The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 202: I Made Tang Successful
Michael Jordan watched the entire game, and Olajuwon's crushing defeat against Tang Bei gave him some hope for the future.

Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal—these four super centers combined never won a single NBA championship.

Faced with such terrifying and severe fear at such a young age, the future of these four guys is very bleak, and they may never win a championship in their lives.

But this is his opportunity; the four super centers might want to team up with him.

This summer, the NBA will sign a new television broadcasting contract, the contract amount of which will definitely increase significantly, and the salary cap will also increase significantly, with maximum salary contracts also rising accordingly.

Hakeem Olajuwon's contract expires next year, and so does his; both of them will sign new contracts in the summer of '96. This is an opportunity.

The same applies to O'Neal and Tang Bei; their rookie contracts expire in the summer of '96, and they may even be renewed earlier this year.

David Robinson's second contract was a seven-year deal, which has been locked up in recent years, making it impossible for him to team up with him.

Patrick Ewing's contract has ended, and he is currently negotiating with the Knicks, reportedly on the possibility of signing a supermax contract.

Among the five super centers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing are the most likely to team up with him. Shaquille O'Neal also has a chance, but the Magic probably won't let him go.

However, the Bulls' management's intentions are unclear, and he doesn't know what awaits him. With only one year left on his contract, he could potentially be used as leverage.

He and David Falk have already discussed it and decided to force the team to sign him early, taking advantage of the salary cap increase to demand a big contract.

The Bulls' management likely hopes to extend his contract early, as he will be a free agent after his contract expires next year.

If the Bulls fail to renew his contract next summer, they will get nothing, so trading him this year is the safest option, and the management also has the idea of ​​rebuilding.

For him, whoever he teams up with has to be a big team, otherwise they can't accommodate their contracts. The Knicks and Lakers are the most likely candidates.

On the 12th, the Heat's management began planning their championship celebration ceremony.

Because it was an away game, they had to make do. They prepared fifteen cases of champagne, booked one of Houston's top nightclubs, and prepared several million dollars in cash to be shared by the entire team. They also prepared DJ music and a large number of celebratory colored balloons filled with colorful confetti at the Summit Arena.

In Miami, preparations for the celebration began early in the morning, with countless people from the city government to the team and fans participating.

The media has stopped predicting the odds of winning the championship. Even the Houston media has lost all confidence in winning. Houstonians are pessimistically waiting for the end of the Finals.

That afternoon, David Stern arrived in Houston with the championship trophy and the Finals MVP trophy.

He was disappointed by the one-sided nature of the Finals, which had no suspense whatsoever. The ratings were even lower than last year's Finals, when at least the Rockets weren't swept.

Fortunately, Tang Bei's dominant performance in the league was enough to support the viewership ratings. The average viewership for the first three games reached 2672 million, far lower than the Eastern Conference Finals, which had an average viewership of over 30 million.

He felt that the opportunity was wasted; if a balanced Eastern and Western Conference Finals team had been created, the NBA would have developed much faster.

It's a pity that the Heat, not a Western Conference team, were the ones who traded Tang Bei.

But there is also an opportunity now. The Bulls are likely to rebuild, and if Michael Jordan goes to the West, that would be a good option.

On the evening of the 13th, at the Peak Gymnasium.

The Rockets are about to be swept, which is a huge blow to Houstonians and has affected ticket prices. As a result, there are a lot of Chinese people at this game, almost a third of them, and hundreds of Chinese flags are flying everywhere.

A dozen or so people from the Chinese Consulate General in Houston also came, sitting together and holding a large five-star red flag.

The starting lineup was announced at 7:30.

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Kevin Willis, Glen Rice, Kendall Gill, Avery Johnson

Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Horry, Mario Elie, Clyde Drexler, Kenny Smith
In the player tunnel, Tang Bei pointed to the championship trophy at the exit and said to the late Olajuwon, "Dream, if you want that thing, you'll only have a chance if you follow me."

“Kid, you’re dreaming,” Hakeem Olajuwon roared.

Tang Bei laughed and said, "You won't join me unless you can team up with Michael Jordan, but is that even possible? Don't you care about one player, one city anymore?"

"Michael?"

Hakeem Olajuwon felt a surge of anticipation as he thought about how both his and Michael's contracts ended next year.

As for one-city-one-player, to hell with it. I'm playing basketball, not selling myself to that damn miser. Big contracts and championships are what matter most.

The salary cap will definitely increase significantly next season. He can sign veteran contracts, but will that stingy Alexander be willing to do so?
He shook his head; the Rockets wouldn't do.

In other words, if he wants to team up with Jordan, he has to go to another team, and he has to go this year. He can't be a free agent because only a trade can retain Bird rights, and free agents don't retain Bird rights when joining a new team.

"Could this guy really be thinking of teaming up with Jordan?"

Tang Bei smiled. If two superstars from both inside and outside the country really joined forces, that would be interesting.

Jordan dominated the Heat's perimeter game, forcing the Heat to double-team him.

If Hakeem Olajuwon were paired with a good defensive anchor in the paint, off-ball double-teams could also limit him.

Both sides need to double-team one of the opponent's players, while the other positions are three against four, which is really fun.

The Rockets' Drexler was once considered a superstar on par with Jordan, but his ability is still a level below, especially his efficiency in the playoffs, making double-teaming unnecessary.

If Jordan were to replace the shooting guard on this Rockets team, they would be really tough to beat.

"Clap clap clap..."

"Severe phobia..."

Tang Bei's appearance was met with enthusiastic applause and cheers.

These applause and cheers came not only from Chinese people, but also from a large number of home team fans.

Americans idolize superheroes, and Tang Bei's impressive performance has already won them over to some extent.

Bill Russell, who greatly admired Tang Bei's talent, said at this point:

"After the Heat successfully defended their title, Tang Bei only lacked some hard honors compared to Michael Jordan, and with his strength and age, he could slowly collect these honors, including the MVP award."

"But in terms of the most important hard honors, I mean championships and Finals MVP, the two are now tied."

“Bill, what do you mean?” Bill Walton asked.

Bill Russell continued, "The Heat have played the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals three times in the last three seasons, losing once and winning twice, and this time they swept the Bulls to advance."

"What I want to say is, after successfully defending his title, is Tang Bei qualified to replace Michael Jordan as the best active player in the NBA?"

"Just him?"

Barkley said angrily.

"Is he not qualified?" Bill Walton asked.

Barkley paused, then said dejectedly, "He has too few scoring titles and MVPs, far behind Michael. Let's talk about it after he catches up with Michael's accolades."

"hehe!"

The other two just smiled and didn't continue the topic.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

After the jump ball, the Rockets went on offense.

Robert Horry moved directly to the left corner, and Kevin Willis defended the left wing low post.

Hakeem Olajuwon was positioned on the right wing, with Don Bei guarding him. At that moment, Clyde Drexler was on the right wing three-point line, using a screen from Kenny Smith to drive to the basket.

Tang Bei, positioned low on the right wing, moved a step to the side, forcing Drexler to change direction upwards, where he was immediately pressed by Kendall Gil, who was chasing behind him.

Tang Bei seized the opportunity to double-team, and Drexler passed a ground ball through the gaps between the players to Da Meng, who was cutting to the basket. Tang Bei quickly turned around and blocked Da Meng's layup attempt.

Kendall Gill grabbed the ball, and the Heat quickly launched a counterattack. Avery Johnson dribbled down the left wing, while Glen Rice advanced alongside him on the right wing.

When he reached the frontcourt, Glen Rice received the pass, drove into the basket from the right side, and made a successful layup.

The Rockets' small forward Mario Elie, who was chasing him down, is only 196 cm tall. He's a swingman with very limited shot-blocking ability.

Bill Russell said, "The Heat played great defense in this Finals series, while the Rockets didn't."

Bill Walton asked, "Both Don and Olajuwon are top-tier interior defenders with their own defensive systems, so why is their defensive effectiveness so different?"

Bill Russell said, "Because the Heat's low-post offense is all done by Tang, they don't need to drive in from the outside to play. Even Kevin Willis is pulled out to shoot when he has an open shot."

"But the Rockets are not good at it. Hakeem Olajuwon has few low-post attacks under Don's one-on-one defense, and his efficiency is low. He needs to break through from the outside to score."

Bill Walton said, "So in the end, Olajuwon couldn't stop Tang, while Tang could stop Olajuwon."

Another loss would mean being swept, so the Rockets launched a full-scale counterattack and managed to put up a decent outside offense. Although they struggled to penetrate the paint, their shooting was good.

The Heat, eager to sweep and win the championship, lost their composure and missed many open shots in the first quarter under the Rockets' all-out defense.

However, Tang Bei's offense remained stable, scoring 18 points in the quarter and stabilizing the situation. At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets trailed by only two points, 28-26.

The Rockets saw an opportunity and continued their all-out offensive in the second quarter.

Of course, it's still difficult to penetrate the paint, so we've focused on outside shooting, especially strengthening our three-point shooting strategy.

After a flurry of three-pointers, the Rockets took a 4-point lead at the end of the second quarter, 54-58.

Rockets' backup point guard Sam Cassell played a crucial role, hitting three three-pointers in the second quarter and scoring 14 points with a combination of field goals and free throws, making him a key player in the Rockets' comeback.

Bill Walton said, "The scores were all very high, which shows that the Heat couldn't stop the Rockets' shooting, and the Rockets couldn't stop Tang Bei's inside offense."

Bill Russell remarked, "The Heat's weak bench was exposed by the Rockets' powerful three-point shooting. The Rockets capitalized on that opportunity today, making a lot of open shots."

比尔·沃顿说道：“上半场火箭三分球15投7中，命中率高达46.7%，而热火是8投2中，命中率只有25%。”

Barkley said with exasperation, "It's all Hakeem's fault. Tang scored 33 points in the first half, while he only got 10. Otherwise, the Rockets would have crushed the Heat."

At this point, Bill Russell said, "It's too early to say that the Rockets have beaten the Heat. Tang is too consistent and has incredible stamina. He could even score 30 points in the second half. But can the Rockets' three-point shooting be as consistent as it was in the first half?"

Barkley immediately said, "I believe the Rockets can make any shot they take. That's how it is when they're on fire; they can make even random shots. They can do it."

In the away team's locker room, Tang Bei ate two bananas, drank a can of Red Bull that he endorses, and a glass of Grasse hot chocolate to replenish his energy.

At that moment, Kevin Lengley walked in, scanned the players, and said with a stern face, "Guys, they're making too many open shots. We need to tighten our perimeter defense..."

At this moment, Tang Bei suddenly interjected, "Coach, they're on fire today, and their outside shooting is tough to defend. How about we change our defensive strategy?"

He rarely spoke up on tactics in the past, because tactics were the responsibility of the coaching staff, and as a player, his tactical knowledge was certainly not as good as the coach's, so he couldn't say too much.

But now that the question of whether they can sweep the championship is up for grabs, he feels he should offer his advice.

If someone else had said that, Kevin Longley would have been furious.

His defensive strategy was successful in last year's finals, and it was successful in the first three games of this finals as well, which shows that his defensive strategy is very correct.

He was forced to change his defensive strategy after only losing by 4 points at halftime, which was extremely disrespectful to him. Even though Tang Bei said it, it made him very unhappy, and his face darkened.

In his view, Tang Bei played a significant role in the Heat's championship win last season and their upcoming title defense this season, but his role was even greater.

If it weren't for his successful defensive and offensive tactics, the Heat wouldn't have been able to win the championship with just Tang Bei.

Jordan was such a great player, having already won an MVP and four scoring titles before winning the championship. But without Phil Jackson, could he have won the championship?
Impossible. Without Phil Jackson, Jordan would have been completely dominated by the Celtics and Pistons, and might never have won a championship.

Phil Jackson made Michael Jordan, and now he's making Tang Bei. Without him, Tang Bei, like several other superstar centers, would never have had a chance to win a championship.

"Tang, I believe my defensive strategy is correct," he said seriously, his confidence swelled.

Upon hearing this, Tang Bei's face also darkened.

He couldn't understand why he, who rarely got involved in tactical issues, couldn't even offer a suggestion now.
Like Kevin Lengley, he believes the Heat's championship was mainly due to his own efforts, and that the head coach was nobody before he joined the Heat.

With this mindset, he was angry at what Kevin Longley said.

But after all, the coach is in charge of the tactics, and this is the finals; it's impossible for them to start fighting amongst themselves now. So he thought for a moment and said:
"Coach, if the situation doesn't change in the third quarter, I hope we can make tactical adjustments in time for the final quarter."

"Tang, I'll consider it."

Kevin Longley nodded, his expression softening.

The Heat players, who witnessed the conversation between the two, noticed a problem between them, which changed the atmosphere in the locker room and affected the players' own feelings.

General Manager Lewis Shaffer didn't interrupt, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Tang Bei and Kevin Longley before he walked out of the locker room.

President Billy Cunningham and owner Mickey Allison were outside. Shaffer gestured to move away to a secluded spot and said:

“Boss, Billy, I feel that Coach Kevin Longley is being too forceful with Don, and there are some problems in the locker room.”

"Lewis, what happened?"

Billy Cunningham's heart skipped a beat, and Mickey Allison stared intently at Shaffer.

He nodded, recounted what had happened in the locker room, and then said:

"Tang has a very strong personality. He just took a step back, but I don't think he will continue to back down after the finals."

"Even if the situation cannot be changed in the third quarter without changing the defensive tactics, given his personality, he may clash with Kevin Longley."

Billy Cunningham glanced at Alisson and said, "We thought we needed to change the head coach before, but then we won the championship, so we put that idea on hold. Now there's a possibility of conflict between Don and Lengley, and I think we need to have a contingency plan."

Micky Arison said, "We must make sure there are no problems next season. If we can win three consecutive championships, then the Heat will have the opportunity to become a new powerhouse, and the team's value will increase significantly."

He did not comment on specific issues, but his statement revealed his attitude.

In the NBA, no matter which team you're on, even the championship-winning coach is always ranked lower than the star player.

If an irreconcilable conflict occurs, either the head coach or the star player must leave, and it will only be the head coach.

Lewis Shaffer said, "If the Bulls rebuild, there are many conflicts between Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause. If he leaves the Bulls, we can consider hiring him to replace Kevin Longley."

"can."

The other two nodded without hesitation.

Billy Cunningham said, "Kevin Longley will be in charge in the third quarter. If we continue to fall behind, we need to make changes in the final quarter."

Shafir and Allison both nodded in agreement. In that situation, if no changes were made in the final quarter, it would mean that management supported Kevin Longley instead of Tang Bei.

(End of this chapter)