NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 362 A Perfect Debut Report Card

When the final buzzer sounded, Clippers substitutes, led by Art Mayork, rushed onto the court and warmly embraced players like Jia Fei who were already on the court.

Anyone who didn't know better would think the Clippers had won the championship, but the truth is they just won an ordinary regular season game.

Coach Lillard and CJ McCollum, the backcourt duo, were dissatisfied with the result of the match. They did not give any interviews and went straight to the locker room through the tunnel.

The fans left the stadium reluctantly, feeling suffocated by Jia Fei's immense pressure on both ends of the court. In the final moments of the game, this man truly sealed the victory with his ability.

In this game, Jia Fei played for 38 minutes and 55 seconds, easily scoring a game-high 46 points, along with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, turning the game into a personal showcase.

Lillard also scored 39 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in this game, but unfortunately he was double-teamed in the final moments of the game and his teammates were unable to seize the opportunity.

46 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 steals – that's Jia Fei's stat line for his Clippers debut. But the numbers might not fully convey his presence in the game. In fact, his defensive presence was just as strong as his offensive presence; his suffocating one-on-one and help defense at the end sealed the Trail Blazers' home defeat.

Before this game, many Clippers fans were worried about Jia Fei, thinking that he had been away from the NBA for a whole season and it would be difficult for him to find his rhythm immediately. But who knew that Jia Fei only needed one quarter to find his rhythm...

Jia Fei won over countless Clippers fans with just one game. Neither 58 nor Sofa could match this all-around superstar feel. It's a bit like peak Kobe, excelling on both ends of the court, a sharp weapon on offense and a fire extinguisher on defense.

Such a well-rounded player on both offense and defense is rare in the entire league. And Jia Fei is only 24 years old!

The Clippers' two previous stars, 58 and 58, while possessing excellent court control, were no longer at the level to be the primary scorer for a championship-contending team due to their age and physical condition. Blake Griffin, on the other hand, was a different story. He was a regular season dunker, a ball-handler, and possessed boundless energy. However, in the playoffs, his lack of a lethal offensive weapon became immediately apparent. Defensively, Griffin couldn't single-handedly anchor the paint. Without DeAndre Jordan, the team's rim protection collapsed; but with Jordan, opponents could foul him and guards could dominate him.

Many fans who questioned the Clippers' offseason moves are starting to waver. Jia Fei is truly amazing; signing such a star to the team without any investment is hardly something to ask for. Moreover, the team currently has a lot of assets and can easily look for better opportunities later in the season or next season.

Perhaps, the home team's first journey to the Western Conference Finals will take place in the near future!

Post-match press conference.

Those attending the press conference included Jia Fei, Beverley, and the team's head coach, Lao Li.

Naturally, the reporters surrounded Jia Fei, asking him all sorts of questions, while Lao Li and Beverley were basically just tools.

Beverley doesn't care. When he was with the Rockets, he was Harden's sycophant, and now that he's with the Clippers, becoming Jia Fei's sycophant is only natural for him. Moreover, in his eyes, Jia Fei is more admirable in terms of character, playing style, and looks. He's willingly and openly fawning over him, and he's increasingly intolerant of anyone slandering or criticizing Jia Fei, as it's tantamount to slapping him in the face.

Old Li doesn't dwell on these things. His only lingering concern is that his son, Xiao Li's, contract wasn't finalized, preventing him from keeping his son by his side. He has a vague feeling that the team isn't planning to include him in their future plans, and if that's the case, it's not a good sign.

The Clippers won the opening game and returned to the City of Angels from the City of Rupture.

The victory boosted the Clippers' confidence. Of course, the team still has many problems, but for a young, rebuilding team, winning is very important during the adjustment period.

After returning to Los Angeles, Jia Fei drove his 911 home. His current home is much larger than his previous one in Atlanta. He doesn't have much time to tidy up, so he hired a cleaning lady to help him with cleaning and such.

Money is a really good thing; you can use it to buy services. If you don't want to do it yourself, you can just place an order on the app with a few taps.

Labor costs in the United States are very high, but even if they are, Jia Fei can afford them.

On October 30th, the entire Clippers team held their routine practice.

After training, Jia Fei went into the hyperbaric oxygen chamber for physical recovery. The Clippers' facilities are truly impressive; owner Steve Ballmer is incredibly wealthy and willing to spend money—it's truly amazing.

After recovering, Jia Fei returned to the locker room and, together with Art Mayork, prepared to change and get something to eat. At that moment, Beverley entered the locker room singing jazz rap and greeted Jia Fei and the others warmly.

"Patrick, let's go get something to eat!" Jia Fei extended an invitation.

"Great!" Beverley flashed a white smile; he genuinely wanted to spend more time with Jia Fei. He wasn't stupid. Art Mayork, the guy who almost couldn't find a job in the NBA, now had a fully guaranteed mini-mid-level exception contract, plus commercials to shoot, and nobody on the team dared to criticize him. Could you really say it was all his own hard work?

Sometimes choices are more important than efforts. Being on the same side as the team leader is definitely better than going against him.

Beverley may look a bit silly and play like a mad dog on the court, but he's not stupid, and his emotional intelligence is quite high. In this respect, even Jeremy Lin, a Harvard graduate, is not as good as him.

Beverley has lived and worked overseas, experiencing all sorts of environments. He has an extremely strong survival ability and is like an unkillable cockroach.

The three of them went out. Jia Fei didn't drive; instead, they got into Art Mayok's pickup truck and headed to a nearby upscale restaurant for a meal.

After dinner, Jia Fei paid the bill, and then he took Beverly to a bar. Of course, he also paid for all the expenses at the bar.

This made Beverley a little embarrassed. Jia Fei was being too polite, treating him to meals and parties. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the team leader needed his help with something!

Jia Fei didn't give Beverley any reason to think. As he left the bar, he thanked him, saying, "Patrick, do you remember calling me over a year ago?"

Beverley's heart skipped a beat. Of course, he hadn't forgotten this. He had deliberately mocked Jia Fei back then. Was Jia Fei now going to settle scores? He couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He knew how much influence Jia Fei had in the team. To make Jia Fei the leader, even strong players like 58 and Shabazz were traded away as bargaining chips. Compared to 58 and the others, what was he?