“You need to use your waist strength here at the same time! No, do it again!”

“You need to use a movement similar to a shuttle run here—an explosive start, then change direction! Change direction! You need to start quickly, pay attention to using your back muscles! No, do it again!”

“...Do it again!”

“...Do it again!”

Yesterday, when he didn’t perform well in practice, he received encouragement. Today, it was one criticism and denial after another, which made Edward Thompson feel very frustrated.

However, noticing the head coach watching from the side, clearly enjoying the show, Edward Thompson gritted his teeth and pushed through. By the end, his footwork was numb, and he was moving purely on instinct.

Finally, at 11:30, Sam Hayes said, “That’s it for today’s training.”

After saying that, Sam Hayes left. Edward Thompson collapsed directly onto the floor. Right now, he felt that Xavier Johnson was truly a warm-hearted guy!

More than two hours! At least 90% of the time was spent practicing—set after set of three-minute footwork drills, with each rest period strictly limited to 30 seconds, except for a single two-minute break after a big set. The rest of the time, it was non-stop training.

This assistant coach was just like a robot!

No emotions!

Edward Thompson could only comfort himself with the 50 achievement points he had just earned.

“Training mode: Team-arranged training.

Training content: Defensive movement fundamentals.

Completion: Exceeded the coaching staff’s training requirements.

Training rating: Poor.

Congratulations to the host for earning a training reward: 50 achievement points.

Because the host’s training performance did not reach a passing level, the body therapy function cannot be used.”

Another poor rating. He really wanted to try out the body therapy function!

At this moment, someone walked over to him. He thought it was Brown, but the arm that reached out was much more muscular.

Edward Thompson looked up to see who it was, reached out to grab the hand and stand up, and said, “Thank you, Jeff Trepagnier.”

Trepagnier said, “No problem, Leo Carter. Don’t be upset with Sam, that’s just his personality. He’s actually a good guy—very dedicated and professional.”

Edward Thompson replied, “I understand.”

It was better not to mention this assistant coach, but now that he had, Edward Thompson couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed. Still, he could tell that Sam Hayes wasn’t singling him out.

It’s just that, even though he got the same poor rating, it bothered him more when it came from Sam Hayes. Now he wanted to prove something, and he was even more motivated to train.

Trepagnier noticed Edward Thompson’s mood and didn’t continue the topic. He asked, “Want to go get lunch together?”

“No,” Edward Thompson scratched his sweaty jersey at the chest and said, “I need to take a shower first. Even I can’t stand how I smell right now.”

A little bit of OCD is contagious. Trepagnier touched his own sweat-soaked jersey and said, “Then I’ll shower first too.”

Edward Thompson nodded and headed to the locker room with Trepagnier.

Passing through the narrow gym, Trepagnier complained, “I don’t know what the designer of this stadium was thinking. Even the new areas are designed way too chaotically.”

That hit home for Edward Thompson, who chimed in, “Probably taking kickbacks, or maybe the designer once took a bullet for the arena’s owner.”

Feeling validated, Trepagnier was delighted: “Exactly! That’s what I think too. Anyone with a bit of design sense wouldn’t make this stadium such a mess. I get lost every time I come here.”

“Oh? Jeff Trepagnier, did you study architectural design?”

“That’s right. My dream is to build a building with my own signature style! Like the Twin Towers in New York—a landmark for a whole country.”

“Uh...” Edward Thompson thought he could have picked a better example, but still encouraged him: “It’s good to have dreams. You never know, they might come true.”

Edward Thompson was easy to talk to, and Trepagnier was also very chatty. The two of them kept talking even while showering, quickly becoming familiar with each other.

Jeff Trepagnier was one of the teammates Edward Thompson had a good impression of when he researched the team before joining.

He hadn’t made the top 100 high school players in the country as the “White Mamba,” but now he was a well-known college basketball star—a real underdog story.

Trepagnier was an even bigger example of a comeback. He was a nobody in high school, but in his freshman year, he proactively tried out for the basketball club. In the second half of that season, he seized the opportunity to put up some good performances. Last season, as a sophomore, he took advantage of the previous starting shooting guard’s graduation to secure the starting spot. His athleticism was average—he wasn’t fast or a great jumper—but he was very strong, stood 193 cm tall, and had a well-rounded, outstanding skill set. Now, he was the team’s top scoring option in the backcourt.

Edward Thompson was meticulous about showering. Even when just rinsing off, he had to get completely clean. Trepagnier, who considered it done after washing off the sweat, teased Edward Thompson a couple of times before heading out first.

When Edward Thompson finished, dried off, changed, and went out, he saw Trepagnier chatting with Sam Clancy. They seemed to be talking about him, so he instinctively paused at the door.

“Jeff Trepagnier, why are you hanging out with that guy? He’s not a good person.”