My name is Bruce? Bowen, 28 years old, I'm a basketball player, well, I'm the best team in the NBA right now, a member of the Houston Rockets, and sometimes I can't even make the 12-man roster, but it's my greatest honor to be on this team.

Early in the morning, I was woken up by the sound of a bell, and when I was a little reluctant to open my eyes, a new day began again, and listening to the still ringing bell, I reached out and closed him, because I was ready to get up and start my day's training, although it was only 6 o'clock in the morning.

Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, looking at me in the mirror, he said softly, "Bruce? Bowen, a new day begins, you have to cherish your every day, you have to work hard and work hard, and you must find a place for yourself again. ”

With a long sigh of relief, I grabbed my training bag, got out of the house that the club had rented at a very low price, and drove my second-hand Chevrolet sedan that I had bought since I got back to the Rockets' training gym.

I bought two hot dogs on the road, which was enough for my morning training, and the Rockets' team also had a special nutritious meal for athletes when they trained in the morning, although it was difficult to swallow. However, if I want to continue playing, I have to eat every day.

Because, basketball is the only thing that can change my destiny. Yes, if only basketball could change everything for me.

I was born in an indifferent environment since I was a child, and for as long as I can remember, my parents were constantly arguing and attacking each other.

When I played some, I realized that my mother was an addict, my father was an alcoholic, and the only thing that could give me some warmth in the family was my grandmother.

When I was a child, whenever I encountered any grievances, I would run to the old man to tell me that my grandmother was not very old at that time, and he often took me to buy a glass of Coca-Cola, and then said to me: "Bruce, you are a boy, you learn to be strong, when your parents can't give you a goal in life, you can find a goal in life." ”

From my grandmother I learned to be strong, stubborn, and to try. These precious things are the biggest harvest of my 28 years of life, and I learned basketball after that.

When I was 10 years old, I used the money I collected to save up enough money for tickets to see my idol perform at the San Antonio Arena.

When I went to buy the tickets with a lot of joy, the conductor told me that there was still a dollar of surcharge left, and I was so depressed that I couldn't stop crying, it was my first time going to a real NBA game, why would I have that one dollar less?

I walked for an hour just to see a real basketball game, but I couldn't figure out why it was a dollar less.

However, the stubborn surname did not allow me to leave quietly like this, and I decided to borrow a dollar from someone, and I decided to do it, but what I didn't know was that my decision affected me for the rest of my life.

After several failures, a kind man really gave me a dollar, and when I got it, I said to the man, "I swear in my grandmother's name that I will pay back the dollar tomorrow."

Maybe the good Samaritan forgot, or something, he didn't show up the next day, but when I took the dollar that I had spent an afternoon collecting scrap in exchange for, and waited outside the San Antonio arena for a full 2 hours, whenever there was a Spurs home game, I would be there, and I would always have this dollar in my pocket, maybe it was nothing to the good Samaritan, but it contained the self-esteem and faith of a 10-year-old boy.

It went on for two years, and I waited outside the Spurs' home stadium for two years, and I saw his surprise when the gentleman suddenly appeared in front of me again one day and I went up to give him back the dollar bill.

Later, this kind man became my stepfather, his name was Crozier, he was a good man, and when he had time, he would always find me, take me to eat some good things, and buy me some sports equipment.

When I was fifteen years old, there was an event that affected my life, that is, I had just passed the age of 15, my mother had sold all the things in the family because of drug abuse, in order to continue my studies, I could only rely on selling phone books in private to make a living, I was not like some of my classmates, I went to the streets at a young age, to sell drugs, to rob, to be a pimp, I have my dreams.

My dream is to be the best basketball player I can be, to play for a superteam like the Lakers or the Celtics, to lift a lot of trophies, and when I'm old, I'm going to brag to my own grandchildren and grandsons that your grandfather was one of the greatest players in the NBA, and when I walk down the street, there will be a lot of people next to me saying, "Hey, look at Bruce?" Bowen". And the others chimed in: "Oh my God, it's really him."

This is the life I want, and I don't want to die on the streets without knowing that day, my body will be beaten into a hornet's nest, and my wife will lead a whole bunch of children crying around me, and my children will either become drug dealers, thugs or daughters.

However, all the money I had from selling my phone book that day was stolen by my drunkard father, and it was all turned into inferior liquor in a dimly lit bar.

That's my tuition and living expenses for the next semester. I huddled in the corner, crying secretly.

When I called my grandmother and told me about this, the old man was furious, she immediately called the police, and I was discharged from custody of me and my alcoholic father in court.

And my stepfather Crozier became my guardian, I finally enjoyed the real family life, I cherish this life very much, I study hard, I play hard, I always move forward, I want to achieve my dreams.

When I was 18 years old, my stepfather wrote me a letter in which he wrote: He felt that they had met too late, and that in spite of how meek, quiet, loyal, and sensible I had come to my father's family, he always felt that I had always seemed to be immersed in a great loneliness for the whole world. Outside of my soul, it was as if a thick layer of ice was wrapped in it, and even though I smiled at him, he couldn't be sure if I had truly accepted him.

After reading the letter, I really thought of Crozier as my family, and I would discuss anything with him after that, and he was very happy to discuss my future with me.

I was admitted to Fulham University in California in 1989 and I was very satisfied because it was so close to home and I always had time to spend with my own family.

In college, I never gave up on my basketball career, although I didn't participate in the draft when I graduated, because after college, I found that I was really bad, so I started to mix in various small leagues in the country, although I could have some money, but it was still not enough for a young man in his early 20s to support himself.

Just when I was about to give up my basketball career, one of my teammates at college introduced me to a place to go, so I went to France.

I can be said to be a majestic player in the French league, the scoring champion for two consecutive seasons, and just when I was full of ambition to enter the NBA again, a person who changed my destiny appeared.

I remember very well that I was led by my agent to meet him, it was a young man about my age, and I later found out that he was only a year older than me, and he told me that his name was Tiger? Jones, who bought the Houston Rockets, who had just become league champions, was on the verge of bursting my heart and I thought he was going to sign me. For a while, I felt that the NBA was so close to me, I was almost excited, and I even decided that I would sign a contract as long as he gave me, whether it was guaranteed or not, but I was greeted not by signing with the Rockets, but by signing with Le Havre in France, and the young man told me that he also owned two clubs in Europe.

At that time, how to describe my feelings, I almost collapsed, I resisted my anger, I turned down such a contract, my dream was to play in the NBA, this is my best hope.

But after I contacted all the NBA teams, I was desperate, and in the end, the Heat offered me a 10-day contract, and after I played for 23 seconds, I was kicked like a dirt dog.

Just when I was desperate, it was this young rocket boss who lent a helping hand to me, and I came to France again to join Le Havre.

Unexpectedly, the day after I joined, I received a training plan specially developed for me by the Houston Rockets uniform team, and when I saw this plan, I was already excited, and I knew that the dream of stepping into the NBA was not far away.

I played in France for another two years, I did all the subjects on the training program, and I became an incomparable myth in France, and the fans called me the Jordan of France.

But I know what I'm capable of, and I'm still a long, far way off, and I got a notice from the Rockets at the end of the '99 NBA season.

I was offered a guaranteed base salary, a little less than when I was in France, but it was definitely a different feeling, after I entered the Rockets, the atmosphere and the training environment in the Rockets were deeply affected by me, and after coming to the Rockets, I knew what I was going to do, all I could do was defend and shoot three-pointers in the open space.

That's what I'm going to do, and what I can do.

I train very seriously every day, I am always the first to come, the last to go, when other conditions are not as good as others, I can only make up for it with diligence.

Just as I was reminiscing about my old life, the Chevrolet sedan had already arrived outside the stadium gate, and I poked my head out of the window and shouted to the doorman, "Joey, Joey, help me get down." ”

The old security guard at Compaq Center, Joey knew who it was as soon as he heard it, grinned and showed his white teeth, poked his head out of the window, and said loudly: "I said Bruce, you kid is still so early, you must know that only Kevin and De Young, in the new season, only came to train every morning, and now they make a lot of money, all of them have built the court at their own home, and they are all practicing at their own home." ”

Bowen is still a very gentlemanly player off the court, and replied elegantly: "Hehe, Joey, Kevin and Dejan are already the best players in the league, I can't compare." ”

After saying that, watching the railing be lifted, Bowen stepped on the gas pedal and arrived at the parking lot.

Joey looked at Bowen's back as he drove away, and whispered, "Boy, you're going to be a great character too." ”

(To be continued)