"Tang Long, hello, I am Guo Qiang from the country, and this is our national team head coach, Mr. Jonas."
"Hello."
Tang Long shook hands with the two and was curious about the national team head coach appearing outside the stadium.
Of course.
Tang Long also knew that his current performance would definitely lead to him being called up to the national team. The Basketball Association had sent people over before, but he didn't expect Jonas and Guo Qiang to be in the United States now.
"I believe you also know the reason we are in the United States."
"I can guess a little."
Tang Long nodded and was about to continue their conversation when scattered fans came out of the stadium. Seeing Tang Long, they enthusiastically ran over and insisted on taking photos with him.
After finally dealing with the fans, seeing that Guo Qiang still wanted to continue, Tang Long suggested, "It's a bit inconvenient to chat at the stadium entrance, isn't it? I'll take you to a good place."
Tang Long took Jonas and Guo Qiang to a famous quiet bar in Cleveland. It was the time when people got off work and went for a drink. There were quite a few people coming and going in the bar. Seeing Tang Long appear, many greeted him.
The advantage of being here was that after greeting and taking photos with fans, people saw that he had guests with him and generally did not come to disturb them anymore.
After dealing with the fans, Tang Long finally beckoned the waiter over.
"The beer here is very authentic, you should try it."
Guo Qiang was stunned for a moment, and then his tense emotions gradually relaxed.
Drinking sessions always made things easier. He had thought that Tang Long would change some of his habits from Long Country after arriving in the United States.
The three of them clinked glasses, and after a few sips of wine, they were no longer so reserved.
"Tang Long, the country really needs you. This time we are hosting the Olympics at home. If basketball can win a medal, we will achieve a breakthrough in team sports. This is definitely a grand undertaking."
"Your people have already expressed this before. I have no problem serving the country."
Tang Long did not mention the poor attitude of those two people. With his current level of fame, it was really unnecessary. He was clearly too petty.
Guo Qiang was very happy to hear Tang Long say this.
After all, he was a little different from Yao Ming.
Yao Ming came from Long Country and was cultivated domestically, but Tang Long was different. He gained his fame through the NBA himself. He owed no one anything. Therefore, Guo Qiang persuaded Tang Long on the basis of national righteousness.
"Tang Long, to be honest, we are very happy for you to join the national team, but there is one issue I need to tell you first."
Guo Qiang looked at Jonas and slowly said, "Your position and Yao Ming's position overlap a bit. Playing with two centers is not impossible, but if there are tactical adjustments, you may have to play other positions."
"Power forward?"
Point guard was obviously not suitable for him. If he didn't play center, he could only switch to power forward.
Guo Qiang looked at Jonas.
Jonas had not spoken directly to Tang Long since they met. Now that Guo Qiang looked over, Jonas slowly said, "The specific tactics will be decided after you join the team and we conduct a systematic analysis. Therefore, Coach Guo and I came to the United States not only to understand your playing style better but also to have you join the team as soon as possible, so that we have enough time to gel."
"I will go back immediately after the games here are played. You can rest assured about this."
Having reached this point, Guo Qiang knew that if he asked Tang Long to return home early, it might anger Tang Long. He exchanged a look with Jonas, and they nodded.
"Besides this, we have another matter. We came not only to understand you better but also to observe these players in the United States. So, we might go to Los Angeles next."
Tang Long suddenly realized.
Sun Yue was on the Lakers, and there was no Kobe Bryant there. Kobe would definitely participate in the Olympics this year.
Thinking of Kobe, Tang Long involuntarily thought of LeBron James.
This guy was calling to participate in the Olympics. Besides national honor, he was probably also trying to compete with Kobe. After all, as a top star in the league, Kobe was definitely someone everyone wanted to catch up to.
Having decided to return to the country to participate in the competition, Tang Long called Yao Ming again.
Yao Ming had already returned to China. He briefly introduced the teammates to Tang Long.
With a general understanding, Tang Long was filled with excitement for this Olympics.
At this critical juncture, the Cavaliers welcomed another contender from the East.
The Magic.
In their previous encounter, the focus was mostly on who between Tang Long and Howard would be the successor to the best center. As a result, Tang Long's outstanding performance left Howard completely outplayed.
However, the Magic performed better in the playoffs, and with one less game played, they had a physical advantage over the Cavaliers, which made Howard feel confident again.
In a pre-game interview, Howard stated that in the playoffs, advancement depended on the excellent performance of every player on the team. The Cavaliers relied too much on Tang Long and James. As long as Tang Long and James were contained, the Cavaliers would become headless knights, only able to miss shots on the court.
Howard had learned his lesson this time and did not directly provoke Tang Long, but the implied meaning was clearly the same.
Following this, a reporter, armed with Howard's interview, added fuel to the fire and asked Tang Long for his opinion on Howard's remarks.
"Too bad, no matter how well he speaks, he still lost to us."
The reporter was excited.
With such strong tension before the game, the match would definitely be fiery. As long as they captured more confrontations between the two sides, sales for the month would be guaranteed.
Carrying this intense atmosphere, the Cavaliers welcomed their second Eastern opponent at the Quicken Loans Arena.
The Magic.
When Tang Long and Howard stepped onto the tip-off line, Howard spoke first, "Tang, we meet again. This time won't be like last time."
Tang Long said with a smile, "Like last time?"
"Losing to you..."
Before the word "men" could leave his mouth, Howard realized that Tang Long was definitely doing it on purpose.
He glared at Tang Long fiercely, bent his knees, and stared, waiting for the referee's whistle to start the game perfectly.
BEEP.
With a whistle, Tang Long and Howard jumped almost simultaneously.
This time, Howard was clearly fully prepared. When he jumped, he leaned his whole body against Tang Long. As a result, Tang Long, who had jumped, was pushed off course by Howard. The ball was passed by Howard to Rasheed Wallace.
Rasheed Wallace was a player with distinctive characteristics, capable of driving and shooting, with excellent explosiveness. His tomahawk dunk had captivated countless fans.
After receiving the pass from Howard, Rasheed Wallace drove to the Cavaliers' basket and executed a graceful one-handed layup, which drew cheers from many fans.