The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 110 AMVP
Tang Bei moved into a low position on the left wing, then suddenly ran up to a high position, standing behind Tim Hardaway.

The Smiling Assassin quickly dribbled past his opponent from the right side. Hardaway turned to chase and collided with Tang Bei, but Tang Bei immediately turned and drove to the basket.

Da Meng returned to defend the basket, and the Smiling Assassin made a behind-the-back pass to Tang Bei.

"boom!"

Tang Bei received the ball and burst forward, delivering a powerful dunk that shattered the Western Conference All-Star's rim.

"Tang and the Assassin executed a brilliant high pick-and-roll, it was beautiful!" Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "Don hasn't had an official nickname since he entered the NBA. What are your thoughts on that?"

Chamberlain said, "Didn't he have a nickname in the CBA: 'Severe phobia'?"

Magic Johnson said, "Severe fear isn't clear enough. I think it would be better to just call it 'Tornado,' which is his signature move."

Bill Russell thought for a moment and said, "He's broken the bones of some of his opponents, so how about we call him 'Bone Crusher'?"

“I think either is fine,” Bill Walton said with a smile.

He then said, "Hakeem Olajuwon will face a problem that other centers have faced: he can't easily get into the paint, and it's even harder to get close to the basket. The 20-kilogram weight difference and the difference in strength are not something that can be easily bridged."

Bill Walton said, "Hakeem's speed is good, but not as good as David Robinson, which is not as good as Don. Don't think he's as fast as the Admiral, both of them are small forwards."

Chamberlain said, "He can receive the ball on the edge of the penalty area and then use his Dream Steps to isolate Tang."

Magic Johnson nodded and said, "Hakeem's Dream Shake is very difficult to defend. Although Don is very fast, he lacks experience, so I don't think he can defend against it."

The game continued, and after a few rounds, Da Meng got another chance to attack. He received the ball in the low position on the left wing and went one-on-one against Tang Bei.

He pivoted on his left foot and stepped back with his right foot as he turned to face the basket.

Tang Bei crouched down, adopting a cautious defensive posture.

Just then, Da Meng suddenly took a small step to the right with his right foot, shifting his weight forward to feint a breakthrough and induce Tang Bei to make a defensive reaction.

Tang Bei remained unmoved for the same reason: Da Meng had too many feints, and he preferred to let him shoot from the outside rather than let him drive in.

If Hakeem Olajuwon were to break through at that moment, given his speed and position closer to the basket, even if he were a fraction of a second slower, he could catch up in time.

Seeing that his opponent did not react defensively, Da Meng followed up with his second footwork.

He suddenly pulled his right foot back and then stepped out to the left with all his might. This time it wasn't a feint; he was going to use his speed and explosiveness to break through his opponent's defense.

This is also one of his signature moves, a type of Dream Shake, where he receives the ball with his back to the basket and then breaks through with a crossover step.

Tang Bei deliberately slowed his defensive reaction by half a beat, allowing Da Meng to break through successfully and dribble towards the paint.

But the next moment, he quickly turned to the right and took a small step to the side towards the basket, pressing his chest against Hakeem Olajuwon as he stepped into the restricted area, while raising his right arm to prevent Olajuwon from suddenly shooting.

"not good!"

Da Meng's fighting ability is also good, but not as good as Ewing, let alone Tang Bei. Moreover, he is in the process of rapid breakthrough, and he loses his center of gravity the moment the body makes contact.

He took a small step outward, hastily gathered the ball, and threw it toward the basket before he could travel.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei reacted quickly, catching the ball as soon as it was thrown out, and once again stealing it from Da Meng.

"Shet!"

Tang Bei intercepted the ball again, and Da Meng was furious. She cursed and immediately tried to steal the ball back, taking the opportunity to deliver a sneaky elbow to Tang Bei.

"Your uncle!"

Tang Bei wasn't going to tolerate these super centers. With a twist of his waist, he delivered a side elbow strike.

This side elbow strike is a martial arts elbow technique, launched horizontally while the body is turned to the side, and it is extremely powerful. He has practiced it specifically.

"Oh!"

Da Meng groaned as he was elbowed, feeling a splitting pain in the middle of his elbow, the force reaching deep into his lungs, and his face instantly turned three shades pale.

Bill Russell praised, "Don forced Hakeem to make mistakes through physical contact; he made good use of his physical advantage."

Tang Bei still passed the ball to the Smiling Assassin Thomas; otherwise, Jordan and his teammates would never pass the ball to him on offense.

Tang Bei positioned himself on the left wing, backing down Meng to call for the ball.

"Kid, you're in for a world of hurt."

Da Meng had just taken a blow when he immediately retaliated, slamming his elbow into Tang Bei's lower back.

Tang Beiyi was fearless. When he practiced wrestling, he developed muscles all over his lower back, making him a real big man. This elbow strike was just a tickle to him.

The ball was passed down, and he began to sidestep and shoot at Dream.

"Oh!"

With a fierce backhand strike, a powerful elbow strike landed heavily on Da Meng's chest, causing Da Meng's body to stiffen.

Like the turning elbow strike mentioned earlier, the circular elbow strike is also one of the elbow techniques in martial arts. It is also called the ring elbow strike, in which the elbow strikes by making a circular arc motion.

In close combat, while the power of a coiled elbow strike is not as great as a side elbow strike, it can still generate considerable explosive power.

He rarely used those elbows intentionally, except when playing against guys like O'Neal, David Robinson, and Ewing.

However, he controlled the force well, and because he was worried about committing a foul, he dared not go all out. If the movement was too large, the referee would definitely catch him.

The next instant, as Da Meng's body stiffened from the elbow, Tang Bei unleashed his second full-force attack.

"Oh!"

The powerful post-up move sent Hakeem Olajuwon tumbling backward, his back slamming into the floor. He then slid backward, finally stopping when he collided with David Robinson's foot as he returned to defend the basket.

"Oh!"

Amidst a huge gasp, Tang Beiheqiu turned around and leaped into the air.

David Robinson didn't dare to jump, because the dream was still beneath his feet.

"boom!"

The sound of slamming into the basket echoed through the Delta Center arena.

Bill Walton exclaimed excitedly, "The explosive power that Tang's absolute strength, combined with his tonnage, speed, and other qualities, creates is terrifying."

Bill Russell echoed the sentiment, saying, "That's talent, historic talent. No amount of skill can buy that kind of talent."

Bill Walton said, "Comparing talent, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and LeBron James are probably a level below Donald and Shaquille O'Neal."

Chamberlain said, "These three guys can only stay below 120 kilograms. If they gain weight to over 130 kilograms, their athletic performance will definitely decline significantly. Their talent is indeed not as good as Don and O'Neal."

On the field, something happened: Meng, who had just come on, actually asked to be substituted.

Tang Bei was somewhat displeased with Da Meng. He hadn't been replaced last time, but this time, he would probably be.

As expected, Eastern Conference head coach Pat Riley also made substitutions, taking both Tang Bei and Isaiah Thomas off the court.

As he left the stage, Tang Bei started trash-talking: "Da Meng, General and King Kong can fight me for a whole match without leaving the stage. You're too weak. You only lasted a few seconds?"

Da Meng's face turned ashen, and she cursed, "Are you blind? I twisted my back."

"You made it out of paper, and it's already injured?" Tang Bei asked in surprise.

"Fuck you!"

Da Meng dreamed of Tang Bei's fighting ability to take on four opponents at once, which was close to the level of professional fighters. He cursed under his breath and then relaxed his clenched fist.

His injury wasn't serious, just a slight discomfort, and he could definitely play. But this was the All-Star Game, and there was no need to force himself to play, so he voluntarily asked to leave the game.

"should say……"

In the NBC studio, Bill Russell said, "In some technical aspects, Tang is not as good as the other three super centers."

However, in terms of ability, judging from past matches and the match just now, his talent gives him the upper hand.

Chamberlain immediately objected, saying, "Bill, the game is a comprehensive reflection. Only after all 82 regular season games are played can we fairly evaluate Tang's strength."

Moreover, he hasn't yet faced the test of the playoffs; that's the stage for superstars.

Bill Walton also said, "Tang is indeed performing better right now, but whether the three of them, Dream and the others, will give it their all is a question."

With the regular season past the halfway point, whether Tang can maintain his performance remains to be seen.

In the following All-Star game, Pat Riley also made things interesting by deliberately letting Tang Bei and the Smiling Assassin go up and down at the same time.

As starters, they won't have much playing time. Tang Bei also received a lot of passes from the assassin. At the same time, he intensified his efforts to grab offensive rebounds and, with second-chance points, his scoring has been on par with Jordan's in the Eastern Conference.

Michael Jordan had the most shots among Eastern Conference All-Stars today, but his shooting touch was off, with a field goal percentage just over 40%, not as good as usual. Hakeem Olajuwon didn't play again, and David Robinson also seemed unwilling to engage in any more intense competition with Tang Bei.

Moreover, he had to deal with three big guys—Tang Beihe, Ewing, and O'Neal—all by himself, so he was somewhat hesitant and didn't play very aggressively.

Karl Malone, the Mailman of the West, wanted to take advantage of his home court to win the game, but he was always behind the Eastern All-Stars and played very frustratingly.

Ultimately, the Eastern All-Stars defeated the Western All-Stars 115-102.

唐北打了25分钟，14投11中，8罚5中，砍下27分10篮板1助攻3抢断3盖帽1失误3犯规的数据。

乔丹打了36分钟，24投10中，其中三分球2投1中，13罚9中，轰下30分4篮板5助攻4抢断6失误5犯规的数据。

After the game, the media held a vote, with a total of 11 votes, to select the All-Star Most Valuable Player.

Zhang Heli excitedly told the CCTV camera, "Tang Bei played exceptionally well. His performance tonight absolutely deserves the Most Valuable Player award. Now we will wait for the voting results."

After CCTV switched the camera, he said to cameraman Lao Chen, "If Tang Bei doesn't get AMVP, this vote is absolutely unfair."

Then he led the photography team to interview Tang Bei, asking, "Tang Bei, how are you feeling? Nervous?"

Tang Bei smiled and said, "It's alright."

Zhang Heli added, "In NBA history, only two players have won the All-Star MVP in their rookie season: Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. You have a good chance of becoming the third."

At this point, he asked again, "Tang Bei, did you expect to play so well tonight before the match?"

Tang Bei smiled and said, "I was worried about not getting the pass, but the Smiling Assassin teamed up with me, so I have to thank him."

Eric Fleischer, standing nearby, said somewhat cautiously, "Media voting is easily influenced by subjective factors."

Soon, the voting results came out and reached David Stern.

He opened it and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then he looked up and said with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most special vote ever... Michael Jordan has received 5 votes."

"What? Michael only got five votes? Did Don steal the AMVP award?"

Did Tang get 6 votes?

"To be honest, either of them deserves the AMVP award."

The scene immediately erupted in discussion, and the buzzing noise instantly intensified a hundredfold.

Jordan's face darkened when he heard that he only had 5 votes.

He won the AMVP award once in 88 and really wants to win it again.

Tang Bei, Zhang Heli, and the others were overjoyed to hear this.

"Tang Bei, you have a chance." Zhang Heli's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes." Tang Bei was also very excited.

Although this is just the All-Star MVP, it is still a very good honor that only superstars and stars among stars have the opportunity to receive.

Eric Fleischer was also excited; if Tang Bei really won this honor, it would be a huge step forward for him.

After Tang Bei became an All-Star starter, two brand companies contacted him, and after signing a signature shoe contract with Fila in the United States, several more companies contacted him.

If he actually wins the AMVP award, he will be more confident and can negotiate better terms with these companies.

Then David Stern's voice rang out again: "Patrick Ewing receives 1 vote."

"What data does King Kong have?"

"It's on the hanging screen, 15+10, barely qualified for a vote."

"There are still 5 votes left, haha, maybe someone will take one of them. Tang is finished, he might not even get 5 votes."

"The remaining 5 votes should go to Tang; the others are not eligible to receive votes."

Immediately, discussions arose at the scene.

"Patrick, thanks!" Jordan said to Ewing beside him in high spirits.

"Don't thank me, it wasn't me who voted," Ewing said in a muffled voice.

"How did he manage to steal a vote?" Zhang Heli sighed upon hearing this.

Tang Bei was also somewhat disappointed. Even if he got all 5 remaining votes, the same as Jordan, would they split them in half?
Eric Fleischer then shook his head and said, "As I said, subjective factors can influence voting results, so it's not entirely fair."

At this moment, David Stern's voice rang out again: "Tang Bei... has received 5 votes."

The room fell silent. This was something that had never happened in NBA history. Did this mean that the two would have to share an honor this year?

After seeing the voting results, David Stern also began to consider what to do, and by then he had already made a decision.

The vote could actually have a second round, like overtime, but in his opinion, that wasn't the best approach.

In his view, Tang Bei sharing the AMVP award with Michael Jordan might actually be a very good situation.

He now wants to further develop the Chinese market, and also hopes that Jordan can go even further.

Then, with a smile, he announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, the All-Star MVP award goes to Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls..."

"Clap clap clap..."

Before he finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted in the center of the delta.

Jordan laughed too, but he knew it wasn't over yet. He only had five votes, so it was unlikely he could claim the honor all to himself.

"And, and, and..." Zhang Heli called out repeatedly, disappointed yet hopeful.

After the applause subsided a bit, David Stern continued, "Tang Bei from the Heat also won the AMVP award."

"Just as I thought," Jordan thought to himself.

"awesome!"

Zhang Heli cheered excitedly and said to Tang Bei, "Tang Bei, congratulations on winning the AMVP in your rookie season."

"Thank you!" Tang Bei said happily.

Eric Fleischer also said excitedly, "Don, this hard honor will definitely bring you real benefits."

Before Tang Bei's eyes, a notification appeared in the treasure chest: "The host has won the AMVP award, achieving another accomplishment in the NBA, and has obtained one treasure: a pair of knee pads."

"Knee pads are the core protective gear for basketball centers, and this protective gear has three main functions."

"First, dynamic support. The patella is stabilized in the femoral trochlear groove by cross-straps, reducing the risk of lateral displacement. Compared with the top knee braces on the market, this brace has 30% more functionality."

"Second, cushioning and energy absorption. This protective gear can reduce vertical impact by 85% (compared to 70% for top-tier knee braces on the market)."

"Third, muscle activation. Reduces fatigue-induced muscle compensation, and its function is 30% stronger than the top knee braces on the market."

"it is good!"

The last wristband didn't get much information, but this knee brace has been described at length, which shows that the knee brace is far more important than the wristband.

Starting in an All-Star game brought him numerous benefits.

Not only has his influence and popularity increased dramatically, but he also secured an endorsement contract with Hummer, followed by a signature shoe contract with Fila in the United States, and now he has acquired another treasure, truly achieving both fame and fortune.

Moreover, the knee brace was extremely effective for him; his excessive weight caused a significant impact on his knee joints after landing from a dunk.

Even though he is good at protective movements, his knee joints are under a lot of strain, so this knee brace came at just the right time.

Next, during the awards ceremony, Tang Bei and Jordan received the AMVP trophy together, which made him the headline of many mainstream media outlets and television news programs in the following two days.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Tang Bei arrived in Cleveland and joined the Heat.

On the 23rd, during breakfast, the team shared some good news: his jersey sales were booming, with over 20,000 sold yesterday alone, and the stock was completely sold out.

"That's the value of being ranked alongside Jordan as an All-Star MVP," Eric Fleischer said after learning the news.

However, the Heat lost on the road that night, bringing their record to 30 wins and 20 losses, still fourth in the Eastern Conference.

After the game, the team rushed back to Miami overnight, where they will face the Trail Blazers in a back-to-back game at home on the 24th.

At six o'clock in the morning, he drove to the martial arts gym, where Elena Gabor had already started training.

"Wet Tiger, the Japanese have been waiting for you for three days."

"No rush, Eric will talk to them."

Next, Tang Bei practiced shooting, while Jia Bao practiced the Three-Body Stance for a while. When she got tired, she practiced basic skills such as sword steps, hand techniques, eyesight, and body movements.

After practicing until eight o'clock, when it was time for breakfast, Jia Bao went to the rooftop to take a shower, which took half an hour. When she came down, Eric Fleischer and John Liu arrived.

(End of this chapter)