Chapter 33: Star-Studded Camp
"You must be the first one that got here. Hi, my name's Anthony Davis."
And it shocked me. Like I literally looked stunned for a moment.
"Hey, you okay?" Anthony concernedly asked.
"Uhm... yeah, I'm alright. Sorry about that." I got back to my senses and saw the other guy who also looked familiar. Wait, I think I know already.
"Hey, I'm Bradley Beal, nice to meet ya." Yup, he definitely looked familiar and I was right.
Bradley Beal as I remembered in my previous life was a rising star early in his career but had been suffering some injuries along the way. He played with the Washington Wizards his whole career and rightfully so because he's paid with a good amount of money from that team.
He's a prolific scorer and once came 2nd for the scoring champion only behind Stephen Curry.
"I'm Quincy Cruz, you can just call me Quin. I just got here a couple of hours ago and went to lunch with my family before they left to go back home. I'm just from the other side in San Francisco, what about you guys?"
"I'm from Chicago, Illinois." Anthony who looks around 6'8 tall and his signature unibrow is friendlier than I imagined.
"And I'm from Saint Louis, Missouri." Bradley is about as tall as me around 6'2 also looks easy to get along with.
"That's cool, is this also the first time you guys got into this camp?" (Me)
"For me, it is. AD here attended last year in Detroit and I heard there were a lot of ESPNU 100 players back then." (Bradley)
"ESPNU 100?" (Me)
"It's a list of graduating high school players that ESPN ranked to provide public information on their scouting and analysis. Most of the top Colleges in the country refer to this ranking to recruit the best prospects." (Anthony)
"And the rankings are different according to the year that you're expected to graduate. So for this year 2009 ESPNU 100, the player that is ranked first is Avery Bradley, followed by Derick Favors, Xavier Henry, DeMarcus Cousins, and then John Wall. The top 10 basically are graded the same so any position could be interchangeable." (Bradley)
"Wow, that's the first time I've heard of this ranking. so which class are you two?" (Me)
"I and Bradley are gonna be in the class of 2012 and there's a high chance that we could be in the top 10 if nothing sudden happens. You're the guy from Lincoln who won the Nationals in New York right? I saw you on an episode at ESPN, I'm a fan." (Anthony)
"Thanks, I'm a bit lucky to have a good team I guess. But it's just one tournament. And there are other National Tournaments out there with a bunch of powerhouse teams and players. So I can't say for sure that I'm what you've imagined." I humbly responded because I truly think that there are a couple of better teams out there that I haven't encountered.
This is why I wanted to get into this training camp so badly to meet these talented players and challenge myself.
"Well, you're just in the right place because I've heard that a whole lot of top-ranking players in different classes are gathered in this camp, all because of a rumor that Kobe Bryant will make an appearance." (Bradley)
And that got me so hyped. I was shocked and happy if the rumors are true, because not only will I meet an idol of mine, but I will also get a chance to play with him in his prime.
Kobe Bryant was a huge inspiration of mine, and I could even confidently say that he's an inspiration to everyone who plays basketball. He's the perfect model for those who strive to become great players not only because of how he plays but also because of how he mentally approaches the game.
He's the closest ever to Michael Jordan that I can compare to in the entire history of basketball and the things he had done on and off the court are worth a lot of praise.
"Holy shit! Is that for real? Now I'm even more excited!" (Me)
"That's what I also heard. There were a lot of late registrations and the organizers had to prioritize the ranked players. Without that rumor, heck even I wouldn't be in this training camp and just be at home enjoying my summer." (Anthony)
"Yeah, the other ranked players I've heard about coming are Harrison Barnes, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Austin Rivers, Andre Drummond, and a lot more. I also heard that you were a top ranker in your class also, so I'll be looking forward to what you can do." (Bradley)
As I heard those names, I felt overwhelmed. These are future stars and some are superstars, that will make huge changes in the NBA. What a star-studded training camp I got myself in.
"I just finished my first year so who knows what I might rank in the future but thanks." I smiled in reply to Bradley.
"By the way, how does this training camp go? This is just my first time." (Me)
"The structure of the program would be doing drills in the morning and then playing scrimmages in the afternoon. The drills will be different depending on the position that you play or maybe the trainers will help you achieve a perfect role for you as the training progresses." (Anthony)
Basically, the drills are different for every role. There are two types of sets of drills which are for the frontcourt and the other is for the backcourt. In the frontcourt are the forwards and the center, while in the backcourt are the guards.
However there is a case for the forwards who are good at handling and shooting the ball, they can also participate in the frontcourt drills. But to qualify for this, they have to test these players if they are at least capable of playing the guard positions.
The drills will be hellish and the trainers will record our results and use that to rank us. The rankings will then be used to make balanced teams for the afternoon scrimmages. The players who perform well in the scrimmages will have an opportunity to meet and greet the NBA stars that'll make an appearance.
So this will be a really good opportunity to make connections already because many scouts not only from colleges but also from NBA teams will be watching and paying attention.
"Wow. I never knew this event would be this huge. I thought this was only an ordinary, yet costly training camp." (Me)
"You are right about that. In the past, this has only been an ordinary training camp to allow big sports companies to advertise their brands in a community service way. But now, hearing rumors that top superstar players will be appearing, it's a whole different matter." (Anthony)
"You're right. So which drills will you guys be doing?" (Me)
"I'll be fine doing the backcourt drills. Though I can probably do frontcourt too, I think I need to sharpen my guard skills more." (Bradley)
"For me, I'll be doing both, I'm actually playing point guard for my team but I can also do post plays so I'm fine with doing both. How about you Quin? I heard you were a forward with incredible shooting, I actually watched some highlights of your games where you would make pull-up threes like they were nothing. You even defeated Avery Bradley's team that has Tristan Thompson, so many people will definitely be looking out for you." (Anthony)
"Oh please, save me from the trouble. I'll also try to do both drills, I may not be a good center but I can also do post plays so I don't mind training harder." (Me)
After I said that, the door opened and it seems like our 4th roommate has finally arrived. And when I looked at the new arrival, I'm more shocked than I ever was.
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zQuinC I'll try to post another chapter today. Enjoy!
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