In the New York Knicks' training gym, players curiously stroke their fingers with a new type of basketball.

"Is this the new basketball that the owner has developed? It's so slippery to the touch! ”

"It's slippery, but I can still catch it, and it's probably these small grainy dots above that play a role."

"You're right, I think the ball seems to have more friction than the old kind of basketball."

"I heard that this kind of basketball is not afraid of water, and it would be good to wipe it with a rag after getting wet, I don't know if it's true."

"We're playing in an indoor arena and there's no water on the ground."

"But I don't want the ball to be full of other people's sweaty hands, sticky and disgusting!"

The players are talking about the new type of basketball.

Chen Qiang is the owner of the New York Knicks, so after the new type of basketball is developed, of course, it must be sent to the New York Knicks for trial, not only the Knicks, but also the other eight teams, have also begun to change to a new type of basketball, Chen Qiang is the chairman of the basketball league, and the owners of other teams can't contradict Chen Qiang for the sake of using the ball. It can be said that the new type of basketball has become the official ball of the league.

The official ball for the basketball game must be a good advertisement, and Chen Qiang was not polite, and directly used it as a publicity gimmick.

Soon, such an advertisement appeared in sports stores large and small across the United States:

Outdoor basketball, the official ball for basketball games!

……

When Chen Qiang was an athlete in China, basketball was an expensive sports equipment, after all, China's industrial capacity was weak at that time, and many sports equipment had to rely on imports, and in terms of Chinese income levels, the price of an American-made cowhide basketball was indeed very high.

Americans have a high level of wages, so for ordinary Americans, basketball is not an expensive commodity, and even many poor people can afford to buy a basketball as a birthday gift for their children. Perhaps because of the relatively low cost of the sport, many future NBA players will come from the slums.

Wealthy American families would certainly not give a basketball as a birthday present for their children, such as the great director Spielberg, who got an 8mm camera for his birthday when he was 12 years old, and then he used this camera to shoot a war-themed movie, and won a small award.

At that time, the quality of basketball was also relatively bad, after all, the ball skin was sewn together with thread, the sealing was relatively poor, and air leakage was a common thing. For basketball lovers who play basketball regularly, basketball consumes quickly, and it is common to buy new balls.

In terms of price, Chen Qiang's new basketball is not expensive, although there is an embossing process, but the outer skin of the animal is easier to handle than the inner skin, so Chen Qiang's new basketball, the price is about the same as the old-fashioned basketball.

It is precisely because the price of basketball is not expensive that many basketball enthusiasts buy the new type of outdoor basketball as soon as it comes out.

……

Chicago had just finished a rain.

At DePaul University, George McCann looked out the window, a hint of depression in his eyes.

At this time, he was supposed to train in the school's basketball hall, but today there were some special circumstances, the school was going to hold an event, the indoor basketball court was borrowed for rehearsals, and the basketball team's training could only be temporarily suspended.

"There are three days to rehearse, which means that the indoor basketball court will be borrowed for three days. It seems that we will not be able to return to indoor basketball court training until next week. I just hope that it won't rain again in the last two days, and that the ground outside will dry as soon as possible, so that I can go outside to train. George McCann said to himself.

When it rains, it's impossible for athletes to go outdoors for training, and if they catch a cold, the gains outweigh the losses. Even after the rain stops, the wet ground cannot be used for basketball training, and it is better not to get wet with that kind of old-fashioned basketball, once it is wet, the elasticity of the ball will be affected, not to mention, the ball skin will be more prone to cracking.

"George, why didn't you train! Shouldn't you be on the basketball team right now? A friend asked.

"The indoor basketball court is occupied, and it won't be available for the next three days." George McCann replied.

"Then you can go outside, hasn't the rain stopped!" My friend spoke.

George McCann shook his head: "The ground is still damp, and there is even standing water, and after the basketball is wet, it is not far from being scrapped." At this time, to go outside for training is to deliberately damage the basketball. ”

My friend showed a hint of confusion on his face, and then said, "But when I just passed by the outdoor basketball court, I saw a lot of people playing basketball!" ”

"Someone playing basketball? How is this possible? Are they planning to get a new ball? George McCann spoke.

"It's true, I've seen it with my own eyes." My friend paused, then said, "I watched it for a while, and I heard them say that the new ball feels pretty good." ”

"What? With such a damp ground, it is forgivable to use old balls that are about to be scrapped, and they are crazy to use new balls! The new ball gets wet and will break down quickly. "George McCann looked incredulous.

"I don't understand, why don't you go and see for yourself?" My friend spoke.

George McCann pondered for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay, it's okay to be idle anyway, I'll go check it out!" ”

George McCann came to the outdoor basketball court.

George McCann, who is 6 feet 10 inches, was born to play basketball, and after a year of hard training, he gradually showed his basketball talent, he is no longer the clumsy, slow-moving stupid big man, and he has just learned a hook technique that allows him to kill all sides on the basketball court, so George McCann at this time is already a basketball celebrity at DePaul University.

When the school's basketball celebrity George McCann appeared on the outdoor basketball court, he immediately attracted everyone's attention, and someone on the court even shouted at George McCann: "George, let's play together?" Bruce just bought a new basketball! ”

"It's a new basketball! This kind of terrible venue, with a new basketball, is simply a desecration of basketball! How can someone who disrespects basketball so deserve a sport like basketball! A flash of anger rose in George McCann's heart.

After a year of training, George McCann loves basketball from the bottom of his heart, and for those who don't respect basketball, George McCann is deeply disgusted.

"There's so much water on the ground, how can you play basketball on a field like this! You're deliberately damaging the basketball! George McCann said angrily.

A few people on the pitch stopped, looking at George McCann with a smirk, and then one of them explained, "George, you don't know yet, do you?" We use a new type of basketball, which is the outdoor basketball advertised, a basketball that is used outdoors. ”

"Outdoor basketball? What's that? George McCann asked with a confused expression.

"It seems that you really don't know, many sporting goods stores have this kind of outdoor basketball advertisement, outdoor basketball, basketball game official ball!" The man repeated the advertising slogan.

Another person went on to explain: "This kind of outdoor basketball is different from the previous basketballs, it can be waterproof, I don't believe you can come and take a look." ”

"Waterproof?" Curious, George McCann stepped forward and grabbed the new basketball with his big hand.

"It's a different feel! Why are there still small particles on it? George McCann touched the surface of the basketball and was instantly drawn to the grain embossing on it.

"That's supposed to be anti-slip." A person next to him continued: "You see, we have been playing for a long time, although there is some water and mud on the ball, but the water and mud will be wiped off as soon as we finish playing, and we can wipe the ball clean by finding a rag." ”

As he spoke, the man rubbed his hand against the ball, and the water stains were indeed removed.

George McCann immediately showed a look of surprise: "This kind of ball is really waterproof, which means that I can train on the outdoor court!" ”

……

Outdoor basketball was launched just as summer was approaching, and most of the United States was entering the rainy season.

The rain is clearly an obstacle for sports, and a lot of outdoor sports have to be suspended.

Hot climates and excessive rainfall are the natural enemies of sports. If you look at the medal table of previous Olympic Games, you can see that the weakest countries in sports are South and Southeast Asian countries. South Asia and Southeast Asia, as the most densely populated places in the world, add up to nearly 20 countries with a total population of more than 2.5 billion, but their performance in sports is not as good as that of a middle-level country in Europe.

South Asia and Southeast Asia are backward in terms of sports level, in addition to the level of economic development and racial differences, the main reason is the climate, the climate of these countries is relatively hot, coastal countries also often rain, whether it is a rainy day or a hot day, it is not suitable for outdoor sports, so these countries' outdoor sports can not be developed, and those who can win medals in the Olympic Games are basically held indoors.

The same is true in the United States, where hot weather and abundant rain have hindered outdoor sports, especially hurricanes in some places along the coast.

The United States has ample sports facilities, and there are countless basketball courts, but indoor basketball courts are only a small number after all, and generally only schools will build indoor basketball courts, such as basketball courts near parks, in neighborhoods, and on the streets, all of which are outdoor. And these street basketball courts will not have high hardware facilities and construction quality, can have a flat land, a pair of basketball hoops is good, some of the field is even paved with mud, when it is dry, it is full of dust, and it rains all over the mud pond.

As a result, after every rain, these outdoor basketball courts are always filled with mud and water, or the ground that takes a long time to dry. Traditional old-fashioned basketball simply cannot be used on this kind of court.

Chen Qiang's new basketball just fills this gap, this so-called "outdoor basketball" is not afraid of getting wet, not afraid of dirty, even after being wet, the particle embossing on it can also make the ball not very slippery, these characteristics are very suitable for the rainy season.

It can be said that the introduction of outdoor basketball happened to occupy the right time and place, and the advent of the rainy season and the sparse court made outdoor basketball quickly become a new favorite in the eyes of fans, and quickly occupied a place in the American market.

……

Summers are hot and rainy, which is an obstacle to outdoor sports, and there is one exception, and that is water sports.

Summer is the season to play in the water, especially for those who live north of the Tropic of Capricorn, and if you don't play in the water in the summer, there is no other opportunity.

Swimming pools, water playgrounds, and outdoor baths across the United States are starting to bustle with activity, and in this era when air conditioning is not yet commonplace, it is clear that the best way to escape the heat is to go out in the water.

It was also at this time that MGM's "Out of the Water Hibiscus" was finally released.

"Hibiscus Out of the Water" was originally a water song and dance movie, of course, this kind of movie must be released in the summer, so as to meet the occasion, if it is released in winter, then the publicity effect will inevitably be greatly reduced.

The release of movies is very timing, such as some joyful comedies, which are often arranged in the New Year and festival files; Romance films are best arranged on Valentine's Day or Qixi Festival; Popcorn action movies tend to make big box office movies during the summer vacation; Halloween will feature horror movies; On National Day, it is natural to release more movies with the main theme. If a ghost movie is on the Lunar New Year file to scare people, it will definitely be out of place.

As MGM's first water song and dance movie, and it is also a big production, MGM is also full of expectations for "Hibiscus Out of the Water", and has invested a lot in the early publicity, hoping that this type of movie can be accepted by the audience.

And the audience does like this kind of water song and dance movie, at least from the perspective of the box office. Historically, the film has earned more than $3 million in the United States and $3 million overseas, which is already a very successful commercial film considering the special period of World War II.

Of course, in terms of production costs, this movie is not low, but "Out of the Water" brought MGM more than $2 million in profits, far exceeding the investment in the film.

Taking advantage of this trend, water song and dance movies also became popular, and this wave of water song and dance movies will continue until the early fifties, and then decline rapidly. The song and dance movie lived for more than ten years, and it gradually disappeared in the seventies.

The release of "Hibiscus Out of the Water" also made Esther a goddess in the hearts of countless men. As a color film, Esther really shines with beauty in it. MGM even erected a six-story billboard for Esther in Times Square. The news media is also talking about whether it is possible for Esther to win another Oscar with "Out of the Water Hibiscus".

However, Esther herself knew very well that the Oscar statuette was impossible.

Although the box office of "Hibiscus Out of the Water" is very good, it is a war period after all, and in this special era, only the kind of main theme movies that fit the background of the times can win the Oscars.

For example, "Mrs. Minifer" back then, it was a politically correct movie. And this year's Oscar for Best Picture was awarded to "Casablanca", a main theme film dressed as a romance movie.

And before the release of "Hibiscus Out of the Water", there was already a very successful movie on the big screen, that is, Paramount's "Walk with Me", which is also a song and dance movie, although the drama is not strong, but because it tells the story of the church priest, it will naturally have a plus point when it comes to awards, and it will inevitably become the big winner of next year's Oscars.

In contrast, a purely commercial film like "Hibiscus Out of the Water" has no political correctness, does not involve religion, and is not a main theme movie, and it is impossible to win an award. can only wait for future directors to pay tribute.

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