Both Haizaki Shogo and Nash Gold Jr. fell silent. After a long pause, Haizaki finally asked cautiously, "Can Jason Silver really defend against monsters like that?"
"I don't know," Nash replied. "But he can definitely put enormous pressure on them. That's the confidence of Jabberwock."
From what they had learned so far, every opponent was someone who couldn't be underestimated. Some of them were even abnormal existences beyond common sense. Faced with this new world unfolding before him, Haizaki felt excitement and anticipation rising within him.
Seeing that Haizaki showed no sign of discouragement, Nash quietly let out a sigh of relief. He had honestly been worried that Haizaki would lose confidence the moment he heard about their opponents, but now it seemed Haizaki wasn't some inexperienced player who would be frightened so easily.
"Shogo, we still have one week to build teamwork. After tonight, training's going to get intense. Are you sure you don't want to go out and have some fun first?"
Haizaki shook his head, once again rejecting Nash's offer, then changed the subject. "My brother, you don't actually think basketball can only be scored in the paint, do you?"
"Hahaha! I get what you mean, Shogo! That's exactly why I accepted this exhibition match."
"So you do have confidence after all. Then why are you worrying so much?"
"Until the game is over, anything can happen, Shogo."
"That's true enough. As long as you understand that. Anyway, I'm heading back to rest and get used to the time difference."
"Come on, I'll drive you."
Outside the villa, Nash drove Haizaki back to his hotel. At that moment, Nash's villa really wasn't the kind of place suitable for sleeping over. Haizaki could already imagine waking up to find some gorgeous blonde woman straddling him in the middle of the night. Yeah, absolutely not.
The next morning, at nine o'clock, they were once again at the private sports club in Queens, the training court Nash had rented. Wearing the newly made Number 6 jersey, Haizaki stepped onto the basketball court. More than ten people had already gathered there, most of them substitute players and practice squad members for Jabberwock. Haizaki glanced over several familiar faces from the official roster. Everyone looked energized and in high spirits. Apparently, despite last night's partying, they had all held themselves back instead of going completely wild.
"Good! Everyone's here," Nash announced loudly. "Starting today, we begin team integration training. We've got two practice squads working with us. For victory! For the cash! Give it everything you've got!"
"Yeah!!"
"Let's go!!"
Haizaki had to admit, Nash's motivational speeches were certainly unique. For victory, for the money. Honestly, that last part was probably the team's real driving force. But there was no denying it: money was one of the strongest motivators in the world. It was realistic, cruel even, but after endless competition, this was the conclusion the basketball world had arrived at. If someone tried lecturing this group of elite athletes about "team spirit" or "basketball being pure love," they'd probably get beaten half to death and tossed out the door. Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration.
So Haizaki wisely kept his mouth shut. This was Nash's philosophy, Jabberwock's philosophy, and the philosophy of many basketball clubs around the world. Haizaki knew he had no right to criticize or lecture anyone about it.
Three minutes later, the practice game officially began. Jabberwock's confirmed starting lineup consisted of No. 4 Captain Nash Gold Jr., No. 8 Jason Silver, No. 6 Haizaki Shogo, No. 7 Allen, and No. 12 Zack. Meanwhile, the original No. 6, Nick, had switched to No. 11 and become an official substitute, with three reserve spots still undecided.
The whistle blew. Jason Silver easily won the jump ball against another player and immediately passed to Nash before sprinting into position. Haizaki moved as well, closely guarded by a powerfully built defender whose overwhelming pressure made even him feel uneasy. *Are even the practice squad players at the Generation of Miracles level? Has that level become common here?*
The intensity on the court was completely different from Japanese high school basketball. This wasn't child's play. This was real competition: body against body, skill against skill, instinct against instinct, special abilities against special abilities. After his moment of shock, Haizaki took a deep breath and steadied himself. *If I keep playing at the same pace I used in Japan, I'll get destroyed here.* In America, the best rhythm was simple: direct, aggressive, violent. Just overpower everything.
While Haizaki was still adjusting, Nash had already crossed half court and delivered the ball to Jason Silver. Jason caught it. Boom. A savage dunk rattled the entire hoop. Yet the practice squad players showed no fear or hesitation, already used to this level of play. And they weren't weak either, these players were all monsters in their own right. Very quickly, they launched a counterattack, and the one who scored was substitute player Nick, who was also participating in the training session. Watching him now from a different perspective, Haizaki realized Nick was far from mediocre. He was a battle hardened player with extensive experience, not someone reckless and naive like Kagami Taiga.
Possession changed hands again. Nash dribbled up the court and passed the ball to Haizaki. The moment Haizaki caught it, he exploded forward with terrifying acceleration, blowing past his muscular defender, then finished with a between the legs layup slam. Bang. The basketball crashed through the hoop with overwhelming force. Many people on the court smiled at the sight, and some even shouted praise.
"Hey!! Shogo, that shot was insanely cool! It's like God gave you a push in midair!"
"Heh. Your dunks are even more brutal, Jason. Watching you slam the ball gets my adrenaline pumping!"
"Hahaha! Then watch this, Shogo, I'll put on another show for you!"
"I'm looking forward to it."
In America, if you wanted recognition and respect, you had to dominate people with undeniable strength. Haizaki understood that well. Only then could he earn true friendship.
As the scrimmage continued, Nash repeatedly fed the ball to Jason Silver and Haizaki. The message was obvious: at this moment, Jason and Haizaki were the team's strongest scoring options. Only when the others were completely shut down would Nash take over personally. That was the basic principle every point guard needed to understand, and Nash had thoroughly ingrained that philosophy into Jabberwock.
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