NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 353 I Don't Have a Girlfriend

"I chose the Clippers for two reasons: first, I'm from Los Angeles, and I wanted to play for my hometown team; second, I get along very well with owner Steve Ballmer, so I chose the Clippers!" Jia Fei's answer left those who wanted to ask him why he didn't choose the Lakers or stay with the Hawks speechless. The concept of hometown basketball wasn't his invention; his motivation was perfectly legitimate. The league doesn't say you can't leave a team when your contract expires, and he didn't leave his former team, the Hawks, any future assets. But the problem is, the Hawks didn't give him any assets when they signed him.

The Hawks gave him the opportunity to become a superstar, and in return, he helped the team win a championship, making it a win-win situation.

After the press conference, Zhou Ling'an wanted to conduct an exclusive interview with Jia Fei, and he readily agreed.

"Hello Jia Fei, thank you so much for accepting my interview!" Zhou Ling'an was still as sexy and alluring as ever; her figure was nothing like that of a Chinese woman.

"Don't mention it, I'm also very grateful that you came all this way to interview me!" Jia Fei smiled slightly, having already won Zhou Ling'an's trust.

Zhou Ling'an covered her mouth and laughed, her laughter shaking her body and her chest heaving, confirming the famous line of poetry, "Viewed from the side, it's a ridge; viewed from the front, it's a peak; its appearance varies depending on distance and height."

"Can I ask you some personal questions?" Zhou Ling'an changed the subject.

Jia Fei laughed. Everyone says women are gossipy, and it seems that's really true.

"Of course, as long as I know it!" Jia Fei still had a smile on his face.

"Then let me ask you, have you found a place to live in Los Angeles yet?" Zhou Ling'an asked.

"Not yet. I had a place to live before, and I'm planning to buy an apartment closer to the stadium," Jia Fei said.

"An apartment?" Zhou Ling'an looked incredulous. "With your status, shouldn't you be living in a big villa?"

Jia Fei laughed: "I live alone. In such a big house, I'm afraid I won't be able to find a room."

"You're so funny, but you won't be alone forever, will you? Do you have a girlfriend?" Zhou Ling'an's questions were getting increasingly probing. Of course, she liked things to go deeper and deeper; that was the most comfortable way for her.

"No girlfriend!" Jia Fei answered without hesitation. There was no point in hiding it; whether he had a girlfriend or not was common knowledge throughout the United States. If he really did have one, how could he possibly keep it a secret? Countless people were concerned about his love life; as a top NBA star, his private life was a frequent topic of conversation for many media outlets and fans.

"I can introduce you to someone, but I don't know if you'd be willing?" Zhou Ling'an blinked, seemingly joking, but her tone wasn't.

"Okay!" Jia Fei readily agreed without any hesitation.

"Really!" Zhou Ling'an was somewhat surprised that Jia Fei agreed so readily.

“Of course it’s steamed, not boiled!” Jia Fei laughed.

"Hehehe...you're really funny. What kind of person do you like?" Zhou Ling'an continued to probe, as she seemed to prefer something a little deeper.

"Anything is fine, I'll wait for your good news!" Jia Fei took the initiative, but then blinked.

The interview went very smoothly; it felt less like an interview and more like a chat between friends.

In the afternoon, Jia Fei and Art Mayork went to the house they rented in the San Gabriel Valley. After tidying up the house, he called the real estate agent to handle the issue of not continuing the lease.

Meanwhile, Ballmer's people were helping Jia Fei and his group find a house. Jia Fei's requirements were simple: it had to be somewhere close to the Clippers' training camp and Staples Center; a two-bedroom or one-bedroom apartment didn't matter, as long as the neighborhood was clean and safe.

Los Angeles home prices are naturally higher than Atlanta and Oklahoma City, but not outrageously so. In the United States, while private property is inviolable, property taxes can be staggering. If you own a large number of properties, you'll have to pay substantial property taxes every year.

“Jia, wherever you buy a house, I’ll buy a house there too,” Art Mayork said seriously.

"Okay!" Jia Fei patted him on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, free agency continued to facilitate trades, with Jia Fei's former team, the Hawks, also making moves. On July 9th, they completed a three-way trade.

The details of the trade are as follows: the Hawks will send Teague to the Jazz in exchange for the 12th overall pick (which will select Prince), the Pacers will send George Hill to the Jazz in exchange for Teague, and the Jazz will receive George Hill.

In other words, the Hawks traded Teague for this year's 12th overall pick, Prince.

Prince is a 198cm tall small forward. With the team losing Carroll and Jafi, their wing strength is severely lacking. Meanwhile, Teague and Schroder seem to overlap at point guard. For the Hawks, this move can be considered an optimization of resource allocation.

If Teague also leaves, it means that the Hawks' starting lineup for the new season will only have Korver and Middleton, two familiar faces, compared to the championship season.

Jia Fei's house was completed quickly. The price wasn't high, only $50, with two bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, and a free parking space. Art Mayork also bought a house in the same complex, and the two became neighbors again.

The two then bought cars. Jia Fei spent over 12 yuan on a Porsche 911, while Art Mayok bought a Ford pickup truck.

Jia Fei exclaimed that buying a car in the US was really cheap; how much would his 911 cost in China?

The Clippers' moves are far from over. In order to make room for free agents like Jafi and Art Mayok, they did not re-sign Jamal Crawford and Doc Rivers' son, Doc Rivers Jr.

The Clippers don't seem to be planning to re-sign these two players. Due to the trade of 58 and Shaq, they acquired Beverley and Lou Williams, which means that Beverley is a sure thing to be the starting point guard in the new season.

Beverley's abilities are certainly not enough to be a point guard on a playoff team, but if all he needs to do is bite off opponents, shoot three-pointers, and do the dirty work, then he's very suitable. Especially since the team has acquired a superstar like Jia Fei, an MVP-caliber perimeter player.

Lou Williams isn't a great defender, but he's a really good offensive player, and his style is very similar to Jamal Crawford's. However, Crawford is older and more expensive than Williams, so choosing Williams over Crawford doesn't seem like such a difficult decision.

The Clippers' reluctance to re-sign Ricky is a blow to his pride. However, it's clear that with the departures of 58 and Blake Griffin, none of the Clippers' veterans are safe – not the stars, and certainly not the head coach.

The Clippers are about to enter the era of Jia Fei. The only truly safe players on this team are Jia Fei and Art Mayork. Everyone else, including the head coach, could be traded at any time.