NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 244 Signature Shoe Launch Event

Jia Fei's words gave Art Mayork confidence. Yes, he couldn't compare to Horford or Milwaukee, but Antich and the old captain both had obvious weaknesses. If he couldn't even compete with them, he shouldn't even think about making the rotation; he should just stay on the bench.

"Jia, I absolutely have to make the rotation!" Art Mayork said earnestly.

"Yes, that's the kind of confidence you need. You need to become an upgraded version of TT with improved shooting ability and lob-scoring skills. Big contracts will be beckoning to you!" Jia Fei smiled slightly.

"Mmm!" Art Mayork felt his whole body ignite!

Jia Fei was pleased to see Art Mayork like this. Frankly, to win against the veteran captain and Antic, his good friend's strengths lay in defense, energy, and athleticism. This Hawks team's frontcourt was actually lacking in players with these qualities. Both Horford and Millsson were skill-based players, and Antic and the veteran captain were also, in essence, skill-based players.

It's not always true that a technically skilled player can completely overpower a physically strong one. "One force can overcome ten techniques," and sometimes simple and brute force can defeat a master with a flurry of punches. Moreover, Art Mayork has already developed a spot-up shooting skill tree, so he's not just a typical rough-and-tumble inside player.

Nike's efficiency is still top-notch! By mid-September, the "Jia Fei Generation 9" signature shoe, tailor-made for Jia Fei, was officially launched!

Nike boasted that they had already started designing and producing this signature basketball shoe before Jia Fei even signed with them, the implication being clear—they were determined to secure Jia Fei's endorsement!

Of course, at this point, it's impossible to verify whether they're genuinely exaggerating or if it's true. Anyway, the Jia Fei 1 has officially been released, and Jia Fei, as the owner of this signature boot, even attended its launch event.

At the press conference, Nike also invited Kevin Durant, the MVP of last season's regular season, who renewed his contract with them.

Durant still exudes his signature charisma. This time, he's not carrying a backpack or wearing a green beanie. He's wearing shorts—you read that right, he's really wearing shorts. How short? Almost like basketball shorts from the ancient times. His legs are already long, and with these shorts, it looks like he's running around naked… His shoes, however, are normal: the latest generation of his signature KD series shoes. He's wearing a black Nike short-sleeved shirt, and instead of the green hat, he's wearing a blue round cap…

Why do you have to wear a hat? Are you a hat addict, handsome?

Nike invited Kevin Durant to endorse their products, not because they had the Running Man cast, but mainly because Durant and Jia Fei were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder. As for the Running Man cast, he's had a busy summer, having traveled from Miami on the South Coast back to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

Jia Fei thought that Running Man's constant running around was really something else. Since he went to the Heat, he was already at odds with the whole world. He might as well just go all the way and be a villain. What's the point of going back now? Is he trying to remarry his ex-wife?

Cavaliers owner Gilbert is really despicable. He completely fell out with Running Man back then, and now that they want to get back together, what's with him acting like a sweetheart again? Where's his integrity? Refuse to remarry him! Don't let this man come back! Don't give him a chance to come home!

Either they shouldn't have left back then, and what would have happened if they hadn't won a championship? Many superstars haven't won a championship either, but nobody says they're no good. Sometimes winning a championship requires a combination of favorable timing, location, and teamwork; after all, basketball is a team sport.

Therefore, fans find it emotionally unacceptable that Running Man members form cliques. However, from a contractual standpoint, he always leaves when his contract expires, plays diligently during his contract period, doesn't request a trade, doesn't refuse to play, and doesn't breach any contracts.

The Running Man cast member's trip back to Cleveland to play "hometown basketball" isn't really about wanting to go home. We're all adults; don't listen to what he says, look at what he does. If he were truly so homesick, would he have betrayed Cleveland fans and publicly announced his move to the Heat? For him, choosing what's most beneficial in the present moment is his true motivation, not sentimental attachments to his hometown or homeland.

Jia Fei had no doubt about what Running Man said at the return ceremony about wanting to go back to his hometown to help the team win the championship and repay the hometown fans. These were certainly true, but the most fundamental reason for returning to the Cavaliers was that in the four years he was away, the team had won three number one draft picks and a bunch of high draft picks. They were extremely rich in both talent and future assets, and could be immediately converted into combat power to compete for the championship.

Sure enough, Wiggins and Bennett were packaged and sent to Minneapolis in exchange for Love. The Cavaliers went from a rebuilding team to a championship contender in an instant. The scene changed too fast, and the steps were too big, it's already gone too far!

It hurts!

From brotherhood basketball to hometown basketball, Running Man perfectly embodies "refined egoism." He's certainly shrewd and calculating, but why can he do it this way? Many people believe he's a completely manufactured, fake star, thinking that if the league hadn't promoted him, he would just be an ordinary All-Star like Aldridge. But the truth is, after he joined the Heat and formed a super team, the league no longer promoted him as much as it did with the Cavaliers. The league didn't want to see that situation. Whether you're a hater or neutral, Running Man is undeniably strong.

If the Running Man contestant's skill level were only that of an average All-Star, the Cavaliers' owner would never stoop so low as to forgive and forget about someone like that. Keep in mind that this guy is already 30 years old this year, while the Cavaliers have Kyrie Irving, the newly crowned All-Star MVP and number one draft pick with a flamboyant playing style, who is only 22 years old.

At the press conference, Durant gave Jia Fei a hug: "Congratulations Jia, you now have your own signature shoe!"

"Thank you, Kevin, thank you for attending my new shoe launch!" Jia Fei and Durant exchanged a few business pleasantries. The two weren't close; even back in their Thunder days, they never really hit it off.

Previously, during the All-Star Game, Scarlett Johansson publicly hugged Jia Fei, which made Durant jealous for a long time. Unexpectedly, Jia Fei has been playing better and better since then, and even made it to the conference finals in the playoffs. He is almost on par with him now.

Durant didn't like Jia Fei; he always felt the guy's words were too harsh. Quite a few players had "fallen" under Jia Fei's verbal attacks, including players like Blake Griffin, JJ Redick, and Rudy Gay, who had all been thoroughly humiliated by his trash talk. Knowing he wasn't good with words, he rarely engaged in verbal exchanges. He preferred to defeat his opponents with skill, not just talk.