[System prompt activated: The following translation will strictly adhere to the specified rules for translating Chinese novels into English.]
【Congratulations to the host for achieving seven blocks in a single game, activating the Heavenly God Block skill】
At the same time, a system prompt sounded, and Tang Long felt he had it in the bag.
The next second, his gaze swept towards the data statistics on the stadium's big screen.
It was none other than himself. This game, he had already amassed 28 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 3 assists – a luxurious stat line.
"Damn it, only 13 rebounds so far, still two shy of activating the Rebound skill!"
Tang Long grumbled, then looked at the remaining game time, 2 minutes and 44 seconds.
In that span, grabbing two more rebounds to reach fifteen should not be difficult.
As Tang Long, who was determined to become a legendary NBA center, scoring fifteen rebounds and seven blocks in a single game, in addition to twenty-eight points.
This was a mission he absolutely had to complete, otherwise how could he live up to the title of "legend"?
In the next few possessions, Tang Long found opportunities and fought hard for rebounds.
Whether it was offensive rebounds or defensive rebounds, as long as the ball bounced loose, he went all out to grab it.
Finally, with only fifty-four seconds left in the game, Tang Long completed his second sub-task.
Achieving fifteen rebounds in a single game would activate a rebound-related skill.
【Congratulations to the host for grabbing fifteen rebounds in a single game, completing the second sub-task, and rewarding the host with the Absolute Rebound skill】
Absolute Rebound?
Tang Long subconsciously opened his skill tab and indeed saw he now had three skills.
【Hammer of Destruction】【Heavenly God Block】【Absolute Rebound】
These three skills: one for scoring, one for blocking, and one for rebounding.
For a center, with these three core skills and the ability to utilize them, he could be considered semi-invincible in the paint!
As long as he avoided double teams and special targeting, Tang Long could absolutely wreak havoc in the interior!
"Good, activating two new skills consecutively will make me even more formidable in the next game!"
Tang Long mused as he played out the rest of the game.
The Heat couldn't muster any more waves of offense. In the final fifty-four seconds, they were still trailing the Cavaliers by thirteen points.
To tie thirteen points and overtake the Cavaliers for a win in fifty-four seconds would require the heroic spirit of McGrady from back in the day to possess someone.
Unfortunately, Wade was just Wade; he couldn't transform into peak McGrady.
The game ended, and the referee blew his whistle.
The final score settled at 103:92, with the Cavaliers securing the victory.
Since Tang Long became a starter, the Cavaliers had won two consecutive games.
"Tang... my good friend, you dominated this game!"
James embraced Tang Long with a smile. Tang Long had ultimately finished with a luxurious stat line of 32 points, 15 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 3 assists.
In the final minute, Tang Long hadn't even played seriously, treating it as a warm-up on the court.
Yet, even so, Tang Long's personal stats were explosive.
Furthermore, playing the five position, his shooting efficiency was extremely high. When the ball reached Tang Long's hands, he always found a way to score.
Even with four fouls, Tang Long stepped to the free-throw line and only missed one shot.
Regarding free throws, Tang Long was still not great, a little bit behind center sharpshooters like Yao Ming.
Chinese fans all knew that Yao Ming had a very accurate shot, especially his career free-throw percentage, which was over 85%!
During the post-game pleasantries, Wade, looking unconvinced, walked up to Tang Long and patted his shoulder, saying, "Hey... Tang, you played great, but I won't concede just yet. The next time we meet the Cavaliers, victory will be ours."
Tang Long smiled at this, "Alright Dwyane, I look forward to our next matchup!"
"Okay, next time LeBron and you won't have such good luck."
"Haha..." Tang Long remained silent upon hearing Wade's words, but James chuckled beside him.
As players from the same draft class, they were very familiar with each other. Wade furrowed his brow and said seriously, "LeBron, don't celebrate too early. We'll meet again."
"Alright Dwyane, since you say so, Tang and I will await your challenge."
"That's the spirit, my brothers."
Wade then smiled. Tang Long and James both knew that "Uncle Wade" liked to showboat.
He had lost the game, so letting him show off and utter a few strong words to vent his frustration was acceptable, right?
They couldn't strip Uncle Wade of even that small privilege!
After the pleasantries, they proceeded to the post-game press conference.
The Cleveland reporters were very enthusiastic about Tang Long. In the past, whenever a game ended, reporters would habitually swarm towards James.
After all, he was the darling of the media; all fans worldwide knew that.
But ever since Tang Long's rise, with two consecutive games of brilliant performances, the Cleveland reporters seemed to lean towards interviewing Tang Long individually.
"Oh my god, China Tang, I have to say, you're a true basketball prodigy. You've delivered such a spectacular performance in your second start."
"I'm really curious, how long do you think you can maintain this hot streak?"
A white female reporter, dressed in a professional OL suit, wearing black-rimmed glasses, with a slightly aloof and mature demeanor, asked.
Tang Long blurted out, "Beautiful lady, your question is rather simplistic. What do you mean 'how long can I maintain it'? If you ask me to answer, I can only tell you that I will continue this hot streak until I retire!"
"Oh my god! China Tang, you're the most confident Chinese person I've ever met. There have been many players from your country in the NBA before, but their answers seemed different from yours."
The white female reporter immediately looked at Tang Long with great interest.
Before this, there had been several Chinese players who entered the NBA.
They were Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Mengke Bateer, and Hu Weidong, among others.
And they all retained the humility and low-key nature characteristic of Chinese people.
Unlike Tang Long, whose aura exuded confidence, causing the white female reporter to look at him with newfound respect.
Tang Long smiled, "Beautiful lady, times have changed. China has stood up and is now the world's second-largest economy. Should we still remain low-key? I don't think it's necessary. Whether in life or on the court, we Chinese will not let the world down!"
After Tang Long finished speaking, the white female reporter's eyes lit up.
She pursed her red lips slightly and revealed a smile with a hint of intrigue, "Okay, China Tang, I've got the answer I wanted. Thank you for accepting my interview. If I have the chance, I'd like to invite you to dinner, because chatting with you makes me feel a significant difference compared to other Chinese players."
As the white female reporter turned to leave, she winked at Tang Long.
Good heavens, Tang Long's heart skipped a beat, and he almost stumbled.
What was this American girl implying?
Was she trying to seduce me?
…