One Year Left to Play

Chapter 536 - 163: My Car Was a Gift from the Sponsor

Stomping his feet, Zhang Hao still didn’t respond.

Frustrated and angry, he decided to brush off the magnesium powder and look for a chance to trash-talk later... but it turned out the rookie noticed him because he knocked over the powder box!

Payton suppressed his anger, showing a disdainful expression, and said, "Rookie, don’t squander money just because you earned a little. The adult world is tough, you’ll realize it in a few years when you retire."

"?" Zhang Hao saw Payton’s standard expression before trash talking and thought the other was about to say something unpleasant.

Last time they played, Payton took the opportunity to mock him, but that level of trash talk... Zhang Hao really thought even street cursing was more impactful.

But is Payton turning over a new leaf today? Is this some kind of senior-style life lesson for a rookie?

Seeing a hint of confusion on Zhang Hao’s calm face, Payton wanted to curse outright!

Did the rookie not understand?

So frustrating!

But he couldn’t curse now, since last time when he swore the guy didn’t even respond, making Payton look quite low-class.

Payton decided to be straightforward, saying, "A rookie buying a Ferrari, can your salary cover that? If you don’t reach my earning level, don’t buy those things, you’ll go bankrupt after leaving the NBA."

This time, it was direct, mentioning his 7-year, 80 million contract obtained before the All-Star weekend.

Zhang Hao’s gaze turned from confused to peculiar, no longer staring at Payton, and turned around to help the technical desk’s official tidy up the powder box.

Still thinking others shouldn’t worry, Zhang Hao replied without turning his head, "Mr. Payton, thank you for the reminder, but my Ferrari was a gift from a sponsor."

After tidying the powder box and evening out the magnesium powder on his hands, Zhang Hao turned and walked onto the court.

And Payton, standing nearby, was stunned...

...

The game was about to start, and Zhang Hao came to the center circle.

The Lakers’ starting lineup was still Van Exel, Anthony Peeler, the Magician, and Campbell.

Zhang Hao listened to the Magician saying that the coaching staff wanted to adjust the starting lineup before April, but he didn’t care, because there was a sponsor backing him, and his endorsed photo was on the advertising board by the sideline.

He had only heard about actors bringing investment into movie productions, playing in the NBA with financial backing felt quite fascinating.

The SuperSonics sent out Payton, Jose Hawkins, Detlef Schrempf, Shawn Kemp, and Elvin Johnson.

Zhang Hao gazed at the opposing five, for the second face-off, it still felt overwhelmingly strong, like facing the Bulls.

"Gary Payton, 27 years old, point guard, skill rating 96, offense 90, defense 98, passing 92... averaging 19.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 3 steals..."

"Jose Hawkins, 29 years old, shooting guard, skill rating 86, offense 83, defense 89... averaging 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals..."

"Detlef Schrempf, 33 years old, small forward/center, skill rating 84, offense 89, defense 72, passing 88... averaging 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists..."

"Shawn Kemp, 26 years old, power forward, skill rating 94, offense 95, defense 91, rebounding 96... averaging 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.6 blocks..."

Each of these four players had the strength to average 20+ per game, even Jose Hawkins, before joining the SuperSonics, had two 20+ average seasons, but sacrificed for the sake of the championship.

Schrempf was once the organizational core of the Pacers, with a season of averaging 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Both Payton and Kemp had the strength to average 20+ points.

Gathering these four together, none had the opportunity to average 20+ consistently, but their willingness to sacrifice, when combined, unleashed incredible fighting power, making 60 wins easily achievable.

While scrutinizing these four, when Zhang Hao looked at Payton, he noticed a fierce look in Payton’s eyes... savage! Like he wanted to bite!

"Strange, didn’t I just thank him? Oh! It must be because I was busy tidying the box for the technical table, and didn’t look at him when thanking, he must think I’m impolite..."

Willing to accept his mistake humbly, but not planning to apologize, Zhang Hao looked at the weakest link in the SuperSonics’ starting lineup, Elvin Johnson, in the center circle.

A player with a skill rating of 69, mediocre scoring and rebounding, averaging 20 minutes a game, fake starter, can get 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, but with 82 in defense as a rim protector center, averaging 1.8 blocks, quite efficient at blocking.

This player, Zhang Hao remembered, 29 years old, still in his third year of a rookie contract, and a 1993 first-round 23rd pick rookie, meaning he joined the draft at 26...

Zhang Hao turned to glance at his own free-throw line at that Elvin Johnson, weighing over 110 kilograms, still found their own smiling brother’s round figure more comfortable to look at.

Zhang Hao’s subconscious action displeased Elvin Johnson!

Just because of the name, with about the same height, Elvin Johnson was always compared to the Magician... completely unmatched! Even Jordan couldn’t compare now, let alone him?

Opponents always used it to mock him, to incite him.

So when Zhang Hao turned back to focus on jumping for the ball, he saw the opponent seemed very irritable!

The unruly Kemp, the odd Payton, the fiery Johnson...

"This team is indeed hard to deal with, maybe the pressure to win is driving them mentally unstable."

...

At 7 PM, the referee blew the whistle to start the game and tossed the ball up, and the national broadcast game between the Lakers and the SuperSonics began!

As Zhang Hao burst upwards, he noticed something was wrong; the opponent jumped first...