After finishing the first day of classes, the determined William Sullivan decided to check out the basketball gym first. After all, if he really wanted to make it to the NBA, he had to find a way to play in the high school league first.

……

Bang! Clang!

Inside the Nephalia High School basketball gym, a group of tough young men were following assistant coach Anthony Harris in an intense shooting drill.

Meanwhile, head coach Tony Jones was looking at the players in the gym with a worried expression.

“Sigh, these idiots definitely didn’t practice properly over the summer. What kind of shots are these? Even my grandma could shoot better than them.” Tony Jones sighed.

Just as Tony Jones was looking troubled, William Sullivan happened to step into the gym.

As the only Chinese exchange student at Nephalia High, William Sullivan’s entrance really deserved some BGM...

Because the moment he walked in, he instantly drew everyone’s attention.

“Huh, isn’t that Su?” The captain of the Nephalia High basketball team, point guard Downs, said in surprise.

“The superhero guy?” Center Edward Parker asked suspiciously.

“Oh, I remember, he’s from the reserve team!” Shooting guard Miles Johnson suddenly realized.

“Reserve team? Even the second team guys don’t dare come here, and he’s just from the reserve...” Small forward Thomas White said curiously.

Suddenly becoming the center of attention, William Sullivan clearly hadn’t reacted yet, but as always, he remained calm and went up to greet head coach Tony Jones.

Before coming to the gym, William Sullivan had carefully reviewed the memories of “William Sullivan”.

In fact, even without checking, William Sullivan knew that in American high school and college basketball, seniority and experience are highly valued.

That’s why, on the résumés of many superstar players, you’ll often see lines like “became the team’s core as a freshman in high school, became a starter as a college freshman.”

Because players who can make a name for themselves at a prestigious American basketball school as a freshman—when they’re still rookies—are seen as legends.

As everyone knows, teenagers between 15 and 20 develop rapidly. Even a one- or two-year age gap can mean a huge difference in physical condition and competitiveness.

So, players who can stand out as freshmen in high school or college are nothing short of prodigies.

And these prodigies are always in the spotlight at their schools and enjoy certain privileges...

For example, they won’t get bullied by the veterans.

You see, whether it’s high school, college, or even the future NBA, hazing rookies is a major unspoken rule in American basketball.

In William Sullivan’s previous life, when LeBron James was a rookie, his teammate Ricky Davis thought LeBron was drafted to support him.

So, to “train” his little brother LeBron, Davis once made the King carry his shoes...

And the result? Well, Davis naturally ended up...

Ahem, ended up getting kicked off the team.

When Yao Ming entered the NBA, he was also bullied a lot during his rookie season.

Fortunately, he met Francis Clark, a big brother who valued loyalty.

Later, Yao Ming respected Francis Clark greatly, because during his rookie season, Francis Clark made it clear in the locker room that he had Yao’s back.

At Nephalia High, there was a similar “corporate culture.”

For example, the second team, third team, and reserve team—anyone not on the first team—were all considered the first team’s juniors.

So, think about it: since only the first team gets to play, many second, third, and reserve team players naturally aren’t that motivated in practice.

Except for the first team, everyone else just tries to coast by.

After all, not everyone likes being bullied.

And that’s also why William Sullivan drew everyone’s attention the moment he walked in.

Of course, there was another reason...

William Sullivan was now a celebrity at school.

“Coach, hello. Is there anything I need to do today?” William Sullivan asked Tony Jones politely.

Tony Jones was clearly stumped by William Sullivan’s question.

Because a reserve team player...

He couldn’t possibly let him train with the first team, right?

You know, in the past, when the reserve team trained with the first team, they were only responsible for picking up balls...

But considering William Sullivan’s current popularity and influence—even the school leadership had given orders to look after him...

Tony Jones looked affectionately at his assistant coach—Anthony Harris.

Anthony Harris: “...”

Sure enough, a head coach who can’t pass the buck is not a good head coach.

Anthony Harris accepted his fate.

“Su... go change into your uniform and practice with the first team.” As expected, an assistant coach with no EQ is also not a good assistant coach.

Anthony Harris quickly resolved the awkward situation.

Because in Anthony Harris’s view, William Sullivan probably just wanted to check things out out of interest. After training with the first team, he’d realize he wasn’t up to the level and would give up.

After all, as a hero who stood up for justice, Anthony Harris felt he deserved this bit of face.

……