Chapter 16: Surviving to the End

"For an inside player, there are two very important parts. First, is your butt. When you have a strong gluteus, then you can have a stable base when jockeying for position, firmly holding your spot and not allowing the opponent to easily push you away."

"Second, is your back. After you use your butt to secure the position and stabilize your base, you need to use your strong and flexible back to fight for space to make your moves, and at the same time, your back's sense is your second pair of eyes, you must use it to observe the defense."

At the end of July, on the basketball court in the backyard of THE BEGINING restaurant, Nate-Sermonde was instructing Gan Guoyang on how to use his body's muscles to execute a back-to-the-basket solo play.

Both kept their promises, one teaching the techniques hands-on, the other bringing delicious meals.

"Use the strength of your butt to push back, and see if you can push me away," Sermonde positioned himself behind Gan Guoyang, letting him push backward.

Gan Guoyang stuck out his butt and arched it backward, but maintaining balance without being able to see is not an easy task, so his center of gravity had to lean forward, to prevent himself from sitting on the ground.

As a result, he rubbed against Sermonde like a wild boar rubbing against tree bark, and Sermonde stood like a tree, deeply rooted, utterly immovable.

Suddenly, Sermonde leaned his weight forward, gave a push with his hips, and lightly pushed with his hands, causing Gan Guoyang to stumble and fall to the ground.

"Damn it, is my strength still not enough?" Gan Guoyang got up, a bit annoyed.

"No, you're wrong. Actually, your strength is very good, it's just that your center of gravity and technique are off. Don't rush, it takes time," Sermonde corrected him.

Since the birth of basketball, back-to-the-basket technique has always been a special "high-end skill," one that's hard to find in other sports.

It requires you to turn your back to the defender, to advance backward without seeing the offensive target, and finally put the ball into the basket.

Many talented athletes are born with a knack for playing basketball, with skilled ball handling and precise shooting; they often excel at other sports like football or baseball because these sports have things in common.

But very few are born knowing how to play with their back to the basket.

Because all things about back-to-the-basket play do not seem to conform to the basic principles of sports, you have to practice more to master it.

"Adjust your center of gravity, you're too far forward, that will prevent you from concentrating your strength. Try again," Sermonde demanded sternly of Gan Guoyang.

He wasn't just playing around but was very serious. He had noticed that Gan Guoyang's improvement was rapid, so fast that it seemed unbelievable to him.

Gan Guoyang rose to his feet and continued to try. This time he shifted his center of gravity backward but Sermonde pulled the chair out from under him, and Gan Guoyang sat down heavily on the ground again.

"You're cheating!"

"It's your own carelessness. Did I tell you to lean back and you just carelessly throw yourself backward? Idiot, get up, continue," Sermonde chided.

Gan Guoyang got up again, brushed the dust off his clothes, and continued with the back-to-the-basket stance.

This time he didn't rush to exert force but leaned on Sermonde, looking for a suitable balance point where his center of gravity and force could be combined.

When his feet were firmly planted on the ground and his body leaned backward without falling, he felt it was time!

He gathered all the strength of his body, combined with the weight of his body and the explosive power of his dribbling, and rhythmically pushed back against Sermonde.

Sermonde, this massive rock, finally showed a slight movement; he stepped half a step backward, revealing a gap.

Feeling the change in his back, Gan Guoyang felt a surge of excitement, stepped inward with his right foot, gathered the ball, turned right into the lane, and went up for a left-handed layup!

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But his suppression of Sermonde was clearly not enough; Sermonde jumped at the same time, blocking Gan Guoyang's layup.

Gan Guoyang picked up the ball and smacked his head a couple of times, frustrated. He was so close to succeeding in his one-on-one move.

"Not bad, young man, but you still lack a bit of skill," Sermonde said, though he thought to himself that the kid's progress was truly astonishing.

If Gan Guoyang had been a bit faster just now, or a little more experienced, using his other hand to press down on Sermonde, he might have made the shot.

In just two days of practice here, he had already managed to expose a flaw in a retired NBA defender of historical stature.

"Let's continue," Gan Guoyang's temper flared up, insistent on making a basket no matter what.

Sermonde shook his head and said, "Do you know how much it costs per hour to hire a personal coach like me?"

Gan Guoyang replied, "My dad makes Crystal Sweet and Sour Pork that no one in America can match except for him. It's a fair exchange."

Sermonde was speechless; the Crystal Sweet and Sour Pork at lunch had indeed been heavenly. He thought that if THE BEGINING had had such a chef, it might not have gone out of business.

Obligated by the meal, and Sermonde caring about young talent, he continued with one-on-one guidance for Gan Guoyang.

The two played until the sun set, and finally, Sermonde couldn't go on; his knees couldn't take much more of the strenuous activity.

Without systematic training for a long time, he was panting heavily, no longer the juice extractor under the basket who would drain every ounce of energy from his opponents.

Gan Guoyang, though dripping with sweat, still had plenty of energy. With Sermonde out, he practiced various spinning moves under the basket on his own.

Sermonde also taught him McKean's hook shot practice, to develop a feel for scoring under the basket. Gan Guoyang tirelessly repeated these mechanical, monotonous motions over and over again.

Sermonde grabbed a beer, called his wife to explain the situation, and came back to the sideline to watch the young man under the summer evening sun. He reminisced about when he was Gan Guoyang's age in Akron, spending an entire summer on his home basketball court honing his skills.

He kept practicing 12-15 foot shots, training his post moves, but by the time school started, other than his shooting, his low-post game had improved only minimally.

Back then, he was also muscular yet lean like Gan Guoyang, albeit with average coordination. He seemed awkward on offense when facing defensive pressure, and he still preferred defense, stopping his opponents.

That's why, compared to being a power forward, he preferred playing as a center.

Now, Big Nate who had battled in the League for 14 years, had been retired for five of them.

The new kid, meanwhile, was dreaming of the NBA, not yet having started his journey.

When it got dark, Sermonde had to go home, and Gan Guoyang had no choice but to leave as well.

Before parting, Sermonde patted Gan Guoyang's shoulder and said, "Gan, maybe one day you really will make it into the NBA. Remember, a real basketball game is a war, and the paint is where the battle is fiercest. A center has to fight like a warrior on the court every single moment; it's a fight to the death. If you're not determined to battle opponents for three hours, no matter how good your post moves are, you're not a real post player, not a true center. That's the most important lesson in my training sessions. Please remember it."

Gan Guoyang nodded, "I understand, a center should die in the paint, right?"

"Exactly, but best to die later rather than sooner," Sermonde replied.

"I won't die; I will be the last one standing," Gan Guoyang asserted.

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