The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 114 The Tragic Veteran
"squeak!"

Just then, the sound of brakes came from outside. A moment later, Elena Garbo entered, carrying a sword, and shouted, "Wet Tiger, aren't you going to practice today?"

Tang Bei said, "The playoffs are about to start, so I need to conserve my energy. I'll just practice some stance training at home these few days to warm up."

Jia Bao sat down next to Tang Bei and said, "I just received a notification that your vehicle paperwork is complete and you can pick up the goods."

"Finally done."

Tang Bei checked the time; it was 10:15 AM, which was past 10 PM in China. He quickly dialed home.

"bell……"

The phone rang in the main room of Tang Bei's house.

Everyone else was asleep, but the energetic siblings Tang Yu and Tang Bin were still watching TV. When the phone rang, Tang Yu rushed over and grabbed the receiver, saying, "Hello, is this big brother?"

"Third brother, are you still awake?" Tang Bei said.

"Big brother, it really is you! My second brother and I were watching TV and haven't gone to sleep yet," Tang Yu said happily.

"elder brother."

The second brother, Tang Bin, shouted from the side.

"Second brother, my truck is ready for pickup. You can go tomorrow or the day after," Tang Bei said.

"Really? Okay, I'll go tomorrow," Tang Bin said excitedly.

"I'll go too," Tang Yu said hurriedly.

Tang Bei continued, "Didn't we talk about buying a car for the family last time? I've inquired about it, and there's a joint venture car called the BJ Cherokee. The cheaper models range from 100,000 to 160,000 yuan, while the most expensive automatic models are around 300,000 yuan. You can choose one to buy."

"Brother, didn't you buy it? We don't need it at home, right?" Tang Yu hurriedly asked.

“My car is very big. You’re not as tall as me, so it’s inconvenient for you to drive it,” Tang Bei said.

"Then let's buy the cheapest one," Tang Bin said.

"Big brother, what kind of car is an automatic transmission?" Tang Yu asked curiously.

“Yeah, never mind, I don’t really know much about it either. I drive manual transmissions in the US, so you guys should just buy the basic model that costs around 100,000 to 200,000,” Tang Bei said.

"okay."

Tang Bin and Tang Yu got up at five in the morning, took two buses to get into Beijing, and then took three more buses before finally arriving at the pickup address after ten o'clock.

I called the number provided, and after waiting for a while, I met Manager Chen, who was in charge of the matter, around 11 o'clock.

China National Automotive Import & Export Corporation has already retrieved the vehicle from customs, and even obtained the license plates at Tang Bei's request.

Looking at the behemoth in front of them, Tang Bin and Tang Yu exchanged bewildered glances. Is this their boss's car? It's so cool!
Manager Chen said with envy, "The Hummer is a military vehicle. I heard that this is a newly released civilian model. It hasn't been imported into China yet. This is the first one."

Tang Yu said proudly, "My older brother is the global spokesperson for this car."

“Your eldest brother is amazing. I watch his matches whenever I have time.”

Manager Chen gave a thumbs up and said with a smile, "I personally drove this car back from customs; it was very enjoyable."

Many people in my workplace want to try driving, but I don't dare let them. I can't afford to pay for any damage or scratches, and it would offend a lot of colleagues and superiors.

Then, because he liked the car, he gave the two a brief introduction to it.

For example, this vehicle has a diesel engine with a maximum fuel tank capacity of 159 liters. Its fuel consumption is 18 to 25 liters per 100 kilometers, and in extreme cases, it can reach 30 liters per 100 kilometers. A full tank of fuel can allow it to travel 500 to 900 kilometers.

At Manager Chen's request, Tang Bin and Tang Yu walked around the car many times to check for any damage and to take a closer look at its exterior.

After confirming that everything was in order, Tang Bin signed the handover document and took the keys, carefully climbing into the car.

Tang Yu also excitedly sat in the passenger seat, just like her second brother, curiously looking around at the situation inside the car.

"Second brother, you just got your driver's license, do you know how to drive this car?"

"This car is worth three or four hundred thousand yuan, enough for several small villas. Second brother, if you crash your eldest brother's car, your parents will beat you to death when you get home."

"Second brother, start the fire! Hey, don't let your hand shake!"

After being nagged by Tang Yu for a while, the good-natured Tang Bin turned to look at Tang Yu and said irritably, "Third brother, are you possessed by the spirit of the fourth brother? I shouldn't have brought you along."

"hey-hey!"

Tang Yu covered her mouth and laughed nonstop.

Tang Bin took a deep breath, carefully reinserted the key, and then started the engine.

With the sudden roar of the engine, the quiet Hummer H1 began to roar like a resurrected beast.

The thought that this car was worth several small villas made Tang Bin feel uneasy.

Fortunately, he had worked with Liu Laoqi on minibuses for a while and had honed his skills; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to come and pick up the vehicle.

Wiping away sweat and drying it on his clothes, Tang Bin released the handbrake, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and slowly pressed the accelerator.

The car finally started moving. He carefully drove it out of the import and export company's garage and onto the main street.

As soon as it appeared on the street, it attracted countless eyes. Everyone who saw it couldn't help but turn their heads. Its head-turning rate was probably higher than when Andy Lau strolled around the streets of Beijing.

It took Tang Bin five hours to drive the 120-kilometer road back to Huanghuadian. It was almost five o'clock in the afternoon when he finally got to his doorstep. At least a hundred villagers followed behind the car.

The fence around Old Tang's front yard had already been removed. He slowly drove his car into the front yard, and only after parking the car did he relax. In the eleven or twelve-degree temperature, even his underwear was soaked with sweat.

Old Tang's family ate dinner at seven o'clock. In just two hours, at least a thousand people left their fingerprints on the Hummer H1. I heard that this car is worth hundreds of thousands of yuan. Not to mention the whole street and village, everyone in Huanghuadian wanted to come and touch it.

"The paint has all been rubbed off."

At first, Tang Ning, the fourth brother, was angry and tried to stop them from touching him, but now he was helpless. There were just too many people, and he couldn't be angry or stop them.

On the morning of the 27th, the league announced a series of individual honors for the regular season.

The first and second categories are Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year, followed by Defensive Player of the Year.

This honor, the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), was awarded to Hakeem Olajuwon.

The fourth award, Coach of the Year, was not given to Paul Westphal, head coach of the Phoenix Suns, who had the best record, but instead to Pat Riley, head coach of the New York Knicks.

The fifth item is the best rookie that Tang Bei is looking forward to.

Among the rookies of '92, only Tang Bei, O'Neal, and Mourning were qualified to compete for this honor, and all three had individual stats of 20+10.

However, O'Neal's Magic only ranked tenth in the Eastern Conference, and Mourning's Timberwolves only ranked eleventh in the Western Conference, neither of them made the playoffs.

Moreover, the two's personal statistics are far inferior to Tang Bei's. According to the analysis of most mainstream media, Tang Bei has a 99% chance of winning this honor.

Like other honors, the Rookie of the Year award is selected by 100 sports journalists and basketball commentators in North America.

Each voter can select two candidates. The first rookie gets 2 points, the second rookie gets 1 point, and the candidate with the highest score is selected.

A 1% chance of not being selected is actually very small; it's an overwhelming advantage.

On the television screen, the beautiful white news anchor smiled and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the NBA Rookie of the Year voting results are in my hands, a total of 96 valid votes."

"Speak up, you ugly woman."

"Orlando," O'Neal said impatiently as he drank his Coke.

"Let me first report the score of the second rookie..."

The female anchor smiled with a hint of mischief, then said, "His score is... zero."

"Cough cough cough..."

O'Neal's face stiffened, and suddenly the cola liquid in his mouth went into his trachea, choking him and causing him to cough loudly.

At this moment, the white male anchor said in an excited tone: "Ladies and gentlemen, let us now congratulate Tang Bei, the second overall pick in the first round of the 92 NBA draft, the starting center of the Miami Heat, the giant from China, who has been unanimously selected as the Rookie of the Year."

"Cough cough cough..."

After a violent coughing fit, O'Neal, with tears and snot streaming down his face, wiped his face and said bitterly, "If it weren't for him, all of this would be mine, mine!"

"cheers!"

"Chels!"

Inside Tang Bei's villa, Tang Bei and others were raising their glasses in a toast.

Next, the All-Rookie Team was announced.

This roster is divided into two teams, regardless of position. The All-Rookie First Team consists of Tang Bei, O'Neal, Mourning, Kristen Laettner, and Tom Gugliotta.

Heat owner Mickey Arison kept his word and personally called Tang Bei to tell him that Carnival Cruise Line would arrange a super cruise ship for him after the Heat's playoff run, with it docking at Tianjing Port.

On the 28th, Tang Bei's signature brand sneakers, Tang Generation 1, were officially launched and sold for $85, which is cheaper than Jordan's shoes.

Online sales were just emerging in this era, and Tang Yidai's sales relied mainly on offline channels. Fila in the United States has thousands of stores, with directly operated stores accounting for 38%, so its sales channels are still quite good.

The launch was at 9 a.m., and he and Eric Fleischer arrived at the Fila flagship store in Miami at 7 a.m. to prepare for the launch ceremony.

"Don!"

"tornado!"

Tang Bei arrived early, but the fans arrived even earlier. When they arrived, all four lines were several hundred meters long, and they all shouted when they saw him.

"Hello!"

He quickly greeted them.

Zhang Heli also arrived with a CCTV camera crew and filmed the entire process.

Williams Leo, President of Fila USA, personally traveled to Miami to preside over the launch ceremony.

He said to Tang Bei, "Tang, the company is ready in China. On May 1st, Labor Day, we will officially launch six sports shoes, including the Tang Generation 1."

"So fast?"

Tang Bei was somewhat puzzled. Was a factory built so quickly?
Williams Leo explained, "After investigation, we found that there are many excellent shoe factories in China, so instead of building our own factory, we chose to cooperate with a group of shoe factories. This reduces costs and allows us to go public faster."

The reason FILA in the US is taking a big gamble on Tang Bei is not because they are betting on the sales of the Tang 1st generation. The rule that centers don't sell shoes has always existed and has not been broken.

Reebok took a gamble on O'Neal, and while the sales of their signature shoe were better than those of the three superstar centers, the difference was only slight.

Fila of the United States was attracted by Tangbei's commercial value in China. Their market research showed that in 1992, China produced hundreds of millions of pairs of sports shoes, with 70% of the sales occurring domestically.

Therefore, after signing Tang Bei, they immediately began to lay out their plans in China, preparing to grab a share of the market.

Of the six sports shoes to be launched this time, apart from the Tang Generation 1, three are low-end shoes and two are mid-range shoes, and they have already been widely distributed in major cities across China.

Williams Leo added, "We have established an initial sales channel in China, with 60 self-operated stores and 150 dealerships. We will continue to invest to build a larger sales channel."

"Wet Tiger, I'm here."

Just then, Jia Bao drove up in a red Ferrari, shouting that she wanted to support Tang Bei by ordering three thousand pairs of Tang Bei's first-generation sneakers, which she would then give to the teenagers in Miami who couldn't afford sneakers in Tang Bei's name.

Three thousand pairs of shoes cost more than two hundred thousand US dollars. Tang Bei was moved and decided to start teaching this girl real kung fu. Hmm, Jia Bao has mastered the Three-Body Stance, so she can start practicing the breathing method.

"..."

Upon hearing that Shi Hu was going to teach her breathing techniques, Jia Bao's eyes widened, and she said angrily, "Shi Hu, why didn't you teach me breathing techniques before?"

Tang Bei explained, "Breathing techniques can only be practiced after you have mastered the stance training; otherwise, it's easy to get a stitch in your side."

"is it?"

Elena Garbo tilted her head and stared at Tang Bei suspiciously, warning, "Wet Tiger, don't try to fool me. My IQ is 140. You can't fool me."

“Of course it’s true. Just like in swordsmanship, you have to practice the basics first. You can’t start practicing routines right away,” Tang Bei said.

"Uh-huh."

Garbo then believed it.

Tang Bei added, "There's one more thing. Breathing techniques can only be taught to personal disciples. They won't be taught to ordinary disciples. Later, when you offer me a cup of tea, I'll accept you as my official personal disciple."

"Personal disciple?"

Jia Bao muttered something, then smiled with satisfaction.

In the ensuing media interviews, Tang Bei patiently answered several questions, and then, taking an opportunity, spoke to the ESPN camera:
“Mr. Barkley, Mr. Karl Malone, Mr. O’Neal, Mr. Pippen, it’s time to keep your promises.”

"Tang, what promises have they made to you?"

"Tang, can you give me a hint?"

Upon hearing this, the reporter immediately became excited.

Tang Bei said, "It was just a small promise, and they fought with me..."

"fight?"

A reporter with a quick reflex excitedly chimed in.

Tang Bei laughed loudly, "Haha, no, it's a bet. They lost the bet, and each of them agreed to buy five hundred pairs of my Tang Yidai shoes."

"Tang, can you reveal what the bet is?" a reporter immediately pressed.

"I'm sorry, I can't say that," Tang Bei refused.

His words quickly reached the ears of Barkley and the other three through various channels, and they could only grumble and tell their agent to do the job.

Around noon, news that the four of them each bought 500 pairs of Tang Dynasty shoes made it into many media reports.

The fates of four All-Stars and even superstars boosted sales of Tang Yidai.

At 3 p.m., the Heat's first-round series opponent, the league's top team and the fifth-ranked team in the Eastern Conference regular season, the Celtics, arrived in Miami.

When the team arrived at the hotel, ESPN reporter Jack Jonas was providing live coverage.

Jonas said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this Celtics team can only be described as old and frail. Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, two legendary superstars, are 76 years old combined."

"McHale, 36, has more injuries and is already playing as a substitute, while Parish, 40, is still the team's mainstay and plays as the starting center."

“Our starting power forward, Abdulabi, is just a blue-collar player, averaging 18 minutes and 5+3 points per game.”

"The frontcourt combination of Parish and Abdulabi is simply not enough for Don to handle alone, even with McHale added."

"The Celtics are too weak in the paint. They can avoid Tang's attacks in the regular season, but if they avoid confronting Tang again in the playoffs, the Celtics will have no chance."

The players got off the bus, and Jonas quickly went over to them to begin interviewing them with the other reporters.

"Robert, you will be the main force against Tang. What methods will you use to fight him?" a reporter asked.

Parish raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes, saying, "I'm going all out with these old bones. Let's see how many bones he can break."

Everyone was speechless. Why did these words sound so tragic?
"Kevin, how much of a chance do you think the Celtics have in this series?" Jonas approached McHale.

McHale gave a wry smile and said, "Although the low post is troublesome, we will play well in every game. A rookie can't scare us."

In Tang Bei's villa living room, Jia Bao brewed a cup of tea and served it to Tang Bei as requested.

Tang Bei didn't make her kneel. It's a new era with new customs. He knelt when he became a disciple, but now his disciples don't need to kneel; a bow is enough.

Next, he taught Jia Bao the breathing method of Xingyi San Ti Shi stance training and gave her some pointers on how to train arm strength.

He held the sword horizontally and said, "This sword weighs 1700 grams. Start by holding it for 1 minute, then gradually increase the weight. When you can hold it for 5 minutes without changing your expression, then you can move on to the next stage of training."

"What's so difficult about that?"

Garbo looked disdainful and immediately began to raise her sword.

Then, thirty seconds later, her arm began to shake; forty seconds later, the sword began to shake violently; and forty-five seconds later, her arm began to cramp.

Tang Bei stepped forward, removed the sword, and said, "You've tasted its power, haven't you?"

Garbo said dejectedly, "Wet Tiger, how long can you hold it up?"

Tang Bei let his actions speak for themselves. He held the sword up for a full ten minutes without changing his expression, his hand and the sword remaining perfectly still, as if he were a stone sculpture.

"Practicing martial arts is very hard. Are you sure you want to continue?" he asked.

"determine."

With gritted teeth and a determined look on her face, Jia Bao said, "Wet Tiger, I must become the world's number one beautiful kendo girl."

Great Khan Tang, why is my apprentice so silly? With an IQ of 140, he can't be stupid, can he?

On April 29, 1993, the NBA playoffs began.

Early in the morning, Eric Fleischer told Tang Bei some good news: the first day of Tang Generation 1's release yesterday, sales exceeded 40,000 pairs.

However, the sales figures are quite good for now, which makes Tang Bei very happy and gives Fila in the United States a lot of confidence.

(End of this chapter)