The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 77 This is a real quality inspection
2-0, Suns on offense.

Barkley got his chance in the low post on the right wing and backed down Larry Johnson.

Barkley is a big, fleshy guy, weighing over 250 pounds (nearly 115 kilograms). He sticks out his big butt and dribbles and posts up the court repeatedly.

Larry Johnson is shorter, has a higher muscle mass, and should be stronger than Barkley.

But Barkley attacked not the strong chest, but the weak lower abdomen, which couldn't withstand the large buttocks and was pushed back.

With an open space behind him, Barkley immediately dribbled and turned, but Tang Bei had already come to help defend him, so he immediately chose to pass the ball.

On the left wing, Mark West received a pass and took a jump shot. By the time Tang Bei reacted, it was too late to get back on defense.

"brush!"

Water splashes, two points hit.

Muggsy Bogues ran down from above and reminded him, "Don, Barkley is very good at assisting. He's versatile; he can drive, shoot, and pass."

"okay, I get it."

Before the game, Tang Bei had naturally studied Barkley through the team's information and knew his strongest offensive and rebounding abilities, but he did not pay enough attention to Barkley's assist and passing abilities.

2-2, Hornets on offense.

Larry Johnson moved into the low post on the right wing, received the ball, and began to back down Barkley.

Barkley was not known for his defense and was never a defensive anchor, but his defensive level was definitely above the league average. Many media outlets believe that Barkley's defense ranks among the top 30 power forwards in NBA history.

He has excellent strength, a low center of gravity, and strong defensive ability. He can defend top centers in the low post, mainly using tackling defense. He has good anticipation ability and is averaging 1.6 steals and 1 block per game this season.

Larry Johnson made two attempts to push in, but without Barkley's powerful butt, he only managed to push in half a foot before turning and shooting.

Barkley jumped to block the shot, but didn't touch the ball; however, he did interfere with Larry Johnson's shot.

"Bang!"

But the shot missed; it went too short and bounced off the right edge of the rim.

"boom!"

Tang Bei easily squeezed past Mark West and entered the paint as soon as Larry Johnson started his back-to-the-basket move, then burst into the air and completed a putback dunk.

He rolled up his non-existent sleeves with a smug grin and said with a chuckle, "In the lower ranks, you still have to rely on big guys like me."

Larry Johnson felt incredibly angry and wanted to leave this damn team the next minute, otherwise he might develop depression or have a stroke from anger.

Hearing the same thing, Barkley got even angrier and retorted, "Kid, when I was flying over those super centers, you were still breastfeeding."

"you?"

Tang Bei had never actually seen Barkley play and didn't have a clear understanding of his superstar abilities. As a center who reached his peak right from his debut, he had enough confidence and arrogance, and the "you" he used was full of disdain.

"Kid, don't cry now!"

Barkley's desire to win was ignited. He could accept losing to Jordan or Hakeem Olajuwon, but he absolutely could not accept losing to a rookie.

Especially since he had just lost a fight and his head was still spinning, he was determined to win this match.

4-2, Suns on offense.

"If you can't do it, I will."

On the right wing in the low post, Tang Bei took the initiative to switch defenses, pushing Larry Johnson to the side.

Larry Johnson didn't insist. Barkley's offensive strength was too great, and if the rookie wanted to switch on defense, that would suit him perfectly.

“Kid, you’re asking for a beating,” Barkley said with a stern face.

“That’s you,” Tang Bei replied.

"..."

Charles Barkley immediately recalled the fall he'd just experienced, and the veins on his bald head throbbed. "Okay, I asked for it." "Ball!"

Frustrated and angry, he waved for the ball.

In the NBC studio, Bill Russell said, "Tang will be facing off against a superstar for the first time, and it's going to be a real test."

On the court, the ball was passed down, and Barkley immediately bent over and started backing down Tang Bei after receiving the ball.

Tang Bei didn't use Rodman's lunge, but instead swung into a low horse stance, slightly pushing his chest forward and resting his left forearm on Barkley's lower back.

His low stance caused his abdomen to tuck in, somewhat similar to Barkley's butt sticking out, only not as much, which created a space in front of his abdomen.

While dribbling, Charles Barkley forcefully thrust his buttocks backward, which landed squarely in front of Tang Bei's abdomen, though not completely.

Other people's back-to-the-basket moves usually involve using their shoulders and back to strike the defender's chest; no one uses their buttocks as a weapon to strike the defender's abdomen.

Barkley's initial collision caused him to lose his balance, and in his slight erratic footwork, he immediately made a dribbling error.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei reacted swiftly, stretching out his long arm and poking the ball away with his large hand. He then quickly moved forward, squeezing past the somewhat unprepared Barkley, and snatched the basketball into his hands.

"Shet!"

Barkley cursed under his breath and immediately tried to steal the ball back.

"Di!"

Tang Bei raised the ball high with both hands. Barkley jumped twice, but not only did he miss the ball, he also hit Tang Bei's hand, resulting in a foul for hitting the hand.

"Fatty, you're too short. Don't try to grab things like that next time, or you'll get called for a foul," Tang Bei earnestly reminded him.

Barkley is no saint. Throughout his career, he has received more technical fouls than Karl Malone, and he has a lot more chokeholds, slams, punches, and headbutts.

But facing Tang Bei, whom he couldn't beat, he could only helplessly say, "You didn't brush your teeth today, did you? Your breath stinks."

Tang Bei retorted unhappily, "Fuck you! I was just trying to be helpful, you should be thanking me, why are you cursing me?"

"I should thank you? Fuck you!"

Hearing Tang Bei's words, Barkley was so angry that his nose was crooked.

The hanging screen was replaying the footage from earlier. After watching it once, Chamberlain said:
“I’ve noticed Tang’s stance. It’s the same when he’s attacking. His thighs are almost parallel to the floor, with an angle of only 20 or 30 degrees at most.”

Bill Russell nodded and said, "That's right. His center of gravity will be lower, his lower body will be more stable, and he will be stronger in combat."

Chamberlain said, "With a lower center of gravity, the error rate when dribbling is also lower, and it is not easy to get the ball stolen."

The Hornets launched another attack, and Tang Bei ran to the low position on the left wing.

“Mark, I’ll guard him.”

Barkley came running over, yelling, and Mark West finally heard the words he had been waiting for.

"ball!"

Tang Bei squeezed his way in while calling for the ball.

Barkley practically wrapped his arms around Tang Bei, unleashing his signature takedown defense, fighting like a man, relentlessly holding his ground and refusing to yield an inch.

But Tang Bei's strength was too great; not only was his upper body strength astonishing, but his core strength and lower body strength were also astonishing.

His thighs, as thick as trees, were firmly planted on the floor. The horse stance and wrestling footwork provided a strong grip, allowing him to withstand Barkley's takedown.

Barkley tried to tackle Tang Bei with all his might in the player tunnel but failed. How much more so on the court where people dare not tackle with all their might?
With his powerful lower body strength, Tang Beisheng pushed Barkley back two steps in less than two seconds, squeezing him more than two feet into the paint.

Just then, the ball was passed down, and everything went perfectly together.

(End of this chapter)