Chapter 6: Frenzied Practice

The next day was Saturday. In the past, Ming Han would have gotten up early to do his homework, then gone to the library to borrow a book to pass the time. It wasn’t that he was studious—he was simply bored out of his mind!

But now, as soon as dawn broke, Ming Han put on his tracksuit, grabbed a piece of bread, and was ready to head out. “Mom, I’m going to play basketball.”

His mother, Su Yan, smiled and nodded. “Don’t forget to bring some water!”

She felt that ever since her son had taken a liking to basketball, he had become more lively and cheerful. That was wonderful! This was what a handsome young man should be like. After all, his mother had been the class beauty in her youth!

Ming Han arrived at the school basketball court. It was still early, and not many people were there yet. But Yu Hang was already practicing his shots and dribbling.

“Where’s Da Xu?” Ming Han asked.

“He said there’s an event in Dungeon today, so he can’t make it!” Yu Hang was deeply interested in basketball, but Da Xu had always been devoted only to his online games.

“Let’s start with mid-range shots. We’ll practice from five different spots, and after making ten shots from each, we’ll move to the next one!”

Yu Hang went first, quickly completing all ten sets. Ming Han started next, but his accuracy was much lower, so it took him a long time to finish even one spot.

Yu Hang went off to play a team game nearby, while Ming Han continued practicing his shots alone.

“Keep your form steady, keep shooting,” he silently encouraged himself.

The sun gradually climbed higher, and Ming Han began to sweat. The match with Xiao Yu was coming up next week, wasn’t it? He could barely dribble, and his real-game experience was sorely lacking.

“Ming Han, come play a game!” Yu Hang called out.

Ming Han didn’t refuse. Although it was always a bit awkward causing Yu Hang to lose, he was quite adept at it—and secretly delighted.

They teamed up again. After a simple screen from a stranger, Ming Han dashed out from the baseline, caught Yu Hang’s pass, and took a shot.

Clang—it bounced off the rim! But Ming Han was still happy. He was much calmer now, and his shooting form was at least passable.

The ball bounced down, and with his height, Ming Han leaped up and grabbed the offensive rebound, passing it back out to Yu Hang.

Yu Hang took two practiced dribbles, then suddenly pulled the ball back and stopped for a jump shot. The entire move was smooth and beautiful, and the ball swished cleanly through the net.

For the next few possessions, Yu Hang didn’t specifically feed the ball to Ming Han; he led the offense, while Ming Han, at over 1.8 meters tall, had a natural advantage for grabbing rebounds. Especially on defense, his height allowed him to deliver two big blocks.

At lunch, Yu Hang seemed in high spirits. “Turns out I’m not only good at basketball, but also at teaching! In this game, you’d better aim to be our class team’s rebound king!”

Over the following days, apart from regular classes, Ming Han kept joining Yu Hang in team games. Through these, his shooting improved steadily. As Yu Hang explained, “That’s called a mismatch advantage. It’s not just your height—your arms are longer than most people’s. So when you shoot standing still, it’s hard for others to interfere.”

What Ming Han truly learned, though, was the team nature of the sport. This was a contest for five working together, not just solo plays or one-on-one duels. So Ming Han started setting serious screens and picks for his teammates.

In the blink of an eye, Friday arrived. Tomorrow, Ming Han would face Xiao Yu in a one-on-one match. Now, his shooting was decent, but in terms of dribbling and other skills, he was almost a blank slate.

Luckily, Xiao Yu was only 1.7 meters tall and his basketball skills were ordinary. The two of them were fairly well matched.

“This concerns the honor of your ancestral lineage, Ming Han. Don’t let me down…”