NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 513 Girls Who Like Basketball

The training camp is in full swing, and after the camp concludes, the Clippers will play their first preseason game of the season.

On September 27, after Jia Fei tried on the "Jia Fei 5" signature shoes designed for him by Nike, his good friend Art Mayor came to see him.

"What's wrong, Art?" Jia Fei could tell at a glance that Art Mayork had something on his mind.

"Coach Buden came to see me!" Art Mayork was still a little upset. "He wanted me to understand that I probably won't be in the main rotation at the beginning of the season!"

Jia Fei quickly understood the situation. It was indeed hard for Art Mayok to accept, since although he had also fallen out of the rotation last season, it was only because the Warriors used the "death lineup" and the Clippers needed to speed up to deal with the opponent's small lineup that Art Mayok had to fall out of the rotation.

That was temporary, and Art Mayork certainly had no objection. But now it's before the season starts, and if they can't even make the regular season rotation, then forget about the playoffs.

Art Mayork, though emotional, had to admit that Jeff Green was in truly excellent form, incredibly versatile, and at his age, his performance was remarkable, a testament to the hard work he had put in. In today's small-ball era, if Mayork were to compete against him, he would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.

“Art, I know you’re feeling bad. If I were in your shoes, I would feel the same way. I know how much you’ve sacrificed for the new season, and no one knows it better than me,” Jia Fei said.

Jia Fei's words made Art Mayor feel much better. He didn't necessarily want to be in the rotation or rely on Jia Fei's connections to get playing time. He was just feeling down and wanted to talk to someone.

“Not making the rotation is not the end, but the beginning. Be prepared at all times, and give it your all when your name is called, just like when we were waiting for our chance on the bench.” Jia Fei patted Art Mayor on the shoulder. “I won’t let Coach Buden give you playing time, otherwise it would be an insult to your professionalism and ability.”

"Yes, thank you, Ja. I feel much better after hearing that. Jeff deserves to be rotated, and I will continue to train hard to compete!" Art Mayork said firmly.

"Okay, that's good!" Jia Fei was also happy that his buddy was able to adjust his mindset.

On October 1st, the Clippers hosted their first preseason game of the 2018-19 season against the Sydney Kings.

The starting lineup was the same as last season. Jia Fei started but only played for less than 20 minutes and never played again. The team gave several new signings a lot of playing time to familiarize themselves with the tactics and integrate the lineup.

The competition within the Clippers is very fierce, which is naturally a good thing for the team.

快船竞争激烈的位置主要是2/3号位，1号位的话贝弗利和路威基本上将1号位的时间吃光了。而2/3号位就是贾飞和泡椒的替补，考虑到两人都会上至少30分钟的时间，所以余下的时间也不会很多。

Hartenstein is definitely out of the rotation; he'll most likely continue developing in the G League. Bruce Brown's chances of making the rotation are also slim; he'll probably team up with Hartenstein in the G League for a while. Brunson will be the team's third point guard next season, while White and Bridge are the real contenders for a regular rotation spot.

White's advantage is that he has already had a year of development, demonstrating his playmaking and ball-handling abilities as a combo guard. Daqiao's advantage is his larger size and greater versatility; as a 3-and-D player, he might be a better fit when the ball is concentrated in the hands of Lou Williams and Harrell.

In five preseason games, the Clippers faced the Sydney Kings, Timberwolves, Lakers, Nuggets, and Maccabi Haifa. Jia Fei played less than 100 minutes in total across these five games, essentially being a benchwarmer.

Of course, he doesn't need to prove himself in the preseason at all. Even if he doesn't play a single minute, there's absolutely no way he'll fall out of the starting lineup.

The Clippers will host the Rockets in their season opener on October 18, where they will display their first-ever championship banner!

On October 14, after finishing his training, Jia Fei saw Lin Ning's post on social media and took the initiative to contact her.

"Finally, the long offseason is coming to an end. The offseason was so boring, there were no NBA games to watch!" Lin Ning sent a message.

"I'm curious, do you girls like watching the NBA too? Shouldn't very few girls watch the NBA?" Jia Fei asked curiously. It's understandable that he was curious. Back in his previous life in China, practically no girls watched the NBA. Not that none at all, but in a class of 20 girls, it was rare for even one to be interested in the NBA. Girls might watch school basketball games, but they were mostly there for the handsome guys on the court, not the game itself.

Most people watch basketball games purely for fun; they probably only recognize Yao Ming, maybe Jordan, and that's about it...

As for the rules of the game, I don't know anything about them. As long as it goes in, it's a good shot. I just think the person who made the shot is very strong. I don't know who passed the ball, who screened the shot, or who grabbed the rebound.

What is the "defensive three-second rule"? What is an "offensive foul"? What is a "triple threat"? You definitely don't know these things; they're like gibberish to you.

"I like it. I learned about basketball by watching 'Slam Dunk.' Maybe I'm an oddball among girls, but I find this competitive sport very appealing," Lin Ning replied.

Jia Fei was quite surprised, but that didn't mean girls like that didn't exist. In the US, there are quite a few girls who like basketball; it's just that they're rare in China.

“Then you must go to watch games live often!” Jia Fei replied.

“Yeah, I used to go to games when I was in college, but now that I’ve graduated and am in Los Angeles, I don’t go to games live much anymore. Los Angeles has two NBA teams, but the tickets are pretty expensive, so I watch them online more often,” Lin Ning replied.

"Our opening match is in four days. There will be a championship ring awarding ceremony and other events. I'll invite you to watch. I'll have someone send you the tickets!" Jia Fei replied.

"Really? That's great! Thank you so much! (A string of emojis)" Lin Ning was clearly very happy.

Jia Fei was also very happy. He was happy to help a girl who loves basketball go to watch an NBA game live. He was happy to do something that helped someone fulfill their dream.

Watching a game on TV and watching it live are two completely different experiences.

Today, after contacting Lin Ning, Jia Fei learned that Lin Ning is most likely not a rich second-generation. If she were, given her love for basketball and the NBA, it's impossible for her not to attend games in Los Angeles.