Procopio’s words resonated deeply with Tang Tian.

There was a clear difference in Thompson's shooting percentage when Tang Tian passed to him compared to when Procopio did.

Indeed, that was the impact a good trainer could have.

Tang Tian had already been considering recruiting his own personal team, and the trainer would hold a very important position within that team.

He glanced at Procopio; it was obvious the man wasn’t trying to sell himself.

"I’ll find one when I get back," Tang Tian added.

Procopio nodded, signaling him to get a feel for things himself before returning to training Thompson.

Procopio only stayed at the training facility for half the day. In the afternoon, Tang Tian and Thompson were helping each other train.

After a day of training, both felt they had made significant progress.

After finishing the training and stretching, Tang Tian prepared to return to his rented apartment.

"Are you free tonight?" Thompson asked spontaneously.

"Are you planning on extra training tonight?" Tang Tian looked at Thompson, puzzled.

"No, no, training during the day is enough. You just need to guarantee a certain amount," Thompson said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Then what do you want to do?" Tang Tian asked curiously.

"Nightclub. Go to a nightclub to relax," Thompson said, smiling.

Tang Tian was taken aback. Thompson also liked going to nightclubs?

He hadn't expected that. He only knew that Harden was a famous night owl, but he hadn't realized Thompson was too.

And it seemed this habit already existed?

"No, I need to go back and rest. I have to continue training tomorrow," Tang Tian declined Thompson's invitation.

"Don't be like that. Work and rest are both important for optimal training results," Thompson continued.

Tang Tian shook his head. He didn't really like the noisy environment of nightclubs. He had only been to one before, with Walker, almost a year after transmigrating.

"Okay, then, another time. I'll drive you back," Thompson said, heading toward his car.

Tang Tian nodded. He was indeed tired after a day of training.

Thompson's car was a Mercedes S450, which cost over $200,000, indicating that his family background was quite good.

Thompson dropped Tang Tian off downstairs at his apartment and asked one last time if Tang Tian wanted to go to the nightclub. After seeing Tang Tian shake his head, he gave him a "what's wrong with you, bro" look and then drove off.

Tang Tian didn't pay much attention. After returning to his apartment and taking a shower, he called Walker.

"Go to New York to train?" Walker was surprised by Tang Tian's invitation.

"Yeah, my apartment has two rooms, and the other one is perfect for you."

"Okay, sure, but it'll have to wait a couple of days. I need to talk about the contract details with UA."

"Alright."

After hanging up the phone, Tang Tian lay on the bed and let out a long breath.

He needed to have Fegan help him find a trainer first. Before that, Walker could come over and help him with passing drills, and if Procopio was around during that time, he could also help Walker correct some details. It was a win-win.

The next day, after the morning training session, Tang Tian and Thompson went to a nearby restaurant to eat.

"By the way, how did you manage to get Procopio?" At the restaurant, Tang Tian curiously asked Thompson.

Although Procopio was just a trainer, he had been in the business for a long time and also took care of other aspects, such as the nutritional meals they were eating now, which he had advised on. This was almost like having a trainer and half a nutritionist in one.

"Me? I couldn't get him. But Uncle Mike is good friends with my father, and my father asked him to do it," Thompson said with a smile.

Tang Tian nodded after hearing that.

There were too many NBA players, and he couldn't possibly know the family background of every American. He took out his phone and searched.

Mychal Thompson, a star player in the 1970s and 80s, averaged 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in his career, and even had a season averaging 20+ points. He was a borderline All-Star player.

It was rare for the son of a star to become a star himself. Thompson was a very rare case.

No wonder he could drive a Mercedes S-Class car. Thompson came from a basketball family.

"Procopio, is he still Kobe's trainer?" Tang Tian asked tentatively.

Although he knew the chances were slim, Procopio's professional ability had greatly impressed him, and he still wanted to try his best to get him.

"No, he hasn't been since last summer. Kobe has his own personal trainer with the Lakers, I think his name is Gary Vitti. It's just that he had something to do the year before, so he asked Uncle Mike to help out for a while," Thompson said, shaking his head.

Tang Tian paused after hearing that. It seemed that the truth was a bit different from what he had heard.

"Then who is he training now?" Tang Tian continued to ask.

"He's not training anyone. Uncle Mike only comes to help me out when he's free, but I heard that he'll be going to the Mavericks in the summer. Coach Rick Carlisle is very good friends with him." Thompson was indeed from a basketball family; he knew more about these things than anyone else.

"So, he's currently unemployed?"

"You could say that," Thompson nodded.

Tang Tian was overjoyed after hearing that. He had originally asked Fegan to find him a trainer, but if Procopio could directly join his team, that would be the best possible outcome.

"You want to hire him?" Thompson was a bit slow on the uptake, but he still understood the implication of his words.

"He's very expensive," Tang Tian didn't say anything, but Thompson couldn't help but remind him.

"I know," Tang Tian nodded, not giving a definite answer.

He couldn't afford Procopio right now, but he would have money after the draft when he got endorsements.

After training for a few days, Walker also joined in.

Procopio was passing to Thompson, and Walker was passing to Tang Tian.

"When you pass, you need to look at where Tang is positioned to receive the ball. If it's too high or too low, he won't be able to shoot immediately. It's the same when you get to the NBA. Only by passing the ball to the perfect spot can you allow your teammates to complete the attack more comfortably and quickly." Procopio also came over to give Walker some pointers. This experienced trainer had a very keen eye for detail.

Walker's passing to Tang Tian was also a way to train his own passing ability.

In addition to passing, when Walker and Tang Tian were practicing one-on-one offense and defense, Procopio also gave Walker some detailed advice on breakthroughs.

After Walker trained consistently for a period of time, his breakthrough efficiency was noticeably higher than before.

It had to be said that a top-notch trainer could really help a player a lot, which made Tang Tian even more determined to bring Procopio into his team.

These days continued for nearly two months. Besides trying to get closer to Procopio, Tang Tian spent the rest of his time eating, training, and torturing Thompson.

As fellow three-point shooters, Tang Tian and Thompson basically had a spot-up three-point competition every day.

As a result, Thompson was getting beaten every day.

The current Thompson was not yet the future Buddha. His shooting consistency was far behind Tang Tian's.