CHAPTER 470: CHAPTER 382: XIAO DING IS SELECTED

"Brother Hang, how’s your trial training been going lately?" Zeng Xingyang initiated the conversation.

"Not too well, the competition here is fierce, I feel like a frog in a well." Xiao Ding said with a wry smile.

Only after coming out, did he realize how big the gap between him and Zeng Xingyang was.

Zeng Xingyang was already standing at a height far above other Chinese players.

"Don’t underestimate yourself, those foreigners aren’t as impressive as you think." Zeng Xingyang encouraged.

"Xingyang, do you think I have a chance to play in the NBA?" Xiao Ding asked nervously.

"Of course, I’ve already explained to Connelly, this year we’ll use the 60th pick to select you, get ready to join the Nuggets." Zeng Xingyang said straightforwardly.

"Ah, are you saying I’ll be selected?" Xiao Ding said incredulously.

"Yeah, there’s not much choice with the 60th pick, so I told them to pick you, but the salary won’t be high, probably just the minimum." Zeng Xingyang said.

"That’s okay, if I cared about the salary, I wouldn’t have come out here, Xingyang, thank you so much, I don’t know how to thank you." Xiao Ding said excitedly.

He naturally wouldn’t doubt that Zeng Xingyang was fooling him.

He also knew this was a favor being shown to him.

Zeng Xingyang used his power to help him out.

"You can treat me to this meal." Zeng Xingyang smiled.

"Sure, definitely." Xiao Ding said happily.

Even if Zeng Xingyang said he’d treat, Xiao Ding would still insist on paying.

He couldn’t even imagine that his draft position was already determined before the draft even started.

Is this the benefit of having connections?

Xiao Ding was already thinking about bringing some special products from home the next time he came to Denver for Xingyang.

Money can’t buy everything Xingyang already has, only the taste of home would matter to Zeng Xingyang.

Where is Xingyang from again?

Xiao Ding was ready to cling to this golden opportunity.

"Don’t mention this to anyone, including your agent, to avoid any unexpected issues." Zeng Xingyang said.

"Yeah, I understand." Xiao Ding nodded.

"Focus on recovering from your injury, I hope to see a healthy you before the training camp starts. A good physical condition is the foundation for realizing dreams." Zeng Xingyang said.

"Can I train with you?" Xiao Ding asked.

"Haha, no need to rush, wait until you’re fully recovered, otherwise you won’t be able to handle the intensity." Zeng Xingyang said.

"Okay."

After arriving in Denver, Xiao Ding spent the most relaxing night since his overseas dream pursuit began.

He couldn’t imagine being so close to his dream.

He could also feel firsthand the influence of Zeng Xingyang on the Nuggets.

Zeng Xingyang was the final voice at the Nuggets.

Zeng Xingyang used his influence to push for a lot of cooperation between domestic basketball and the NBA.

Including this time when the Nuggets selected Xiao Ding, which was one of his actions.

Zeng Xingyang was doing as much as possible for domestic basketball.

The next day, during an interview with reporters, Xiao Ding said, "I love Denver, I can break through, I can catch and shoot threes. I believe I can make significant contributions after joining the Nuggets."

Xiao Ding was really excited; for him, this was an opportunity to achieve his dream. The Nuggets, with their youthful vigor shown in the just-ended season, have always been something that all athletes look up to.

Furthermore, Denver’s Mike Malone has always been regarded as the coach who cultivates young players the best.

The progress of players like Zeng Xingyang, Jokic, Siakam, and Brogdon is enough to prove this.

Two days later, at the draft, Xiao Ding was ecstatic to hear his name called at the last pick of the second round.

If Zeng Xingyang hadn’t informed him beforehand, he probably wouldn’t have been able to sit through the entire draft.

This year, the Nuggets used the first round pick to select Dillon Brooks and Xiao Ding.

The next day, the Nuggets held a championship parade, and the whole city of Denver was in high spirits.

Denver’s mayor officially declared that the day the Nuggets won the championship would be known as "Nuggets Day," and the street in Zeng Xingyang’s community was renamed "Xingyang Street."

Due to Zeng Xingyang’s presence, Denver even strengthened its economic and trade ties with several cities in China, signing "sister city" agreements with some cities.

If Denver had more power, they would even consider opening visas to Chinese citizens.

Letting Chinese fans come here for a good tour.

Zeng Xingyang has brought many changes and much glory to Denver.

The Nuggets had waited years for this championship.

This was the first-ever championship in their team history, with over 300,000 people participating in the parade, it was a carnival for fans in Denver.

The parade expenses were covered 80% directly by the Nuggets’ owner, with the other 20% sponsored by the government.

The Nuggets’ shareholders could laugh in their dreams, now with Zeng Xingyang, Jokic, Siakam, and others still on rookie contracts, this is a major advantage for the Nuggets, meaning they can maintain championship competitiveness without paying luxury tax in the future.

This is really comfortable.

During the parade, the Nuggets players lowered themselves to interact with fans in various ways.

Zeng Xingyang also collaborated with his major sponsors to take a truckload of gifts to give to fans on the parade day....

Zeng Xingyang values fans much more than sponsors; when he asks, sponsors dare not refuse.

During the speech following the parade, Butler emotionally recounted his transformation since coming to Denver, declaring that he wanted Denver fans to support him until retirement.

Gordon also shared his feelings about playing alongside Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, feeling he had finally found his position in the NBA.

When he was at the Magic, management always wanted him to be the leader. While he could put up good statistics, the team still couldn’t win games. But after coming to the Nuggets, Zeng Xingyang took on the responsibility of winning, and all he needed to focus on was defense and taking easy shots....

The day after the parade ended, the entire Nuggets team went into vacation mode.

Connelly found Zeng Xingyang again, hoping Zeng Xingyang could provide some direction for the Grant and Harris transactions, like what kind of players the Nuggets need.

Zeng Xingyang joked with Connelly, saying he should give half of his salary....

Despite the joke, Zeng Xingyang still provided a list.

Connelly quickly put things into motion.

The Nuggets traded Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers

The Nuggets completed the trade through a sign-and-trade, receiving cash compensation and a $9.5 million trade exception, along with a first-round pick for next year.

The reason Grant chose the Blazers was mainly that the competition on their front line wasn’t as strong, and playing alongside Lillard and McCollum would give him more opportunities.

Harris’s trade was also in full swing.

While the Nuggets were working, the rest of the NBA teams weren’t idle either.

Zeng Xingyang watched the trade information in the Nuggets group chat.

The Nuggets group chat was buzzing with excitement at this time.