Chapter 29: Defeat Luke Longley
Wang Tiejun thought for a while and said, "Brother Zhang, please bring some money back for me and install a landline for my home. I want to build a big house for my family, buy a car, and a big color TV..."
"As long as I have money, this is not a problem. This time when I return home, I can directly bring back a large color TV." Zhang Heli patted his chest and guaranteed.
"Okay, I'll give you the money before you leave."
Wang Tiejun nodded and warned: "Don't embezzle. It's not easy for me to make money."
"go away!"
Zhang Heli cursed with a smile.
That night, Zhang Heli was so excited that he didn't sleep much.
After more than four years in the United States, he finally had the opportunity to engage in formal basketball work. He did not expect to gain such a benefit from his trip to Phoenix.
On the morning of January 2, 1993 , the two found a lawyer and signed a formal trainer employment contract.
"Ha ha……"
Zhang Heli looked at the contract in his hand and smiled so hard that his face broke.
"I'm leaving for home the day after tomorrow. Do you have a game tonight?" he asked after putting away the contract.
"Yes, we're playing against the Timberwolves at home," said Wang Tiejun.
"The Timberwolves are far weaker than the Suns..."
Zhang Heli said here, then changed the subject and said, "Tiejun, can you get me a ticket?"
"What?"
Wang Tiejun was about to jump up and down. The tickets are very expensive, okay?
"I'm running errands for you, can't you be more generous? A ticket to the top of the mountain is fine, it's only twenty or thirty dollars at most." Zhang Heli said unhappily.
Wang Tiejun thought for a moment and said, "I'll see if I can get you in. You can just squeeze in through the player tunnel. It's so expensive to buy a ticket!"
"You little bastard, why don't you change your name to Wang Grandet Tiejun!" Zhang Heli rolled his eyes and complained in his heart.
At noon, Wang Tiejun brought Zhang Heli to the training base. He was still driving Zhang Heli's car and using Zhang Heli's oil.
"Tiejun, you have to buy a car, right? It's hard to get around in the United States without a car!" Zhang Heli complained after getting out of the car.
"You buy it, I can't drive." Wang Tiejun said with a smile.
"You can also give me money." Zhang Heli said.
"Then I'd better ride a bike. It's only ten minutes and it can also help me exercise my physical fitness." Wang Tiejun said quickly.
“…”
Zhang Heli was speechless. This employer was too stingy.
"Sir, I heard from Charles that I can get an advance on part of my salary. Can I get it?" That afternoon, Wang Tiejun found Colangelo.
"Old K, do you have any big expenses?" Colangelo asked worriedly.
He understood Wang Tiejun's situation and knew that he had some cash on him. Combined with the $4,000 salary the team paid to the trainer in November, a frugal person like Wang Tiejun should not be short of money now.
"It's like this, I want to pay off the debt my family owes first, and then improve the family's financial conditions," Wang Tiejun explained.
Colangelo nodded and smiled, "That's fine. How much do you want to advance?"
"I want to advance one month's salary." Wang Tiejun said quickly.
"OK."
Colangelo calculated that Wang Tiejun's annual salary in the first year was 1.4 million US dollars, which is 250,000 US dollars per month for 170 days.
Ten minutes later, with Colangelo's approval, Wang Tiejun received a cash check for $250,000 from the accounting department.
"The current exchange rate is 8.5, so $250,000 is more than 2 million RMB. Haha, I'm rich!"
Holding the check, his hands shook violently as if he had had a stroke.
"Damn it, damn America, I still have to pay 45% tax on this money, what a huge loss!"
But when I thought about having to pay more than 600,000 US dollars in personal income tax in the first year, my hands started shaking even more with heartache, and my whole body was shaking as if I had been electrocuted.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the game between the Suns and the Timberwolves is about to begin.
Zhang Heli was sitting on the top of the mountain. He had spent twenty-five dollars to buy his ticket. He was too embarrassed to squeeze into the player passage. It would be embarrassing to be caught for evading the ticket. That was something only Wang Tiejun would do.
In front of the Suns bench, Paul Westphal said to Wang Tiejun in a warning tone: "Old K, if you only care about your own shots when you are double-teamed tonight, I will make you sit on the bench, do you understand?"
"Don't worry, coach, I can definitely get ten assists tonight." Wang Tiejun quickly patted his chest and guaranteed.
"Old K, you damn rookie, do you still want to take my position? You are a support tonight, don't even think about receiving my pass. You wasted too much ball rights in the last game."
Kevin Johnson cursed with a smile.
Wang Tiejun's face fell, and he said pitifully: "Kevin, give me a few more balls. At most, I will work harder on the defensive end."
He has a good relationship with several main teammates, joking and playing together. These guys are counting on him to grow and help them win the championship.
"Okay, two rebounds for one shot, steals and blocks are also fine, just work hard on your own." Kevin Johnson said with a smile.
"OK, it's a deal." Wang Tiejun said with a smile.
Barkley smiled and said, "The Timberwolves' centers are average, not as strong as the Heat's Ronnie Seikali. K should be fine."
"That's for sure."
Wang Tiejun said quickly: "That guy Ronnie Seikali was able to get to the three-point line. How could I catch up? The Heat are not good people either. They have no chivalry and dare not challenge me one-on-one. They double-teamed me. I am a rookie. They think too highly of me."
"Ha ha……"
Seeing Wang Tiejun's aggrieved look, a group of people burst into laughter.
In this game, Wang Tiejun's opponent was blue-collar center Luke Longley.
Longley was the first Australian to enter the NBA. He was a sophomore rookie and the No. 7 pick in the first round of 1991. He was very strong. The Timberwolves gave him a three-year contract with $1.59 million per year. He was also a hero in the hearts of more than 17 million Australians.
His statistics this season are 5.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. His strength is similar to that of Mark West. He is 218 cm tall and weighs 120 kg.
But Longley is just one of the Timberwolves' rotation centers, because the Timberwolves do not have a fixed starter at this position, and the strength of several rotation players is average, so whoever is in better shape will play.
The game officially started, Wang Tiejun and Luke Longley jumped for the ball. Although the latter was taller, his arm span and bounce were not as good as his, so he easily knocked the ball away.
He came to the low post on the left wing. Luke Lang, who weighs 120 kilograms and is a meat shield type center, very strong, and he immediately took top defense.
He looked at Kevin Johnson who was holding the ball near the top of the arc. Johnson happened to be using a pull-away tactical gesture, so he immediately began to exert force and squeezed into the paint area.
"They start a low-post confrontation, who will win?" the commentator roared.
Luke Longley wanted to hold on, but at this time Wang Tiejun suddenly exerted force, and with the combination of six forces, the power burst out instantly, which pushed the former's center of gravity, and then stepped into the paint area.
“What a powerful force!”
Luke Longley was shocked.
"Beautiful! Old K is in!" the on-site commentator shouted excitedly.
"You're a far cry from my strength!"
Through this confrontation, Wang Tiejun clearly understood Luke Longley's strength level. Although their tonnage was similar, his strength was a little weaker than his, especially when he was using the Iron Mountain Fighting technique.
At this time, the ball was passed from the top of the arc , and Luke Longley was behind again. He received the ball and immediately started to play with his back to the basket, combining the six forces into one and rushing forward in an instant.
“Bang!”
Amid the unusually dull sound of muscle collision, Luke Longley groaned and staggered back.
"OK, the most intense confrontation has begun!" the on-site commentator continued to roar.
“Bang!”
The second extremely fierce back-to-the-basket attack followed.
The most direct confrontation between muscles, the purest contest of strength, without any tricks, the strong shall prevail.
“So strong!”
Luke Longley completely lost his balance and was knocked back a big step, retreating to the basket and almost falling.
At this time, Wang Tiejun had grabbed the ball with one hand, turned around and jumped up.
"boom!"
As the basket trembled violently, Luke Longley groaned and fell under the basket.
With a pale face, he looked at the giant beast hanging above the basket. He was in a trance, unable to breathe, and his entire chest was burning as if it had been run over by a heavy truck.
“Ohh…”
The commentator's excited shouts rolled over the stadium, and then he yelled: "Under K's overwhelming force, Luc Longley fell like a woman in our paint area. K's low-post back-to-the-basket attack is really powerful. He can overwhelm everything..."
