Facing the Heat, Looking to Limit Wade

"Yes..." Brandon Sasha didn't hide it and directly told Tang Long that she had just returned from a nightclub.

Tang Long expressed his understanding. Westerners tend to have a more vibrant nightlife.

Thinking back to the future bearded James Harden, he was a master of clubbing.

After signing a big contract in Houston, Harden went clubbing almost every night.

Besides Harden, Allen Iverson was also a nightclub enthusiast. As he put it, every time he came to Los Angeles to play, he would first visit the most luxurious nightclub in the city.

"What? Are you going to keep me standing at the door? Aren't you going to invite me into your room for a bit?"

Brandon Sasha spoke up again, wanting to spend some time in Tang Long's room.

Lately, she had been in a bad mood and just wanted to find a strong man to talk about life and dreams!

Brandon Sasha had a soft spot for Tang Long and even brought him breakfast from time to time.

Western women's aesthetic preferences are quite different from those of Eastern women.

They prefer strong, muscular men, and Tang Long's height and build perfectly matched Sasha's taste.

Tang Long was taken aback. It was late at night, and she wanted to come to his room? What was she thinking?

Could it be that she wanted to...?

He wasn't that kind of man. Although he could be wild when he wanted to, tonight he was exhausted from playing against the Wizards and just wanted to rest.

Moreover, they had a game against the Miami Heat in two days, and he would be starting again.

"Miss Brandon, I'm a bit tired. Is there something urgent you need to discuss in my room? Or can we talk tomorrow?"

Tang Long subtly hinted that it was time for her to leave.

"You're such a stingy guy! Are you men from Long Country afraid of women? Every time you see me, you act like I'm the plague. I really don't understand you guys!"

Brandon Sasha was clearly annoyed. She then picked up her bag and headed back to the main house.

"Fine, I'll come see you tomorrow. I've had a lot to drink tonight, and I'm not feeling too well."

Brandon Sasha's breath carried a mix of fragrance and alcohol, which wafted into Tang Long's nose like an intoxicating potion.

Watching Brandon Sasha disappear from sight, Tang Long shook his head, washed up, and went straight to bed.

The next morning, he was awakened by the ringing of his phone.

It was James calling, asking him to come to the arena for another day of training.

Playing in the NBA meant enduring intense training sessions. Fortunately, Tang Long had the system, which gave him a strong physique. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to handle the grueling routine.

Training started at 8 a.m. and lasted until around 7 p.m., after which everyone gradually left.

During training, James and Tang Long had a long conversation.

The gist of it was that James wanted Tang Long to stay in Cleveland so they could chase a championship together!

On the other hand, Tang Long's contract was about to expire. If he stayed in Cleveland, he would need to re-sign with the Cavaliers.

This was an opportunity to put up some impressive performances and secure a full mid-level exception contract with the Cavaliers.

That contract would be worth nearly $10 million a year.

That was what Tang Long hoped for, though of course, landing a max contract would be the best outcome.

However, Tang Long knew that expecting a max contract based on just a few good performances was wishful thinking.

The Cavaliers' management wasn't stupid. They wouldn't offer him a max contract just because of a few standout games.

In today's NBA, only the superstars could command max contracts.

For now, Tang Long needed to focus on how to develop his game and put up even better performances to quickly become one of the most valuable players in the league!

When that day came, max contracts would come chasing after him, and he wouldn't have to worry about it. The top teams would be lining up to offer him deals.

With these thoughts in mind, Tang Long went out to grab some food. Tomorrow night, they would face the Miami Heat at the Quicken Loans Arena.

In 2007, the Heat's performance was lackluster.

Sure, in the 2005-06 season, the Miami Heat had defeated the Dallas Mavericks to win the championship.

But two years later, the Heat had fallen from grace and were nowhere near their former glory.

Moreover, Shaquille O'Neal had been traded and was now playing for the Phoenix Suns.

The Heat were left with only Dwyane Wade. In 2010, the Heat would rise again, forming a Big Three and winning back-to-back NBA championships!

But that was all in the future. Tang Long had traveled back to this era and was now playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If he and James could win a championship before 2010, Tang Long believed James would never betray Cleveland and leave for Miami.

...

November 16, 2007.

At 10 p.m., the Quicken Loans Arena was packed, with 20,000 fans in attendance.

Playing at home, the Cavaliers wore their white jerseys, while the Miami Heat were in black.

In the player tunnel, Tang Long caught sight of Dwyane "The Flash" Wade.

When it came to NBA players who loved to show off, Wade was definitely near the top of the list.

He and Gilbert Arenas were cut from the same cloth—both loved to put on a show on the court.

Wade's signature "Eurostep" move had earned him countless fans, and his style was undeniably flashy.

"Kid, I remember you. You played great last game. Tonight, I hope you can keep up that hot streak."

During warm-ups, Wade deliberately walked over to Tang Long, his big cheeks moving as he spoke.

"Hey, Dwyane, I've had my eye on you too. You're a great player, and I'll definitely bring my A-game tonight against you."

Tang Long smiled at Wade, showing no signs of intimidation.

They were all in the same league. Who was afraid of whom?

Wade's Eurostep was indeed impressive, but Tang Long wasn't worried. If Wade dared to drive into the paint tonight, Tang Long would be ready to block him.

Seeing the smile on Tang Long's face, Wade couldn't help but grin as well.

"Kid, I know what you're thinking. You know I'm good at driving to the basket, so you're planning to camp in the paint and block me, right?"

In his early years, Wade's scoring relied heavily on his elusive drives to the basket. He wasn't known for his jump shots.

Not only that, but Wade was also one of the best shot-blocking guards in the league.

His help-side blocks had stunned many.

Plenty of big men had fallen victim to Wade's blocks. In his youth, he was a true high-flyer, often compared to a slightly shorter Michael Jordan.

Wade was fast, explosive, and had incredible leaping ability. When he charged toward the basket, he was like a smaller version of LeBron James.

The paint was Wade's primary scoring area.

Tonight, facing Wade, Tang Long would have his hands full.

If Wade dared to drive into the paint, Tang Long was ready to serve up a few big blocks.

Now that Wade had seen through his plan, Tang Long smiled and said, "Dwyane, since you already know, why bother saying it out loud? Yes, I won't hide it. I know you're great at driving to the basket, but tonight you might want to hold back a bit, because I'll be waiting for you under the rim!"

"Kid, you think you can stop me?"

Wade was dismissive. Just a rookie from Long Country? How good could he really be?

"Kid, it's not that I look down on you, but there's no way you can stop my drives!"

Wade was brimming with confidence, fully believing in his ability to blow past defenders and dunk on big men.

He thought, dunking on a big guy like you from Long Country would be a piece of cake.

Little did he know, tonight's game would be a humbling experience, courtesy of Tang Long.