NBA's King of Talking

The highlight of media day was taking official player photos. The Thunder's "Big Three," as the team's cornerstones, naturally had the most photos taken. Besides them, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and other key rotation players from last season also had many photos taken.

Jia Fei looked at Ibaka, who was wearing a Thunder home jersey, and noticed a long, bulging bulge in his crotch. He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. There's no smoke without fire; everyone says he's not just 18, but 28, and it really is quite long and big.

Compared to him, everyone else is like a big bird looking down at a small bird...

Jia Fei, one of only two rookies on the team, also had his official photos taken. He had his first photo taken when he first joined the team, and this was his second. This time, not only were many photos taken of him individually, but he also took several photos with another rookie, Reggie Jackson.

The two have a good relationship, and the atmosphere was full of laughter and joy.

After taking their official photos, the Thunder players began to be interviewed by reporters. The "Big Three" (Young Corey, Kevin Durant, and Steve Nash) were naturally the focus of the interviews, but the other players also gave their turn.

As a rookie on the team, Jia Fei accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Fox Sports.

"Hello, Jia!" The reporter was a white man in his thirties. He was not old, but he didn't have much hair. It looked like he hadn't lost all his hair in the last two years.

"Hello!" Jia Fei smiled slightly.

"May I ask you a few questions?"

"of course can!"

"The new season is about to start. As a rookie on the team, what are your goals for this season?"

"For me, this is my first season in the NBA, and my goal is to train hard and try my best to help the team achieve good results."

Do you think you have a chance of making the rotation?

"Making it into the rotation is definitely my goal. What I need to do now is to train hard, keep learning, and strive to improve myself so that I can step up when the team needs me."

The interview with Jia Fei went smoothly from beginning to end. His answers were proper and appropriate, without giving the reporter any information that could cause controversy. He was neither overly confident nor arrogant, nor did he underestimate himself or lose confidence.

After the interview, Jia Fei stood up to leave. As he left, he glanced at Durant, the team's star player, surrounded by reporters. Good heavens, this team leader was carrying a backpack, wearing a jumpsuit, and a beanie—his look was that of a laborer. And to make matters worse, the beanie was Green!

PS: Draymond Green: "Why did I appear so early? It seems KD is still not used to life without me. What will you do without me? Who understands your feelings? Why did you let go? Why did you leave? Didn't we promise to love each other for a lifetime..."

On December 11, the contract for Jia Fei was officially finalized. The contract is for two years and has a total value of US$1.6 million, with US$740,000 (fully guaranteed) in the first year and US$860,000 in the second year. The second year is partially guaranteed (with a guaranteed amount of US$200,000).

For Jia Fei, the fully guaranteed portion of this two-year contract is actually $740,000 in the first year and $200,000 in the second year, totaling $940,000. If he is not laid off by then, his second-year contract will become fully guaranteed, and he will receive the full $1.6 million.

Unlike my country, where monthly salaries are common, weekly salaries are more prevalent abroad. Of course, NBA players are different because their contracts only cover the regular season; they do not receive salaries during the playoffs and offseason.

NBA salaries are paid on the 1st and 15th of each month, usually over six months. However, there are exceptions; some players prefer to receive their salaries weekly, while others prefer to receive multiple payments at once.

Although Jia Fei appears to earn an average salary of $80 per season, taxes in the United States are extremely high. Besides federal tax, there are state tax, agent commissions, escrow fees, and so on, leaving him with less than 40% actually. Even at 40%, his first season's salary would be less than $30.

For Jia Fei, the best way to increase his income is to sign higher-priced contracts and take on more commercial endorsements. Even if he still has to pay taxes, he will still have enough money left over to spend.

Regardless, Jia Fei was extremely happy. He had finally signed an NBA contract, his first one, and he longed to sign an even bigger one in the future, striving towards his dream!

On the same day that Jia Fei signed his contract, Kemba Walker signed a four-year, $1105 million deal with the Bobcats, with the first two years fully guaranteed and the last two years being team options.

Kemba Walker's contract is a standard first-round pick contract (2+2). The advantage of this type of contract is that the total amount is high and more secure. The disadvantage is that once you perform well quickly, the team has a two-year team option, and the team can use you for another two years at a low price, making you a rookie bonus for the team. Compared to a second-round pick who performs well, this means signing a big contract later.

Art Mayork has also signed a contract, but it's non-guaranteed, which is much worse than Jia Fei's. There's no way around it; he's with the Lakers, a powerhouse team that has never had a tradition of developing rookies. They prefer to sign established stars directly in free agency rather than quietly nurture an aging second-round pick.

Regardless, Jia Fei and the other two UConn players signed contracts and became NBA players.

On the 11th, the Thunder's team training camp officially began...

All players on the roster participated in training, and head coach Scott Brooks, lead assistant coach Maurice Cheeks, lead strength and conditioning coach Joe Sharp, assistant coaches Mark Bryant, Brian Keefe, Rex Karamian, and medical director Donnie Strucker were all present.

The season hasn't even started yet, but the atmosphere of competition is already quite intense.

As the team's head coach, Coach Brooks gave a speech before the first practice session: "It's been a long time since we've seen each other. The NBA was suspended, and we haven't had a chance to train. Fortunately, everything is back to normal now, and the new season is about to begin. This season, we have new partners joining us, so let's welcome our new teammates!" After speaking, he started by applauding.

The applause rose and fell, clearly indicating that the "new partners" he was referring to were Jia Fei and Reggie.

Coach Brooks continued, "Last season we made it to the Western Conference Finals, we played very well, but we didn't make it to the NBA Finals, we didn't win a championship. This season we will continue to improve, we are all young, and we will go further than last season. I believe the sky's the limit for us. The SuperSonics have a championship in their history, but Oklahoma City doesn't. We want to bring a championship to the fans of Oklahoma City, we can't keep them waiting!"