Chapter 227: The True Leader

For Griffin, the actions of Nash, Leonard, Butler, Carter, and others were the Clippers version of "wearing the yellow robe." He watched helplessly as Fan Xi stood in the very middle, holding the flower ball symbolizing the captain's privilege.

But he was powerless to resist.

Although from the moment the trade happened, the media branded the Clippers with Fan Xi's colors. But there was still a fluke in Griffin's heart: "What if Jack Fan was traded to the team to assist me?"

This kind of fluke could make him feel occasional happiness... just like the special dopamine that can continue to be secreted after buying a lottery ticket until the moment of the draw.

Now, the draw is over, and this happiness has disappeared.

Fan Xi wore the No. 10 jersey, stood in the center, and the photographers' focus was all on him. Then the Clippers' PR manager pulled Fan Xi to take many individual or group photos.

Finally, he suggested: "Jack, Blake, you should take a photo together. You are our inside and outside core."

Huh?

Griffin was happy in his heart; inside and outside core, this is something he can accept. Jack is the main outside and he is the main inside, which sounds better than Jack being the only one in power.

"Where is there any inside and outside core? The core is the core, there is only one core, don't engage in any inside and outside, or special core and ordinary core. Don't create internal chaos."

DeAndre Jordan suddenly spoke up, correcting the media PR's statement.

"Let's take a picture together, Captain Jack stands in the middle."

DeAndre Jordan, as the Clippers' "veteran," directly backstabbed Griffin, expressing his loyalty to Fan Xi.

As a big center whose brain is not very developed, he remembered one sentence these days: "Loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely not loyal."

He wanted to express his loyalty to Fan Xi.

The photographer agreed to their request, DeAndre Jordan and Griffin stood on the left and right sides of Fan Xi, and when standing, DeAndre Jordan even specially pulled Griffin: "Let's stand a little further back, we need to make Jack's figure look taller."

Griffin was convinced.

He didn't expect that the unruly DeAndre Jordan in the past would be so able to lick now.

This guy was still attacking Bynum yesterday, saying Bynum was a stupid marmot, and he actually thought his single-player efficiency would exceed Jack's passing.

DeAndre Jordan has now completely hugged Fan Xi's thigh.

Griffin felt it was very absurd.

Soon, the media entered. This time the Clippers only opened to 30 media outlets. This was unimaginable in the past; in the past, most media would go to the other training camp in Los Angeles, not here. This year, the Clippers' popularity is very high, and more than a hundred media outlets have applied for media day interviews.

Not only Asian media, but also entertainment media.

Not only basketball media, but also entertainment media.

With Fan Xi's joining, the Clippers have unprecedented attention.

From Boss Sterling's smiling expression, it can be seen that the Clippers got what they wanted, and even got what they didn't dare to imagine before.

"We are full of talent, we are full of experience, we are full of appeal, our season ticket sales have reached a historical peak, our regular season ticket prices have exceeded any season in the past, we have achieved unprecedented success in business, our number of sponsors has exceeded the vast majority of teams in the league, and more and more fans are joining our ranks."

"If this is not called success, I don't know what can be called success."

Old Dunleavy said easily in an interview with the media.

Mike Brown talked about the team's tactics: "We will play around Jack Fan, all our players' chemical reactions are super good, we have a tacit understanding that people cannot imagine. We will achieve success, and it is the success that Jack said."

"I don't want to answer any hypothetical topics now; I am not a person who is willing to talk freely in the media, you also know this in the past. So, let time speak for everything."

Fan Xi answered the hypothetical questions raised by the media calmly.

Most of these questions were directed at the Clippers' performance forecast for this season, whether they have the confidence to beat the Lakers, etc.

Fan Xi in front of the camera was sparing with words.

The only thing he answered more was about his teammates.

"I have a small notebook, I have remembered the names of those who attacked my teammates, and I will let them know what kind of mistake they have made."

"Leonard and Butler will become the best rookies this year, and they will be the most excellent players in this class, undoubtedly. Stephen, Vince, Richard... they will rejuvenate their second spring here, and they will get everything they want."

"Also, Blake, DeAndre, just wait and see, you will be shocked by their performance."

"Kwame will make everyone who questions him break their big teeth; he will definitely return to the position that belongs to him, I firmly believe this."

"Everyone who looks down on Clippers players will eat their own bitter fruit. The remarks they make now will conduct a heavy trial on them in the future."

Fan Xi said firmly.

And, he turned back and told the team PR: "The work you should do now is to keep screenshots of those people's quotes or articles."

Then, he told the media: "You can publish what I said exactly as it is. If someone thinks this is a declaration of war, then this is a declaration of war."

Fan Xi was full of dominance.

He was like a fierce leader who protected all his subordinates under his command, not allowing anyone to make a mocking laugh at them.

This is Fan Xi's way of leadership.

He wouldn't be polite to those who attacked his team members.

He was for real.

Many teammates standing not far behind him heard Fan Xi's sonorous speech, and they were moved to tears in their hearts.

Because Fan Xi was fighting for them.

Including Griffin, he realized a truly terrifying thing: "My leadership ability may never catch up with Jack, and his courage is also something I can't catch up with."

When Fan Xi was with the Lakers, he was never the team leader, until after the Lakers' few giants were all beaten down in the Finals, he stood up, supported the Lakers' prestige, and carried the flag with his body to repel Miami and guard the three-peat mountain.

In the afternoon, the Clippers conducted a formal joint practice.

The media was also cleared out.

They were actively reporting Fan Xi's "declaration of war."

And Fan Xi was furious in the training camp. "Leonard, defend more tightly, is your long arm span used for climbing trees?"

"Vince, you are not old enough to not be able to jump, don't tell me you can't even shake off Jimmy."

"Kwame, your pace just now was not bad, but this is basketball, not ballet, you should hit Griffin, smash the basketball into the basket, you can do it. Remember my words, draw the sword ten thousand times!!"

"DeAndre, don't always think about blocking opponents. Rasheed is already an old man, you won't make the top five plays even if you block him, you should make opponents afraid to shoot in front of you... make opponents afraid!!"

"..."

Fan Xi kept shouting with a rough voice.

He was more like a head coach than Mike Brown.

Mike Brown sat on the side, very surprised; his work was very easy, but his spirit was shocked.

He worked with LeBron James for many years, and he thought LeBron James was already a model of leadership.

But now, Fan Xi rewrote his cognition.

Fan Xi was more incisive than LeBron, and he was better at making teammates better. Instead of making teammates more adaptable to himself and more fit for tactics... LeBron was the latter.

… ===== CHAPTER 228 =====