Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 65 Don't Want Respectable People (Please Subscribe)

On media day, the venue was bustling with noise and flashing lights, as reporters packed the interview area with their equipment. However, a subtle atmosphere prevailed in the Memphis Grizzlies' area. The players weren't sitting together harmoniously; instead, they were subtly divided into several sections, clearly defined, as if an invisible wall was subtly reflecting the factions within the locker room.

Head coach Marc Jafaroni stood a little further away, his gaze sweeping across the entire field before finally settling on the eye of the storm—Xu Ling.

The young third overall pick was surrounded by a large number of reporters, including many media teams from China, with microphones, recorders, and cameras practically shoved in his face.

Xu Ling responded calmly and composedly in fluent English and Mandarin, as if she were already used to this level of attention.

As Jaffaroni gazed at the sea of ​​people and the flashing lights, he was momentarily dazed. The scene reminded him of his time as a player for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970s and 80s.

Back then, "Dr. J" Julius Erving was also surrounded by a tidal wave of media frenzy. He was the face of the entire league, the eternal focus of the spotlight, and wherever he went, he became the center of the stage.

At this time, the Grizzlies were mired in the lowest point in their history. The owner was eager to sell the team but couldn't find a buyer—it's well known that in Wall Street's eyes, the NBA franchise has always been a blue-chip stock worth holding. Despite the league's constant negative news and the overall economic stagnation in recent years, the commercial value of professional sports is never something that happens overnight. If this decade hasn't been smooth sailing, what about the next? Given enough time, the team's value will almost certainly increase.

Even so, the Grizzlies still struggled to get rid of the player, which shows just how difficult the team's situation was.

But what if a player as brilliant as Julius Erving joined the team?
Jaffaroni composed himself and walked toward the group of reporters who were waiting for him to be interviewed.

As mentioned earlier, players often live in their own "bubbles." While NBA teams may appear united, they are in reality mostly loosely organized groups, and media day best reflects this.

Aside from superstars, most players only speak with reporters they know well. They gain media support by revealing their thoughts, and even some team secrets that are not convenient to disclose. This is why a large number of messages from "unnamed team insiders" have emerged in the media sphere.

Xu Ling was surrounded by layers of Chinese and foreign reporters, making it impossible to move; on the other side, Pau Gasol was pouring out his frustration to the Spanish media, and then reiterated to an American reporter he knew: "I see no future in Memphis."

Not far away, veteran Mike Miller was also stopped by reporters to ask about the team atmosphere. He gave a professional smile and firmly denied the rumors of discord between Xu Ling and Guy: "They are both very competitive young players, that kind of talk is too exaggerated."

In a corner, new signing Darko Milicic looked helpless as he faced a barrage of questions from gossip reporters. "I'm not a VIP at any of the nightclubs on Beale Street," he said.

The Serbian shook his head in denial, his attitude even quite serious: "Right now, I'm only concerned with getting good rebounds and playing good defense."

On the other side, Jarius Jackson and Kyle Lowry appeared much more enthusiastic. Facing the camera, Jackson made no secret of his anticipation for the new season: "We're full of talent, and even more hungry. I can't wait to run with these guys!"

When asked about the rumors that Xu Ling might play point guard, Lowry had a sly and expectant smile on his face: "If Eli really plays point guard, then I'd better be ready to run the fast break. Believe me, that will make the game very easy."

Everything seemed normal, everything appeared calm. It was like a standard media day: cheers, laughter, players saying things they themselves probably didn't even believe, just waiting for the team photo to be taken in perfect harmony, and then it would be declared a perfect end.

But things backfired.

Rudy Gay is not without media attention. He could easily be surrounded by reporters if he wanted to. But today, he refused all unfamiliar media outlets, only accepting questions from a few trusted journalists.

It was less of an interview and more of a premeditated statement.

Remember how Jimmy Butler recited the timeless classic, "Who's the Most Talented Person?" during an interview with that beautiful MILF reporter? He first led the third unit to a crushing victory over the starters, then pulled off that dramatic performance. Years later, it was revealed that the reporter had been quickly severed from her job for privately mocking her colleague for "winning based on skin color," and details of her and Butler's orchestration of that spectacle were also exposed. Compared to Butler, Gay's approach seemed crude and hasty. He didn't use his on-court performance to motivate himself, then added insult to injury with words; in fact, he was utterly defeated in his intra-team battle with Xu Ling.

However, this did not stop him from criticizing the SSOL system championed by Marc Jafaroni: "If I had to describe it in one word, it would be chaos. To be honest, none of us feel comfortable in this system."

He couldn't help but mention Xu Ling, though he didn't call him by name directly, but everyone knew what he meant: "'One for all, and all for one' should be our belief, but now everything has changed. Some people are born with privileges, while others are not. I cannot condone such differential treatment."

Finally, he adopted a worried attitude about the team's future, concluding: "We should have been a team, not lone wolves fighting our own battles. I regret that we seem to be heading towards failure, and I am powerless to change anything."

Just as Guy's remarks were spreading rapidly through familiar reporters, Lisa, Adidas's PR representative on media day, astutely picked up on the negative undertones. She immediately and discreetly moved to the periphery of Xu Ling's interview area, made contact with Xu Ling's private team through a subtle gesture, and quickly relayed the message: "Rudy is complaining to reporters about everything."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ling's eyes suddenly turned cold, but he remained calm on the surface. He smiled gently at the reporter in front of him and said in a mild tone, "Next question."

Although Guy only confided his thoughts to a few trusted journalists, he was well aware of the industry's communication logic—sources are both closed and implicitly shared. Unless it's an operation requiring absolute secrecy like a trade deadline, journalists often don't pursue exclusive stories but rather prefer to promote the spread of information, because only by letting the news ferment can it become a truly big story.

As expected, Gay's interview spread like wildfire. When Marc Jaffaroni joined Xu Ling and Mike Miller for a group interview, ESPN reporter Rick Humphrey couldn't wait to throw out the pointed question: "Eli, Rudy Gay has expressed his confusion about the team's new system and implied the existence of privileged players who are disrupting the team's competitive balance. What's your response to that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room suddenly cooled down.

Jaffaroni's expression darkened, and he was about to speak on Xu Ling's behalf, but ultimately this was a question directed at Xu Ling.

Xu Ling glanced at the head coach and gave him a reassuring look that said, "Don't worry, leave it to me."

Jaffaroni's concerns are not unfounded; Xu Ling has never experienced such a public betrayal before. How many people can truly handle being directly criticized by their teammates in front of the media?
"He's confused? I can understand." Xu Ling spoke, his tone calm yet undeniably authoritative. These words surprised not only the reporter but also Jaffaroni, who widened his eyes in surprise. "Whoever it is, suddenly going from the team's first choice to the third or even fourth choice definitely requires a difficult mental adjustment."

Xu Ling paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the reporters in the room, before continuing clearly, "But the rules of the NBA are very simple: everything is determined by your performance on the court. Your role depends on what you can contribute to the victory, not what you hope to get."

“As for privileges,” Xu Ling raised his voice slightly, “I don’t think that the trust gained by someone who has won a matchup on both offense and defense from the first day of training camp is a privilege.”

"If earning the trust of coaches and teammates through one's own ability is called a privilege, then I hope that every player in the league can have such a privilege."

Xu Ling looked at the reporter who asked the question, his eyes sharp yet frank: "Finally, if he has any questions about tactics, my locker room is right next to him. He can come over anytime and ask me face-to-face like a man, instead of hiding behind the media like a child who feels bullied, crying and seeking outside support. Sometimes I even want to ask: How difficult is it for an adult to face reality honestly?"

There was an uproar at the scene.

The reporters had expected to hear some platitudes and platitudes, but nothing as blunt as Guy's. However, Xu Ling seemed to have never received any media training, revealing all his innermost thoughts without any concealment, leaving no room for maneuver.

From this moment on, the Grizzlies' media day completely surpassed that of the other 29 teams in the league. Kobe's trade saga? The Boston Big Three? The Suns, Spurs, and Mavericks' championship declarations? All of them, step aside!

(End of this chapter)