NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 185 Why Don't You Take One City Alone?

Back home, Jia Fei logged into the system to check his task list. He remembered accepting a task related to the All-Star game. Sure enough, the task "Become an All-Star starter" was now marked as completed.

Jia Fei received 5000 points as a reward for completing the task!

With the points he had in his account before, plus these 5000 points, he now has a total of points in his account. He spent these points to increase his "Iverson Peak Skill Integration" from 50% to 54%!

Clearly, the points required to increase the integration level from 50% to 60% have increased again, now requiring 6000 points to increase by 1%!

But there's nothing you can do; even if it requires a 1% increase in points, you have to accept it. There's no room for negotiation; either you don't want to merge at all.

It's like you've already taken your pants off, and someone says they want 0.1W per session. Would you say no? Would you? Ask yourself honestly, could you really resist? Are you a ninja?

On January 25th, the Hawks suffered a crushing defeat at home to the Spurs...

The impact of Horford's season-ending injury is still quite evident, especially against strong teams like the Spurs. The veteran captain was completely outplayed by Duncan. The two are clearly from the same generation, but the captain looks like he's a full decade older than Duncan.

It has to be said that Duncan is a historically great power forward, while Captain America is just an average All-Star. As for Popovich, he really protected Duncan very well, and his control over players' playing time was simply insane.

In this respect, the old thief's disciple, Budden, still has a long way to go...

On January 26, the Hawks defeated the Bucks on the road, avoiding a losing streak.

After playing the Bucks on the road, the Hawks headed to Oklahoma City for their next game against the Thunder.

On the private plane to Oklahoma City, Art Mayor said to Jia Fei, "Jia, now that we're in Oklahoma City, will you miss the days there?"

Jia Fei nodded, not hiding his emotions: "Of course I will. I stayed there for two years. I really like that city. Although it's not bustling, it's very quiet and has fewer temptations, making it a good place to train in peace."

“Jeremy’s there too. If you’re not there, he might not have as many movies to watch!” Art Mayork laughed.

Jia Fei curled his lip: "You underestimate him. He already texted me asking for the torrent. If you have the resources, you should introduce him to a girlfriend. It's not good to keep looking at this stuff. Young people should go out and socialize more, otherwise they're prone to developing autism."

Art Mayork looked bewildered: "Are you kidding me? I don't even have a girlfriend myself..."

Jia Fei: "This..."

The Hawks' private plane landed at the airport in Oklahoma City, and the team members took a bus to their hotel.

That evening, Jia Fei, Art Mayok, Reggie, and Lamb went to a bar in Oklahoma City.

On the court, you're opponents, but off the court, you can be friends. NBA games aren't wars between two countries; there's no rule against players from opposing teams meeting before a game. Everyone's just doing their job. Do you really think there are any secrets in basketball?

After leaving the bar, Jia Fei said goodbye to Lamb and the others. Just as he was about to hail a taxi, a loud shout caught the attention of Jia Fei and Art Mayork.

Jia Fei turned his head and saw a male fan wearing a Thunder No. 3 jersey.

The fan was a white man with blond curly hair and a chubby build. He excitedly shouted, "Jia Fei, are you Jia Fei?"

"I am Jia Feixing!" He didn't change his name or surname. People had already called him by his name. Did he think he was not Jia Feixing and that they had mistaken him for someone else?

"I don't understand, I can't accept it! Why did you abandon us? You could have stayed, why did you leave Oklahoma City for another team?" The fan became more and more agitated as he spoke. Judging from his clothes and reaction, he was probably a loyal Thunder fan and likely quite fond of Jia Fei, because he still kept Jia Fei's jersey from his time with the Thunder.

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Art Mayor rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach the chubby boy a lesson, but Jia Fei stopped him.

"I didn't abandon you guys, I just went to another team after my contract ended. I wanted to stay too, but I also wanted a bigger contract and better development. I hope you understand!" Jia Fei said patiently.

"But you could have accepted the contract the Thunder offered you! Are you really willing to give up everything here for money? Can't you be like Dirk and Kobe, playing for one team?" The chubby fan clearly didn't accept Jia Fei's explanation; he thought Jia Fei was too selfish.

Jia Fei didn't want to explain to such a person; it was a complete waste of breath. He smiled slightly, leaving the chubby fan going crazy under the streetlight.

On the way back, Jia Fei didn't say anything. When they arrived at the hotel, Art Mayor, worried that he was in a bad mood, tried to comfort him: "Don't pay attention to that idiot's nonsense, don't take it too seriously."

Jia Fei smiled slightly: "I didn't care. I was just thinking, why do some fans so naively believe that players should be absolutely loyal to the team? Loyalty is mutual. If the team doesn't give the players enough respect and talks about feelings without considering their treatment, then it's just being a scoundrel."

Art Mayork nodded: "I also think that if role players are traded or cut by a team, can they expect the team to stick with them forever? Only a few superstars have the right to truly be loyal to one team for one player!"

"Yes, I will not be morally blackmailed. I am perfectly clear-headed!" Jia Fei said calmly.

Jia Fei didn't hate that fan. He just felt the fan's perspective was different from the players' and the team's. They mistakenly believed players could play for love and loyalty without any commitment. But players also need to make a living, and their careers are short-lived. What happens when they get old if they play for love when they're young? Will someone else play for them? Will anyone?

On the evening of January 28, at the Ford Center, the home arena of the Thunder.

During the pre-game practice session, this game marked Jia Fei's first visit since leaving the Thunder, and the attendance was extremely high, with tickets becoming very difficult to obtain.

Given that Jia Fei has just been selected as an All-Star starter and is currently enjoying great popularity, his return to his former team's home court makes his game even more of a topic of discussion.

If Jia Fei had simply faded into obscurity after leaving the team, his "return home" probably wouldn't have caused any stir. But now that he's transformed from a sparrow into a phoenix, the situation is naturally different.

Before the game, in the visiting team's locker room, Hawks head coach Budenholzer thoughtfully asked Jia Fei, "Jia, if you feel any pressure coming back to this court, just tell me."

Looking at the coach's concerned eyes, Jia Fei felt warm. This guy really is a warm-hearted man.

"I'm fine, Coach. I have no psychological burden. I will try my best to help the team win!" Jia Fei's smile was calm and confident, which reassured Coach Buden.