NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 237 Journey to China

On the evening of June 18, Jia Fei, Kemba Walker, Art Mayok, and Lamb, along with their translator, photographer, and staff members A, B, and C, departed from Los Angeles for China, an ancient civilization in the East.

My fellow buddies on the plane were very excited. It was their first time visiting China, and they were very interested in this ancient Eastern country.

"My previous impressions of China were limited to Yao Ming and the Great Wall!" Kemba Walker said truthfully. He really didn't know much about China, and didn't know how many fun places there were or how much delicious food there was.

Art Mayor and Lamb didn't know much about China either. They had eaten Chinese food, but they didn't know much about Chinese culture.

On the morning of the 19th, the plane arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport.

After Jia Fei and his group got off the plane, they went to the station, but to Jia Fei's surprise, a large number of fans came to pick them up at the airport!

While the news of Jia Fei's trip to China wasn't exactly kept secret, it certainly wasn't widely publicized. However, many fans still got the news and immediately organized a welcoming ceremony at the airport.

A large number of Chinese fans held up posters with his image on them, various slogans expressing their love, and flower posters, creating a scene reminiscent of a top idol star being greeted at the airport on TV.

"Jay, you're really popular here!" Lamb was quite shocked by the scene. He had seen spectacular scenes of championship teams being greeted at the airport online in the United States, but as far as star players are concerned, no star player has ever received such a welcome.

"Maybe..." Jia Fei was both amused and exasperated. It wasn't that he wanted to be high-profile, but damn it, he really couldn't keep a low profile! These people weren't people he invited or paid to come; they came voluntarily.

The organizers in Beijing also sent people to pick him up. Jia Fei greeted the fans and got into the business vehicle arranged by the organizers.

The organizer's staff briefed Jia Fei on the itinerary in the car. The van drove along the wide roads of the capital, which were congested. Skyscrapers lined both sides of the road, a modern international metropolis.

"Jia, is this the capital? It's comparable to New York!" Kemba Walker exclaimed.

Lamb and the others were also shocked. They had always thought that China was a developing country and should be quite backward. But you obviously don't feel that way in the capital; it's clearly such a modern international metropolis.

"This is the capital city, and this is my first time here too!" Jia Fei said truthfully. Whether in his past life or this one, this was indeed his first time in the capital. Early summer in the capital wasn't very hot yet, but some fashionable women on the streets were already wearing tank tops and black stockings. For some people, showing their legs for more than two-thirds of the year is unbearable; not showing them makes them uncomfortable. Just like some sex addicts who need to constantly have sex, it's a kind of compulsion.

No activities were scheduled for the 19th, and Jia Fei and the others rested at the hotel. In the evening, the organizers arranged for them to eat Peking duck at Quanjude.

"Jia, the roast duck here is better than the one in America!" Art Mayork exclaimed after taking a bite.

"That's for sure, this is the real deal, the ones in America are knockoffs!" Jia Fei explained with a smile.

“I feel they’re all pretty much the same; maybe I can’t really taste the difference in Chinese food!” Lamb said.

"Aside from your expertise in adult films, everything else is pretty much the same to you," Kemba Walker joked with a laugh.

"It has nothing to do with porn!" Lamb's face turned a little red.

“Jeremy, I have some new seeds, do you want them?” Art Mayor asked meaningfully.

"With so many people here, you're talking about this!" Lamb rolled his eyes, but still weakly replied, "I guess we should!"

Jia Fei laughed so hard he almost spat out the roast duck in his mouth. That kid Lamb really has no backbone!

After dinner, everyone went to Sanlitun for a stroll, but they were recognized by fans. Jia Fei was almost surrounded and couldn't get out, so the shopping trip ended abruptly.

“Jay, your popularity is incredible! I think even LeBron and Kobe are not as popular as you here!” Art Mayork said.

"You don't understand. They were incredibly enthusiastic when they came. I saw it on TV. The NBA has a huge influence in China, and the basketball atmosphere here is absolutely fantastic. David Stern really made a huge contribution in this regard!" Jia Fei said.

"It's a pity David retired, and we don't know what kind of person the newly appointed Adam Silver will be!" Kemba Walker said.

"I hope it's not a joke!" Jia Fei shrugged; he couldn't do anything about it. On February 1st of this year, the NBA officially announced via Twitter that David Stern, who had led the league for 30 years, and Adam Silver had officially completed the handover. At the time of Stern's departure, the NBA had 30 teams, with the Knicks, Lakers, and Bulls each valued at over $1 billion. The NBA's broadcasting rights could sell for $930 million annually.

On the 20th, Jia Fei attended a fan meet-and-greet in Beijing. Many fans were there, and he even met the legendary Coach Zhang and Teacher Su Qun.

Coach Zhang looks like an ordinary old man on TV, but he's actually quite tall in real life.

"Coach Zhang, you're so tall!" Jia Fei said with a smile as he shook hands with Coach Zhang.

"Hey, Jia Fei, your Mandarin is really authentic. I am indeed quite big. I used to play center!" Coach Zhang said with a smile.

Jia Fei remembers that Coach Zhang was a very influential figure in the Beijing basketball circle back then. It's really hard to imagine that he would provide so many funny memes for us fans so many years later.

"Coach Zhang, please give me some advice!" Jia Fei asked Coach Zhang humbly.

"I wouldn't presume to offer advice, but your playing style is very reasonable, which I really appreciate. If you have the opportunity, you could learn from Kobe's skills and spirit; he was truly an excellent player!" Coach Zhang said earnestly.

"Thank you for letting me know. I will definitely keep your advice in mind!" Jia Fei didn't find it funny. Coach Zhang genuinely meant well; it just so happened that he was a big fan of Kobe. If he liked LeBron James, he might have suggested that I learn from him.

Many fans of Jia Fei were present, and some even played one-on-one with him. Watching the fans imitate his dribbling and jump shot moves, Jia Fei felt a special warmth, a strong sense of belonging, and pride.

I, Jia Fei, have so many fans now! I really am a star! It feels a little unreal, but reality is reminding him that it is true.

The fan meet-and-greet was a great success and a lot of fun. Jia Fei's three best buddies who came with him even showed off their special skills to the fans. Everyone also teamed up with fans to play 3v3 and 5v5 full-court games.