NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 340 The Championship Ring is in Hand

September 28, 2015-16 NBA Media Day.

Jia Fei, as a player for the Hawks, participated in the media day.

The Hawks didn't make many moves this summer. They basically retained the main roster structure from last season, making some minor adjustments. Even with Jia Fei out for the season, they are still a strong team in the Eastern Conference.

Carroll's departure will definitely have a significant impact on the team's wing strength. If Jia Fei really doesn't play for the entire season, one question is who will be their starting small forward in the new season.

The starting four positions are confirmed: Teague, Korver, Middleton, and Horford. So, should Thabo Sefolosha or Scott start at the small forward position?

If Scott starts, will the second unit be filled by Schroder and Cup Cat?

No matter how you look at it, Carroll's departure didn't actually have such a huge impact on the team that no one could replace him, but Jia Fei's absence was truly irreplaceable.

Jia Fei is not only the tactical core of this team, but also its primary perimeter defender. Without him, Korver's defensive weaknesses will be harder to hide, and the team's defensive strength will definitely decline.

Offense isn't such a major concern. The Hawks are a team that plays team basketball and has a great system. Even without Jia Fei, the team's offense shouldn't be a problem in the regular season; any issues will likely arise in the playoffs. And this team without Jia Fei isn't expected to go toe-to-toe with the Cavaliers and Warriors in the playoffs.

Jia Fei met with head coach Budenholzer on media day.

Coach Buden was clearly not happy; there was worry in his eyes. For him, last season's performance was too perfect—the best regular season record in the league and a championship in the playoffs. If the team performed poorly this season, he, as the head coach, would bear the brunt of the blame.

Jia Fei's season-ending injury is not a shield for Coach Buden's poor record; it can be a reason, but not an excuse.

"Jia, I don't know what to do in the new season without you!" Coach Buden said in Jia Fei's ear as he gave him a polite hug.

"Coach, I don't know what to do either, but you can do it!" Jia Fei smiled slightly.

You can take care of yourself even if you don't have a partner by your side, but I'm just a player. You don't think the earth will stop turning without me, do you?

Jia Fei never expected the head coach to be so dependent on him. What could he do? His season was over.

I didn't want it to be like this either!

The following day, the Hawks began their preseason training camp, and Jia Fei underwent a comprehensive medical examination arranged by the team doctor. The results were the same as before, much to the disappointment of the team management; he was still unable to participate in formal contact training, meaning his return was far from certain.

The news spread quickly, and the reports of Jia Fei's season-ending injury became increasingly credible. This sparked heated discussions among the media and fans. The offseason had initially allowed the news to fade from public attention, but with the new season about to begin, it has once again become a hot topic.

Charles Barkley, a well-known critic of Ja Fei, talked about this while doing a show with his partner Kenny Smith: "First of all, I'm not cursing anyone to get injured, but I still want to talk about Ja Fei's injury. I always said he wasn't a superstar, and now look, it's come true."

"Isn't a player who wins two MVPs and a championship a superstar?" Kenny Smith asked.

“Of course it’s possible that he doesn’t count!” Barkley gestured with his hands. “There are many standards for evaluating superstars, one of which is having a stable and long career. As for Jia Fei, he only has two seasons of stable performance at most. Two seasons of stable performance are not enough to make him a superstar. At most, he is in the same league as Derrick Rose and Grant Hill.”

"But neither of the two stars you mentioned has a championship!" Kenny Smith continued to question.

"A championship shouldn't be the standard for judging superstars; that's unfair. I said the same thing to Shaq. Karl and John didn't have a championship, but that doesn't stop them from being superstars. How many years have they played well together? If Jia Fei can guarantee at least five more years of good playing in the future, then I'll consider putting him on the superstar shortlist!"

The 2015-16 season opener will begin on October 28, with the Hawks hosting the Detroit Pistons.

Although the opening game will feature the awarding of championship rings, the absence of Jia Fei has resulted in the game not attracting as much attention as expected.

Time flew by and it was October 28th. That evening, a ceremony was held at the Philips Arena, the Hawks' home court, before their game against the Pistons.

The ceremony was not complicated; it consisted of raising the championship banner and awarding championship rings.

Dressed in a sharp suit, Jia Fei, along with his teammates, watched as the flag bearing the year "2015" slowly rose above the stadium...

At this moment, Jia Fei felt like he was part of the championship team, and many memories flooded his mind.

The fans in the stadium gave it a warm round of applause. This was a very memorable day, a very important day in Atlanta's sports history!

Next, the championship rings will be awarded to the champions.

Championship rings aren't just for Hawks players; coaching staff and others get them too.

Jia Fei received his championship ring. The ring was beautiful, with many small diamonds, the Hawks logo, his jersey number 3, and his name.

It held special significance for him, and Jia Fei liked it more and more the more he looked at it. The more he liked it, the more he wanted to get a few more. He suddenly understood why those star players, despite already having achieved great success, were still chasing championships. Indeed, winning a championship is truly addictive. This made him think more about his future with the team.

Art Mayork wore his championship ring with a blissful expression, as if he were wearing a wedding ring.

"Jia, pinch my butt. Am I dreaming? I'm a champion! I did something even Charles Barkley couldn't do!" Art Mayork exclaimed in disbelief.

"Why are you pinching my butt? You're not dreaming! You're not wrong, you have a ring, Charles doesn't!" Jia Fei said seriously.

The ceremony concluded, marking the end of all ceremonies surrounding the 2014-15 NBA championship. The championship became history, the new season began, and everyone stood on equal footing again, competing for the 2015-16 NBA championship.

Jia Fei, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, sat down on the bench, while his teammates, including Horford, had already walked to the center of the field to prepare for the game.

Jia Fei felt a little uncomfortable. He used to be a starter in matches, but this outfit made him look like a coach, and the bottom was a bit tight, which wasn't very comfortable.