NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 440 The New Clippers Set Sail

Attentive observers will notice that the Clippers of the new season are completely different from the Clippers of the 58-year-old Blake Griffin era. After the departures of Doc Rivers, DeAndre Jordan, and JJ Redick, the Clippers roster is full of new faces, and this team has truly become Jia Fei's team.

The team retained Sam Cassell, the "alien" from Coach Li's team, a decision made jointly by Jia Fei and the Logo Man.

Cassell was an excellent point guard during his playing career, and he's also very wise as a coach. Often, his advice and reminders to Jia Fei are more effective than Lao Li's. Lao Li just knows how to spout "Let's go" and "Come on!"—all sorts of toxic motivational platitudes. He just gives up when things are going badly; what's the point of having him?

Coach Buden and his coaching staff were also present at today's media day. Upon seeing familiar faces like Jia Fei and Art Mayork, Buden and Jia Fei warmly embraced.

"Jay, we have another chance to work together!" Coach Buden said with deep emotion and sincerity. During the season they were apart, they both missed each other. Now that they're working together again, they naturally cherish it all the more and are both looking forward to next season.

Coach Buden isn't stupid; he certainly knows that the Clippers' decision to bring him in as head coach couldn't be unrelated to Jia Fei. They even offered a first-round pick to acquire him, which shows their considerable sincerity.

The Clippers' current roster is much better than the Hawks' roster, and can even rival the Hawks' championship season of 2014-15, with better roster depth.

Moreover, the current Jia Fei is even stronger than the Jia Fei who won two MVPs back then. He averages 40+ points per game this season. What does that even mean? This isn't just padding his stats. He led his team to 60+ wins, dominated the advanced stats charts, and is a perfect MVP.

Coach Buden is confident in leading the Clippers to the top. He has a lot of work to do and the challenges are great, but he is willing to accept them.

Coach Cephalosporin is very good at interpersonal relationships. He came up to greet Jia Fei and shook hands with each of the Clippers players, revealing his social skills.

Paul George seemed happy too; he didn't like staying with the Pacers anymore, as he saw no hope of winning a championship there. He wanted to go to a big city, and his hometown of Los Angeles was the best place for him.

He vividly remembered what Jia Fei said to him in Las Vegas: "Paul, I heard you've always wanted to play in your hometown, especially with the Lakers. What I want to say is, Los Angeles is your hometown, and it's mine too. Los Angeles isn't just about the Lakers. I don't think it's that hard to choose between being a core player in your hometown team's first championship and being an ordinary member of a historic powerhouse."

Paul George wanted to play for the Lakers, but the Lakers didn't request a trade this summer, meaning they're letting him join as a free agent next summer. This doesn't feel great, because it's practically freeloading. In fact, the Lakers, especially since the aftermath of Kobe's major injury, haven't had many big-name free agents actively seeking them out. They consider themselves a powerhouse, believing they can rise without developing young players, opting instead to sign superstars directly in free agency for a quick rise. The Lakers have never had the habit of developing rookies; they simply don't have that kind of patience.

Jia Fei and Paul George are clearly the Clippers' two current superstars, and they have taken the most official photos together. They will be the two core players of the team next season.

Almost everyone had a smile on their face. Old Li left, and not many people missed him; DeAndre Jordan left, and not many people missed him either. Jia Fei was the soul of this team, leading them to victory and making money. Isn't that a good leader?

There are many media outlets and reporters present today. Several of the league's most popular teams are represented: the Warriors, Cavaliers, Rockets, and the Clippers.

The Clippers acquired Paul George this summer, further increasing their profile. His partnership with Jia Fei on the wing is highly anticipated for the new season.

Zhou Ling'an, the female reporter who frequently interviews Jia Fei, has arrived again. Her arrival has deprived many reporters of the opportunity to interview Jia Fei. Many people know of her close relationship with Jia Fei, and that he often grants her exclusive interviews, making many reporters envious.

There are rumors circulating that Jia Fei and Zhou Ling'an may have some intimate relationship. Jia Fei has not had any public relationships in the years since his breakup with Sharapova, but he has never been a person with sexual orientation problems, which makes his relationship with Zhou Ling'an even more suspicious.

"Jia, long time no see!" Zhou Ling'an laughed heartily when she saw Jia Fei. She did have a stunning figure, curvaceous and well-proportioned, with both curves and a cleavage, and her voice, unlike that of typical basketball reporters, made her stand out even more.

"Long time no see!" Jia Fei said with a smile.

"This is your second season with the Clippers. What are your goals for the season?" Zhou Ling'an asked as soon as she came up for an interview, as if she was afraid of missing the opportunity.

"Championship!" Jia Fei said only three words, his tone exceptionally firm.

“Many new players have joined this season, and there will definitely be challenges in terms of team cohesion. Do you think there will be any other new challenges besides team cohesion?” Zhou Ling’an asked.

Jia Fei nodded: "There are many challenges. We've changed a lot of players, and many new players have joined. They need to get familiar with our system. We've also changed our coaching staff. Coach Buden will arrange a system that suits us, and we all need to learn. This is our common challenge."

"The Warriors are last season's champions. Are you confident you can beat them?" Zhou Ling'an asked.

"Of course, we know that we have no chance of winning the championship if we don't beat the Warriors," Jia Fei said directly.

"One last question, will you still be aiming for the scoring title and MVP in the new season?" Zhou Ling'an asked.

"Well, how should I put it? As long as we can win, I'm willing to score more or defend more. I'll perform according to the team's needs. I'm not just a scorer, and I'm not just doing this for personal glory," Jia Fei said.

The interview ended quickly. After Zhou Ling'an turned off the microphone, she smiled sweetly, a sly glint in her eyes: "Jia, let me ask you a personal question: are you single now?"

"That's a gossip question, but I can answer you yes!" Jia Fei replied with a smile.

"I told you before that I would introduce you to a girlfriend, and I wasn't just saying that. I will recommend you as soon as I find someone suitable. I hope you don't mind." Zhou Ling'an brought up the topic of introducing Jia Fei to a girlfriend again.

Jia Fei didn't object and nodded, saying, "Sure, I don't disagree. However, I have a good friend named Art Mayork. If you have any connections, you can introduce him to me."