NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 130 Do your best and obey fate

Jia Fei stated that such a contract was not only too long, but also had a very low total price. Jeff Schwartz offered his opinion, believing that it wasn't that the Thunder didn't want to offer him a bigger contract, but rather that they wanted to control costs and avoid paying the luxury tax.

As expected, Jia Fei was right. The Thunder really didn't want to pay the luxury tax. You could tell from their trade of Harden last season that the team owner was extremely averse to the luxury tax, as if those three words were some kind of deep-seated grudge against him.

But if you want to increase team depth and improve team strength after the rookie bonus for your core players disappears, then increasing the budget is a given. You can't have all the advantages of rookie bonuses and finding underdogs. Wanting to contend for a championship without spending money, expecting the horse to run fast without feeding it—is that even possible?

Jia Fei suddenly remembered the Rockets with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Owner Alexander refused to spend money to find them decent helpers, always bringing in undrafted and minimum-salary players. Morey was always out there searching for talent, and he did develop some players, but the team's championship window had passed, which is a lasting pain for many Chinese fans.

Jia Fei stated that he could not sign a contract at such a price.

Jeff Schwartz told Jia Fei that his market value is currently very high, with several NBA teams showing strong interest in him. The reason these teams haven't made offers yet is that they are waiting for him to become a free agent. However, they have all expressed interest and extended offers. Furthermore, many team general managers are currently busy with the draft, and everything will be on the agenda once draft day is over.

This year's draft will be held on June 27th. Jia Fei roughly calculated that there is still plenty of time. He doesn't need to rush his contract issue; he can let Jeff Schwartz handle it. In any case, the final decision is in his own hands.

The NBA has a rule against signing contracts before the free agency market opens, but the fact is that as soon as the market opens, various free agents announce agreements. This shows that the contracts were obviously not negotiated after July 1st, but were already agreed upon beforehand, just not officially signed.

Hearing that his market value was good, Jia Fei became even more determined to get a satisfactory contract. He couldn't be taken advantage of. It was one thing for the team's coaching staff to be disrespectful, but expecting him to selflessly sacrifice everything when it came to contracts was simply unacceptable. One team, one player—that's an honor, but can it really put food on the table? What if I sign a contract, and then perform poorly this season, only to be traded at the trade deadline or next offseason? Who would I complain to then?

If teams can trade players, why can't players choose a team during their free agency period?

June 8, 21:00, Philips Centre Court, French Open Women's Singles Final.

The two players facing off are defending champion Maria Sharapova and top seed Serena Williams. A world number one and the defending champion meeting in the final is perhaps the perfect ending the tournament organizers hoped for, with all the highlights and the audience's appetite at its peak.

Based on past head-to-head records, Serena Williams can be considered Sharapova's nemesis. Both being power-based players, Serena Williams is arguably a legend in this style. Her physical attributes are so extraordinary that there have been rumors of a desire for her and Azkaban to have a child with her, creating what is known as the "strongest person in history," highlighting the sheer power of her physique.

Jia Fei lamented that many keyboard warriors in China keep spouting nonsense about conquering the United States by force. With Serena Williams' physique, what makes you think you can conquer her? Sing "Conquer" while kneeling? Seven times a night? Won't you die from exhaustion?

Serena Williams has maintained a 12-match winning streak against Sharapova, and the Russian beauty has never defeated the "Black Pearl" on clay. Furthermore, the in-form Williams has achieved a 30-match winning streak this season, and her 22-match clay court winning streak is also her best record ever.

Jia Fei was genuinely worried for her on the sidelines; Serena Williams had a powerful presence and looked formidable.

The match was extremely close from the start, lasting 1 hour and 46 minutes. However, the result was disappointing; Sharapova ultimately lost to Serena Williams, suffering her 13th consecutive defeat against her.

Despite being at a clear disadvantage in this fierce battle, Sharapova compensated for her technical and tactical deficiencies with tenacity and fighting spirit. We witnessed her resilience in facing break points, defusing those threats, facing break points again, and saving those breaks once more…

After the match, Jia Fei stood up and applauded her, which could be considered a glorious defeat.

During the award ceremony, Sharapova couldn't hold back her tears. She really wanted to beat Serena Williams, but she just couldn't achieve it.

Seeing her tears, Jia Fei's eyes also welled up with tears. Competitive sports are so cruel; often, fans only remember the champion.

This applies to tennis, and it applies to basketball as well.

Finally, the annual French Open came to a close, and Sharapova failed to defend her title, finishing as runner-up.

On June 9, Jia Fei and Sharapova finally met at the hotel. As soon as she saw him, she rushed into his arms, tears streaming down her face. The resentment and grievances in her heart surged up instantly.

Jia Fei knew that no matter how strong or powerful a woman was, she was still a woman. When she let go of her burdens, her vulnerability was her true self.

Such a seemingly strong woman only reveals her true self without reservation in front of her lover, and Sharapova was clearly unburdened at this moment.

Jia Fei took out a few tissues and carefully wiped away her tears.

"You've already done a great job, there's nothing to regret," Jia Fei comforted him.

"Yes, but I still find it hard to accept!" Sharapova said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Jia Fei smiled slightly: "There is an old Chinese saying, 'Do your best and leave the rest to fate.' You have done your best. The rest is up to God. There are no eternal winners. All we can do is try our best when we have the opportunity, so that we don't have any regrets."

Jia Fei's words made Sharapova feel much better. She needed encouragement and comfort, and the person in front of her was the most suitable one for her.

"Can you kiss me?" Sharapova murmured.

Before he finished speaking, Jia Fei had already kissed her lips. Soon, their breathing became rapid, and their movements changed from gentle to passionate.

Jia Fei's hand had already moved from her waist to her soft spot, and she didn't stop him at all; on the contrary, it seemed like she was encouraging him.

Jia Fei became even bolder, and soon the two were discussing the true meaning of life...

The following is omitted (ten thousand words omitted)...