Kayce's big double-double caused quite a stir in America, the most direct result being a continuous stream of interviews from media reporters.
Aside from Durant, who Coach Brooks brought to the press conference, most of the teammates in the locker room were interviewed briefly.
This is the benefit of winning; if you're just a bottom-feeder team, no one in the NBA will care about you. Just look at the number of nationally televised games the Thunder had this season.
Only 4 games. The media all say Durant is a generational player, but if you're fishing every year, the audience won't buy it, and the NBA won't give you more exposure opportunities.
There are tons of talented players, but very few are talented and can make money for the league. Superstars who can make money are the league's darlings. Look at the Los Angeles Lakers' nationally televised games—42 games!
There's no comparison; the Oklahoma City and Los Angeles markets are also incomparable, which is why local fans were so excited after the Thunder won.
Zhang saw a group of reporters waiting behind him, so he asked two simple questions and then moved aside. He knew Kayce needed the recognition of the American media more, as this would help him integrate better into the NBA.
Kayce also gave Zhang an apologetic look. He really hadn't expected so many reporters to flock to him.
To the endless stream of questions, Kayce simply responded with "Coach is great, teammates are awesome, family!"
It wasn't until a blonde, big-breasted female reporter suddenly asked a question that Kayce's official rhetoric was interrupted.
"Kayce, your single has already reached number three on the Billboard this week. Have you ever considered focusing on a music career in the future? I personally really like you!"
As she spoke, the blonde reporter even winked at Kayce.
"Uh, I haven't paid much attention to music. I'm currently focused on the regular season. Of course, thank you for your support. I'll release another single on Christmas."
Kayce paused for a moment before answering the question. This woman didn't look like a good person; she must be after him!
Media reporters have noses like dogs, and seeing a new hot topic, everyone became even more enthusiastic. Eventually, the team staff forcibly pulled Kayce away to escape the clingy reporters.
Zhang watched from the side, bewildered. What was all this about? Meanwhile, one of the accompanying female staff members suddenly thought of something.
"The single reached number three on the Billboard? I need to check this out when I get back."
By the time he finished dealing with the reporters, it was already late. Trainer Meg was meticulously performing post-game physical therapy on Kayce.
"Alright, Meg, it's already very late. I can handle the rest of the work myself. You don't need to be so particular here in Oklahoma City."
Kayce was very satisfied with his training team's work, so in Oklahoma City, he would try his best to let everyone rest more.
"Kayce, you need to develop a habit, and we're paid to do this. Physical therapy is mandatory after every game. You can't overly rely on your body's recovery ability; trusting science is the best choice!"
Meg understood Kayce's physical talent very well, which made her job a lot easier, but she didn't want to relax her demands on Kayce because of it.
"Okay, you're the professionals. I trust you." Kayce immediately indicated that he would follow the arrangements.
By the time the full physical therapy routine was completed, it was already midnight when Kayce drove home. After a quick bath, he collapsed onto his big bed.
Thinking about the upcoming game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kayce felt a bit of anticipation:
"Black Mamba, it's time to feel the gap between me and a superstar."
After slowly falling asleep, Kayce arrived in the Dream Training Space. Seeing a new notification in the achievement room on the control panel, his heart rejoiced. 16 assists should bring a new badge.
Entering the achievement room, a new bronze badge appeared before his eyes. Kayce immediately stepped forward and lightly touched it to view its attributes.
Achievement Badge [Needle Threader]: 6/50
Increases the likelihood of penetrating defenses with difficult passes.
After seeing the attributes of this badge, Kayce couldn't help but think of the combined effect of the [Bullet Passer] + [Needle Threader] badges.
"I still have to grind stats; the more I grind, the stronger I get!"
Thinking of the many regular season games left, Kayce was invigorated and immediately threw himself into his daily basic training with full energy.
The next afternoon, after the team's film session, Durant quietly approached Kayce.
"Kayce, I heard your stylist is excellent. Can you introduce him to me? I want to change my look."
Durant spoke in a very low voice, afraid of being overheard by other teammates.
"No problem. Star players really need to pay attention to their appearance. Russell does a great job in this regard."
Kayce spoke against his true feelings; Russell's clothing was gradually becoming more outrageous, and his style was slowly becoming eccentric. He genuinely worried that one day Russell would just wear women's clothes.
"No, no, no, I don't really like Russell's clothes. I saw some likes from Scarlett on Twitter; she seems to dislike black attire, so I need to change."
Durant's face lit up as he talked about Scarlett.
Kayce's expression was strange. He thought Scarlett was most likely a woman who judged by looks. Durant trying to attract her with his appearance would probably fail; using money might be more effective.
"Kevin, I'd rather introduce you to some Latina girls, they're all hotties!" Jeff Green suddenly interrupted.
"Shit! You're eavesdropping on our conversation! You have to keep it a secret!" Durant was startled by Jeff Green's appearance.
"No problem, next time we go to a nightclub, you pay, and I'll pick the hottest girls!" Jeff Green became happier as he spoke.
The locker room conversation gradually became unsuitable for children, and Kayce couldn't help but sigh:
"Aside from training, it's all about chasing girls. Look at this decadent life, it's truly wonderful~"
On November 3rd, Kayce witnessed the Los Angeles Lakers' influence. Before the game, many media outlets were already swarming around them. What does it mean to be a superstar? Just look at Kobe and you'll understand.
"Do you think the Los Angeles Lakers can win the championship this year?" Russell looked at the opposing team with some envy; he had always wanted to play in Los Angeles.
"You'll have to ask us first. There's only one championship, and we can win it too!" Kayce replied calmly.
"They're just more experienced, but I believe we have a chance this year!" Durant, who had a new look today, was brimming with confidence.
"Maybe we can beat them tonight!" Jeff Green also said with a smile.
Kayce didn't think this year's Los Angeles Lakers were unbeatable. Their backcourt was relatively weak, and Fisher was basically relying on eye-defense at this point.
The atmosphere at Ford Center was even more electric today. Their home team was going to face last year's championship team.
Although everyone thought they would likely lose this game, the process of the game was also very important.
Not only local fans were present, but the Los Angeles Lakers also had many supporters who traveled with the team to the away game to cheer them on.
"It's Kobe after all. Look at his popularity; quite a few fans actually came to the away game!" Zhang couldn't help but exclaim, looking at the lively atmosphere.
"Our broadcast of this game today saw a significant increase in viewership, and Kayce's fan base also grew considerably."
The accompanying staff specifically asked for the station's data and found that viewership had increased a lot, and this wasn't even a weekend.
"This is also a good thing. I hope Kayce plays better and better. It's not easy to produce such a player!" Zhang sighed.
In the Thunder locker room, Coach Brooks was giving pre-game instructions.
"Kayce, give your all on defense today. If single coverage isn't effective, communicate with everyone in time for double-team defense."
"I understand, Coach." Kayce nodded, indicating. He was starting today, and it was clear that coaching staff was going all out from the start.
"Russell, attack their backcourt aggressively and maintain your aggressiveness. When defending pick-and-rolls, try to squeeze over the top."
Russell also indicated he understood; he really wanted to win this game.
After coaching staff finished arranging the tactics, everyone was waiting in the player tunnel to go out. Durant felt the atmosphere was quite serious and suddenly spoke up:
"Guys, maybe we should come up with a pre-game slogan!"
Hearing this, the teammates immediately became interested and started discussing in a babble, saying all sorts of things.
Kayce quickly reined in the conversation to prevent everyone from getting carried away:
"How about we just go with something simple for this game? One, Two, Three, Family! Let's shout that first!"
The teammates heard it and thought it was actually pretty good. They gathered in a circle and howled wildly.
Kayce's expression was a bit strange after shouting.
"I always feel like this slogan sounds familiar, but I can't remember who uses it."
At this moment, a certain Head Coach who was often reversed suddenly sneezed.
"The Big Three are also hard to manage. Fortunately, I won a championship; I definitely won't be out of a job for the next ten years."