"So, I heard you're the Jordan who's five centimeters shorter?"

The game began.

The Cavaliers' starting lineup remained unchanged: Larry Hughes, Alexander Pavlovic, LeBron James, Drew Gooden, and Tang Long.

As for the Miami Heat, their starting lineup for the night was as follows:

Point Guard: Jason Williams.

Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade.

Small Forward: Shawn Marion, affectionately known as the "Long-Armed Ape" by Chinese fans due to his incredibly long wingspan, which made him resemble a big, lanky gorilla.

Power Forward: Udonis Haslem.

This man was the heart and soul of the Heat. Even in later years, after LeBron left and both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade retired, Haslem remained loyal to the Miami Heat.

Having played for the Heat for so many years, he was revered by fans as the team's spiritual leader.

Center: Joel Anthony.

This guy had moved from the bench to the starting lineup after Shaquille O'Neal left the Heat.

He was a blue-collar player for the Heat, rough on offense but decent on defense.

Coach Pat Riley put him in the game precisely because of his defensive skills.

Of course, both Haslem and Marion were solid defenders. In fact, thanks to his long arms, Marion was a beast on the boards.

Averaging 11.2 rebounds per game, he was the Heat's undisputed rebounding king!

Even Haslem, who played in the post, couldn't outrebound Marion.

Soon after, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the players to gather at center court for the jump ball.

To Tang Long's surprise, it wasn't Haslem who jumped against him, but the long-armed Marion.

"You're Tang, right? I heard you went off against the Wizards last game?"

Marion taunted Tang Long, his long arms giving Tang a bit of pressure.

"Come on, buddy, let's see how I grab rebounds over your head."

As soon as the referee tossed the ball into the air, Marion leaped.

Not only did he have an insane wingspan, but his vertical leap was impressive too.

The ball almost tipped toward the Heat's side, but thanks to Tang Long's super fusion system, he managed to hold his ground.

With the terrifying abilities of Murasakibara Atsushi, Tang wasn't overshadowed by Marion.

"Shawn, I'll admit your arms are ridiculous, but in the face of absolute strength, your little advantage is just a gimmick."

Tang tipped the ball toward the Cavaliers' side and fired back at Marion.

He wasn't one to back down. Having traveled back from 2022 to 2007, Tang felt like an adult among children.

With his knowledge of the future, he was naturally a step ahead of everyone else in this era, both in mindset and vision.

Marion was visibly annoyed. He had expected to dominate Tang on the boards, but instead, he was the one who came up short.

"Don't worry, bro. You two handle the big guy. Don't let him score in the post!"

Wade chimed in, instructing Marion and Haslem to lock down Tang in the post and prevent him from scoring at will, like he did against Haywood.

On the other side, Larry Hughes brought the ball up to the top of the key and passed it to James, letting him drive and create.

Marion was guarding James one-on-one, and his defense was rock solid.

James tried to drive but couldn't find any rhythm.

"Is LeBron already shut down by Shawn on the first play?"

The commentator observed the situation and said, "Shawn isn't an easy guy to get past. Does LeBron need to call for a pick?"

He was right. James' drives often relied on screens.

Drew Gooden, reading the play perfectly, immediately set a high screen for James.

Now with some space, James blew past Marion and charged into the paint.

He initially thought about kicking it out, but seeing the wide-open lane, he didn't hesitate.

James took off, cradling the ball in one hand, and slammed it home with authority!

"Boom!!"

The arena erupted as the Cavaliers scored their first bucket of the game.

James' emphatic dunk ignited the crowd.

It was just one basket, but the Heat weren't worried.

Despite their losing streak to start the season, they remained calm. With Wade on their side, Heat fans believed they always had a chance to turn things around.

"Dwyane, take it to them! Give LeBron a taste of his own medicine!"

"Don't forget, you're the Jordan who's five centimeters shorter!"

Miami fans roared, claiming Wade was the shorter version of Michael Jordan.

In the NBA, Wade was indeed widely regarded as the "Mini Jordan."

"Tap, tap, tap!"

Wade dribbled the ball with rhythm. As a guard, his handles were undoubtedly sharper than James'.

His defender, Alexander, stood no chance against Wade's drive.

In 2007, this was Wade's prime—the man who had given up part of his meniscus for the league!

"Oh my God! The Flash strikes again! Dwyane blows past Alexander with ease and charges into the paint!"

"Now, there's a big man waiting for him in the lane! Oh… I almost forgot to mention, this big guy is the Cavaliers' secret weapon. In their last game against the Wizards, this Chinese giant gave the Cavs a huge surprise!"

"Especially his defense—it's been rock solid. But can this Chinese big man contain Dwyane's drive?"

The Heat commentator was hyped, but in the next moment, Wade drove into the paint.

Without hesitation, Wade took off, completely disregarding who was in front of him, and attempted a ferocious dunk over Tang Long!

"Trying to dunk on me? Did you ask for my permission? Get the hell down!"

In his frustration, Tang even let out some Chinese expletives.

He wasn't worried about pissing off Wade since he spoke in Chinese, and Wade wouldn't understand.

"Smack!"

Wade's attempted dunk was met with a massive hand that stopped the ball dead in its tracks.

"What…"

Wade was stunned, as were the Miami fans in the American Airlines Arena.

Even Pat Riley was shocked. This Chinese kid was something else—blocking Wade's dunk on the first play?

Swish!

Wade realized he had been too careless. He didn't see it coming and was completely shut down by Tang.

"Thud!"

Due to the momentum of his drive and Tang's mid-air rejection, Wade tumbled to the floor.

The referees didn't blow the whistle—it was a clean block and a successful defensive stop.

"Tang… my God, you're incredible! He actually blocked Dwyane's dunk! He blocked the so-called 'Jordan who's five centimeters shorter'!"

Alexander was in awe. Just moments ago, he had been懊恼 about getting blown by Wade.

Wade had embarrassed him, using his speed to leave him in the dust. If the Heat scored, it would've been on him.

But to his surprise, Tang had his back.

Wade's drive was useless, as Tang sent his shot flying and left him sprawled on the floor.

At this moment, Wade couldn't help but feel utterly humiliated.

...