NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Part-Time Scout? Recruiting the NBA’s Most Unlucky Star!

Chapter 57: Part-Time Scout? Recruiting the NBA’s Most Unlucky Star!

At the post-game press conference, China Men’s Basketball head coach Jonas couldn’t stop praising Chen Yan.

”Chen’s performance tonight was nearly flawless—fast breaks, shooting, driving, steals, you name it. He’s got that explosive scoring ability and the leadership to carry a team. Honestly, any coach would love to have a guy like him on their squad.”

Jonas also mentioned that he’d be keeping a close eye on Chen Yan’s performance in the NBA, and wished him good health and success moving forward.

His words quickly made waves online. Chinese basketball forums lit up with jokes and comments from excited fans:

”Did Jonas basically just write ’I want Chen Yan’ across his forehead?”

”I’ve never seen the usually-stern Jonas praise a Chinese player like this!”

”Haha, you can tell Old Jonas is really feeling Chen Yan!”

”Look at Chen Yan’s performance, then look at our national team’s guards... yikes.”

”Did nobody else catch Jonas smiling after losing the game? Man’s already daydreaming about pairing Chen Yan with Yao Ming!”

”No time to waste—get Chen Yan on the national team ASAP!”

”Chen Yan’s gonna look fire in that red Chinese jersey. That red draft suit already had me convinced!”

---

With the three preliminary games behind them, the Summer League moved into the knockout phase.

The format? A single-elimination bracket, seeds 1 through 24, ranked by points.

Seeds 9 through 24 had to battle it out in the first round. The top 8 seeds? Straight to round two. The losers? Dumped into ranking games for 17th to 24th place.

The Phoenix Suns were one of only four undefeated teams after three games, so they earned a bye straight into the second round.

Chen Yan didn’t mind the extra rest—but for the rest of the Summer League roster? Not ideal. These guys were basically on a job hunt, and every extra minute on the floor was a chance to earn a contract.

Three days later, it was game time. Round two. The Suns were up against the Golden State Warriors.

Chen Yan started again, but his minutes were still tightly managed—just like in the earlier games.

Even if the Suns lost, head coach Mike D’Antoni wasn’t budging. Chen Yan’s minutes were capped—strict orders from D’Antoni to protect his budding star.

But Chen Yan had other ideas.

From the jump, he demanded the ball and went into full attack mode. The knockout stage was serious business, and he wanted to show respect by giving it everything he had.

What he didn’t expect was how soft the Summer League defense would be.

By halftime, the Suns were up 54–36.

Chen Yan? A scorching 16-of-19 from the field. 4-of-5 from three. 3-of-4 from the line. A ridiculous 39 points in just 10 minutes!

His [Perfect Hand Shape] skill was cooking, giving a solid boost to both his mid-range and three-point shooting. His raw attributes didn’t even tell the full story—Chen Yan’s jumper was lethal.

He opened the second half with another 8 straight points. The truth? Most players in the Summer League don’t care much about defense. They’re trying to pad offensive stats and grab attention.

The result? No resistance.

Chen Yan wasn’t just scoring easily—he was scoring like breathing.

After an 8–2 Suns run, the Warriors’ assistant coach burned a timeout.

Chen Yan? Clocked out and hit cruise control. He was done for the night.

Final score: Suns 91, Warriors 78.

Chen Yan dropped 47 points in 20 minutes.

The commentators lost their minds.

”This man’s the Big Devil of the Summer League!”

Chen Yan wasn’t thrilled about the nickname. It made him sound like some NBA dropout bullying fringe players. That wasn’t the vibe he wanted.

After the final buzzer, Chen Yan made a beeline for the Warriors’ bench. His recruitment mission was still on.

His target this time?

Kelenna Azubuike.

The dude had serious game—shooting, slashing, cutting, defending. A total package.

Chen Yan couldn’t understand how this guy went undrafted in 2006.

In his past life, Azubuike was a beast under Don Nelson’s run-and-gun system, averaging around 14 points per game. Perfect fit for Phoenix.

Problem is, most fans barely remember his name—and for a tragic reason.

Back on November 15, 2009, during a game against the Bucks, Azubuike drove to the rim and came down awkwardly. He clutched his left knee in obvious pain.

From the courtside cam, you could tell—his kneecap was gone. Like, not just dislocated. Just... gone.

Diagnosis? Torn patellar tendon. Surgery was needed.

Then the real nightmare began.

The surgeon put his knee back wrong. No joke.

It sounded like a bad sitcom script. Even the Trail Blazers’ cursed medical staff wouldn’t have pulled something this messed up.

Azubuike was devastated. He spent years recovering. Made a brief comeback in 2012—but by then, the spark was gone. The talent was still there, but the body wasn’t.

A career with so much promise, derailed by one botched surgery.

It was sad. And honestly? Kinda absurd.

But Chen Yan wasn’t going to let that happen again.

He believed the Suns’ medical team—especially their miracle-working trainer—could give Azubuike the support he never had.

He walked over and offered the standard opener:

”Yo! You balled out today!”

Yeah, it was the same line every time. Chen Yan wasn’t exactly a poet when it came to recruiting.

Azubuike lit up and slapped his hand.

”Man, you almost had us crying out there!”

Turns out Azubuike wasn’t some quiet dude—he was chatty and easygoing. Chen Yan liked that.

He cut right to the point:

”You down to try out for the Suns?”

No fluff. No long pitch. Just like when he recruited J.J. Barea—straight business.

Azubuike looked surprised.

”Wait, for real?”

Like Barea, he hadn’t expected Chen Yan to reach out personally.

”Hell yeah. I’d love that.”

To him, it didn’t matter whether it was the Suns or Warriors. He just needed a real shot and a contract.

Humble. Honest. The reality for most Summer League guys trying to survive.

---

That night, Chen Yan got on the phone with D’Antoni.

”Coach, I found another wing in the Summer League. He fits our system—shoots, defends, slashes. The real deal...”

Before Chen Yan could finish, D’Antoni burst out laughing.

”Hahaha! Chen, are you trying to play for us or scout for us?”

Chen Yan chuckled too.

”Just giving a little input, Coach.”

”Alright, alright. I’ll take a look. Seriously.”

D’Antoni wasn’t just being polite—he meant it.

After trading away Shawn Marion and Leandro Barbosa, the Suns were down to just six legit rotation players. The bench? Bare bones.

Big names in free agency were out of reach, and they didn’t have the assets to swing a major trade.

Scouting the Summer League for hidden gems?

Yeah. That was probably their best bet.

And thanks to Chen Yan, they were already two steps ahead.

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