Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 244 I Have My Voice
32 points, 11 assists and 8 rebound.

The data is so gorgeous that it can blow up the domestic Chinese websites. Chen Fang knows what is going on without even looking at it.

Chen Fang did not go to training the next day because the team had a mandatory rule that players were not allowed to train the day after the game. Anyone found violating the rule would be fined.

Chen Fang rarely has half a day off at home. He is cleaning the lawns in the front and back yards. In the United States, this is also a job. There are companies that specialize in lawn mowing. He also works part-time as an exterminator, cleaner, and mover.

I can only say that the United States is also very competitive and everyone is short of money.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Sun Lexian came over. He came to review the situation with Chen Fang.

But Chen Fang didn't have much time because Lindsay called him and informed him that there was a public relations event in the afternoon.

The players' public relations activities are divided into two parts: one is organized by the team, and the other is arranged by the players themselves. Both are aimed at building the players' personal image, by going to welfare homes, doing volunteer work, or visiting sick children in hospitals, or participating in charity funds and donating money.

Individual players are basically managed by their agents or exclusive public relations teams. Usually, players will leave links to their social media accounts on the team's official website. Now many NBA players are accustomed to using Twitter to post daily content and comments on current affairs.

Chen Fang did not have a Twitter account, so Lindsay forced him to register one. In just half a month, he already had 16 followers.

Many of them are local Chinese and international students, as well as former NCAA fans.

Usually the accounts are managed by the public relations team, who have management permissions, sending, receiving and deleting functions, while the players' own operations will not be affected.

Today's activity is organized by the team, and I have to volunteer for an hour at a cheap hamburger restaurant.

Chen Fang, Kuzma, Thornwell, Zubac, Evans, Nance Jr. and other players who have just joined the Clippers will all participate. This is also an activity organized by the management for them to interact with fans.

Sun Lexian joked: "If it weren't for the wall, do you believe that we could have hundreds of millions of fans in a matter of minutes?"

Chen Fang just smiled and didn't respond.

They sat around their notebooks at the dining table in the living room and began to review yesterday.

Sun Lexian had actually read it several times and received a more professional evaluation through the Black Brain Bounty, but he couldn't speak proactively because he was the respondent and needed to wait for Chen Fang, the questioner.

"I'm wondering, is quick delivery the key to breaking the game?" Chen Fang asked after reading it.

"Yes, this is crucial. After all, you are not at the highest level of defense. When you are not without the ball, the defensive pressure you receive will definitely be much less."

"Will this become the norm in future competitions?"

"Yes, and this is not your special case, but something that all outside stars encounter in every game."

"Not only do you need to pass the ball quickly, but you also need your teammates to screen you more frequently, which is a bit troublesome."

"What trouble?"

"It's simple. Whether it's the coach's arrangement or improvisation, it's all about tactics, not troubleshooting." Sun Lexian looked Chen Fang in the eye and said, "Do you understand?"

Chen Fang nodded and replied, "I think I understand. I need to keep returning the ball so that this combination can become effective."

"That's what I mean, but this will bring up a new problem: can others take over these ball possessions?"

"That is, I need to give it to someone with more scoring ability."

"Yes, that's what I mean. Of course, we can put these aside for now. The level of the NBA is not something we need to consider. I believe Rivers will handle it well."

"The second question is, how many shots do you have now?" Sun Lexian asked.

Chen Fang frowned. No one had ever told him this.

"From the current perspective, if you have 20 times, your data will be 20+. If not, it will be difficult for the opponent to maintain this defensive strategy."

"Also, I've watched your recent games, and your shooting percentage is declining. I roughly calculated that your true shooting percentage has dropped below 60%. The league average is 55%, the elite is 61%, and the superstars are around 65%."

"This is still preseason. If you encounter an opponent with a strong defensive system, you will have to lower this."

Chen Fang wasn't worried. He said, "Don't worry about that. I'm confident in my shooting."

"What suggestions does Black Brain have?"

"It's an interesting polarization." Sun Lexian raised two fingers and said, "One is to make you gain weight, increase your post-up play, and score from six points on both sides: the elbows, the free throw line, and the short corners. On the wing, rush for rebounds."

"Isn't this just letting me play as a small forward?"

"Yes, that's what it means."

"The second is to play as a high point guard, controlling the court from the super high post three meters outside the arc, focusing on three-pointers, driving to the basket, and passing the ball."

Chen Fang thought for a moment and said, "It seems like I'm doing all of these."

“Yes, but it’s not systematic and efficient.”

Chen Fang thought about it and felt a headache. He sighed, "Take your time. The biggest feeling I have about the NBA is that it's fast."

"The movement is fast, the tempo is fast, and the tactics change quickly. I can't find the feeling of playing as I please before."

"This is the adaptation period. You have to keep competing and take it slow," Sun Lexian comforted.

"By the way, have you read the domestic reports?"

"I don't want to see it. I guess they're praising me to the sky." Chen Fang sighed again.

"That's pretty much it. This is the standard of conduct in China. Why are you sighing?"

"I just don't want too many haters. You don't know how rebellious our people are at heart. The more you praise, the faster neutral fans will turn against you. Damn, can't you just talk about the game directly? You have to make things up out of nothing."

"That's nothing we can do. Can you still control the reporters' mouths?"

Chen Fang thought for a moment and asked, "What do you think about me doing a private interview?"

"What is this for?"

"It's like a disclaimer. How about being more humble?"

Sun Lexian didn't care: "That's unnecessary. I think you are being too sensitive."

"No, I'd better get waived as soon as possible." The more Chen Fang thought about it, the better it felt. He called Lindsay, who didn't object after listening to him. She just said, "More interviews are a good thing, but I don't think it's going to be of any use."

Being repeatedly looked down upon by both of them made Chen Fang feel even more determined to do it. To put it bluntly, people all have a rebellious mentality, and it is their nature not to listen to advice.

"I'll continue with this after the afternoon activities." Chen made the decision.

"Then I'll go set up an interview room now. Which media outlet do you need?"

"China has one, and the next day, the United States has one. You decide on the American side."

"Okay." The two of them decided in a few words.

The afternoon activity was also Chen Fang’s first experience in his life.

Led by Clippers public relations manager Jon, they took the Clippers bus to Inglewood in Los Angeles County.

This is also the future home stadium of the Clippers, so every operation of the management is targeted and no effort will be wasted.

Inglewood is predominantly Latino, making up 50% of the population, squeezing the previous African population to 33%, so the Clippers' public relations team chose a Mexican-style fast food restaurant today.

Del Taco!

Del Taco, which is open all over the United States, has always been the first choice for lunch for many people. Its dishes such as burritos, fried tortillas, nachos, as well as burgers and fries cater to North American tastes.

It has been consistently ranked as the most popular fast food restaurant by USA Today.

The job of Chen Fang and others is naturally not to cook, but to serve as counter waiters, facing customers entering the store. In fact, to put it bluntly, it is to create an opportunity for face-to-face communication with Clippers fans.

After entering the store, someone taught them the basic operations, including prices and how to use the ordering machine. The rest was some common sense in social conversations that the public relations manager Jon gave them.

Players are public figures. Since they are public figures, they must have a persona. No matter what your real face is, you must abide by the following three points.

Friendly, compassionate, and full of sense of justice.

Striving to make the public feel that they are in an equal relationship with each other is also the original intention of holding public relations activities.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Del Taco, which had been temporarily closed for half an hour, opened its doors. Customers who had been lining up in a long queue entered in an orderly manner. Naturally, today's customer flow hit a new high, as did its turnover.

This is a win-win cooperation, and everyone, including the customers who pay the bill, is happy.

Chen Fang quickly got into character. He smiled and asked the customer what he needed, and complimented the customer's appearance. If he couldn't find anything else to say, he would say, "You look really good today, like the sun at 7 or 8 in the morning, full of energy."

Jon, who was watching nearby, raised his eyebrows. He whispered to his colleague, "No wonder Chinese people can survive all over the world. I can guarantee that this must be Chen Fang's first time working as a counter attendant, and he's doing a better job than a real waiter."

The activities will not be particularly long, usually within an hour, because we have to take care of the players' energy. We can't always let the players maintain a false mask, because it is really hard.

There was a small tidbit that made Chen Fang the focus.

There was a little boy who came with his parents. He asked Chen Fang with innocent curiosity, "This pepper is very spicy. My mother said that only true warriors dare to eat it. Do you dare?"

The little boy is referring to the Mexican devil pepper sauce that comes with Mexican fast food. This kind of spicy sauce has a spiciness level of 57 Scovilles and has always been the best prop for teasing friends and family, and is also a punishment option in some games.

Chen Fang was stunned for a moment, and Qiao En immediately stepped forward to negotiate, but unexpectedly Chen Fang nodded: "I can try."

Chen Fang tore open the chili sauce package, covered it with a French fry, and began to chew. He continued this process until he had covered the entire package of chili sauce with the French fry. Then he pretended to be thirsty and said, "Can someone give me a glass of water?"

Jon immediately handed it over, and Chen Fang took a sip and said to the stunned little boy, "Am I a warrior now?"

"Of course, wow, you're awesome!" The little boy immediately looked at Chen Fang with admiration.

The customers watching started clapping and whistling, and Chen Fang responded with a smile and a wave.

After the event, the other teammates looked at Chen Fang with strange eyes. Zubac shook his head and said, "This is crazy. If it were me, I would have given up on the spot."

"How does it feel?" Kuzma asked.

"It's really spicy, but I can stand it." Chen Fang exhaled a breath of hot air. California is mild in October, with an average temperature of around 23°. Eating spicy food in this weather is no problem for Chen Fang, at least.

When they returned to the Clippers Center and said goodbye, Jon specifically expressed his admiration for Chen Fang.

"This operation is worthy of the title of warrior," he praised.

"It's just a coincidence. I can eat spicy food. I'm lucky." Chen Fang said modestly.

After they parted, Lindsay drove over. Chen Fang planned to drive his own car but was stopped.

"I don't know what to say. This car really needs to be replaced as soon as possible." Lindsay looked at the ordinary yet particularly eye-catching Cherokee in the parking lot and sighed.

"Don't worry, I will, but I will keep it. It is a testimony of my coming to the United States." Chen Fang said with a smile.

When you come to Lindsay's company, you will find not only a large conference room, but also an exquisite coffee shop and even a small playground.

Chen Fang took a curious tour around the track and said to Lin, "This place looks like a leisure area in a department store."

"You're right. That's exactly what I want," Lindsay replied. "I want my clients to be able to relax when they come here. They come to shop and relax. I don't want them to feel like they're just here to discuss business."

"Good thought, at least I'm relaxed now."

"The interview room has been set up. When will your compatriots arrive?" Lindsay asked.

"It should be soon."

Sure enough, just as she finished speaking, Lindsay heard her subordinate's announcement through the Bluetooth headset. She pointed to a semi-open area not far away and said, "Do you mind doing the interview there?"

"It's a very good setting, just leave it there." Chen Fang thought it was good.

Duan Ran walked in with excitement. He was very curious why Chen Fang chose this place. He thought he was coming to their base, but he didn't expect Chen Fang to have his own arrangements.

"Long time no see! I'm sorry to bother you, Brother Duan today." Chen Fang greeted him warmly and extended his hand to shake hands.

Since I need help from someone today, I naturally have to be friendly.

"Your interview is very rare, so I should be the one to trouble you." Duan Ran said.

"That's not the way it works. I really haven't had much free time recently. I only squeezed out some time today during the team activities." Chen Fang explained briefly, then brought Duan Ran and his colleagues to this semi-open hall.

"Let's do the interview here, right? There should be no problem." Chen Fang asked.

"Of course not. This place is nice. Is it you...?" Duan Ran asked.

"It belongs to my friend, I'm borrowing it." Chen Fang didn't explain much.

After the two sat down face to face, Chen Fang took the initiative to explain the purpose of the interview. He said, "I used to be a fan myself, and I also argued with others for my favorite stars. But many times, it was actually the media's excessive flattery that led to a lot of haters."

Duan Ran understood as soon as Chen Fang said that, but he still didn't quite understand it.

"So, what's the topic of this interview?"

"It's not a clarification, it's a statement. To put it bluntly, it's to let the fans who follow me know my thoughts and personality."

"Ah! Is that so?" Duan Ran was surprised and then excited.

This is really big news, the best topic in the exclusive interview.

"Then I will cooperate with you!" Duan Ran said.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fang knew that Duan Ran did understand, so after debugging and confirming that there was no problem, the interview began.

"Chen Fang, do you still remember what your thoughts were when you first started playing basketball?" Duan Ran asked.

"I want to play basketball in college, in CUBA. I think it would be wonderful to study and play basketball at the same time."

"Actually, this has been achieved, except that it has changed from CUBA to NCAA." Duan Ran said with a smile.

"Yes, actually, for me, this path, how should I put it, can be said to be a natural one, or it can be said to have appeared as I was walking along." Chen Fang paused, then continued: "I never thought about the NBA at first, and I didn't even dare to think about the United States."

Duan Ran did not interrupt and just listened quietly. His current role was to praise people.

"But because of my good performance, more people are willing to help me, believe in me, and look forward to my future. There are many people I need to thank along the way, but fortunately, I have written them all down." Chen Fang pointed to his head and smiled.

"Yes, behind every success, there is a group of people who silently support us."

"Well, the people who helped me never asked for anything, and I tried my best to repay them. I feel like no matter what I did, it would never be enough."

"Like my high school homeroom teacher. I often used study time to sneak out and play ball. One time, he caught me and said to me, 'I don't object to you playing ball because it's your hobby, but it's also my job to make sure you study.'"

"To influence others in order to satisfy one's own preferences is selfish."

"I've always remembered what my homeroom teacher said, so until now, I've been able to clearly distinguish between official and personal matters."

"So everyone thinks you're very low-key, and no one knows much about your personal life."

"I don't understand you either!" Chen Fang replied, and Duan Ran couldn't help laughing.

"Don't do to others what you don't want done to you. Because of basketball, many people know me. In my opinion, I just need to play well, so that I can live up to the people who like me."

"You just got a near triple-double yesterday. How do you feel about the NBA?" Duan Ran took the opportunity to ask.

"It's very difficult, worthy of being the best basketball league on the planet. I personally hate the one-game debate because everyone in the league is the Jordan in their own story, and competing in the league is very difficult."

"I've also seen some reports that praised me so much, saying I was just one step away from winning the championship trophy."

"This makes me very anxious. I feel that I can't reach that level. There are too many talented people here. I still have a lot to learn and improve. To put it bluntly, I am just an elementary school student who has just entered the league. No matter how you look at it, I am lacking."

"I didn't expect you to see it this way."

"Yeah, I don't even dare to watch the domestic news right now. I really ask everyone to stop hyping it up. It has no practical effect other than causing unnecessary misunderstanding and resentment."

"Of course, I know I'm a little famous now and have traffic, but this will have a long-term impact on me. I hope the media can speak truthfully, and I don't think I have anything to brag about. I'm just a rookie who came to the NBA to learn things."

As a reporter and person in charge, Duan Ran still asked a question at the end of the interview.

"We're going to play the Lakers in the preseason. Do you know what we're facing?"

"Paul, is it?"

"Yes, what are your thoughts on this?"

"When normal games come, the Lakers and the Clippers are rivals in the same city. As a member of the Clippers, what I have to do is to help the team as much as possible and win the game."

It was a very official statement. When sending Duan Ran and the others out, Chen Fang asked, "When will this interview be released, and where will it be displayed?"

"I'll be working overtime all night and it will be on the front page of TX Sports tomorrow."

"Okay, can you help guide the interview video? It will be worth my efforts." Chen Fang made a request.

Duan Ran agreed without hesitation. This was like asking someone to do something for you. If you were satisfied, there would be another time. Otherwise, goodbye.

After watching them leave, Lindsay appeared beside Chen Fang.

"I contacted CBS and asked David, who has been commentating on your show, to do the interview. How about that?"

"Fine, I'm fine."

"Is the topic of the interview the same as before?" Lindsay asked.

Chen Fang raised his eyebrows and said with a half-smile, "Of course not."

"What do you want to say?"

Chen Fang looked at the sunset sky, which illuminated the cotton-like clouds with a golden glow, and said leisurely, "California is beautiful, and so is the NBA."

"It's not very bold to make your voice heard to the NBA."

Lindsay was stunned for a moment. She pushed her glasses down on the bridge of her nose and replied, "Reasonable."

Chen Fang admired the sunset. Both Yao and Yi were too introverted in the NBA, but Chen Fang didn't want that. He wanted to break the stereotype of China in North America.

Being a little arrogant and confident is actually very likable.

(End of this chapter)