"Catherine, did you see that? Tang just dunked over Marion and Smush."
Xiao Gen, excited to share the joy with the person next to her, forgot who was actually standing beside her.
"It's just a dunk, what are you so excited about?" Catherine pouted dismissively.
"I'm telling you, these guys just like naive women like you. This Tang is obviously a player. Haven't you seen who he's surrounded by? Do you want me to count them for you? Scarlett, Gal Gadot, and I've recently heard that popular singer Taylor Swift is also around this guy."
"Catherine, how can you say that? They are just friends. Besides, if Tang were officially dating them, the paparazzi would have broken the news long ago."
"Hmph, only you would like someone like that."
Catherine's expression became even more disdainful, and her gaze towards Xiao Gen held a hint of dissatisfaction.
This was mainly because Xiao Gen had conducted Tang's exclusive interview.
After the Cavaliers achieved their 27-game winning streak, the league produced a promotional video, with Tang Long leading the charge.
A determined yet compassionate basketball player who also enjoyed inviting friends over for dinner.
They even edited out several seconds of Tang Long's spectacular dunk.
This was a unique feature in the promotional video, with even LeBron James and Kobe Bryant only having a single shot.
As a result, Tang Long became instantly popular in the sports world.
While foreign fans might not understand the Chinese idiom "love me, love my dog," the principle was the same.
When people liked Tang Long, they naturally started to like the female host who was seen chatting with him in interviews.
Especially when it was revealed by someone in the television station that a leading male host had tried to snatch Tang Long's interview from Xiao Gen, but Tang Long insisted on being interviewed by Xiao Gen. This further endeared Tang Long to the American public.
Naturally, the American public also began to like this young, yet principled host, with many considering her a breath of fresh air in the media industry.
The league was also willing to support Xiao Gen.
Especially during Cavaliers games, with many reporters still waiting outside, Xiao Gen was already allowed to enter and interview both teams.
It took Catherine three years to become a permanent sports reporter for the league, while Xiao Gen, just after becoming a full-time employee, was already enjoying such opportunities and even showing signs of surpassing her. This fueled Catherine's resentment.
Looking at Xiao Gen, who was cheering enthusiastically for Tang Long, Catherine felt jealous, and a dark seed began to sprout in her heart!
...
While foreign fans were still so fond of Tang Long, domestic fans, after seeing the promotional video, exclaimed that the NBA had put in a lot of effort.
Not only did they put Tang Long in the lead, but they also added several more shots.
Under the professional filmmaking techniques of the Coen brothers, Tang Long, in the act of dunking, seemed to transform into a dazzling bolt of lightning, breaking through the darkness before dawn.
As the basketball slammed into the hoop, the entire stadium lit up in an instant, and countless fans stood up, shouting Tang Long's name.
"This promotional video is so impactful, even my grandma watched it and called it amazing."
"Did you guys notice? LeBron James and Kobe Bryant only have one highlight shot, while Tang Long has several. Tang Long is truly bringing honor to us Chinese people."
"I've decided, because of my brother Tang, I'm going to be a Cavaliers fan now."
"Jia Junpeng, your mom is calling you home for dinner."
Fans from the Rockets' forum flocked to the Cavaliers' forum.
Of course, more were fans from other teams, and fans from other forums who, after watching the promotional video, also came to the Cavaliers' forum to post.
While discussing the Cavaliers, they also posted out of boredom.
Soon, Jia Junpeng's post was bumped to the top.
If Tang Long were there, he might have been confused.
Shouldn't this old brother Jia Junpeng be on the Yi forum? Why is he here on the Cavaliers forum?
Tang Long's fan forum also gained over a million followers overnight, becoming the top forum in sports!
...
"Kid, you seem particularly excited today."
Tang Long endured Shaq's hook shot and made it. Shaq was starting to find this guy a little annoying.
"Is not giving my all the greatest respect I can show you?"
Shaq felt like cursing.
What kind of nonsense was that?
He was getting a little heated now.
If it were in the past, he would be conserving energy at this point.
But now, Shaq felt that he had to give his all in this game to let this kid witness the true terrifying power of the league's number one center!
This time, Shaq initiated and called for the ball.
Nash, rarely seeing Shaq so proactive, naturally obliged and passed him the ball.
Receiving a comfortable pass from Nash, Shaq hurled his massive frame forward, charging towards the basket like a missile.
Tang Long also jumped up to meet him.
"Dangerous!!"
Xiao Gen exclaimed, averting her gaze slightly, unable to bear witnessing the scene of Tang Long being thrown to the ground by Shaq's massive body under the basket.
That was Shaquille O'Neal, weighing nearly 300 pounds.
And he was throwing himself at his opponent. The intensity was enough to shock many!
[Godly Block]
Tang Long, entering his "zone," fearlessly met Shaq.
"Pa."
A crisp blocking sound echoed through the stadium. The previously silent stadium erupted with cheers, with someone letting out a sigh of relief before the entire stadium went wild.
"Oh my god, what did I just see?"
"Tang actually held his ground against the massive Shaq in a physical confrontation."
"Don't forget, Tang also blocked him. Shaq threw himself at him. If they had a straight-up collision, Tang's physique would be superior."
"This guy is simply terrifying!"
"What should I do? I think I'm starting to like this guy. I'm a die-hard Nash fan."
"Look quickly, the Cavaliers have already reached the basket."
Just as the audience breathed a sigh of relief, they were once again captivated by the Cavaliers' fast break.
It turned out Tang Long's block had directly sent the ball to Pavlovic, who drove to the free-throw line. By then, three opposing players were already under the basket.
But Pavlovic didn't hesitate. He drove to the basket and tossed the ball high.
"Ah, what a shame."
"That was too selfish, he should have passed to his teammate."
The audience lamented for the Cavaliers. The jogging Shaq couldn't help but grin: "Does this guy really think he's Jordan? Look, he can't even hold onto the ball now."
But then, Shaq's expression froze.
Because he saw a shadow flash past him at lightning speed, so fast it seemed to stir the air in the stadium, so fast that Shaq almost hallucinated.
"He didn't drop the ball, this was a coordinated play?"
Shaq's mouth stretched into a wide grin, expressing extreme shock.
This coordinated play by the Cavaliers was no less impressive than his and Kobe's "OK" combination back in the day!