He didn't stop training just because a prompt appeared; only by training could he know whether the muscle memory bonus mentioned in the prompt was actually effective or not.
As for any benefits Zhang Hao might have gained from being quiet and reserved in the United States for almost three years... it means not many people bothered him. When fights happened, Pierce would help him out. Pierce's father once had connections in the underworld; one brother was an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming, and the other played for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball. In terms of sports, neither brother was as gifted as Pierce, and their success was moderate. But they had broad connections thanks to their father's influence. Pierce's mother ran an apartment complex, and in this American setting, nobody dared to cause trouble, especially in these times, which held a certain power.
Thus, in these nearly three years in the United States, apart from studying, Zhang Hao mainly focused on basketball... The key point was that he performed well in the state high school league, which gave him a unique personal charm at school... This wasn't important; what mattered was his training, which was quite impressive. Coaches liked players of this type, so they diligently guided Zhang Hao. Compared to college coaches, high school coaches truly work out of passion; their role is to be physical education teachers, and while they don't get payment, they certainly have authority. The robust foundations of American sports are largely related to this; in college, high school, and even middle school sports clubs, coaches are akin to gods.
Under the guidance of professional high school coaches, Zhang Hao's shooting fundamentals were quite strong. America's basketball foundation is roughly equivalent to China's table tennis foundation. The American high school basketball team, especially renowned teams like Inglewood High School's, is comparable to a city-level or slightly weaker provincial youth table tennis team in China, of course comparing each sport within its context.
It can be said that Zhang Hao, at only 18 years old, already had an excellent mid-range shot. Indeed, Scott Collins, the head coach of Inglewood High School, who was guiding freshman players in basic training nearby, was very pleased with Zhang Hao's mid-range practice — he was talented and diligent.
However, Zhang Hao had a clear understanding that, at the NBA level, his mid-range shot was only at an average mid-level, which he found lacking.
Yet, head coach Scott Collins was consistently satisfied with Zhang Hao's mid-range shot. In the California high school league, Zhang Hao's mid-range was top-notch. Playing three to four years in college, with solid fundamentals and athletic ability, Scott Collins believed Zhang Hao had a chance of being selected in the mid to late first round of the NBA draft as a superb ready-to-play athlete.
But the problem was that Zhang Hao's prospects for joining a college basketball team were bleak. Scott Collins pulled some strings, and only some Division I universities were willing to offer Zhang Hao partial basketball scholarships. As for a full basketball scholarship... when many NBA fans read about undrafted players getting full scholarships, they might think it's easy to get one. In reality, those undrafted players might be among the top 1000 basketball players globally.
No university was really willing to try giving a full basketball scholarship to a Chinese high school student, even though Zhang Hao's high school performance was exceptional. It's not unheard of for state basketball champions to play poorly after entering college...
Scott Collins felt quite helpless; he had led top American middle school basketball players to China for a friendship match and spotted Zhang Hao, only to find out that skin color and nationality were limiting Zhang Hao's growth.
While Scott Collins was lamenting Zhang Hao's situation, he received a phone call. He paused his guidance for the freshman rookies to answer it.
On the other side, while training, Zhang Hao found it incredible!
After each shot, it was as if someone was pointing out which part of his motion wasn't standardized enough, which muscle groups were not fully exerted, or couldn't freely exert strength to make the best shot... He could easily identify what he needed to strengthen in his mid-range shot!
Which force action needed enhancment and why a lack of strength in certain areas prevented shooting improvement... He seemed to know it all!
After practicing three sets of 150 mid-range shots in total, Zhang Hao went straight to the gym to train his latissimus dorsi and core muscles, considering the shooting as a warm-up.
Throughout the process, Zhang Hao was trying hard to suppress his excitement, keeping calm during training, to avoid injuries, especially while using equipment. It was crucial to stay uninjured at this moment.
The coach's guidance was good, but a coach wasn't oneself, otherwise anyone who struggled with shooting could just find a coach to teach them. Shooting wasn't something that could be purely taught.
Scott Collins was dedicated to guiding Zhang Hao's shooting, and he believed Zhang Hao's mid-range was already outstanding. However, he still felt Zhang Hao needed three to four years in college to hone his fundamentals. The main reason was that Zhang Hao needed more training, more games, to figure out on his own what aspects of his shooting needed enhancement, whether it be muscle groups or force details.
Zhang Hao felt that originally, he might have needed at least two to three years to gradually train his shooting to a professional level, as he had previously improved his shooting by altering force details and strengthening his muscle training, reaching a good mid-range level in the NBA not from the start but through gradual improvement, realizing which areas needed enhancement usually took quite some time; other times were purely for practice, constant practice.