Chapter 51: Carousel

When Tang Bei returned to the locker room, the atmosphere was somewhat peculiar. Many of his teammates' gazes shifted back and forth between him and Larry Johnson.

"I reckon a boxing match between the rookie and Grandmama is bound to happen sooner or later."

"I'll bet one hundred dollars on Grandmama. He's an actual professional boxer."

"I heard the rookie has also trained and even got into fights in the CBA, winning with a single-punch KO. He was probably holding back so as not to kill Grandmama, meaning his strength shouldn't be underestimated. I'll bet one hundred dollars on the rookie."

Overhearing the teammates' whispered discussions, Larry Johnson's expression turned rather unpleasant. He cast a cold glare at Tang Bei and headed to the showers wearing only a pair of shorts.

Tang Bei remained indifferent to Larry Johnson's attitude, letting out a soft chuckle.

With his performance in tonight's debut, he had already won the recognition of the coaching staff and his teammates, which mattered most to him.

Grabbing his towel, soap, and spare shorts, he also entered the shower room, turned on the showerhead, and rinsed the sweat and odor from his body with hot water.

"Are there any techniques in martial arts that can be applied to basketball offensive head fakes?"

Currently, his offensive repertoire lacked head fakes, but his trainer had taught him that incorporating some fakes was necessary.

Certain force-generation techniques in martial arts could enhance speed and explosiveness—such as the Tai Chi pivot—making him more inclined to ponder these concepts.

Martial arts also placed great emphasis on feints; specifically, the combination of the real and the unreal, where "unreal" referred to the fake move.

However, this was basketball, and the specific combat techniques of martial arts certainly could not be directly utilized.

After prolonged thought, he recalled the shifting-stance technique from Wing Chun.

The shifting-stance technique was a dodging method used in Wing Chun to transition the center of gravity, serving simultaneously as a feinting technique and a balance of offense and defense. In his mind, there was a possibility of applying it to basketball.

"Tang, you, Larry, Kendall, and John will attend the post-game press conference." As Tang Bei emerged from the shower room, head coach Bristow said to him.

As the second overall draft pick with such an exceptional performance, the team also hoped that Tang Bei would quickly build his own influence. This was a very positive development for the Hornets, as a franchise that had only joined the league four or five years ago was precisely lacking in influence.

Shortly after, the four of them, including Tang Bei, appeared in the press conference hall.

"Click, click..."

The camera flashes of more than thirty reporters and photographers instantly erupted into a sea of light.

"Larry, did you and Tang have a verbal conflict on the court?" asked the first reporter to pose a question, representing the New York Times.

"Of course not."

Larry Johnson was no fool; even if such a thing were true, he could never admit it.

"Larry, what did you think of Tang's performance tonight?" Not getting the answer he wanted, the reporter continued to press.

"He was... alright."

Though feeling disgruntled inside, Larry Johnson had no choice but to reply this way.

"Then do you think he deserves a higher tactical status?" the reporter immediately followed up.

Larry Johnson finally lost his patience, responding in a rigid tone: "You should ask him that question yourself."

"Tang?"

The reporter instantly pivoted his target.

Tang Bei stated, "I am currently just a rookie and do not have a designated tactical status yet. I hope to earn a certain tactical status and receive more tactical support."

"Hmph!"

Larry Johnson let out a suppressed grunt.

"Larry, do you support Tang's idea?" Refusing to let Larry Johnson off the hook, the reporter turned his sights back on him.

Feeling utterly helpless inside, Larry Johnson knew he could not openly oppose the notion, so he could only say, "As long as he has the capability, he will earn his tactical status."

Seeing the reporters questioning only Larry Johnson and Tang, Kendall Gill felt both resentful and utterly helpless.

He felt as though he might not be destined to be a star player, lacking in marketability. The media would rather interview a rookie than direct a question at him; even when posting strong individual stats, it remained difficult for him to appear in media coverage.

The dynamic within the team right now was entirely different from last season. With Larry Johnson's development, Gill's ball possession and shot attempts would inevitably take a massive hit, making it virtually impossible for him to reclaim the role of the team's leading scorer.

Compounding this, a rookie who dared to demand shots from the head coach and clash with Larry Johnson right in his very first game would further suppress his touches and field goal attempts.

In such an environment, his statistics would undoubtedly fall short of last season's, and the difficulty of competing with Larry Johnson for leadership status would be immense.

"It's tough!"

Plagued by immense pressure, he could not help sighing inwardly, feeling somewhat lost and disappointed.

Following the press conference, Tang Bei did not board the team bus; instead, he drove his own car back to his residence, which was not far away.

Eric Fleisher remarked, "Tang, you don't need to rush. You are the second overall pick, and the organization will definitely invest heavily in you.

Playing time, ball possession, shot attempts, tactical status—you will have it all. I will also maintain communication with the front office."

"Mm."

Tang Bei nodded.

Fleisher continued, "Tom Gugliotta being injured by your collision today is enough to elevate your evaluation to a whole new level.

In the game against the Cavaliers on the 8th, both of the Cavaliers' starting interior players are All-Stars, and the Hornets usually lose more than they win, so you must be careful. Playing well will definitely earn you favorable reviews.

However, the game against the Magic on the 10th is even more crucial. As long as your performance isn't inferior to Shaquille O'Neal, public perception of you will undergo a complete shift. Any label labeling you a bust will vanish for good."

"I'll play well."

Tang Bei nodded heavily. He was eager to dismantle the big man O'Neal.

Firstly, O'Neal was a direct competitor; secondly, after understanding the meaning of that derogatory "Ching Chong" remark, he truly held no favorable impression of O'Neal whatsoever.

Fleisher noted, "There is a Player of the Week honor announced every Sunday. Based on your performance tonight, if you keep playing like this, you actually have a shot at it."

At this point, he added with anticipation, "If your performance can overshadow O'Neal, that would be fantastic. It directly impacts your commercial value."

"Eric, I'm not an American. No matter how well I play, my commercial value probably won't be that high, right?" Tang Bei asked.

Fleisher shook his head quickly and replied, "No, American society is still quite inclusive nowadays. As long as you play well, you can gain a massive fan base in the US. People will want to watch your games, and they will want to purchase your jerseys and other merchandise. That is your commercial value."

"Oh."

Tang Bei nodded, half-understanding.

He did not know how inclusive America truly was, but he knew that another global superpower had just dissolved at the end of last year, making the current United States the most powerful nation in the world, brimming with pride and confidence from top to bottom.

The next day, the media reviewed the performances of the various rookies from the previous night.

Shaquille O'Neal, whose performance was mediocre, faced widespread mockery and criticism from numerous media outlets, and even rumors labeling him a bust began to surface, leaving him furious.

Alonzo Mourning of the Timberwolves was spared much criticism due to missing the opening several games with an injury.

Gugliotta, the sixth overall pick who was injured in a collision with Tang Bei, suffered a lower-back muscle strain and was set to miss two weeks of action, earning him the reputation of being injury-prone.

As for Christian Laettner, he had no game the previous night.

Tang Bei stood out as the best-performing among all rookies, earning praise from many media outlets, though certain picky media members, driven by specific biases, nitpicked him in various ways.

Overall, the praise outweighed the criticism.