score maniac

Chapter 33: The Old Coach’s Thoughts

“The starting lineup for the next game: Jeter, Evans, Kasbi, Thompson, and Cousins!” After Westphal announced the starting lineup for the next game, he didn’t wait for the players to respond; he immediately waved his hand to dismiss them. Everyone’s gaze turned to Gu Yu. “That… isn’t the coach going a bit too far?” As they left the room, one player muttered under his breath, pointing at Gu Yu: “Slickhead played way better than Evans in that game—everyone could see that. Sure, his defense has issues, and he did steal the ball from a teammate, but those flaws don’t overshadow his strengths. It’s not like he deserves to be benched for the next game, is it?!” “I think the coach went a bit too far, too,” another player immediately chimed in under his breath. “That kid’s accurate—really accurate! He’s no good at physical play, but even when he’s at a physical disadvantage, his shooting form hardly changes. That’s not something you can master overnight!” “If I were the coach, I’d definitely start him. After this game, other teams will definitely take notice of him and start adjusting their defensive strategies to counter him. Even if he doesn’t do much—like he did in the last few minutes—he’ll at least stretch the opposing defense and create opportunities for the rest of the team!” As they exchanged remarks, the players filed out of the room one by one. Gu Yu, the last to leave, shot a meaningful glance at the old coach, looking as if he was about to let loose. “Gu, wait a moment.” Westphal was the first to speak up. “…That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Gu Yu nodded and simply sat down directly across from the old coach, locking eyes with him and showing no intention of holding back in the slightest. “Gu, you…” Seeing this, the other members of the “King’s F4”—who were also newcomers—exchanged glances, knowing that, given Gu Yu’s temperament, trouble was bound to ensue. Jett, the eldest brother who was most worried, stepped forward, placed a hand on Gu Yu’s shoulder, and said, “Don’t you dare…” “Don’t worry…!” Without turning his head, Gu Yu nodded firmly, his eyes still fixed intently on the old coach: “I have a bad temper, but I’m not stupid—I won’t beat him up!” …Oh my god! Hearing Gu Yu’s reply, the group nearly fainted on the spot. You should’ve just kept that to yourself—why say it out loud, and so loudly at that?!! Are you afraid the coach doesn’t know you’re going to beat him up??? “…Hah.” Surprisingly, after Gu Yu said that, Westphal actually laughed. “Ha… hahaha… hahahahahaha! Alright, alright, you’re something else, kid… hahahahahaha!!!” “Uh…” The coach’s over-the-top reaction actually made Gu Yu feel a little embarrassed. Looking back at his teammates with a bewildered expression, he pointed at the old coach and asked, “Is he crazy? Does he have a lump on his head??” “Hahaha, he looks just like him… he really does look just like him, hahaha…!!” Hmm… looks like? Like what? Me? Who do I look like?? Gu Yu wore a look of utter confusion, watching Old Shuai act like a lunatic, and couldn’t help but feel that there weren’t many sane people on this Kings team. “Hahaha… Gu, let me ask you—when did you start watching the NBA?” Westphal asked, unable to hide his amusement. “Um… probably around ’98 or ’99…!” Gu Yu thought back for a moment and replied, “It must have been ’98, but that year I only watched the Finals—when Michael Jordan took down the Jazz. During the shortened season in ’99, I watched quite a few games and found my favorite player.” “Oh? Who was it?” Westphal asked with great interest. “Carter!” When the conversation turned to his favorite star player, Gu Yu instantly forgot his earlier annoyance. His eyes practically lit up as he exclaimed excitedly, “Rookie of the Year that year—he plays so cool, seriously so cool! That dunk—baaaaaaa—!! It just sends your adrenaline skyrocketing!!” “Yeah, yeah, I really like Wen Si too!!” Westphal nodded earnestly and said, “But I’m not so much a fan of his dunks as I am of his all-around skill set! It’s such a shame what happened later—I always feel like we never got to see just how incredible Wen Si could have been at his absolute peak…” “Sigh… You’re absolutely right. It’s truly a tragedy when talent is cut short…” Gu Yu also shook his head and sighed. “Just imagine—when he later joined the Nets and teamed up with Kidd, if Wen Si still had the physical prowess he once did, or if he’d simply never been plagued by injuries and kept rising to the top, that Nets team might have pulled off a miracle!” Westphal clearly had a soft spot for Carter. A veteran coach with an illustrious career, he actually took on the air of a young fan, enthusiastically discussing with Gu Yu just how formidable Carter had been at his peak. This… The rest of the group was at a loss for words. After watching for a moment, Jeter smiled, gave a nod to the two big men beside him, and the three of them, in perfect unison, walked out of the room without a word. The door slammed shut with a “bang.” Gu Yu was still talking nonstop about how blown away he’d been the first time he saw Carter play. Westphal, having regained his composure slightly and noticing that the others had left, said earnestly, “Mm-hmm. Next time we face Carter’s team, I’ll definitely have him guard you!” “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah—I’m going to crush him!!!” Gu Yu’s way of showing respect for his idol was quite unique. “Haha, that’s some guts! But to do that, the prerequisite is…” Westphal’s expression changed slightly as he smiled faintly. “You’ll have to figure out a way to get a contract with the team…!” “That’s exactly why I have to start!” Gu Yu finally found his opening and slapped his thigh, exclaiming, “How am I supposed to get a contract without playing time??” “Ahem, watch your choice of words…” Westphal cleared his throat. “You know I kept saying ‘like, like, like’ earlier—I was asking who you resemble, right?” Gu Yu shook his head. “Back in ’92, when I was coaching the Suns.” Westphal said earnestly, “Charles Barkley—he was on my team back then.” “He’s uglier than me,” Gu Yu replied with a straight face. “Stop rambling, will you!” The veteran coach, torn between laughter and exasperation, finally understood why Gu Yu—who was clearly the least skilled player—had instantly become the spiritual leader of the Kings’ rookies. Because this guy was just so adorably straightforward! “I’m talking about personality and demeanor,” Westphal said, composing himself. “Your personality and demeanor are very similar to his.” “To be honest, when Charles first joined the team, our core was Kevin Johnson, and we focused on fast-paced offense and defense driven by the backcourt. Charles was already a superstar—just one step away from winning a championship, or even taking the leap to the top. With a guy like that joining us, theoretically we should have adjusted our style of play to accommodate him and maximize his impact—just like how the Heat are now starting to adapt to Le Bron, right?” Gu Yu nodded. “He thought so too, but Kevin Johnson wasn’t happy about it at the time.” Westphal said in a low voice, “So the challenge I faced was either to reconcile the conflict between the two of them or to let one of them go.” As he spoke, Westphal gave Gu Yu a meaningful look and continued, “Right now, I’m facing the same dilemma.”