freenovelworld Chapter 570 The 4th MVP
Chapter 570 The 4th MVP
After the awards ceremony, the question of where Jia Fei currently ranks in history sparked heated discussions in the media. That's how the media works; with a long off-season and no games to talk about, they create topics to generate buzz. If they can get focused discussion from fans and generate traffic, that's even better.
To date, Jia Fei's main honors are as follows:
NBA Honors:
Most Improved Player: 2013-14 season
常规赛MVP：2014-15赛季、2016-17赛季、2017-18赛季、2018-19赛季
NBA总冠军：2014-15赛季、2017-18赛季、2018-19赛季
FMVP：2014-15赛季、2017-18赛季、2018-19赛季
最佳阵容：2013-14赛季（三阵）、2014-15赛季（一阵）、2016-17赛季（一阵）、2017-18赛季（一阵）、2018-19赛季（一阵）
最佳防守阵容：2013-14赛季（二防）2014-15赛季（一防）、2016-17赛季（一防）、2017-18赛季（一防）、2018-19赛季（一防）
Defensive Player of the Year: 2017-18 season, 2018-19 season
NBA全明星：2013-14赛季、2014-15赛季、2016-17赛季、2017-18赛季、2018-19赛季
All-Star Game MVP: 2017-18 season
得分王：2016-17赛季、2017-18赛季、2018-19赛季
抢断王：2014-15赛季、2016-17赛季、2017-18赛季、2018-19赛季
Clearly, Jia Fei's closest accolade to date is from Running Man, so after winning the regular season title last season, his place in the top ten all-time is practically guaranteed. However, to break into the top five or even the top three, he'll need to win another championship or increase his MVP awards.
It's important to understand that the top 5 players in NBA history all have a plethora of MVPs and championships, so it's all about quantity. Quantity leads to quality; without a sufficient number of achievements, one cannot be recognized as one of the top 5 all-time.
As for the number of scoring titles and steals titles that some fans mentioned, these are just minor honors. The scoring title is not even as prestigious as the All-NBA First Team title, let alone the MVP award.
If Jia Fei wants to elevate his historical standing, he needs to increase his core honors. These minor honors can only serve as icing on the cake when he is competing with his rivals.
After the draft, Jeff Green approached Jia Fei and invited him to dinner.
Jia Fei gladly accepted the invitation. He knew very well that Jeff Green wouldn't invite him to dinner for no reason; there must be something he wanted to say.
"Jay, I'm really grateful that you found me and invited me to join last offseason. I'm truly thankful!" Jeff Green said, his voice trembling with emotion, clearly from the bottom of his heart.
"Jeff, you don't need to be so polite. I've said it before, you played a part in this championship. Without you, we might not have won. You're one of the heroes of our victory, and you deserve it!" Jia Fei didn't hold back his praise; he deeply respected the man before him. This man had undergone heart surgery, and many thought he would never play basketball again, yet he became a crucial member of their championship-winning roster. Both of them had played for the Thunder, and although they weren't officially teammates, they were connected in a way.
"To be frank, Jerry contacted me, hoping I would re-sign. I appreciate the team's offer, but I said I wanted to talk to Ja before making a decision!" Jeff Green said.
"Oh, I see!" Jia Fei realized this was the real issue. The Clippers offered Jeff Green a minimum salary contract extension, not because they were unwilling to offer a bigger deal, but because they genuinely lacked cap space. Jeff Green signed a minimum salary contract with the Clippers last season, which meant the Clippers didn't have his Bird rights, making a cap-free extension impossible. The only way to extend his contract was with a minimum salary or a non-guaranteed contract, unless the team could free up salary cap space.
Jia Fei's decision to draft Jeff Green in the draft was also a preparation for his departure. After all, he had already won a championship, and it's understandable that he would pursue more money if other teams offered him a bigger contract. Using morality to blackmail someone is unethical. For a player like Jeff Green, if he can't be retained, Jia Fei feels that all he can do is wish him well!
“Jeff, if another team offers you a contract that you're happy with, I hope you'll seriously consider it. I really want to play alongside you, but we still need to consider practical matters. You know our team can't offer you a big contract,” Jia Fei said sincerely.
Unexpectedly, Jia Fei spoke his mind, which made Jeff Green feel very comfortable. He had been wondering how to tell him!
“Jeff, whatever you choose, I respect your decision. You will always be a member of our 2018-19 season championship team, and that will never change!” Jia Fei said with a smile.
The meeting with Jeff Green was pleasant, although no agreement was reached. Jia Fei knew that even if Jeff Green really left, he wouldn't feel it was the end of the world for the team. He had already prepared a Plan B to deal with such a high-probability event.
This year's free agent market will be the busiest in recent years, with many star players' contracts expiring, and their destinations will be a major point of interest. The moves of some of these superstars could even reshape the league's landscape.
Big Fish Number One – Kawhi Leonard, the expressionless guy. Leonard's Raptors were swept by the Clippers in the Finals last season, and given his own dislike for playing in the cold Toronto climate, it's highly likely he'll leave the Raptors for a stronger team. The question is where he'll choose to go; he'll definitely go to a strong team, otherwise he could stay with the Raptors. The problem with strong teams is that few can offer him a max contract. Where he goes this summer is definitely something to watch!
The second "big fish" – Kevin Durant. Durant won a championship with the Warriors, so his efforts weren't in vain. However, the consecutive defeats by the Clippers in the last two seasons have significantly reduced his chances of winning another title with the Warriors. Coupled with injuries and a lack of genuine recognition, being treated as an outsider by the Warriors' Big Three, especially Draymond Green, and seen as a mercenary by fans, it's understandable that he feels rooted there. Finding a team where he can truly be himself, a team with him as the absolute core, might be another way out. However, the possibility of him re-signing still exists, because such teams are not easy to find.
The third "big fish" – Kyrie Irving. With the Celtics failing to live up to his potential, he didn't seem to mesh well with the young star duo. His dribbling is still flashy, but his leadership qualities haven't improved. His departure from the Cavaliers revealed he's fundamentally unsuitable as a leader, and the Celtics will undoubtedly build their team around the young stars, making his departure highly probable. Where he'll go? Ask the gods!