NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 342 A Unique Birthday Gift

At the start of the season, Jia Fei became a member of the "uniform group," but not the coaching staff; he was on the injury list. He never imagined he would become a long-term member of this group, and this feeling was certainly unpleasant.

But there's no way around it; you gain some things and you lose some things. It's fair.

In the adult world, there's no such thing as perfection. Wanting C++ skills and a delicate, charming figure, wanting to appear innocent on the outside but also be wild and unrestrained on the inside—it's inherently contradictory.

Although Jia Fei doesn't play, head coach Budenholzer still occasionally consults with him about game plans. For Budenholzer, having Jia Fei on the team makes him feel especially at ease.

The Hawks' record is relatively stable, but the absence of Jia Fei still poses occasional risks. Jia Fei remembers that the Hawks' record this season was quite good in his previous life, but judging from the current situation, this Hawks team's record might not be as good as it was at the same time in his previous life. The reason is simple: his addition has triggered a butterfly effect, and his teammates have developed a certain dependence on him over the past two seasons. If he suddenly stops playing, the team will need time to re-establish its playing style, even if the team's system is so complete.

The Hawks' record is decent; at least they haven't fallen out of the top 8 in the Eastern Conference, while the Warriors, their opponent in last season's Finals, have seen their record take off.

Just like in Jia Fei's previous life, the Warriors' record has taken off this season. Curry is unstoppable, and Green looks like an enhanced version of Running Man. Klay Thompson is incredibly accurate, and Iguodala and Barnes are in exceptionally good form.

Kerr is showing off more and more often; in December alone, he smashed two tactical boards.

Some are jokingly saying that the Warriors may not have a chance for revenge, because the Hawks are unlikely to make it to the Finals.

This isn't meant to be sarcastic. Given the Hawks' current level of competitiveness, making the playoffs is highly probable, but even getting past the first round seems uncertain. Forget the NBA Finals; their chances of even reaching the Eastern Conference Finals are extremely low.

Time flies, and Christmas is just around the corner. Although Jia Fei is not playing, the league still arranged a Christmas game between the Hawks and the Warriors.

The game was one-sided, with the Warriors completely dominating the Hawks, who were utterly thrashed and reduced to mere calves...

This game exposed the Hawks' weaknesses. While the team isn't bad without Jia Fei, they are completely outmatched by top-tier teams in the league.

Time flew by and it was now 2016…

Jia Fei is 24 years old now...

Time flies so fast!

When Jia Fei transmigrated, he was just a 19-year-old young man! But now, he's already a big brother!

Although Jia Fei doesn't play in competitions, his popularity remains high, and his merchandise sells like hotcakes, giving the Hawks a significant boost.

March 3rd arrived, Jia Fei's 24th birthday.

He's not someone who cares about birthday celebrations, even though he received a lot of gifts. Many of these gifts were sent to him by fans; they included all sorts of things, like clothes, sneakers, underwear, and even a 001 inflatable baby.

The more imaginative the fans are, the more abundant the gifts will be.

After the party at the restaurant, Jia Fei got home quite late.

At Jia Fei's house, Art Mayork also brought out his gifts.

It was an unassuming gift, but it was exactly what Jia Fei had in mind.

A photo of Jia Fei on the court shows his jersey style unclear. He is surrounded by Art Mayok, Kemba Walker, and Lamb. Obviously, the other players were photoshopped in.

This means it's "brotherhood basketball," and the unclear jersey design means it's uncertain where they are or which team they belong to.

"Ate, I really like this gift!" Jia Fei's eyes shone. This seemingly dull and slow-witted best friend was the one who understood him best.

“Jia, wherever you go, I’ll go, as long as the team wants me!” Art Mayork said earnestly.

“Of course, if I go, you’ll definitely go too. If they don’t sign you, they can forget about signing me!” Jia Fei said with a smile and a determined look in his eyes.

“Yes!” Art Mayork was delighted.

In the NBA, nepotism is not uncommon; in fact, it's quite common. For example, the Running Man cast brought James Jones with them when they went to the Cavaliers, and the same thing happened to Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother in Jia Fei's previous life.

Art Mayork is a capable player, and he has the ability to rotate in, so it's a bit of a stretch to completely consider him a nepotism hire.

However, Danny Ferry's early signing of Art Mayok to a very small contract played a crucial role in recruiting Jia Fei. In this respect, Art Mayok's ability to secure a contract and survive in the NBA truly relied on Jia Fei's connections.

Jia Fei really wanted to play basketball with his brothers. He didn't have a concept of hometown in the United States, so hometown basketball was out of the question. But basketball with his brothers was very appealing to him.

Kemba Walker had previously suggested that he and Art Mayok join the Hornets next season, and he had considered it. But the thought of playing under Jordan made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to be a sycophant, even if it was just to fulfill his wish.

Besides, brotherhood basketball doesn't necessarily mean playing in Charlotte or under Jordan. And even if we take a step back, would Jordan really let him have his way? Not necessarily.

He wants to find a team that can fulfill his wishes and is competitive enough to respect his desires and allow him to do what he wants, just like Harden did with the Rockets.

Jia Fei knew that Harden was like an emperor to the Rockets. He could stay overnight in whichever city he wanted, and if he wanted to party at nightclubs in away games, the team had to stay overnight. He was the undisputed leader of the team, and the team gave him the highest level of freedom. In this respect, neither Running Man nor Little Blacksmith could compare to him.

Jia Fei didn't want to be a ball hog; he just wanted more power, the power of a superstar.

Clearly, after the Hawks fired Danny Ferry, the team's management did not take his demands seriously. The team had its own ideas and plans, which were completely beyond his control.

The Hornets, on the other hand, are Jordan's team. The general manager is like a puppet. As a free agent, even if he is a top star in the league, how can he escape Jordan's control?

Jordan is a very controlling man. Such a man would never allow anyone to share his power unless he is no longer the owner of the team.

Before we knew it, the season was nearing its end. The Hawks' record was pretty good, and making the playoffs shouldn't be a problem. Now it all comes down to the final standings.

On April 14, the Hawks finished their final regular season game. Their record stood at 43 wins and 39 losses.

They edged out the Bulls to rank 8th in the Eastern Conference, securing the last playoff spot in the East.