Henson and Bird have spoken a lot about Stephenson. Ultimately weighing the pros and cons, both Henson and Bird agreed that, at least at the basketball level, Lance. Stephenson is a young man worth nurturing. Bird had the confidence to transform him, or rather, he believed in Henson's ability to transform him.

For Stephenson, the Pacers actually made a lot of preparations in the early stage. Bird sent Silas to conduct a detailed investigation of Stephenson and his family, including interviewing them for long periods of time, taking psychological tests, and conducting random interviews at Lincoln High School to hear what the children in the school would say about him. It was only after all of this stuff that Henson and Bird finally made this decision.

If Hassan. Whiteside was cut off early, so they chose Lance. Stevenson.

It does take courage, because Stephenson's rusty past is known all over the country. If it weren't for these negative events, Stephenson would certainly not have fallen into the second round and still be unattended. If the Pacers don't pick him, no second team will have the courage to do so.

In July 2008, the U.S. Basketball Association removed Stephenson from the U18 selection team because he was found to be linked to a DU case.

In his junior year of high school, Stephenson gained notoriety for being accused of sexual harassment by a girl. According to the girl's recollection, at a bus stop, Stephenson made very lewd gestures to her and tried to molest her......

Indeed, apart from Bird and Henson, no madman would dare to use such a player.

But if you know Stephenson's background, it's not hard to understand how he could do such things. Born in a low-level poor family in Harlem, Brooklyn, he has been neglected and excluded since he was a child, and only by relying on a pair of steel and iron bones given by his parents can he find the dignity of survival on the basketball court.

Henson knew that Stephenson was a maverick, disobedient to discipline, and would often do things out of the ordinary. But he is still very confident in this interview, after all, basketball is the universal language between two men.

When Henson arrived in the neighborhood where Stephenson lived, it was difficult for even him to keep his composure. The ghettos of Brooklyn are not as glamorous as the rest of New York, and it's no exaggeration to say that you'll find gangsters with "guys" pinned to their waists everywhere here, and the trade in dubbies is as common in the neighborhood as buying and selling newspapers.

Living in such an environment since childhood, do you still want Stephenson to be a good child?

Finding Stephenson's home, Henson knocked on the door. A black woman immediately opened the door, presumably having been waiting by the door for a long time.

"Oh, Mr. Henson! Welcome, come in, I've got afternoon tea ready for you! "It was Stephenson's mother who opened the door, and she was visibly very excited about Henson's arrival. After all, after her bastard son has done so many bastard things, there is still a team willing to give him a chance, and as a mother, of course, she is very grateful.

"How gracious, ma'am. Oh, Mr. Stephenson, hello. Henson greeted the two parents with ease, and it was obvious that the parents had deliberately cleaned up the house in order to welcome Henson.

But even so, the dilapidated furniture and cheap carpets deliberately bought to cover the holes in the floor could not hide the Stephensons' hard life.

It was on a small sofa that looked like a product of the last century that Henson met Lance for the first time. Stephenson face to face.

He sat there in an orderly manner, his eyes looking straight at Henson, but he didn't say a word. Henson could tell that this guy was about to die.

But looking into Stephenson's eyes, Henson also found that this guy also longed for an opportunity, a change of fate, a chance to prove himself, and a chance to win respect!

"Born Ready, huh?" Henson pointed to the tattoo on Stephenson's hand, "I love this nickname so much, but I don't know if you're really ready." ”

Born ready, Stephenson's nickname comes from the live commentator Babbitt Babbitt of Rock Park, the mecca of basketball in New York. Garcia, in 2006, he watched 16-year-old Stephenson abuse adults playing at Rock Park, and he said that this kid was playing in the NBA. Just listen to the nickname, and you know how crazy Stephenson is this kid.

But that's exactly one of the reasons why Henson and Bird like Stephenson, he's extremely confident, confident to the point of hubris. He's the kind of player who craves big scenes, he's fearless. As long as he stands on the basketball court, he has a temperament that dares to compete with the first person in the world.

"Hello, Mr. Henson." Stephenson stood up and bowed because his mother had heard that Chinese Americans were respectful and forced him to do so. After bowing, Stephenson shook Henson's hand again.

Henson almost couldn't hold back a laugh, perhaps the most regular few minutes of Stephenson's life.

"Hello, Lance. Ma'am, sir, why don't you give us some personal space? ”

After Henson finished speaking, Stephenson's parents went back to the room in understanding, leaving Henson and Stephenson to sit in the small crowded living room.

Stephenson took a deep breath, he had already begun to sit back and wait for Henson to make a three-chapter agreement with him.

If you join the team, you can't do anything, you have to do it...... Stephenson was tired of hearing these words, and every coach from high school to college would say them when he met him for the first time. In his opinion, the newly appointed Chinese coach will definitely do this.

Henson looked at Stephenson, a smiling expression on his face again. Confidence, Stephenson has never seen this confidence on the face of any coach as himself.

"Lance, are you willing to defend?" Henson spoke, but said something very different from what Stephenson had thought.

"Huh?" Stephenson's head shook, "I'll do whatever you want me to do, I have to be willing." ”

Stephenson was a little confused, this Chinese didn't play cards according to the routine at all!

"What if I let you defend the opponent's top scorer? Think about how you face Dwayne on the pitch. Wade, Kobe. Bryant...... Oh, I'm sorry, these people may be too strong for you, I guess you're already weak when you see them......"

"I don't think you get it yet, sir." Stephenson interrupted Henson, "I'll do whatever you want me to do, and if you want me to defend the opponent's top scorer, I'll defend the opponent's top scorer." I will do everything in my power to make them uncomfortable, if you give them the order, sir. ”

"I like guys like you, I'm really fed up with the pretty words of those mothers-in-law. But that's not enough, Lance. I want you to do it for me, and I'll do it for me since Summer League. You're going to come with me tomorrow, and while we're still talking here, the team has already started training. If I don't win the Summer League this year, you're going to fuck me, what do you think? With that, Henson leaned back on the couch and pulled out a cigar.

Bird is to blame for this, it was he who made Henson take his first cigar, and it was he who made Henson fall in love with the feeling of smoking cigars.

Stephenson was stunned, why did the coach in the suit and leather shoes on the other side look more bastard than himself?

"You...... There's nothing to ask? Stephenson looked at Henson cautiously, this Chinese seemed to have an inexplicable temperament that would make people a little afraid of him.

In fact, it's not the inexplicable wife, but the pressure that Henson's blunt and aloofed expression puts on Stephenson. Of course, the way Henson smoked a cigar also had a "big guy" feeling.

"What else? I have all your data, from high school to college, from height to reach. If you're referring to your old, it's even less necessary, because people all over America know it, and I don't think your stories are that funny. There's only one thing I care about, Lance, and that's if you can bring me victory. No matter how ornate people package competitive sports, victory will always be the core of competitive sports. If you can help me win, you're a good player. You can't win and you're messing around off the field, you're a bale of straw. What I want you to do is give me a good game in the summer league and train well in the summer, because the NBA is not as simple as you think. Still have questions? Reims. Mr. Stephenson. ”

Stephenson hurriedly shook his head, "I love to win too, Mr. Henson!" I've got to be the kind of good player you need! ”

Stephenson is overjoyed, this Henson is completely different from the previous fools who can only make three chapters of the law! Stephenson could see that this coach was ambitious, he was confident, and he would do anything to win. For this, he himself is the same!

"Very well, so let's stop today's conversation. By the way, I don't like my players to call me Mr. Henson, it's too restrictive, like a stupid headmaster at school. ”

After Henson finished speaking, Stephenson smirked, and it really went to his heart!

"Understood, Chief!"

Henson nodded in satisfaction, Lance was such a smart boy.