The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 187 Champion
At this point, the second quarter began, and the US team fielded their substitutes: Derek Coleman, Shawn Kemp, Wilkins, Dan Marley, and Steve Smith.

The Chinese team consists of Tang Bei, Shan Tao, Liu Yudong, Hu Weidong, and Wu Qinglong.

Coleman pulled Tang Bei to the left midfield position, and Dan Marley broke through on the right wing and passed the ball to Sean Kane, who had cut into the penalty area.

"boom!"

Tang Bei couldn't get back on defense in time, and Shawn Kemp delivered a powerful, aesthetically pleasing dunk, earning a standing ovation.

As is customary, the excited Rain Man pointed at Tang Bei with both index fingers, shaking them like two machine guns, and even wanted to shout a few times.

But just as he opened his mouth, before he could even howl, Tang Bei shoved him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

25-24, China is still leading by one point.

The US team's roster lacks strong perimeter defense; only Dan Mali is a decent defender, while the other two are not, making it difficult to execute a press strategy.

Tang Bei positioned himself high up the pitch, with Derek Coleman guarding him and Wilkins on the left wing, ready to double-team him at any time.

Wu Qinglong passed the ball to Tang Bei, then ran towards the left wing three-point line.

Tang Bei received the ball, and the American team immediately tightened their defense, quickly forming a double-team against him.

"Whoosh!"

Tang Bei tossed the basketball with one hand, sending it flying towards Liu Yudong, who was lurking in the left corner. Liu Yudong caught the ball and jumped to shoot, making a decisive move.

"A huge open space in the bottom corner!" Sun Zhenping shouted excitedly.

"brush!"

Splashes of water, and a three-pointer goes in.

"Great! Liu Yudong has just come on the court and received a pass from Tang Bei, hitting an open three-pointer!" Han Qiaosheng said happily.

"28:24, a difference of 4 points," Xu Jicheng said with a smile.

The US team was on the attack, and Shawn Kemp wanted to replicate his previous goal. When Wilkins had the ball on the left wing, he quietly cut in from the right wing.

Wilkins passed the ball across the court, and Shawn Kemp received it in the right waist position. After taking a step, he sprang up, holding the ball in his right hand like a sharp axe, and delivered a tomahawk dunk straight at the basket.

"Nima's!"

Tang Bei quickly shifted his position, cursed under his breath, and then slapped the target across the face.

"Snapped!"

The basketball was swatted away instantly, and Shawn Kemp crashed headfirst into Tang Bei, both of them falling to the ground at the same time.

Sean Kemp's aerial combat skills were far inferior to Tang Bei's. He fell to the ground, and his left ankle immediately felt like it was being cut by a knife.

Tang Bei staggered backward after landing, but then regained his balance.

Hu Weidong won the ball, stabilized the rhythm, and only started the attack after Tang Bei and Shan Tao came up.

In a two-on-one situation under the basket, Tang Bei received the ball, drew Coleman's defense, and then passed it to Shan Tao, who dunked it with one hand.

"30:24, we're leading by 6 points," Sun Zhenping said with a smile.

“Rain Man Shawn Kemp injured his foot, and it looks pretty serious,” Xu Jicheng said.

"How big is he? How dare he charge at Tang Bei? Didn't he consider the possibility of getting hurt?" Han Qiaosheng said.

Sun Zhenping said, "I remember it was 104 kilograms. Tang Bei weighed 137 kilograms last year, which is at least 33 kilograms less. It's like an egg hitting a rock."

Xu Jicheng laughed and said, "This guy is the originator of the violent power forward, and Tang Bei is the originator of the violent center. They are both very explosive. They are the most ferocious players in their respective positions."

Don Nelson replaced Shawn Kemp and Coleman with Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning. Mourning guarded Tang Bei, while O'Neal went in front of him.

When he came on the court, he told the two players, "Double them in the low post when they're off the ball, and don't double-team them in the high post. Don't let them get the ball again."

"It's likely a torn lateral collateral ligament in the left ankle."

After examining him, the US team doctor told Don Nelson, "The extent of the tear needs to be determined, but he definitely can't play."

Upon hearing that he had torn a ligament, Shawn Kemp immediately lost control of his emotions, turning around and yelling at someone on the court, "Fuck you, shit, son of a bitch..."

"Shut up, Sean, do you want him to beat you to death?"

"Hurry up, take him back to the locker room."

Old Nelson was startled; if Tang heard this, he would surely cause a huge scene.

Shawn Kemp's injury immediately put pressure on the rest of the Dream Team II.

These All-Stars joined the Dream Team II to build their reputation and experience, to show off on the international stage, and to gain international influence like the Dream Team I did. They didn't want to get injured or even end their careers by challenging Tang Bei.

From then on, the number of times the Dream Team II attacked the penalty area dropped drastically, becoming extremely rare.

Without outside penetration, the Dream Team II's offense became monotonous, with outside shooters simply relying on jump shots, and the inside and outside game lost coordination.

Don Nelson was furious, but even with his experience, he didn't have a good way to deal with these All-Stars.

When the US team failed to penetrate from the outside, the Chinese team immediately changed their defensive tactics, switching to man-to-man defense to minimize open shots on the outside and immediately reduce the opponent's offensive efficiency from the outside.

On offense, Tang Bei was double-teamed in the low post, especially with O'Neal fronting him, making it difficult for him to receive the ball. He immediately moved up to the high post.

As a result, the Dream Team II did not arrange high-post off-ball double teams, and with Mourning alone, how could he possibly defend Tang Bei?

The power forward pulled out, leaving O'Neal empty under the basket. Tang Bei used his speed and mobility to repeatedly attack the rim, completely overwhelming Mourning, who was inferior in height, weight, strength, speed, and agility.

After the first two quarters, the score was 52-42, with the US team trailing by 10 points.

The US team's perimeter players dared not drive in, and their jump shots were also unsuccessful. O'Neal and other inside players' low-post attacks were repeatedly blocked by Tang Bei, and they were suppressed, scoring only 20 points in the quarter.

Tang Bei scored 16 points in the first quarter and another 14 points in the second quarter, racking up a spectacular stat line of 30 points and 10 rebounds in the first half, completely dominating the Dream Team II's interior.

On the defensive end, he delivered 1 steal and 6 blocks in the first half, limiting O'Neal to only 6 points and 3 rebounds, and Mourning to 8 points and 3 rebounds, making the Dream Team II's low-post offense inefficient.

Back in the locker room, the usually good-tempered Don Nelson lost his temper and flew into a rage, launching a tirade against a group of perimeter stars.

"You don't deserve to be called the Dream Team. How can a bunch of cowards be called the Dream Team II?"

"Your opponents are the Dream Team. Are you all living in the shadow of severe fear?"

"Fuck you!"

"A bunch of cowards!"

The insults, mixed with profanity, made the group of All-Stars extremely embarrassed.

However, most All-Stars did not respond. After all, countless people have been injured because of Tang Bei, and who would dare to jeopardize their career because of national team matches?

Only the hot-tempered Reggie Miller and the tough-minded Dan Mali couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward to declare that the breakthrough in the second half was their responsibility.

Old Nelson looked at the others and was very disappointed; no one else stepped forward.

Reggie Miller plays off-ball; his dribbling drives are not a threat at all, so it's impossible for him to drive with the ball.

Dan Mali has some ball-handling skills, but not enough ability. Although he was selected as an All-Star reserve, he and Steve Smith are the only two players on the Dream Team II who are not the core of the team. If he were to have the ball, he probably wouldn't be able to get past Tang Bei.

This youth team, the Dream Team II, disappointed him greatly; it lacked the greatness of the Dream Team I.

The Dream Team I had twelve players, eleven of whom were superstars. Their willpower and strength far surpassed those of the young Dream Team II.

He believes that if the Dream Team were to play against this Chinese team, no matter how strong Tang Bei is, the Chinese team would be utterly crushed.

"Shaq, you have to step up and use your low-post offense to overwhelm their defense and create more space on the perimeter."

“You are a beast too. I believe you can do it. You can fight against severe fear.”

With no outside options available, Don Nelson had no choice but to place his hopes on Shaquille O'Neal.

"OK, leave it to me."

O'Neal wasn't afraid of Tang Bei. They'd been battling since the draft, and O'Neal had suffered quite a few losses, but he hadn't been injured by Tang Bei, which was his source of confidence.

But his voice wasn't loud, because he knew his own limitations. He was afraid that if he were to face Tang Bei one-on-one, he wouldn't be able to break down the Chinese team's defense and wouldn't meet Old Nelson's expectations.

"Listen up, everyone. We're going to target O'Neal next."

"OK."

Soon, the third quarter began, and the US team launched an attack.

O'Neal received the ball in the low post on the left wing. The Chinese team did not double-team him, and Tang Bei defended him one-on-one.

He dribbled the ball with all his might, pushing it in about fifty centimeters, and then suddenly turned and slid to the bottom.

Tang Bei kept up with the pace, using his chest to block O'Neal.

In the intense competition, O'Neal's center of gravity was shifted, and he almost lost the ball, but he still managed to forcefully drive to the basket for a dunk.

"boom!"

Unfortunately, his hand hit the rim, but Tang Bei slapped the ball into the air, sending it flying over the backboard and out of bounds.

Xu Jicheng laughed and said, "Tang Bei's ability to compete in the low post really gives him an advantage. Even someone as big and agile as O'Neal can't break him."

Sun Zhenping nodded and said, "O'Neal's 'shark turn' is very useful against other players, but it really can't beat Tang Bei."

Xu Jicheng said, "His ability to bump into Tang Bei is not enough to create space for a quick turn. He can't get rid of the intense confrontation with Tang Bei, which affects his turning speed and makes it impossible for him to get rid of Tang Bei's defense."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Tang Bei is not only strong, but his lower body is also incredibly stable."

“Yes, look how thick his thighs are!” Xu Jicheng laughed.

"Bang!"

At this moment, Sun Jun missed a three-pointer, Mourning grabbed the rebound, and the US team attacked.

"Sigh, we just can't get our outside shots in either," Sun Zhenping said.

"It's alright, we still have Tang Bei's offense. Even if O'Neal and Mourning team up, they can't stop us," Xu Jicheng said with a smile.

"Tang Bei's offensive is our ballast, haha!" Han Qiaosheng laughed.

"brush!"

Kevin Johnson hits a pull-up jumper on a fast break, making a mid-range shot.

The US team trailed by 8 points, 52-44.

Tang Bei positioned himself in the low post on the left wing, with Mourning guarding him and O'Neal fronting him, or double-teaming him early, while simultaneously cutting off passing lanes on the perimeter.

However, the two men's encirclement could not stop Tang Bei's mobility. Tang Bei suddenly exerted his strength to break through their encirclement and enter the restricted area.

"ball!"

He shouted as he cut into the penalty area.

Adijiang, who was holding the ball, was being forced to lose his footing by Joe Dumars. Upon hearing this, he quickly dribbled back and jumped up with the ball as Joe Dumars closed in. He then threw the ball over the defender's head towards the basket.

The ball was passed off course, veering to the right side of the basket. Tang Bei took a step forward, jumped, and barely caught the ball on the right side of the basket.

At that moment, O'Neal and Mourning blocked his way, but in the next instant, Tang Bei forcefully turned around and sprang up, attacking the basket with both hands.

O'Neal and Mourning jumped at the same time, their four arms and four large hands positioned between Tang Bei and the basket.

At that moment, all three of them jumped with all their might.

Tang Bei's jumping advantage was evident, exceeding O'Neal's hands by nearly ten centimeters and Mourning's by about twenty centimeters.

The next moment, Tang Bei crashed into the middle of the two bodies and slammed his arms down hard.

"Damn it!"

The Mourning was too low in altitude and too small in weight, and was immediately sunk, losing its chance to seal the cap.

"roll!"

O'Neal was knocked backward by the impact, but still had the chance to block the shot.

"boom!"

In the next instant, Tang Bei pressed down on O'Neal's right arm with both arms and slammed the ball into the basket.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle loudly.

"WOW!"

The Tianhong Gymnasium erupted in cheers, a deafening roar that swept through every corner.

Under the basket, O'Neal staggered backward and bumped into Mourning, who was also unsteady on his feet. The two pulled and tugged at each other, and then fell to the ground.

"Ow!"

An excited Tang Bei clenched his fist and roared with the utmost fervor. In front of the US team's bench, Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens exchanged glances, their hearts sinking to the bottom.

"Beautiful!"

Xu Jicheng roared excitedly.

"Tang Bei dunks over O'Neal on two men under the basket! He knocked down both O'Neal and Mourning!" Sun Zhenping shouted excitedly.

"Two plus one, Tang Bei also drew a foul from O'Neal." Xu Jicheng said as the referee made the call.

Han Qiaosheng said in a very passionate tone: "Dear viewers, Tang Bei single-handedly carried the Heat to the championship, and now he is carrying the men's basketball team to compete for the World Championship title. He and our golden generation are striving for the world championship. Let's look forward to that moment!"

The Chinese team's bench and the high-ranking officials in the stands were in an uproar, with everyone excitedly raising their fists.

world champion!

The world champions of the three major ball sports, and the men's basketball team no less, with their opponents being the US Dream Team II, making it a world championship of extremely high prestige.

At this moment, not only at the scene, but throughout China, from Zhonglanhai to every corner of the country, emotions are running high.

Two minutes later, Tang Bei came back with a vengeance.

"boom!"

He set a screen at the high post, then used a Tai Chi spin to get past Mourning's top defense and cut to the basket. He then received a pass from Adijiang and delivered a powerful dunk that sent O'Neal flying as he jumped to block.

"Oh!"

O'Neal weighed no less than Tang Bei, and when they saw him being knocked away by Tang Bei's dunk, a huge gasp rang out in Tianhong Gymnasium.

O'Neal completely lost his balance. His right foot landed with a sharp pain, and then his body slammed heavily onto the floor. The back of his head hit the floor, making him dizzy. He felt like stars were flashing around his head, and his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

"call!"

Tang Bei let out a long breath and rubbed his chest. The intense collision had made him feel a little uncomfortable, and his chest felt numb.

"He's too strong! Tang Bei is too strong!"

Xu Jicheng exclaimed excitedly, "That's Shaquille O'Neal! The only other behemoth-like center on the field! He just knocked him flying! The impact was absolutely comparable to a car!"

Sun Zhenping's face was full of excitement as he shouted, "Dear viewers, it seems that O'Neal is injured. His experience once again proves one point: Tang Bei's offensive power is mostly borne by the help defenders and the backup defenders, while the main defenders are usually fine."

"Ha ha!"

Han Qiaosheng and Xu Jicheng couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Seeing that O'Neal couldn't get up, Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens were numb.

The US team doctor went up to check on him, immediately called for a stretcher, and after he was carried down, the doctor said to Nelson:

"Tang, he has a problem with his left ankle. He hit the back of his head on the floor and has a concussion. He needs to be taken to the hospital immediately."

Old Nelson sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Quickly arrange for someone to take Shaq to the hospital for a checkup. Oh, and take Sean Kemp with you."

He brought in Derrick Coleman, leaving him with five big men. Two of them were out for the season, leaving only Coleman, Mourning, and the short Larry Johnson.

Unexpectedly, Derek Coleman suddenly said, "Coach, I only play center."

Old Nelson's expression changed, as did Mourning's, because Coleman was clearly unwilling to help defend or assist Tang Bei.

First Shawn Kemp, then Shaquille O'Neal, were both sidelined by Tang Bei, and now Derek Coleman is unwilling to help defend Tang Bei. As a result, the morale of the Dream Team II has been severely damaged.

In the following game, only when Mourning dared to defend Tang Bei did Derek Coleman become a mere formality, and Tang Bei's attacks on him were no different from those on wooden stakes.

During the defensive play, Mourning was knocked down twice, and these were no ordinary knockdowns. Tang Bei was giving it his all for the championship, and each time it was like a car crash. Mourning couldn't take it anymore.

Fortunately, the US team had a good outside shooting touch in this quarter, better than in the first half, and withstood Tang Bei's crazy low-post attacks. After the third quarter, the score was 80-70, trailing by only 10 points.

Facing the short center Mourning and the extremely short power forward Larry Johnson, as well as Coleman who didn't want to defend, Tang Bei scored 21 of the team's 28 points in a single quarter, breaking the World Championship record for points scored in a single quarter.

He also racked up 51 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks in three quarters, even more impressive than his performance in the Finals.

With 51 points in three quarters, he is just three points shy of the historical record of 54 points set by South Korean player Heo Jae in the 90 World Championships, when he competed for 15th place.

Eight blocks in three quarters has broken Patrick's world record of seven blocks in a single game at the 1990 World Championship.

"Tang Bei, do you want to rest for two minutes in the final quarter?"

Jiang Xinquan's voice was trembling. He never expected that the men's basketball team would have a chance to win the world championship. He never dreamed of it, and even when they were leading the Dream Team II after the first quarter, he never thought of it.

"No, I can't give them any chance."

Tang Bei shook his head, looked around, and said to his teammates, "If you have a chance, take the shot. If not, pass the ball to me, and I'll handle the problem."

"it is good."

Everyone nodded, their voices trembling slightly, their hearts filled with excitement.

At this point, a media outlet interviewed Jordan by phone, asking, "Michael, what do you think of the Dream Team II's performance? Do they still have a chance to win the championship?"

"They've already won the silver medal," Jordan said.

"silver medal?"

The reporter quickly asked, "Michael, if it were the Dream Team, do you think they could beat this Chinese team?"

"You're humiliating the Dream Team," Jordan said, somewhat annoyed.

Soon, the final quarter began.

China's outside offense was not going well, and they missed several shots under the defense of the Dream Team II. The Dream Team II launched several fast breaks, and within three minutes they were outscored 8-2, narrowing the score to four points.

Everyone panicked, and that's when Tang Bei took over the attack.

He continued to control both paint areas on both offense and defense, and the US team's inside offense was completely unable to operate, leaving them only to shoot haphazardly from the outside.

In the first half of the quarter, the Dream Team II had a good shooting touch and kept the score close, trailing by only 5 points at the end of the quarter.

This gave the Dream Team II a chance to turn the tide, and their morale began to rise.

With the score at 89-84, the Chinese team called a timeout with less than 4 minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the game.

"Tang Bei, you lead the attack. The rest of you, hold the line," Jiang Xinquan said.

"it is good."

Tang Bei, drenched in sweat, gasped for breath.

He drank a can of Red Bull, which he endorses, to replenish some electrolytes and energy.

Jiang Xinquan said sternly, "Everyone else, focus all your efforts on defending their perimeter. We absolutely cannot let them get wide open shots, understand?"

"clear."

"Yes."

Everyone said.

Jiang Xinquan said with a heavy heart, "If we fail to win the game in the end, it will be the biggest regret of our lives. Let's fight with all our might."

"Yes."

The crowd shouted in deep voices.

"Di!"

The timeout was over, and the referee blew his whistle, signaling for both teams to return to the field.

When the Chinese team attacked, the American team suddenly launched a full-court press.

The Chinese team could not break through this tight defense. In a critical moment, Tang Bei first received the ball at the center line, then passed it to Adijiang, and then positioned himself at a high position to receive another pass from Adijiang.

At this moment, Sun Jun bypassed the defender Reggie Miller and cut into the penalty area from the left wing, attracting the attention of the US team's defense.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tang Bei suddenly made a Tai Chi left turn, dribbled past Mourning who was guarding him, and after getting the ball, he leaped up towards the basket.

Larry Johnson, under the basket, saw Tang Bei coming on aggressively, but instead of trying to block him with his body, he simply dodged to the side.

"boom!"

With a tomahawk dunk, the Dream Team II's rim was shattered.

91:84, Team USA attacks.

"Great! Tang Bei has scored 55 points, breaking the World Championship record for the highest single-game score!" Xu Jicheng exclaimed excitedly.

"Bang!"

Joe Dumars cut past Hu Weidong and took a wide-open mid-range shot from the wing, but Hu Weidong blocked it, resulting in a missed shot.

Tang Bei grabbed his 17th rebound and passed it to Hu Weidong, who was making a run down the court. Hu Weidong dribbled the ball to the left wing of the frontcourt, where he was caught up by Joe Dumars.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly pulled up and threw out a three-pointer.

"No hurries?"

Jiang Xinquan, standing on the sidelines, jumped up in anxiety.

"brush!"

A splash of water, and the three-pointer hits.

"Good! Beautiful, keep it up."

Jiang Xinquan clapped his hands excitedly and shouted repeatedly.

"94:84, we're leading by double digits again!" Xu Jicheng exclaimed excitedly.

"Hu Weidong scored 11 points today. Although his performance wasn't as good as in the previous games, he didn't falter in crucial moments," Sun Zhenping praised.

Kevin Johnson dribbled past Adijiang at the top of the right arc and drove toward the right elbow area.

As he made his lightning breakthrough, Tang Bei immediately entered the restricted area.

He observed that no one else on the Dream Team had a chance, and immediately judged that Kevin Johnson was likely to take a shot himself, but the chances of him breaking through were not high.

Putting aside the offensive impact he had today, just those eight blocks alone made it very difficult for Kevin Johnson to break through; he was more likely to pull up for a jump shot from his right elbow.

In a flash, he lunged toward his right elbow.

When Kevin Johnson drove to the right elbow area, he noticed that Tang Bei had already rushed over, so he immediately stopped and jumped to shoot as planned.

"Oh!"

Tang Bei took two large steps, nearly three meters away, and then stomped heavily on the ground, soaring into the air with a whoosh.

Although his explosiveness and jumping height were not as good as in the first half due to physical reasons, he was still good enough to block a point guard's shot.

"Snapped!"

With a flick of his left hand, he caught the ball that Kevin Johnson had thrown.

"WOW!"

The Tianhong Gymnasium was completely captivated by Tang Bei's performance tonight, turning it into his home ground, and once again erupted in huge cheers.

Hu Weidong made a quick run down the court, received a pass from Tang Bei, and drove into the basket from the left wing. He then slammed the ball into the hoop with a one-handed dunk.

"Great, 96:84, we're leading by 12 points! Keep it up!" Sun Zhenping exclaimed excitedly.

Xu Jicheng said excitedly, "Tang Bei's ninth block was a steal! He's been on fire on both ends of the court today, even more so than during the Finals."

Han Qiaosheng nodded excitedly and said, "Hu Weidong is in good form too, scoring 5 points in a row, bringing his total to 13."

As the point difference widened to 12, the American team's morale, which had just risen, was once again dampened.

Tang Bei then used two consecutive fierce low-post attacks and his 10th block to further demoralize the Dream Team II and solidify the foundation for victory.

Until the end of the game, the Dream Team II was unable to turn the tide. China won by 16 points, 104-88, and won the World Championship men's basketball title.

"Di Di!"

When the final whistle blew, the Chinese team erupted in cheers.

"Oh oh..."

Tang Bei scored a super triple-double of 60 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocks in a single game, and was lifted up by his teammates and tossed into the air repeatedly.

From Tianhong Stadium to every corner of the country, there were excited cheers and applause everywhere.

"This young man is really capable; he can be relied on in crucial moments."

In Zhonglanhai, an old man's voice rang out: "The country is facing difficulties now. We need the development of Pudong to boost the economy, we need Hong Kong to be a window to the outside world, and we also need young people like him who have influence in the United States and the world. We must pay attention to this."

(End of this chapter)