One Year Left to Play-Chapter 141 - 45: Born Leader

With the media day underway, the dozen or so media outlets from China that obtained visas with the help of NBA officials began to enter the Continental Airlines Arena for interviews after finishing filming with the Imperial Channel.

Zhang Hao entering the NBA is truly an uplifting moment for domestic sports journalists working in the basketball field.

The involvement and immersion of sports fans is strong, and for journalists working in related fields, this sense of participation and immersion is even stronger. Perhaps they hope more than many basketball players that basketball becomes more popular worldwide, allowing them to proudly say that their beloved sport is the most popular in the world, just like soccer fans.

Moreover, finally having a domestic basketball player enter the NBA, from a certain perspective, Zhang Hao has become a "bridge," providing many domestic media outlets with the opportunity to sign contracts to work in the United States.

Working in the United States means high salaries... which is why many media outlets take the initiative to befriend Zhang Hao.

When it comes to money, everyone earns it together, and it doesn’t affect each other’s earnings.

The Brooklyn Nets were happy with so many journalists coming for interviews, but the management didn’t give it special attention, as most of the journalists were from China and Asia.

Most team owners don’t have high expectations for overseas markets yet. The NBA is still investing money to develop overseas markets. In Asia, only South Korea and Japan have paid broadcasting fees, but it’s not much. South Korea and Japan habitually pay "protection fees" in various fields. China’s broadcasts are even free, as soccer is the most popular sport in Asia.

The Nets feel the same way, not thinking it signifies anything significant. However, having so many media outlets for interviews is good for boosting player morale, as many players crave media exposure and attention.

Within the domestic sports community, after the Nets selected Zhang Hao, this previously unknown team has become very famous in China. Even the latest addition, Inka Dale, has seen domestic sports media gather information and report on them.

The strength and other aspects of the Nets have been discussed countless times... mostly just idle discussions, similar to how Yao and McGrady were considered championship contenders by domestic media every year in the original timeline.

Kenny Anderson, viewed by domestic media as the Nets’ new lead player, gave Zhang Hao a very high evaluation: "Aix is the most talented shooter I’ve ever seen. He will definitely become a star shooter. His athletic ability is remarkable, and we complement each other very well. I believe with my experience and capability, I’ll help him quickly find his rhythm in NBA games..."

Praising Chinese players certainly leaves a great impression on the Imperial Channel’s journalists. Another characteristic of domestic journalists is that they carry great goodwill towards foreign players. Following Kenny Anderson’s response, the Imperial Channel’s reporter began asking questions related to Kenny Anderson, who was a brilliant second pick and a top-tier point guard in the past two years, resulting in many questions directed his way, sometimes diverting to Zhang Hao.

As for Zhang Hao’s competitors, they were not so friendly. Some players with good characters would casually respond, allowing the interview to proceed smoothly.

But those who disliked Zhang Hao, seeing him as a threat, initially enjoyed media attention. Especially after playing with the Nets for several years, many players crave media interviews and love to be in the news. However, when faced with questions about Zhang Hao, they became unhappy. While they refrained from speaking ill openly, given they were teammates and not yet familiar, when answering questions about Zhang Hao, they noticeably exuded impatience and hostility...

For Zhang Hao, he first accepted an exclusive interview with the Imperial Channel, followed by Guangdong Sports. These two media outlets, perhaps having reached cooperation intent with the NBA, asked common questions focusing on promoting Zhang Hao’s Nets team.

The last interview came from the American Cable TV Station, for their high school special.

Garnett was also featured on this special, along with current player Shawn Kemp, and three retired high school players, Moses Malone, Darryl Dawkins, and Bill Willoughby.

Although high school rookies are widely criticized, they remain a hot topic with significant promotional value. Despite criticism, their success rate is quite high, with Zhang Hao and Garnett being preceded by Bill Willoughby as the only one not to have been a starting player.

This media outlet wasn’t as friendly and posed very tricky questions regarding Zhang Hao’s identity as both a high school and a Chinese player.

Pelinka had already anticipated this, having discussed with Zhang Hao how to respond in advance.

Low-key, cautious growth, laying a strong foundation... This was the strategic career plan that Zhang Hao, Pelinka, and Henry Thomas had devised for the initial phase of his career.

At 11 a.m., the interview concluded, and Xu Jicheng found Zhang Hao.

"Aix, the environment of this team you’re on... it’s beyond words!" Xu Jicheng exclaimed after learning some things from the Imperial Channel.

"It’s already quite good." Zhang Hao smiled and continued, "Getting started is always the hardest. I should be a pioneer for Chinese basketball players going global, right? I’ll try hard. If I succeed, paving the way for future players to make it easier for them is not a bad thing either."

Though Zhang Hao said it lightly, Xu Jicheng felt a surge of passion.