Almighty Coach

“Wood’s mansion is in front. Back when he first came to L.A., he spent 8.5 million dollars on this mansion. He said that he wanted to play on the Clippers until he retired so he could help the Clippers win the championship. It’s a pity that since the inception of the ‘Three Giants,’ we were cursed. Someone was always injured,” Cassel said in a melancholic manner. “However, the value of Wood’s mansion has risen. I heard that it’s at least 11 million dollars now.”

Dai Li nodded and said, “The neighborhood is nice. It looks like ‘Mr. Youngest MVP Ever’ is enjoying his life. I hope this sort of peaceful life hasn’t dulled his fighting spirit.”

Cassel seemed like he wanted to say something but he hesitated. In the end, he opened his mouth and asked, “Coach Li, do you really plan to use Wood again?”

“Of course. His pay for next season is 34.5 million dollars. If the club is paying him that much money, we need him to play so we can make it back,” Dai Li answered.

“Wood is no longer the same player that was the youngest MVP in history. He has only played 20 games in the last three seasons. He even played some of those games as a substitute. His average points per game went from 25 points to five points. His average assists went from eight to 1.2 per game. More importantly, his shooting percentage dropped significantly. Before this injury, his three-pointer percentage had dropped to a measly 16.7%,” Cassel said.

“Wood was never good at three-pointers. At his peak, his three-point percentage did not exceed 35%. For a forward, that was a passable standard. His breakthroughs were really amazing. Not only was he able to score points, but he also hurt his opponent. As a point guard, he has the ability to control the rhythm of the game. That is exactly what we need,” Dai Li said.

“But he got injured because his style of play relied on breaking through the defense. His body broke down because he kept attacking the paint and getting into physical altercations. He could not play for long,” Cassel said, shaking his head.

“Unless he has the world’s greatest fitness coach!” Dai Li stated.

Cassel was slightly stunned. Of course, he knew that Dai Li meant Dai Li himself. Cassel also had to admit Dai Li was the best, but he did not believe that Wood could return to his prime.

The two of them reached Wood’s mansion, Wood also welcomed Dai Li warmly.

Since becoming the head coach, Dai Li noticed that Wood constantly came to the Staples Center to cheer for the team despite being injured. Of course, he did it to show his face, so that the sponsors would not trouble him.

“How is your recovery?” Dai Li asked.

“If I want to completely recover, I still need at least one to two months. However, I will definitely make it to pre-season training,” Wood answered. He looked a little suspicious.

“Really?” Dai Li smiled. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and read it aloud. “23 February 2009, right wrist injury; 11 March 2010, left wrist sprain; 26 November 2010, neck injury; 10 January 2012, left big toe sprain; 14 January 2012, another left big toe sprain; sixth of February, back spasms; 14 March 2012, groin sprain; 10 April 2012, right ankle sprain; 28 April 2012, torn knee anterior cruciate ligament; 1 November 2014, ankle sprain on both legs; 15 November 2014, left leg sprain; 22 November 2013, knee meniscus tear; 24 February 2015, another knee meniscus tear; 29 September 2015, left eyelid fracture; third of April 2016, third left knee meniscus tear…”

Dai Li kept going one-by-one. It was a list of all of Wood’s recent injuries. From the first sprain to the much more severe meniscus tear.

Wood’s face darkened as he listened. Finally, he could not take it anymore and interrupted Dai Li, “Coach Li, what’s the point of you reading these?”

“Wood, you’ve experienced so many serious injuries that you’re worried that if you came back you won’t be able to play like you used to, right?” Dai Li said as he put away that piece of paper.

Wood remained silent. Dai Li continued. “In truth, I consulted your doctor before I came here. He told me that you have the knee of a fifty-year-old.”

“He told you that? Damn it, that’s private. How could he leak that information to you!” Wood was infuriated.

“Don’t forget that the NBA has rules. Players are prohibited from hiding injuries from their teams. You signed an agreement related to that, so your doctor telling us your situation isn’t a breach of your privacy. If he had tried to hide it, the club could have sued him,” Dai Li said as he spread out his hands.

Wood sighed as if he had just aged a few years. He said, “Alright, I admit my situation is pretty bad. If I did recover, it would be impossible for me to play like before. What do you plan to do? Do you plan to buy me out or trade me away? My contract this season will make it hard to find any takers. I can tell you in advance that I will want a full buyout of 34.5 million dollars. I will not take a single cent less!”

To Wood, there was no way they would continue to use him. They would not give him a chance. Faced with a 34.5 million dollar buyout, it was likely the team would look for a trade or just buy him out.

“The club has no plans to trade you or buy you out,” Dai Li said, smiling. He shook his head and said, “Next season, we need a starting point guard as the core of the team, to control the rhythm of the game.”

“What do you mean?” Wood asked.

“I mean the team needs you. I’ll let you continue to start and make you the core of the team,” Dai Li answered.

“Are you kidding? Me? You know my situation. Do you like messing with me?” Wood became even more furious.

Dai Li was incredibly calm. He looked at Wood and said, “Of course, right now you wouldn’t be able to start. You might not even make it into the bench. That’s why you need to recover and return to your peak condition.”

“Impossible. Even if I wanted to, my body couldn’t do it. My knee is history!” Wood said, shaking his head.

“That’s why I’m here today,” Dai Li said. He pulled out a booklet from his bag and gave it to Wood.

“Coach Li’s Physical Fitness Training Center’s promotion booklet? Coach Li, this is your physical fitness training center, right?” Wood looked at Dai Li. He originally thought that Dai Li was there to talk about a buyout. He never would have imagined that Dai Li was there to look for business for his training center.

Looking for business for his own training center while being the head coach of the Clippers? Isn’t this wrong? He wants to make money off of me when he knows I can’t get better. I never would have thought that Coach Li was this sort of person.

“Look inside. This is training for those who have experienced serious major injuries or for athletes with old injuries that failed to heal. It’s a promotion booklet printed especially for those types of athletes,” Dai Li said.

Wood opened the book. The beginning was a normal introduction saying that Dai Li’s training center had the best equipment, professional coaches, and experience with rehabilitation therapy training.

The second part attracted Wood’s attention. It listed real cases in which athletes who had trained at Dai Li’s center had returned to their peak condition. Among these cases were several very famous world-class athletes who Wood had heard about.

“You don’t have to doubt the the accuracy of this book. These athletes all underwent the rehabilitative training at my place. Their success and results can all be found online.” Dai Li paused for over a minute. He waited for Wood to read through at least half of them and then continued. “Your situation is terrible, but I have methods to help you recover. You can be just like the other athletes you’ve just read about.”

“Really?” Wood’s eyes showed his anxiety and his breathing became more hurried.

Dai Li nodded. “Of course, however, you will need to contribute.”

“How much do you want?” Wood asked immediately. He thought Dai Li had come to personally profit, so he asked the price directly.

“What the hell are you thinking? You are my player. Why would I take your money?” Dai Li was dumbfounded. “When I said ‘contribute,’ I meant you’d have to contribute time and effort! You need to listen to me and work hard in the rehabilitative training!”

“I’m sorry, I misunderstood.”

Dai Li then went on. “The regular season just ended, so the teams in the playoffs are still playing games. We have been dismissed because we didn’t qualify. The training camp for next season begins in October. However, I need you to start training now, not in October. There are six months from now until the season starts. I’m confident that in the next six months, I can return you to your previous condition. This arrangement will mean that your vacation is over. Over the holiday, the other players are all off. They will go to nightclubs, fish, surf, date beautiful stars, and enjoy time with their sons and daughters. You will have none of that. You can only train and sweat. Every day will be repetitive and boring. Are you willing to accept that?”

“Of course I’m willing! As long as I can recover, I’m willing to do anything.” Wood’s eyes showed a sense of impatience. He was already raring to go.

Dai Li said, “Apart from that, I also found you an entire team to be your training partner.”

“An entire team of training partners?” Wood stared at Dai Li in confusion.

“It’s an entire team, from the point guard to the center. Every position will be filled and if we decide to scrimmage I’ve got players we can play against. Considering your current body condition, I’m afraid you will have difficulty adjusting to the physicality of the NBA, so I found you these training partners. They are weaker than NBA players. I believe that, in your current condition, they will be the perfect partners for you,” Dai Li said as he started to smile triumphantly.