Defending Champions

After Tang Tian's successful proposal, Olson took the two children back to the estate first.

He stayed behind with Davis and Stevens for the postgame press conference.

"Actually, we had already won Game 5, but the referees taught me that winning a game could depend on more than making shots—it could also depend on free throws. And that was exactly what they did. They kept doing it."

Tang Tian had already expressed his thanks inside the arena. Now, in front of the reporters, he said everything he had held back.

Davis nudged him from the side. Tang Tian had been fined by the league for this before.

"AD, what are you doing? Are you reminding me to get ready to pay twenty-five thousand dollars?"

Tang Tian turned to him, and Davis gave two dry coughs.

A wave of jeering rose from below the stage. Clearly, anyone who wasn't blind knew just how awful the officiating in the Finals had been.

"Don't worry. I can afford to pay twenty-five thousand dollars many times over."

Tang Tian's next words made even the reporters burst into laughter.

This was an open diss at the league and Xiao Hua!

"But we won. The facts proved that we could play five against eight. Pelicans Championship."

Tang Tian's words made the reporters unable to resist applauding. Now that his standing in the league had risen, he was truly fearless!

After the press conference, Tang Tian and Davis whistled as they headed back to the locker room. Publicly dissing the league like that after winning the championship felt pretty damn good.

When they returned to the locker room, they tossed Xiao Hua and the league aside and joined the rest of their teammates in the post-championship celebration.

The first championship in franchise history called for a grand