The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 199 Tang Bei: I'm Quitting the Top Five Super Centers

At this moment, the atmosphere in the entire joint center was as heavy as iron.

The atmosphere was only lively on the Miami Heat's bench and in the small section of the stands with a few hundred visiting fans.

Meanwhile, the Bulls' bench was in a state of utter disarray, with everyone looking listless and utterly exhausted.

Pippen leaned back lazily in his chair, looking listless.

He has no interest in the Eastern Conference Finals right now, he just wants to know if the team will trade him, and if so, who will be his next team?
He already has two championships, so winning one more wouldn't make much difference; it's not like he's a dynasty.

Even in a dynasty, the glory and honor belong to Jordan. He's just a second-best player who will never be in the spotlight.

He only wants a big contract, so he is not opposed to leaving the Bulls.

He has no attachment to the Bulls because they treated him poorly. Rookies are making millions a year, while he, a veteran All-Star, only makes a few coins a year.
Only Jordan's eyes were filled with murderous intent, but unfortunately even Pippen didn't want to fight anymore. He was determined to kill the enemy, but he was powerless to turn the tide.

With this kind of morale, how could they possibly beat the Heat, who were single-mindedly focused on sweeping their way to the next round?
In the final score, the Heat defeated the Bulls 84-111, winning by a whopping 27 points and taking a 3-0 lead, securing a match point.

Jordan scored 42 points with a 47.4% field goal percentage, his best performance of the three games.

Tang Bei scored 30 points in the first quarter, 12 points in the second quarter, and another 22 points in the third quarter, totaling 64 points in three quarters with a shooting percentage of 80%, breaking Jordan's single-game scoring record of 63 points in the 86 playoffs.

He broke the record on purpose, with 35 seconds left in the third quarter, and then left the court and didn't come back.

When he left the court, the Heat were leading by 34 points.

In New York, David Stern was somewhat disappointed with the Bulls.

The ratings for this Eastern Conference Finals were excellent, especially Tang Bei's incredible 64-point performance in three quarters today, which attracted a huge audience and even broke the historical viewership record, reaching 3850 million viewers.

But this Bulls team is finished and no longer worthy of Michael Jordan.

Now he needs to know how the Bulls' owner and management are thinking, because it involves whether the team that represents the face of the NBA has championship competitiveness and the development of the NBA.

In his view, the NBA should now be a two-horse race, and the league should facilitate this shift.

The 1980s were the era of the Black and White Heroes, a battle for supremacy between the Magic Bird and the Black Bird.

In the 1990s, Jordan's era had just begun to rise, but it was destroyed by the sudden emergence of Tang Bei, which was unexpected for him, but it also brought him the best opportunity for development.

Rather than the Bulls dominating the league without any suspense, a battle between the Black and Yellows would be more suspenseful.

However, if things don't change now, it might lead to a situation where one dominant force dominates while others are strong, and Tang Bei might replace Jordan as the undisputed king of this era.

Although the development of the NBA in China is important, he does not want to see the North Koreans dominate the league, as this does not align with American values.

His 64-point performance in a single playoff game shocked the league and the world.

From the end of the match until the following day, countless media outlets around the world reported on Tang Bei.

Reuters reported: "We thought Michael Jordan would become the king of the NBA, but we didn't expect there to be a king above kings, and that is Tang Bei, who suffers from severe fear."

Asahi Shimbun reported: "Tang Bei—the light of East Asia, the world's number one basketball player."

Xinhua News Agency reported: "my country's famous basketball player scored 30 points in a single quarter and a total of 64 points in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals..."

While browsing the news during breakfast, Tang Bei suddenly said, "Guys, do you think the Bulls will rebuild?"

Glen Rice shook his head and said, "It's hard to say, but it feels like the Bulls' management doesn't have a strong desire to pursue the championship."

Kendall Gill put down his knife and fork and said, "Yes, otherwise how could they not have directly denied the reporters' comments about roster changes at the press conference after Game 2?"

Kevin Willis added, "I think even Jordan wanted to strengthen the roster, otherwise why would he have said that?"

Avery Johnson said with a smile, "Michael Jordan is extremely competitive, and he must be very upset about losing like this."

Tang Bei smiled and said, "It seems the offseason trade market is going to be quite lively."

That night, Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals began.

The Rockets have won two consecutive road games, and fans have high hopes for them to win another game at home and take a 3-1 lead in the series.

Unfortunately, the city's resilience was no more, and the Rockets lost at home 107-102.

奥拉朱旺打出超级表现，43分11篮板5盖帽，命中率高达59.4%，比29分9篮板、命中率高达66.7%的大卫·罗宾逊的表现更好。

Meanwhile, the Rockets rained down three-pointers, making 13 of 29 attempts for a 44.8% success rate.

However, the Spurs played more aggressively on the road, attempting 32 free throws compared to the Rockets' 11 at home, with Hakeem Olajuwon only managing 4. This was the only reason the Rockets lost.

On the 30th, many media outlets criticized the Rockets.

"Like the Bulls, the Rockets have lost their low-post offense, making their offense completely ineffective," ESPN reported.

"Even if this Rockets team makes it to the Finals again, they will be crushed by the Heat," TNT reported.

"Three-pointers have never been an important part of the offensive system, and the Rockets have gone astray," the New York Times reported.

The Rockets, from management to coaching staff and players, are also confused. Developing three-pointers has been an important strategy for the past few seasons. Have they really gone astray?
"Tang, what do you think of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals and the Rockets' performance?" A reporter asked Tang Bei by phone.

Tang Bei said, "I didn't see it."

"Why didn't you watch it?"

"Because it's unbearable to look at, it's too rubbish."

"Haha! Tang, who do you want to play against in the finals?"

"Sorry, what I said was terrible, I wasn't referring to anyone in particular."

"Ok?"

"What I mean is, they're all trash."

"Haha... Okay, I get it, haha!"

Tang Bei's interview quickly appeared in news reports, infuriating both Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson.

On the evening of the 30th, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals was played at the United Center.

Although Jordan fought hard, the demoralized Bulls could only hold on for three quarters before being overwhelmed. The Heat led by 25 points after three quarters, and the final quarter became garbage time.

In the final score, the Heat won 74-104, a 30-point victory, completing a 4-0 sweep to advance.

Jordan scored 41 points, bringing his total to 154 points in the four Eastern Conference Finals games, including two 40+ point games and two 30+ point games, averaging 38.5 points per game.

Tang Bei scored 42 points, bringing his total to 200 points in the four games of the Eastern Conference Finals, including one 50+ point game and one 60+ point game, averaging 50 points per game.

After the game, Jordan calmly shook hands with Tang Bei, said nothing, and turned to walk into the player tunnel.

He looked very sad.

Tang Bei didn't trash talk. After Jordan left, he said to Glen Rice next to him, "I can tell."

“No, I think it’s anger, like a dormant volcano, anger buried deep inside,” Glenn Rice said.

“Then it will erupt again a thousand years later,” Kendall Gill said.

"Ha ha……"

Everyone was taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter.

In the NBC studio, Bill Russell remarked, "An unprecedented record in NBA history has been set: 50 points per game in a single playoff series."

The Smiling Assassin remarked with emotion, "The closest player to this record is Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 48.2 points per game in the 62 playoffs."

Bill Russell nodded and said, "That series was the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Hawks. It went to five games, and Wilt scored 56, 50, 45, 40, and 50 points respectively, for a total of 241 points."

He added, "But Wilt was a better rebounder, averaging 30.6 rebounds per game."

"Averaging 50 points per game in a series, that's unprecedented, and in the future..."

Bill Walton thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid only Tang Bei himself can break through this barrier."

The other two nodded thoughtfully.

"Congratulations to Tang Bei, congratulations to the Heat for sweeping the Bulls and advancing!" Zhang Heli said excitedly to the CCTV camera from the sidelines.

His feelings were a bit complicated, after all, he was a fan of Myles Jordan and had been watching Jordan play for many years.

"Coach Zhang, tell us about the significance of averaging 50 points per game," Xu Jicheng said.

"well."

Zhang Heli excitedly said, "This data is enough to prove that Tang Bei is already the most powerful center in the history of the league."

"At the very least, he is the most powerful center on offense, even more so than the basketball emperor who scored 100 points in a single regular season game."

Sweeping the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 50 points per game and scoring 64 points in a single game, Tang Bei's status in the NBA and in the basketball world can be said to have risen significantly, even surpassing Michael Jordan.

In an instant, his name and photo appeared on the front pages of media outlets around the world, and his fame and attention skyrocketed.

On the 31th, the Heat returned to Miami.

That night, Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals took place.

The Rockets lost another game at home, 103-81, tying the series 2-2 with the Spurs.

David Robinson had a mediocre game, shooting 6-for-16 for a 37.5% field goal percentage, scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, but he did attempt 10 free throws and played aggressively.

The Spurs won on the boards, grabbing a total of 64 rebounds, including 24 offensive rebounds, while the Rockets only managed 39 and 10 respectively.

The Rockets' three-point shooting also failed, making only 3 of 16 attempts, for a dismal 18.8% success rate.

Hakeem Olajuwon made 9 of 24 shots, the same shooting percentage as The Admiral, scoring only 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, with a paltry 3 free throw attempts. Compared to The Admiral's playing style, his jump shot seemed utterly ineffective.

After Game 4, Hakeem Olajuwon was bombarded by the media. Tang Bei, in particular, took advantage of his misfortune, saying in a media interview:
"I want a really high-caliber Finals, so I'm looking forward to playing David Robinson in the Finals, not some soft guy who can only shoot jump shots."

"This bastard!"

Hakeem Olajuwon was so angry he almost suffered a brain hemorrhage.

On June 2nd, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals took place back at the Spurs' home court.

知耻而后勇的奥拉朱旺轰下42分9篮板8助攻1抢断5盖帽的数据，率队击败了马刺，拿到了赛点。

The score was 111 to 90, a significant victory of 21 points.

On June 4th, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals took place at the Rockets' home court, and the Rockets ultimately emerged victorious.

大卫·罗宾逊17投仅6中，命中率只有35.3%，只得到19分10篮板的数据。

In contrast, Hakeem Olajuwon scored 39 points and grabbed 17 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 64% and 8 free throws.

On the morning of the 5th, a reporter from the Houston Chronicle interviewed Tang Bei by phone:
"Tang, the Rockets will face the Heat in the NBA Finals. Are you satisfied with this opponent?"

Tang Bei casually replied, "I don't care who I hit, it doesn't matter."

"Tang, didn't you expect the finals to be of high quality? How can you be so casual about it?"

The reporter was not satisfied. "Didn't you want to find a good opponent? The Rockets are the best opponent for the Finals."

Tang Bei said helplessly, "I can't just do whatever I want. Alright then, I do have some expectations for our opponent in the finals."

The reporter exclaimed excitedly, "That's fantastic, Tang! What are you looking forward to?"

Tang Bei said, "Both the Spurs and the Rockets are too weak. I hope the Admiral and Hakeem Olajuwon are on the same team. That would make the Finals much better."

Upon hearing this, the reporter's face instantly darkened.

Tang Bei then sighed, "Who understands me? I really hope for a high-quality finals. One super center isn't enough for me!"

Suppressing his anger, the reporter gritted his teeth and asked, "Tang, isn't what you're saying a little... a little arrogant?"

Tang Bei said helplessly, "Why do you never believe me when I tell the truth? Do you really want me to say something arrogant?"

"Snapped!"

The reporter, having reached her limit, decided to hang up the phone.

"hey-hey!"

Tang Bei hung up the phone and complained, "Just made it to the finals, and you're already showing off in front of me? What kind of person are you?"

The NBA Finals will begin on the 7th, with the Heat facing off against the Rockets in a best-of-seven series, a 2-3-2 format with the Heat having home-court advantage.

Before the finals began, various media outlets made predictions about the two teams' chances of winning the championship.

The predictions were almost unanimously in favor of the Rockets, even though Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 35.3 points per game in the Western Conference Finals, including three 40+ point games and one 39-point game.

ESPN believes the Heat have a 75% chance of winning the championship, TNT believes it's 78%, and no other mainstream media outlet has a figure below 60%.

Some media outlets even believe that the Heat will continue their sweeping run and have a good chance of winning the championship by sweeping all four rounds of the playoffs.

Although Hakeem Olajuwon was indignant, Tang Bei's performance in the Eastern Conference Finals was too terrifying, so he didn't say anything unnecessary.

"Insanity!"

But Tang Bei was furious when the Houston Chronicle reported that he wanted to play on the same team as David Robinson.

Not only did Hakeem Olajuwon think Tang Bei was arrogant, but many media outlets also thought Tang Bei's words were too arrogant. As a result, a bunch of reporters called to interview Tang Bei, and he chose a reporter from The New York Times.

"Tang, are you serious?"

"of course."

"But due to the salary cap, it's hard to meet your expectations. I think you're just bragging."

"Really? Then I have an idea for you. I will participate in the 96 Olympics. You can suggest that they participate in the Olympics as well."

"what?"

The New York Times reporter then turned to interview Hakeem Olajuwon and asked, "Hakim, what do you think of Don's comment about you and David Robinson?"

Hakeem Olajuwon said unhappily, "I think he's drunk."

The reporter said, "I just interviewed Tang, and he suggested that you and David Robinson go to the 96 Olympics."

"what?"

Hakeem Olajuwon was so angry he gritted his teeth. Did this bastard really believe it?
The reporter excitedly said, "Hakim, would you like to participate in the Atlanta Olympics? If you and David Robinson are both willing, plus O'Neal, who was already confirmed to participate in the 96 Olympics, the three of you can definitely crush him at the Olympics."

“I’ll consider it,” Olajuwon said angrily.

“David Robinson has just agreed,” the reporter said.

“Then I’ll go too,” Hakeem Olajuwon immediately said.

The reporter then immediately interviewed David Robinson:
"General, Tang Bei just suggested that you participate in the 96 Olympics. Hakeem Olajuwon has already decided to participate. What about you?"

"The Olympics? I'll participate."

David Robinson wasn't as angry as Hakeem Olajuwon, but after the Dream Team II lost the World Championship, these super centers were criticized by the media and fans, so he had already decided to participate in the 96 Olympics.

Soon, the news that Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal had confirmed their participation in the Atlanta Olympics spread around the world.

Tang Bei didn't care, but after the news spread back to China, a group of high-ranking officials in the Retirement Committee had a headache.

Fortunately, they also have a clear understanding that the reason they were able to win the World Championship last time was because the Dream Team II did not have NBA superstars and the US team lost the final. The Olympics will definitely recruit a large number of superstars, and it is nothing short of a pipe dream for the men's basketball team to win the Olympic championship again.

On June 6, 1995, the Houston Rockets arrived in Miami.

At the airport, a reporter asked, "Hakeem, some media outlets believe that Tang's ability has surpassed the level of the four super centers. Do you agree with this statement?"

Hakeem Olajuwon said expressionlessly, "Let him say that after he scores 100 points in a game."

In his excitement, the reporter asked again: "Currently, the league's most powerful centers are in a pattern of one dominant force and four super-powerful centers. Shaquille O'Neal fills the gap of the four super-powerful centers, and Shaquille O'Neal dominates the league. Do you agree with this statement?"

Hakeem Olajuwon scoffed dismissively, "Dominate the league? Without a three-peat dynasty, who dares to claim dominance?"

In the past two days, a large number of Hollywood stars have arrived in Miami, and a large number of NBA stars have also appeared in Miami.

"Shaq, are you sure you want to participate in the Atlanta Olympics?"

"Of course, I want revenge."

Do you think someone with severe phobias is strong enough to overwhelm you?

"He's dreaming."

Do you think the Dream Team III can defend their Olympic title?

"Of course, we will definitely be as great as the Dream Team."

Who do you think will win in this final?

"It's definitely the Rockets. I support Houston to win the championship, so I'm here."

Do you consider yourself to be at the level of a top-tier center?

"of course."

"So, do you agree with the notion of one dominant power and four superpowers?"

"What kind of bullshit 'one hegemon and four superpowers' nonsense is this?"

"That's right, severe fear is a dominant super center, meaning someone who dominates the league."

"That's outrageous! Who has such a thick skin?"

"But if Severe Fear is still ranked among the top four centers, you won't have a chance to be selected, and you'll just be like Mourning, hovering outside the top four centers."

"Don't compare Mourning to me, he doesn't deserve it. But you're right, let's go with the top five centers then, I like that title."

"The five greatest centers?"

Upon hearing the reporter's question, Tang Bei said with displeasure, "Please don't compare me to sardines, okay?"

"If someone praises me, Tang Bei, as one of the five super centers, that would be an insult to me, and I can't bear the shame."

Then, with a look of indignation, he said, "If you really come up with the title of five super centers, then I would rather withdraw."

"Tang, you swept all three rounds. Are you looking forward to sweeping the championship in the finals?" the reporter asked again.

"of course."

Soon, news of Tang Bei's expectation of sweeping the championship spread around the world, and major media outlets, basketball commentators, and star players all offered their own analyses.

ESPN reports: "The Heat swept the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, which was indeed incredibly strong, but the Rockets have Hakeem Olajuwon, the superstar center that the Bulls drooled over. This will greatly reduce the Heat's advantage in the paint, and we think the chances of them sweeping the Bulls are slim."

Magic Johnson told the media, "I was shocked that the Bulls were swept. The Heat's strength is truly terrifying."

"But whether the Heat can sweep the Rockets depends on three things: first, whether the Heat's interior players can control the paint on both ends of the court; second, whether the Heat's perimeter players can perform well; and third, whether the Rockets' shooting can explode."

“It will be very difficult to achieve all three of these points in the first four games, so I think it will be very difficult for the Heat to sweep the Rockets.”

"The Heat were able to sweep the Bulls because the Bulls' interior offense was practically nonexistent, while the Heat's interior defense provided strong help defense against the Bulls' perimeter players and limited the performance of Michael and his teammates."

(End of this chapter)