Chapter 60 O'Neal: I Want to Learn Kung Fu

After the press conference, the Hornets set off overnight, preparing for a back-to-back home game against the Celtics tomorrow night.

"Alan, what are your thoughts on the team's current situation?"

Once on the plane, General Manager Dave Twardzik called head coach Alan Bristow to the front cabin near the cockpit.

Bristow gave a slight cough and said with a hint of pride, "Currently, the team is averaging 117.7 points per game, which is higher than the league average—much higher, nearly ten points more. Our points allowed stand at 106.3 per game, which should be on par with the league average. Coupled with our three-game winning streak to start the season, I think everything is looking very good."

Dave Twardzik smiled, but his tone turned somewhat serious. "Alan, how do you view Tang and Larry?"

At this, Bristow knew what Twardzik was driving at. After a moment of thought, he replied, "It's a bit troublesome. From the first game until today, they haven't shown any on-court chemistry, and their communication off the court is quite minimal."

With that, he added hopefully, "If they can manage to gel, our offensive potential will be even greater."

Twardzik asked, "What about Kendall Gill?"

Bristow also found it a headache. Having three players capable of averaging 20+ points per game was genuinely exhilarating because the offensive firepower was explosive, but unfortunately, all three of them wanted to be the focal point.

Recalling the statistics, he said, "Right now, in terms of team scoring, Tang is first, averaging 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Those are All-Star numbers."

Twardzik smiled and nodded. Tang's performance had eclipsed Shaquille O'Neal's, which meant his draft decision had been entirely correct and brilliant.

Alan Bristow continued, "Larry Johnson is averaging 22 points, 4 assists, and nearly 12 rebounds. His defensive numbers fall far short of Tang's."

He then emphasized, "Tang's defense in the paint is vastly superior to Larry Johnson's. His height and defensive presence are a huge boost to the team. Because of him, our points allowed per game are lower than last season, when we gave up 113.4 points."

Twardzik smiled again, gesturing for him to continue.

Bristow went on, "Kendall Gill is at 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Because of Larry Johnson's development and Tang's emergence, his shot attempts have been suppressed, and his stats have dropped significantly. In reality, he has already lost the possibility of competing to be the team's core."

Twardzik understood. Bristow's point was that last season was a two-man rivalry, and this season remained a two-man rivalry; Gill simply lacked the competitiveness.

After pondering, Twardzik said, "Gill is our perimeter core. He controls the ball, so his stats won't drop any further, and his importance remains significant."

Bristow nodded and said, "We also have Curry and Newman on the bench. Truthfully, our roster this season is really good. Our offense is powerful and highly competitive. As long as we can resolve internal conflicts, making the playoffs will be no problem at all."

Twardzik fell silent.

He had no way to resolve the competitive conflict between Larry Johnson and Tang, because this was not merely a question of who the team's core was; it involved massive personal interests in other aspects as well.

The core of a team invariably receives the lion's share of resources and support, allowing them to put up better statistics, earn a spot in the All-Star game, and become an influential star player.

An influential star player commands massive commercial potential and has the opportunity to cash in on their commercial value.

These benefits far outweighed their playing salary, and no one would willingly give them up. As long as their skill level matched the ambition, everyone would fight for it.

Tang Bei had fallen asleep the moment he boarded the plane. Tomorrow would be his first back-to-back game, which would be a severe test of his physical stamina, so he needed to rest well.

Fortunately, he could easily enter a deep sleep, dozing off within minutes.

John Liu, who often suffered from insomnia, deeply envied this ability of Tang Bei's. Liu's sleep was light, easily startled, and falling back asleep was even harder.

An hour and a half later, at 2:00 AM, the plane landed in Charlotte.

Tang Bei returned to his apartment at 3:00 AM, slept for another few hours, and woke up at 6:00 AM feeling completely refreshed and physically energetic.

Around 8:00 AM, John Liu prepared a hybrid athlete's breakfast fusing Eastern and Western styles.

It included a large bowl of oatmeal with lean meat, one kilogram of slightly charred steak, a large portion of boiled chicken breasts, tomato salad, a handful of nuts, some bread, a large bottle of yogurt, two apples, a serving of stir-fried broccoli, and a pot of rice, among other items.

Liu only ate a tenth of it all, while Tang Bei polished off the rest.

"I should eat less for breakfast."

Tang Bei rubbed his stomach. He had practiced martial arts for two hours after waking up, which actually burned a considerable amount of energy.

John Liu was speechless. That amount of food could fill two pigs, and you're still not full?

Picking up a few newspapers, Tang Bei tried to digest his meal while reading to improve his English reading and writing skills.

"Still can't understand it. John, read it to me."

After less than a minute of scanning, he tossed the newspaper over to John Liu.

"Tang, you've only been studying for a few months. It's completely normal that you don't understand."

John Liu picked up a local sports paper, The Charlotte Observer, and glanced at it with a pleased expression. "Tang, you beat O'Neal last night, and the media is praising you."

"Really?" Tang Bei asked happily.

John Liu flipped through several other newspapers and said with a hint of disappointment, "Out-of-town media are criticizing O'Neal's performance, but they barely mention yours. If they do, it's just a passing remark."

Tang Bei felt a slight letdown, but upon reflection, it was only natural; he was just a foreigner in this country.

John Liu smiled again and said, "However, the media is very interested in your 'four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds' technique and your center-of-gravity disruption move."

"Do any of them consider those techniques to be foul play?" Tang Bei asked.

"Not at all right now," John Liu replied.

At that moment, Eric Fleisher called to report that his jersey sales had continued to skyrocket over the past few days, with over three hundred units sold yesterday alone.

This was good news, indicating that his influence in Charlotte was steadily growing and his commercial value was beginning to manifest, which would aid his internal competition within the team.

Throughout the day, footage of Tang Bei shattering the basketball rim and single-handedly sending O'Neal flying into the spectators' seats appeared frequently on various television programs.

The media also dug up footage of his fights in CBA games, such as knocking out Ingram Bass with a single punch.

Although the opponents had always thrown the first punch in those instances, some media outlets engaged in malicious sensationalism by editing out the beginning and only broadcasting footage of Tang Bei striking back.

In Orlando, at O'Neal's home, the player and his agent were discussing the center-of-gravity disruption technique.

"How am I supposed to counter that?"

Techniques rooted in combat sports and martial arts completely exceeded O'Neal's scope of understanding, and he asked with a blank expression.

Leonard Armato said, "Don't worry, Shaq. I've already contacted an Aikido master and a Tai Chi master. They're on their way here, and I believe they will help you."

O'Neal nodded. Previously, he had no idea Tang Bei was using martial arts techniques, but now that he knew, he was indeed at a bit of a loss.

"I can't lose to that guy. He was throwing elbows at me like he wanted to kill me, and I have to beat him! I'm going to hit him back. Leonard, you have to help me. I want to learn kung fu."

"Don't worry, Shaq, I'll help you."