Chapter 99

In the capital, at the U18 national youth team training center.

"Move, all of you, move!"

Inside the venue, a group of tall young men, who clearly have the makings of good basketball players, were practicing shuttle runs back and forth.

Several of them were already panting heavily, each step seeming particularly heavy, clearly having reached their physical limits.

"This year's goal is only one: to win the championship! Any other result is unacceptable!"

On the sidelines, a young coach with a stern expression, clearly a hardliner, was loudly addressing the players. It was unknown if something had happened earlier that displeased him, but his mood was clearly agitated.

"Our team doesn't need stars, no unlimited shooting rights, no arrogant and high-and-mighty individuals. We only have iron discipline and iron tactical arrangements!"

This young coach is the current head coach of the U18 national youth team, Coach Liu.

During his playing days, Coach Liu was also a national team player, known for his aggressive style, sharp breakthroughs, and a unique three-point shooting ability that made him one of the main scorers of the national team.

Perhaps due to his experiences as a player, Coach Liu has developed a unique basketball philosophy. Unlike other domestic coaches, Coach Liu is not a proponent of the big men. In his view, Chinese basketball started with a fast and agile style, which ultimately led to its best historical performance.

If it weren't for the emergence of the three great centers, China should have continued to adhere to its own style, persisting with a fast and agile approach.

Now, due to the strong performances of the three great centers, especially the rise of the absolute core Yao Ming, Chinese basketball is dominated by a "height-first" mentality. From player selection to tactics, everything leans towards the big men, and on the court, every effort is made to create one-on-one opportunities for the big men.

"We don't want individual plays, no showing off skills, no fighting, no tactics that go against the team. We need to rediscover the essence of Chinese basketball, using speed and shooting to find opportunities, and initiating attacks from the perimeter!"

While this philosophy makes sense now, with the development of basketball, the role of perimeter players is gradually surpassing that of traditional big men, becoming the mainstream in world basketball.

However, for the Chinese team, in recent world tournaments, they have relied heavily on their big men and have seen some success. Coach Liu's tactical philosophy seems somewhat out of place.

Given this, why is Coach Liu still the head coach of this U18 national youth team?

This is related to his success in the CBA.

"In the CBA, even with a strong big man like Yi Jianlian, we still play a fast and agile style, using speed to win. The league championship is the best proof of the success of this tactic!"

Indeed, under Coach Liu, the young power forward Yi Jianlian delivered his best performances, almost sweeping the domestic scene.

Yi Jianlian's mobility and shooting accuracy align well with Coach Liu's tactical philosophy. Even with the ability to dominate most opponents, Yi Jianlian did not have unlimited shooting rights in the league team.

"The times have changed. The big men need mobility and vitality, and the team needs discipline and tactics! You players, don't think that just because you're tall, you can hold the ball under the basket and do whatever you want. Maybe your coaches in the regional teams let you do that, but not here!"

When Chen Mu and Old Hu finally arrived at the court, they saw this scene.

"Wow, no wonder he's a top coach in the country, his style is really tough!"

Seeing Coach Liu's sharp style, Chen Mu couldn't help but nod in approval.

Theoretically, according to Coach Liu's tactical philosophy, Chen Mu is the best choice for the U18 national youth team's frontcourt.

Besides Chen Mu, the U18 national youth team has many talented young players who will shine in the CBA in the near future.

Perimeter player Chen Jianghua, with speed and power, has a good sense of the game, though it still needs refining, and is already a small star.

Jie Libin, Han Shuo, Zhang Bo, Zhou Peng... on the wings and backcourt, the team has many explosive and tough players, with a strong perimeter lineup.

In the frontcourt, Li Xiaoxu can play both the power forward and center positions, and Delehei can play inside and outside, fitting well with Coach Liu's tactical philosophy.

The only exception is Su Wei, a traditional center, who, despite his height and reach, has slow footwork, poor mid-range shooting, and limited mobility, not meeting Coach Liu's requirements.

"Judging by this, I have a good chance of becoming a starter and helping the team gain an advantage in the frontcourt!"

Actually, without Chen Mu having to fight for it, in the eyes of the public and media, this young man who is doing well in the NBA is already the top frontcourt player of this U18 national youth team.

Especially with Coach Liu's fast and agile style, many basketball analysts believe that this tournament will be the foundation for Chen Mu to establish himself as the "core of the new generation of Chinese frontcourt players."

Chen Mu himself is confident, and the other players are also prepared, knowing that this "returnee" will dominate the team.

However, Coach Liu doesn't seem to think so.

"Coach Liu, I've brought this brat over~"

Old Hu approached, smiling, and pushed Chen Mu to Coach Liu's side, saying, "How about it, now your small-ball tactics can be executed more thoroughly, right!"

In fact, in terms of offensive tactics, there has always been some disagreement between Old Hu and Coach Liu.

Old Hu, a traditionalist, prefers to win with the big men, believing that "the closer to the basket, the easier to score," and follows the traditional route of big men leading the offense.

Coach Liu, influenced by recent Western tactical trends and his own playing experience, relies more on the perimeter players.

From this perspective, Chen Mu is undoubtedly Coach Liu's best choice, but Coach Liu has his own principles.

"Coach Liu, I'm Chen Mu. I'm sorry for being a few days late, but the NBA schedule was tight, and I couldn't get away."

Chen Mu stepped forward, extending his hand in a friendly manner, ready to shake hands with the forward-thinking Coach Liu.

"..."

Turning to glance at Chen Mu, Coach Liu didn't greet him, didn't shake hands or hug, but instead gave a cold snort, leaving Chen Mu and Old Hu puzzled.

"Coach Liu, what's this...?"

Before Old Hu could finish, Coach Liu waved his hand and interrupted, "If you like America, why don't you stay there? Why come back?"

"Coach Liu, what do you mean by that?" Chen Mu asked, confused.

"Wang Zhizhi also likes America. Look at him, how determined he is, staying there and not coming back. Isn't that great?"

Coach Liu's words were almost squeezed out, seemingly harmless but clearly barbed.

"Young and inexperienced, with poor fundamentals, not even knowing how to do a basic post-up, and you rushed off to America. Good for you! After all, American basketball is advanced, and their tactical thinking is mature. How can we in China compare?"

"This..."

Coach Liu's harsh words left Chen Mu stunned, not understanding why he had offended the young coach.

"Coach Liu, that's a bit harsh."

Old Hu couldn't stand it, frowning, "Yes, Chen Mu missed the initial training, but that's because of his contract. How can you blame him for that?"

"Besides, with Chen Mu's talent and effort, as long as he practices more with his teammates, he can definitely understand your tactics. The few days he missed didn't affect anything. When the country called, he came back immediately."

Whether out of a sense of protecting a former player or dissatisfaction with Coach Liu's unfriendly attitude, Old Hu defended Chen Mu, concluding, "You're a veteran, a senior, can't you be a bit more polite to the newcomers?"

"If I'm polite to him, is he polite to me?"

Coach Liu, his temper flaring, turned to glare at Chen Mu and shouted, "What did the initial notice say? When was the training supposed to start? What day is it today? You talk so lightly, as if nothing was delayed. Who is the head coach here, you or me? Who knows if anything was delayed, you or me?"

Coach Liu's words made Old Hu even more dissatisfied, and he retorted, "So I also said, Chen Mu had a contract, and couldn't be in two places at once, so he was a few days late. I didn't say he was right, so why are you yelling at him?"

"Hmph."

Coach Liu snorted again, dismissively, "So, why don't you ask him how long the training will last? Can he participate in all of it until the end of the competition?"

"This..."

At this point, Chen Mu finally understood the source of Coach Liu's anger.

It was April, and the U18 Asian Championship was in September, four months away. According to the team's notice, Chen Mu should have participated in a closed training session for these four months without a single day off.

However, due to his contract with the 76ers expiring in July, Chen Mu would have to go to America to negotiate a new contract.

If the negotiations went smoothly, Chen Mu could return to the team in a week. But if there were issues, he might have to explore the free agent market, making the schedule uncertain.

Coach Liu, upon taking over the team, learned the details and knew that Chen Mu would not only be late but would also "take a break" during the training, which fueled his resentment and led him to want to give Chen Mu a hard time.

It's worth noting that at the 2003 Busan Asian Games, Wang Zhizhi, the former "wind-chasing youth," almost fell out with the basketball association because he wanted to practice more in the summer to stay in the NBA. He didn't return to China until April 2006.

In the 2001 CBA season, Coach Liu, as a new head coach, had a lot of trouble with Wang Zhizhi, not hating him but certainly not liking him.

Given this background, when Coach Liu first heard about Chen Mu's situation, he immediately became agitated, determined to make Chen Mu uncomfortable.

Chen Mu, innocent in all this, but with the accumulated resentment and the pressure from the leadership to "not win, and you're out," had nowhere to vent his anger, which ultimately landed on Chen Mu.

"Ah, I understand your resentment, and I can empathize with your pressure, Coach Liu." Old Hu understood and tried to comfort him, "But Chen Mu is innocent. If it weren't for his contract, he would have returned immediately to train with his teammates. Isn't that right, Chen Mu?"

Old Hu gave Chen Mu a nod, and Chen Mu immediately understood, saying, "Yes, yes, Coach Hu... I mean, Coach Hu is right. I'm eager to return, and I wish I could use a teleportation gate to report to you immediately!"

"Hmph, contract, always the contract!"

But Coach Liu, having vented his anger, couldn't back down, and continued with a stern face, "If you care so much about your contract, go back to your American father and sign it! This team isn't your backyard, where you can come and go as you please!"

After saying this, Coach Liu walked away, muttering, "Contract, contract, which is more important, the contract or the country? And you, who is the head coach and who is the assistant coach? Hmph!"

"You, you, you...!"

Coach Liu's harsh words left Old Hu speechless, his face turning red with anger, pointing at the younger man, not knowing what to say.

Seeing this, Chen Mu knew he couldn't avoid the confrontation, so he stepped forward and said, "Coach Liu, let's be clear. The contract is important to me, but so is the honor of the country. I don't want to miss either."

"I don't know what you're thinking, but since I'm back, I'm ready to serve the country."

Seeing that the players on the court were already paying attention to the argument, Chen Mu stepped closer to Coach Liu and said, "Tell me, what do I need to do to stay on this U18 team and fight with my teammates?"

"Huh, after spending a year in America, you've certainly grown a bit arrogant!"

Coach Liu sneered, looking at Chen Mu, and provocatively said, "Do you mean to say that without you, I can't lead the team to victory?"

"If you want to see it that way, I can't help it." Chen Mu didn't want to argue further, shaking his head, "I just want to earn your trust and respect."

Saying this, Chen Mu pulled Old Hu to his side and said seriously, "And, Coach Hu is your senior. No matter what your current roles are, you should apologize to Coach Hu for your words earlier!"

"Wow!"

Coach Liu looked Chen Mu up and down, sneering, "You have quite a temper, don't you? Fine, if you're so confident, come on, show me, a domestic coach, how American basketball is played!"

"Su Wei, Delehei, Li Xiaoxu, Yang Genglin, come here!"

Coach Liu waved his hand, and four big men, averaging 210 cm in height, hurriedly ran up, standing respectfully by Coach Liu, not daring to speak.

"Come, 'big star' Chen Mu, if you can defeat these four one by one, I'll admit you're our best frontcourt player, allow you to join the team, and let you come and go as you please."

"Just defeat these four?"

Chen Mu couldn't help but laugh, throwing his backpack aside, "But let's be clear, if I win this gauntlet, you have to apologize to Coach Hu and let me join the team."

"Ha, we'll see if you have the ability~"

Coach Liu didn't commit, crossing his arms, and sneered.

"Fine..."

Chen Mu's eyes burned with anger, and he said, "I haven't touched a ball in days, and I'm itching to play. Sorry, guys!"

After saying this, Chen Mu didn't even take off his jacket and stepped onto the court, ready to face these four talented frontcourt players in a gauntlet.

All the players in the gym were drawn to the scene, eagerly awaiting the competition.

Only Chen Jianghua continued to practice on the other half of the court, looking back and shaking his head with a bitter smile, "This is trouble. Chen Mu probably doesn't realize he's already fallen into Coach Liu's trap...!"