The news of Wade's potential move to the Cavaliers had already drawn the attention of Stern.
However, the rumor remained just that, with no substantive actions.
Therefore, he hadn't intervened yet. Now that Tang Long brought it up, Stern naturally understood Tang Long's intention.
This kid was testing him, seeing if he would step in to block it.
It was rather interesting, as ordinary players wouldn't typically consider such issues.
"Only a competition filled with suspense can make people find it interesting. If the games are one-sided, the audience will lose their passion."
Stern stated solemnly, "Would you watch a game where you already know the outcome?"
"But basketball is round, after all, and any outcome is normal."
Tang Long was persistent, "Besides, the Celtics already have a Big Three configuration. This can also encourage other teams to recruit more talent, making the competition more exciting and pleasing to the eye. While team balance is important, if everyone's skill level is low and it's only for the sake of maintaining balance, it won't attract an audience, and the loss to the fans would be immeasurable."
Stern narrowed his eyes, his expression showing displeasure.
He thought he had made himself clear, but this Tang Long fellow was unappreciative.
"Mr. Stern, isn't your lifelong aspiration to lead the NBA beyond the NFL in viewership?"
Stern's expression froze again.
This sounded a bit absurd, as the NFL's popularity far surpassed the NBA's.
A simple example was that NBA champions would go to the White House for photos with the President, but for the NFL's Super Bowl kickoff, many presidents wanted to give speeches.
Comparing them, one could naturally see the influence of the two leagues in the United States.
It was precisely because this opponent was seemingly insurmountable that it instilled fighting spirit in the challenger.
Seeing that Stern hadn't spoken, but his expression was gradually softening, Tang Long quickly added, "Mr. Stern, you always say to dare to try. Can't the league also dare to try and challenge the NFL's viewership? As long as the games are exciting enough and there are enough talented players, who knows if the league can surpass the NFL."
"Tang, stop talking, let me think about it first."
Stern didn't rush to answer Tang Long, his brow furrowed in thought.
By the end of the dinner, Stern still hadn't replied to Tang Long. However, Tang Long believed that as long as Stern's mind wavered even a little, the resistance might not be so great.
Of course, Wade could still forcefully transfer to the Cavaliers.
Then, dissatisfaction from the higher-ups might manifest on the court.
The path of the Big Three wouldn't be so smooth. Tang Long had considered this, which was why he wanted to persuade Stern.
After the dinner, Stern and Kevin Feige left Cleveland. Tang Long arranged for the three women at the hotel and, using the flimsy excuse of not abandoning his teammates, sneaked out of the hotel with James.
"Tang, you're tough on the court, but you're too cowardly when it comes to women."
"You know nothing, what do you know?"
Tang Long couldn't be bothered to explain and changed the subject, "Today's effect was quite good. I saw old Mr. Stern starting to consider it. This is a good sign."
Fortunately, it was 2008. Otherwise, James would have definitely given Tang Long a thumbs-up and called him a master of empty promises.
Others would paint a picture for their employees, but Tang Long was painting a picture for the boss.
Surpassing the NFL, this guy truly dared to dream big.
James wouldn't have dared to imagine such a thing even in his dreams.
Moreover, putting the games aside, James had to admit that the watchability of the NFL was indeed more popular than basketball.
At the very least, there were many NFL movies, while basketball had very few, and the existing ones were mainly documentaries and biographies.
"I'm not bothering with you, I'm going back. Remember to tell me the result of the Lakers game tomorrow."
Tang Long stared at James's retreating back, his gaze drifting into the distance.
Impossible?
If you don't try, how will you know?
...
Western Conference Finals day. The Lakers hosted the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite playing away, the Spurs delivered a wake-up call to the Lakers right from the start.
With the combined efforts of Duncan and Parker, the Spurs led the Lakers by thirteen points in the first quarter, 28-15.
Following the start of the second quarter, the Spurs gradually began to falter, especially when Duncan was resting. The Lakers went on a scoring spree, racking up points.
Simultaneously, Ginobili, as the Spurs' best sixth man, played poorly after coming off the bench, missing several shots.
At halftime, the Spurs still maintained a six-point lead. However, in the second quarter, their passive and weakened performance made Spurs fans extremely worried.
In the third quarter, the Lakers intensified their defense, and Kobe stepped up in crucial moments. The entire quarter became Kobe's personal showcase.
The Lakers not only erased the deficit but also led the Spurs by a slim one-point margin at the end of the third quarter.
Entering the decisive fourth quarter, Duncan's shooting percentage dropped, and Parker also started to miss shots. Ultimately, the Lakers defeated the Spurs at home with a score of 100-92!
Kobe scored 39 points himself, breaking the curse of losing when he sets a personal scoring record.
For the Spurs, while Parker scored 23 points, his 11-of-22 shooting accuracy couldn't compare to Kobe's.
Ginobili shot 3-of-9, and Duncan shot 7-of-19. Against a team like the Lakers, winning was incredibly difficult.
The entire Spurs team turned into blacksmiths in this game, almost making Popovich's beard stand on end.
After the Western Conference Finals concluded, the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals with a commanding 3-1 series lead!
The two teams would meet in Cleveland six days later for the first game of the Finals!
...
"My guess was right, it's indeed the Lakers versus the Cavaliers."
"This moderator is truly amazing, predicting the Finals teams right at the start of the playoffs."
After the Lakers defeated the Spurs, the forums and discussion boards were buzzing with activity. Earlier prediction posts were unearthed.
Most fan predictions were proven wrong, as people tend to fall victim to the survivor bias. Therefore, when prediction posts were dug up, they naturally garnered a lot of praise.
Of course, many fans also started discussing who would win the championship this year between the Cavaliers and the Lakers.
The majority of fan support naturally leaned towards the Cavaliers, especially in China. Although the Lakers also had a considerable fan base, compared to the number of Cavaliers supporters, the Lakers were still vastly outnumbered!
After all, Tang Long was the main core of the Cavaliers, and people naturally preferred to support their own countrymen.
"I think the Cavaliers might not be able to beat the Lakers. Given the Eastern teams are generally weaker than Western teams, if the Cavaliers were in the Western Conference, they'd at best be ranked in the top three, maybe not even top two."
"You upstairs, stop talking nonsense. I'm rooting for the Cavaliers to beat the Lakers, what are you going to do about it?"
"If you're so sure, how about we make a bet, are you game?"