The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 150 Anti-Tang Rebellion
On the 11th, the Heat defeated the Celtics by 40 points at home. Tang Bei played three quarters, racking up a spectacular stat line of 42 points and 21 rebounds.

On the 12th, he was selected as last week's Player of the Week.

On the 13th, the Heat defeated the Nets on the road, and then returned to their home court overnight to prepare for a back-to-back game against the Rockets.

On the 14th, the Heat and Rockets will play their second and final regular season game of the season.

Despite playing back-to-back games and having less stamina than the Rockets, the Heat still managed to defeat their opponents thanks to home-court advantage, tying the series 1-1.

Tang Bei scored 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Glen Rice added 18 points, Steve Smith 14 points, Dell Curry 18 points, Avery Johnson 12 points, and Kevin Edwards 10 points. Six players on the team scored in double figures.

Five Rockets players scored in double figures: Hakeem Olajuwon with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks; Thorpe with 12 points; Max Madness with 14 points; Kenny Smith with 18 points; and Mario Elie with 18 points.

The Bulls are 15-3 and haven't lost recently, while the Heat are 14-4 and still second in the Eastern Conference.

The Rockets, with a record of 19 wins and 2 losses, are ranked first in the entire league.

Over the next eight days, the Heat won three more games, achieving a six-game winning streak and a record of 17 wins and 4 losses. They remained second in the Eastern Conference, as the Bulls were still undefeated.

On the 23rd, after defeating the 76ers on the road, the Heat returned to Miami at 2 a.m. and that night, they faced the Lakers at home in a back-to-back game.

In the TNT live broadcast studio, commentator Hubie Brown said, "The Lakers are currently 9-16, with a winning percentage of only 36%, and are ranked 10th in the Western Conference."

Bob Neal said, "This Lakers team is struggling now since Magic Johnson retired. Apart from the soon-to-retire veteran James Worthy, there isn't an All-Star."

Hubie Brown said, "The Lakers are on the road to rebuilding, the team is starting to get younger, and it will take time."

Tang Bei will not hold back against the Lakers; even in back-to-back games, he will go all out.

Divac and Campbell were no match for the Lakers, who gave up early to avoid injuring either of them and fielded their substitutes.

唐北只打了27分钟，16投15中，10罚7中，轰下37分11篮板2助攻的同时，还贡献了5个大帽和1次抢断。

"What a stingy young man."

General Manager Jerry West, who accompanied the team, was a little angry. It was just a little conflict during the draft, but every time they faced the Lakers, they would play like madmen.

The Heat achieved their longest winning streak of the season with seven games, bringing their record to 18 wins and 4 losses. However, the Bulls also defeated the Pistons, improving their record to 21 wins and 3 losses. Despite playing two fewer games, the Heat remain second in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Rockets unexpectedly lost to the Nuggets at home, finishing with a record of 21 wins and 3 losses, tied with the Bulls. However, due to their higher division winning percentage, they continue to be ranked first in the league.

There are no games on the 24th. There are only two games on Christmas Day, the 25th: Heat vs. Bulls and Rockets vs. Suns.

These four teams are the most watched teams in the league. The Bulls eliminated the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Suns eliminated the Rockets in the second round. They are considered arch-rivals.

Furthermore, if the Bulls win at home and the Rockets lose on the road, the top spot in the league will change hands, which is also a major point of interest.

As a result, the home team won both matches.

The Bulls put up a suffocating defensive effort against the Heat and won by 3 points.

Their outside shooting cut off Tang Bei's receiving routes, forcing him to frequently provide support from the high post, connecting the inside and outside, and reducing his low-post attacking power.

They also intensified their defense against other players, forcing the Heat to commit 23 turnovers while only managing 12 turnovers themselves. Despite having 6 fewer rebounds, they actually took 10 more shots than the Heat.

Tang Bei played 43 minutes, making only 13 of 19 field goals and 8 of 12 free throws, scoring 34 points. Although his field goal percentage of 68.4% was not low, he didn't take enough shots or make enough free throws.

乔丹砍下36分8篮板8助攻，还送出5次抢断和1次盖帽，加上皮蓬也送出3次抢断，防得热火外线球员欲仙欲死。

However, the Bulls' other players were not very offensive, with low shooting percentages and only 20% from three-point range. They won because of their defense.

The Bulls lead the series 2-1 after the first three regular season games.

In another game, the Suns won by a large margin of 20 points, 91-111, at home.

The Suns won in rebounds and shooting percentage, grabbing a full 18 more rebounds than the Rockets. They also shot 12% more from the field. The Rockets' three-point shooters went on a three-point barrage, making only 5 of 27 attempts for a dismal 18.5% success rate.

After the Christmas Day game, the Bulls, with a record of 22 wins and 3 losses, surpassed the Rockets, who had a record of 21 wins and 4 losses, to take the top spot in the entire league.

The Heat have a record of 18 wins and 5 losses, and are still second in the Eastern Conference.

第二天，12月26号，联盟宣布94年全明星投票活动开始，将于94年1月22号零时结束。

Next, the Heat lost to the Kings at home, then lost to the Spurs, and then won against the Magic, ending their regular season in 93.

With a record of 20 wins and 6 losses, they are still second in the Eastern Conference.

On New Year's Day, the Chinese government announced foreign exchange reforms, which led to a sharp depreciation of the RMB, from 1:5.873 against the US dollar to 1:8.617, a depreciation of 46.7%.

This was good news for Tang Bei and Jia Bao, because they could exchange their US dollars for more RMB in mainland China.

The same applies to Tangjia Electronics. They previously borrowed hundreds of millions of yuan from several banks in China. If the company expands its capital now and repays the loans in US dollars, they can gain a significant advantage.

After New Year's Day, on January 2, 1994, Tang Bei won the Player of the Month award for December with a seven-game winning streak.

Currently, he is averaging 33.5 points per game, ranking first in the league, followed by Michael Jordan with 31.2 points and David Robinson with 29.9 points.

Following that were Shaquille O'Neal with 29.4 points, Hakeem Olajuwon with 27.5 points, and Karl Malone with 25.3 points.

Wilkins, who was very competitive in scoring last season, has seen his scoring drop sharply this season, from 30+ points per game to 24 points, ranking seventh.

Charles Barkley is in the same boat, dropping from an average of 25.6 points per game to 21.6 points per game, and falling out of the top ten in scoring.

On the same day, the league also announced the results of the first week of All-Star voting.

Michael Jordan, last season's All-Star vote leader, has seen his popularity decline this season due to failing to achieve a three-peat. Not only have his jersey and shoe sales been affected, but his first week of voting has also dropped significantly compared to last season.

He received 31.5 votes in the first week of voting last season, but only 26.4 votes this time, a decrease of 5.

Even though the Bulls currently have the best record in the entire league, it didn't earn him the first-week vote leader.

The top vote-getter in the first week was Tang Bei, who received 23 votes in the first week of last season and 29.1 votes this time, ranking first in the entire league.

Despite having the best record in the Western Conference, Hakeem Olajuwon did not receive more All-Star votes. He only received 15 votes in the first week, ranking first among Western Conference centers and third among all positions in the West, behind Charles Barkley's 21 votes and Clyde Drexler's 15.2 votes.

"The first week's top vote-getter signifies that Tang Bei, currently the most popular star in the entire league, is none other than Tang Bei, who suffers from severe fear," the Miami Herald reported.

ESPN reported: "The Bone Crusher has an extremely brutal low-post style of play, combined with violent aesthetics, which is what attracts fans. A superstar is rising."

TNT reports: "Jordan sold 93 million jerseys in 550, a precipitous lead over other stars."

其中1到5月共270万件，平均月销量54万件，6到12月共280万件，平均月销量40万件。

In other words, since the Eastern Conference Finals, his jersey sales have dropped by an average of 14 units per month, which symbolizes a huge loss of popularity.

On the contrary, after the Eastern Conference Finals, Tang's jersey monthly sales surged from 130,000 in May to 250,000 in June.

从6月到12月的总销量高达158万件，平均月销量高达22.57万件，相当于乔丹在这一时期的56.4%。

Before the Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan's jersey sales exceeded the combined sales of the second through tenth ranked players.

By the end of 93, this situation had changed, with Jordan's jersey sales being equivalent to the combined sales of the second through seventh place teams.

The above data illustrates one point: Jordan's lost popularity now rivals that of Tang Bei, the "Tornado," currently the second-best player in the entire league.

"Sir, how many jerseys have I sold?" After seeing the TNT report, Tang Bei immediately made a phone call to the management, Billy Cunningham, the team's president of operations.

Billy Cunningham is a core member of the management team and a partner of the Heat. Similar to a future president of basketball operations, he has the final say on Heat affairs, including player trades and coaching staff appointments.

General Manager Lewis Shaffer is responsible for the team's day-to-day operations and player contract management. He plays an executor role and has significant decision-making power.

"Tang, haha, your Heat jersey sales exceeded 300 million units in '93," Billy Cunningham laughed.

"300?"

Tang Bei was stunned. Jordan only had 550 million, so this was indeed more than half.

Unfortunately, his Tang brand basketball shoes have always had only average sales. Although they are the best among centers, they are not comparable to perimeter stars like Jordan.

Fortunately, sales of Tang brand sports shoes in China have continued to surge, and the company can expect to receive millions in sales dividends, which are reportedly already being calculated.

On the afternoon of the 4th, the Heat arranged a team practice.

Tang Bei's primary substitute is still veteran John Salley, who can fill in for two positions and play an average of 25 minutes per game.

The second backup is Matt Geiger, 213 cm tall and 115 kg, also a member of his draft class, selected 15th overall in the second round by the Heat.

He's still on a minimum salary of $25 this season, $11 more than last season, and he's only averaging 6 minutes per game now.

Their offense isn't great, they almost only get second chances, but they are physically strong, play aggressive defense, and are very active in offensive rebounding.

Based on these technical characteristics, Matt Geiger should actually get more playing time, given that he is younger than John Salley.

Unfortunately, he suffered a serious injury last season and missed more than 30 games. Although he has been working out more this season, he still suffers from minor injuries from time to time.

Tang Bei didn't play, watching Matt Geiger fight hard against John Salley under the basket, grab an offensive rebound, and then dunk it.

He walked up to head coach Kevin Longley and said, "Sir, how about letting him be my first substitute?"

"Tang, what do you mean?" Kevin Longley asked.

Tang Bei suggested, "Let John Salley rotate to the power forward position with the same playing time, and Grant Long's playing time will not be reduced either. Let him rotate to the small forward position."

Although Grant Long has always played the power forward position, he is actually more suited to the small forward position. It's just that the Heat haven't found a better player for the power forward position, so he has continued to play the power forward position.

Kevin Longley said, "Grant doesn't have enough height to play power forward. But if he rotates to small forward, it will reduce the rotation time on the perimeter. Another issue is Matt Geiger's injury."

Tang Bei nodded and said, "Sir, you can decide for yourself. I'm just offering a suggestion."

However, once his suggestion was made, given his position on the Heat, Kevin Longley had to give it serious consideration.

If Grant Long were to play some of his playing time at the small forward position, it would increase the defensive intensity at that position.

His time at the small forward position primarily affected Willie Burton, the backup small forward, and John Williams, a fringe player on a minimum contract.

Willie Burton was a lottery pick in the first round of the 90 NBA draft, selected by the Heat with the 9th overall pick. He missed a total of 76 games in three seasons due to injury, and last season he suffered a serious injury and only played 26 games. He is known for his injury-prone nature.

He has been abandoned by the Heat and is currently averaging 13 minutes per game. Giving that time to Grant Long would be a good idea.

In the following games, Matt Geiger's status on the team rose, and he became Tang Bei's first substitute, which made him very happy.

Previously, Tang Bei's playing time was 6 minutes, but this season his average playing time is 39 minutes, so his playing time has increased to 10 minutes. The key is that he is now the first substitute, which is the most important change.

On the court, he increased the intensity of the low-post defense, and his rebounding was comparable to Grant Long's, especially his offensive rebounding.

When Matt Geiger and John Salley formed the frontcourt duo off the bench, the Heat's low-post defense was very strong.

Grant Long started playing the small forward position half the time, becoming Glen Rice's primary backup. He prefers the small forward position and has also improved the height and defensive intensity of the small forward position.

With this adjustment, the Heat's roster became more balanced. However, Matt Geiger's injury remains a concern and a key reason why he is difficult to use.

On the 9th, the voting results for the second week of the All-Star Game were released.

Tang Bei received 27 votes, while Jordan received 25 votes, making him the temporary vote leader.

The media is praising Tang Bei more and more, but correspondingly, there are both those who praise him and those who criticize him, and many media outlets have also begun to target him.

The main problem is violence. The New York Times has raised the banner of anti-Tang, and even listed all the cases of him injuring people from his time in the CBA to the present.

These incidents of injury include not only fights but also collisions that injure opponents during matches.

However, this did not have any negative impact on Tang Bei; the sales of the brands he endorsed actually increased instead of decreasing.

This is also because the brands he endorses all have elements of violence, street culture, and power. The more they promote his violence, the better the brands sell, achieving the same effect as advertising for him, while saving these brands a lot of money on advertising and promotion.

Eric Fleischer called him and said, “Don, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, your level of violence is nothing in the NFL. Think about how popular the NFL is in America.”

January 10, 1994, was Greta Garbo's 18th birthday.

The Nemurs held a coming-of-age ceremony for her at the Catholic church, also known as a confirmation ceremony, and invited some relatives and friends to witness it.

Tang Bei presented a gift he had prepared beforehand: a Hetian jade phoenix hairpin, entirely handmade and exquisitely crafted.

"it's beautiful!"

Jia Bao liked it at first sight and kept asking Tang Bei when he bought it.

On the 16th, the results of the third week of voting were announced, and Tang Bei continued to lead.

Eric Fleischer said dismissively to Tang Bei, "Tang, compared to some guys in the NFL, you're like a gentleman."

The NFL is the most popular professional sports league in the United States, so it's no surprise that we Americans wouldn't reject a star like you.

"If it's ineffective, why do media outlets like the New York Times still use these methods against me?" Tang Bei asked curiously.

Eric Fleischer said, "Firstly, it's a publicity stunt, and secondly, they have no other options, so even knowing it won't work, they have to try, just in case it does."

"Ha ha!"

Tang Bei laughed loudly.

Not to be outdone, the New York Times launched a poll before the All-Star voting ended to vote for the worst player in the NBA.

Of course, in order not to be accused of specifically targeting Tang Bei, the vote was for the Four Villains, not just one.

That day, Tang Bei's agent, Seth Rodman, approached him with a copy of The New York Times, saying indignantly, "Tang, The New York Times has gone too far."

"The Four Evils?"

Tang Bei took the newspaper and looked at it thoughtfully.

On the evening of January 18th, after having dinner with Jiabao, Tang Bei prepared to go to the stadium.

Between the Hummer H1 and the Ferrari 348, he ultimately chose the Hummer H1, after all, the other party paid him an endorsement fee, and it was more comfortable to sit in. Even the custom-made Ferrari was still too small.

(End of this chapter)