Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1088 - 611 Its Not My Era Anymore

Chapter 1088: Chapter 611: It’s Not My Era Anymore Chapter 1088: Chapter 611: It’s Not My Era Anymore Holding a personal mini-training camp before the official start of the team’s pre-season training camp has a benefit: it can quickly foster closer bonds with teammates.

It’s somewhat like the time when Jordan returned from his baseball hiatus and was defeated by the Magic in the playoffs, afterwards initiating the “Breakfast Club”.

Although Jordan’s relationship with his teammates may not have improved, increased contact certainly enhanced their understanding of each other, especially since he had been away from the Bulls for a season and a half.

Yu Fei, however, was different. He did not need to reconnect with his teammates through training camp because he had left the team. Jokić joined voluntarily, and their relationship evolved from mere colleagues to pure friendship.

Jokić’s rapid improvement surprised Yu Fei.

Last season, although Jokić showed plenty of promise, he still retained much of a rookie’s rawness in many respects.

Now, the situation is completely different.

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Yu Fei believes that Jokić’s technical framework has now preliminarily taken on the mold of the future “Jokić” he is familiar with.

The only thing he lacks now is time.

Only an abundance of combat experience can allow him to truly break through barriers and leap forwards in personal strength.

The day before the end of Yu Fei’s personal mini-training camp, Jokić invited him to visit his home. Yu Fei gladly accepted the invitation.

Unlike other NBA players, Jokić did not choose an expensive sprawling estate. He just picked a safe, wealthy community and rented a three-bedroom apartment.

Living there, apart from him and his girlfriend Talia, were his two older brothers, Nemanja and Strahinja.

Yu Fei often saw them cheering for Jokić on the sidelines, but only on closer contact did he realize just how imposing they were, like typical mafia bodyguards from a Hollywood movie.

Additionally, there was an odd rule in their home:

Everyone who lived or visited had to wear black slippers. If a guest didn’t have any, the house would provide a pair.

“This is Talia’s rule, everyone must follow it,” Jokić explained.

Yu Fei chuckled: “Sounds like you really listen to her, huh?”

Jokić replied without hesitation: “Of course. She takes care of our diet and daily lives, manages this big house all by herself; she’s the lady of the house.”

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Subsequently, Yu Fei met the “lady of the house.”

He had thought Talia would be a domineering woman, but her demeanor was unexpectedly gentle and serene, not at all like someone who would force guests to wear black slippers.

As Jokić opened the fridge, ready to take out a bottle of Coke, Talia glared at him: “Honey, you’ve already had three liters of Coke today!”

“Definitely not that much!” Jokić protested, “At most two liters!”

“Frye is here, you always say it has no effect on you, so let’s ask Frye: does Coke affect athletes?”

Yu Fei had formed the understanding over the years that “carbonated drinks are not good for athletes”, but he hadn’t delved into specifics.

Faced with Talia’s question, he simply responded: “Whether you’re an athlete or not, drinking too many beverages is always bad.”

“See! If you won’t listen to me, you have to listen to the GOAT!” Talia said, laughing while Jokić reluctantly gave in.

Yu Fei just felt his face getting hot.

This was the scenario he least wanted to encounter, where his offhand remark got treated as the Bible, with the other party emphasizing “this is what the GOAT said”.

As if his words carried some kind of binding power.

After Talia took away Jokić’s Coke, Jokić looked at Yu Fei resentfully: “Would your wife do the same?”

Yu Fei joked: “I generally don’t consume two liters of Coke in a day.”

“It makes me happy.” Jokić said, “Happiness is the best.”

“Like horse racing?”

“That’s different,” Jokić said, “horse racing is the most important thing in the world.”

So, basketball was just a secondary interest for Jokić to enjoy happiness and to help his horse racing business take off.

It’s just that Jokić has had tremendous success in this secondary interest.

The Serbian barbecue served to guests at the Jokić household that day was the specialty.

But for Yu Fei, barbecue wasn’t anything special.

Aside from the different ingredients and seasonings, barbecues around the world are mostly the same.

They chatted while eating Serbian sausages.

Jokić talked about his childhood.

“In elementary school, every teacher liked me because I was always the funny one,” he said. “I was taller and heavier than most boys and girls. I liked certain subjects – like math and history, basically that’s it. I didn’t like physical activities. In high school, I couldn’t even do a single push-up.”

Honestly, Jokić’s life was “richer” than most players.

This “richness” was more on a spiritual level.

Although he played basketball in a foreign land, his girlfriend and brothers were all by his side.

Yet, he suddenly said wistfully, “I miss home. Being the youngest child at home, maybe that’s why I have a closer relationship with my parents. I really miss them.”

At this, Jokić’s brother Nemanja joked: “That’s because he’s spoiled!”

Jokić promptly retorted: “I am not!”

Yu Fei asked: “You could have taken this time to go back; why didn’t you?”

He was referring to the time Jokić spent at the mini-training camp. Jokić had just recovered from intensive summer training, only to immediately join Yu Fei’s camp, and now the pre-season was about to start; indeed, he couldn’t find the time.