The game ended and went out to fight, I asked if Haywood dared.
Tang Long's attitude was tough, this should be the standard way of playing basketball and fighting.
If you disagree, you just fight. Life and death are insignificant, and if you're not convinced, you fight.
Tang Long's toughness shocked outsiders.
Haywood didn't dare to say anything for a while. Looking at Tang Long's tall and sturdy physique, he felt that fighting Tang Long would be a death wish.
"Oh my god! Tang... please calm down. This is a basketball court, this is the NBA, not some messy slum."
James pulled Tang Long aside.
"Beep!"
At this moment, the referee blew the whistle, calling a technical foul on Tang Long.
Similarly, Haywood also received a technical foul.
Fortunately, the two didn't actually fight, otherwise they would have been ejected by the referee.
The farce ended, and the game continued as usual.
Perhaps intimidated by Tang Long's tough attitude, Haywood didn't dare to provoke Tang Long again in the next few possessions.
Tang Long couldn't be bothered to argue with him. According to the memories of his previous life, coming to America and entering the NBA was all for the purpose of becoming the most valuable player on this planet.
Tang Long worked tirelessly for this goal.
When the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game, the Cleveland Cavaliers easily defeated the Washington Wizards with a score of 104:92.
Tang Long, making his first start, scored 26 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists in the game.
In the eyes of some, these statistics were not particularly outstanding, but don't forget that this was Tang Long's first start.
To achieve such statistics in his debut start was definitely worthy of affirmation.
James scored a team-high 36 points, along with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden also played well.
This easy victory was inseparable from the efforts of every teammate.
On the Wizards' side, Arenas scored the highest.
He had 31 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
In addition, Caron Butler, closely guarded by Tang Long, was unable to provide much help to his team in this game.
Three of Tang Long's five blocks were against Caron Butler, one was against Haywood, and one was against Arenas.
The absolute defense in the paint was slowly being activated by Tang Long.
It's worth remembering that Murasakibara Atsushi, guarding the basket, was an extremely terrifying presence in the Kuroko's Basketball world.
Currently, having just merged with Murasakibara Atsushi's template, Tang Long was still getting a handle on it.
As he became more familiar with it in the future, and unleashed Murasakibara Atsushi's super defensive power, he would surely become a nightmare for opponents in terms of blocks and team defense!
"Oh my god! Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. The reason we won so easily today is thanks to Tang's amazing performance."
As everyone returned to the locker room, James was the first to praise Tang Long's performance.
He was practically in an invincible state, with five blocks, making him an absolute inside presence.
"Tang... your performance was indeed outstanding. You are the second player from Long Country to rise in the NBA after Yao. Let us congratulate you in advance on your great achievements here!"
Head coach Mike Brown also fully endorsed Tang Long's performance, comparing him to the "little giant" Yao Ming.
"Coach Brown, I think Tang should continue to start. Da Z's injury is clearly not going to heal in a day or two. The team needs Tang right now."
James stated it clearly, wanting Tang Long to continue starting in the next game against the Miami Heat.
"Okay, I will." Mike Brown immediately nodded.
In the Cavaliers, James was the absolute core.
The team's management valued him extremely highly, after all, he was the new generation emperor of basketball.
In contrast, head coach Mike Brown's status in the Cavaliers couldn't compare to James.
If James was unhappy, the team management would dare to fire Mike Brown.
Therefore, in front of others, Mike Brown was very respectful of James, and he generally did not refute James's words.
Tang Long also knew the importance of James to the Cavaliers. In this Cavaliers team, as long as he had a good relationship with James, he would definitely not suffer.
At the post-game press conference, reporters from Washington hounded Tang Long, with almost everyone scrambling to interview him.
The "genius Chinese center" title was immediately bestowed upon Tang Long.
The frantic interviews with Tang Long by various media outlets also made him quickly become famous.
No one could have imagined that Tang Long, who was just a benchwarmer in the previous game, would become famous overnight in the game against the Wizards!
This minor burst of popularity had not yet reached Chinese fans.
It would take time for Chinese fans to gradually notice Tang Long's rise.
Moreover, according to the memories of his previous life, Tang Long learned that he had performed exceptionally well in the World Championships last year, and was then discovered by American scouts who brought him into the NBA.
This news had alerted many Chinese fans last year, hoping that Tang Long could achieve success in the NBA like Yao Ming.
Unlike Yi Jianlian, who joined the Milwaukee Bucks as the sixth overall pick in the offseason draft, his performance was unsatisfactory.
Yi Jianlian was currently playing for the Bucks, but his performance was not good, and he was heavily hyped by domestic media, leading to some Chinese fans developing resistance towards Yi Jianlian.
As for Tang Long, who had entered the NBA a year earlier than Yi Jianlian, he had been a benchwarmer for the Cavaliers.
Correspondingly, domestic media reports about Tang Long were often brief, without much hype.
Unlike Yi Jianlian, his draft position was very high, sixth overall, and he was very popular in China, with many fans supporting him.
Popularity brings controversy. With many fans supporting Yi Jianlian, his unsatisfactory performance in the Bucks naturally led to more "haters."
"Sigh! I hope I don't end up like Yi Jianlian, being mocked by domestic fans!"
Tang Long couldn't help but smile at this thought.
As someone who had transmigrated from 2022, he was too familiar with the NBA growth experiences of Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming.
Afterward, the Cavaliers took their team plane back to Cleveland.
Outside the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Tang Long hailed a taxi and returned to his rented apartment.
Because he was a bench player initially, his contract with the Cavaliers for one year didn't pay much.
After a year, it was $250,000, and after taxes, there wasn't much left.
Tang Long rented an apartment in the suburbs of Cleveland.
His landlady was an old woman with three daughters. The youngest daughter was still unmarried and quite pretty.
Sometimes, she would flirt with Tang Long, making him very embarrassed.
American women were naturally open. Encountering an oriental hunk like Tang Long, it was reasonable for them to be unable to resist flirting a little.
"Hey! You're back so late, did you go on another road trip?"
The landlady's youngest daughter, named Sasha Brandon, was a woman of charm.
She was twenty-five years old, five years older than Tang Long.
Just like in Hollywood movies, Sasha Brandon was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, and a voluptuous figure, possessing the sexy charm of Western women.
Every time he faced Sasha Brandon, Tang Long couldn't help but steal glances at her.
There was no way around it. Sasha Brandon was very much like the Kardashian sisters, especially her large buttocks, which were truly a man's kryptonite.
At this moment, Tang Long wasn't surprised to see Sasha Brandon appear at the door.
This woman loved going to nightclubs and stayed up late. She must have just returned from a club, and then discovered he had just come home.
Composing himself, Tang Long withdrew his gaze and replied in fluent English, "Yes, Miss Brandon, we played an away game tonight. And you? Just got back from the club?"