The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 80 A new starting point
After the news of Tang Bei being put on the shelf spread, this night was destined to be a sleepless one for many.

Tvercz didn't sleep, Eric Fleischer didn't sleep, and many team general managers didn't sleep either.

Upon receiving the news, Heat general manager Lewis Shaffer was overjoyed and immediately drafted a price offer.

The Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets both joined the NBA in 88, so they have many similarities.

For example, the team doesn't have a true leader yet. The core players on the court are small forward Glen Rice, the 4th overall pick in the first round of the 89 draft, and center Ronnie Sekkali, the 9th overall pick in the first round of the 88 draft.

For example, in the past few seasons, several high draft picks have been selected, and their individual performances have been quite good.

For example, the management team is not mature enough, and many problems have arisen in the management of the team.

But the Heat are better off than the Hornets. First, the Arison family, the owners, are wealthier. Second, Miami is a larger city with a better economy than Charlotte, and has the foundation of a large market.

Thirdly, unlike Charlotte, Miami doesn't have the same strong NCAA atmosphere. The Heat's survival here isn't as difficult as the Hornets' in Charlotte, and the fans here are more accepting of the NBA.

One thing the Heat did better than the Hornets was that they made it to the playoffs last season as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, only to be swept by the Bulls in the first round.

However, the two key players on the court this season are not in the same form as last season. Glen Rice's offensive efficiency has declined, and Ronnie Sekkali's defensive performance has declined.

There are also issues with the point guard position, the defensive transition game on the perimeter, the collapse of the team's defensive system, the poor coaching ability of the head coach, and the lack of tactical design skills.

In addition, the Bulls, Knicks, Hornets and other strong teams in the East have significantly increased the competitive pressure in the East.

For all these reasons, the Heat have only managed a 4-11 record this season, ranking last in the Eastern Conference and second-to-last in the entire league, only slightly better than the Mavericks with a 1-12 record.

The team's offseason reinforcements were also inadequate, resulting in insufficient bench depth, which is also one of the important reasons affecting their performance.

Because of his abysmal record, he's been under immense pressure lately, even getting blisters on his lips from anxiety. When he heard that the Hornets wanted to trade Tang Bei, he was overjoyed.

He had wanted Tang Bei ever since Tang Bei joined Hai's team, but unfortunately he didn't have the chance during the draft. Now he finally got his chance.

His proposed offer included starting center Ronnie Sekkali plus unprotected first-round picks from the 93 and 95 drafts.

Sekali's salary this season is $238 million, which matches Tang Bei's $250 million in terms of salary ratio.

After submitting the quote, he immediately contacted Eric Fleischer.

"Hello, Mr. Shaffer, I'm glad to receive your call."

“Mr. Fleischer, it is also a pleasure to hear your voice.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two immediately got down to business.

Lewis Shaffer said earnestly, "Mr. Fleischer, I just submitted an offer to the Hornets, and the stakes are..."

Tang's professional career began in Miami, where he won his first championship and where he has many fans.

I hope he can come back to this city to play again. The core position on the Heat will be his, Mr. Fleischer. Please believe my sincerity.”

"core?"

Fleischer's eyes lit up when he heard the word.

“Then, Mr. Shaffer, what about Glen Rice? Isn’t he one of your key figures?” he asked tentatively.

Shafir immediately said, "Glen Rice is just one of our core players, but he's a small forward and doesn't compete much with Tang for that position. Besides, he's just a shooter. Once Tang comes in, he'll definitely be our core player in the paint."

"That's it..."

Fleischer was somewhat tempted.

The biggest problem between Tang Bei and Larry Johnson is not actually the competition for the core position, but that they are both inside players and neither of them has a mid-range shot, resulting in a serious overlap in their offensive space.

Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill are both competing for the core, but because one is an inside player and the other is an outside player, there is not such a big conflict, and they can coexist more easily.

Shaffer added, saying, "I can promise that the Heat will offer Tang a maximum salary for his second professional contract, and our owner is willing to invest more operating funds."

Fleischer was moved again.

Currently, there is no standardized maximum salary, and it is not linked to the salary cap. An annual salary of three million is acceptable, five million is also acceptable, and theoretically even ten million is possible, depending on the player's ability and the owner's financial strength.

Shaffer continued to offer his support, saying, "Also, Mr. Fleischer, as long as Don comes to the Heat, we will devote all our publicity resources to supporting him in becoming an All-Star."

"All-Star?"

Fleischer was invigorated.

Regarding All-Star voting, the Hornets have consistently supported Larry Johnson and haven't invested any promotional resources in Tang Bei. Going to the Heat would be a good option for him.

The Heat's two current core players, Glen Rice and Ronnie Sekkali, have never been selected as All-Stars. If Tang Bei becomes an All-Star for the Heat, it will be of great significance to him.

Lewis Shaffer also offered some conditions, such as the Heat covering the cost if Tang Bei chooses to rent a house, and the team could help him rent a detached villa.

The Heat also provided Tang Bei with two exclusive parking spaces at the team headquarters and home arena, five home game tickets, three away game tickets, translator salaries, and other benefits.

Lewis Shaffer concluded, "Mr. Fleischer, I hope you can put some pressure on the Hornets' management..."

Charlotte's Twitchell analyzed all the offers and picked out one team: the Lakers in the Western Conference.

The reason for choosing the Lakers was not only because the offer was good, but also because the Lakers are a Western Conference team and pose no threat to the Hornets. Finally, he believed that Eric Fleischer would not refuse.

However, when he told Eric Fleischer the news, he was immediately rejected.

"Sorry, the Lakers certainly have unparalleled appeal, but..."

Fleischer's reason for refusing was very simple: Jerry West and Tang Bei had a conflict, and given Tang Bei's personality, he definitely wouldn't want to go to the Lakers.

Eric Fleischer added, "Mr. Twitchell, I hope you'll consider the Heat. Tang's career began in Miami, he has an emotional attachment to that city, and he wants to return to play there."

"The Heat?"

Twitchick immediately found the Heat's offer, which was very good, even better than the Lakers'.

The reason is simple: the Heat have only been in the league for a few seasons and currently have the second-worst record in the league. With no hope of making the playoffs this season, the value of the 93 first-round pick is extremely high, and they may even get the first overall pick.

The Lakers have a chance to make the playoffs, and their two first-round picks are far less valuable than the Heat's two first-round picks.

From this perspective, trading Tang Bei to the Heat would be more advantageous for the Hornets.

Now, he needs to consider the threat that trading Tang Bei to the Heat will pose to the Hornets.

The Eastern Conference is divided into two divisions: the Atlantic Division, which includes the Knicks and Celtics, Nets, Magic, Heat, 76ers, and Bullets; and the Central Division, which includes the Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Hawks, Pacers, Pistons, and Bucks.

The Heat and the Hornets are in different conferences, so there is definitely competition between the two teams, but it's not too intense.

Moreover, the Hornets don't have high expectations for the playoffs.

This is the Hornets' fifth season in the NBA, and they have yet to make the playoffs. Their most important goal for the season is to reach the playoffs.

If they trade Tang Bei for Ronnie Sekkali, plus Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill, along with John Newman and Dell Curry off the bench, this lineup should have no problem making the playoffs.

Thinking about it that way, he felt that trading to the Heat would be a very good option for the Hornets.

At 3:15 a.m. on the 6th, Eric Fleischer, who had been waiting for news, received a call from Lewis Shaffer.

Shaffer's tone was very enthusiastic, and he said excitedly, "Mr. Fleischer, the deal is done. It's all about the assets. I welcome Don to the Heat..."

Then Tvortske called to tell him that the deal was done.

"Are you really going to the Heat?"

Tang Bei also stayed up all night. After learning that he had been traded, he felt a bit conflicted.

"Tang, this is the NBA league, it's all business."

“I have to say, Miami is much better than Charlotte, and it has the potential to become a major market like New York and Los Angeles.”

"Tang, this is the best outcome for you. You'll have a better future in Miami." Compared to Charlotte, Tang Bei did indeed prefer Miami, where he had spent some time.

So he had no complaints about the trade. His only frustration was that he won against Larry Johnson on the court, but lost off the court.

On December 7, 1992, David Stern had just started work when he received trade requests from the Heat and the Hornets.

He had no particular thoughts about the deal and approved it immediately.

The two teams then announced the trade, with Tangbei and Ronnie Sekkali swapping teams.

In the morning, I handled miscellaneous tasks, such as Tang Bei selling his used car, canceling his apartment lease, and paying a speeding ticket.

Eric Fleischer's company is moving from Charlotte to Miami, but luckily it's just a brokerage firm, so the move is very convenient.

Zhang Heli also coordinated with the NBA headquarters to change the live broadcasts of several Hornets games to those of the Heat.

After lunch, Tang Bei, Eric Fleischer, John Liu, and Zhang Heli boarded a plane bound for Miami.

Both cities are in the southeastern United States, nearly 1200 kilometers apart. After an hour and a half flight, we arrived in Miami at 2:30 p.m.

General Manager Lewis Shaffer personally led a large group of management personnel to welcome Tang Bei at the airport.

Upon arriving at the Hilton Hotel, the Heat held a press conference, inviting a large number of reporters and making quite a scene.

Miami Heat owner Mickey Arison, who took over the team from his father in 90, also attended the press conference.

He was very enthusiastic towards Tang Bei and publicly invited Tang Bei to take a free round-the-world trip on the family's luxury cruise ship during the off-season.

The Heat have prepared jersey number 88. Tang Bei does not plan to change his jersey number. No one in the NBA has chosen this number. It should be the only number 88 in the entire league.

"Tang, was the reason you were traded by the Hornets because of your competition with Larry Johnson?" a New York Times reporter asked.

"Our positions overlap, it's that simple. The narrow restricted area can't accommodate both of us," Tang Bei said.

"Why did the Hornets choose to trade you?" the reporter pressed.

"Because Larry Johnson can help the Hornets make money, which is very important to the Hornets," Tang Bei said frankly.

At that moment, a reporter from the Miami Herald asked, "Don, welcome to the Heat."

"Thank you!"

"Tang, you played in the CBA playoffs in Miami. Did you like the city?"

"I like it. This city is very fashionable, and I also like seaside cities."

"The Heat currently have the second-worst record in the league, while the Hornets are first. Do you feel a sense of disparity?"

"I said during the draft that I would make the Hornets better, and I did. Now that I'm with the Heat, I'll say the same thing: I will make the Heat better."

Do you think the Heat still have a chance to make the playoffs?

"Of course, the season has only been going on for a little over a month, so we still have a chance."

After the press conference, the Heat invited Tang Bei to visit their headquarters and Miami Arena.

The arena is located in the city center, on Northwest 1st Avenue, and the headquarters is also on this street, less than 200 meters away. The training base is rented on the second basement level of the Miami Arena, making training and games very convenient.

Lewis Shaffer selected several houses in upscale villa areas for Tang Bei, with a particular emphasis on Bar Harbour, which is closest to the city center and the airport.

Located north of Miami Beach, Bar Harbor boasts upscale shopping malls, luxury hotels and resorts, private clubs, and a beautiful environment.

Tang Bei chose a medium-sized villa in Bal Harbor with a modern architectural style. It has two floors, four rooms, including a master bedroom, three bathrooms, front and back yards, and a basketball hoop in the backyard.

It's about 18 kilometers from Miami Arena to Bar Harbor, a 15-20 minute drive, which is quite close.

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"

Tang Bei arrived in Bar Harbor and was very satisfied with the house. He had never lived in a villa like this before. He had lived in an apartment in Charlotte and his hometown was a thatched hut.

John Liu, as a translator and English teacher, naturally lived with him, while Zhang Heli and Eric Fleischer rented a separate place.

After settling in, Tang Bei bought another car.

He has already received his December salary from the Hornets, which is close to $230,000. This time, instead of buying a pickup truck, he bought a Jeep Wrangler, a rugged off-road vehicle, for $26,000.

On the night of the 8th, the Heat defeated the Mavericks on the road with a score of 126-112, achieving their fifth win of the season, but still ranking second to last in the Eastern Conference and the entire league.

In the past two days, some local Miami media and Heat fans have maintained a welcoming attitude towards Tang Bei.

They believe he is more capable than Ronnie Sekkali and that his contribution to the Heat will surpass that of Sekkali.

However, some media outlets and fans are not optimistic about this trade because the price the Heat paid was too high.

Other mainstream media outlets believe that the Heat will benefit in the short term, but are not optimistic about the long term, considering it a short-sighted deal.

The main reason for this view is that Tang Bei's professional career will not be very long.

This is not discrimination. Even O'Neal's career was not viewed favorably by Nike, who believed he would soon be eliminated from the NBA.

Completely different from the massive size of the three super centers, and with their aggressive low-post style, they were too prone to injury. This is the main reason why Tang Bei and O'Neal's careers were not favored.

On the afternoon of the 9th, Tang Bei, along with John Liu and Lewis Shaffer, flew to San Antonio. According to the team's schedule, he would participate in the away game against the Spurs on the evening of the 10th.

The Spurs currently have a record of 7 wins and 9 losses, ranking eighth in the Western Conference, which is much better than the Heat's record.

This will be Tang Bei's first time facing three super centers, attracting considerable media attention. This game will also be broadcast live nationwide on ESPN.

That night, the Hornets lost to the Suns at home in their first game after the trade.

矢志复仇的巴克利轰下23分12篮板10助攻的三双，拉里·约翰逊虽然轰下29分12篮板，但还是输了比赛。

After this game, the Hornets have a record of 13 wins and 5 losses, while the Bulls have a record of 12 wins and 5 losses, trailing by only half a game.

At 3 p.m., Tang Bei arrived at the hotel where the Heat were staying and met with head coach Kevin Longley.

The Heat team had just arrived from Dallas and didn't get to the hotel until 2:30. Some players hadn't settled in yet, so things were a bit chaotic.

"Hey, Tang."

Glen Rice, who had just come out of his room, saw Tang Bei coming out of the elevator, and immediately smiled and waved.

"Hey, hello, Glenn."

The Hornets had played two games against the Heat before, so Tang Bei naturally recognized Glen Rice and quickly responded.

Glen Rice was happy that Tang Bei came to the Heat. In his opinion, although Sekkali was good, Tang Bei was obviously stronger, and he hoped to have a stronger center teammate.

He also learned some things about Tang Bei competing with Larry Johnson for the core of the Hornets, but he didn't take it to heart.

Tang Bei is a center, and he is a small forward. They mainly play on the perimeter, one inside and one outside. They complement each other and are not very competitive. He and Tang Bei can definitely become the Heat's inside-outside dual core.

Of course, while the competition for the core position on the field is not fierce, the competition for the team leader, or the boss, is a problem that he and Tang Bei will face, and he is well aware of this.

However, he has a low-key personality and rarely makes headlines, so his fame and influence are far less than those of Reggie Miller, who is of similar ability.

Given this personality trait, he did not show a strong competitive spirit for the position of team leader.

After a brief and friendly chat with Glen Rice, Tang Bei went to his room to settle in before meeting with the head coach.

Head coach Kevin Longley is white and a former player turned coach with extensive experience. He started as a head coach in 72 when he was only 32 years old, and he also coached Michael Jordan during his rookie season.

This is his second season coaching the Heat. Last season, the Heat finished eighth in the Eastern Conference. This season's record has led to questions from management. His tactical ability is average, and his position as head coach is somewhat unstable.

After exchanging pleasantries, Kevin Longley handed the team roster to Tang Bei, letting him familiarize himself with the team first.

(End of this chapter)