The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 103: Against his former team, 50+ points in a single match.
Charlotte, at the Hornets headquarters, Tvertzke looked at the All-Star Weekend voting results and fell silent.

He didn't expect Tang Bei's popularity to rise so quickly, but he didn't regret it. Larry Johnson had such a big contract, and even after Tang Bei's rookie contract ended, the Hornets still couldn't keep him.

Furthermore, even though Tang Bei's popularity is rising rapidly, he is not American and has not received any sponsorships. Apart from jersey sales, he cannot bring much practical benefit to the team. Larry Johnson is a more suitable person for the Hornets.

What frustrated him was something else: after Tang Bei left, the rivalry between Kendall Gill and Larry Johnson started again.

Furthermore, the trade for Tang has exacerbated the conflict between Dell Curry and Larry Johnson, making the locker room very unstable, and Larry Johnson lacks the ability to control it.

Huang Feng suffered a seven-game losing streak, and his record dropped significantly. Besides Ronnie Sekkali being inferior to Tang, this was also one of the most important reasons.

On the afternoon of January 3rd, the Heat returned to Miami. There was no game on the 4th, and they will host the Pistons on the 5th.

When Tang Bei was in Los Angeles, he talked with several martial artists in the United States, including Mai Baochan, Huang Jinming, and Liu Xiangyang, and asked them to order a batch of martial arts equipment.

He plans to establish a private martial arts club near the villa he rents, mainly for his own martial arts practice.

Eric Fleischer is helping him look at locations; the investment can't be too large. Of the nearly $70 in salary he earned in the first three months, $40 was sent back to his hometown. After deducting expenses, he only has $25 on hand.

In the afternoon, he went to take a look, and the location was pretty good, so he made a reservation.

Eric Fleischer helped him choose a location, a 45-story waterfront building called the Elena Building, just two kilometers away from his residence.

Elena Building mainly houses various private clubs, with a very nice environment and a high degree of privacy.

His location is on the second basement level, with an area of ​​500 square meters, exactly the size of a basketball court. It has four load-bearing pillars, but they don't get in the way too much. The monthly rent is $9,500 and the monthly management fee is $1,000.

On the evening of the 5th, at the Miami Arena, the Heat faced the Pistons.

In the players' tunnel, Isaiah Thomas saw Tang Bei and excitedly shouted:

"Tang, you did a good job. That postman bastard needs to be dealt with like you did."

Tang Bei quickly shook his head and said, "No, I was just blocking him, I didn't mean to hit him."

"Ha ha……"

Isaiah Thomas laughed.

Bill Lambiel said discontentedly, "Isaiah, that kid's no better. He hurt me, have you forgotten?"

“Bill, you can go and settle accounts with him, I won’t stop you,” Isaiah Thomas said.

Lambiel was furious. "If I can beat him, can you stop me?"

“Mr. Villain, are you going to make a move? I really don’t mind breaking your bones,” Tang Bei asked in a “friendly” tone.

"puff!"

Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumas, and others burst out laughing.

"Go to hell!"

Lambiel gave Tang Bei and Isaiah Thomas the middle finger, then turned and walked toward the stadium.

In this game, the Heat, playing at home, defeated the Pistons.

The Heat completed their eighth consecutive win, bringing their record to 15 wins and 13 losses, a winning percentage of 53.5%. This puts them ahead of the Pistons, making them the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, just half a game behind the 8th and 9th seeded Pacers and Magic.

In previous years, this winning percentage would have placed them in the top eight in the Eastern Conference, but so far this season, the teams ahead of them have all performed exceptionally well, with records surpassing those of previous years.

On the 6th, the Magic and Pacers lost, allowing the Heat to move up two places to become the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, their first time entering the top eight this season.

This was great news for the Heat, and management immediately decided to raise ticket prices.

On the 7th, the Heat lost to the Warriors on the road.

Glen Rice lived up to his reputation as a pitcher, but his touch was ice cold, with a shooting percentage of just over 30%, scoring only 10 points.

Tang Bei was in the same boat, making only 1 of 6 two-point attempts. In 38 minutes of play, he only scored 23 points with a 50% field goal percentage.

The Heat's leading scorer in this game was shooting guard Kevin Edwards, who went 10-for-15 from the field and scored 26 points with a combination of field goals and free throws.

However, the Warriors, playing at home, were in excellent form, with a group of shooters contributing from all sides and seven players scoring in double figures, ending the Heat's eight-game winning streak.

Both the Pacers and Magic suffered back-to-back losses. The Pistons, who won, surpassed the Heat, Pacers, and Magic to become the 8th seed in the East. The Heat dropped to 9th, the Pacers to 10th, and the Magic to 11th.

However, the next day, the Pistons lost, tying the Heat's record. The Heat had previously defeated the Pistons, and once again became the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

With a record of 15 wins and 14 losses, a winning percentage of 51.7%, the Nets and Hawks, ranked sixth and seventh in the Eastern Conference, have a record of 17 wins and 15 losses, a winning percentage of 53.1%, just half a game behind.

On the 9th, the Heat faced the Kings on the road, determined to secure a victory and climb to sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but were thoroughly thwarted by the Kings' barrage of three-pointers.

Fortunately, the teams behind them all lost, and the Pistons and Pacers also lost, so the Heat's ranking did not drop and they remained in 8th place.

At 2 a.m. on the 10th, the Heat arrived in Los Angeles.

At 9 a.m., the league announced the voting results for the second week of the All-Star Game.

Tang Bei's votes did not decline in the second week; instead, they surged, gaining 34 votes and a total of over 57 votes. He continued to be the top center in the Eastern Conference and the second in the East and the entire league, second only to Jordan and surpassing Pippen.

Some media outlets have analyzed that this is due to the influence of Tang Bei's challenge, because 170% of his votes this week came from areas outside Miami, compared to only 30% previously.

In the afternoon, Eric Fleischer called from Miami, saying that Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and other brands had contacted him and were willing to offer him a third-tier contract.

Previously, these major brands were only willing to offer the worst sponsorship contracts in the fourth tier, which, for him, is strong evidence of rising brand awareness and influence.

That night, the Heat played the Lakers in a back-to-back game.

The Lakers lost three big men to injury last time by Tang Beigan, only one of whom has returned, and the other two are still on the injury list, leaving them with an incomplete roster.

Tang Bei, who had been in mediocre form for some time, unleashed his full potential, sparing no effort in back-to-back games to rack up a double-double of 38 points and 20 rebounds, along with 7 blocks, dominating the Lakers and leading his team to victory.

With this victory, the Heat, now 16-15, surpassed teams like the Pistons who lost, finally climbing to sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

On January 11, the Heat arrived in Salt Lake City.

The Mailman is still on the injury list, the Jazz's record is declining, and the Heat's arrival has been met with resistance from Salt Lake City fans.

The following night, Tang Bei scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds at the Jazz's home court, defeating this strong Western team and achieving a two-game winning streak.

However, injuries began to appear. Starting shooting guard Kevin Edwards fell to the ground while driving to the basket, resulting in a torn ligament that ended his season.

Fortunately, Steve Smith, last season's starting shooting guard, has been cleared to return and will fill Edwards's position.

The Heat currently have a record of 17 wins and 15 losses, a winning percentage of 53.1%, and remain sixth in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets are ranked 5th. Without Tang Bei, the Hornets have fallen from first in the league to 5th in the East in just over a month, and even suffered a 7-game losing streak. Their current record is 18 wins and 15 losses, only half a game behind the Heat.

On the 13th, the Heat arrived in Charlotte.

Returning to the city, Tang Bei had no other thoughts but one: to defeat his former team, the Hornets.

His Heat jersey sales continue to rise, currently totaling over 90,000 pieces, almost surpassing Larry Johnson's sales, and now ranking 12th in the entire league.

Because of his performance, the Heat secured several regional sponsors in Miami, gaining some commercial benefits.

However, his influence was still insufficient, and the sponsors were all small regional companies, failing to attract the attention of major international sponsors.

However, he actually preferred the seaside city of Miami because his basketball career began there, so he didn't have many complaints about the Hornets. He was just resentful that the management had given up on him and chosen Larry Johnson, who was worse than him.

On the evening of the 14th, the Heat appeared at Charlotte Arena.

Head coach Kevin Longley announced the starting lineup in the locker room. Starting point guard Bimbokors was experiencing some knee discomfort, so backup point guard Brian Shaw took his place in the starting lineup, and Steve Smith started at shooting guard.

Steve Smith was the 5th overall pick in the first round of the 91 NBA draft, selected by the Miami Heat. Last season, he started at shooting guard, averaging 12 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1 steal per game. Kevin Edwards was his primary backup.

However, he suffered a serious injury in the second half of last season and has only recently returned to the court, which is why Edwards has been able to start.

As if they had planned it, Edwards suffered a serious injury and was out for the season, so Steve Smith took back the starting shooting guard position.

After reading out the roster, Kevin Longley said, "Our injury situation is still serious, and we've been rotating nine to ten players."

Willie Burton is still unavailable, Alec Kosler needs more time to recover, and now Edwards is injured, leaving only ten players for rotation.

Tang Bei didn't know Willie Burton yet, only that he was a key player last season, a swingman, whose injury was more serious than Steve Smith's, and he was still recovering and resting at home.

Alec Koestler did come to the locker room a few times, but his injury was also very serious, and he had been recuperating at home and was unable to join the team.

Kevin Longley then added, "Matt, you need to be careful with your injury too, don't let it get worse."

Matt Geiger quickly replied, "Yes, Coach, I'll be careful."

Lengley continued, "The season is almost halfway through, and as physical exertion increases, injuries may become more serious. Players need to take this seriously, and the coaching staff also need to pay attention to it."

He concluded by saying, "We've changed two starters tonight, the lineup is completely different, so everyone needs to pay attention to teamwork. Focus on Tang's low-post offense, and make sure his offense is up to you." After speaking to the players, he went to Tang Bei and said, "Tang, the rotation has been further reduced, so your workload has increased."

Therefore, you need to pay attention to your energy distribution and increase your close-range and mid-range two-point shots. Although your offensive efficiency will decrease, it will reduce your energy consumption and lower your risk of injury.

"I understand, Coach."

Tang Bei nodded, but said, "However, this match is very important to me, and I need to give it my all."

"Sure, you can play however you want tonight."

Although Kevin Longley's coaching ability was average, he was very smart and immediately agreed.

At 7:30, both teams announced their starting lineups.

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Brian Shaw
Hornets: Ronnie Sekkali, Larry Johnson, David Wingate, Kendall Gill, Muggsy Bogues
This game was broadcast live across the United States by TNT, with Bob Neal and Hubie Brown as commentators.

Hubie Brown said, "This is the first game after the trade. After the trade, the Hornets' record dropped significantly, while the Heat's record rose significantly. The result of the trade is very clear. From this point of view, the trade was a mistake."

Bob Neil nodded and said, "But for the Hornets, maintaining operational capabilities is more important. Survival comes first, and from that perspective, the trade was the right thing to do."

Hubie Brown said, "Look at the stadium, there are dozens of fans wearing Don's number 88 Hornets jersey. He still has fans here."

"Yes."

Bob Neil nodded and said, "But there were at least a hundred times more fans wearing Larry Johnson's jerseys than there were Don's fans."

North Carolina is dominated by the NCAA, and Charlotte even more so. Larry Johnson's influence, built during his time in the NCAA, is something that Don can't replace for the time being.

In the players' tunnel, Tang Bei met with Larry Johnson and others, and Kendall Gill and two others came up to greet him.

Ronnie Sekkali also went up to greet Glen Rice and the others, while Larry Johnson stood alone to the side with a stern face.

After exchanging greetings, Tang Bei walked past Larry Johnson without saying a word. Their relationship had actually become completely strained after their fight.

Next up was Tang, who was the last to appear. When he came out, he didn't receive any boos; instead, some applause rang out.

“Leaving Charlotte was a management choice, not Don’s,” Hubie Brown said.

"Don!"

"Severe phobia!"

Several fans wearing Hornets jerseys with the number 88 on both sides called out to Tang Bei. He went over to greet them and signed their jerseys.

Once on the court, he greeted his former Hornets teammates, especially Dell Curry, and chatted with him.

"How's it going, Dell?"

"Well, the management said they'd give me a long-term contract, $5.8 million over four years, which I think is pretty good, haha!"

"Larry Johnson hasn't given you any trouble, has he?"

“He’s been giving me trouble. Even though he got rid of you, our record has dropped drastically, and nobody in the locker room listens to him.”

“Listen up, Dale, I wasn’t forced out by him. He doesn’t have the ability. I asked for the deal myself.”

"Haha, do you think everyone is stupid? Tang, you're the one who got abandoned by the wasp. He squeezed you out."

"Idiot, I chose the Heat."

"That's possible, but you'll still be squeezed out."

"You idiot, I hope your son isn't as idiotic as you."

“My son is definitely better than me. He has fallen in love with baseball now, and I believe he will become a baseball star in the future.”

"Baseball? Which son of yours?"

"Stephen Curry, who else could it be?"

"Good choice. He's too skinny to play basketball."

At 8 o'clock, the game began. Tang Bei and Ronnie Sekkali jumped for the ball, and the Heat went on offense.

Sekali was 211 cm tall, weighed 230 pounds (104 kg), and was the 9th overall pick in the 88 NBA draft. He was from Lebanon.

He averaged 17 points and 11.8 points per game for the Heat, making him the Heat's double-double king. He had a similar performance after joining the Hornets.

Hubie Brown said, "Compared to before, Secarly's defensive quality has dropped a level. After trading Tang, the quality of the interior defense dropped significantly, and the Hornets' record declined. The decline in interior defense is the most important reason."

Bob Neal said, "When the Hornets were drafting, they wanted to draft Mourning to improve their defense, but they ultimately chose Tang, who had more potential."

Hubie Brown said, "If we had chosen Mourning, there might not have been any conflict between Mourning and Larry Johnson, which might have been a better choice."

Grant Long then spread out, bringing Larry Johnson to the right waist position, making it more difficult for him to double-team Tang Bei.

Tang Bei moved to the left wing in a low position to receive the ball, but instead of entering the penalty area, he moved deeper into the box.

His actions did not alleviate the Hornets' concerns.

Yes, the entire Hornets team was worried about Tang Bei, fearing that Larry Johnson might get injured by him when double-teaming and helping on defense.

If we're talking about the teams in the entire league that Tang Bei is most familiar with, besides the Heat, it's the Hornets.

The Hornets knew all too well how dangerous he was to Tang Bei. Tang Bei's most dangerous attack on opposing players wasn't under the basket; at most, he'd be knocked over.

The most dangerous moment is when the tornado is unleashed far from the basket, and it's especially dangerous for the defender; one wrong move and they could be knocked flying.

Tai Chi Turn!

The ball was passed down, and Tang Bei immediately turned and slid down the flank.

Ronnie Sekkali's turn and defense were a full beat too slow. By the time he turned and moved laterally toward the basket, Tang Bei had already taken off.

"boom!"

A left-handed tomahawk dunk cleanly and decisively smashed the Hornets' rim.

Larry Johnson is still very fast and has already covered Ronnie Sekkali's back.

But he knew Tang Bei's impact and lethality all too well, and he didn't dare to stand in Tang Bei's way. He could only choose to be a bystander and watch Tang Bei complete the dunk.

"tornado!"

Bob Neal praised, "When facing an opponent who is not on the same level, Tang's low-post back-to-the-basket turnaround is that simple."

Hubie Brown couldn't help but laugh and said, "Larry Johnson's height limits his ability to defend big men one-on-one. He can guard power forwards like Karl Malone and Barkley, but he can't guard big centers."

Even with help defense, he couldn't stop a dominant, exceptionally fierce, heavy center like Tang.

Bob Neil paused for a moment before saying, "Yes, in comparison, the 230-pound Ronnie Sekkali's defensive ability is far inferior to that of the 250-pound Larry Johnson. I think it would be better to let the old lady guard Tang."

"Ha ha……"

Hubie Brown paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

The Hornets' interior players were all shorter, lighter, and weaker than the next, making it impossible for them to organize effective help defense and close defense against Tang Bei. Tang Bei then played his most brutal game in the following games.

In 22 minutes across two quarters, he went on a shooting spree, making 14 of 18 field goals and 7 of 12 free throws, racking up 35 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and dominating the Hornets.

Larry Johnson played 21 minutes in the first half, shooting 4-for-11 from the field, getting blocked twice by Tang Bei who was helping on defense, and making 4 of 5 free throws, for a total of 12 points and 4 rebounds.

At halftime, the Hornets trailed by 16 points, 57-41.

In the sixth minute of the third quarter, Tang Bei, who had rested enough, returned to the court and scored 11 points in just half a quarter, bringing his total to 46 points and extending the team's lead to 25 points.

The final quarter became garbage time, and the Hornets surrendered. Tang Bei played for three minutes, scoring 4 points and achieving his first 50+ point game in his career before being substituted.

拉里·约翰逊打了30分钟，轰下18分6篮板2助攻1抢断，但在唐北的50分14篮板4盖帽的数据面前，相形见绌。

When Tang Bei left the stadium, the Hornets fans looked at him with very complicated expressions, but no one booed him.

The Hornets' management and owners also had very mixed feelings.

Commentator Bob Neal said after the game, "I'm sure the Hornets will never find a better center than Tang Bei in the future."

They gave up what could be the most dominant superstar center in league history for some short-term revenue gains.

With three consecutive wins and a record of 18 wins and 15 losses, the Heat surpassed the Hornets to become the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat traveled overnight to Minnesota, where a back-to-back game awaited the players.

(End of this chapter)