Hall of Famer Zhang Yang certainly knew what it was—the difficulty level he couldn't beat without cheats in 2K... cough cough, regarding the origin of the Hall of Fame, he actually researched it in his past life when he had nothing better to do.
The concept of a hall of fame first appeared in the accounting field, established in 1950 by Professor Herrmann Clinton Miller at Ohio State University to honor those accounting masters who had made outstanding contributions to the field.
The initiative was embraced by elite professionals across many industries in America—who wouldn't want a monument after their death? The trend of creating halls of fame surged in the 1950s, and major American sports followed suit by establishing their own.
After several years of preparation, the Basketball Hall of Fame was formally established in 1959, named after the inventor of basketball, James Naismith. It targeted not only the NBA and American basketball but all individuals worldwide who had made significant contributions to the sport. The first NBA player inducted was George Mikan, and the first NBA team was the Celtics, known for fielding the first starting lineup consisting entirely of black players.
But what was this thing in front of him?
No sooner had Zhang Yang's doubt arisen than related information flooded his mind.
Gate of Trials of the Hall of Fame.
This door would aid in enhancing his abilities.
He could also earn Trials by completing tasks and participate in NBA games across different timelines.
Some words had also appeared on the door:
"Name: Zhang Yang.
Nationality: China.
Age: 15 years (June 6, 1988)
Height: 188 cm, Weight: 75 kg.
Occupation: Student.
Current Team: None…
Ability Evaluation (High School): Shooting—, Passing and controlling—, Physical strength 90.
Current Task: Accumulate 10,000 Shooting value points to unlock one Hall of Fame Trial, current progress: 2/10,000."
Zhang Yang blinked—Is this my golden finger?
Having already crossed over, he was only startled for a moment when the 'Gate' first appeared, but he quickly accepted the fact that he had obtained the "Gate of Trials."
He tried to ask more about the 'Gate of Trials,' but no more responses came, so he let it be.
He focused on the information he had, realizing that what he needed to do was to accumulate Shooting values to unlock the opportunity for a Hall of Fame Trial.
So, what was the use of a Trial, and how could he 'participate'?
With his small arms and legs going into an NBA game, let alone O'Neal, even that self-proclaimed 183 cm player from Philadelphia could probably knock him half-dead...
His ability evaluation for passing, controlling, and shooting was just a dash—did that mean he had no skills in shooting and controlling?
At least give me a few points! That's really harsh!
But thinking about how he just dribbled and ran right into his own foot; how he aimed and shot the ball at the backboard, expecting it to ricochet off hard but it accidentally bounced in… Okay, if there's none, there's none, he endured.
The other evaluation was a pleasant surprise. Although tagged as a high schooler, a physical strength of 90 was top-tier, wasn't it? On the verge of top-tier is still top-tier.
He knew he was in excellent physical condition. His baseball level, though a foreigner with yellow skin, always attracted people to team up with him because he ran fast and jumped high, but an evaluation that considered him top-tier in high school was beyond his expectations.
This thought suddenly spurred him to pick up the ball, rush towards the hoop, take two strides, and jump with full force, easily slamming the ball through the hoop.
Landing, Zhang Yang looked at his hands, then at the hoop, and then at the basketball bouncing on the ground. His emotions were stirred.
Which basketball-loving teenager hasn't dreamed of standing on an NBA stage, competing against Kobe and James?
But people inevitably grow up. One day you suddenly discover you haven't grown taller for a long time; the hoop you once hoped to reach one day hasn't gotten any closer, only to feel increasingly out of reach from some moment on; the basketball stars and teams you vowed to love and follow all your life, at some point, you stop following them, they become sealed in the corners of memory, and when occasionally recalled, it's only in memory of a youth that has passed...
This dunk rekindled the youthful dreams of Zhang Yang.
Just high school top-tier physical prowess maybe wouldn't stand out in the NBA... not even in the NCAA, but at least he had the 'qualification' to be at the table now.
At the age of 15, starting was somewhat late, but the "Gate of Trials" gave him hope.
"Since I'm already here, why not give it a try? Making it into the NBA would be great, but even if I don't, it's still worth it... Charge!"
...
"Clang", "Clang", "Clang", "Shooting value +2", "Clang", "Clang", "Clang", "Shooting value +1", "Clang"...
For the next hour, Zhang Yang kept hurling the balls on the court with repeated "clangs".
The electronic alarm clock's "beep beep beep" sounded, and he finished his morning training.
Hundreds of shots slowly calmed his overly excited emotions.
He silently commanded, and a semi-transparent door appeared in front of him, with the task progress showing as 112/10000.
He didn't count exactly how many shots he had taken or how many baskets he had made, but he guessed his shooting percentage might be about 30%? It was mostly thanks to layups.
The worst was the three-pointers; he had taken 11 shots and made just one. After that one went in, he didn't attempt any more three-pointers.
His performance in shooting practice was unbearable to watch.
Whenever he got slightly distracted during his shots, he would unconsciously power through with his original shooting feel, resulting in a wild shot. He needed to be fully focused.
He felt even more exhausted than when he first started playing basketball in his previous life. Back then, he only needed to aim at the hoop, and as he kept shooting, his muscle memory gradually developed. Now, he had to spend effort overcoming the interference from his original shooting feel.
However, this also calmed him down. He realized he had a long way to go to achieve his dream, and he needed to build a solid foundation first!
He wasn't discouraged because of this; he chose to look on the bright side.
His experiences playing basketball in his past life weren't entirely negative, at least he knew how to shoot and how to adjust when his strength was too much or too little.
Additionally, after this hour of shooting practice, he understood how shooting value was acquired.
Simply put—get the ball through the hoop.
Direct shooting from three-point or mid-range would do; three-pointers earned +3 shooting value points, mid-range shots earned +2.
Layups only added +1 shooting point, and they had to be 'in layup style', such as driving layups, turnaround layups, pull-up layups, three-step layups... Basically, standing under the hoop and tossing it in without movement doesn't increase shooting value, and neither do dunks.
Achieving 10,000 shooting points seemed far off, but Zhang Yang was not in a hurry, he was patient.
School in Southern California started in mid-August, he still had almost a month's time, which was more than enough.
Moreover, the more he trained, the more accurate his shooting would become, and the faster he would acquire shooting points.
He would go back for breakfast and then come back to continue training!
As Zhang Yang picked up the ball to head home, he saw someone coming—a black teenager about 14 or 15 years old, nearly his height, and also holding a basketball.
Coming alone to the park to play basketball at 7:30 in the morning? Was he another avid basketball enthusiast?
Zhang Yang took the initiative to say hello, "Hello, coming to play this early?"
The newcomer paused but didn't respond and continued towards the court.
Zhang Yang shrugged and muttered to himself about the newcomer being aloof, but he didn't say anything more and just walked away.
He had greeted out of politeness; it didn't mean that the other person had to respond. He didn't take it to heart. The next time he saw someone training early in the morning, he might still greet them out of respect for their effort.
The youth who had just arrived at the court had just gathered the courage to greet back, but when he turned around, he only saw the back of the person who had just greeted him leaving... He stretched out his hand wanting to say something, but ultimately he said nothing.
Seems like he offended another stranger?
He felt annoyed for a moment, then pushed the thought out of his mind and started his training.
He was used to such situations; he knew it was his issue but since he couldn't change it, he decided to just let it go. After all, he had basketball for company.