Chapter Summaries

Tang Tian led the Pelicans to a commanding halftime advantage over the Warriors, then kept extending it after Draymond Green attacked him again. Tang Tian stopped his teammates from retaliating and said he had his own way, leaving Green confident he could target him again.

• Tang Tian scored 17 points in half a quarter, helping the Pelicans take a 65–45 halftime lead as the Warriors struggled to respond.
• Steve Kerr urged the Warriors to shoot without hesitation and play with more physical intensity in the second half.
• Tang Tian praised Kemba Walker and Anthony Davis, reassured Jimmy Butler about his ejection, and agreed that the Warriors would likely target him again.
• The Pelicans opened the second half with an 8–2 run, extending their lead beyond 25 points while Tang Tian contained Stephen Curry.
• Draymond Green struck Tang Tian near the ear while trying to contest his shot, but Tang Tian held back his teammates and said, “Playing basketball, physical contact is normal.”
• Tang Tian made both free throws, and after Curry cut the lead to 25 with an and-one, Green resolved to make another attack.

Tang Tian dunked on Green after Green attempted another groin kick, and the collision left Green seriously injured as the referees ejected him. The Pelicans beat the Warriors 116-88 to take a 3-0 series lead, leaving them one win from a sweep.

• Tang Tian avoided Green's attempted groin kick by raising his knee, then dunked over him as Green collapsed in pain.
• The referees reviewed the play and gave Green a Flagrant 2 Foul while ruling that Tang Tian deserved no penalty.
• Green was carried off the court, and his departure left the Warriors subdued and weakened.
• Tang Tian scored 35 points as the Pelicans defeated the Warriors 116-88 and moved ahead 3-0 in the series.
• Reports said Green had lost his remaining testicle and later needed surgery after reopening his wound.

Tang Tian defended the Pelicans’ physical response to Green, and the league quickly banned groin-kick-like moves. The Cavaliers tied their series with the Bucks, while the Warriors began Game 4 against the Pelicans with an 8-0 run as they fought to avoid a sweep.

• Tang Tian told reporters that the Pelicans would not fear physical play and would respond to opponents who crossed the rules.
• The league introduced a rule making intentional or accidental groin-kick-like moves Flagrant Fouls.
• George underwent shoulder surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the season, but James led the Cavaliers past the Bucks 116-106 to tie the series at 2-2.
• Green showed up courtside for Game 4, while Butler returned to the Pelicans’ starting lineup and McGee started for the Warriors.
• Curry, Thompson, and Durant helped the Warriors open the game with an 8-0 run against the Pelicans.

Tang Tian and the Pelicans swept the Warriors 4-0 with a 121-101 road victory, despite Kevin Durant scoring 50 points in a desperate effort to keep Golden State alive. The Pelicans advanced to the Finals, while an exhausted Durant was left vomiting on the Warriors’ bench.

• Tang Tian helped the Pelicans seize an early lead as Butler forced Durant into a turnover, and Durant answered with 16 points to keep the Warriors within six at the end of the first quarter.
• Walker and Davis sparked a 10-2 run in the second quarter, but Durant returned and scored 30 points by halftime as the Warriors trailed 43-57.
• Durant added 12 points in the third quarter to reach 42, yet the Pelicans stretched their lead to 20 points.
• Cole kept Durant on the court for much of the game, while the Pelicans steadily maintained their advantage and secured a 121-101 win.
• The Pelicans celebrated their 4-0 sweep and advance to the Finals, while Durant, who scored 50 points, vomited on the Warriors’ bench from exhaustion and emotion.

After the Pelicans swept the Warriors, Durant and Green clashed in the locker room over Green’s dirty play and the team’s failures. Durant walked out, leaving Curry and the Warriors facing the possibility that he would leave in the summer.

• Pelicans players celebrated sweeping the Warriors while fans online discussed Durant’s future and praised Tang Tian.
• Durant blamed Green for using dirty tactics and costing the Warriors a chance to win.
• Green fired back that Durant had played poorly earlier in the series, then mocked him for joining Golden State.
• Curry rebuked Green, but Durant left the locker room without his backpack and did not return during Cole’s speech.
• Durant skipped the postgame press conference, and Cole claimed he had gone to rest while reporters sensed the Warriors were falling apart.

The Cavaliers overcame a 3-2 series deficit against the Bucks as James delivered a historic 50-point triple-double in Game 6 and his teammates stepped up in Game 7. James reached the Finals for the eighth straight year, setting up a Finals matchup with the Pelicans.

• The Bucks crushed the Cavaliers 101-81 in Game 5, taking a 3-2 series lead and match point.
• Tang Tian told his Pelicans teammates that the Bucks had a chance to win but James made the outcome uncertain.
• James scored 50 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead the Cavaliers past the Bucks 118-112 in double overtime and tie the series at 3-3.
• Wade, Love, Whiteside, JR Smith, and Tristan Thompson all played well as the Cavaliers defeated the Bucks 116-100 in Game 7.
• James reached the Finals for the eighth consecutive year, advancing with the Cavaliers to face the Pelicans.

As the Pelicans prepared to face the Cavaliers in the Finals, Tang Tian argued that LeBron was past his peak and the Pelicans were heavily favored. Xiao Hua’s attempt to rig the series failed when the Referees' Union refused him, and Sok resigned, leaving Xiao Hua powerless before the Finals began.

• Tang Tian told Butler that LeBron’s huge Playoffs numbers reflected the Cavaliers’ poor supporting cast and that James had been stronger in 2014.
• ESPN and the Betting websites heavily favored the Pelicans, prompting Xiao Hua to learn that Pike and Mr. Newman had turned against him and blocked his calls.
• Xiao Hua ordered Sok to contact the Referees' Union and demanded that officials foul out the Pelicans’ starters to stop their championship run.
• The Referees' Union rejected Xiao Hua’s demand and said it would officiate the Finals fairly.
• Sok handed Xiao Hua his resignation letter and revealed that the NFL had prepared a new job for him, leaving Xiao Hua staring at the letter in defeat.

The Pelicans dominated the Cavaliers through the first three Finals games and moved within one win of an undefeated championship, while league president Adam Silver appeared diminished after losing power. The chapter then shifted to the supernatural affairs bureau, where Chu Xuan contained a dangerous entity in cell seven and warned that a larger crisis was coming.

• The Pelicans crushed the Cavaliers 107-77 in Game 1, then won Game 2 just as decisively, as James received little support from his teammates.
• Ryan Sok resigned from his league position, and fans concluded that Adam Silver had lost power after the hoped-for intervention against the Pelicans never came.
• The Pelicans beat the Cavaliers 110-88 in Cleveland to take a 3-0 Finals lead and move within one win of an undefeated championship.
• Before Game 4, the Cavaliers' owner, James, and coach Lue urged the team to fight against being swept, while Silver attended alongside Gayle Benson.
• Chu Xuan responded to an alarm at the supernatural affairs bureau and reinforced the failing seal on cell seven, forcing the entity inside to retreat.

The Pelicans overwhelmed the Cavaliers in Game 4 to complete a 4-0 Finals sweep and win their third consecutive NBA championship. Their 16-0 playoff run crowned them a dynasty, while Xiao Hua’s hopes of stopping them faded.

• The Cavaliers stayed close in the first quarter until Smith dribbled away an offensive rebound and let the shot clock violation end their final possession.
• The Pelicans opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run, then outscored the Cavaliers 40-20 to take a 21-point halftime lead.
• The Cavaliers briefly fought back after halftime, but the Pelicans extended their lead to more than 30 points by the end of the third quarter.
• The Pelicans beat the Cavaliers 121-91, completed the 4-0 sweep, and won the 2017-2018 NBA championship with a 16-0 playoff record.
• The Pelicans celebrated their third consecutive championship as commentators and fans hailed the birth of a dynasty.

The Pelicans celebrated their third consecutive championship after defeating the Cavaliers, while Rose found redemption and James watched Tang Tian claim another title. At the award ceremony, Gayle Benson praised Tang Tian, and Tang Tian began his championship speech by joking that giving one every year was painful.

• Davis, Bojan, Siakam, Brogdon, Bryant, Walker, and Butler celebrated the Pelicans’ championship on the court.
• Rose cried on the bench, and Diop comforted him as the Pelicans celebrated their title.
• James left the arena enviously after watching Tang Tian and the Pelicans complete their three-peat.
• Xiao Hua presented the championship ceremony, and Gayle Benson received the O’Brien Cup before passing it to the Pelicans.
• Benson praised Tang Tian for building the team and bringing a dynasty to New Orleans.
• Tang Tian joked that giving a championship speech every year was painful, prompting the crowd to boo and tease him.

Tang Tian won his third consecutive Finals MVP after the Pelicans swept the Cavaliers, then celebrated with his teammates. Walker and Butler told him they planned to leave New Orleans in free agency so they could pursue larger roles and contracts, though their futures remained uncertain.

• Tang Tian thanked the Pelicans, including his wife Elizabeth, Carl, Walker, and Butler, during his championship speech.
• Xiao Hua announced that Tang Tian had won the 2018 Finals MVP with eight votes, earning his third straight award.
• Bill Russell congratulated Tang Tian, who said he wanted to become the first player to win four consecutive Finals MVP awards.
• Tang Tian and his teammates celebrated the championship at a bar after the award ceremony and locker-room party.
• Walker told Tang Tian that he and Butler planned to leave New Orleans in the offseason, and Tang Tian supported their decision while insisting they deserved max contracts.
• Butler admitted he did not want to leave, while the three recognized that their plans depended on the Pelicans' management and possible league changes.

Tatum visited Tang Tian to discuss new rules aimed at curbing superteams, including a revised clause named after Tang Tian. At the Pelicans’ championship parade, a fan threw Tang Tian a box of Durex with her phone number on it, leaving his teammates to tease him.

• Tatum asked Tang Tian to seek Benson’s support for his bid to become League President and proposed a hard salary cap for teams repeatedly over the tax line.
• Tatum proposed removing the Designated Veteran Clause’s team-history restriction, renaming it the Tang Tian Clause and making more players eligible for supermax contracts.
• Tang Tian approved of Tatum’s proposal, which could make it harder for teams such as the Cavaliers, Warriors, and Pelicans to keep their star-studded rosters together.
• The Pelicans held a championship parade in New Orleans, displaying all three of their trophies as fans celebrated their dynasty.
• A woman threw a box of Durex onto Tang Tian’s parade vehicle with her phone number on it, and Walker, Butler, and Davis teased him about the apparent invitation.

The Pelicans celebrated their championship and announced their goal of winning four straight titles while the league prepared for its awards ceremony. At a meeting in New York, all 30 owners rejected Xiao Hua as League President, and Gayle Benson proposed that Matt Tatum take charge again.

• Tang Tian teased Butler, Walker, and Davis by offering them a Durex, and Davis claimed he wanted it for Bojan.
• The Pelicans celebrated their championship with a wild parade, and Stevens told the fans the team wanted four consecutive titles.
• The league scheduled its regular-season awards ceremony for June 20, while several players began their offseason activities.
• The owners unanimously voted against Xiao Hua becoming League President, and security escorted him out of the league office.
• Jeanie Buss asked when the league would choose a new president, and Gayle Benson proposed that Matt Tatum take charge again.

NBA owners heard Tatum’s case to return as League President, including his plans to prevent injuries and curb superteams. After a speech that won broad support, Tatum was elected League President with 26 of 30 votes.

• Benson nominated Tatum again, while Cuban and other owners questioned whether bringing back a former president would repeat past mistakes.
• ccx argued that Tatum’s tenure had improved ratings and urged the owners to hear his proposal before deciding.
• Tatum reviewed his past mistakes and proposed stricter rules for flagrant fouls and a process for fans to vote on new ideas.
• Tatum proposed a Hard Salary Cap and the Tang Tian Clause to limit superteams, drawing objections from Gilbert and Lacob.
• Tatum outlined his principles for leading the League, and the owners applauded his speech.
• The owners voted, and Tatum was re-elected League President with 26 of 30 votes.

After the League announced Tatum’s return and the Tang Tian Clause, Tang Tian attended the Players’ Union meeting and argued that the clause could benefit middle-tier players as well as superstars. The players unanimously elected him as their next union president.

• Fans debated Tatum’s return, the Referee’s Whistle, and the Tang Tian Clause after the League announced them.
• The Players’ Union met in Los Angeles to choose between renewing Paul’s term and electing a new president.
• Iguodala asked Tang Tian for his opinion, and Tang Tian argued that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement had helped players while higher superstar salaries could leave more cap space for middle-tier players.
• Iguodala nominated Tang Tian for union president, and Wade and other players voiced their support.
• The players voted unanimously for Tang Tian to succeed Paul as Players’ Union President.

Tang Tian became the new Players’ Union President and attended the NBA’s first season award ceremony with his family, where he began collecting awards. Siakam and Louis Williams won major honors, while Tang Tian swept the Best Assist and Best Dunk awards.

• Tang Tian was elected Players’ Union President, with Iguodala, Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, and Biyombo becoming Vice Presidents.
• The NBA held its first season award ceremony in Los Angeles, hosted by Barkley and Kenny Smith, and Tang Tian attended with Olson and their sons.
• Siakam won Most Improved Player and thanked Tang Tian for inviting him to the Brothers of Hard Work Training Camp.
• Louis Williams won Sixth Man of the Year for his strong scoring season with the Clippers.
• Tang Tian won Best Assist for his pass to Davis against the Warriors and Best Dunk for his 720-degree playoff dunk against the Trail Blazers.

The NBA awards ceremony continued as Dell Demps won General Manager of the Year and Jimmy Butler won Defensive Player of the Year. Butler’s victory ended Tang Tian’s four-year DPOY streak, but Tang Tian happily congratulated his teammate.

• Mitchell won Rookie of the Month after averaging more than 20 points per game.
• Dell Demps won General Manager of the Year, then thanked Tang Tian repeatedly in his acceptance speech.
• Westbrook won Best Dressed, and Lillard received the Sportsmanship Award.
• Jimmy Butler won Defensive Player of the Year, ending Tang Tian’s four-year streak.
• Butler apologized to Tang Tian for ending his streak, and Tang Tian smiled and congratulated him.

Tang Tian won Best Teammate and his third consecutive Regular Season MVP at the NBA awards ceremony, while Brad Stevens received Coach of the Year. The chapter ended with Tang Tian celebrated as a new legend.

• Jimmy Butler thanked voters and called Tang Tian the role model he would always chase.
• Monty Williams won the Sager Strong Award and thanked his late wife, while Tang Tian won Best Teammate over James.
• Brad Stevens won Coach of the Year after leading the Pelicans to 80 wins.
• Durant and James received the Community Contribution and Clutch Shot awards, respectively.
• Tang Tian beat James and Harden to win his third straight Regular Season MVP.

Tang Tian celebrated his third consecutive MVP as the Pelicans dominated the NBA awards night, then considered how long he could keep advising Dempsey on draft prospects. At the 2018 NBA Draft, the Suns picked Deandre Ayton and the Hornets selected Mohamed Bamba, leaving the Clippers’ third pick unresolved.

• Tang Tian accepted his third consecutive MVP and thanked the league, fans, and his Pelicans teammates.
• The NBA announced the All-Defensive and All-NBA Teams, while Pelicans players and staff collected ten awards overall.
• Tang Tian gave Dempsey draft advice and reflected that the upcoming year might be his last chance to recommend prospects from his former life.
• Tatum moved the draft back to Madison Square Garden and opened the 2018 NBA Draft.
• The Suns selected Deandre Ayton first overall, and the Hornets surprised fans by taking Mohamed Bamba second.
• The Clippers received five minutes to decide on the third pick, with their choice still unknown.

The Clippers selected Luka Dončić third overall and added Shai Gilgeous-Alexander later in the draft, while the Pelicans traded Bojan to the Pacers for the twenty-third pick and a trade exception. Unable to reach Tang Tian, Dempsey chose Landry Shamet with the acquired pick to strengthen New Orleans’ backcourt.

• The Clippers selected Luka Dončić with the third overall pick, and the Kings chose Marvin Bagley fourth.
• The 76ers selected Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies chose Wendell Carter Jr., the Hawks picked Trae Young, and the Bulls selected Kevin Knox.
• The Clippers drafted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eleventh overall, and the Spurs selected Lonnie Walker IV eighteenth.
• Worried about the Pelicans’ thin backcourt, Dempsey decided Bojan was the only practical player to trade and could not reach Tang Tian for his opinion.
• Dempsey finalized a deal sending Bojan to the Pacers for the twenty-third pick and a ten-million-dollar trade exception.
• The Pelicans used the acquired twenty-third pick to select Landry Shamet from Wichita State.