Zhao Dong started breaking down the two tasks and analyzing the targets.
Gary Payton, aka The Glove, was a post-up beast, playing like Mark Jackson—bullying defenders with his hips, backing them down, and hitting a turnaround jumper when he got to his spot near the baseline or the paint. The system's task required Zhao Dong to help defend Payton. Since he played power forward, he needed to step in whenever Payton drove.
Shawn Kemp was a different animal altogether. If dude had the discipline, he could've been a top-five all-time superstar, no cap. His athleticism was next-level—built like a tank, explosive as hell, and a dunking menace. He was basically LeBron before LeBron, never really dealing with injuries, and he had a smooth mid-range game too. His aerial game? Straight-up violent poetry.
Before Shaq came into the league, Kemp owned the dunk game. The dude yammed on everybody, regularly throwing it down over centers. In an era where The Big Four (Hakeem, Shaq, Ewing, and Robinson) ruled the league, Kemp was the only one playing above their heads.
His peak? '95-96 season. He went toe-to-toe with all four of those legendary bigs and held his own.
His nickname, "Reign Man," originally meant ruler, king, unstoppable force. But because it sounded like Rain Man, people just ran with it.
But even a beast like Kemp had weaknesses:
He played with heart over IQ.
He struggled against full-court pressure.
He couldn't keep his emotions in check.
That last one was his Achilles' heel. Last year's Finals? The Bulls didn't beat the Sonics because they were better—they won because Rodman got inside Kemp's head. Kemp let the trash talk get to him, lost his cool, and the Sonics folded. If he had kept his composure, Seattle could've beaten the Bulls and been the greatest team of all time.
Now, handling a dude like Kemp? That was superstar-level difficulty. Zhao Dong wasn't there yet. And to make things worse, this was a back-to-back game.
Game Night – Nov. 24, 1996 – Madison Square Garden
MSG was packed. Superstars everywhere. Celebs lined the front row.
Starting lineups:
Seattle SuperSonics:
C: Jim McIlvaine
PF: Shawn Kemp
SF: Detlef Schrempf
SG: Hersey Hawkins
PG: Gary Payton
New York Knicks:
C: Patrick Ewing
PF: Zhao Dong
SF: Charles Oakley
SG: Allan Houston
PG: Chris Childs
CCTV was broadcasting the game live, and NBC had it nationwide.
On NBC, Doug Collins and Marv Albert were breaking things down.
Collins: "Looking at these lineups, the Sonics have the size advantage. They've got three guys over 6'9" compared to just Ewing for the Knicks. That's gonna be a problem for rebounding and inside scoring."
Marv Albert: "And let's talk about Ewing—he's been struggling. Probably dealing with some injuries. If he's not at 100%, the Knicks' post game is gonna suffer."
Collins: "Zhao Dong's been stepping up, but he's facing Shawn Kemp. That's a brutal matchup. Both guys are crazy athletic, but Kemp's got that veteran experience. Zhao's got a little more weight on him, though—he might try to use that to his advantage. But straight up? He's not winning this one-on-one battle."
Marv: "So overall, you'd say Seattle has the edge?"
Collins: "Definitely. Unless the Knicks pull something out of their bag, the Sonics should take this one."
Marv: "And of course, we're gonna see some of that classic 'Lob City' action with Payton and Kemp throwing it down in transition."
On CCTV, the Chinese broadcast switched to the court.
Sun Zhenping: "The Knicks are off to a strong start this season—9-3, second in the East behind the Bulls at 11-1."
Zhang Heli: "But tonight's tough. Back-to-back, and the Sonics are elite. Plus, Zhao Dong's still a rookie. Fatigue could be a real issue for him."
Meanwhile, across the country in Los Angeles, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were chilling in a hotel room, watching the game.
Jordan knew exactly how dangerous the Sonics were. Last year, if Rodman hadn't elbowed Kemp in the face, the Bulls might not have won that title.
Pippen sighed, "Man, Dennis is out doing PT again. Dude doesn't take a break, even on road trips."
Rodman had only put up 2 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 assist last night. Pippen wasn't happy. "Michael, you gotta talk to him. We need more than just rebounds."
Jordan gave Pippen a look. He knew there was tension between Scottie and Rodman. Pippen wanted more control, but Rodman? He didn't even respect David Robinson back in San Antonio—he sure as hell wasn't taking orders from Pippen.
That wasn't Jordan's main concern, though. He saw Zhao Dong pop up on the screen, and it pissed him off.
Pippen smirked. "Kemp's gonna teach that kid a lesson tonight."
Jordan laughed. "Oh, no doubt. He's about to get wrecked."
They knew Kemp too well. Zhao Dong was in for a rough night.
Jordan leaned back, confident. "Shawn's gonna break that kid and have him crying like a bitch."
Pippen burst out laughing.
---
Tip-Off – Game Time
Zhao Dong lined up against Kemp for the jump ball.
As the ref tossed it up, both players exploded off the ground. Their hands smacked the ball at the same time, but Zhao Dong had the weight advantage. He bodied Kemp mid-air, knocked him off balance, and tipped it to the Knicks.
First possession—Ewing scored.
Zhao Dong immediately focused on controlling the paint, especially offensive boards. With Ewing not at full strength, the Knicks needed extra muscle inside.
As Ewing got the ball again, he squared up with Kemp, fighting for position.
Kemp had the experience, but Zhao Dong had the strength advantage—he was 10kg heavier. That weight came into play as they battled for control.
At the same time, Oakley stepped out beyond the three-point line, dragging Detlef Schrempf out of the paint. The Knicks were trying to clear the lane and let Ewing work inside.
---
And just like that, the battle was on.
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