809: 272: Fear is the worst thing (Seeking monthly votes!)_2 809: 272: Fear is the worst thing (Seeking monthly votes!)_2 His off-ball movement is still a total mess, and his shooting form is as abstract as Marion’s.
Most importantly, his accuracy is terrible.
The only thing worth praising about Reeves tonight is his decent defensive attitude, but it’s just decent.
He still got schooled by Kobe.
If Reeves hadn’t been underestimated, the game wouldn’t have been this hard tonight.
Michael Reed has worked hard enough, but that’s precisely the problem.
He’s worked so hard and made no progress, which is enough to show he has no potential.
Roger waved his hand: “Let’s wait until the end of the season and see.
The regular season has just begun for two months.
What do you expect him to do?”
“I hope you’re right, but I won’t give him any more chances lately unless he proves himself again in practice.”
“You’re the boss, you call the shots.”
After the conversation ended, Roger rested for a few more minutes, then finally recovered and got up to prepare to drive away.
When he reached the parking lot, Roger saw Michael Reed waiting in front of his parking space.
He was accompanied by his parents.
Roger checked his watch; since he had rested for a long time, they must have been waiting for at least an hour.
“Roger, my parents said they have to thank you in person for the tickets you gave them.”
After Reeves spoke, his father came over and shook hands with Roger: “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us.”
“It was just a small gesture, Mr.
James, but if you ever want to watch a game, just let me know.
Of course, at least a day in advance.”
Reeves’ mother looked apologetic: “Michael didn’t perform well today, sorry Roger, he should have helped you more.”
Hearing this, Reeves pouted in dissatisfaction.
Roger ruffled his hair: “You have a goal, and you strive for it.
Strive so hard that you make yourself vulnerable, leaving no reserves.
It’s still early, Michael, it’s still early, just keep up the momentum.
Your time hasn’t arrived yet, but it will come.”
After saying that, Roger said goodbye to the Reed family and then drove home.
Reeves sat in his father’s car and didn’t say a word on the way home.
He knew that Roger was just trying to comfort him.
He was sure he had completely let Roger down too.
After a long silence, Reeves suddenly spoke: “I don’t want to play basketball anymore.
My college stats get worse with each passing year, and our record deteriorates year by year.
My draft ranking drops every year.
Who would have thought, around this time last year, I was still within the lottery discussion range.
Since starting college, I haven’t done a single thing well.
I’ve been failing, failing, failing.
Maybe I’m really not cut out for this.
I don’t want to play basketball anymore.”
James Reed turned his head from the driver’s seat, ready to deliver a heart-to-heart talk.
But his beloved wife waved her hand and stopped him.
“Michael, did you know?
In the first twenty years of my life, I lived in constant fear, always worrying about something bad happening.
Will there be bread tomorrow?
Will my father meet a tragic end on the streets?
I often couldn’t sleep because of these worries.
The night I found out I had breast cancer, I cried my eyes out.
In the face of death’s threat, everything else felt so insignificant.
You’ve probably heard the story a hundred times, how your father stayed by my side, encouraged me, and gave me courage.
I’m not trying to repeat those tales.
I just want to say that during this process, I realized that a shitty life or even illness isn’t the worst thing; fear is the worst thing.
When I’m full of courage, I feel like nothing in this world is unbeatable.
So, Michael, what are you afraid of?
Are you afraid of letting Roger down?
Afraid of this night?
Afraid of strong opponents?
Or afraid of failure to the point of simply giving up?
No matter what it is, stand up, pull yourself together.
What you should do is conquer your fears, and then next time, punch those who block you and Roger hard in the face!”
After she finished speaking, she held her husband’s hand.
A positive family atmosphere can give one strength, something most NBA players lack.
Of course, Reeves had had enough of their public displays of affection!
Reeves looked out the window and took a deep breath.
The next day, Lenny Wilkens, as usual, arrived early at the Elymer Training Center.
With age, he slept less, so Lenny Wilkens would arrive at the Elymer Training Center at six-thirty every day, ride around the area for an hour, and finally start his day refreshed and invigorated.
The team’s practice usually started at ten or eleven, so typically, when Wilkens finished his cycling, the training center was empty.
Except for that second-round pick, who almost invariably came early every day to practice his shooting.
However, Lenny Wilkens wasn’t sure if Michael Reed would come to train today after being harshly scolded by him yesterday.
Thinking about it, if you sweat daily with effort but setbacks and failures still surround you endlessly, would you still have the motivation to continue?
Lenny Wilkens planned to head straight to the office, but for some reason, driven by curiosity, he took a detour to the training center.
Reaching the entrance of the training center, indeed, there was no sound of dribbling.
Lenny Wilkens smiled, not knowing what he was expecting.
After all, he’s just a second-round pick, and giving up is quite normal.
You can’t expect every lottery ticket to be a winner.