny. I liked Emily a little chubby. You’re not skipping meals, are you?”

Now fully awake, Youngjae sat up and leaned against the wall. Emily reassured him, saying she was eating regularly and not to worry.

– Good luck with the game today! Can I see you be the winner again today? –

“The game is at 5:30 PM today, so if you get enough sleep and watch a little, I think we can win?”

Emily laughed at Youngjae’s playful tone, and Youngjae playfully poked Emily’s nose on the screen. Emily responded with mock protests, making Youngjae feel happy.

– And today, I have good news. –

“What is it?”

– I… I think the shooting will be over around the All-Star break! –

Youngjae, who had been fighting sleep while leaning against the wall, jumped up in surprise at Emily’s announcement.

“Really?!”

– Yeah! It’s only about a week, but… Hehe. It’s only a little over a month left, so if you wait a little longer, you can see me… –

This season, the last week of February was the All-Star break, and Emily had been desperately hoping that the filming of *The Walking Dead* would wrap up before then. Fortunately, the filming was scheduled to end a week before the All-Star break, allowing Emily to finish her musical activities for a week afterward and spend the All-Star break with Youngjae.

“I’m looking forward to it. I hope we can both work hard on what we need to do so we won’t be embarrassed when we meet. I’ll try too.”

– Me too… I’m working hard so I won’t be embarrassed, and I want to work even harder so I can meet Yoon in a good mood when I see him. –

Youngjae urged Emily, who looked exhausted, to go to sleep and promised to call her at 6 AM the next day. Emily hesitated, seemingly sad, but Youngjae reassured her by saying he would text her later. Emily smiled and waved.

“Hoo.”

6:07 AM. They had to go through so much trouble for just seven minutes on the phone, but Youngjae didn’t regret it. Determined not to be embarrassed in front of Emily, whom he would see again in three months since their last meeting in July and December, Youngjae quickly prepared for training, got into his SUV, and headed to the American Airlines Center.

“Everyone worked hard. Morning training is over. Feel free to rest or run errands until an hour and a half before the game starts.”

At Coach Carlisle’s words, the players clapped and finished training. Nowitzki, Chandler, Brewer, Parsons, and Kidd took refreshing showers and changed into comfortable clothes to take a short nap on the comfortable beds in the lounge. But the players looked puzzled as they saw Youngjae putting on the jeans, shirt, and sweater he had worn earlier.

“Where are you going? Why are you going out instead of training or resting for once?”

“Ah, a friend contacted me. I’m just going to have lunch and come back to rest. Go to sleep first.”

Youngjae quickly left, and the players thought nothing of it, leisurely heading to the lounge. Youngjae was a player the veterans didn’t need to worry about. They knew he would handle his training and rest responsibly. Youngjae drove his SUV and arrived in front of a hotel near the stadium. A player Youngjae knew well was standing blankly in front of the hotel. Youngjae briefly stopped the car in front of the player and lowered the window.

“Get in!”

“Oh—you made it?”

Kawhi Leonard, a bit reserved but with a more muscular build than in college, smiled slightly and got into the passenger seat. Youngjae asked, “What do you want to eat?” Leonard scratched his dreadlocked hair and asked with an embarrassed smile, “What’s good?” This aspect seemed unchanged.

In the end, Youngjae took him to Whiskey Kitchen, a restaurant he frequented. The winter was warmer than expected, so heavy clothing wasn’t necessary. Whiskey Kitchen was heated to a comfortable temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.

“Welcome, Mr. Yoon. Welcome to Whiskey Kitchen.”

Having been there often, Youngjae received the greeting from the clerk who recognized him with ease. Kawhi Leonard also politely greeted him, and they were led to their reserved table.

Perhaps because they had reserved two Set B’s, freshly baked French toast, fruit ade, and a salad with tomatoes, pork neck, various berries, and fresh vegetables neatly arranged on a plate were served.

“Is the food okay?”

“Yeah. It’s not just okay, it’s delicious. I guess there’s a reason you come here often?”

Leonard took a bite of the salad and then the French toast, shyly giving a thumbs up with a faint smile. Youngjae burst out laughing, asking what that was about, and Leonard looked embarrassed, asking why he was laughing so loudly. The two finished their appetizers and chatted until the main course arrived.

“It’s our first match in the NBA.”

“No, we were in the same school in college, so officially, it’s the first match of our lives.”

Leonard corrected Youngjae. Leonard was usually quiet, but when he was with Youngjae, his best friend and rival, he couldn’t help but be more talkative. Because they were in the same Southwest Division, they met four times a year, but Leonard had missed the last game.

And in college, they were at the same school, so they never faced each other in official games, and in high school, they were in different regions, so they never had a chance to play against each other.

“I guess so. But if you and I don’t play together again like last game, won’t it be pushed back again?”

“Well… there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve been working hard in my own way. Due to various situations, I’ve been playing as a shooting guard these days.”

“Ah, I was surprised when I saw the team’s data. Kawhi Leonard, the double-double machine of the Aztecs, is a shooting guard!”

Youngjae never imagined Leonard playing as a shooting guard. Kawhi Leonard was a double-double machine who even played as a power forward in college, and he stayed in the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] for another year to improve his shooting. So, even after his debut, Youngjae never thought he would play as a shooting guard.

However, a player’s role changes depending on the team’s needs, and when the San Antonio Spurs’ key shooting guard, Manu Ginobili, was injured, they had Leonard form the guard lineup with Tony Parker. And it seemed to be working well.

“I didn’t think so either. But thanks to that, we get to face each other in the same position, right? I’m looking forward to it. I don’t necessarily have to guard you directly, but it feels different whether we face each other directly or not.”

“I’m also looking forward to it a lot. Even when we were college students two years ago, we never played in an actual game other than practice. And I never even dreamed that I would be your matchup opponent.”

For the main dish, handmade burgers and chicken waffles with chicken fillets, mustard sauce, and fried eggs were served. The portions were generous, providing plenty of calories and satisfying both in quantity and taste.

“I’m buying this time, so please go easy on me.”

“I bought it when you came to San Antonio last time, so I’m not listening to that.”

Youngjae made a “Kuh-” sound and muttered that he was stingy, and Leonard just snorted and ate his food. Perhaps because they hadn’t joked like this since college, the two had a comfortable conversation.

“I think we’re going to win this time, what do you think?”

“Come on. You have a lot of confidence when you’re playing against a team that’s 9 wins and 1 loss.”

“You guys just lost to Minnesota at home.”

Minnesota wasn’t a weak team, but it was undeniable that Dallas should have won at home with their momentum. Seeing Leonard, who seemed to have developed a sharper wit, Youngjae just shrugged.

“Good. Anyway, Dallas and San Antonio have been historical rivals. It’s perfect to face each other. I’ll have to show you who the winner is in today’s game.”

“That’s right. I’ll show you clearly. That we are the winners.”

The San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks were the teams that had faced each other the most in the 21st century playoffs out of all 30 teams. Both teams had 11 consecutive 50-win seasons (San Antonio had 37 wins and 13 losses due to the lockout in ’99 [1999 NBA Lockout, a labor dispute that shortened the season], but the 50-win streak started anew), and they were ranked 1st and 2nd in winning percentage among the 30 NBA teams in the 21st century. They were also Texas rivals, and they had a rivalry between Duncan and Nowitzki in the same position. Although there was a difference in that San Antonio won 3 championships (3 Finals appearances) and Dallas only had 1 runner-up finish.

“As a senior, I’ll have to teach you a lesson properly. I’ll let you have a taste of what it’s like. I’ll let you know that physicality isn’t everything. I’ll tell you what it’s like to have a year more of experience.”

“I’m a rookie player, so of course I’m less experienced than my senior. But I’ve developed in my own way under the coach’s system, so it won’t be easy.”

Leonard had worked hard to catch up with Youngjae, who had surpassed him in college, but Youngjae was now far ahead of him even in the NBA. But he had no intention of giving in. He was confident that he could catch up if he worked hard for a few years.

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

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

★Thank you to Mango Jjoa for the sponsorship coupon!!

@It’s a meeting with his longtime friend Leonard. Unless the team trades him, he has to play in his debut team for 4 years unconditionally, so whether he wants it or not, he will have a rivalry.

Mekkantherv/// Haha…. Please watch^^.

goimosp/// I don’t think Dallas will rebuild well with the draft;;

Ultra10///There are many lottery players and many injury-prone players, so in the worst case, I expect them to be 11th in the West. Even if they do the best, I think 7th is the limit.

Eunseolya///There are not many. I just watch a few of those who suspended their work on Joara and moved to Kakao Page. The way of watching is inconvenient, so I don’t really want to pay except for free waiting or distributed tickets.

Lee Dong-seok-dong, Financia, -DarkANGEL-, misscherry, Omarion/// Thank you for your comments as always!!

Mackerel/// Cuban would be embarrassed too. For now, it would be too sorry to tank until Nowitzki retires, and Nowitzki is too old to be a core… Of course, Cuban’s personality wouldn’t like tanking, but in the current NBA system, it seems difficult for a championship team without tanking. Unless you get an ace-level player with a low pick like in the novel… like Jimmy Butler.

Chin/// Reporter Yeom Yong-geun and reporter Lee Seung-gi have been posting good articles since last season.

Heukgom12/// Haha… It’s a fresh method. If you do it often, the problem is internal damage;;

Sosimjjijil inferior man, disappearing soul, mirror of truth/// Hehe… I want to do a series of chapters… but ㅠ.ㅠ Daily serialization is also difficultㅠ.ㅠ