After getting off the plane in Houston, Xu Yong got into Zhang Minji's car again.

Originally, he didn't come to see Yao Ming this time, but when he heard that he was coming, Yao Ming invited him to dinner again.

And unlike last time, this time we didn’t go to Yao Ming’s home, but to Yao Restaurant.

So the scale of this time is not an ordinary family dinner, but a [banquet].

The reason why this situation happened has to start from a year ago.

When returning to China to participate in the BJ Olympics, Xu Yong once persuaded Yao Ming on the plane.

Yao Ming was originally hesitant, but as the national team was eliminated in the quarterfinals, Xu Yong once again seized the opportunity to persuade him, and he finally chose to lose weight appropriately.

That did set him back in the NBA, as the Rockets failed to reach seven games against the Lakers.

However, Yao Ming did not miss another season as happened in the past.

When Xu Yong arrived at the restaurant and met Yao Ming, he was not only full of energy, but also in a very good spirit.

It turns out that every time you lose a pound, your mood gets better.

At the dinner table, Yao Ming not only chatted with Xu Yong and gave him an ordinary customized Rolex, but also talked to him about the Asian Championships.

The current Asian Championships, the predecessor of the Men's Basketball Asian Cup, is held every two years and then linked to the next year's tournament.

For example, in 2008, the champion of the Asian Championships could go directly to the Olympics, but because China was the host at the time, it sent a second team, which ended up with the worst record of tenth place.

Therefore, this year's Asian Championships is linked to next year's World Cup.

According to the competition rules, the top three teams in Asia will qualify for the World Cup.

Since Xu Yong is not a player within the system, the Basketball Association cannot force him. Whether he participates depends on his personal wish.

When Yao Ming talked to him about this, he was not trying to persuade him to participate, but to persuade him not to participate.

"This summer is very important for you." Yao Ming's words were full of emotion.

Most people only remember that Yao Ming scored 0 points in his debut, but not many people know that he only arrived in Houston ten days before his debut.

Ten days, a rookie, and directly into the intensity of the NBA regular season. This doesn't sound outrageous.

You have to know that during this period of time, your teammates may not have remembered everything and haven’t mastered any tactics.

Everything that happened afterwards was like a series of dominoes being pushed down, with doubts from fans, questions from fellow countrymen, and ridicule from the media.

When he recalled that past, he couldn't imagine how he had managed to persevere.

Now Xu Yong was unexpectedly elected as the second place, and the situation he encountered was so similar to what he experienced back then.

So he hopes that Xu Yong can use this summer to improve himself, so that things will go more smoothly when the season starts.

Xu Yong was deeply moved when he heard this.

"Brother Yao, thank you, but I think it's best for both of us not to go to this Asian Championships." He continued.

Yao Ming was shocked by Xu Yong's remarks.

"Brother Yao, do you think we can make it into the top three in the Asian Championships if we don't go?" Xu Yong asked.

Yao Ming nodded.

Even if they don't go, there is still hope of winning the championship given the strength of the others.

Xu Yong saw the worry between Yao Ming's eyebrows. After all, this Asian Championships, like last year's Olympics, was fought at home. He continued, "I know Brother Yao is worried, because it is a competition at home, it would be unreasonable not to win the championship, but..."

He looked at Yao Ming seriously and said, "Brother Yao, don't you feel like you are just a fig leaf now? You can cover it up once, but one day you will not be able to play anymore. What will you do then? Shall I take the fig leaf from your hand and cover it up again?"

Yao Ming was speechless for a moment after hearing what Xu Yong said.

It's true, he has been treated like a slave by the national team over the years, and there is nothing he can do about it.

"Brother Yao, I don't think our country is without good talents. Let's put it another way. Didn't we also have the 1996 golden generation? The conditions were so harsh and the training methods were so backward at that time, but didn't we still get into the top eight in the Olympics?" Xu Yong continued.

"What do you mean?" Yao Ming could tell that Xu Yong had something to say.

"What I mean is that basketball is a team sport. It won't last long relying on just one or two people. Only when we lay a solid foundation and improve the overall level can we become really strong." Xu Yong said to Yao Ming.

Unlike last time, he was inspired this time. If one had to say the source, it was because of the last chat with Cai Xiao, he realized that he could influence the people around him.

But he believes that Yao Ming will understand what he said, because this is also what Yao Ming will do in the future in history.

Yao Ming fell into deep thought and finally nodded.

In fact, there is no need to look into the future. Just look at the 96 generation that Xu Yong mentioned. The fact that they can achieve such good results shows that their overall level is indeed high.

"God of War" Liu Yudong, "Chinese Jordan" Hu Weidong, "Little Li Flying Dagger" Li Nan, "King of Freedom" Gong Xiaobin, "Tiger King" Sun Jun, "King of Lore" Zheng Wu, "Wind-Chasing Boy" Wang Zhizhi, "O'Neal's Nemesis" Battelle, "Little Cannon" Wu Qinglong, "Assist King" Li Xiaoyong, "Chinese Flying Man" Wu Naiqun... What stands out is the abundance of talents.

But that model no longer works, because with the improvement of material standards, you can no longer ask players to train like they did in the past.

This is not a matter of willingness or not, but the development of the times has eliminated that model.

"Do you want to use this Asian Championships opportunity to remind everyone?" Yao Ming asked.

"Yes, let everyone see what kind of players the current youth training system in the country has cultivated for our country." Xu Yong nodded, and Yao Ming could indeed understand it.

"But what can we do about it?" Yao Ming asked back.

As far as he understands, it is impossible for the Basketball Association to reflect on the event, and it will only shift the blame to those who did not go.

"Let parents who are able to do so take their children out of youth training and take another path," Xu Yong continued.

"Are you talking about NCAA?" Yao Ming finally realized what Xu Yong wanted to say.

"That's right. Now it's the NCAA, and in the future it can also be Europe, so that good seedlings can have the opportunity to get better training and development." Xu Yong nodded.

Yao Ming looked at Xu Yong, thoughtfully.

In fact, long before this, starting with Ma Jian, many capable parents had sent their children to the NCAA to play basketball.

However, most of them cannot be called good seedlings. It’s more because they come from wealthy families and have channels.

But now with Xu Yong being selected as the No. 2 pick by the NCAA, all this is subtly changing.

You know, before Wang Zhizhi entered the NBA, no one really thought that a Chinese player could enter the NBA, or even become the No. 1 pick.

For Chinese people, the path of basketball does not exist at all in the initial stage. It is just a boundless bush of thorns.

It was Wang Zhizhi, Battelle, Yao Ming and others who overcame numerous difficulties, cut through thorns and thorns, and took turns to carve out a path.

And now, Xu Yong is also following in the footsteps of his predecessors, overcoming all obstacles and blazing another new path next to this one.

This road may not be far yet, but it is much wider than the road taken by Yao Ming and others.

"And Brother Yao, we don't have to worry about being scolded or anything like that, because we will play together in the World Cup next year. Achieving good results then will be more useful than anything else." Xu Yong saw Yao Ming's reaction and struck while the iron was hot.

"I need to think about it." Yao Ming did not agree immediately.

He has always been focused on the national team. Although what Xu Yong said makes some sense, it is not so easy to suddenly let him miss the national team.

Just like before, Xu Yong didn't say anything more. This matter involved too many things, so he ended the conversation here.

Because the source of these words, after all, is because of this Asian Championships.

After saying goodbye to Yao Ming, Xu Yong immediately went to the destination of his trip to Houston, Olajuwon's personal training camp.

After signing a rookie contract and a shoe contract, he already had enough money to become an apprentice.

Talking about the post-up move he is learning from DeRozan, after using it in a summer league, I have only one feeling: cheap stuff doesn't come in good quality, and it's a huge rip-off for free.

Therefore, he must learn Olajuwon's post-up tactics and footwork before entering the NBA, which are essential skills for a forward-guard swingman.

But after he met Olajuwon, he discovered that he was not the only one in this period. There was also someone he had not met yet but was also very familiar to him.

Kobe Bryant.