Star Catcher

"I'm certain you'll make it to the NBA this year."

After the interview, leaving the press conference, Theus couldn't stop praising Han Sen.

Talent is crucial in basketball, but mentality is just as important.

"I think so too." Han Sen calculated that with his new talent exchange, he could finish training before the draft trials.

Theus was already used to his confidence, laughing heartily as he patted his shoulder.

He, too, should prepare for meeting with NBA teams this summer.

Back at the hotel, Rondo was nowhere to be found, off with teammates somewhere.

Han Sen took a shower and then entered the system's exchange space.

The [Hater Points] system offers four levels of talent for exchange: 

- Level 4 requires 1K-5K points, 

- Level 3: 10K-50K, 

- Level 2: 100K-500K, 

- Level 1: over 1 million.

This meant he had two options: either exchange for a level 3 talent or use the points to activate the lottery chance from the beginner's gift pack.

The lottery has two pools: the offensive talent pool and the defensive talent pool.

The draw is completely random, and he could land any talent from level 4 to level 1.

Han Sen had already made up his mind because as long as he didn't draw a level 4 talent, his 10,000 Hater Points wouldn't go to waste.

It was very "beginner pack"-esque— while not super useful, still somewhat valuable.

He chose the defensive talent pool.

Basketball has evolved with the rules. In the '90s, the three-point shot wasn't valued, but now spacing is more important than ever.

This was why he initially chose [Hawkeye].

But [Hawkeye] was a beginner's gift and wouldn't make him a shooter on par with Curry.

In other words, he couldn't become the core of a team just based on his three-point shooting.

Without being a core player, he would have to walk the role-player path.

There are many types of role players: facilitators, defensive specialists, bench scorers, blue-collar players, and shooters.

3&D players, who are both shooters and defenders, are highly valued in the NBA because they cover two roles in one.

In other words, becoming a 3&D player greatly increased his chances of being drafted.

Moreover, if a 3&D player is strong enough, they have a good chance of being part of the starting lineup and earning significant playing time.

A 3&D player ensures a high floor while also having a large development space.

Players like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Klay Thompson, and Tracy McGrady all started as 3&D players.

After confirming his choice of the talent pool, Han Sen clicked to draw.

No hand-washing or face-washing rituals here— fortune doesn't favor the hesitant. He liked clean and decisive approaches.

As soon as he clicked, the system displayed a classic roulette wheel, spinning rapidly.

Han's eyes were fixed on the pointer.

As the wheel's speed decreased and the result locked in, he jumped out of bed, shouting.

Although he didn't land the best talent tier, he got…

[Star Catcher], a level 2 talent!

This talent was valued at 300,000 [Hater Points] in the system!

A thirtyfold return of joy!!

Suppressing his excitement, Han Sen read the talent's details carefully, his face turning red with excitement.

[Star Catcher]: Increases lateral speed, stealing, blocking, and body contact abilities.

Slow lateral movement and weak body contact are common weaknesses of Asian players.

This [Star Catcher] filled all those gaps in one go, plus added talents for stealing and blocking.

Invincible!

After redeeming the talent, Rondo still hadn't returned. In fact, he didn't come back until early the next morning, looking a bit unsteady.

"Did you run into a vampire?" Han looked at the pale-faced Rondo, his eyes full of shock.

Rondo, grinning mischievously, walked to his bed, grabbed a camera, and proudly handed it to him.

One glance, and Han Sen was instantly awake.

Another homemade censored video. 

Rondo was truly impressive.

"Hmm? Is that the Miami Heat cheerleaders?"

Han Sen noticed the red heart t-shirt propped up by two peaks, with the word "Heat" on it.

"Who else could keep me busy all night?" He said as he flopped onto his bed.

"How did you even meet them?" Han Sen set the camera down on the nightstand, very curious.

Though they were also in Miami, getting close to the cheerleaders wasn't easy.

Rondo sat up suddenly, looking smug: "I'm a locker room guest service attendant for the Heat."

"A guest service attendant?" Han Sen was confused.

"It's just a fancy title for ball boy, but you can't call it that in front of girls— it's too lame."

"You're a ball boy for the Heat?" Han Sen finally understood why Rondo often disappeared at night.

"Yeah, NBA players can't interact with cheerleaders, but they didn't say anything about ball boys."

Han Sen's eyes widened. Rondo's logic was mind-blowing, but also seemed to make sense.

"Want me to introduce you? It's not just cheerleaders, there are also plenty of pretty female fans. Ball boys can pretend to ask for their contact info on behalf of the players."

"...You're a genius."

"Yeah, but compared to girls, it seems like you love basketball more." With that, Rondo lay back down and was soon snoring.

It was clear he'd really been drained last night.

…

Like [Hawkeye], [Star Catcher] required training to enhance its power.

But unlike [Hawkeye], he now had a clear goal and had already started training in this area.

This was why Han Sen believed he could complete his training before the draft trials.

However, as time went on, he realized things weren't exactly as he thought.

He had put in plenty of training time, but the results were half of what he expected.

Only later did he realize that defense and offense are not the same.

For offense, whether it's shooting threes, mid-range shots, driving, or dunking, you can train on your own.

But for defense, it's not just about footwork or technique—it's about experience.

Defense improves only through real competition, especially against strong opponents.

But now, he was in a second-division league, and the invitational tournament was over. He couldn't find those kinds of opponents.

So while the system increased his talent ceiling, to reach that ceiling, he needed more time.

In other words, he wouldn't be able to reach that ceiling before the draft trials.

That wasn't what he wanted, as it would drastically reduce his chances of getting drafted.

He couldn't help but criticize the former Han's choice— if he had joined a weak first-tier league team, this problem wouldn't exist.

But after venting, he still had to find a solution.

Strong opponents weren't something you could easily come by.

That's when he suddenly thought of an idea.

Rushing back to the dorm, Han Sen grabbed Rondo and asked about the ballboy job.

"Do ballboys get a chance to interact with NBA players?" He got straight to the point.

"Of course! Ballboys serve the players, prepare their gear before games, run errands, hand them towels and drinks during the game, and clean up the locker room afterward."

Rondo said all this with disdain. If it weren't for the proximity to girls, he wouldn't want the job either.

Especially after games— the locker room stench was overwhelming and could make you puke.

"During player warm-ups, do you help pick up balls?" Han Sen asked.

"Yeah, but there are trainers and assistant coaches, so most of the time it doesn't come down to ballboys. Only when players warm up early do we help out."

Han Sen nodded and then asked, "Didn't you say you could introduce me to be a ballboy?"

"What changed your mind?" Rondo grinned mischievously.