Kick His Ass

After the press conference, Tang Long returned to his residence.

Fortunately, he didn't run into his landlord's daughter tonight, or she would have definitely pestered him again.

The next morning, Tang Long went to practice as usual.

In addition, the Cavaliers were also trying to get Zydrunas Ilgauskas back as soon as possible.

Once Ilgauskas recovered from his injury, either he or Tang Long would have to make a sacrifice.

Would Ilgauskas continue to start at center, or would he come off the bench and back up Tang Long, a rookie?

This was something the Cavaliers' management needed to coordinate, and they would at least need to inform Ilgauskas himself.

James and Coach Mike Brown's idea was to have Ilgauskas return from injury and directly become Tang Long's backup.

It was clear to anyone with eyes that Tang Long's value and talent on both ends of the court far exceeded Ilgauskas'.

With Tang Long on the team, the Cavaliers had maintained their energy and competitiveness!

Having Tang Long back up Ilgauskas would be a waste of his talent.

Since entering the league in 2003, James had been eager to win a championship. He desperately wanted to bring the first Larry O'Brien Trophy to his hometown team.

So in his eyes, having Tang Long start and Ilgauskas come off the bench was the most suitable arrangement.

He had also shared these thoughts with Coach Mike Brown, who fully agreed with James' plan.

The next step was to prepare Ilgauskas mentally and inform the Cavaliers' management.

In the afternoon, after practice, James approached Tang Long and said, "Hey, Tang... I want to ask you, how long is left on your contract with the team?"

Tang Long was taken aback and asked, "LeBron, why do you ask?"

"Oh! Nothing, I just think it's time for you to renew your contract. What do you think?"

James had finally found a strong teammate and couldn't let Tang Long be snatched away by another team.

If Tang Long left the Cavaliers after his contract expired, James would regret it for the rest of his life.

Tang Long thought for a moment and said, "LeBron, my contract should expire in about half a month."

"Oh, I see. Alright, I'll help you talk to the management and get them to offer you a sincere contract. How does that sound?"

Tang Long smiled and said, "LeBron, of course, that's fine. If they're not sincere, then I'll have no choice but to pack up and leave."

James immediately shook his head like a rattle.

No way! Anyone could leave the Cavaliers, but not him and Tang Long. He was counting on Tang Long to help him win a championship!

After two games of outstanding performances, James had come to fully recognize Tang Long's abilities.

"Tang... don't worry. With me on the team, the management won't be insincere. Wait for my good news."

"By the way, I'll also introduce you to an agent. Who do you want as your agent?"

James asked.

In the NBA, there were several top agents.

James' agent was Rich Paul, a guy who knew how to get things done. But because he was so shrewd, many players didn't like him.

Agents like Bill Duffy represented players like Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony, and Steve Nash.

But Bill Duffy, while a nice guy, wasn't as sharp as Rich Paul when it came to business.

"An agent? That's fine. My only requirement is to sign a big contract and make enough money to retire back home."

"Haha..." James laughed at Tang Long's words. "Tang, with the way you're playing now, making a lot of money is a given. You'll have no problem retiring back home."

"Alright, then help me with the agent. I'm not too familiar with that."

"Sure." James readily agreed.

After saying goodbye to James, Tang Long returned to his residence.

In half a month, he would be signing a big contract, and he planned to bring his parents to the U.S. to live with him.

Although they weren't his real parents in this life, since he had traveled back in time and taken over this body, he would treat them as his own.

With these thoughts in mind, Tang Long fell asleep.

The next game would be a tough one.

After checking the schedule at the practice facility, Tang Long couldn't help but frown.

Their next game would be at the TD Garden in Boston, where they would face the Celtics' Big Three!

In 2007, the Celtics' Big Three had just been formed.

That season, the Big Three defeated Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers to win the championship!

Of course, only Tang Long knew this insider information, as he had traveled back from 2022 and was a die-hard NBA fan. He was well aware of the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics!

Facing the Celtics' Big Three would be a significant challenge for Tang Long.

They weren't as easy to handle as the Wizards or the Heat.

The Celtics' ironclad defense during this period was considered the best in the league!

"The Celtics' Big Three... I have to defeat them. If I can't get past them, how can I reach the Finals to face the Lakers?"

Tang Long thought to himself. He knew that if he and James wanted to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they would have to overcome the Celtics.

And then there were the Detroit Pistons, who were also a strong team around 2007.

Although the Pistons didn't have any superstars, they played a very disciplined team basketball, especially on defense, which was just as tough as the Celtics'.

In other words, if you wanted to make a name for yourself in the East around 2007, you had to beat both the Celtics' Big Three and the Pistons.

With these thoughts in mind, Tang Long fell asleep.

The date was November 18, 2007.

On this day, the Cavaliers took the team plane to the historic city of Boston.

As soon as they landed, a light rain began to fall.

The TD Garden loomed before them.

A little old man with a cane and a big cigar in his mouth stood as the Celtics' mascot.

The Cavaliers and Celtics weren't exactly rivals. Over the years, the two teams hadn't had many opportunities to become rivals.

But now things were different. The Celtics had assembled a formidable Big Three.

And the Cavaliers had suddenly gained a breakout player in Tang Long. The intensity of this game was sure to be off the charts.

As the Cavaliers entered the locker room, they were met with a barrage of insults from Celtics fans.

This city, much like San Antonio, wasn't very welcoming to outsiders.

Especially in Boston and San Antonio, racial discrimination in the U.S. was particularly severe.

"Damn, they're here! That tall Asian kid, did you see him? They say he's the rising China Tang!"

"Sh*t... who cares if he's China Tang or China Dragon? When he comes to Boston, he's going to get schooled!"

"Just watch, in tonight's game, KG and Perkins are going to kick that Chinese kid's ass. Let's wait and see!"

The Boston fans were trashing Tang Long, claiming that Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins would dominate him in the paint.