The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 143 New Positioning
Shaffer added, "Several heavyweight players who retired from the NFL were poached for the NBA, but I don't think it's of any use."

They were all people who had suffered serious injuries, and their athletic ability had declined. Just like Leonardo DiCaprio, their size and strength alone were not enough to defend against you.

Tang Bei nodded. Leonardo did indeed pose some of a hindrance to him, even causing him to lose a game, but he had already found a way to deal with him.

Shaffer said, "The Bulls signed Rodman to a one-year contract with a $250 million annual salary, and they have no salary cap space left. They didn't sign a defensive anchor."

"However, the Bulls are developing their own physical defenders, such as Will Perdo. The Bulls gave him a five-year, $8 million contract, and Perdo has been gaining weight during the offseason."

After witnessing the power of a tank like Leonardo, Tang Bei no longer regards other tanks as worthy of his attention.

Unless you find an outstanding, athletic current NFL big man who hasn't had a serious injury, you simply can't handle him.

He asked, "Is Cartwright still the Bulls' starting center?"

Shaffer said, "No, he ruptured his meniscus and has retired. The Bulls traded forward Spencer King to the Timberwolves for Luke Longley."

Luke Longley weighs 120 kg and is about 218 cm tall. He can pass and facilitate, and should replace Cobra Grant in that role, while also serving as a partial defensive option.

He then added regretfully, "I searched the entire league and the NCAA, but couldn't find an assistant coach who is good at defense."

Gregg Popovich of the Spurs, Jeff Van Gundy of the Knicks, Dick Hart of the Trail Blazers, and John Bach of the Bulls all have contracts in place.

Tang Bei also felt a bit sorry for the team, as their defensive system was inadequate, and head coach Kevin Longley and his three assistant coaches were not particularly good at building a defensive system.

But if he plays another season, his defense will definitely be better, and he should be able to improve the team's overall defense.

Due to physical limitations, if too much effort is put into defense, then less effort will be put into offense.

Now he is 20 years old, and his physical fitness has improved further, reaching level 94. It is estimated that he should be able to reach the top level of level 95 next year.

"Hey Tang, come to headquarters, your gift has arrived."

On the 15th, Tang Bei received a call from Heat owner Mickey Arison.

"Gift?"

Tang Bei immediately thought of the custom Ferrari that Alisen was going to give him and became excited.

He's not like he was when he first learned to drive. Back then, he liked the sound of the engine revving and driving fast, but now he pays more attention to safety.

But as a giant over two meters tall, a Ferrari sports car still held a strong attraction for him.

He immediately drove his Hummer H1 to the headquarters, where he found the main entrance already crowded with people, half of whom were reporters and a television crew.

"Oh, everyone make way, Tang is here."

"It's a tornado."

When they saw his car approaching, everyone quickly made way for him.

Tang Bei drove his car into the crowd, and what came into view was a red Ferrari sports car, quietly parked at the gate.

"beautiful!"

He couldn't wait to get out of the car.

"Tang, it belongs to you now."

The smiling boss, Aliki, brandished a key.

"Thank you!"

Tang Bei excitedly took the keys and then circled the Ferrari twice.

"Click, click..." The sound of camera shutters clicking incessantly filled the air.

Tang Bei didn't care about the reporters taking pictures. His contract to endorse the Hummer H1 SUV did not include any exclusivity clauses, nor did it require him to drive only the Hummer H1 in public.

This is a 348GTB, which was launched last year. It is a hardtop two-door sports car equipped with a 3.4-liter V8 engine.

The base model costs $12.5, while the luxury high-end version costs $18, classifying it as a mid-to-high-end sports car. Customized versions would likely cost an additional tens of thousands of dollars more.

“Give it a try, Tang,” Ariki said with a smile.

"OK."

He opened the car door and slowly got in.

Although it felt rather cramped and restrictive, I could still sit down. It gave me a feeling of driving a race car, with my upper body leaning back at an angle.

A Ferrari employee came over to show him the car, saying, "Tang, the backrest angle can reach up to 50 degrees. You can find the most comfortable angle..."

Tang Bei adjusted the angle, finding that about 30 degrees was the most comfortable reclining angle.

"Boom! Boom boom boom..."

As the accelerator was pressed, the engine roared with an exhilarating sound, like a monster awakening.

"Unfortunately, Miami doesn't have a permanent racetrack, so you can only drive on public roads."

Miami has a complete highway network, but the speed limits are low, with the current maximum speed limit being 65 miles per hour, or just over 100 kilometers per hour.

All other commercial streets have a speed limit of 30 mph and cannot exceed 48 km/h; even supercars must cruise slowly.

In the days that followed, Tang Bei began training.

In addition to basketball training, physical training, and martial arts training, they also hired a better professional boxing coach and sparring partner through a professional boxing club, and began formal boxing training.

The new season starts on November 5th, the official training camp starts on September 25th and lasts for two weeks, ending on October 9th, and the preseason starts on October 14th and lasts for two weeks, ending at the end of the month.

Afterwards, Tang Bei participated in the full official training camp and felt that his teammates were in good condition and in good physical condition.

Shooting guards Kevin Edwards and Steve Smith showed a better defensive attitude and ability in training camp than last season.

Even Glen Rice is willing to put more effort into defense, and his three-point shooting has also become more accurate.

Through several months of offseason training, his basic skills and advanced techniques are better than last season.

In terms of basic skills, his shooting score was 75, hook shot 70, floater 69, and layup 82.

In terms of advanced skills, after playing three rounds of the playoffs, his low post back-to-the-basket game reached 90, low post face-up game reached 80, help defense reached 90, pick and roll reached 80, playmaking and facilitation increased from 50 to 70, and his tactical ability reached 88.

However, he is still adapting to the new rules during his time at training camp.

The zone defense caused him a lot of trouble. Kevin Longley assigned two defenders to follow him in practice to prevent him from getting close to the basket.

When there is no pre-emptive double-team, the opposing defender will use a defensive strategy of luring the opponent into the paint, and then when he has the ball to attack, the weak-side defender will quickly double-team him, forcing him to pass the ball to the outside or force a shot.

His strength and size still give him an absolute advantage, allowing him to force his way past defenders to receive the ball or attack.

Because of the strategy of luring the enemy in, it was easier for him to get close to the basket, and the proportion of his attacks under the basket actually increased by a few percentage points.

This is actually the opposite of his previous plan. In order to save energy, he had planned to gradually reduce the proportion of attacks under the basket and increase mid-range shots.

But the whistle was blown very strictly during training, and he committed more offensive fouls, just like in the first quarter of the Eastern Conference Finals Game 7.

However, with shooters like Glen Rice and Steve Smith on the perimeter, his assists increased somewhat.

The three-second rule is indeed a counter to zone defense tactics. By making good use of this rule, Tang Bei can also find some good offensive opportunities.

However, since the rules have just been introduced, both he and other players need time to adapt.

On October 10th, the Heat took photos of their players for promotional purposes for the new season.

Tang Bei stood in the center, with Glen Rice on his left and John Selye on his right.

He's the only All-Star on the team, and John Salley, a former member of the Bad Boys, is considered the third-ranked player in the locker room.

On that day, the second generation of Tang Dynasty was released.

FILA USA has not yet settled the sales revenue dividends from Tangbei, nor the dividends from last year's 10% stake in FILA USA.

Putting aside the share dividends, his sales revenue dividends include all sales revenue of the Tang brand, not just the first generation of Tang.

He signed the contract in February 1993, and his profit sharing would not be settled until the end of 1993.

However, Eric Fleischer already had the corresponding sales data in his hands.

Including Tangbei and the China region, the total sales revenue of all branded shoes globally reached $140 million by September. Tangbei receives a 2% share of the sales revenue, which is approximately $2.8 million, and is expected to reach $4 million by the end of the year.

After signing Tang Bei, FILA's sales revenue in the United States surged by 50% compared to 92, and its market value was estimated to double, soaring to 1.7 million yuan, with a very promising prospect for listing.

The company's IPO date has been set for February 1, 1994, when it will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FILA.

The company has a total share capital of 860 million shares, and will issue 400 million shares, representing 46.5% of the total share capital. The issue price is US$18, and the company expects to raise US$7200 million.

If the offering is successful, based on the offering price, FILA's market capitalization will reach $1.55 million, lower than the recent valuation of $1.9 million, so the possibility of it falling below the offering price is almost zero.

According to the contract, Tang Bei owns 10% of the shares, or 86 shares, which will be worth more than US$1500 million after the listing is successful, based on the issue price.

On October 11, 93, at 10:10 AM, Garbo's parents, the Nemurs, returned to Miami aboard the luxury cruise ship Glory after nearly a year of round-the-world travel.

Greta Garbo's full name was Elena Garbo Nemur. Nemur was the family name, and Garbo was her grandmother's name, chosen in honor of her and also to prevent duplicate names.

The Nemours are a high-ranking noble family in France, a ducal family second only to the royal family. They have a history of more than two hundred years and still have a certain social influence in France today. Garbo's father, Leo Nemours, also had a baronial title.

As a baron in the high-ranking noble clan, his social status was even more prestigious than that of an earl among ordinary nobles.

Tang Bei and Jia Bao went to the dock to greet them. As soon as they met, Jia Bao scolded them with a stern face, "Daddy, Mommy, it's been almost a year, you've gone too far."

"Honey, congratulations on starting a relationship." Leo Nemur glanced at Tang Bei, then smiled and extended his arms to Jia Bao.

“Hello, Madam,” Tang Bei greeted Jia Bao’s mother, Lylis Water Nemur, extending his right hand.

"Hello, Tang." A friendly expression appeared on Lilis's face.

Then the mother and daughter embraced, and Tang Bei shook hands with Leo Nemur.

Leo Nemur looked at him with a scrutinizing expression and said seriously, "Tang, it was you who made Elena give up her family inheritance rights."

Tang Bei didn't want to refute his future father-in-law's words, not only because of Jia Bao, but also because of the fact that this investment in Tangjia Electronics relied entirely on Jia Bao's help in terms of technology and equipment, which were all the most advanced technologies and equipment in the world.

But he didn't take the subject, instead smiling and saying, "Sir, Greta and I are currently in a romantic relationship, and also business partners..."

Upon hearing this, Elena Garbo quickly replied, "Wet Tiger, I am still your asset manager, and all your money is under my control."

"Ha ha……"

The Nemurs burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Lylis immediately advised, "Honey, even if you marry Tang, you shouldn't interfere in his asset management."

"I do not."

Jia Bao insisted, "Shi Hu doesn't know how to invest, and he has no connections in the business world. He'll get scammed. Isn't it good that I'm helping him make money?"

After getting into the car, Leo Nemur said to Garbo, "Elena, now that you have given up your family inheritance rights, our branch will break away from the family's power center and seek other developments."

Starting with his father, their branch of the family has been developing in the United States for decades, mainly in Miami. Now the family assets are worth tens of billions of dollars, and their personal assets are also worth several billion dollars.

Now that Garbo has lost his right to inheritance, his position will gradually be replaced, and he will lose control over the family assets.

Although it is not necessary to completely sever ties with the family, losing management rights could lead to the private assets being seized by the new family asset manager.

Therefore, it is still necessary to separate the assets from the family assets to a certain extent, and some shares and investments need to be liquidated in order to find another direction for development.

Jiabao nodded and said, "Daddy, Mommy, I spent a few months in China this time, and I really like the culture and the people there."

Moreover, that area has just begun its reform and opening up; it's an investment wasteland. Now is the best time to enter the market, and I plan to increase my investment there.”

"We'll discuss this further; we need to consider a range of issues, including political and policy risks."

Leo Nemur glanced at Tang Bei. This was no small matter; it was a major issue concerning the direction of development.

Tang Bei didn't say much. Once the investment shows results, it should change Jia Bao's parents' impression of China.

Garbo's home was also in Bar Harbour, but not the top floor of the Elena Building where she lived; it was in a luxury villa area.

After arriving home, the Nemurs had a formal conversation with Don Bei and Jia Bao.

The couple only have one child, Jiabao, whom they love very much and give her plenty of autonomy. The atmosphere of the conversation was quite good.

"Elena, Don, are you considering getting engaged?" Mrs. Leslie asked seriously at the end.

Jia Bao looked at Tang Bei, who nodded and said, "Of course."

After some discussion, they decided to set the engagement date for February 14th of next year, which is Valentine's Day and coincides with the Spring Festival, allowing Tang Bei to bring his family to the United States.

Two days later, Tang Bei joined the team for the preseason games.

The preseason games for the entire league are not played together; they are spread across four cities, two in the United States and two overseas.

The overseas cities are London, UK, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, while the two domestic cities are Denver and Miami.

This marks the first time in NBA history that a preseason game has been held overseas, signifying a crucial step forward in the league's globalization strategy.

The Heat need to play a game against the Denver Nuggets in Puerto Rico first, and then play a few more preseason games at home.

Tang Bei arrived at headquarters early in the morning and asked General Manager Lewis Shaffer, "Sir, since we're going to play a game overseas anyway, why doesn't the league schedule the preseason game in China?"

"Would you like to play a preseason game in China?" Shafir asked.

“Of course, I haven’t played basketball in China yet, either Beijing or Tianjing is fine,” Tang Bei said.

"Alright, the team will communicate with the league's management. Hopefully, next season will go as you wish," Shafir said with a smile.

As the preseason progressed, media assessments of the upcoming season also began.

The league still has 27 teams, 14 in the East and 13 in the West.

These teams were divided into three tiers by the media: the first tier consisted of championship-caliber teams, the second tier of playoff teams, and the third tier of lottery teams.

In the Eastern Conference, the Heat, Bulls, and Knicks are ranked in the top tier by major media outlets.

In the Western Conference, the Suns, SuperSonics, and Rockets are ranked in the top tier.

Oddly enough, the Phoenix Suns, who won the championship, were not considered by most mainstream media outlets to be the team most likely to win the title in the new season.

The Heat and the Bulls are considered by most mainstream media outlets to be the most likely championship-caliber teams to win the title in the new season.

This greatly displeased Barkley, the superstar who won the MVP, Finals MVP, and All-NBA First Team selections last season. In a media interview, he stated:
"We are the defending champions. We are still strong in the new season and remain the strongest contender for the championship."

"Those who find bargains have no right to say that."

When Jordan faced the media, he responded to Barkley's words.

This infuriated Sir Charles Barkley, who immediately retorted, "Who swept whom in the Finals?"

"Shet!"

Upon hearing Barkley's words, Jordan completely lost his temper, swore angrily, and vowed to teach his friend a lesson in the new season.

"Tang, I'd like to talk to you about your role and playing style for the new season."

"OK."

During the preseason, head coach Kevin Longley spoke with Don Bei.

“Don, I hope you can increase your assists per game to around 3 in the new season,” Kevin Longley said.

Tang Bei was puzzled. Last season, he only averaged 1.1 assists per game in the regular season. This season, he was to increase it to 3. Was this an attempt to make him the team's playmaker? But he wasn't Magic Johnson.

Kevin Longley, of course, noticed Tang Bei's confusion and continued:

“Look, Steve Smith is our scoring anchor on the perimeter, and Glen Rice is one of the league’s top shooters.”

They are our twin stars of outside shooting, and Dell Curry is also the best setter. They are both very accurate from three-point range, and we can say that we are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the entire league.

Although the league isn't particularly promoting three-point shooting tactics right now, we can't ignore its advantage. What do you think?

Tang Bei nodded, inwardly complaining, "If we don't shoot three-pointers, aren't Glen Rice and the others just wasting half their abilities?"

(End of this chapter)