NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 506 sent photos.

The Running Man's journey to the West has sparked two major discussions within the league.

Firstly, there are those fans who previously criticized him for not daring to go to the Western Conference. There's been a persistent argument that Running Man (a popular Chinese actor) was afraid to go to the West because, since being drafted by the Cavaliers in 03, he'd only played twice, never reaching the Western Conference. Combined with his numerous runner-up finishes, many fans joked that he was afraid to go to the West because it's a cutthroat environment where even making the playoffs is difficult.

But now, the Running Man actor has actually come to the West, and he didn't join any of the three top Western Conference teams—the Clippers, Warriors, or Rockets—but instead joined the Lakers, a team that hasn't made the playoffs in years. That's interesting. Didn't he say he was afraid to go to the West? Didn't he say he only dared to stay in the East during his prime? Why did he come to the West later in his career?

Of course, these fans quickly offered their explanations, saying that Running Man's return to the West was a deliberate act of tanking, purely a business move—for school district housing, to sell shoes and jerseys, to develop Rich Paul's agency, and so on. Basically, there were many motives, not related to basketball.

Secondly, will anyone still watch the Eastern Conference next season?

For years, if it weren't for Running Man being in the Eastern Conference, the ratings and buzz surrounding both the regular season and playoffs would have been abysmal. Teams like the Raptors with their "Trash Brothers" and the 76ers with their "Tim Blazers" generated far too little buzz. If it weren't for the Cavaliers, where Running Man is based, many fans wouldn't even bother watching the Eastern Conference playoffs. Now that Running Man has moved to the West, will the Eastern Conference still need national broadcasts next season? Will the Christmas Day games still be scheduled?

This is definitely not what the league wants to see. What the league wants to see is not the emergence of an absolute powerhouse, but rather a larger overall league structure, a more balanced East and West, more exciting games, and a greater number of fans watching the games.

But man proposes, God disposes. The eastern part of the country is in such a terrible state of depression that I really don't know what to say.

The Running Man cast coming to the West doesn't bother Jia Fei. Whether they come or not is irrelevant; no one can stop him from defending his title. Anyone who tries to stop him will be crushed!

Jia Fei's perfect championship win last season, along with countless accolades, has made Barkley, who has always criticized him, much more subdued lately. It's understandable; Barkley had previously wanted to be more high-profile, but he was shut down by Shaquille O'Neal while making fun of Jia Fei on a show together…

O'Neal's exact words were: "Charles, you keep saying that Jia Fei is no good at this or that, but he has a ring, do you have a ring?"

Barkley was speechless. If O'Neal were talking about skills, he could force himself to admit he had them, but a championship ring? He truly didn't have one…

Since Jia Fei won the championship in June, the number of people criticizing him has decreased dramatically. This proves that when things are going smoothly for you, it's difficult for critics to find a good opening.

In mid-to-late July, Jia Fei became busy again, as he had to cooperate with the shooting of advertisements for various brands. The "Jia Fei 5th Generation" signature shoe will also be launched in the new season. Nike is also actively communicating with him, and this time they want to incorporate elements related to the Clippers' championship.

Jia Fei's agent, Jeff Schwartz, is also very busy. He has more than just Jia Fei as a client. While players have plenty of time during the offseason, his time has become very tight.

"Mr. Jia, we'll arrange a trip to China for you in August. Is this itinerary acceptable?" Jeff Schwartz always respected his clients' opinions, and Jia Fei was one of his biggest clients, so he naturally couldn't make decisions for him casually.

"I have no problem with that. Let me know when the time is set!" Jia Fei agreed. Before his transmigration, he had never left China. Every time he went back, he felt a deep sense of reluctance to leave. Here, he always felt like a wanderer; only in China did he feel like he was coming home.

As the saying goes, "People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat!" After Jia Fei won the championship with the Clippers, his fame in the NBA and in the American sports world reached its peak since he entered the league. Coupled with his Chinese identity, he became a hot commodity in the eyes of many businesses, and many people came to him for cooperation, keeping him extremely busy.

One day in late July, Jia Fei had just finished a day's schedule, which included an advertisement shoot, a new store opening ceremony, and a cocktail party in the evening. He didn't want to move at all when he got home.

He's already planning to have his agent, Jeff Schwartz, reduce some of these kinds of activities; damn, it's too tiring, even more tiring than playing a game.

Just as he was about to wash up and go to bed, he found that someone had sent him a message.

There aren't many people who can contact him privately, and his contact information hasn't been made public. Otherwise, if fans knew that he would be busy communicating with fans all day long, he wouldn't have to do anything else.

When Jia Fei opened his phone, he saw that the message wasn't from any of his friends, his agent, his teammates, or his coach, but from Zhou Ling'an.

Zhou Ling'an texted him late at night, which left Jia Fei somewhat amused and exasperated. What was this female basketball reporter up to?

Curiosity compelled Jia Fei to examine the message closely. The message contained only a few words, but the image following the string of words intensified his doubts.

"Hi Jia Fei, I told you last time I'd introduce you to a girlfriend. I've sent you her picture, take a look (cute emoji)." That's what Zhou Ling'an's message was like.

"..." Jia Fei was also a little confused when he saw this message. If Zhou Ling'an hadn't sent him the message, he would have forgotten that he agreed to let her introduce him to a girlfriend.

I didn't expect them to remember, and they actually introduced me to them...

Jia Fei scratched his head and opened the picture that Zhou Ling'an had sent him.

This is a high-resolution photo; when zoomed in, even the fine hairs on the girl's face are clearly visible.

The photo is a graduation photo, and judging from the style of the graduation gown, it's probably from the United States, not China.

The girl in the photo is very pretty. Unlike many glamorous and feminine girls, this girl has a masculine handsomeness.

The photos haven't been heavily edited, making them look very real. Also, the girl doesn't appear to be wearing much makeup, so you can clearly see her natural features.

Overall, this girl is quite pretty, especially the stubborn look in the upturned corners of her mouth, which is very distinctive and definitely not a generic face.

But... even if she's a beautiful woman, what does that prove?

Jia Fei has seen plenty of beautiful women; he's a basketball superstar, and he's seen all kinds of beauties, whether they're yellow, white, black, or mixed-race.