The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 213 Do you regret it?

On the 31st, the last day of 95, the first week's All-Star voting data was released.

Michael Jordan became the top vote-getter in the first week, receiving 65.2 votes, setting a new NBA All-Star first-week voting record.

Tang Bei received 32.5 votes in the first week, fewer than last year's first week votes, and almost 33 fewer than Jordan, a significant difference.

On January 5, 96, Tang Bei and Jia Bao arrived in Los Angeles at 1 p.m., where Chen Long, who had been in the United States for promotional purposes since the previous month, picked them up at the airport.

Besides Chen Long and his wife, the main creative team included director Tang Jili, Mui Yanfang, Yip Fong-wah, Tung Piu, and three Hong Kong actresses invited by Chen Long: Kathy Chow, Tong Ai-ling, and Michelle Yeoh.

Tang Bei and his wife greeted each of these people and then got into the car arranged by Chen Long to go to the Hilton Hotel.

I had promised to arrange a party for Chen Long, so I invited some Hollywood stars I knew a few days ago. Yesterday, Garbo sent someone over to arrange the party at the Hilton Hotel.

The premiere is tomorrow night, and the party is tonight.

Jia Bao booked a large hall of several hundred square meters, and when the group arrived at the hotel at four o'clock, everything was already prepared.

"How is it?" Tang Bei asked.

"That's fantastic! Thank you so much!" Chen Long said happily.

This is another Chinese film making a splash in Hollywood, following Bruce Lee's films. He felt both excited and apprehensive.

However, Tang Bei added, "I don't know many Hollywood stars. I've only called about twenty people. Garbo, isn't this place a bit too big? If no one comes, it'll look a bit awkward."

Chen Long and the others, unfamiliar with Hollywood, quickly looked towards Garbo.

Jia Bao rolled her eyes at Tang Bei and said, "Americans are all party animals, especially in Hollywood. You only invited people by phone and didn't send out invitations. If you don't stand guard at the door yourself, I reckon this place will be packed tonight."

"Ah?" Everyone was stunned.

"I definitely won't guard the goal; I'm not a football goalkeeper," Tang Bei hurriedly said.

"Haha..." Everyone laughed.

"Master Chen, how many have you hired?" Tang Bei asked.

"There's Sylvester Stallone, and Quentin Tarantino, just those two," Chen Long said.

Tang Bei nodded and said, "I've invited over twenty A-list celebrities, and Jia Bao has invited some Los Angeles celebrities. This party is pretty much top-tier."

"More than twenty A-list celebrities?"

Chen Long and the others gaped in astonishment. Tang Bei had just mentioned more than twenty people, but none of them had imagined that they were all A-list Hollywood stars.

"More than twenty A-list celebrities, does Master Tang have such strong connections in Hollywood?" Zhou Haimei whispered in Tong Ailing's ear.

Tong Ailing shook her head and said, "I don't know. I don't usually watch basketball. Is he really that successful in Hollywood?"

Tang Bei then said, "Why don't we take advantage of this time and go to a restaurant to get something to eat? Come on, it's on me."

"I'll treat you, I'll treat you," Chen Long said hurriedly.

"I'll treat you. You treat in Hong Kong, but I'll treat you here," Tang Bei said with a smile.

“Okay, next time you go to Hong Kong, be sure to let me know in advance,” Chen Long said hurriedly.

At seven o'clock, guests arrived.

Tom Cruise was the first to arrive, accompanied by his wife Nicole Kidman.

"Hey, handsome, it's Nicole," Tang Bei called out as he approached.

"Tang, please, hurry up and open the martial arts school. I've been waiting for years." Tom Cruise said irritably after shaking hands.

"No time," Tang Bei quickly shook his head.

Tom Cruise said seriously, "Tom, I have an A-list blockbuster next year, produced by Paramount, with a total investment of over 100 million US dollars. It's very, very important to me."

"An A-list production with an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars?"

Chen Long was very envious, feeling that even if Rumble in the Bronx succeeded this time, it would be difficult to star in a Hollywood A-list production worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

"How important is it?" Tang Bei asked curiously.

Tom Cruise said, "It can be made into a series like 007. I will not only star in it, but also serve as a producer for the first time. My $2000 million salary will also be considered as an investment."

"What do you want?" Tang Bei asked.

Tom Cruise said, "Tom, I'm planning to add kendo elements to it, that's really cool. You have to help me out and teach me the coolest kendo."

Tang Bei smiled and said, "It's not that I can't teach you, but don't bring out any Japanese style in your movies."

"Of course, I can revise the script and add Chinese elements."

Overjoyed, Tom Cruise added, "If you'd like to make a cameo appearance, just ten minutes long, like in Arnold's True Lies, Paramount would definitely be willing to invest an extra ten million dollars. How about it?"

Tang Bei said, "I'm afraid '96 won't work. But what about the Atlanta Olympics? I have to lead the Chinese men's basketball team to beat your American team."

"Oh, that's a real shame. I can only wish you the best of luck in winning the Olympic gold medal," Tom Cruise said with a hint of regret.

"Come on, let me introduce you. This is Chen Long, Asia's super kung fu star..."

Tang Bei then introduced Chen Long to Tom Cruise and his wife. After they got to know each other, he said, "I'll be attending the premiere of his action movie Rumble in the Bronx tomorrow. Do you want to come?"

"I'll attend your friend's premiere. I'm free tomorrow night." Tom Cruise agreed without much hesitation.

"Thank you so much..." Chen Long quickly said.

"When will you teach me kendo?" Tom Cruise asked, pulling Tang Bei along.

“You’ll be staying in Miami for a while, and I’ll take some time to coach you when I’m at home,” Tang Bei said.

"OK."

Tom Cruise said happily.

"Hey, Tang."

Then Arnold's voice rang out.

"Don, a lot of Hollywood colleagues are campaigning for Michael. Do you want to help?" Arnold asked after greeting him.

Tang Bei shook his head and said, "I only know you guys; I don't have his connections."

“Leave it to me,” Arno said, patting his chest.

"Count me in," Tom Cruise said hastily.

"You can just help attend Master Chen's premiere. Getting votes is too much trouble, so let's forget about it," Tang Bei said hurriedly.

“Don, it’s no trouble at all. Just mention it when you’re interviewed by the media,” Nicole Kidman said with a smile.

"Thank you then."

Tang Bei raised his glass and said, "Everything is in the wine, bottoms up."

Then, as one Hollywood star after another appeared, the party got lively.

As Garbo said, because there were no invitations, anyone could come in, and the party hall, which was several hundred square meters, was packed with people before eight o'clock.

Not only celebrities and models, but also many directors and producers, including executives from major Hollywood companies, showed up at the party.

By this point, the party had essentially become unrelated to Tang Bei, the organizer, and had evolved into an open social setting.

With Tang Bei's help, Chen Long seized the opportunity to meet a large group of people and invited them to the premiere the following day.

Regardless of how many people actually attend, the party was a success, providing initial access to Hollywood's network of connections.

The following day, on the evening of the 6th, the premiere of Rumble in the Bronx was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Nearly fifty Hollywood stars, directors, and producers attended, with nearly half being A-list and B-list celebrities. The premiere attracted a great deal of media attention and was a great success.

"Master Tang, I will never hesitate to help you in the future," Chen Long said to Tang Bei.

“No problem,” Tang Bei said.

On January 7th, the voting results for the following week were released.

This time, Tang Bei received 32 votes, while Jordan received 47.3.

Since yesterday, many Hollywood stars have been campaigning for Tang Bei in interviews, creating a lot of buzz, but the effects won't be immediately apparent.

That afternoon, the Heat arrived in Los Angeles, and Tang Bei joined the team.

In the evening, the Heat arrived at the Great Western Forum arena.

Tang Bei usually avoids going to the opposing team's locker room to embarrass himself. Last time, he went to the Bulls' away team locker room, and they ended up losing the home game. However, he couldn't resist going there again this time.

"Tang, what are you doing here?"

When he arrived at the Lakers' home locker room, Jerry West was outside and was quite surprised to see him.

“Mr. West, I’d like to have a word with the Flying Man.”

Tang Bei frowned when he saw the old man.

"Michael, Don is looking for you."

Jerry West didn't ask any further questions and called Jordan out.

"What do you want from me?"

Jordan came out and saw Tang, and his feelings were very complicated.

Even someone as competitive as him was forced by Tang Bei to find a super center to partner with; you can imagine how distressed he must have felt.

Even if the Lakers make it to the Finals this season, they probably won't be able to beat the Heat, but if the Lakers acquire Shaquille O'Neal next season, he thinks they have a chance.

Rodman's contract expires next summer, and the Bulls may not renew it. It all depends on West's actions. If they can bring Rodman over, their chances will be much better.

"Air Jordan, I'm planning to play for the Portland Trail Blazers next season. What do you think of this idea?" Tang Bei said.

Are you crazy?

Michael Jordan's temper flared up immediately. "I ran all the way from the East to the West, and you're chasing after me again?"
Just kidding, haha!

Tang Bei laughed and left after saying that.

Jordan stared at Tang Bei's back and suddenly said to Jerry West:

"Jerry, you offended him at the NBA official tryouts held at the Chicago Arena in '92. I was there too. Do you regret it now?"

Jerry West's heart skipped a beat, and an overwhelming sense of regret welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"Hakeem is no match for him, the difference in size is too great," Jordan whispered to West before heading back to the locker room.

"A great white shark?"

Jerry West has been in contact with O'Neal and his agent. O'Neal has a falling out with the Magic's management over an early contract extension. His contract expires next year, and the Lakers have a chance to snatch him away without paying any price.

"I only said one sentence, will it ruin my reputation?" Tang Bei muttered to himself, feeling a little uneasy.

The Great Western Forum Arena is a dazzling spectacle, frequented by numerous Hollywood stars.

Since Jordan joined the Lakers, the Lakers have become the team with the best season ticket sales, the most popular merchandise sales, and the highest attendance and ticket prices in the entire league, even surpassing the Heat.

The Lakers' management is also more capable than the Heat's, and their home arena is filled with billboards advertising Fortune 500 companies.

From an operational standpoint, it's understandable that Mickey Arison paid a huge price to bring in Pat Riley.

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

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Kurt Thomas, Glen Rice, Kevin Jamber, Avery Johnson

Lakers: Vlade Divac, Elden Campbell, George Lynch, Michael Jordan, Nick Van Exel
At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

Tang Bei and Divac jump for the ball, and the Heat go on offense.

He moved to the left low post and saw Avery Johnson approaching the top of the key with the ball. Suddenly, he did a Tai Chi-like spin move and slid down the wing. Divac grabbed Tang Bei's arm, but Tang Bei elbowed him away.

"boom!"

Next, Avery Johnson suddenly passed the ball, and Tang Bei jumped up, caught the ball with both hands, and then slammed it down, completing an alley-oop dunk.

"Clap clap clap..."

A group of Hollywood stars applauded.

Xu Jicheng smiled and said, "Avery Johnson and Tang Bei have been playing together for several years, and their teamwork is already very good."

Sun Zhenping said with a smile, "With Tang Bei by his side, Avery Johnson has played at the level of a top-notch point guard."

"Jordan has broken through!" Han Qiao exclaimed urgently at that moment.

During the transition between offense and defense, Jordan himself dribbled down the court, drove into the paint from the wing, dunked, dodged Kevin Jamber's block in mid-air, and then made a layup after flying over the rim.

"Clap clap clap..."

Michael Jordan's spectacular layup drew thunderous applause, and naturally, it also won the applause of Hollywood stars.

Xu Jicheng smiled and said, "Tang Bei and Jordan are two extremes; one is a symbol of power, and the other is a symbol of technique."

Sun Zhenping said, "I've noticed something: since last season, other teams have rarely used physical defenders against Tang Bei, but they've used them more against O'Neal."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Tang Bei is more agile and has stronger athleticism than O'Neal. If you use a tank, you can deal with him using a mobile style of play. It's very easy."

"Correct."

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "O'Neal usually plays a stationary style, receiving the ball in the low post to attack. Tang Bei is different; he can switch between the low and high posts at any time. So using a physical defender is somewhat useful against O'Neal, but it won't stop Tang Bei."

The game continued, with Tang Bei controlling the inside and Jordan dominating the outside. The two sides were exchanging blows, making for a very exciting match.

Even with two Lakers big men double-teaming Tang Bei, they couldn't stop him, but the Heat's perimeter defense wasn't as good as last season, and even with double-teaming, they still couldn't stop Jordan.

However, in terms of shooting touch, the Lakers, playing at home, were better than the Heat. The Heat's outside shooting was not good, and with the home-court advantage, Tang Bei scored 17 points in 10 minutes in the first quarter, and the Heat were also behind.

After the first quarter, the score was 24-29, with the Heat trailing by 5 points.

Glen Rice made only 2 of 6 shots under George Lynch's relentless defense, while shooting guard Jamber went 0 for 3 against Jordan's defense.

"Tang Bei probably didn't launch a full-scale attack," Han Qiaosheng said.

“We don’t need to go all out on offense in a regular season game,” Sun Zhenping nodded.

"Moreover, the Lakers are in the West, and their competition with the Heat in the regular season is not great. It's also an away game, so Tang Bei really can't go all out."

Xu Jicheng then changed the subject, saying, "However, Tang Bei and Jordan have always been bitter rivals, and they may also exert their strength later."

In the second quarter, Tang Bei did not exert himself, and the Miami Heat also played a routine game with half substitutes and half starters.

Mourning played for two minutes in the first quarter and came on at the start of the second quarter.

To increase his playing time, he needs to play the power forward position, which is usually when he's paired with Tang Bei.

He only gets a chance to play center when Tang Bei isn't on the court, which is what makes him extremely frustrated.

Because of his frustration, he wanted to prove himself with all his might, to prove that he was the best center on the Heat.

Well, there's probably no chance to prove that now that he's self-aware, so most of the time he feels both frustrated and depressed.

With his volatile temper, he felt that coming to the Heat was worse than staying with the Hornets, where at least he could have a fight with Larry Johnson in the locker room, even if he couldn't win, at least they could go toe-to-toe.

While with the Heat, he wanted to fight Tang Bei, but the management wouldn't allow it, and neither would Mr. Pat Riley, leaving him with nowhere to vent his anger.

Furthermore, his long-term isolation in the locker room led to a consistently unstable mental state, with a tendency to go crazy. He would often bite his teeth until they bled in order to stop himself from going insane.

He's been having trouble sleeping lately, so he saw a psychiatrist and got a bottle of sedatives, which helped him feel a little better.

"Next year I'll be a key player, next year I'll be..."

Fortunately, Tang Bei will leave the team next year, which is the only thing that can comfort him, and he often talks about it.

"I feel like there's something wrong with him here."

As Dell Curry came onto the court, he heard Mourning muttering something, pointed to his head, and whispered to the backup point guard Beembo Coles next to him.

Coles said with a strange expression, "There are still six months left. Hopefully, he can hold on. He still plays a significant role in the substitute lineup."

Dell Curry nodded. If Mourning really went crazy, the Heat would be in a difficult position. Should he try to persuade Tang to treat Mourning better?
Mourning was going crazy, but he was in incredibly good form, single-handedly shutting down the Lakers' Campbell and a backup center, allowing the Heat to close the gap.

Three minutes into the second quarter, the Heat tied the score, and then Jordan entered the game.

As soon as he entered the game, he stole the ball from Dell Curry and then outmaneuvered Mourning with a reverse dunk after a mid-air dodge, earning a standing ovation.

Three minutes later, Jordan scored 6 consecutive points, giving the Lakers a 4-point lead again. Tang Bei came on and partnered with Mourning in the paint.

"From now on, you'll be specifically responsible for covering the Flying Man. I don't want to see him drive into the paint again," Tang Bei said to Mo Ning as soon as he entered the game.

Jordan, who was just two meters away, heard this and snorted coldly, looking at Mourning.

This Heat team isn't as strong as last season, especially on the perimeter. Both their offense and defense are not as good as last season, but their interior is still incredibly strong. Alonzo Mourning plays a significant role off the bench, dominating the Lakers' interior on both ends of the court.

Fortunately, Tang Bei and Mo Ning had a conflict, so they didn't cooperate much when they were both on the court.

Now that Tang Bei is issuing orders to Mo Ning, he wants to see if Mo Ning, a man known for his iron will and toughness, will obey.

When Mourning heard Tang Bei's words, his heart skipped a beat, and he ran towards Jordan with a blank expression.

"You think this is the tough guy you are? I think you're a coward," Jordan said with a look of disdain.

Mourning was seething with resentment and had nowhere to vent it; he was practically going crazy. Jordan wasn't Tang Bei; how could he possibly react when an opponent provoked him? The management and Mr. Pat Riley hadn't said he couldn't respond when an opponent challenged him.

"Oh!"

He shoved his head forward and bumped into Jordan's forehead.

"Shet!"

Jordan was knocked back a step, and felt a buzzing in his head before he became dizzy.

"Oh!"

The audience gasped in astonishment upon witnessing this scene.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle immediately and ran over.

"what?"

Tang Bei's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped closer, saying, "Well done! Anyone who dares to sow discord between us should be beaten up."

Leaving aside Alonzo Mourning's reaction, the referee had already run over and, upon hearing Tang Bei's words, was both amused and exasperated.

"Tang, calm down," he quickly advised.

Mourning was indignant. "I was the one who laid the hand on him, and you're telling him to calm down? Do you think I'm easy to talk to?" His bloodshot eyes fixed on Jordan again.

"Damn it, is this guy insane?"

Jordan was also furious after hearing Tang Bei's words, but when he saw Mourning's eyes, he quickly rubbed his forehead and backed away.

The referee then gave Mourning a technical foul, and the Lakers got one free throw and possession.

Tang Bei said to Mourning, "Alonzo Mourning, do as I say, keep a close eye on that softie Michael Jordan."

Mourning nodded expressionlessly and walked towards Jordan.

"Tang, you idiot!"

Jordan was furious when he heard Tang Bei call him a coward.

"Go ahead and come in if you dare," Tang Bei shouted.

Upon hearing this, Jordan's face turned bright red with anger.

Then, still angry, he really intensified his attacks on the penalty area.

The Heat's perimeter defense isn't very good right now, and with his ball-handling and driving ability, it's easy for him to break through the first line of defense.

However, it was difficult to break through Mo Ning's second line of defense, and then there was Tang Bei, the great demon king, inside. So he suffered a lot from that.

He attempted four drives to the basket, getting blocked twice by Tang Bei and having the ball stolen once by Mourning. His only successful drive was a miss under Tang Bei's defense.

With 0-for-4 shooting, the Lakers were outscored 10-0 by the Heat, who took the lead, prompting the Lakers to call a timeout.

Phil Jackson didn't put much effort into setting up offensive tactics, only telling Jordan to improve his long-range pull-up jump shot after a drive, so as to avoid facing help defense from Mourning and Tang Bei.

In his view, the Lakers' current roster will find it difficult to execute a highly efficient triangle offense against the Miami Heat.

The main problem is that Divac struggles to establish himself in the low post when facing Tang Bei, and can only move to the high post to provide support.

Without strong low-post scoring ability and strong low-post presence, the Heat couldn't execute their strongest triangle offense against Tang Bei. This was true for the Bulls, and it was also true for the Lakers.

The Heat ultimately won the game on the road.

Tang Bei has gained some recognition of Mourning, and to some extent, their relationship has improved. When they team up on the court, especially on the defensive end, they have more coordination and cooperation.

Especially when defending Jordan, their coordinated defense was crucial and highly effective.

"Michael..."

Having won the game, Tang Bei was in a good mood and said warmly to Jordan as he shook hands with him:
"I think you shouldn't play in next year's finals. What if I sweep you again? I'm worried for you."

"roll!"

With a dark expression, Jordan shook off Tang Bei's hand and turned to walk towards the player tunnel.

On the 12th, Tom Cruise arrived in Miami and began learning kendo from Tang Bei.

Tang Bei mainly teaches the basics, which he values ​​the most. He also taught Jia Bao the basics first, and is only now beginning to teach routines and combat skills.

He made a schedule for Tom Cruise, so that he could practice the basics for a month or two under his supervision, and then practice the routines. That would lay a foundation for him. If he continued to train, he would be able to use the skills when filming. At that time, he could just find a good martial arts instructor.

"Tom, are you here on vacation?"

"No, I'm here to become an apprentice. I want to learn kendo from someone with severe phobias. Oh, and the NBA All-Star voting is underway..."

Upon arriving in Miami, Tom Cruise gave a media interview at the airport, where he once again campaigned for Tang Bei.

For a Hollywood superstar like him, with countless fans and a huge influence, his repeated campaigning is very effective.

The results of the third week's voting were released the following day.

This time, the effect of the celebrity's campaigning was evident. Tang Bei finally surpassed Jordan, receiving 69.7 votes this week, bringing his total votes to 134.3. Jordan received 42 votes, bringing his total votes to 154.5. Tang Bei's total votes are still far behind Jordan's, by 20 votes.

However, Jordan's voting potential has been exhausted, and the media believes that with the support of Hollywood stars, Tang Bei has a chance to overtake Jordan in the final week.

"Tang, we're only 20 short. I'll campaign for you again during the next media interview," Tom Cruise said, patting his chest.

"Handsome guy, you'll be handsome until you're sixty."

Tang Bei felt that Tom Cruise was even more enthusiastic than him. He didn't really care about the All-Star voting anymore, but he still wanted to express his gratitude.

"No, no, sixty years old isn't enough," Tom Cruise said, dissatisfied.

"Seventy years old?"

"I think eighty years old is also fine."

"Then eighty years old."

"Ha ha!"

(End of this chapter)