The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 226 New Season

This day is also the Lakers' media day.

"Michael, do you think you can beat the Rockets, Knicks, and Heat by teaming up with O'Neal?" the next reporter asked.

"We have a great chance this season," Jordan said cautiously.

The reporter said, "So you still don't have the confidence to beat these three teams, especially the Knicks, who are known for their severe fear?"

Jordan, his face darkening, said, "Did I say I lacked confidence? Next question."

Another reporter immediately asked, "Michael, why didn't the Lakers trade for Pippen back then?"

Jordan thought to himself, "Why are you asking me this? I'm not Jerry West," but he still explained, "Sir, the Lakers can't offer Scottie the contract extension he wants."

The reporter then asked, "What about Rodman? He only has one year left on his contract with the Bulls and is also on the trading block. Didn't the Lakers consider trading him?"

Jordan said with a sense of helplessness, "Unfortunately, Dennis also has requirements for a contract extension, and the Lakers' salary cap space next season is not enough to provide him with a contract extension that satisfies him."

Another reporter asked, "Michael, who do you think is more deserving of being selected for the Top 50, Tang Bei or you?"

Jordan retorted irritably, "Mr. Reporter, the 50 Greatest Players were selected based on position. I'm a shooting guard, and he's a center. We're not in the same position, don't you know that?"

"Ha ha……"

The reporters below burst into laughter, and the reporter himself gave a rather awkward smile.

"Shaq, is your fractured cervical vertebra healed?" a reporter from The New York Times asked.

"It's ready."

O'Neal twisted his neck and said.

"Shaq, do you think that a weight of 160 kilograms is enough to shake the center of gravity of severe fear?" the reporter asked again.

O'Neal said confidently, "That's for sure. His physique hasn't changed much, and his weight won't exceed 145 kilograms. I'm 15 kilograms heavier than him, which is enough to beat him."

"Shaq, do you think you deserve to be in the top 50?" a reporter asked.

O'Neal said with a sour face, "Next question."

On the morning of October 29, 96, the NBA announced its top 10 rosters, and Tang Bei was successfully selected.

The top 50 superstars are all tied, with no official ranking. However, some mainstream media outlets have divided the top 50 into several tiers, while others have simply ranked them.

Tang Bei entered all the top tiers, and the lists for this tier were almost identical.

Besides him, there's Bill Russell with 11 championships, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 6 MVPs and 6 championships, Magic Johnson with 5 championships and 3 MVPs, Larry Bird with 3 championships and 3 MVPs, Michael Jordan with 2 championships and 3 MVPs, and Wilt Chamberlain with 2 championships and 4 MVPs.

The rankings by various media outlets are not as similar as those in the first tier, and are highly subjective.

Tang Bei glanced at the New York Times' rankings. Good heavens, this mainstream media outlet, which is not friendly to China, actually put him first, even ahead of Bill Russell, the Lord of the Rings. It was also the only American media outlet to put him first.

The New York Times also offered an explanation, stating, "In the Lord of the Rings era, the league was far less competitive than modern basketball, and with only 8 to 10 teams, the competition was far less intense than it is now."

"The modern era, where Tang Bei, who suffers from severe fear, plays, is the most competitive era, with as many as 29 teams. His three consecutive championships are even more valuable."

"At the same time, the player with severe fear entered the league and achieved a three-peat dynasty in just four seasons, which is a great achievement that even The Lord of the Rings could not do."

"In terms of global influence and impact on the development of basketball, Severe Fear far surpasses the Lord of the Rings of antiquity."

"Last Surge's individual statistics, individual dominance, and control of the game are all the best in history. We believe he deserves to be the greatest player in NBA history."

"Damn it, New Yorkers have no shame when it comes to praising Tang Bei."

In Los Angeles, David Falk was at Jordan's house when he got so angry about the 50th anniversary that he started cursing.

Jordan shook his head and said, "Russell's era is indeed incomparable to the present."

David Falk was very frustrated. Although Michael Jordan's commercial value had increased since joining the Lakers compared to his time with the Bulls, it had not met his expectations.

Especially after being swept by the Heat in the Finals and Tang Bei winning the Olympic gold medal, Jordan's popularity was surpassed by Tang Bei, and the most significant change was in jersey sales.

It's worth noting that during his two-peat, Jordan's jersey sales alone exceeded the combined sales of the second through tenth ranked players, but now Tang Bei has surpassed him.

In his mind, without Tang Bei, Michael Jordan would not have left the Bulls, and would probably have won six consecutive championships by now.

Michael Jordan, who won six consecutive championships, is undoubtedly the greatest of all time. His commercial value is more than ten times what it is now, so the loss is too great.

On the 31st, the Knicks arrived in Miami.

The league deliberately arranged the Knicks vs. Heat game to generate influence and buzz.

This opening match was full of hype because of Tang Bei, making it arguably the most watched and influential opening match of all.

That evening, the league released data regarding season tickets.

In terms of season ticket prices and sales, the Knicks ranked first, even ahead of Michael Jordan's Los Angeles Lakers.

For the three-time champion dynasty team, the Heat, season ticket sales have plummeted, falling to less than a third of last season's sales.

The Heat have lowered the season ticket price twice, to half of last season's price, but sales are still not ideal, indicating that there are major problems with the operation.

Looking at those statistics, Mickey Arison really regretted it this time.

He thought he could finally enjoy the benefits of a three-peat dynasty, but he didn't. Not only were season ticket sales poor, but many sponsors also withdrew.

Now he regrets trading Tang Bei, regrets bringing in Pat Riley, and is worried that attendance will decline sharply in the future.

Pat Riley's big contract with Mourning made him realize that the strategist had too much power in the Heat.

He didn't think Mourning deserved the same contract as Tang Bei, but Pat Riley did it anyway, which angered him. He suspected that the Calculator used that contract to humiliate Tang Bei.

However, the deed is done now, and even if he drives Pat Riley away, he can't change the fact; he can only continue to give him opportunities.

1996年11月1号，NBA联盟96/97赛季常规赛拉开了帷幕。

In the evening, Miami Arena was packed to capacity, with all of the thousands of extra seats filled, reaching an occupancy rate of 108%.

Almost all the fans were wearing Heat jerseys with the number 88, which represented Miami fans' support for Tang Bei. This phenomenon made Pat Riley very unhappy, and he looked very displeased.

Mickey Arison, watching on TV, was glad he hadn't gone to the arena; he had a premonition that this would happen.

The away team's locker room. Tang Bei played here for three and a half seasons, but only came once to visit Michael Jordan.

He brought in a black briefcase, and no one knew what was inside.

"Boss, is there a gift inside for us?"

Having not received a gift from Tang Bei yet, Xiao Masen asked with some anticipation.

Tang Bei smiled and said, "Open it yourself if you want to see it."

"OK."

Little Mason quickly ran over and sat on the floor, placing the suitcase on his lap.

Others also came over to watch, including Oakley and Wilkins.

Mason quickly opened his briefcase, revealing a box full of dazzling wristwatches.

"Oh!"

In the locker room, wailing and howling immediately broke out.

"A gift worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, that's a generous gesture!" Wilkins exclaimed.

"Don't want it for nothing."

Oakley immediately grabbed a wristwatch. "We have to win tonight."

Tang Bei's voice rang out after everyone had received their watches.

"Kill the Heat!"

Raising his wristwatch high, Mason Jr. shouted.

"Kill the Heat!"

Oakley and other players cheered, and the locker room was filled with high spirits.

"We must win the championship!"

"We must win the championship!"

From training camp to the preseason, Tang Bei, who had just arrived in Knicks, basically took control of the locker room.

Buck Williams and Dominique Wilkins, both veterans, came for Tang Bei and the championship. They are the biggest supporters of Tang Bei. Although they are also newcomers, their seniority is too great, and Oakley has to give them face.

As for local bullies like Oakley, Mason Jr., and Charlie Ward, although they had fought with Tang Bei, that was three seasons ago.

Now that Tang Bei has arrived in Knicks as the best player in the league, they can't beat him in basketball or fighting, and they have to admit defeat.

Now, with the addition of luxury watches and the expectation of a championship, all the players are completely won over, and he has completely taken control of the Knicks' locker room.

While changing clothes, he opened the panel of the treasure chest to check his current information.

[Body: Height 216 cm, Arm span 231 cm, Weight 145 kg, Hand length 26 cm, Hand width 29 cm, Standing reach 2.90 meters]

After taking 500 bone-strengthening pills, in addition to a surge in bone density leading to an 8-kilogram weight gain, he also grew 2 centimeters taller, reaching a height of 213 centimeters. His palm length and width each increased by 1 centimeter, and his standing reach increased by 3 centimeters.

[Attributes: Strength 100 (if strength is off the charts, athletic performance will decline significantly), Stamina 98, Injury Resistance 98, Jumping Ability 84, Speed ​​81, Flexibility 90, Balance 90, Coordination 95, Neurological Reaction 95, Explosive Power 96]

Both jumping ability and speed decreased by one level, which is not serious.

Its resistance to injury and illness has reached level 98, an increase of 8 levels.

He has reached the maximum level of his current weight in terms of absolute strength, so he definitely won't gain any more weight. Firstly, his athletic ability would decline significantly, and secondly, his wife would object.

Analyzing his strength and physical attributes, his physical qualities have already reached their limit, and there is very little room for improvement.

[Center Fundamentals: Shooting 80, Dribbling 80, Hook Shot 90, Floater 85, Layup 92, Dunk 95, Strength 100, Footwork 95]

In terms of basic skills, he has made significant progress over the past four seasons, and given his large physique, he should be close to his limit.

The combat ability is at its maximum level because the strength is at its maximum level, but there is no indication that it is off the charts.

[Center Advanced Skills: Post-up 99, Low Post Back-to-the-Basket 95, Low Post Face-up 90, One-on-One Defense 99, Help Defense 95, Block 98, Steal 85, Rebound 99, Pick and Roll 90, Playmaking 90, Tactical Ability 95]

In terms of advanced technology, it is even more impressive, with the worst reaching first-class level and many technologies reaching top-level level.

Entering his fifth season in the NBA, his physique and skills had reached their peak.

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

Knicks: Don Bei, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason Jr., John Starks, Chris Childs
Miami Heat: Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dan Majerle, Rex Chapman, Tim Hardaway
In the CCTV live broadcast studio, Xu Jicheng said with a worried expression: "The Heat's roster is really too strong. Pat Riley's ability to build a roster is indeed formidable."

Sun Zhenping said, "From the center to the small forward, the Heat's defense is very strong, but fortunately their backcourt defense is average."

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "Tim Hardaway averaged 1.7 steals per game last season, but his defensive rating was as high as 108, which is far higher than the Warriors' average points allowed per game last season."

Han Qiaosheng said, "I watched one of his games. He's not good at physical confrontations, he doesn't have much height, and he's easily beaten."

"Correct."

Xu Jicheng said, "His defense relies entirely on lateral movement, without any crossover steps. Once the lateral movement fails to block, he will be overtaken."

Han Qiaosheng said, "John Starks happens to have strong explosiveness, dares to confront, has strong rhythm control, and is also good at breaking through and passing the ball. Breaking through and attacking is one of his core abilities."

In the players' tunnel, Ewing and Oakley hugged and greeted each other, and then shook hands with Tang Bei.

Tang Bei shook hands with Chapman, but only nodded to the other Heat players, whom he was not familiar with.

As for Mo Ning, he didn't even glance at him, completely ignoring him.

Tang Bei appeared at 7:40.

"Severe phobia! Severe phobia..."

A deafening roar erupted in unison, and all the fans stood up.

Tang Bei waved, making the shouts even louder.

He made his entrance amidst a grand welcome, even shaking hands with several familiar members of the Heat's management and coaching staff, but he ignored Pat Riley.

Pat Riley was so angry his face turned almost black, but he still wore a gentlemanly smile.

However, Van Gundy went over and shook hands with Pat Riley, and then hugged his brother Van Gundy, which eased the hostile atmosphere between the two teams.

The game was broadcast live on NBC, and Bill Russell remarked:

"Before Mourning's contract extension, some Miami fans believed that Don had betrayed the Heat, but after Mourning's contract extension, that claim no longer exists."

Bill Walton said, "Offering Mourning a contract extension with an average annual salary of $1500 million was the stupidest thing Pat Riley ever did. He not only completely enraged Heat fans, but also ruined his reputation."

Commentator Magic Johnson said, "If the average annual salary were kept at $1400 million, I don't think Miami fans would be so angry."

Bill Russell nodded and said, "Nobody thinks Mourning and Tang Bei are on the same level. Pat Riley's actions are indeed a bit problematic."

At this point, Bill Walton changed the subject, asking with a smile, "Bill, many media outlets believe Tang Bei is the greatest of all time. What do you think?"

Bill Russell chuckled and said, "You know, he's one of my favorite young players. His talent is comparable to Wilt's, but his dominance in the playoffs and Finals surpasses Wilt's."

"Let me put it this way, if he wins another three-peat with the Knicks, I will absolutely acknowledge him as the greatest of all time."

Magic Johnson and Bill Walton both laughed. A second three-peat dynasty—what an enviable achievement!
Bill Russell added, "But in terms of roster, Pat Riley's Big Three is a true All-Star lineup."

"On the other hand, the Knicks' starting lineup only has Tang Bei as an All-Star. If you don't count Tang Bei, their lineup is far inferior to the Heat's."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "Fortunately, the Knicks have veteran All-Stars like Wilkins and Buck Williams on their bench."

Magic Johnson said, "Judging from last season's performance, Wilkins no longer has the ability to be an All-Star, and Williams is close to retirement."

After warming up, Heat veterans and Tang Bei received their championship rings from NBA officials.

The officials gave Tang Bei face, awarding the prize to him first before awarding it to the Heat team.

"Severe phobia! Severe phobia..."

The entire Miami Arena erupted in cheers when he received the ring.

As Ewing watched the scene of receiving the rings, the envy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"I only have this year's contract, next year..."

Pat Riley hopes he will re-sign with the Heat and win a championship with Mourning, creating a legendary story with the Heat.

But now he is somewhat dissatisfied with Riley because his ball-handling offensive rights have been taken away in the Heat's offensive system.

Of course, Mourning didn't have that either; the ball-handling and offensive power was on the perimeter, in the hands of Tim Hardaway.

However, Mourning earns $1500 million a year, while he only earns less than $900 million. Riley clearly values ​​Mourning more. If he re-signs with the Heat, how big of a contract can he get?
He was also somewhat dissatisfied with David Falk, who only negotiated a two-year, $18 million contract with the Knicks, but helped Mourning negotiate a seven-year, $1.05 million super contract with the Heat, with a starting salary of $938 million this season and a final salary of $20 million.

(End of this chapter)