NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 144 With a slight smile, he had won the commander's trust.

Is a slight smile enough to captivate a city? No, a slight smile is all it takes to win the coach's trust!

Jia Fei loved listening to Budenholzer's words!

If Coach Buden is telling the truth, then Jia Fei really likes the role the coach described—the primary perimeter defender and offensive player.

The team clearly wants to develop him into a star player; it remains to be seen whether he can shoulder this responsibility!

Jia Fei knows that his current "Iverson peak skill integration level" is less than 40%, and he is not yet at his full potential. He is not yet comparable to those true superstars, but he has the foundation of 3D, can play with and without the ball, and can continue to improve, so theoretically he has unlimited potential.

When I returned from the tactical meeting room, Art Mayork was already waiting.

"How did it go? What did the coach say to you?" Art Mayor asked in rapid succession.

Jia Fei briefly recounted his conversation with Coach Buden to him, and then sighed deeply: "Art, if Coach Buden's words are true and this is my role in the new season, then I really made the right decision to come here!"

Art Mayor was naturally happy for Jia Fei: "Jia, this is a good thing. You are really underutilized in OKC. That bastard Brooks has no idea how to use people. You and Reggie are so useful, but he just won't use them. He insists on using his own sons Sefolosha and Ibaka."

Jia Fei laughed too: "That's all in the past. I was just a second-year rookie back then, and my contract was small. It's just that he was too conservative not to use me. Artest, we need to work hard in the new season, and you should also try to get into the rotation!"

"Okay, good!" Art Mayor cracked his knuckles as he clenched his fist.

That evening, Jia Fei was video chatting with Sharapova.

Maria Sharapova is currently recovering from her injuries in Moscow, where a professional rehabilitation team is helping her treat her shoulder and leg injuries. Although she is only 26 years old, her early career and years of playing in various competitions have left her with injuries in many parts of her body, and this is a good opportunity for her to receive proper treatment.

"Jia Fei, I'm not planning to participate in the rest of this year's competitions. I'll focus on my treatment and recovery," Sharapova said.

"That's good too. It's hard to recover from playing with an injury. I support you so your career can be longer!" Jia Fei naturally supported her decision. Back when Jordan played golf after his first three-peat, many people said his career would have been even stronger if he hadn't done that. He felt those people didn't understand basketball. Playing in consecutive Finals games is incredibly taxing on players. If Jordan had continued playing like that, he might not have had a second three-peat, and injuries might have taken their toll. Why did Shaq only have one regular season MVP? It's because he often held back during the regular season so he could dominate in the playoffs. Why is Leonard nicknamed "Rest Leonard"? It's because he frequently rests during the regular season, transforming into a "frame-by-frame Jordan" in the playoffs.

"Your new season is about to begin, good luck!" Sharapova wished you well.

"Okay, I'll try my best, and you have to be a good girl and get treatment too!" Jia Fei said with a doting expression.

It is said that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Jia Fei is in the United States, and Sharapova is in Russia. The two are separated by thousands of miles, but it seems that they have never been apart.

Over the next few days, the Hawks continued their preparations for the new season.

On October 29, the Hawks players traveled to Dallas to prepare for their season opener against the Mavericks on the evening of the 31st.

Dallas is the third largest city in Texas and the eighth largest city in the United States.

Jia Fei's first impression upon arriving here was of the three major illusions of Texas. Applying this to the Mavericks, it meant—the Mavericks are weak!

Are the Mavericks really weak? In 2011, the aging Mavericks upset the peak Big Three Heat, causing the "Running Man" (a nickname for a player) to lose face and almost quit again. Would you say they were weak? The Rockets, on the other hand, seem quite strong. Their best result in recent years has been reaching the second round of the playoffs. Of course, if they hadn't been sidelined by the Los Angeles Lakers and their coach, Great Wall, was out for the season, their season would have been very different. But judging solely by results, the Rockets are indeed not strong. The Rockets' weakness isn't due to their management or players being incompetent; it's purely because the owner is unwilling to spend money. They always hope to find bargains, but if you're picking through dung, you're unlikely to find gold; it's more likely to be dung.

Compared to the Rockets' owner's reluctance to spend money, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is known for his generosity. He is also quite unconventional among the many owners in the NBA. He can often be seen watching games live, and if his team is treated unfairly, he will rush over to defend them. It is common for him to impose fines for this, but he has won the hearts of fans and players.

The Mavericks' lackluster performance in recent years is mainly due to the aging of their core players, and their somewhat unethical decision to dismantle the team after winning the championship. That 2011 title seems to have used up all their luck; their acquisitions over the past few seasons have been consistently unsuccessful. The team has been trying to find support for Nowitzki, but the players they've brought in have proven unreliable, leaving them unable to find true reinforcements and still relying on their veteran players. Now, Nowitzki is even older, and the team's championship window is clearly closed, but they can't simply tank and rebuild, putting them in a somewhat awkward situation.

On October 31, at the American Airlines Center, the Hawks and Mavericks played their season opener.

The arena was packed. The long offseason was over, and the regular season was about to begin. Fans had been waiting for so long, and they could finally watch the games live.

In the visiting team's locker room, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer gave his final pre-game remarks. Next to him, Coach Hamm was taking notes in a small notebook. Looking at his focused expression, it's hard to associate him with a terrible coach. You know, serious men are the most attractive, so tell me, isn't Coach Hamm handsome?

That year, I had my hands in my pockets, a bump on my head, and I didn't know what an opponent was!

In terms of charisma, Coach Ham fears no one except for Kevin Durant, the league's number two player, who wears a green hat and carries a small backpack!

Coach Buden said, "This is our first game of the season. Don't feel any pressure. Just go out there and enjoy the game. I believe our training has paid off, and I hope we can leave with a victory!" He didn't offer any motivational platitudes, and what he said was quite practical. The Hawks players in the arena responded with applause.

Coach Ham was still taking notes, and Jia Fei was puzzled. What was so special about these few sentences? Were you drawing a comic? Were you drawing "Dragon Ball Series: Cephalexin"?

There's no record of Jenkins, who was also an assistant coach. He played a supporting role alongside Coach Buden, offering advice to the head coach – that's what an assistant coach should do. As for Cephalosporin, he was a blue-collar worker during his playing days, so Jia Fei is cautiously optimistic about his intelligence.