"Brother Dong, Brother Hu..."
When he came out, he spotted Zhao Dong and the others and waved from a distance.
"Dazhi, you're finally here," Hu Weidong said, walking over to help him with his suitcase.
"Great."
After Dazhi came over, Yao Ming quickly greeted him.
"Hey."
Dazhi glanced at Yao Ming and nodded politely.
"You guys have met before, right?" Zhao Dong asked.
"I've seen him, but we never really talked, haha," Yao Ming said with a smile.
Dazhi also nodded and smiled. "I saw him at the National Games. Man, he was so tall — left a big impression on me."
"Alright, let's roll."
Zhao Dong invited the three of them into his Hummer.
Once they were all inside and driving, Zhao Dong asked, "Dazhi, how's your English practice coming along?"
"It's alright. I've been talking with a few trainers in English," Dazhi answered quickly.
"Learning English is all about being in the right environment. I pretty much mastered it this season," Hu Weidong said, grinning.
"Can you talk trash already?" Zhao Dong chuckled.
"Hehe..."
Dazhi laughed. "They taught me a bit, but I'm not that good at it yet."
"Don't force it. Just don't let their trash talk mess with you," Zhao Dong reminded him.
"Got it," Dazhi replied.
When they got home, Lindsay and the workers had already prepared dinner.
That night, Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals tipped off.
The Jazz ended up beating the Lakers, winning the Western Conference championship and making the Finals for the second straight year — this time to battle the Knicks for the ring.
At three o'clock the next afternoon, the Knicks touched down in Salt Lake City, home of the Jazz, locking into Finals mode.
That night, NBC aired a big NBA show.
Marv Albert and Matt Goukas hosted, with special guests like Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Scottie Pippen joining in.
Marv Albert opened, "First, let's talk about the Bulls getting knocked out of the Eastern Conference Finals. Honestly, I was surprised in Game 4, the Knicks crushed the Bulls after benching two guards and ditching Ben Wallace, Fortson, and Billups. Was that small-ball tactic really that nasty? Coach Riley, let's hear it from you first."
"OK," Pat Riley nodded, a slight cold smile flashing across his sharp face.
"At the critical moment, Nelson pulled out a beautiful tactic. Positionless basketball that's been his concept for years," Riley said.
"That's your philosophy too," Marv Albert pointed out.
Pat Riley chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. He found the perfect player to execute that style — Zhao Dong. His success really inspired me too. It proved that going positionless is absolutely doable.
Back to that game — Phil Jackson and the Bulls just got caught slippin'. Rodman and Ewing both got dropped by Zhao Dong, and that's why the Bulls lost Game 4... and the whole series."
"So how should the Bulls have handled that tactic?" Marv Albert asked.
Pat Riley leaned in thoughtfully. "There were two ways Zhao Dong hit them. When the Bulls had Ewing on the floor, Zhao Dong played on the perimeter, using that crazy first step to blow by Ewing and knock him out.
Then, once the Bulls' inside was gutted, Jackson had no choice but to move Jordan inside — and Zhao Dong posted up, creating a mismatch nightmare again and took Jordan out too."
He shook his head and looked at Magic Johnson. "Earvin, you could play all five spots, but Zhao Dong's mismatch advantages inside and out... they're on a whole other level. That's what makes him scary."
Magic Johnson nodded. "Old Nelson's game plan maxed out everything Zhao Dong could do, and the Bulls didn't have the bodies to deal with it. It exposed a big hole in their lineup — and once Nelson saw it, it was over."
Popovich chimed in, "I think there's something else too. The Bulls' defense wasn't tough enough. Against Zhao Dong's kind of pressure, you gotta foul hard — real hard — to slow him down."
Pippen shook his head. "Foul how? The perimeter guys can't even touch him, the bigs can't stay with him, even Karl Malone's elbows didn't faze him."
Popovich wanted to say "step on his foot," but swallowed it.
Marv Albert pulled the convo back. "So now what I want to know is, does this tactic work against other squads too?"
Pat Riley answered, "If you don't have a first-tier defensive big man, yeah, you're in trouble. Zhao Dong's either bullying your bigs down low, or he's blowing past them and dunking on your head. If you can't protect the rim, you're toast."
"Any flaws in this tactic?" Marv Albert asked again.
Larry Bird finally spoke up. "The Knicks' small-ball lineup in Game 4 actually had a lot of flaws. They didn't have real outside shooters — Charlie Ward and Chris Childs had limited offense, and John Starks was inconsistent.
If the Bulls still had a strong inside game, they could've double-teamed Zhao Dong down low, forced him to kick it out. The Knicks couldn't really shoot — that would've broken the whole tactic down."
Everyone nodded.
Magic Johnson sighed. "The Bulls gambled big by trading for Ewing — lost big too. If they hadn't traded for him and that fat $20 million salary, they could've gotten a few solid bigs and role players to better match up against Zhao Dong's style."
Truth was, when the Knicks lost three reliable scorers — Hu, Allan Houston, and Larry Johnson — the Bulls had their shot.
But in the end, they still fell to Zhao Dong and Nelson's playbook.
At this time, Marv Albert said, "So what do you think, let's talk about it right now. Can the Jazz handle this tactic? Oh yeah, Coach Nelson calls it the two-headed snake tactic. Not a great name though, you know. Zhao Dong's a dragon, not a snake."
"Haha…"
Matt Goukas laughed and said, "You could call it the two-headed dragon tactic. As for the Jazz? Man, no suspense here."
"Why's that?" Marv Albert asked with a grin.
Larry Bird laughed, "Look, this season, Karl Malone cracked somebody's ribs with his elbow again. But his elbow ain't gonna do a damn thing against the Tyrant. Zhao Dong's a whole different animal. Without the Mailman carrying them, the Jazz are basically cooked. Honestly, I don't even think the Knicks need to run the two-headed snake or dragon plays."
"I feel the same way. The Jazz lost to the Knicks last year, and they haven't made any real upgrades," Pat Riley added.
Gregg Popovich shook his head and said, "The Jazz might look the same, but the Knicks have changed a lot this year. They… uh, haven't exactly, ahem—"
He caught himself — he was about to mention Ewing missing the Finals but remembered Ewing wasn't there last year either. So he shifted quickly:
"They gave up on Ben Wallace, Fortson, and Billups late in the Eastern Conference Finals.
That pretty much means their roster moves this season flopped.
Plus, those three injured guys might not even come back. They're still stuck on the injury list.
Honestly, their roster's thin as hell. They only beat the Bulls because of that two-headed snake tactic that threw Chicago off guard.
I think Karl Malone can bang bodies with Zhao Dong down low. He's tough enough.
Plus, the Jazz got a more stable squad, so they'll have the edge."
The others nodded along.
Scottie Pippen chimed in, "Yeah, the injuries definitely hurt the Knicks. But the Bulls didn't lose just 'cause they got caught off guard. Our lineup was messed up. We made the wrong trade."
That got everybody laughing.
Pippen waved his hands, laughing too. "Hey, hey, I'm not talking about my trade! I mean trading Ewing. That wrecked the team. Off the bench, we only had Kerr left, and he didn't step up like a real sixth man this year. No bench depth — that made the Bulls' fall inevitable."
After that show aired, the Knicks' team hotel got rowdy.
A bunch of Jazz fans swarmed outside, yelling and making a scene, trying to mess with the Knicks' sleep.
Inside, Zhao Dong and Charles Oakley were rooming together. Zhao Dong looked out the window, shook his head, and said, "Charles, these clowns really think the Jazz can beat us?"
"Dream on," Oakley said, not even looking up.
The two of them shut the windows tight, drew the curtains, popped in their earplugs, and got ready to knock out.
"Zhao Dong, I'm out after this season. I've decided," Oakley suddenly said.
Zhao Dong was caught off guard for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, management's probably looking to flip Fortson anyway. And even if they don't, your starting spot ain't secure anymore. Makes sense you bounce."
Oakley chuckled and said, "But yo, let's be clear — when it's time to invest, don't you dare leave me hangin'."
"Man, you know I got you," Zhao Dong laughed.
---
The next day, June 3rd — Game 1 of the 97–98 NBA Finals.
At 9 a.m., the NBA officially announced Zhao Dong as the Most Valuable Player for the 97–98 regular season.
To celebrate Zhao Dong's first MVP, the Knicks held a press conference at the hotel.
At the presser, the Knicks dropped more bombs — Larry Johnson, Hu Weidong, and Allan Houston were officially back.
The media instantly flipped — everybody was crazy optimistic about the Knicks defending their title.
Barkley, catching reporters outside, grinned and said, "Big props to Zhao Dong for snaggin' MVP, and big props to the Knicks for locking up that title already."
"He's got no shame left. Just trying to ride Zhao Dong's coattails."
Karl Malone sneered at the TV when he saw the clip.
"A shameless hanger-on," John Stockton added coldly. "That guy's loyalty's always been for sale. Straight-up wanderer."
"Yeah, well…"
Malone sighed. Deep down, he knew — he just wanted that damn ring.
---
The Knicks kept it rolling with media at the hotel.
A reporter asked, "Zhao Dong, think you can sweep the Jazz this Finals?"
"Haha…"
Zhao Dong laughed before answering, "Man, the league's not gonna be happy if we sweep 'em. How 'bout this — we drop one game in Utah, then go back to the Garden and smack 'em 4–1?"
Some reporters thought Zhao was getting cocky. But most of the media agreed — the Knicks were absolutely strong enough.
After all, the Jazz lost to the Knicks last year. They didn't add anything new this year, while New York beefed up their rebounding and paint defense.
6 PM, the Knicks pulled up to Delta Center.
7 PM, fans poured into the arena.
Lindsay and her crew slid into their seats. Yao Ming and Da Zhi followed behind.
Zhao Dong didn't want to put Da Zhi on blast yet — no need to tip off scouts before the draft.
He knew Da Zhi had late first-round potential. If too many eyes spotted him now, he might get picked higher than expected.
But Da Zhi wasn't like Yao Ming. Even after a year with Zhao Dong, the dude's nature hadn't changed much. Sure, he'd gotten a little tougher — but the old saying stuck: it's easier to move mountains than change someone's character.
Zhao Dong wasn't fully confident Da Zhi could thrive solo in a different NBA squad. If Da Zhi flopped, knowing his personality, it could get ugly fast.
In the home team's locker room, a few reporters were allowed in for interviews.
"Hey Karl, Zhao Dong said he really wants another boxing match with you. You down for that?" a New York Times reporter asked.
Honestly, the Jazz front office didn't even wanna let this New York Times dude in. Everybody knew the Times was riding heavy for the Knicks. But the Jazz couldn't afford to piss off such a big outlet, so they had to suck it up and let him through.
And the minute he walked in, dude went straight for Karl Malone's heart with the questions.
Slice. Slice. Slice.
Head coach Jerry Sloan could almost hear the knives stabbing into Karl's chest over and over. Man, he knew it too — Karl's heart was bleeding like crazy.
Yeah, he guessed right.
Karl Malone's heart was absolutely bleeding, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Because of Zhao Dong, Karl basically sold out the rest of his prime to Adi. How could he not hate Zhao Dong?
Impossible.
But he didn't dare let it show.
"I ain't interested in boxing," he said in a low voice, swallowing his anger. "On the court, we settle things with basketball."
"That's the right attitude," the Times reporter said, grinning. "Michael Jordan had the same mentality toward Zhao Dong. Never swung at him, never threw hands even when he got shoved around."
Snort!
Karl let out a cold snort and dropped his head low, hiding the fire burning in his eyes from the cameras.
"Karl, Zhao Dong said he's planning to lose one road game, then come back home and beat you guys 4-1. Think he can pull it off?" another reporter pressed.
"He…"
Karl damn near cussed out loud but clenched his teeth and forced himself to say through gritted teeth, "We're not giving up. We had the best record in the league this season. That proves we got the strength to beat anybody.
Meanwhile, in the visiting team's locker room, Danny Fortson was sitting there, head down, looking mad depressed.
The media was already spreading the rumor that he was about to get traded.
That news hit him hard.
He didn't wanna leave.
Man, this was New York — biggest city, lights, colors, action.
The Knicks were good, the management treated him right, the fans showed love.
He didn't want to go anywhere else.
He was busting his ass every day trying to fix his flaws, hoping the team would give him another shot.
He really believed he could prove himself next season.
And it wasn't just Fortson.
Chauncey Billups was stressing too.
If he got traded again, it might be a wrap for him.
Another trade and no team would believe in him anymore.
They'd just stamp him with that "bust" label permanently.
Ben Wallace, though, wasn't worried at all.
Oakley already told him, "You're staying in New York, big fella. They ain't trading you."
---
Zhao Dong sat in front of his locker and opened up his system interface, claiming his MVP reward — ten quality points.
"System, FMVP quality points still available if I win?" he asked.
"Yes. If you win it, you'll get another ten points. But after that, there won't be any more quality rewards," the system replied.
He checked out his updated stats:
Injury Resistance: 100
Jumping: 98
Coordination: 96
Physical Fitness: 95
Speed: 90
Balance: 91
Flexibility: 95
Strength: 91
He thought for a second.
"System, is there a limit to how fast I can get?" he asked.
Right now, he was already as fast as most elite guards.
If he pushed his speed to the max... at his size?
Man, he'd be moving like AI, maybe even faster.
His explosiveness was already off the charts — probably the craziest in NBA history.
And that was because all his other qualities — coordination, balance, flexibility, strength, speed — were elite too.
One weak link and he wouldn't be this freakish.
"The lower limb strength must be improved to a top-level first before you can further enhance your speed," the system answered.
"Tch, seriously?" Zhao Dong clicked his tongue, disappointed.
"After you defend the championship and win FMVP, you'll get another ten points," the system reminded.
After thinking it through, he made up his mind.
He needed to prioritize.
Boosting lower limb strength to 95 would cost ten points.
Then, boosting speed to 95 would take another ten.
That meant balance would probably stay at 91 forever.
And that kinda sucked, 'cause balance was key for advanced moves — crazy layups, mid-air acrobatics, fadeaways, you name it.
But he didn't care.
He wanted more explosiveness, more impact.
He wanted to bulldoze through defenders, run through contact, and destroy dudes on the court.
He wasn't trying to be like Jordan, finessing with crazy footwork and silky moves.
Nah, Zhao Dong was about power first, skill second.
He made his move fast —
Lower limb strength: +2 → 93
Speed: +2 → 92
"System, what about upper body strength? Can I train that up?" he asked.
"Yes. But if you gain too much weight, it'll slow down your speed," the system warned.
"Got it."
Basically, he could bulk up if he wanted, but had to be careful. Only clean muscle, no fat.
As he scanned through his updated stats, he noticed something surprising.
"Huh? My block rating went up?"
His block went from 91 to 93. Nothing else changed.
"System, why the upgrade on blocks?" he asked.
"Enhancing lower limb strength boosted your launch height and bullet speed, thus improving your blocking," the system explained.
"Wait, why didn't my jumping stat increase?" he asked, confused.
"Your jumping is already at an elite level — 98 — close to human limits. It can only improve through direct upgrades or specific talent enhancements. Other qualities can't push it higher," the system replied.
"Ah, makes sense."
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