NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 348 The Boss's Promise

In a private room at a five-star hotel in Atlanta, Jia Fei met with the Clippers recruitment team.

There were only four people at the meeting: Jia Fei and Art Mayok, while the Clippers' representatives were owner Steve Ballmer and general manager Michael Wenger.

Jia Fei didn't expect that the boss would personally come to recruit him. Wow, at least in terms of attitude, it's clear that they value him highly.

Ballmer is incredibly wealthy; everyone knows that. In the NBA, not every owner is that rich. It's generally accepted that owners are wealthier than their employees, but there's a significant difference in wealth between owners. For example, many people assume that the Buss family, owners of the Los Angeles Lakers, are extremely wealthy, while Ballmer, owner of the Clippers, isn't. However, the reality is quite the opposite. The Lakers are the Buss family's primary asset, while the Clippers are merely a large toy for Ballmer's leisure…

Jia Fei remembered that in his previous life, Ballmer was also very willing to spend money. This owner loved basketball, and not just lip service to it; he genuinely invested real money. With such a wealthy owner providing financial backing, both the team's president in charge of operations and the star players under his wing would feel very secure.

Jia Fei has truly had enough of his boss's stinginess. How can he win a championship and accomplish great things without spending money? He's always looking for bargains and easy money, then he makes empty promises to the players and uses emotional manipulation tactics. This kind of boss and management is truly despicable!

Of course, some people will say, "This isn't your money, so of course you don't care." But why are some owners willing to spend money? When a team is in the championship window, isn't it normal for the owner to give it a push? Of course, you can't just pay luxury tax when the team is tanking; that would be foolish and wasteful.

Ballmer's personal appearance already surprised Jia Fei, but he didn't expect that instead of saying "We want to work with you," Ballmer would say "I really like you!"

Oh my god, if these words came from a cute girl or a rich and beautiful woman, Jia Fei's heart might have raced, but these words came from an uncle. Although this uncle has the power of money and is so "approachable", it still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

There are many kinds of liking, I wonder which kind you are referring to?

Jia Fei didn't react much to these words, but he felt uncomfortable. Art Mayor, on the other hand, shivered and his expression was a little exaggerated.

Ballmer paid no attention to Art Mayork's exaggerated expression and continued slowly, "Last January, when you came to Staples Center to play, you hit eight three-pointers, dunked over Blake, and scored 50 points!"

Jia Fei laughed. He hadn't expected that this big-name owner, who was worth so much, would remember a game from the season before last even more clearly than he did. Ballmer's mention of it brought back the memory of that game; he had played exceptionally well, setting a new career high in points.

However, that game really happened a long time ago... He hasn't played a game for a whole season.

"Thank you, Mr. Ballmer, for remembering this game. It's been so long..." Jia Fei said with a smile, his words tinged with emotion.

"That game really made me realize how good you are. I envy the Hawks for having you. After that game, I became your fan!" Ballmer frankly stated that he had become Jia Fei's fan.

Jia Fei was speechless. This Ballmer, such a big boss, is actually... kind of cute!

This must be the richest of Jia Fei's fans, at least he's never heard of Bill Gates or Warren Buffett liking basketball or being his fans.

"Thank you, Mr. Ballmer, I am honored to have your appreciation!" Jia Fei could only offer a polite response; the other party had so openly expressed his admiration.

“Mr. Jia, I’d like to consider us. I know you were born in Los Angeles, and playing in your hometown would be a good choice. We don’t have the Lakers’ glorious history, but we have a great championship-winning roster that can utilize your strengths,” General Manager Michael Wenger added aptly.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, I'm very grateful!" Jia Fei smiled slightly. He had heard what Ballmer and Michael Wenger said and was touched, but that didn't mean he had decided to sign with the Clippers. Anyone can make grand promises; he still wanted to see something substantial. They were all adults and shouldn't let such flattery cloud their judgment.

Jia Fei didn't express his opinion, and what he said was ambiguous. Who was Ballmer? He had seen it all, so he naturally knew that he couldn't impress the talented basketball player in front of him with such simple words, so he needed to use his big move.

“Mr. Jia, after I bought the Clippers, I hoped to lead this team to the throne. Unfortunately, our current roster cannot do that! We need to change, and you are our main helper for that change!” Ballmer said, noticing the interest in Jia Fei’s eyes. He was happy, knowing that his words had worked.

“If you join us, you will be the star player of this team. As the owner, I can guarantee you will have more power than a player. We will build the roster around you, and you can participate in the team's operations,” Ballmer said slowly. His voice wasn't loud, but all four people present could clearly hear every word. His voice wasn't loud, but the weight and significance of his words were undeniable.

This is the weight of a man's words when he has money! Even if this man has less hair than you have underarm hair, even if this man can only get an erection for 5 seconds, you still can't doubt his power.

—What he said can really come true, because the team is his!

Jia Fei's expression also turned serious. Judging from what Ballmer said and his tone, he wasn't joking; he was serious.

"Mr. Ballmer, thank you for your attention. I will seriously consider joining the Clippers," Jia Fei said earnestly.

Even if you don't ultimately join the Clippers, they think so highly of you, so you shouldn't act all carefree and nonchalant. That would be disrespectful to them and demeaning to yourself.

But Jia Fei couldn't agree immediately. First of all, the Clippers didn't have any cap space right now, and secondly, this Clippers team was 58 and Blake Griffin's team. What would they think? Would they welcome Jia Fei to become their leader?

Also, can the famous championship coach Doc Rivers, who has "the essence of human motivational quotes," make good use of Jia Fei?