The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 212 Magician, Don't Make a Comeback

After an interview lasting more than an hour, Tang Bei and two bodyguards left the headquarters in two cars to pick up Jia Bao at the airport.

Jia Bao's doctoral studies have officially begun. She went to San Francisco a little over ten days ago and is returning today on the 4 PM flight.

Two maids and two bodyguards accompanied Garbo to San Francisco. They left the airport quickly after picking her up.

"Garbo, what did you find on this trip?"

"After gaining a deeper understanding of Silicon Valley, I found that some excellent projects have emerged there this year. For example, Netscape went public in August, Cisco Systems' shares have more than doubled this year, and Yahoo and Crystal Semiconductor, which were founded in March, all have investment value."

Are you planning to invest in these companies?

"I'm gathering information, and I might submit some if the opportunity arises."

"What about at home?"

"Two internet companies were also established in China this year, such as China Yellow Pages and Yinghaiwei."

Did we vote?

"Yinghaiwei's initial capital was 1500 million RMB. The founder, Zhang Shuxing, intended to introduce venture capital, but it wasn't the right time yet, as the funds hadn't been burned through. Around 96, my father was observing Yinghaiwei's operations."

"China Yellow Pages was established in April and launched in May. It was the first internet business website to go online in China. My father is observing it."

"But the company's initial capital was a paltry 10 RMB, which was pooled together by the founders."

"10?"

Tang Bei was taken aback. Isn't the internet high-tech and expensive? What can this little bit of money do?

Los Angeles, June 2nd, Lakers' new season media day.

Michael Jordan appeared at the Great Western Forum, wearing his No. 23 purple and gold jersey.

This was his first appearance with the Lakers. After the trade, he did not appear in front of the media to minimize negative impact.

"Crack, click, click..."

When he appeared, the media bombarded him with flashes and shutter sounds.

"Michael, why did you leave the Bulls? Was it because of the contract?" a reporter asked during the interview.

"not quite."

Jordan shook his head and said, "My philosophy differed from that of the management. I wanted to move forward, but the management wanted to take a break. I didn't have that much time to wait for them, so I had no choice but to leave."

"Has the management given up on winning the championship?"

"You can understand it this way: they chose to rebuild."

Do you think the Heat's trade for Tang Bei is a similar choice to the Bulls'?

"Everyone has different ideas, and the Heat's management has their own choices. I don't know about that."

What are your expectations and goals for the Lakers this season?

"Make it to the finals."

"The Bulls were swept by the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, so do you think this Lakers team can beat the Heat after making it to the NBA Finals?"

"Confidence is a key factor for success."

"You and Tang both won two consecutive championships. Who do you think is the real number one active player?"

"I'm not interested in this, and I don't think he's interested in this title either. The championship is what really matters."

1995年11月3号，NBA联盟95/96赛季常规赛拉开了帷幕。

The Heat will host the Cavaliers, with Tang Bei facing off against Michael Cage.

This is a short inside player who is only 206 cm tall and weighs only 102 kg. Tang Bei's attack on him is like a dimensional reduction attack.

He played three quarters, totaling 32 minutes, scoring 50 points, grabbing 22 rebounds, and blocking 6 shots, leading his team to a crushing victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Five players on his team scored in double figures, and the score was 65-112, a blowout win of 47 points.

As Tang Bei's substitute, Mourning played for 26 minutes, scoring 16 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots. His performance was not bad, but he didn't shine at all next to Tang Bei.

This game left the media amazed at the Heat's strength, saying they were no worse than last season.

However, some media outlets believe that the Cavaliers' weak interior defense led to the one-sided nature of the game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as the commentator for this game, commented afterward:

"The Heat's interior defense is no worse than last season, and rookie Kurt Thomas's debut performance was decent, with his main role being on the defensive end."

"On the perimeter, the defense is not as good as last season, and the offense is also worse. The difference between offense and defense is a level."

"As for the bench lineup, the addition of Mourning to the bench has improved the overall offensive and defensive capabilities in the paint."

"Considering both starters and reserves, and both inside and outside players, this Heat team is no worse on paper than last season. If there are no internal problems, no team can stop them."

"But if internal problems arise, the outcome is hard to predict."

While the Heat's game was highly anticipated in the opening match, there was another game that garnered even more attention: the Lakers hosting the SuperSonics.

This was Michael Jordan's first appearance in the Western Conference with the Lakers, attracting worldwide attention and a large number of Hollywood stars, making the Great Western Forum arena a star-studded event.

As a result, Jordan scored 41 points in 40 minutes, giving his team a winning start with a score of 95-104, leading them to a home victory against the SuperSonics.

However, Magic Johnson is still recovering and has not yet returned to the court. He is expected to return before next year's All-Star Game.

The Heat had no games for the next four days, and on the 8th, they hosted the Rockets at home.

In the evening, Tang Bei drove to the Miami Arena, went to the away team's locker room first, and had someone call Hakeem Olajuwon out.

"Dream, are you planning to go to the Lakers next year?" He asked bluntly once they found a quiet spot.

Hakeem Olajuwon shrugged and said, "Alexander is even stingier than your boss, Allison. If he doesn't give me a big contract next year, I'll definitely leave. But where I'll go, I don't know yet."

At this point, he asked, "What kind of contract did the Heat initially plan to offer you?"

"It started at $1200 million, and later it was raised to an average annual salary of $1500 million," Tang Bei asked.

Hakeem Olajuwon's lips twitched, and he said, "The Rockets are willing to give me a contract like this, so I've already signed an extension."

Tang Bei joked, "Michael Jordan has two championships, so he dares to ask for a $2500 million annual salary. You don't, that's the difference between you and him."

He didn't mention himself in his statement, but Olajuwon understood the implication perfectly.

Facing the guy who had defeated him in the Finals two years in a row, the bastard who stole his two championships, Hakeem Olajuwon didn't hesitate to raise the middle finger and said irritably:
"Then I'll go to the Lakers and team up with Michael to take you down."

Tang Bei continued to tease, "Maybe the Lakers are eyeing that sardine. I heard that sardine is even fatter now and stronger than last season."

Hakeem Olajuwon's face twitched; that was indeed quite possible.

Although Lakers' Jerry West had contacted his agent before, verbal agreements have no legal effect, and who can say what the future holds?

But he wasn't about to back down, saying, "The Knicks might not necessarily trade you next year."

"hehe!"

Tang Bei smiled and didn't say anything more; it was time for him to make his appearance.

Next year, he might not necessarily go to the Knicks, because it's not just the Knicks who have contacted him. He might even go to the West and continue pursuing Michael Jordan.

Eric told him that the Trail Blazers' owner, Paul Allen, had personally called him three times, hoping he would join the Trail Blazers.

However, Jordan went to the West, and now he's gone to the West again. The league probably isn't too happy about that, and New York is the world's largest city. Eric thinks New York is better.

At 7:30, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Horry, Chuck Brown, Clyde Drexler, Kenny Smith

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Kurt Thomas, Glen Rice, Rex Chapman, Avery Johnson

Sun Zhenping said, "The Rockets' roster remains largely unchanged. Mario Elie, the starting small forward last season, has been replaced by Chucky Brown due to injury."

Xu Jicheng said, "This Chucky Brown doesn't have a three-point shot, and his defense isn't as good as Mario Elie's. I've also heard that Drexler has had quite a few injuries, and his preseason form isn't as good as last season. So the Rockets' strength this season should be weaker than last season."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Don't be careless. The Rockets are 3-0 and have played two more games than the Heat. But tonight the Rockets are playing back-to-back games, so the Heat have a better chance of winning in terms of physical condition."

The competition officially began at eight o'clock.

At this moment, Michael Jordan, Jerry Buss, Jerry West, the Knicks' general manager and president, and the Trail Blazers' general manager all started watching the game.

On the court, after the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Tang Bei entered the penalty area from the free throw line, and Olajuwon did not defend him but instead went around him.

He easily drove to the basket, jokingly saying, "Dream, you're not only soft on offense, but even softer on defense."

Hakeem Olajuwon grunted twice but did not respond.

He was very resentful that his boss wouldn't give him a big contract. This was another back-to-back away game, and it was in the Eastern Conference. Was it really necessary to put in so much effort to defend against Tang Bei?

"boom!"

The next moment, Tang Bei was hanging above the basketball hoop.

"Bang!"

Turning back, Hakeem Olajuwon missed a mid-range shot under Tang Bei's tough defense, and Kurt Thomas grabbed the rebound.

Tang Bei didn't want to go under the basket this time. Olajuwon's lack of resistance in defense made him feel that there was no point in playing under the basket.

He moved to the left low post, where Glen Rice, on the left three-point line, received a pass from Avery Johnson and then passed it down.

Stan Van Gundy is only 36 years old this year. Before being recruited by Pat Riley, he had already taught at the university for eight years and is an academic.

Therefore, Van Gundy actually had no experience coaching an NBA team, not even as an assistant coach. He was promoted to head coach after only a few days as an assistant coach.

Pat Riley was ousted from his position as head coach by Tang Bei and was full of resentment, and he had absolutely no interest in winning a three-peat.

So deep down, he was actually happy to see a rookie messing around as the Heat's head coach, hoping that Tang Bei would never have the chance to win a three-peat.

However, he also faces a serious problem: his boss, Arison, no longer trusts him as much as before, and Arison hopes to complete a three-peat dynasty.

If he doesn't give his all, it could ultimately affect his chances of winning three consecutive championships, and Arison's trust in him might collapse, making it impossible for him to stay with the Heat.

So, at Mickey Arison's urging, Van Gundy became a puppet, and he became the man standing behind Van Gundy.

The Heat's tactics were actually designed by him; Van Gundy didn't even have the authority to make suggestions.

Tang Bei was aware of this to some extent, but he was happy to see it happen, since he wouldn't really want to ruin his three-peat.

The Heat's current offensive tactics are even purer than those of the Kevin Longley era.

During Kevin Longley's era, his offense was primarily based on the low post, but he would still incorporate some perimeter offensive tactics.

Pat Riley's offensive tactics included a requirement that every offensive possession should pass through his hands first, allowing him to post up and draw defensive attention, thus creating offensive opportunities for the perimeter.

When Kendall Gill was the starting shooting guard last season, the shooting guard position had the right to handle the ball and attack as a tactical supplement.

However, the starting shooting guard this season is Rex Chapman, who is not as capable as Gill, so the shooting guard position has been removed from the ball-handling offensive role.

This elevates his tactical status even further; whenever he wants, the ball must pass through his hands first in every attack.

In this respect, he also admired Pat Riley, who, despite such a significant conflict with him, could still devise such a tactic. Of course, this also forced him to expend more physical energy, which was a form of exploitation for him.

"Oh!"

After receiving the ball, he launched a fierce post-up attack, knocking back Dream while getting close to the basket. He immediately unleashed a tornado-like attack on the rim, and with a bang, he hung on the rim once again.

Robert Horry was not aggressive in his weak-side help defense; he didn't want to get injured by Tang Bei.

Olajuwon was shocked. The first time he hit Tang Bei, he was knocked back a big step, which meant that Tang Bei's explosive power was stronger than before.

His feeling was correct, but it wasn't that Tang Bei's explosive power had increased that much; rather, it was that his bone density had increased, which, along with his weight gain, had increased his strength in his muscles and bones.

This added power is not an explosive burst of force, but an absolute force with hardness.

On the bench, Pat Riley remained expressionless, but his heart was filled with complex emotions.

It was a great pity that he couldn't use a dominant center like Tang Bei.

In this game, Tang Bei, who hadn't played for several days, showed a strong offensive desire and once again scored in three quarters: 21 points in the first quarter, 16 points in the second quarter, and 14 points in the third quarter, racking up 51 points in three quarters and leading his team to a two-game winning streak.

The score was 78-120. The Rockets, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, were completely out of sorts. Clyde only made 3 of 10 shots, scoring just 10 points. The Rockets lost by 42 points on the road.

TNT commentator Hubie Brown said after the game:
"The Heat's starting lineup is actually not as offensively capable as it was last season. Kevin Willis and Kendall Gill are far better scorers than Kurt Thomas and Rex Chapman."

“Avery Johnson has never been a scorer in the starting lineup, so Tang Bei and Glen Rice have a very heavy offensive burden in the current starting lineup.”

"This means that Severe Fear has to score more points, and I think he's already a shoo-in for the scoring title this season."

"Last season, the Heat's bench was very weak, and their starters were too strong. This season, it's the opposite. So, if other teams want to beat this Heat team, they have to work on their starters."

"Glen Rice and Rex Chapman are slightly weak on defense. To beat the Heat's starting lineup, we can only target these two players."

The two matches allowed Alonzo Mourning to see Tang Bei's strength from the most direct perspective. He was really not on the same level as Tang Bei. Even with his strong will, this fact made him extremely frustrated.

Michael Jordan's will is stronger, but after watching this game, one can't help but wonder if he and Olajuwon can really beat Tang Bei after the Lakers get Olajuwon next year.
His gaze involuntarily shifted to the Magic, where the sardine Tang Bei had mentioned was even more robust than last season, becoming a true great white shark.

The Big Diesel is said to weigh over 140 kilograms, but in the preseason, his athleticism showed no significant decline; on the contrary, his explosiveness was even more terrifying.

Unfortunately, O'Neal broke his right thumb during the preseason and will miss at least 20 games.

Not only did his gaze turn to O'Neal, but Lakers owner Jerry Buss and general manager Jerry West also turned their attention to O'Neal.

The management teams of both the Knicks and the Trail Blazers have become even more determined to trade Tang Bei next year.

On November 10th, the Heat played their third regular season game at home against the struggling Nets. Tang Bei once again scored 52 points, leading the team to their third consecutive victory.

After defeating the Nets, the Heat flew to Orlando overnight for a back-to-back road game against the Magic tomorrow.

Although Shaquille O'Neal was always overshadowed by Tang Bei, he still managed to squeeze into the ranks of the four super centers thanks to his talent.

After three seasons of honing his skills, he has surpassed the other three veteran super centers. With his increased size, he has become the only candidate in the media's opinion to be able to compete with Tang Bei this season.

Tang Bei wanted a three-peat, and everyone in the league knew that. Regardless of their motives, everyone wanted to stop Tang Bei, and in this situation, O'Neal became their hero.

Tang Bei also paid close attention to O'Neal, because O'Neal's physique was indeed getting bigger and bigger, but he still looked so agile and full of impact and explosiveness.

This shows that the sardine's talent is indeed terrifying, and it might actually have a chance to rival him.

However, his weight of 140 kilograms probably won't be enough to stop him.

His current weight is almost 140 kilograms, and his strength already exceeds that of Shaq. With the increase in weight and muscle strength, how could the 140-kilogram Shaq possibly stop him?

If the Big Diesel wants to compete with him, he needs more time to grow and gain weight, reaching 150 or 160 kilograms, and his athletic ability cannot decline too much before he can have a chance to compete with him.

In the evening, at the Orlando Arena, Tang Bei and his teammates came out of the restaurant and ran into Shaquille O'Neal, who was wearing a suit, in the corridor on their way back to the locker room.

"How much do you weigh?" he asked.

Shaquille O'Neal flexed his biceps and said smugly, "145 kilograms, scared yet? When I come back, I'm going to knock you down."

"145 kilograms?"

Tang Bei shook his head dismissively and said, "You'd have to increase to at least 155 kilograms and use some techniques to have any chance of shifting my center of gravity."

"Impossible, I don't believe it," O'Neal roared.

"Do I have time to tease you?" Tang Bei said and walked away.

"impossible."

O'Neal stared at Tang Bei's back, vowing in his heart that he would definitely knock this despicable guy over someday.

That night, Tang Bei scored 50 points again, marking his fourth consecutive game with 50+ points, leading all the stars in the league in individual performance.

The Heat defeated the Magic in a back-to-back game, securing their fourth consecutive win and climbing to the top of the league standings.

However, the Lakers lost tonight. After Jordan led the team to a four-game winning streak, they lost to the SuperSonics on the road the day before yesterday, and then lost to the Warriors on the road tonight.

湖人4胜2负，排在4胜1负的火箭和3胜1负的马刺后面，位列西部第三名。

On the 12th, the NBA officially announced the Players of the Week, and Tang Bei won the honor based on his individual performance and the team's record.

The Heat had a very relaxed schedule in the early stages of the season. After defeating the Magic on the road, they had no games for three days. On the afternoon of the 12th, Tang Bei returned to Miami with the team.

Before dinner, an ESPN reporter interviewed him by phone and asked:
"Tang, four consecutive 50+ point games, what's making you work so hard on offense? Is it because the starting lineup's scoring ability isn't as good as last season? Or is it because of the competition with Mourning? Are there problems in your locker room?"

"Mourning? Mr. Reporter, what can my substitute compete with me for? Offense? Defense? Rebounding? Playmaking? Mid-range shooting?"

“Please look at my playing time. In all four games, I only played three quarters, averaging just 31 minutes per game. I gave him some playing time, which fully demonstrates the unity in our locker room.”

"Our starting lineup's offensive capabilities this season are indeed not as strong as last season, but they are not weak either. To be precise, all five of us have the ability to average 10+ points per game, which is already quite good."

"The reason I scored 50+ points in a row is because my opponents were all weak. Also, we are a relatively new team. I have many teammates I just met, new offensive tactics and a new tactical system. We also have a rookie head coach whose on-court command ability still needs to be developed. So I have to score more points."

Tang Bei had some reasons he didn't mention, reasons that were not suitable to be stated openly.

Given his ongoing conflict with Pat Riley and his impending departure from the Heat next year, he must act more assertively to gain more control and influence within the team, which would be crucial for achieving a three-peat.

On the 15th, the Heat defeated the Pacers at home.

On the 17th, the Heat defeated the Hawks on the road.

On the 18th, the Heat defeated the Magic again in a back-to-back home game.

In these three games, Tang Bei scored 50+ points again, a performance that shocked the entire league.

Of course, he only played three quarters once in these three games, increasing his average playing time to 33 minutes.

With a seven-game winning streak at the start and seven consecutive 50+ point games, Tang Bei set a new regular season record and won the Player of the Week award for the second week.

The regular season quickly came to an end of the month, and on the 30th, the Heat defeated the Pistons on the road, completing all their games for the month.

The Heat are undefeated in 12 games and are ranked first in the league.

唐北本月场均34.5分钟，48.4分14.5篮板2.7助攻1.5抢断4.5盖帽的数据。

His field goal percentage was as high as 66.5%, and his free throw percentage reached 73.5%.

Unlike last season, he has been using the Tornado move extensively in the low post this month, and the traveling rule introduced last season has greatly reduced its restrictions on him.

On December 1st, Tang Bei received the November Player of the Month award.

He is also the undisputed number one in the MVP rankings of the NBA league and major mainstream media.

Tang Bei and the Heat's performance not only shocked the entire league, but also the media.

Previously, major media outlets believed that the Heat would be hampered by internal problems, unable to unleash their full potential, and might even collapse.

At that time, major mainstream media outlets believed that the Heat were only in a class of their own and did not possess the dominant strength to be in a class of their own when facing other strong teams.

But after the month's games, the media remained silent about the Heat's performance.

Magic Johnson, who is still undergoing rehabilitation training, spoke about the Heat in a media interview.

"With the Heat displaying a dominant offensive and defensive performance in November, they have demonstrated formidable strength, almost in a class of their own, which is different from the predictions of major media outlets that the Heat were in a class of their own."

"But if we strip away the signs of extreme fear, we can see many problems that the Heat are hiding."

"For example, the inexperience of rookie Kurt Thomas, and Rex Chapman's injuries, which caused him to miss three games in November."

"For example, the Heat are still building a new offensive and defensive system, but because Coach Pat Riley cannot personally direct the team, the process is very slow. I even think that the Heat will not be able to build a new offensive and defensive system before the playoffs begin."

"Another example is the conflict between Tang and the coaching staff and management. This is also a very critical issue. I don't know if this issue will erupt, but it is definitely a time bomb in the Heat's locker room."

"Right now, all of this is hidden beneath a deep fear of scoring, which I think is why he stepped up his offense in November."

"I think he's trying to cover up these problems by scoring and winning all the time."

“But I believe it’s all in vain. He can’t play like that all season. He’s not a real ironman.”

"When he gets tired, all the problems will come to a head."

Tang Bei noticed the interview with Magic Johnson and thought it made some sense, but that was all there was to it.

"Tang, do you think what Elvin Johnson said makes sense?" A reporter asked Tang Bei in a phone interview.

Tang Bei said, "Whether the magician's words make sense or not is not important. It's just a psychological tactic, and I don't care."

“I gave him a piece of advice: Magic, don’t come back. Your bulky body can’t withstand the strain of a game.”

"This bastard!"

Magic Johnson, who was training hard at the gym, was furious after hearing what Tang Bei said from the reporter.

But looking at the fat on my body, it seems like I haven't lost much weight. Of course, it's also possible that the scale is broken.

But for this comeback, he sold his 5% stake in the Lakers back to Jerry Buss, and he won't change his mind because of Tang Bei's words.

On December 10th, the Miami Heat, thanks to Tang Bei's outstanding performance, achieved a perfect 17-12 record.

That night, the Heat faced the Kings on the road. Due to fatigue from their long winning streak, they were in poor form and suffered a loss, their first defeat of the season.

The Kings, playing at home, had an explosive shooting night. Although no one scored 20+ points, eight players scored in double figures, and they dominated the Heat, who were in a slump.

Tang Bei scored 38 points, mainly through dunks. He missed several shots in the last two minutes and his free throw percentage was only 50%.

With a record of 17 wins and 1 loss, the Heat still hold the best record in the entire league.

The Lakers, who are first in the Western Conference, have a record of 16 wins and 4 losses, but their net win percentage is 4 games lower than the Heat's, a significant gap.

12月24号，联盟宣布96年全明星投票开始，为期四周，于96年1月21日结束。

From that day on, with the Lakers' encouragement, all the media in Los Angeles began campaigning for Michael Jordan.

Meanwhile, many Hollywood stars who have good relationships with Jordan also campaigned for him through the media and online platforms, creating a huge momentum.

In contrast, Tang Bei's situation was far worse. Apart from some media outlets in Miami spontaneously campaigning for him, the Heat team did almost nothing to help him garner votes.

He didn't contact any celebrities he knew to help him garner votes; he was too lazy to bother.

In their next game, the Heat lost to the SuperSonics on the road, finishing the December regular season with a record of 26 wins and 2 losses.

Tang Bei received the monthly best player award for the second consecutive month.

(End of this chapter)