Chapter 148 China Basketball Association's Summons

The Spurs were firmly in first place in the West, and with the final four games, Popovich began his habitual rest rotations.

"GDP" didn't play, and Tang Tian and Leonard didn't get much playing time either.

On this day, after the game against the Hornets, Tang Tian met an unexpected guest at the arena.

A Chinese man in his forties, wearing a standard suit and carrying a briefcase, looked like a domestic official at first glance.

"I am Huang Zhen, an official from the Chinese Basketball Association."

When the other party introduced himself, Tang Tian already knew his intentions.

2012 was an Olympic year, and he must have come to recruit him for the national team.

The 2008 Olympics were held in Beijing, and the Chinese team won the top spot in both the medal table and the gold medal table, achieving a historic breakthrough.

That year, the men's basketball team, led by Yao Ming, also reached the Olympic quarterfinals, tying their best historical record.

Yao Ming's comeback touched countless fans, and that men's basketball team was also known as the strongest in history.

Four years had passed, Yao Ming had retired, and Yi Jianlian wasn't doing so well in the NBA.

The core members of that men's basketball team, Wang Zhizhi, Zhu Fangyu, and Wang Shipeng, were also getting old.

Plus, the Basketball Association didn't pay attention to or didn't know how to cultivate young players at all. Now, there were signs of exhaustion and a lack of successors.

"We hope that you can represent the national team in the 2012 London Olympics. Of course, you don't have to participate in training camps like other players. We can discuss the reporting time. Anyway, everything will be based on your convenience."

Because he wasn't a player within the system, Huang Zhen was very polite when he spoke.

Tang Tian didn't speak immediately.

He wasn't against playing for the national team in the Olympics. He was a patriotic person at heart.

Moreover, because he had lived through a lifetime, this national sentiment was even stronger than ordinary people.

However, the timing of the Olympics this year was very awkward, because he had just finished his rookie season, and the upcoming offseason was crucial for him.

In other words, before the end of his rookie contract, the salary he received was limited, and the skills he could exchange were also limited. Training was a must.

Moreover, his current strength was also limited. Joining the men's basketball team, reaching the top 8 would already be a blessing from the goddess of luck, and it wouldn't be that meaningful.

Of course, there was also the last and most crucial point.

The men's basketball team was like a dead game of chess, and it needed to be broken before it could be established.

If he joined and helped the team stabilize its record, it would be equivalent to continuing the game, delaying the renewal of the men's basketball team, which would be detrimental in the long run.

"I need time to consider. Let's discuss this after the playoffs are over."

Tang Tian didn't make a decision immediately.

"No problem. This is my contact information. If you make a decision, you can contact me at any time."

Huang Zhen said, handing Tang Tian a business card.

Tang Tian took the business card and took another look at the official. To be honest, the Basketball Association had a good eye for selecting people.

In the end, the Spurs won against the Wizards with their full team resting, and their record was finally set at 52 wins and 14 losses.

This was the last regular season game in the league. With the end of this game, the 2011-2012 lockout season also came to an end.

Tang Tian also ended his debut season.

He played a total of 63 games in his rookie season, including 29 starts, averaging 26.6 minutes per game, scoring 14.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks, with a field goal percentage of 49% and a three-point percentage of 51%.

His scoring was second only to Parker and Duncan in the Spurs, ahead of Ginobili, ranking third in the team.

Among the rookies, Tang Tian's scoring was second only to Irving's 18.5 points and Walker's 16.2 points, ranking third among the rookies, and his steals ranked first among all rookies.

As the 31st pick, he performed at the level of the top three picks in the 2011 draft.

Although the playoffs hadn't started yet, his performance proved that the Spurs had really found a treasure in last year's draft.

The first pick in the second round allowed the other 29 teams to miss out perfectly, and the Heat's management, although unwilling to admit it, was also regretting it immensely.

With the end of the regular season, the top eight in the East and West were also freshly released.

In the West.

The Spurs' 52 wins were 3 more than the Bulls' 49 wins, securing them the top spot in the league and also the top spot in the West.

The Thunder followed closely with a record of 46 wins and 20 losses.

In addition to these two teams, the 3rd to 8th places in the West were a chaotic battle, with a maximum win difference of only 5 games between them.

The Lakers' strength clearly declined, and they ultimately ranked third in the West with a record of 41 wins and 25 losses.

The Grizzlies, because of their head-to-head record with the Lakers, although they also had 41 wins, ultimately ranked fourth.

The Clippers' Big Three's first year of integration wasn't very good either. Although they gained the reputation of "Lob City," they only ranked fifth with a record of 40 wins and 26 losses.

The Nuggets were a bit surprising. They traded away their core, Carmelo Anthony, but under the leadership of George Karl, they played attacking basketball, with 6 players averaging double-digit points, ranking sixth with a record of 38 wins and 28 losses.

The Jazz ranked seventh in the West with a record of 36 wins and 30 losses.

The defending champion Dallas Mavericks ultimately ranked eighth with a record of 35 wins and 31 losses.

In this way, the first round matchups of the Western Conference playoffs were also released.

The Spurs would face the defending champion Mavericks;

The Thunder would face the Jazz;

The Lakers would face the Nuggets;

The Grizzlies would compete with the Clippers for a spot in the next round.

The first round matchups in the East were also released at the same time:

Bulls vs 76ers; Heat vs Knicks; Pacers vs Magic; Celtics vs Hawks.

(Attached East standings: Bulls 49 wins and 17 losses, Heat 45 wins and 21 losses, Pacers 42 wins and 24 losses, Celtics 39 wins and 27 losses, Hawks 40 wins and 26 losses, Magic 37 wins and 29 losses, Knicks 36 wins and 30 losses, 76ers 35 wins and 31 losses.)

With the confirmation of the top eight in the East and West and the matchups, major media outlets also began their championship predictions early, and betting websites also released the odds for winning the championship as soon as possible.

The Heat were ranked first on major media websites and betting odds charts.

"The Heat's record this season does not reflect their strength. Wade's absence in the second half of the season is the reason for their record fluctuations.

Their real record should be around 55 wins. In the second year of the Big Three, they will undoubtedly be the hottest contenders for the championship."

ESPN columnist Chad Ford gave this comment, and like his previous predictions for the draft, he always liked to be early.

The Thunder, Bulls, Spurs, and Lakers were ranked 2nd to 5th, and they were in the second tier of championship contenders.

"The Spurs' record is the best in the league, and they should be higher on this list, but age is a major factor limiting their performance.

We know that the lockout season's schedule is very dense, and after the dense regular season, they will face even more intense playoffs."

Ford's comments were also relatively accurate. The lockout season was the most torturous for these older teams.