NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 246 The Season's Goal is the Championship

"Hello Jia Fei, it's a pleasure to have this opportunity to interview you again!" Zhou Ling'an truly lives up to her title of "China's Kardashian"—she has a stunning figure and alluring eyes; she's simply a stunner.

"Not at all, thank you so much for coming all this way to interview me, I'm very grateful!" Jia Fei said politely.

The interview begins.

"Jia Fei, Chinese fans are eager to ask you about your impressions of China. We heard you visited China in July," Zhou Ling'an said with a smile.

Jia Fei smiled and said, "China is developing very fast, and the fans are very enthusiastic. We went to Beijing and Shanghai, and I am very satisfied with this trip."

"Would you go again if you had the chance?" Zhou Ling'an asked.

"Of course, I will go again. Next time, I will probably choose a different city. China is a vast country with many interesting places to visit. I am really looking forward to my next trip to China." Jia Fei said sincerely, and he truly meant it.

"We made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, so what are our goals for this season?" Zhou Ling'an asked.

"The champion!" Jia Fei answered without hesitation.

"The Cavaliers have gradually formed a Big Three this season. What are your thoughts on this?" Zhou Ling'an asked.

"No matter how many superstars there are, basketball doesn't lie. Those who don't work hard enough will never make it to the end. If it's a difficult curve to overtake, it's easy to crash!" Jia Fei said seriously.

"What are your goals for individual awards this season?" Zhou Ling'an continued to ask.

"Last season I was selected for the Second and Third All-Defensive Teams, and this season I want to make the First and Third All-Defensive Teams!" Jia Fei said.

"Many fans are concerned about your love life. Is it convenient for you to share some information?" Zhou Ling'an's eyes sparkled.

Jia Fei sighed that gossip is truly a woman's nature, just as lust is a man's nature.

"I'm single now!" Jia Fei didn't beat around the bush. He's a celebrity now, and the media knows whether he has a woman in his life before his close friends do.

The interview went smoothly, and Zhou Ling'an returned home satisfied.

After the interview, Art Mayor looked at Jia Fei meaningfully and said, "Jia, that beautiful reporter who interviewed you was really sexy. Do you like that type?"

"Uh... this type... I won't tell you!" Jia Fei blinked, not answering directly.

The following day, the Hawks' team training camp officially began, and the entire team started preparing for the new season.

Coach Buden remains as serious and refined as ever. Although they didn't make it to the Finals last season, leading the team to the Conference Finals in his rookie coaching debut was a result that management could be quite satisfied with. Next season, he will have more pressure on his shoulders. If they are eliminated in the first round or even fail to make the playoffs, his job may be in jeopardy...

The position of an NBA coach is not secure. This is not the NCAA, where coaches have high authority. Here, coaches are just high-level employees, often the primary person responsible for the team's performance and the first scapegoat when the team has problems.

The core asset of this league is its superstars, not its coaches. This is why many star players can do whatever they want, because teams often fawn over them. A coach's job is not secure; it's often precarious. Their success is not only tied to the team's record but also to managing the locker room. Failure in either area can result in their dismissal.

The Hawks have a great spirit. The team is relatively young overall, and the oldest starter, Korver, is known in the league for his excellent professionalism. Team leaders Jafi and Horford also train hard, so the other players naturally don't dare to do anything underhanded.

The new season hasn't even started yet, but many media outlets have already begun making predictions about the NBA champion. Undoubtedly, the Cavaliers, with their newly formed Big Three, have instantly transformed from a bottom-feeder team into a championship favorite. Last season's champions, the Spurs, are naturally also a championship contender. This team still has its Big Three (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili), Gregg Popovich at the helm, and young players like Kawhi Leonard developing; their stability is as reliable as body temperature.

The second tier of championship contenders includes the Thunder, who lost to Durant and Westbrook in the Western Conference Finals last season, and the Heat, who finished as runners-up with Pochettino and Wade.

The third tier of championship contenders includes the Hawks, who reached the conference finals last season; the Clippers, the "Lob City" of the West; and the Rockets, who have the "Modern Duo".

Jia Fei didn't think this prediction was meaningful. In his previous life, the Heat didn't even make the playoffs this season, while the Warriors, who were overlooked, rose to become the best team in the league. The Pacers, who were first in the East last season, didn't even make the playoffs this season.

On the third day of training camp, the Hawks began full-court scrimmages.

According to the grouping for the competitive training, Jia Fei, Horford, Milner, Teague, and Korver were in one group, and the others were in another group.

It is clear that these five players will most likely be the starting lineup for the new season.

This is not surprising. This lineup started for most of last season. The only uncertainty now is the rotation. According to the regular season's 10-man rotation, Schroder and Carroll are basically guaranteed to be in the rotation, while the other three positions are uncertain.

The veteran captain, Art Mayork, and Antić will compete for two rotation spots in the frontcourt, while Cup Cat, Sefolosha, and Scott will compete for one wing spot.

Coach Budenholzer will also face a "happy dilemma"—he has a lot of available players. In this situation, it's ideal to have smaller bills instead of larger ones; four 10-yuan bills are less useful than two 20-yuan bills, because in a basketball game, only five players can play at a time. In the playoffs, as teams start using shorter rotations, the advantage of bench depth will be further diminished.

The problem is that good players won't be traded for you unless you offer draft picks or something of equal value. That makes things difficult, which is why many teams that manage to land big names in free agency are so happy. They get their developed stars for free, losing nothing – isn't that great?

On October 5, the Hawks announced the end of their training camp. They will have a day off before their first preseason game will be against the New Orleans Pelicans at home on October 7.

On October 6th, Jia Fei received his autographed basketball shoes—the Jia Fei 10—delivered to his home by Nike. The company wasn't lying; they did indeed deliver autographed shoes to their major clients before the start of the season.

Jia Fei wore the "Jia Fei Generation 1" and felt so good he almost took off... This basketball shoe is a low-top with excellent grip, making it very suitable for fast perimeter players. It's very comfortable to wear, truly a tailor-made design!