November 14, 2007.
The NBA regular season was in full swing. In the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room, everyone's expression was grim as they looked at the injured Big Z, who was forced to rest.
In the 1.0 era of the Cavaliers, Big Z was absolutely the cornerstone of the team. Without him, LeBron would not have been able to reach the finals smoothly last season!
The Cavaliers' management attached great importance to Big Z's injury, hoping for his swift recovery to help LeBron contend for the championship in the new season.
"Damn it, with Big Z injured, we need to find someone to replace him."
Larry Hughes spoke up. He had been traded to the Cavaliers from the Wizards.
During his time with the Wizards, Larry Hughes was a player with outstanding personal ability, capable of averaging twenty points per game.
At this moment, the team's star player, LeBron James, surveyed all the players in the locker room.
Suddenly, James spotted a familiar figure.
A tall man from the East caught his eye. This towering figure was named Tang Long, standing 215 cm tall and weighing 105 kg, with a wingspan of 228 cm.
His jumping ability and speed needed improvement, not being particularly outstanding. His bench press, standing vertical jump, and running vertical jump were all average.
In other words, this player from the ancient Dragon Kingdom possessed strong static talent, while his dynamic talent was mediocre.
After all, the physical condition of Asians was inherently not as good as that of black people, which was an undeniable fact.
Take Yao Ming, the "little giant" from the East, for example. After years of playing in the NBA, everyone acknowledged that Yao Ming had excellent static talent, while his dynamic talent could only be described as average.
He wasn't fast, nor did he jump high. His only advantage was his height, a full 229 cm, according to official records. It was rumored that Yao Ming's actual height was even greater than that figure.
At this moment.
James spoke, "Hey everyone, I think we shouldn't put too much pressure on Big Z. He's injured, so let him rest. I believe Tang can take Big Z's place in the starting lineup and give him a chance to prove himself."
Tang Long, like Big Z, primarily played the center position.
After his outstanding performance in the 2006 World Championship, he was scouted by NBA teams and later came to the United States, becoming a bench player for the Cavaliers.
With Big Z on the court, Tang Long rarely got playing time. Only during garbage time would head coach Mike Brown allow Tang Long to enter the game.
His status on the team was pathetic, equivalent to a water boy.
The reason James strongly supported Tang Long was that during an intra-team practice match, Tang Long's help defense made things very difficult for James.
Later, James realized that while this young man from the Dragon Kingdom might have weaknesses in his ball-handling offense, his tight man-to-man defense earned James's approval.
This was also why James publicly supported Tang Long, suggesting he could try playing in the starting lineup, with Big Z unable to play due to injury.
Upon hearing James's words, no one objected.
James was the team's leader, and his status in the team was more influential than head coach Mike Brown's. His words were rarely opposed.
"Coach Brown, what are your thoughts on this?"
James kicked the ball to Mike Brown. After some thought, the latter agreed to James's suggestion. Tang Long would play in the upcoming game against the Wizards to see how he performed.
"Okay, since no one has any objections, let's start tonight's game. Big Z, take care of your injury. We'll win against the Wizards tonight!"
After James finished speaking, he led his teammates into...
Tang Long was inexplicably excited. "Super Fusion System?"
What was this?
The next second, a synthesized electronic voice spoke again.
"Congratulations to the host for receiving the beginner's gift pack. The gift pack has been placed in the system inventory. Please check it carefully."
Well, it arrived as promised, without any hesitation!
Tang Long, with a mix of excitement and anticipation, opened the system inventory. Inside, there was indeed a red gift pack.
With a thought, he clicked to open it. A red light flashed before his eyes, and the gift pack disappeared, replaced by a dazzling dimensional card.
"Congratulations to the host for drawing a Fusion Character Card. The fusion template is Murasakibara Atsushi. Would you like to use it immediately?"
"What? A fusion character card of Murasakibara Atsushi?"
Tang Long became even more excited. Having followed Kuroko's Basketball, he knew very well what kind of dimensional player Murasakibara Atsushi was.
It could be said that Murasakibara Atsushi was synonymous with being a monster in Kuroko's Basketball!
His most formidable trait was not his offensive ability with the ball, but his impenetrable defense!
Of course, to a certain extent, Murasakibara Atsushi's offense was also sharp.
However, compared to his unbreachable defensive fortress, his offense seemed to pale in comparison.
He was known as the player who could defend from one to five, from the three-point line to the paint inside. Who could withstand that?
Even the league's most prolific scoring superstars would have a hard time scoring freely against Tang Long with Murasakibara Atsushi's abilities.
"We're solid! This time we're truly solid. With even Murasakibara Atsushi here, conquering the NBA won't be a problem, right?"
Tang Long immediately used Murasakibara Atsushi's fusion card.
The card was intricately carved with a lifelike Murasakibara Atsushi, his stylish purple hair, sharp eyes, holding a basketball, exuding an arrogant and world-conquering demeanor!
*Swish!*
A flash of purple light, and Murasakibara Atsushi's fusion card merged with Tang Long's body.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully using the Murasakibara Atsushi Fusion Character Card. Please check your attribute values. We look forward to the host displaying their formidable dominance on the NBA court!"
As the system's prompt faded, Tang Long eagerly opened his attribute panel to examine it.