"Tim, aren't you going back?" After a day's training, after practicing 500 3-point shots, after dragging his tired body and taking a shower, Meng Xu was also about to leave the training hall, but when he passed by the gym door, he heard that there were still people training inside, and when he went in, he found that it was the team's boss Tim Duncan.

In the game against the Denver Nuggets yesterday on February 9, Duncan scored 24 points and 13 rebounds, but only made 8-of-20 shooting and had five turnovers in the whole game. If it weren't for David Robinson's 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the fourth quarter, the Spurs would have been lucky in this game. And Meng Xu also showed the potential of an "iron king" in this game, shooting 2 out of 10 in the whole game, and only 1 of 7 3-pointers.

After returning to San Antonio from Denver, Duncan and Meng Xu also stayed to practice after the team's training session.

"It's still early, and it's okay to go back now." Seeing Meng Xu walk in, Duncan put down the dumbbell in his hand and wiped his sweat with a towel around his neck.

"Then I'll accompany you, and the coach also asked me to add a little strength training." Although he said this, Meng Xu thought in his heart, you are so talented, your skills are so good, and you are working so hard, but how can we mix up, we can't do it without hard work.

"Sit down." Duncan patted Meng Xu on the shoulder and motioned for Meng Xu to sit down. Since discovering that Meng Xu was a little resistant to touching his head, Duncan slowly got rid of this habit, and instead patted him on the shoulder.

"Meng, how does it feel here?" Duncan sat down, took a sip of water, and asked as he twisted the lid.

"It's good, it's better than I thought." When he was still in the NCAA, Meng Xu heard that it was a very common thing for old players to bully rookies in the NBA league, and even beatings were not uncommon. After Meng Xu entered the Spurs, not only was Duncan covered, but his career was also very smooth, from a substitute player who could only play about 10 minutes at the beginning, to the team's starting small forward who now plays an average of 30 minutes per game, which can be said to be smooth sailing, and it is precisely because of this that Meng Xu is also extremely grateful to Duncan and Popovich in his heart.

And now the Spurs are ranked in the league with a record of 36-12, second only to the Lakers' 37-10, with the Spurs' excellent record, and the current average of 9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 steals, 2.1 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 42% 3-point shooting, Meng Xu is now also in the top 5 of the best rookie rankings, second only to Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Ramare Odom and Andre Miller, and even selected to this year's All-Star rookie first-year team, This was unthinkable before entering the league.

"You're making rapid progress, but it's not enough." Duncan stared at Meng Xu and continued: "David is old, Avery is also old, I know your potential very well, and the coach is also very optimistic about you, you will become the most important part of this team, so you have to work harder." ”

"The most important part?" Hearing Duncan's words, Meng Xu was also a little surprised.

"Yes, try your best." Duncan smiled a little weirdly after speaking.

Duncan's words, I don't know if it is his own meaning or Popovich's meaning, but no matter where it comes from, it proves one thing, that is, Meng Xu's status in the Spurs has reached a new height.

Just when Meng Xu and Duncan were still practicing in the training hall, they received a notice from the club staff that a group of special guests had come to the club. In the general manager office of the Spurs, Meng Xu met with this group of league vice presidents, Russ? Granick led the group.

"Meng, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm the Alliance's Vice President of Operations? Granick. Before I come, Mr. David Stern has made it to me to convey his greetings to you. "When Meng Xu walked into the office, Russ? Granik quickly got to his feet and held out his right hand.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Stern, thank you, Mr. Granick." Meng Xu holding Russ? Granick's right hand, his mouth constantly thanking David Stern and Russ of the Alliance? Granick, showing a flattered look.

"These are reporters from CCTV, and they want to do an exclusive interview with you." Lars? After Granick let go of his hand, he introduced Meng Xu to several yellow-skinned staff members behind him.

"Meng Xu, hello, I am Su Qun, a reporter from CCTV China Sports News, this is Xu Jicheng, a basketball reporter from the Sports Department of Xinhua News Agency, and this is Shang Song, an intern reporter from CCTV Sports Channel." When he saw these compatriots from across the ocean, Meng Xu was also full of excitement.

"A few teachers, just call me Xiao Meng." Facing the reporters of CCTV and Xinhua News Agency, Meng Xu was also a little cramped.

After greeting for a while, everyone also put down their politeness and began to talk about the current situation in the NBA, Meng Xu's basketball career, and the ardent expectations of domestic fans for Meng Xu, and even in the end, the words also revealed the hope that Meng Xu could play for the country this summer. And Russ? Granick and Popovich walked into another office, and apparently Russ? Granik has something special to talk to Popovich about individually.

David Stern also attaches great importance to the people who come from the other side of the ocean this time, and adopts the highest specifications to receive these ordinary CCTV staff. For David Stern, China's door has been closed to the NBA since Jordan's retirement and negotiations between the NBA league and CCTV over the broadcast rights contract were terminated, but unexpectedly, just two years later, the door opened again. So David Stern sent the league's vice president, Russ? Granick personally led these CCTV reporters to San Antoninho, while also conveying some of his own will to the Spurs' top brass.

"I really didn't expect this trip to be so smooth." After interviewing Meng Xu, Shang Song was also difficult to hide his inner excitement, as a fan who likes basketball and NBA, after graduating from college, he entered CCTV's sports channel, and after learning that CCTV was going to send personnel to the United States to broadcast NBA games, Shang Song was also the first to volunteer, asking to cross the ocean and go to the United States.

A few days later, everyone's conversation was published in China Sports News as a special interview, and Meng Xu's modest attitude also won the favor of everyone, and he praised Meng Xu in the newspaper.