Ding Yanyuhang stared blankly at the Kings' No. 3 jersey on his chest.
That number had been chosen for him by the veteran players on the team that night.
Back in 2004, one of the team's seniors, Wei Ge, had also briefly played for the Kings, and his jersey number was three as well.
It felt like a kind of inheritance.
"Ding! Don't zone out! You're up!"
Porter, with his sharp, regal features, wiped the sweat from his face as he walked over to remind him.
"Oh, right!" Ding Yanyuhang quickly stripped off his warm-up pants and stepped onto the court.
He was now part of a makeshift squad alongside the newly arrived Porter, Oubre, Richardson, and a few undrafted rookies from this year.
Watching Ding Yanyuhang's back as he checked in, Oubre and Richardson huddled together and whispered.
"See? Having the right background really pays off. He only played one friendly game, and already he's on the same level as us."
"I don't think so," Richardson didn't bite. "He's been practicing really hard these past couple of days. Doesn't look like someone who just got in through connections."
"And another thing," Richardson glanced around. "I heard Manager Chen and Coach Malone are coming to watch today. Be careful what you say."
"You couldn't have said that earlier?!"
Oubre immediately grew nervous, darted his eyes around, then sat down obediently in silence.
...
Malone and Chen Yilun entered the gym side by side.
"Why are you always by yourself lately? Where are Divac and Peja?"
"Peja took some time off to go on a family trip. As for Divac..."
Chen Yilun tried to hold back his laughter. "After the friendly game, Jokić was so afraid of being dragged into more grueling training that he bought a plane ticket and flew home overnight. When Divac found out, he immediately booked one too—determined to catch him the moment he got home."
"Haha, those two really are like a pair of bickering partners," Malone burst out laughing.
As soon as they entered, Tang Zhou, who was helping out inside, spotted them and hurried over to greet them.
"Coach, Manager—you're here."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't mind us, just keep doing your thing," Malone waved him off casually. He'd originally thought little of this assistant coach, assuming Tang Zhou had only gotten the job thanks to Chen Yilun's connections. But once it came to actual work, Tang Zhou proved diligent and highly professional, which made Malone develop a bit of appreciation for him.
Chen Yilun and Malone slowly strolled over to the sidelines, just in time to see Ding Yanyuhang run into an open spot, pull up for a jumper... and miss.
"How's Ding doing these past couple of days?"
Chen Yilun casually asked the assistant coach who walked over.
"Well..." the assistant coach looked at Ding Yanyuhang with some hesitation.
"Physically, he's got no problem at all. But when it comes to handling the ball and shot selection, it's not ideal. His shooting accuracy still needs work."
That was already a polite way of putting it. Simply put, Ding's game was still pretty raw.
After all, in 2015, Ding hadn't yet grown into the player fans would later call the "Four-Character Foreign Import."
"No problem! Just stick to your normal rhythm. If it doesn't work, sub him out. Don't give him any special treatment."
Chen Yilun spoke as though he didn't care, but his eyes never left Ding Yanyuhang.
Malone and the assistant coach exchanged glances, both speechless. Hypocrite!
...
Chen Yilun waited by the sidelines. When training wrapped up, Ding Yanyuhang finally noticed him.
"Mr. Chen! What brings you here?" Ding, dripping with sweat, ran over to greet him. Out here, halfway across the world with no one else to lean on, Chen Yilun was the only person he could count on.
"Nothing, just came to see how you're doing in training." Chen Yilun smiled and patted him on the arm. "And hey, I'm not much older than you. Just call me Chen from now on."
The moment his hand touched Ding's arm, the First Step Master Bronze Badge was already pinned onto him.
Sure enough, even the Summer League player system acknowledged him as one of my players.
Ever since Oden's shocking Recovery Card nearly stirred up medical controversy, Chen Yilun had grown more cautious. Since Ding would be with him for the next few days, badges could be awarded gradually. That way, when Ding rose later on, it could be credited to his own growth.
"Got it, Chen!"
Ding Yanyuhang nodded firmly. For some reason, ever since joining the Kings, he had felt an increasing sense of closeness toward Chen Yilun.
Of course, he had no idea that it was the effect of Chen Yilun's Ace Manager Badge. To him, it just felt like meeting a familiar face in a foreign land.
...
After a few days of training, the Kings' Summer League roster boarded a flight to Las Vegas.
This year, the Kings were only participating in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Their first matchup was against the San Antonio Spurs, led by assistant coach Becky Hammon.
"You're such a busy man, and you still found time to come to Vegas?" Becky teased him from the sideline.
"What do you think I'm here for?" Chen Yilun, wearing a flashy floral shirt and sunglasses, laughed. "Who doesn't love a company-paid trip? Besides, I've always wanted to see the Vegas Strip."
As they chatted, something strange happened during warmups on the court.
Kyle Anderson and Ding Yanyuhang locked eyes across their respective halves, staring at each other.
"Kyle, what are you looking at?" one of the Spurs' undrafted rookies asked.
"I don't know." Anderson glanced at Ding again. "Can't explain it... but why does that Chinese guy feel so familiar?"
"Ding, what are you staring at?" Crowder asked when he noticed his teammate looking absentminded.
"Not sure," Ding shook his head. "But there's something about that No. 1 over there... feels like a connection."
...
Because of Ding Yanyuhang's presence, this year's Summer League was broadcast through multiple channels back home in China.
At tipoff, plenty of Chinese basketball fans tuned in, and soon enough, bored NBA fans joined as well.
In the second quarter, Ding checked in off the bench. The Kings' head coach immediately called a play for him to go one-on-one.
After all, when your boss is sitting right there, you'd better show some respect—no matter what he says.
At the top of the key, Ding got the ball, matched up against Frenchman Livio Jean-Charles.
Facing an opponent with similar size, Ding took a deep breath. From a triple-threat position, he suddenly exploded forward.
So fast!
That was Jean-Charles' first impression. In an instant, Ding had already gotten half a step past him.
Jean-Charles quickly closed in, trying to cut off his space.
But as Ding sprinted toward the free-throw line, he abruptly pulled back. Jean-Charles, caught off guard, stumbled forward a step.
With the Spurs' defense wide open, Ding calmly rose for the simplest mid-range jumper from the free-throw line.
Swish.
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
...
Author's Note:
(I know not everyone enjoys the national team chapters, and I completely understand that. Don't worry—this part won't last long, and the story will get back to the usual NBA focus in the next chapters. Thanks for your patience and support!)