The news of Du Feng bringing new CBA star Yi Jianlian to meet He Xi Meng was reported by some media. Sun Yue, who was in Beijing, also found the vacationing Da Zhi through connections. Da Zhi then brought Sun Yue to Zhuji to visit He Xi Meng.
The small city of Zhuji became unusually lively this summer.
After Du Feng and Da Zhi, Zhang Bing, who is now in a high position at the Basketball Association, also flew to Zhuji under the guise of inspecting Zhuji's basketball development to chat with He Xi Meng over tea.
Accompanying Zhang Bing was Zhang Yide, the current head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team.
Zhang Yide, who had already settled his Beijing household registration, had moved his entire family to Beijing.
For Zhang Yide, Zhuji, like He Xi Meng, had become his hometown.
It felt particularly familiar to return after a long time.
He Xi Meng had originally just wanted to spend a quiet month with his mother. He hadn't expected that not only would guests come and go incessantly, but media reporters would also be camped outside the villa with their cameras.
As the holiday neared its end, Ms. He Fengting couldn't take it anymore and urged He Xi Meng to leave quickly!
Life had become too chaotic.
She missed her son when he wasn't around, but when he was, seeing him constantly bothered by all sorts of people and busy with social obligations was also tiring for He Fengting. So, she decided to send He Xi Meng away, and both of them could have some peace and quiet.
"You're not getting any younger, it's about time you got married and had children. As long as you have a child, I'll go over there and help you raise them..."
He Fengting repeated her usual plea. He Xi Meng couldn't refuse her and had to cut his China trip short and return to Boston.
The 2005-2006 season's preseason preparations were underway, and Coach Kerr was busy coaching the rookies who had joined the team this year.
Upon seeing He Xi Meng return, Coach Kerr quickly asked him to guide the new players.
He Xi Meng first approached Monta Ellis. "Monta, we need your speed and scoring ability! If you perform well this season, you might become our sixth man!"
"Really?" Monta Ellis looked flattered. He hadn't expected to have a chance to be the sixth man in his first season with a championship team.
"Of course! But you need to work harder and showcase your talent. I have high hopes for your scoring ability, especially in transition and on drives!"
"I'll work hard, Xi Meng, you can count on me!" Monta Ellis promised, patting his chest.
He Xi Meng bumped fists with Monta and then approached David Lee.
"David, you need to focus on rebounding first! I've watched your previous games, and you have a natural talent for grabbing rebounds. Your instinct is very keen. Of course, I know your offensive skills are solid, and you can team up with Monta to form our high-low combination in the second unit..."
"I'll grab rebounds well, Xi Meng, I won't disappoint you!"
David Lee also promised with a pat on his chest and initiated a fist bump with He Xi Meng.
The third rookie He Xi Meng advised was Gerald Green, the highest draft pick for the Celtics this year.
"Gerald, I know you possess superhuman talent! Even in the NBA, your leaping ability is outstanding. So, the first thing you need to showcase is your dunking talent! Fans love to watch dunks, and you can capture their hearts. However, if you want to transform into a great player, you need to strengthen your shooting and defense training, just like Carter! If you have any questions, you can go to Rick for help! Your initial development direction can be modeled after him. As for the future, that depends on you..."
As He Xi Meng spoke, he handed Gerald Green over to Fox to coach.
Frankly, the two had similar styles, both playing small forward. Gerald Green had better physical qualities than Fox, making him more adept at dunking. However, Fox was a more accurate shooter, which was an area Gerald Green needed to improve.
After advising Gerald Green, He Xi Meng turned to Ilyasova.
"Ersan, your athleticism is limited, so you need to be tougher on defense to establish yourself in this brutal league! You need to show your threat from beyond the three-point line! You have good pick-and-roll abilities, but your foot speed is slow, so driving to the basket will be a disadvantage. Pulling back to the three-point line is your best option! And once your three-pointers start falling, you can help clear out the opponent's paint for your teammates, which is a very effective tactic!"
"Okay, Xi Meng, I'll work hard!" Ilyasova replied with a Russian accent.
Ilyasova was Turkish, but his mother was Russian, so he could speak both Turkish and Russian.
Furthermore, having played in the Spanish league before, Ilyasova also spoke Spanish.
Now, to establish himself in the NBA, Ilyasova had also learned English ahead of time.
Perhaps because his previous English teacher was Russian, his English had a Russian flavor to it.
Finally, the last rookie He Xi Meng offered advice to was the Polish player Gortat.
"Hey, Marcin, I heard you used to be a soccer player?"
"Yes, I played soccer until I was 18! I was a registered member of LKS Lodz in Poland."
"Impressive! What position did you play on the soccer field?"
"Before I got too tall, I was a forward! After I grew taller, I became a goalkeeper!"
"Perhaps, if you had stuck with soccer, you might have become the best goalkeeper in the world!"
"If I hadn't kept growing, maybe! By then, I was over 2 meters tall, already the tallest goalkeeper in European football, and perhaps worldwide! But I kept growing, and my coach thought a 2.11-meter player shouldn't be in professional soccer. So, he recommended I play basketball. I immediately found basketball more fun than soccer! More importantly, my height was no longer a disadvantage on the basketball court, but an advantage!"
"You met a good coach!"
"I think so too!"
"Did you build all that muscle playing soccer?" He Xi Meng asked, pretending ignorance of Gortat's boxing family background.
"Not entirely. My father was a professional boxer. He won two Olympic bronze medals, and he trained us in boxing from a young age."
"So, you must be the best goalkeeper and the best boxer in the NBA!" He Xi Meng said jokingly, patting Gortat's bicep...