The half-month flew by, and during this time, both Luke and Steph made massive strides.
"You two did great. Your work ethic is impressive. Keep it up, and you'll both become outstanding players," Ravin said. He was genuinely satisfied with these two diligent kids.
He was particularly impressed by Luke. Although his dribbling foundation was shaky at best, his effort was legendary. Over the past two weeks, Luke had trained for ten hours every single day. At one point, Ravin became so concerned that Luke was going to run his body into the ground that he forced him to a hospital for a comprehensive check-up.
The results? Luke was perfectly fine. After that, Ravin stopped intervening and let him train however he pleased.
"Idan, thank you for the guidance. I've learned a lot," Steph said, stepping forward to fist-bump the trainer.
Luke, however, looked a bit regretful. "It's a shame I didn't get to experience all of your training programs. It's been an incredible feeling. I wish I could stay longer."
Ravin fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Finally, he looked up. "If you want to stay, it's not impossible. I actually need a hand."
"Oh?" Luke's eyes lit up. "What do you need me to do?"
"Carmelo Anthony is coming here to train. He needs a high-level defender to match up against him. I think you should give it a shot." Ravin explained his idea and added, "Don't worry, I'll pay you. If you work here for a while, you might even earn back the money you paid me for the last two weeks."
"That's amazing! Idan, I'm in!" Luke was thrilled. Facing off against an NBA-caliber superstar was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He had been wondering where to find a professional gym once this camp ended, as few places offered the seclusion and equipment Ravin provided. Now, he could stay and test his skills against elite talent.
"Then show up tomorrow. Anthony should be arriving then."
After leaving the gym, Luke and Steph jogged back to the hotel. For the past two weeks, this five-kilometer run had served as their daily warm-up and cool-down.
Back in the room, Luke tossed a water bottle to Steph and chugged half of his own. "So, Steph, are you staying?"
Steph shook his head. "I have to go home. My dad wants to correct my shooting posture and give me some personal training. I also need to talk to him about changing how I load my ankles. Sorry, Luke."
While Ravin could teach shooting, Dell Curry was an NBA legend in that department, and it made sense for Steph to return to Charlotte.
Luke waved it off with a smile. "No need to apologize. You definitely should consult with Uncle Dell; it's your career on the line. I'll see you in New York for the Draft."
The next day, Steph flew out of Washington. Luke was now alone. Jeff Austin had left shortly after dropping them off, busy managing his other clients. Since the suite was now too big for one person, Luke moved into a smaller room and continued his routine.
Without Steph to chat with on the run to the gym, Luke put on his headphones and lost himself in the music.
When he entered the training center, he saw a man in a hoodie with a thin mustache already putting up shots. The man stopped and sized Luke up from head to toe. "You the ball boy Ravin found? Asian? Japanese or Korean?"
Luke took off his headphones and looked calmly at the man. "I'm not a ball boy. And for the record, I'm Chinese."
Anthony scoffed. "Same difference. Kid, come here. Let's play a few rounds. Let me see what you've got."
Melo was currently fuming. On May 29th, the Lakers had crushed the Nuggets 119-92 to win Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Bitter and frustrated, he had skipped his vacation to head straight into training.
Luke frowned at Anthony's dismissive attitude. "The Syrupy Melon" was clearly in a foul mood. Fine, let's play, but what's with the ego?
"Big talk for a guy who couldn't even make it out of the West," Luke remarked coolly.
Anthony's eyes widened in disbelief.