NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 176 Enhancing Tactical Position

The news after the match was dominated by Jia Fei.

"Chinese-American dunk king dunks over Superman Dwight Howard", "30+ triple-double, a new Hawk King is born", "Jia Fei dominates Parsons, wins the battle of looks"...

Clearly, the Rockets became the backdrop for Jia Fei's shining moment; this opponent was certainly formidable.

There was no garbage time in the entire game. Despite the Hawks being plagued by foul trouble in the paint and falling behind multiple times, Jia Fei's outstanding individual performance helped the team secure a victory on the road. Therefore, his performance in this game is convincing. This wasn't just stat-padding; it was a genuinely excellent performance.

At the post-match press conference, Jia Fei, Horford, and head coach Budenholzer were present.

Since joining the Hawks, Jia Fei has frequently attended post-game press conferences, and he has clearly become a key figure in the team.

Horford is not a player with a strong desire for power. He doesn't seem to mind making Jia Fei the new core of the team. His personality is more suitable for being an important support player rather than the main scorer.

The Hawks did not rush back to Atlanta after the game; they will stay overnight in Houston.

After dinner, Jia Fei and Art Mayor prepared to return to their room to rest.

He received a phone call as soon as he arrived at the hotel.

“I’ll come over!” Jia Fei said on the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Art Mayork asked, "Jia, where are you going?"

In the United States, asking someone where they are going is considered a breach of their privacy and is quite taboo, but Jia Fei wasn't angry because he and Art Mayork were good friends and could talk about almost anything.

"The head coach asked me to come to our room, and I said I would go to his room instead," Jia Fei explained.

“You can come to our room too!” Art Mayork said in a very generous manner.

"Really?" Jia Fei looked at him meaningfully.

“Where… is it not allowed?” Art Mayork felt a little guilty under his gaze, though he didn’t know why he felt guilty.

Jia Fei laughed and patted his roommate on the shoulder: "Ate, I don't care if you like being naked, but the coach doesn't know that. What if he thinks..." He didn't finish his sentence, letting his roommate figure it out himself.

Art Mayork may be a bit simple-minded, but he's not stupid. He immediately understood Jia Fei's unspoken meaning and said seriously, "Jia, I think going to Coach Buden's room is the right thing to do. He's the coach, and we need to respect him!"

Jia Fei couldn't help but laugh. Art Mayor was really quick to react, understanding everything at a glance, and his serious demeanor was unlike his usual self.

Jia Fei changed into a T-shirt and went out.

When he arrived at Coach Buden's room, he sent a message, and the door opened quickly.

"Jia, please come in!" Coach Buden was very polite; dressed in a shirt, he looked like a university professor.

Jia Fei entered the room, and Coach Buden poured him a glass of water.

"Coach, what do you need me for?" Jia Fei felt that it was a bit strange to meet a man secretly in a room; it would be more natural to do this somewhere else.

Coach Buden replied slowly and deliberately: "Ja, you played really well today. Without your outstanding performance, we would not have been able to win this game."

Jia Fei smiled. He didn't believe Coach Buden had called him over just to say something so meaningless. Get straight to the point; do Americans like beating around the bush?

"How do you feel physically after playing this much time today? Are you tired?" Coach Buden asked like a concerned father.

Jia Fei shook his head: "I'm not tired, I feel great, Coach, you've arranged the time very well!" That was the truth. Compared to coaches like Thibodeau who always push their starters to the limit, the Spurs coaches are really good at arranging player rotations, having truly inherited Popovich's skills.

"Oh, that's good. Here's the thing, our coaching staff has discussed it and hopes to increase your tactical role, and arrange some ball-handling and offensive plays for you, as long as your physical condition allows," Coach Buden said earnestly.

Jia Fei was overjoyed to hear this; it was certainly good news. An improved tactical role would help him achieve better statistics and accelerate his development. Everyone wants to be the core of the team, even if some players aren't quite there yet.

"I will completely obey the coaching staff's arrangements!" Jia Fei said seriously. Of course he would obey. Giving him more ball possession was a good thing; if he refused it, he shouldn't be called Jia, but rather a fool.

It's like your goddess saying she wants to take your relationship to the next level, and you say no, you want a "gentleman's friendship that's as light as water," and you want things to take their time. But she might just turn around and run into someone else's arms.

Coach Buden was pleased with Jia Fei's words. A player who could both attack and defend, and was also willing to play according to his system, couldn't ask for more.

"Jay, I believe you can become an All-Star in the future!" Coach Buden said confidently.

"Thank you, Coach, I appreciate your kind words!" Jia Fei was also happy to hear such words. Who doesn't want to be an All-Star player? Who wants to be just a role player for the rest of their life? Many times, it's just that those players don't have a choice. If they did have a choice, they would want to be the core player and get a big contract.

After chatting with Coach Buden for a while, Jia Fei returned to his room.

Art Mayork was doing a plank shirtless; he didn't even get a chance to compete. He has so much energy to spare, so he's been working out. His muscle definition is really clear; even his glutes are firm and muscular.

"Ah, it's such a shame you're not a nude model! Those curves are amazing!" Jia Fei couldn't help but exclaim.

Art Mayor got up from the ground and asked, "What did the coach tell you to do?"

"Don't worry, it's not a backroom deal. He wants to give me more tactical importance!" Jia Fei tossed his phone onto the bed.

"This is a good thing! It seems he's not stupid after all; he's finally figured it out!" Art Mayor was even happier than Jaf.

"Of course he's not stupid, but he has a lot to consider, such as what other players think, the compatibility of tactics, and so on. Sometimes, as a coach, it's not just about doing a good job with tactics; locker room relationships are also very important!" Jia Fei was speaking the truth. Why can a coach like Lao Li, who lacks technical and tactical skills and is terrible on the court, still make a living in this league? It's because he is very good at building good relationships with players and he is very good at giving them motivational speeches.

As for Coach Buden's prediction of becoming an All-Star in the future, Jia Fei really hopes that will come true. It's already All-Star voting time, and the better he performs during this period, the more votes he'll get. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he needs to deliver outstanding performances to earn points.