Wayne looked at the text message on his phone and to be honest, he was a little panicked.

The area around Twist is not like the college town of Stillwater, nor is it like the large rural area of ​​Indianapolis.

Those two places are relatively simple, but here there is a mixture of good and bad, with everyone.

As we all know, the Pacers and the New York Knicks are mortal enemies.

The two teams met several times in the playoffs in the 1990s, and sparks flew every time.

New Yorkers always feel that they are from a big city, and they always have a kind of superiority towards the Pacers, often insulting Pacers players with titles like "hillbilly".

Although the last time the two sides met in the playoffs was already a millennium ago.

However, in the past few years, the hatred between fans and teams of both sides has not been completely diluted.

To this day, Reggie Miller can still be ranked in the top five most hated players by New York fans.

Be confident, top three!

Could it be that some extreme New York fan threatened him because he was selected by the Pacers?

But... this guy is so bold, he actually asked me to call him?

Wayne was curious and called over.

Is it possible that he can come along the phone line and chop me?

Then, a hoarse voice came from the phone: "Yo, Wei! Haha, you really called me, do you know who I am?"

"How did you know my phone number?" Wayne didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked the other party a question.

"I asked for it for Larry Bird. Isn't this just a matter of minutes?"

Wayne: "???"

Can a New York fan ask Larry Bird for his phone number?

Obviously it's impossible.

So, the caller, based on his voice and tone...

"I'm Ron, yes, I was the best defensive player last season. At the same time, I'm also your good big brother in the future.

You’ve come to New York, don’t you want to meet your future eldest brother in advance?”

Sure enough, an epoch-making man appeared!

Speaking of which, this is probably Wayne's first contact with his teammates from the Pacers.

"Uh...of course, Ron, thank you for inviting me out." Of course, the big social butterfly Wayne would not refuse Artest's warm invitation.

Badges or not, bonds or not... the main reason is to have a good relationship with teammates.

Now that we have a better relationship with Artest, it will be easier to persuade him during the Auburn Hills incident.

If you unite all the forces that can be united, it will be easier to get along in the team.

"Well, let's go watch tennis tomorrow afternoon. The US Open is about to start, and the tennis courts will definitely be busy.

I said, you should know tennis, right?"

"Well... I know a little bit, I know a little bit." Wayne responded awkwardly. In fact, his understanding of tennis was limited to the basic rules.

"Then, come find me in Queensbridge tomorrow...forget it, I'm afraid your kid will die on the street. Don't go to Queensbridge, we will meet at Arthur Ashe Stadium."

After hanging up the phone, Wayne was still a little confused.

This guy Artest... actually likes to watch tennis?

It's not like his style.

Or should I say, this guy is just there to join in the fun.

At this time in late August, the US Open is the most popular and the most watched.

Could it be that he couldn't bear the loneliness and wanted to take a few shots at the scene?

Originally, Wayne's plan was to run away after filming the commercial, but now the plan has changed and he has to stay in New York for one more day.

In the evening, Wayne also made a point of looking at the history of the US Open over the years, so that he and Artest wouldn't have to stare at each other in embarrassment tomorrow and say nothing.

At noon the next day, Wayne showed up at Arthur Ashe Stadium on time.

When Wayne checked the information yesterday, he learned that this arena is named after the famous black American tennis player Arthur Ashe.

There were a lot of people at the scene. Although Wayne was wearing a pair of sunglasses, his height was too dazzling and he would still be recognized by fans from time to time.

After taking 5 photos and signing countless names, Wayne finally walked into the arena through the VIP channel.

Hey, this is the trouble of being the MOP of the semi-finals.

When I used to watch tennis matches on TV, I always felt that the tennis court was not that big.

But in fact, Arthur Ashe Stadium has 23,000 seats, which is more seats than many NBA teams' home stadiums.

In the VIP restaurant, Wayne saw a very conspicuous and strong man sitting on the bench.

He was wearing a white vest and blue jeans, and his thick arms made people nervous.

This look... looks a bit like the protagonist of the GTA game that Wayne played in his previous life.

After confirming that it was Artest, Wayne walked up to say hello.

However, Artest did not find Wayne.

He stared ahead distractedly, as if he was distracted.

Even Wayne walked up to him, but he didn't react at all, as if he was temporarily closed into his own world.

"Ron?"

Wayne shouted, and Artest slowly turned his head to look at Wayne.

After staring at Wayne for about two or three seconds, Artest's eyes regained their vitality and were no longer so dull.

"Hey, what's up!" Artest's voice was very strong. Those who didn't know better thought the two were causing trouble on the street.

Even saying hello seems like a fight.

"Hello Ron." Wayne extended his right hand to Artest, but Artest bumped fists with Wayne...

"When did you come?"

"Uh...I've been standing next to you for a few seconds."

"Really? Fuck, the draft report said you are 2.06 meters tall. Are you kidding me? You can cut the net off without climbing the stairs." Artest stood up and found that the gap between himself and Wayne was more than 5 centimeters.

.

"Actually, I'm a little taller than reported."

"How much higher?"

"About five centimeters." Wayne answered truthfully.

"Haha, you are now in the business, kid. This league is full of lies. Come on, let's go to the stands. Front row tickets. Remember to smile when the camera sweeps over the stands."

After Artest finished speaking, he walked towards the stands in a good mood.

Wayne followed, scratching his head.

This guy... can be so sluggish one second, and be in a good mood the next.

The mood changes too quickly.

Normal people's emotional changes are gradual from 1 to 100.

But Artest, he seems to be able to directly change from 1 to 100.

Yes, this guy often loses control of his emotions on the court. Isn't that also the reason?

From 1 to 100, he explodes whenever he wants. His mood changes so quickly that people are caught off guard.

Wayne was really afraid that this guy would suddenly quarrel with the people around him later.

After the two sat in the stands, Wayne realized that there were quite a few celebrities in the front row.

After all, tennis is a sport with a very high degree of commercialization and is very popular around the world.

"How do you feel about this team you joined?" Before the game started, Artest and Wayne started chatting word by word.

"You are the first teammate I have met, so in terms of feelings... I don't have any feelings about the Pacers yet."

"Aren't you afraid of the pressure? There are very few lottery picks who will directly join a championship team. You know we are a championship team, right? Indianapolis is not a place to hang around."

"Well, I should be able to adapt. After all, I was also a champion in college."

"Hahaha, just like Bird said, you are quite confident. However, confidence alone is not enough in the NBA. Have you seen the Eastern Conference finals last season? This is a real fucking battlefield."

After Artest finished speaking, two players appeared on the tennis court.

Wayne was a little stunned. He didn't expect that the first person to tell him this was Artest.

At first, Wayne thought it would be Reggie Miller who would come and tell him this, or maybe even O'Neal Jr.
To be continued...