Chapter Summaries

Tang Tian won the 2014 NBA Slam Dunk Contest with a creative reverse dunk over Pierre and received 80% of the fan vote. As All-Star Weekend’s main event approached, Dempsey told him the Pelicans could not find a suitable center, leaving Tang Tian worried about their playoff chances.

• Tang Tian failed his first attempt at a sit-on-the-bench dunk, then succeeded on his second try by taking the ball from Pierre, passing it beneath himself, and finishing with a reverse dunk.
• Barkley, Wall, George, and Davis celebrated with Tang Tian after his dunk electrified the arena.
• The host announced that Tang Tian had won the Slam Dunk Contest with 80% of the fan vote, and Tang Tian accepted the trophy and said he might compete again.
• Curry reminded Tang Tian of their agreement that he could join Tang Tian’s training camp if he showed off a dunk in the All-Star Game.
• Dempsey told Tang Tian the Pelicans could not find a suitable center through free agency or a trade, and Tang Tian thought of someone.

Tang Tian arranged a workout for Hassan Whiteside and then played in the All-Star Game in New Orleans, where the home crowd roared for him. He opened the game with two baskets and joined Curry for a spectacular alley-oop dunk.

• Tang Tian told Dempsey to give Hassan Whiteside a workout opportunity and arranged to attend after the All-Star Game.
• Metta World Peace performed “champion” before the All-Star introductions, and Tang Tian received a huge ovation when he was announced.
• Kobe passed to Tang Tian, who scored a pull-up jumper against George to give the Western Conference the first points.
• Tang Tian posted up George, drove past him, and scored again after making contact.
• Kobe stole the ball and passed ahead to Curry, who bounced it off the backboard for Tang Tian to catch in midair and dunk.

Tang Tian piled up points as his Western Conference teammates kept feeding him, while he and Westbrook quickly bonded on the court. The Western Conference ended the first quarter ahead of the Eastern Conference Team, with Durant frustrated by Westbrook’s friendship with Tang Tian.

• Tang Tian scored 8 points in the opening minutes as Kobe and Curry passed to him, and he assisted Curry before making a fast-break layup.
• Durant persuaded Griffin to work with him, but the Western Conference guards still controlled most of the offense before both teams made wholesale substitutions.
• Westbrook entered the game and dunked twice, while he and Tang Tian exchanged compliments and began building a friendly rapport.
• Tang Tian passed to Westbrook for a dunk, then Westbrook returned the favor with a pass that Tang Tian turned into a three-pointer for his 15th point.
• The Western Conference finished the first quarter leading 42–40, with Tang Tian scoring 17 points and Durant remaining upset on the bench.

Tang Tian continued scoring for the Western Conference while Durant struggled against James in the second half of the All-Star Game. Tang Tian set up Curry for a fast break, but Curry slipped beneath the basket as he tried to dunk.

• Westbrook chatted with Tang Tian on the bench, which irritated Durant, and Durant later persuaded Curry to help him get the ball.
• Durant scored on James early in the second half, but James blocked two of his attempts and forced him into several missed possessions.
• Curry passed to Kobe instead of Durant, and Kobe fed Tang Tian, who shook George and hit a three-pointer.
• Curry passed to Tang Tian, who hit another open three and then grabbed a rebound after James missed from long range.
• Tang Tian launched a long pass to Curry on a fast break, but Curry slipped and fell under the basket while trying to dunk.

Tang Tian led the Western Conference to a 155-149 victory over the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, scoring 38 points and earning MVP. Adam Silver presented him with the award, making Tang Tian the first All-Star Game MVP in Pelicans history.

• Curry airballed a three-pointer, James missed another, and Tang Tian hit his third three of the quarter to help the Western Conference build an eight-point lead.
• Tang Tian scored 12 points in the third quarter, but the Eastern Conference rallied to tie the game at 125 entering the fourth.
• Anthony and Griffin traded baskets before the starters returned, with the Western Conference leading 146-145 in the closing minutes.
• Tang Tian hit a contested pull-up and a fast-break three, while Anthony missed from deep and Durant scored on a full-court drive as the Western Conference won 155-149.
• Tang Tian finished with 38 points, and Adam Silver announced him as the All-Star Game MVP after the players completed their handshake ceremony.

Tang Tian intervened after Hassan Whiteside arrived late for the Pelicans’ tryout, giving him one last chance to explain himself and demonstrate his skills. Whiteside impressed the coaches with his athleticism, and Williams called Jason Smith over to test him in a matchup.

• Tang Tian accepted the All-Star Game MVP trophy and thanked the Pelicans, New Orleans, the fans, and his fellow All-Stars.
• The Pelicans began tryouts for interior players, but Whiteside missed the session because he had mistaken the time.
• Whiteside arrived after the tryout ended and apologized, explaining that he had returned from Lebanon and overslept while adjusting to the time difference.
• Tang Tian persuaded Dempsey and Williams to give Whiteside one final chance, and Dempsey agreed.
• Whiteside performed well in the basic drills apart from his shooting, prompting Williams to call Jason Smith over for a matchup.

Whiteside faced Jason Smith in a Pelicans tryout, showing elite shot-blocking but almost no offensive skill and shaky overall defense. Williams and Tang Tian recommended keeping him, and the chapter ended with Whiteside being invited to bring his agent to discuss a contract.

• Whiteside blocked Smith's opening post-up shot, surprising Williams and Dempsey with his explosive leaping ability.
• Whiteside failed to score against Smith, exposing his raw offensive game, while Smith also struggled to finish through Whiteside's repeated blocks.
• Smith later beat Whiteside with footwork and drew a foul, and Williams ended the scoreless one-on-one after more than ten minutes.
• Williams, Tang Tian, Dempsey, and Borrego discussed Whiteside's strengths and weaknesses, and Dempsey agreed the Pelicans should consider signing him.
• Borrego told Whiteside to bring his agent the next day to discuss a contract, and Whiteside shouted with excitement.
• Tang Tian asked Dempsey what kind of contract he planned to offer Whiteside.

The Pelicans signed Hassan Whiteside to a Ten-Day Contract as they prepared to face the Thunder in a highly publicized matchup between Tang Tian and Durant. The game began in Oklahoma City with Tang Tian at shooting guard and Aminu in the Pelicans' starting lineup.

• Tang Tian told Dempsey that the Pelicans should consider signing Whiteside to a longer Non-Guaranteed Contract if he performed well.
• The Pelicans waived Lance Thomas and signed Hassan Whiteside to a Ten-Day Contract, drawing criticism from some fans.
• Fans and commentators hyped the Pelicans-Thunder game, with Durant seeking to prove his earlier claim and O'Neal predicting a Pelicans win.
• Before tipoff, Metta World Peace fired up the Pelicans while Tang Tian chatted with Westbrook at center court.
• Williams told Tang Tian to focus on offense rather than guarding Durant, and the Pelicans started Aminu in place of Morrow with Tang Tian at shooting guard.

The Pelicans surged ahead against the Thunder behind Tang Tian and Davis, but Durant adjusted and led a comeback that turned the game into a scoring duel. Tang Tian answered Durant’s late three-pointer with one of his own, leaving their rivalry at a fever pitch.

• Davis opened the scoring with a free-throw-line jumper after Tang Tian drew Ibaka’s help defense, and Tang Tian followed with a fast-break dunk to put the Pelicans up 4-0.
• Davis blocked Ibaka, Holiday scored in transition, and Tang Tian converted an and-one against Durant as the Pelicans built an 11-2 lead.
• Durant recovered his shooting touch while Davis contributed rebounds and putbacks, and the Thunder narrowed the gap during a first-quarter stalemate.
• Durant hit a deep fadeaway to cut the deficit to three, but Tang Tian answered with a pull-up jumper.
• Durant scored a pull-up three to bring the Thunder within two, and Tang Tian shook Sefolosha before answering with a pull-up three-pointer.

The Pelicans’ bench struggled against Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams, prompting Monty Williams to give Hassan Whiteside his NBA debut. Whiteside fumbled an early scoring chance and committed a foul, but then stunned the Thunder with two consecutive blocks and secured a defensive rebound.

• Jackson and Adams attacked the Pelicans’ weak bench defense, giving the Thunder the lead as Adams dominated the boards.
• Williams replaced Jason Smith with Whiteside, who turned the ball over on his first attempt to finish at the rim.
• Whiteside fouled Jackson on a drive, then chased him down for a block and blocked Adams’s follow-up attempt.
• Whiteside boxed out and grabbed the defensive rebound after Butler missed from the perimeter.

The Pelicans and Thunder traded the lead as Tang Tian and Durant scored against each other, while Anthony Davis and Hassan Whiteside made key defensive plays. Tang Tian’s alley-oop to Whiteside gave New Orleans another highlight and left Whiteside looking like a possible answer at center.

• Williams sent Tang Tian and Davis into the game, and Davis defended Durant before finishing Tang Tian’s fast-break alley-oop.
• Tang Tian shook Lamb and hit a pull-up jumper to put the Pelicans ahead 30-29, but Durant’s free throws returned the lead to the Thunder.
• Whiteside blocked Durant twice in a row, though Durant drew his third foul and made free throws to put Oklahoma City ahead 33-32.
• Tang Tian used a screen from Whiteside to set up an alley-oop, and Whiteside caught the pass and dunked it with both hands.

Tang Tian led the Pelicans in a fierce battle against Durant and the Thunder, reaching a career-high 50 points in the closing seconds. After a late surge put New Orleans ahead, the game remained undecided as Tang Tian prepared to take his second free throw with eight seconds left.

• Whiteside fouled out of his comfort zone but stayed in with five fouls, blocked Jackson, and helped spark a Pelicans comeback as Tang Tian scored seven straight points.
• Tang Tian and Durant traded baskets, and Tang Tian surpassed his career high with 45 points before the game became tied at 103 in the final minute.
• Tang Tian stole the ball from Durant, then drew an unsportsmanlike foul from Westbrook and made both free throws to give the Pelicans a two-point lead.
• Davis put back Tang Tian's missed jumper to extend the Pelicans' lead to four, and Whiteside blocked Westbrook before Adams scored a second-chance basket.
• Tang Tian made two free throws after Westbrook fouled him, Durant answered with a difficult three-pointer, and Tang Tian made his first free throw to reach 50 points.

Tang Tian scored a career-high 51 points as the Pelicans beat the Thunder 111–108 after Durant’s apparent tying three-pointer was overturned for stepping out of bounds. After the game, the Pelicans celebrated their win while Durant argued the Thunder would beat them in a playoff series.

• Tang Tian made both free throws to put the Pelicans up by three, then defended Durant as he hit a late three-pointer that appeared to send the game to overtime.
• Williams challenged the shot, and replay showed Durant had stepped out of bounds, so the officials disallowed the basket and awarded the Pelicans a 111–108 win.
• Tang Tian finished with 51 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, while Durant scored 43 points and lost the scoring-title lead.
• Williams praised Tang Tian as the Pelicans’ MVP, Davis called him their leader, and Tang Tian joked that he was just a System Player.
• Durant said the Thunder could still beat the Pelicans in a playoff series, while Whiteside told Tang Tian he had listened to Durant’s press conference and was furious at his remarks.
• Metta World Peace began writing another rap mocking Durant as the Pelicans celebrated in the locker room.

Tang Tian agreed to a documentary campaign to boost his MVP chances, then discussed promoting New Orleans' Chinatown with Benson. At the trade deadline, the Pelicans acquired Norris Cole in a three-team deal, reuniting him with Tang Tian.

• Fagan told Tang Tian that Nike had finalized the terms for his signature shoe, planned for release that summer.
• Benson and Dempsey proposed filming Tang Tian to build media support for his MVP campaign, and Tang Tian agreed.
• Benson discussed promoting Chinatown with Tang Tian by highlighting the word Tang and adding posters and sports goods stores.
• The NBA trade deadline passed with few major deals, including Danny Granger's trade to the 76ers.
• The Pelicans, Heat, and Bobcats completed a three-team trade in which the Pelicans sent Brian Roberts and Steenstra for Norris Cole.

After Roberts left the Pelicans, Tang Tian welcomed Cole and helped him settle into the team, where Cole quickly impressed with his defense. The Pelicans extended their winning streak with victories over the Cavaliers, Bobcats, and Warriors, while Tang Tian repeatedly outplayed his friends and former training partners.

• Roberts said goodbye to his Pelicans teammates, thanked Tang Tian, and left for the Bobcats.
• Cole passed his physical and joined the Pelicans, where Tang Tian introduced him as a friend and the team welcomed him.
• Cole impressed the Pelicans in practice with his grasp of the team's tactics and energetic defense.
• Tang Tian scored 32 points in three quarters as the Pelicans beat the Cavaliers 110-94 and won their sixth straight game.
• Tang Tian scored seven clutch points to finish with 41 as the Pelicans beat the Bobcats, leaving Walker with 26 points in a loss.
• Tang Tian scored 39 points to lead the Pelicans past the Warriors 109-100, while Thompson managed 11 points and three turnovers.

The Pelicans extended Hassan Whiteside for another ten days while Tang Tian pushed to sign rebound specialist Reggie Evans before the buyout deadline. Evans joined the team in Chicago ahead of the Bulls game, leaving Whiteside unhappy and Tang Tian eager to see his new teammate play.

• After Whiteside struggled through his first ten-day contract, Tang Tian persuaded Dempsey to give him another chance and promised to talk with him.
• Dempsey showed Tang Tian likely buyout candidates, and Tang Tian recommended Reggie Evans as a rebounding and defensive presence for the Pelicans.
• The Pelicans announced Whiteside's second ten-day contract, then signed Evans to a one-year minimum-salary contract after the Kings bought him out.
• Evans arrived in Chicago, greeted his new teammates, and told Tang Tian he would handle the rebounds.
• Williams placed Evans on the active roster in Whiteside's spot, and Whiteside looked unhappy before the Pelicans' game against the Bulls.

Tang Tian learned that Kevin Durant had taken 35 shots in a loss to the Clippers, while Jimmy Butler called Tang his role model before the Pelicans faced the Bulls. Butler’s defense disrupted Tang and the Bulls exploited the Pelicans’ weakness inside as the first quarter began.

• Metta World Peace told Tang Tian that Durant had scored 41 points on 35 shots in the Thunder’s loss to the Clippers, prompting fans to mock Durant and debate the scoring-title race.
• Tang Tian dismissed the scoring-title chatter, reasoning that the Pelicans needed him to take shots because he was their only ball-handler in the starting lineup.
• Jimmy Butler told Chicago reporters that Tang Tian was his role model and said he would bring 120 percent effort to face him.
• The Bulls and Pelicans began their game at the United Center, with Tang Tian matched up against Butler and Davis winning the opening tip.
• Butler stopped Tang Tian’s first isolation attack, while the Bulls scored through an offensive rebound and putback, exposing Ajinca’s struggles against their physical play.

Reggie Evans made an impact in his Pelicans debut with relentless rebounding, though the team lost to the Bulls and its winning streak ended. The Pelicans then lost to the Heat, and Williams confronted Whiteside for leaving before the game was over.

• Williams replaced Ajinca with Jason Smith, then called on Evans when Smith also struggled against the Bulls.
• Evans grabbed two consecutive offensive rebounds and a defensive rebound, helping Tang Tian score and steady the Pelicans.
• The Bulls double-teamed Tang Tian late and beat the Pelicans 99-91, ending their eight-game winning streak; Evans finished with 13 rebounds.
• Tang Tian shared a late-night meal with Butler, who said he planned to keep training and offered to take Tang Tian to visit his parents in the summer.
• The Pelicans lost to the Heat for their second straight defeat, and Williams angrily called out Whiteside for returning to the locker room before the game ended.

Tang Tian confronted Whiteside about his behavior and warned him that he had six days to prove himself if he wanted to stay in the NBA. The Pelicans then beat the Wizards on the road, while Whiteside remained off the active roster with only two games left to impress Coach Williams.

• Tang Tian stayed behind to confront Whiteside, who said he had left the locker room early because he was not getting playing time.
• Whiteside blamed his behavior on what he had seen in Sacramento, and Tang Tian warned that his contract would not be renewed unless he improved within six days.
• Tang Tian gave Whiteside a tablet with advice on controlling his fouls and told him he had to impress Coach Williams.
• The Pelicans defeated the Wizards after Evans grabbed key offensive rebounds and Tang Tian and Davis scored in the fourth quarter.
• Tang Tian scored 35 points, Davis had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Evans finished with 15 rebounds as Whiteside remained off the active roster with two games left.

The Pelicans gave Evans the starting center job against the Mavericks, while Smith’s injury opened a spot for Whiteside to prove himself. After struggling to contain the Mavericks’ early lead, Whiteside entered the game and answered Tang Tian’s pass with a powerful dunk, leaving the Pelicans trailing 14–8.

• Williams named Evans the starting center against the Trail Blazers after Evans averaged 13 rebounds over three games, and the team congratulated him while Whiteside watched enviously.
• Whiteside impressed in defensive practice, but Smith sprained his wrist and was ruled out of that night’s game, giving Whiteside a place on the active roster.
• Tang Tian told Whiteside to make the most of his opportunity, and Whiteside thanked him and said God had given him another chance.
• The Mavericks targeted Evans’s lack of offense and built a lead, forcing Williams to put Whiteside into the game as the first bench center.
• Whiteside fouled Ellis on his first defensive possession, then took Tang Tian’s lob pass and dunked over Ellis, cutting the Mavericks’ lead to 14–8.