Yang Jing gave the ’stage’ over to her husband.
Zhang Chen finally spoke, "Yangyang, have you ever thought about what to do if you go undrafted in the draft?"
Zhang Yang: "I scored over 1500 on the SAT, and there are many colleges I can choose from, it’s just that I wouldn’t be able to play in the NCAA."
Zhang Chen: "Does going undrafted mean you will give up basketball?"
Zhang Yang: "No, I would still train hard, try to participate in competitions outside of those colleges, and hit the NBA again. A great man once said, there are always more solutions than difficulties."
Zhang Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "Yangyang, whether you can become a basketball star or not, your mom and I don’t really care. We want to live well, and we’ll earn our own money.
You got a good score on your early exams, and you have a fallback option for college. You did well on this.
If you wish to skip 12th grade and enter the NBA draft from college, we support your decision, but you should also prepare yourself for the possibility of going undrafted.
You need to consider this carefully. Your mom and I have been following basketball games for the past two years and have some understanding of this area. You should know that you currently have a very smooth path to take: enter college, play there for three to four years, and you might enter the NBA very smoothly, becoming a starter just like Shawn Battier, Mike Dunleavy, Kirk Hinrich, Emeka Okafor did."
If you choose to enter the NBA draft now, that would be the hardest path."
I’ve heard of Jermaine O’Neal. He entered the NBA at 17, and for several years, he didn’t get a chance to play."
Zhang Yang listened attentively, considered carefully after hearing this, and then after a long while, responded, "Since I’ve chosen to play basketball, walking the same path as others is too uninteresting. I like a challenge."
Yang Jing, stirred with passion, spoke up before her husband: "Yangyang, I support you! When your dad and I came to America, we also made a big decision... You’re truly my son!"
Zhang Chen secretly glanced at his wife with an incredulous look and said to Zhang Yang, "Since you want to do this, then we support you, but first we need to talk with Kobe Bryant’s former agent. If we think he’s unreliable, we won’t sign the authorization form."
"Of course, I’m not sure about him, that’s why I discussed it with you first. I know this is a major decision in my life."
Zhang Yang took a business card out of his bag and handed it to his parents.
The couple took the business card, ready to investigate this agent before making contact. With half a month until April 27, there’s no rush. They will take their time, get their preparation right first. Their first stop was to find a lawyer.
Now that he had brought it up and received his parents’ consent, Zhang Yang’s originally tangled and anxious heart settled down, and finally, sleepiness came. He went back to his room to catch up on some sleep.
He suffered from insomnia last night, only falling asleep at around three or four in the morning, after thinking a lot.
For college game experience, he had his training mode, which could give him more experiences.
College training is professional, but is it as professional as a pro team?
Even if he didn’t get a chance to play at first, he could wait patiently. Kobe, young O’Neal, McGrady... weren’t they all waiting their turn?
This is a very exciting decision, just as his dad said, it is the hardest path.
A much, much harder path than the one he took after being overturned from a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals and then joining the rival team.
But coming to this world, he wanted to do something different from everyone else!
Asking for monthly tickets, asking for recommendation tickets!