NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 186 Return to Oklahoma

Emerging from the player tunnel, Jia Fei encountered many familiar staff members, whom he greeted warmly. Back in his time with the Thunder, he had always been a very kind person, never refusing to interact with others.

In this respect, Thunder's star player, Durant, is quite different; he seems somewhat withdrawn. It's as if his world revolves solely around basketball and the internet; he doesn't care about social interactions or interpersonal relationships whatsoever.

Before the game practice, Jia Fei went over and shook hands and hugged his former Thunder teammates one by one. The Thunder's roster this season isn't much different from last season. Westbrook, on crutches and dressed casually, hadn't played many games. Besides him, all four starters from last season are still there, as are Lamb, Fisher, Collison, and Thabeet, all from the bench. The difference from last season is the addition of New Zealand center Adams and wing Andre Roberson.

Westbrook was still all smiles, warmly inquiring about Jia Fei's well-being, showing no hostility towards him despite Jia Fei's departure from the Thunder. He wasn't stupid; the contract offered by the Thunder's management was too insulting. It would be crazy for Jia Fei to accept it. Leaving for a bigger contract was perfectly reasonable.

Durant simply shook hands with Jia Fei without saying anything. The two hadn't been close when they were on the same team before, and their relationship was just so-so.

Jia Fei didn't think there was anything wrong with Durant's attitude. Former teammates are not necessarily friends. He understood this simple principle. Instead of dwelling on it, he should focus his energy on training and making himself stronger!

Upon seeing Thunder head coach Brooks, Jia Fei hesitated for a moment before walking over to greet him.

Coach Brooks remained as refined as ever, smiling as he said, "Jay, you've been playing very well lately, keep it up!"

"Thank you!" Jia Fei smiled and expressed his gratitude. Although Coach Brooks had always looked down on him, there was actually no real animosity between them; they just disliked each other.

But that's normal. Just like between men and women, even if a man is talented and a woman is beautiful, does that mean they will necessarily be attracted to each other? In the case of money, you two might be attracted to each other, but she's attracted to your money, and you're attracted to her body.

This match was broadcast live on China Sports Channel, with commentators Yu Jia and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

"Mr. Su, Jia Fei is returning to his former team, the Thunder, for this game. Do you think he will have any psychological burden when facing familiar teammates?" Yu Jia asked.

Su Qun adjusted his glasses, pursed his lips, and said with certainty, "Based on my understanding of Jia Fei, I think he's always had a good mentality, so he won't have any psychological burden coming back. Changing teams is normal. The Thunder didn't offer enough money, so it's perfectly normal for him to go to another team. He's now a starter for the Hawks and has even been selected for the All-Star game, which shows that his choice to leave the Thunder was the right one."

The starting lineups for both teams were displayed on the big screen at the stadium.

The Thunder's starting lineup, playing at home, consisted of Perkins, Ibaka, Durant, Sefolosha, and Reggie Jackson.

Finally, with Westbrook sidelined due to injury, Reggie Jackson became the team's starter. In these games as a starter, he performed well, helping the team stabilize their record and effectively compensating for the damage caused by Westbrook's absence.

The Hawks' starting lineup for the away game was Antić, Millsap, Jafle, Korver, and Teague.

In the few games after Captain Brand started, the Hawks' offense and defense declined compared to before, especially on defense. He was unable to protect the rim or defend pick-and-rolls, becoming a complete liability. After testing him, Coach Buden dropped him and put him back on the bench, starting the larger European center Antić.

While Antić's defense has many problems, he does have size and can block the paint. On offense, he can facilitate, make picks and cuts, and has a long-range shot, making him a better starting center than the old captain.

It was predicted that there would be a tribute video before the game, but it never came. Jia Fei looked very calm, as if he hadn't come to the home stadium of the team he had played for for the previous two seasons.

But the truth is, he still felt a pang of emotion. Everything here was so familiar to him—the familiar floor, the familiar hoop, the familiar starting lineup ceremony. Everything was so familiar, as if he had never left. Yet, the reality of wearing a Hawks jersey constantly reminded him that he was now a member of the Hawks, a visiting player, no longer a Thunder player.

Life is full of partings and reunions, and the NBA is no exception. Very few players can truly dedicate their entire careers to one team. Too many players cannot fully control their own destiny. Like him, drafted by the Trail Blazers two years ago, only to be traded to the Thunder on the same day.

He hopes to take control of his own destiny in the future. To do this, he knows he needs to become stronger. Only when he is strong enough to influence the league's landscape through transfers will he truly have the leverage to negotiate with teams.

He has never liked the various behaviors of Running Man, but he has to admit that the reason why Running Man can do this is because he can completely control his own destiny. He can choose where to team up, and teams with available space will chase after him, even if those general managers do not approve of his behavior.

The starting players from both sides have entered the field, and the match is about to begin.

When Jia Fei saw Reggie in the starting lineup, it was obvious that Reggie was significantly different from last season. The biggest difference was that his eyes were more confident. Before, he was not given much playing time and always had a bitter look on his face on the bench, as if he was a talented person who was not being used.

"Jia, I'm going to beat you to a pulp later!" Reggie said with a laugh in Jia Fei's ear as they hugged.

"I'll kick your ass!" Jia Fei laughed.

"You have really heavy tastes!" Reggie slapped Jia Fei's butt.

"I'm not as heavy as you!" Jia Fei didn't pat his butt.

Antić and Perkins are preparing for the jump ball near the center circle.

The jump ball began, and neither of the two centers were good at jumping, so the ball eventually went to the Hawks.

Teague dribbled over and started an attack from the top of the key.

Thabo Sefolosha is guarding Jia Fei. The Thunder started him to guard the opponent's key player, and clearly, Jia Fei is the Hawks' current key player on the perimeter.

Thabo Sefolosha has excellent defensive habits. He stays close to the defense off the ball, making him difficult to shake off, and he doesn't make hasty moves. His physical contact is just right. He has a long wingspan, is quite fast, and is calm and composed, making him an outstanding perimeter defender.

However, Thabo Sefolosha's performance has declined since his injury, and his defensive abilities have also diminished. Even so, he remains a defensive anchor on the team's perimeter.