NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 42 The scene changes too fast

"Your alley-oop dunk last time was on the top ten plays of the day, it was so cool!" Kemba Walker said.

"Really? That's right, I'm going to be a yellow-skinned flying man!" Jia Fei didn't pay attention to the top ten plays of the day, but he was very confident in his current jumping ability.

"Jia, as a friend, I still want to give you some advice. I think you shouldn't worry about not being in the rotation yet. Just be prepared and seize the opportunity when it comes. Keep a good mindset!" Kemba Walker gave his advice.

"Yes, I received it, thank you Kemba! You should also keep up the good work, you'll definitely become a starting player and an All-Star in the future!" Jia Fei also offered his blessings. Kemba Walker's advice was indeed heartfelt, for his own good, although his mentality had always been very good.

In this game, due to an injury to Thunder guard Eric Melo, Reggie Jackson was informed by the coaching staff that he would be in the rotation.

Reggie was overjoyed; his chance had finally come!

Jia Fei's chance hasn't come yet. The team's wing players are all healthy, so he won't have much of a chance. It's not that he's cursing his teammates to get injured, but the current situation is that if his teammates don't get injured, he won't be able to play in regular time.

本场比赛，雷吉替补登场了10分钟，得到4分2个助攻。肯巴·沃克则是替补打了22分钟，得到11分3个助攻。

Ultimately, the Thunder relied on their superior strength to defeat the Bobcats in a back-to-back game, achieving their fifth consecutive victory.

After the game, Jia Fei immediately ran to the away team's bench and hugged Kemba Walker. This time they parted ways, and it would be a while before they met again. He hadn't checked the schedule, but Eastern and Western Conference teams usually only had two meetings a season, and this season was a shortened one, so he wondered if it would only be one.

After this match, Jia Fei did not get any playing time in the next four games. On the other hand, Reggie got playing time continuously, although his average playing time was only about 10 minutes per game. It was clear that the team intended to develop him, but the development efforts were not very strong.

The date was January 24th, and the Thunder hosted the Pistons. In this game, the fourth quarter again became garbage time, and Jia Fei finally made his appearance!

贾飞在3分41秒的垃圾时间里表现依然出色，得到6分3个篮板3次助攻2个抢断，依然是那个垃圾时间的战神。

He completed a windmill dunk during the game, stunning the audience once again. But his memories are still quite limited.

Jia Fei did not play in the remaining matches in January.

This period has been quite grueling for him. He has to be prepared at all times to perform well during limited garbage time. Maintaining his form without consistent playing time is also difficult. He needs to become a microwave-like player, because even if he gets into the rotation in the future, he certainly won't have much playing time initially. The team needs him to perform immediately upon entering the game, without giving him much time or opportunity to find his rhythm.

February has arrived...

All-Star voting was in full swing, but none of it concerned Jia Fei. He had no chance of being selected for the All-Star game, not even in the All-Star Rookie Challenge. For him, the only possibility of participating in the All-Star game was in an individual competition.

On February 5th, after the Thunder's narrow loss to the Spurs on the road, Jia Fei was interviewed by reporters in the locker room. He was surprised that reporters would specifically come to interview him, considering he hadn't played for a long time and that they had lost this game.

"Hello, Jia, what are your thoughts on this match?" the reporter asked.

"..." Jia Fei was speechless. What opinion could I possibly have? I'm just a benchwarmer, what use would my opinion be?

"It's a pity we made a mistake at the last moment. That's how games are. The season is long, and anyone can have ups and downs!" Jia Fei said a lot of nonsense because he really didn't have much to say.

"Jia, have you been following Jeremy Lin? He put up 25+5+7 in yesterday's game against the Nets!" The reporter suddenly changed the subject and started talking about Jeremy Lin.

Jia Fei nodded: "I know, he's an Asian like me. His performance yesterday was truly amazing, completely unstoppable." He knew that this was the beginning of Linsanity, the same Linsanity that started in his previous life.

"What are your thoughts on his upcoming matches? Was his performance yesterday a sudden burst of talent?" the reporter asked again.

“I think he will continue to shine; he has the ability!” Jia Fei said.

"How do you see yourself in the future? Do you hope to have the same opportunities as Jeremy?" The reporter then shifted the topic to him.

"Of course, I also hope to get the opportunity. I hope that we Asians can make a name for ourselves in the NBA!" Jia Fei said earnestly.

This wasn't just polite talk; that's what he truly thought. He and Jeremy Lin didn't have any connection; they just happened to be born in Los Angeles and were both Asian.

He did not play in the following games because there were no garbage time periods.

Just like in his previous life, Jeremy Lin continued his explosive performances, officially launching the "Linsanity" journey.

February 14th is Valentine's Day, and Jia Fei, being a single guy, naturally didn't have a date. Reggie didn't have a date either, so the two of them simply spent the whole day in the training gym.

During this period, Reggie got a series of playing opportunities due to Eric Melo's injury. Although his playing time was limited, it was much better than sitting on the bench.

After training, the two took a shower and went to a restaurant to eat.

“Jia, the All-Star Game is about to start, did you know that?” Reggie asked.

"I know, but the All-Star Game has nothing to do with me!" Jia Fei said truthfully; it really had nothing to do with him. He actually wished it did, as he needed to complete his All-Star Game mission, but unfortunately, he couldn't complete it for the time being.

“You can participate in individual competitions! Like the skills challenge or the dunk contest!” Reggie said.

"Russ from our team went to the Skills Challenge, but I didn't receive an invitation to the Slam Dunk Contest, and the roster has already been finalized!" Jia Fei shrugged helplessly.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I can't participate either; I'm not on the Rising Stars Challenge roster!" Reggie seemed a bit frustrated, clearly wanting to participate as well. All-Star Weekend—which rookie wouldn't want to join in the fun?

Three days later, on February 17th, Jia Fei suddenly received a call from the league inviting him to participate in the dunk contest...