Y13 [EN]: Chapter 45

Y13-45 Pre-Season

Regardless of the media buzz and Youngjae’s own eagerness, he dedicated himself to pre-season training, focusing on physical conditioning and skill enhancement. Coach Dwayne Casey prioritized refining Youngjae’s individual defensive abilities.

Meanwhile, Coach Terry Stotts concentrated on Youngjae’s fast-break execution, incorporating drills to boost wrist and forearm flexibility and strength, complementing Youngjae’s solo practice of shooting under varied conditions, even in darkness.

For Youngjae, the pre-season preparation could have been a grind, but occasional moments of levity injected energy into his routine.

Before Bobeau departed for the World Championships with the French national team, he visited Youngjae’s humble abode for dinner. Knowing they wouldn’t see each other for a couple of months, Bobeau and Youngjae seized the chance to unwind over drinks and casual conversation.

‘Wow, you don’t wear shoes inside? Not even slippers?’

Bobeau observed Youngjae’s house, maintained according to Korean customs, with curiosity. The concept of removing shoes at the entrance was foreign to him, so Bobeau took off his shoes and stepped inside. Youngjae promptly directed him, ‘Go wash your feet in the bathroom,’ and playfully ushered him in.

‘Yoon, don’t get too good while I’m gone.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll make sure there’s no room for you when you get back,’ Youngjae joked, laughing. Bobeau countered, ‘Go ahead. I’ll play for the national team and make sure there’s no place for you.’ Suddenly recalling that he hadn’t encountered Bobeau in his previous life, Youngjae spoke with a touch of seriousness.

‘If you get hurt playing, get it thoroughly checked out. Don’t push yourself too hard.’

Whether for a club or country, players often sustained injuries in major tournaments or worsened existing ones by playing through the pain. Such players often experienced a rapid decline in their abilities. Especially in Korea, where mental fortitude was prized, pushing through was often expected, which amplified his concern.

‘Of course. My body is my livelihood! Even if they say it’s nothing, I’ll get it checked if I feel something’s off, so don’t worry about it. Don’t jinx me.’

They enjoyed a pleasant dinner, and Bobeau left for France a few days later. Subsequently, former Aztecs teammates D.J. Gay and Kelvin Davis officially signed with Unicaja Malaga in the Spanish ACB League and Olympiacos B.C. in the Greek League, respectively. Both shared photos and announcements of their signing ceremonies on Twitter, and Youngjae chimed in, ‘If you can’t secure a starting position, you’re not Aztecs!’

Relishing the rare connection, D.J. Gay and Kelvin Davis playfully grumbled at Youngjae’s comment but called him, happy to reconnect. They also posted a humorous composite photo on Youngjae’s Twitter, superimposing Youngjae’s face onto a large cowboy hat, dubbing him ‘Baby Cowboy.’ Youngjae retaliated by sending D.J. Gay, who had initiated the photo prank, a picture of D.J. Gay’s face (particularly a comical shouting expression) superimposed on a flamboyant matador’s face adorned with sequins, captioning it, ‘As expected, you can’t beat a seasoned matador!!!’

Around this time, Youngjae revisited Steve Fisher at San Diego State University to express his gratitude and receive some words of wisdom to sharpen his focus. While there, he also reconnected with Kawhi Leonard, Brian Carwell, Chase Tapley, and Alec Williams, who were still at the school, and they shared meals together.

They teased Youngjae about his childish antics with D.J. Gay and Kelvin Davis, saying, ‘Aren’t you a little old to be acting so childish…’ but quickly agreed when Youngjae retorted, ‘We’re still young, aren’t we?’ Youngjae enjoyed reminiscing about their time at school before returning to Texas.

Finally, Malcolm Thomas, another close friend, contacted him to announce that he had chosen to play in Korea over China, citing better pay and treatment of foreign players. He was joining Ulsan Mobis, becoming the youngest foreign player selected at the time. Typically, Korean teams favored veterans, but Thomas was scouted after impressive performances in a recent tournament.

He declared at his signing ceremony that he would continue to develop his skills at Ulsan Mobis, given his youth, and posted a brief announcement and his determination on Twitter. Youngjae congratulated Thomas on Twitter, wishing him luck in adapting to Korea.

This tweet revealed Youngjae’s connection as an alumnus and close friend, which significantly boosted Thomas’s profile in Korea. Being friends with Youngjae, Korea’s sole NBA player, earned him favor with Korean fans and facilitated his adjustment.

In the midst of all this, Youngjae received some alarming news.

-French national team player and Dallas Mavericks player Rodrigo Bobeau, metatarsal bone (pinky toe) injury –

Pinky toe fracture. Youngjae felt a chill upon hearing about Bobeau.

‘So that was it…’

The reason he never saw Bobeau in the NBA. It was an injury. Youngjae could only hope that Bobeau would dedicate himself to recovery and defy the injury curse, as he had urged him to do.

‘But foot fractures are common among players. Why did his skills decline so much that he couldn’t play in the NBA with his talent?’

The thought struck him suddenly. The fact that he had never seen him meant he lacked the skills to play in the NBA, but Bobeau’s skills and performance from the previous year were more than enough to keep him in the league, even with some decline.

‘I’ll know when I see him play.’

Thus, Youngjae’s rest period, which hadn’t felt much like rest, drew to a close.

September 28, 2010. Dallas Mavericks Training Camp.

‘……’

Youngjae seemed to realize something, and he felt a surge of nervousness as he approached the American Airlines Center, a place he now visited daily. Driving the same SUV, wearing the same Mavs sky blue jersey… he followed the same route, but even at the entrance, reporters from local news outlets were lined up, ready to cover the players and coaching staff.

‘It’s Yoon!’

‘Y13!’

As Youngjae arrived, the reporters greeted him with a barrage of flashes, as if they had been waiting for him. Used to the flashing lights that made his eyes water, Youngjae slightly lowered his head, shielded his eyes, and greeted the reporters.

‘Richard Powell from Culture Map Dallas!’

‘Irak Liker from the Dallas Morning News!’

Reporters from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Texas Tribune, and others crowded around, peppering him with questions, but Youngjae apologized, saying, ‘I’ll coordinate with the club to cooperate with the coverage as much as possible. I’m really sorry,’ and slipped through the throng.

‘Hoo…’

Youngjae, who had dressed neatly for the first meeting, worried that his ironed jersey was now crumpled and his hair disheveled, decided to ignore it and headed to the court.

‘……’

Arriving an hour and a half early, Youngjae expected to find the court empty, but he was pleasantly surprised.

Swish!

Side, wing, top. Every shot was clean. Even the fadeaway [a shot where the player jumps backward away from the defender while shooting], executed with his back to the rim, spinning around to face it, was perfect.

Youngjae couldn’t help but stare in awe at the shooting master. In his past life, he had faced Nowitzki as an opponent, but Nowitzki was already past his prime. Perhaps because it was his prime now, he had never imagined Nowitzki could be so accurate in practice.

‘Yo! Guten Tag!’

‘Ah, Guten Morgen.’

Youngjae had learned basic greetings in the players’ native languages in anticipation of meeting them, and despite his clumsy pronunciation, he greeted Nowitzki in German. Dallas wasn’t as international as San Antonio had been in his past life, but there were still several non-American players. He was fluent in French and could speak some Spanish, but his German was limited.

An incredible shooting touch that defied his 7-foot (213cm) height. The best power forward of his era, whose overwhelming offensive prowess made his high-arcing shots a nightmare for defenders as he flicked his blonde hair. The only power forward to achieve the standard of an all-time shooter, the 180 club (50% field goal, 40% 3-point, 90% or more free throw).

When they had met in his past life, Nowitzki had lost his ability to drive and had become more of a stretch-type power forward [a player who can shoot from long range, forcing defenders to guard him further from the basket], but his shooting accuracy remained exceptional.

‘I’m Dirk Nowitzki, the captain of the Mavericks. Nice to meet you.’

‘I’m Youngjae Yoon, who joined this year. Nice to meet you.’

Nowitzki nodded and smiled approvingly.

‘You’re here early for a rookie.’

‘Yes, I was a little nervous…’

Youngjae laughed and looked up at Nowitzki, who was nearly 20cm taller. He sensed that Nowitzki conveyed much with his eyes, even without speaking, so Youngjae kept his words brief and picked up a ball.

‘It’s boring to just stand here, would you like to practice a little?’

Nowitzki picked up a ball with a slight smile, seemingly testing Youngjae, and Youngjae didn’t reply, immediately shooting from the 3-point line.

The shooting motion, where the arm rose above the head so naturally, flowing from the ankle to the knee, and releasing powerfully and precisely with the fingertips. The shot, released with a faster mechanism than most NBA players, hit the rim once and went in. Youngjae’s movement was so clean that it could be considered the epitome of a quick release.

‘Good.’

Nowitzki commented briefly and bounced the ball. He suddenly raised both hands, holding the ball, and shot it as if a massive catapult accurately breached castle walls, his right arm bent and extended forward. Nowitzki’s ultra-high-arcing shot, soaring above his head at an enormous height of 7 feet, was sucked in without even touching the rim.

‘Oh…’

Youngjae couldn’t help but exclaim. Although not fast, the release point was raised to the highest possible position, and the shot seemed untouchable. Youngjae could only stare blankly at Nowitzki’s shooting form.

‘If you’re short, you can get blocked. If the release point is high, the probability of being blocked decreases. But I think the shooting form that suits you best is the best. Yoon, your shooting form is perfect for you.’

Youngjae stammered a thank you, flustered by Nowitzki’s compliment. To hear that his shooting posture was excellent from Nowitzki, a shooting specialist, was incredible. In his past life, Youngjae was considered to have no shooting ability, but now he couldn’t help but smile, having earned the recognition of a shooting master.

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

★Thank you for your selections, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

※FadeAway: A shot in which you measure the distance while moving slightly with your back to the opponent’s defense, then jump and rotate your body while tilting your upper body back. It was Michael Jordan’s main weapon, and in this period, it became Nowitzki’s signature. Korean fans called it a crane kick or lying down fadeaway. Because it is shot from such a tall height, it is impossible to block, and only your shooting feel determines the success rate. Nowitzki is said to have been blocked on this fadeaway only a handful of times.

※Real 7 feet: Usually, NBA players register their height with shoes on in their profiles, so the height is usually measured about 1 inch higher. Nowitzki reaches 7 feet (213cm) barefoot. There are not many real 7-foot players. Dwight Howard, the best center of the current era, is also 6-10 barefoot.

※Stretch-type power forward: Refers to a big man who can forcibly widen the opponent’s defensive range. In other words, despite being a big man, he is proficient in the low post, high post, and even the 3-point line, including the paint, so he is an offensive big man who can force the opponent’s big man to leave the rim and come out.

＠I would like to hear from readers on how many pre-season games I should describe. Please write down your opinions. I plan to decide after reading the comments, so please leave a comment if you have any opinions. For now, we are planning two games, but at least one game is necessary. Of course, even if the number of games is reduced, we will cover everything that is needed outside of the game. Instead, I will write one game a little longer. Because I have to express everything.

NBA pre-season is a clash between regular rosters. However, it is less intense, there are many tactical experiments, and the playing time of bench members is slightly higher.

Mr. Handsome Man in Front of You/// Thank you haha. You even make time to watch it ㄷㄷ

Grandpa Jjangu, Lazze, Pureota///Hehe, it’s still a secret.

Financia///Hmm, there were some Conan fans who predicted it. It will appear later~

Comment/// Do you think it doesn’t suit Youngjae haha

Tae-ru-kun, Kundara///Thank you for your comments~

zigichacha/// Yep. There are fewer games than Major League Baseball, but the season dates are longer ㄷㄷ.. So durability is also a skill in the league.

pen36, lovejin, …(-1)… /// There are reporters everywhere haha

Dopican/// Yes, I think everyday life is like a spice in a sports novel.

Hallau/// Did you enjoy watching what you had kept ㅎㅎ

Angel’s Circumstances/// ㅎㅎ I’m glad

Yo Mom’s Time/// Thank you for the compliment. I’m so glad that basketball fans and NBA fans are increasing

Noh Eul Sarang/// Thank you for the compliment. I will repay you with good writing in the future.

AdYang/// ㄷㄷ Weekends are the truth!! Even if you want to see our articles, only on weekends!!

Nuna’s Backing/// That’s right. I’m thinking about various things outside of the game, but please feel free to give me any episodes or advice that come to mind while watching the novel.

Lafir and Jint/// One of the reasons I wrote this novel is the work you mentioned. Although the sports covered are different, I think it is the best in terms of incorporating such realism and plausibility in sports novels.

-DarkANGEL-, Omarion/// Thank you for your comments as always~

Ruthless Pirate/// It looks like you watched all the games today. Seagull did well for his first playoffs. It’s a little disappointing that the surroundings couldn’t keep up. Golden State is still the same… Rose is a pity. On the contrary, Coach Kidd is really amazing.

Nallim Kiss/// Haha, you were a basketball fan. I was also sad that there were so few basketball novels.

misscherry/// Haha, there are still few episodes ㅠ.ㅠ

Kariz///Thank you for your opinion. However, doing so would require us to give up a significant portion of the plausibility and realism of our novel. A certain amount of pre-season content is essential. So I’m trying to hear what other readers think in the afterword. And as you said, pickup trucks are more commonly used in the United States. However, SUVs are also the second most used vehicles in the United States after pickup trucks, so I used SUVs.

Gray Wolf 77/// I’m still thinking about the military issue. We may conduct a survey in the future.

Yathongida/// Thank you for the coupon!! Did you do well on the TOEIC?ㅎㅎ… I’m thinking of doing a series of posts once this week.

Gangja Il/// There are so many different opinions haha. I will consider putting them in from time to time as you said.