NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 371 Griffin Returns to Staples Center

On November 7, Jia Fei was interviewed by reporters after finishing his training.

When asked about his expectations for the matchup against Blake Griffin, Jia Fei laughed and said, "It's just an ordinary regular season game, there's nothing to look forward to. Blake played for the Clippers for 7 years, so he might have some feelings about coming to Staples Center for an away game, but for me, it's all normal. I've never played for the Pistons, and all I want to do is help the team win the game."

"Will your personal feud with Blake take place on the field?" the reporter pressed.

"I don't have any personal grudges with him. At most, he doesn't like me, and I don't like him either. That's all!" Jia Fei said with a smile.

Jia Fei's answer was very tactful, leaving the reporters with nothing to write home about. And indeed, he and Shaqiren didn't have any deep-seated grudges; it was just some minor friction on the court. If it weren't for the unscrupulous media reporters exaggerating things back then, perhaps this so-called feud between them would have long since faded away with time.

Almost simultaneously, Blake Griffin also gave an interview. In the interview, he stated that he disliked the team's approach, having dedicated so many years to the team, only to be traded away for someone out for the entire season. He also expressed his dislike of playing alongside Jaffee and his desire to win a championship with the Pistons.

The news came out right after the interview that day, and the reporter naturally embellished it, saying things like Blake complained that the team was heartless and ungrateful, and that he hated Jia Fei and didn't want to team up with someone who was out for the season.

The news sparked a heated discussion online. A fierce online battle erupted between Jia Fei's fans and Sha Beng's fans, turning this otherwise ordinary regular season game into the most talked-about match of the day.

Jia Fei also saw the news. He was very familiar with the reporters' usual tactics. Sha Fen must have said something, but it was definitely not as exaggerated as the reporters made it out to be.

It doesn't matter anyway. He never came to the NBA to please anyone. He doesn't need everyone's approval. What does it matter if you don't like me?

On the evening of the 8th, at the Staples Center.

Staples Center was packed to capacity for the game. The opponent was the Pistons, but Staples Center is never short of fans, and the buzz surrounding this game drew even more spectators.

Several Clippers legends were also present today, including Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, and Elton Brand.

The biggest name at the event wasn't a player, but Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

When the camera focused on Ballmer on the sidelines, enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd. This owner is a strong supporter of his team and is one of the owners who attends the most games to support their home team among all 30 NBA teams.

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Meng and guest Yang Yi providing commentary.

"Mr. Yang, who do you think has a better chance of winning this match?" Wang Meng asked.

Yang Yi smacked his lips: "Looking at the lineups of both sides, the Clippers have a slight advantage, plus they are playing at home. For the Pistons to win, they need to destroy the Clippers' interior defense and make more three-pointers."

"Have you heard about the feud between Griffin and Jia Fei?" Wang Meng asked.

Yang Yi nodded: "This can't be called a feud; it's just that the two of them don't like each other."

"Do you think Griffin can lead his team to a crushing victory over Jia Fei and the Clippers on this court?" Wang Meng continued to ask.

"It's very difficult. Griffin isn't even in the same league as Jia Fei. It's too hard to beat him!" Yang Yi said.

When Griffin arrived at the stadium, many fans stood up and applauded him. A tribute video was played on the big screen.

Griffin was also quite moved; after all, he had played here for seven years. For a professional player, that's almost half, or even most, of his career.

His deep feelings did not mean he did not hate the team. He thought he was not for sale, but who knew that Ballmer was so determined to change the team. He traded 58 without even getting a contract from Jia Fei and asked him to assist Jia Fei.

Today, Blake Griffin wants to show all the fans at Staples Center that Jia Fei is not qualified to be his assistant, and that no one in this league is truly qualified to be his assistant.

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced. For the Clippers, it's Jia Fei, Beverley, Wesley Johnson, Harris, and Jordan.

The Pistons' starting lineup consisted of Ish Smith, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, Blake Griffin, and Andre Drummond.

The Pistons have a terrifyingly tall frontcourt, and they're all big men. Marcus Morris and Blake Griffin are both 206cm tall, but they're both very big and actually play the power forward position.

Before the game started, Jia Fei even gave Clippers owner Steve Ballmer a brief hug. The owner himself came to support them; that's a courtesy he had to show.

As for what Sha Fen thinks, who cares! Let her think whatever she wants. If she wants to cause trouble, she doesn't even need to ask if the young master of the Jia family agrees!

When the two starting lineups came on, Shafen glared at Jia Fei fiercely.

But Griffin and DeAndre Jordan still gave each other a friendly hug.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, watching his former protégés from the sidelines, felt a pang of sadness. If he could, he wouldn't want Blake Griffin and his son Austin Rivers to leave, but there was nothing he could do; this team wasn't under his control. Ballmer could decide who left, and if he tried to stop him, he might be the next one to go.

The Pistons' head coach is Stan Van Gundy, who is Jeff Van Gundy's brother.

DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond are near the center circle preparing for the jump ball; the game is about to begin.

The jump ball began, and DeAndre Jordan won the jump ball against Andre Drummond, giving the Clippers possession of the ball for the first possession.

Beverley dribbles the ball over.

The player guarding Jia Fei was Pope of the Pistons.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the 8th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft and graduated from the University of Georgia. His full name is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which some people might mistake for three different names.

Jia Fei didn't quite understand why American names were so long. First name, then surname, what's in the middle? So, Pope, you're the real Giannis! With a name that long, are there enough lines on an exam paper? Do these Americans copy the Chinese?

For example, Li Bai, whose courtesy name was Taibai and pen name was Qinglian Jushi...

Pope's defense is quite good. As a shooting guard, he is not at a disadvantage in terms of size, has quick footwork, excellent defensive awareness, and solid fundamentals.