The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 30 Draft Lottery
Two possessions later, Christine Laettner got an open look through a pick-and-roll and jumped to shoot from a step outside her right side.

"You dare to attack from this close? Don't you know I love slapping you the most?"

Tang Bei was not about to let such a good opportunity slip by. He took a step out from under the basket, then leaped into the air, flying over like a big bird.

"Snapped!"

After flying three meters, he swung his hand and swatted away the ball that Leitner had just thrown.

"what?"

Even from at least five meters away under the basket, he still got swatted; Christine Laettner's eyes nearly popped out.

After slapping Lightner, Tang Bei glared at him fiercely, leaving Lightner with no choice but to grit his teeth and turn to run away.

"Clap clap clap..."

The brilliant defensive moment drew applause from the professionals present.

Tang Bei got 6 minutes of playing time in the first quarter, which is quite a lot, considering there are more than 70 rookies waiting to play.

After he left the field, the professionals present had their own discussions.

"Although Tang has put up some brilliant offensive and defensive plays, he has many problems, and I think we should be cautious about his future."

"He lacks observation of what's behind him, and his ability to help and cover on the weak side is very poor, making him vulnerable to back-cuts."

"Insufficient ability to rebound from a distance, lack of anticipation."

"For example, poor technical and tactical skills, little cooperation with teammates, and a lack of organizational and support capabilities."

"Their offensive techniques are also very limited, and their finishing methods are almost entirely based on attacking the basket."

"His free throws are even worse than O'Neal's, and he's also a bit out of control with his turnovers and fouls."

"That's right. In comparison, O'Neal has a much wider range of offensive skills. He is agile and his finishing moves include not only dunks but also floaters and hook shots near the basket. He is also a bit better at free throws."

"Mourning's defense is the best of the three, whether it's one-on-one defense or help defense, he's top-notch."

“Mourning’s individual offensive ability is insufficient. His hook shot and shooting are inconsistent, and his offensive footwork is also not good. He is not as good as O’Neal, or even as good as Tang. He usually relies on brute force.”

“Mourning’s one-on-one ability is weak, and his ability to open up the game is not as good as Tang’s, let alone O’Neal’s. In other words, his low-post dominance on offense is not good.”

"That's right, Mourning's offensive skills are not as comprehensive as O'Neal's, but they are better than Tang's."

In the following three quarters, Tang Bei received a total of eight minutes of playing time.

However, the opponents were no longer Mourning, Laettner, and Gugliotta, but some rookies who were not strong enough. Although they played very well, their performances were not of high quality.

On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, around 10 p.m., CCTV-1 broadcast a sports news program.

Currently, CCTV does not have a dedicated sports channel. Previously, sports news was included in the general news section, and there was no dedicated sports news program.

CCTV only established a dedicated sports news program in 89, which aired from Monday to Saturday at 9:55 pm and lasted only 5 minutes.

The news about Tang Bei's participation in the NBA was featured in this segment, and it was almost 10 o'clock, but the ratings were so-so.

However, people in the domestic sports community, as well as many related individuals, regularly watch this program to stay informed about domestic and international sports developments.

Tang Bei has officially come into the spotlight of the domestic sports world, especially the basketball world.

Yang Boyong, a famous basketball player in the 1950s and the director of the Second Department of Competitive Sports of the State Sports Commission, naturally saw this news.

In this era, although CCTV has broadcast some NBA highlights and All-Star games, the NBA is still very unfamiliar to people in China.

Not only domestically, but internationally, people are also unfamiliar with the NBA and have no idea about its strength.

After seeing the news, Yang Boyong did not take it very seriously. He only notified Liu Yumin, the head of the basketball department and the leader of the men's basketball team, to investigate Tang Bei.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what that word means, I've just heard others use it, so I'm really sorry!"

On the 14th, O'Neal was bombarded by the media for using strongly racially discriminatory language towards Tang Bei, and was forced to publicly apologize to Tang Bei.

"Tang, do you accept O'Neal's apology?" a reporter asked Tang Bei during an interview.

"No, he definitely knows what that word means. This isn't over. We'll see each other on the court," Tang Bei said expressionlessly.

The rookie camp continued that day, with a total of three games. Tang Bei played a total of only 11 minutes in all three games.

Shaquille O'Neal has still not appeared, and some media outlets have reported that he has left Chicago with his agent.

In the evening, during dinner, Eric Fleischer said with a puzzled look:
"Tang, something's strange. From yesterday afternoon until today, apart from the news caused by O'Neal, your positive news in several mainstream media outlets has decreased a lot, and your playing time in the Rising Stars Challenge has also decreased a lot."

"Eric, what do you think is the reason?"

After John Liu translated, Tang Bei asked somewhat anxiously.

Eric Fleischer frowned and said, "This sudden turn of events can only mean that someone is targeting us and doesn't want you to be in the limelight." He then speculated, "There are many people with the motive to do this, such as the agents of your draft competitors."

"Eric, do you have a way to solve this?" Tang Bei asked.

“I don’t have the power to deal with the simultaneous banning of you by the Rising Stars Camp and multiple mainstream media outlets,” Fleischer said with a hint of helplessness.

"So what do we do now?" Tang Bei asked.

Fleischer said, "It's alright, this kind of person can only have an influence for a while. After you perform well during your trial with the team, he won't be able to exert any influence anymore."

"I understand that; one must be strong to succeed."

Tang Bei nodded, the awl in the bag; if he wanted to keep him under control forever, he'd better be careful not to get pricked.

That night, the Bulls lost Game 6 on the road with a score of 86-100, and a decisive Game 7 will be played at the Bulls' home court.

On the 15th, the morning was the officially scheduled lecture time, and the afternoon was the time for the team and the rookies to communicate one-on-one.

Eric Fleischer has already scheduled one-on-one meetings with eleven teams.

All eleven teams are those that failed to make the playoffs and have this year's LeShow picks.

He will only be able to choose from these teams for his subsequent trial periods.

However, none of the general managers or owners of these eleven teams were present; instead, they had gone to Portland for tonight's draw ceremony.

In the afternoon, I had one-on-one exchanges and communication with three teams: the Hornets, the Nuggets, and the Timberwolves.

That evening, at Portland Memorial Stadium, the annual NBA draft lottery began.

David Stern has arrived in Portland to attend the draw ceremony.

At 8 o'clock, the lottery began.

The Timberwolves, with the worst record in the entire league, will be the first team to be drawn.

The Timberwolves have only been in the NBA for three seasons, and their ownership structure is complex with no single owner, so the lottery was drawn by General Manager Jim Brewer.

He was a little nervous. He took a small bottle out of his shirt pocket, poured some water into his hands, and then rubbed them repeatedly.

The host, Lars Grannick, the league's executive vice president, saw Brewer's behavior and asked with a smile, "Hey, Mr. Brewer, what are you doing?"

Jim Brewer said earnestly, "This is holy water I got from the Washington National Cathedral. It can ward off bad luck and helped me draw the first lot."

"Your preparations are truly meticulous," Grannick said with admiration.

Unfortunately, Jim Brewer's holy water was of no use; he didn't draw the number one lot and sat back down with a look of disappointment.

"God bless!"

When it was the Magic's turn, with their record second to last, a beaming Pat Williams confidently walked onto the stage.

Thirty seconds later, his laughter utterly disappointed all the team owners or general managers in the audience, because he had actually drawn the number one pick.

Next, they drew number two. Jim Brewer went up on stage again, only to leave disappointed once more.

Unlike the first pick, the Timberwolves didn't get the second pick, and the next five teams didn't get it either, until the Hornets, who were seventh from the bottom in the league, finally got the second pick.

"Oh, God……"

When the third lot was drawn, Jim Brewer knelt down in front of everyone and prayed to God.

Not only him, but many Timberwolves fans in Minnesota are also praying in various ways with great sincerity.

"I won! I won..."

A minute later, Jim Brewer shouted excitedly.

And so, the lottery ceremony was completed.

The Magic won the first overall pick, the Hornets won the second overall pick, and the Timberwolves won the third overall pick.

From 4th to 27th picks, the teams are ranked according to their records. The Mavericks, with the third-worst record, get the 4th pick, while the Bulls, with the best record, get the 27th pick.

"Mr. Williams, can you tell us who the Magic will select with the number one pick?" the reporter asked during the interview.

Pat Williams laughed and said, "Shaq O'Neal is the best choice, without a doubt."

"No!"

Chicago, Hampton Hotel, O'Neal let out a scream, as if he had lost his parents.

His agent, Leonard Amoto, most wanted O'Neal to join a big team where O'Neal's commercial earnings would be higher and he could get a larger share of the money. Now that the Magic want to draft O'Neal, he is very disappointed.

(End of this chapter)