Chapter 753 - 678: Only at Ease After a Personal Look

Chapter 753: Chapter 678: Only at Ease After a Personal Look

In the bright and spacious living room, Chen Yu held a toy, casually teasing Xiaoyanfei.

She sat inside a playpen, constantly reaching for the toy. When she couldn’t grab it, she started wailing after just a couple of tries.

Chen Yu quickly put down his laptop and picked up Xiaoyanfei to comfort her.

As soon as he held her, Xiaoyanfei stopped crying. She rested her little head on Chen Yu’s shoulder and, in just a few moments, fell fast asleep.

Just then, Lexi, having heard the noise, came over and reached out to take the baby.

"Wait a little longer."

Chen Yu shook his head slightly. He continued to hold Xiaoyanfei, walking around the living room for a while before gently placing her in her crib.

He returned to his laptop and resumed reviewing medical records and application letters.

There were still over a hundred unread emails in his inbox.

And he had already gone through dozens of them.

And these were just the ones that had passed the initial screening.

Getting medical care in the United States was a real challenge.

Especially for the poor.

It wasn’t a question of how to get treatment, but whether one dared to seek it at all.

Some people would let a single pimple fester for over a decade until it became a massive cyst.

"Colin Mills, high school senior, rotator cuff strain."

’Pass!’

’No need for him to bother me with this kind of injury.’

Chen Yu casually typed the word "Rest" and sent the reply.

"Andrew Patrick, freshman, right knee popping."

Medical records were attached, but they only gave a brief description of the condition’s onset. There wasn’t even a single diagnostic report.

From the formulaic nature of the record, Chen Yu knew at a glance that it came from a public hospital.

’This guy probably waited weeks for an appointment, and when he finally saw a doctor, they just did a quick consultation and told him to get some imaging done. He didn’t have the money and couldn’t afford it, so he had to pass. The doctor wrote up a generic report and sent him home. If he wanted to come back, he’d have to make another appointment.’

Chen Yu passed on him as well, replying with a recommendation to get imaging done.

’There are many causes for a popping knee: the meniscus, osteoarthritis, patellar cartilage, even a torn cruciate ligament. Without imaging, it’s impossible to make a definitive diagnosis. The application letter stated he was still playing and was a key rotation player for his school’s team. That means it isn’t serious—not a major issue. The slots are limited, so applicants like this have to be passed over.’

He clicked open another email.

’Brandon Roy?’

Chen Yu glanced at the name.

It was from the University of Washington. The email opened with an application letter from his coach, Omar, and it was quite moving.

Roy was born into an ordinary family in Seattle. His father, Tony Roy, was a former soldier who became a subway driver after his service, and his mother worked in a local elementary school cafeteria.

He also had an older brother with even greater athletic talent. In high school, they were both star players.

Unfortunately, both of them had dyslexia.

This caused their academic performance to be abysmal.

His brother was the first to suffer for it. After graduating from high school, he wasn’t good enough to declare for the NBA draft, and when he applied to universities, his poor grades meant he wasn’t accepted. He had no choice but to attend a community college and give up on basketball.

Soon enough, Roy found himself in the same predicament as his brother.

But Roy was clearly more diligent; he took the SAT four separate times.

For someone with dyslexia, studying was already difficult enough, but he also had to work to help support his family.

Every line of Omar’s letter revealed his deep sympathy for his prized student.

He wrote that Roy woke up at five o’clock nearly every day to study before rushing to the Seattle Port by seven. His job was a longshoreman, hauling cargo from all over the world and also cleaning out putrid shipping containers.

During the fall and winter, the wind was bone-chilling, and his hands were covered in chilblains.

His pay was a mere 11 US dollars an hour.

Despite these harsh conditions, he ultimately passed his exams and received an acceptance letter from the University of Washington.

’He’s certainly a diligent person.’

’Still, Chen Yu didn’t know what to make of his choices.’

In his senior year of high school, he averaged 22.3 points and 10.4 rebounds, attracting considerable attention and receiving offers from several prestigious universities.

At that point, even the NBA extended an olive branch.

The Trail Blazers, Raptors, and Supersonics all invited him for a tryout.

His first stop was the Trail Blazers.

He got crushed in the tryout.

So he figured his skills weren’t up to par and that he should go back to refine his game, leading him to decline the invitations from the Raptors and Supersonics.

’That wasn’t a good choice. Back then, he was just a young high school kid. When it comes to the draft, the NBA always prioritizes potential over polished skills. So Roy could have easily tried out for other teams. Even if he wasn’t a first-round pick, he could have been a second-rounder. Skills are something you can develop over time. But he gave up on his own and went to college instead.’

Of course, the torn left meniscus from his senior year was also an injury concern.

’But the injury wasn’t considered severe at the time, and he’d had surgery. The impact on his draft stock shouldn’t have been that significant. Most importantly, by ’02, I was already world-famous. Many teams no longer saw injury risks as a top concern when drafting players because they could just send them to me for treatment. Instead, he ended up spending four full years in college.’

His skills did improve, and he gradually became the core of the University of Washington’s team, playing at an increasingly high level.

’But you can’t get that time back. Four whole years. If he had entered the NBA and been exposed to real professional competition, he might have already found his footing. By the time his rookie contract was up, he might have already signed a big-money deal. That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of unpolished skills. As long as the talent is there, the payoff for entering the NBA early is definitely better than playing in college for several years.’

This was also why Chen Yu didn’t want Curry to stay in college for too long.

’Anyway, you have a way to get to the Phoenix Suns. Even if you perform poorly at first, the Suns have plenty of time to develop you. We can be patient. As long as the talent is there, you’ll eventually break through.’

The email contained detailed surgical reports.

Torn menisci in both his left and right knees.

The kind that extended from the white zone into the red zone.

Both surgeries consisted mainly of trimming the frayed edges of the tear and then suturing the remaining tissue.

’With current medical technology, there aren’t many other options. In the short term, it’s not a major problem; he can still play. But long-term, the missing meniscus tissue will lead to increasingly severe cartilage wear. Eventually, his knees will become a chronic, recurring issue that will impact his career.’

’But he’s already had the surgeries, and more importantly, he’s declaring for the draft next year. This season is his most important one. If he came to me for treatment, had another surgery, and spent a few months recovering, that would be what truly hurts his draft stock. So all things considered, the best choice is to forgo any further treatment and just play through it. He should finish the season and go through the draft first.’

Chen Yu chose to pass.

But just as he started reading the next email, he went back to Roy’s, changed his reply, and told him to find some time to come to Phoenix for a diagnosis.

’Who knows what condition his knees are in now, a year after the surgery. It’s better to take a look myself with the Eye of All-Seeing, just to be sure.’