Chapter 15: Champion and MVP

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The Catbird team launched an offensive, employing an outside shooting strategy. Mark Davis held the ball on the left wing, while Reddick John came out to set a pick and roll, drawing Tang Bei out of the paint.

At that moment, Mark Davis used the pick and roll to drive forward.

“Screech!”

Tang Bei instantly spun around, his basketball shoes almost seeming to smoke.

In that turn, he applied the power technique from Tai Chi spinning.

The Tai Chi spin’s power generation pursues a holistic and continuous force, not just relying on the waist but the entire body’s strength.

The power flows from feet to legs, from waist to upper limbs, connecting seamlessly. The resulting spinning force is explosive, swift and fierce—like a raging tiger turning back.

“That spin is so fast!”

Many scouts showed expressions of astonishment.

Extremely fast, Tang Bei matched Mark Davis’s breakthrough speed, sticking closely to his left side. The intense physical confrontation began instantly.

Experienced as he was, Tang Bei was careful to keep both hands raised while marking Mark Davis, to avoid being called for a defensive foul.

“Damn it!”

At the slightest physical contact, Mark Davis stumbled, nearly falling, the ball going out of control, and Tang Bei seized it.

But the referee’s whistle never blew, as Tang Bei made no extra moves, leaving no cause for a foul call.

Tang Bei passed the ball to Tom Morris, then immediately sprinted downcourt.

“He fouled!” Mark Davis shouted loudly.

But no referee paid him any mind; all were running toward the Catbird team’s frontcourt.

Tom Morris drove into the paint, with David Rivers already back under the basket. Pulling to the right wing, he spotted Tang Bei and passed immediately.

Tang Bei caught the ball at the free-throw line, took a large forward step, and took off—his entire body like a mountain yet as swift and light as a soaring eagle.

David Rivers under the basket, not wanting to be crushed, hurriedly dodged, yielding space.

“Bang!”

“Wow!”

Tang Bei once again slammed down a ferocious dunk right on the rim, shattering the Catbird team’s basket and igniting wild cheers from the crowd.

Commentator Pavel Hanks shook his head and sighed, “Two consecutive rim-rocking dunks—Tang Bei is off to an extraordinarily fierce start. The Catbird team’s morale was already low; this will likely deal a severe blow.”

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Following that, the Catbird team repeatedly missed shots, failing to score a single point within two minutes.

Three minutes into the first quarter, Tang Bei’s pick and roll penetration tactics were executed perfectly—four shots made out of four attempts, with the score 10-0, prompting the Catbird team to call a timeout.

Philip Sanders knew the players’ mindset had become a major problem. He knew the solution: to assert their own offense and disrupt the Seaweed team’s attack.

With this tactical plan, he rearranged the offensive and defensive strategies.

On defense, they resorted to fouling tactics—preferring Tang Bei to shoot free throws rather than letting him dunk, as dunks would crush morale.

Offensively, they emphasized pick and roll screens from the outside, aiming to hit shots early and build rhythm.

Though the tactics were set, the Catbird team’s morale was so low they failed to execute them effectively.

Offensively, they continued to miss shots; Tang Bei even rushed to the three-point line to deliver a fierce block against Mark Davis’s attempt.

Defensively, Tang Bei inflicted two and-ones and once slammed Reddick John to the ground during a dunk, causing the Catbird team’s morale to plummet further.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 28-11, with the Seaweed team leading by 17 points.

In this crucial Game 4, Tang Bei played the entire first quarter, ruthlessly scoring 19 points on 8-for-8 shooting, 7 free throws with 3 made, plus 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, and 1 foul.

Commentator Pavel Hanks remarked, “Tang’s talent is extraordinary. Even without tactical knowledge or technical skills, his inside scoring grants him overwhelming dominance in the CBA.”

Jalen Jaross added, “Such an advantage is so great that even tactics cannot compensate for the Catbird team’s weakness inside.”

Pavel Hanks continued, “Defensively, Tang’s athleticism greatly limits opponents’ outside offense, which is also crucial.”

Jalen Jaross nodded, “In Game 1, the Catbird team used inside double-teams and fouling tactics to force Tang into many turnovers and fouls, winning the game. But they paid a huge price—almost all their inside players were injured.”

At that moment, the second quarter began.

Myers Lance aimed to widen the lead, giving the Catbird team no chance to catch up or breathe, bringing Tang Bei back onto the court.

Under Tang Bei’s fierce assault, the demoralized Catbird team faltered both offensively and defensively, with the gap continuing to widen. By halftime, the Seaweed team led by 25 points.

In the second half, a frustrated Philip Sanders racked his brains, but the inside disadvantage was too great. The last two remaining inside players no longer dared to confront Tang Bei, fearing him like a tiger. The downward trend not only failed to reverse but worsened.

By the end of the third quarter, Tang Bei had already scored 38 points with 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals.

At this point, the Seaweed team led by an astounding 36 points. The Catbird team had no choice but to concede, and the final quarter entered garbage time.

In the end, 81-53, the Seaweed team decisively defeated the Catbird team by 28 points, winning the CBA championship series 3-1.

Tang Bei averaged 35.8 points, 14 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 6 blocks, 1 steal, 5.5 turnovers, and 4.4 fouls in the finals series, not only leading his team to the title but also earning Finals MVP honors.

When lifting the championship trophy and Finals MVP award, Tang Bei was overwhelmed with joy, his face almost splitting in a broad smile.

Twenty days ago, he roamed the streets of New York; twenty days later, he had become a champion and Finals MVP of a minor professional basketball league in America, with over three thousand fans cheering for him. Such a transformation felt like a dream.

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“Tang, congratulations!” Eric Fleischer and John Liu both offered their congratulations.

“Eric, I have to thank you!” Tang Bei said sincerely.

“Seeing you that evening was my luck too. We made each other,” Eric Fleischer said with a smile.

Afterward, Tang Bei shared a brief celebration with his teammates, then faced the media.

“Tang, what are your expectations for the NBA draft?” a reporter asked.

“I hope to be selected in the lottery picks,” he replied.

“Any higher aspirations? Like a top-three pick, or even number one overall?” the reporter pressed.

“I’ve thought about top three, but never number one,” he revealed candidly.

“Why not?” the reporter continued.

Tang Bei thought for a moment and said, “I heard Shaquille O’Neal was incredibly talented, playing basketball since high school, while I’ve only recently started professional training.”

The reporter excitedly said, “So you believe you’re more talented than Alonzo Mourning and Christian Leitner?”

“John, remind Tang to be careful with his answer,” Eric Fleischer whispered.

John Liu translated, and Tang Bei suddenly realized that sly reporter was trying to trap him.

But he thought the reporter was right; honest reporters are the best kind.

Still, he wasn’t foolish enough to continue answering, and before the reporter could ask more, another journalist jumped in.

“Tang, do you have a favorite NBA team?”

“Actually, I’m not very familiar with the NBA.”

“Which teams have invited you for tryouts?”

“Many, about a dozen.”

“The Seaweed team and the Heat are both Miami teams. Do you hope the Heat will draft you?”

“Of course.”