Chapter 26: Using Four Ounces to Overcome a Thousand Pounds + The Art of Disrupting the Center of Gravity

Entering the frontcourt, Tang Bei charged straight into the paint.

Shaquille O'Neal quickly established his defensive position, but instead of crashing into him head-on as he had before, Tang Bei executed a sudden Tai Chi pivot. With remarkable speed and agility, he maneuvered around his opponent and reached the rim.

"This Chinese kid's pivot is clearly fast; why was his pace so slow during previous possessions?" Jordan wondered, feeling puzzled. Even with O'Neal’s physical resistance, a pivot shouldn't be that sluggish. He couldn't quite figure it out.

He didn't realize that Tang Bei was controlling his speed because his ability to coordinate his body with the ball was still lacking. Turning too quickly while dribbling risked a turnover, so he hadn't dared to fully utilize the force-generating techniques of Tai Chi.

On the court, the pass from the perimeter didn't arrive in the paint in time. O'Neal seized the opportunity to press against Tang Bei, initiating an intense physical battle under the basket.

Tang Bei pushed back to create space, and the moment he felt O'Neal’s counter-pressure, he pivoted.

He wasn't using a "chair-pulling" move; instead, he employed the Tai Chi principle of "deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces," or what could be described as the center-of-gravity disruption technique from Aikido.

This technique is about destabilizing an opponent to gain an advantageous position, rather than relying on pure brute force. Over this period, he had been contemplating how to apply his martial arts training to basketball, and he had made some progress.

Aside from the horse stance, which strengthened his lower body and grip, the Tai Chi pivot was one such application. However, because his ball-handling was not yet fully refined, he could only use these techniques when playing off-ball or near the basket; doing so while dribbling or further out would easily lead to mistakes.

Another principle he intended to apply was "deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces." This was the theory, and the practical application was the center-of-gravity disruption technique. He hadn't tested it in a real game yet, so he decided to try it out on O'Neal to see if it would work.

The center-of-gravity disruption technique uses leverage and circular—or arc-like—motion to redirect and exploit an opponent’s own force. It includes three main methods: small hand return, four-corner return, and entry throw.

The first two require using one's hands to control the opponent's body, which is less practical in basketball as excessive hand contact is easily whistled as a foul. The entry throw, however, does not necessarily require the hands; it uses the power of the body—specifically the torso—to achieve control.

The first step of the entry throw is "entering," either frontally or laterally—in other words, sticking to the opponent. In basketball, this is highly applicable during physical contact. The second step is the transition: while in contact, one shifts their body to avoid the opponent’s force, redirect it, and further destabilize their balance.

As O'Neal pushed back with all his might, Tang Bei suddenly pivoted. Instead of breaking contact, he maintained the physical connection, rotating on his shoulder as an axis and using his own powerful turning momentum to redirect O'Neal’s force.

The Tai Chi principle of "deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces" has a prerequisite: one must possess a thousand pounds of strength themselves to be able to deflect a thousand pounds. Like the Tai Chi ball he practiced with at home for the past two years—weighing five or six hundred pounds—if you couldn't move that, you couldn't speak of such deflection.

"Oh no!" O'Neal felt his force hit empty air.

But O'Neal was incredibly strong. Just as he was about to regain his center of gravity, another wave of force struck him. This was the external force Tang Bei applied through their physical contact as he pivoted.

This force, combined with O'Neal’s own momentum, acted as the "four ounces" that deflected the "thousand pounds," instantly shattering his balance.

"Damn!" Shaquille O'Neal exclaimed, stumbling as he spun and dived to the side. His legs tangled, and he crashed onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Fuck you!" This was the second time today that O'Neal had fallen at Tang Bei's feet. Humiliated, he cursed in anger, his hostility toward Tang Bei growing deeper.

"Sigh." His agent, Leonard Armato, couldn't bear to watch and turned his head away.

The head referee nearby saw it clearly: Tang Bei had not pushed, nor had he used his elbows or dropped his shoulder, so no whistle was blown.

"Ball!" Tang Bei, standing alone under the basket, roared.

Jon Barry, the shooting guard who had been preparing to launch a three-pointer, saw that if he didn't pass, it might affect his evaluation. He had no choice but to pass.

"Not a chance!" But by then, Alonzo Mourning had reached Tang Bei's left side. As Tang Bei went to receive the ball, Mourning swiped a hand and knocked it away.

"Dammit!" With the ball swiped away and no whistle, it was ruled a clean steal. Tang Bei swore in frustration.

"Sigh." Like O'Neal’s agent, Eric Fleisher sighed as well. He had done everything right up until the end, but failed to notice the help defense coming from behind. It was a clear sign of a severe lack of game experience.

Lewis Schaffel, the Heat's general manager, said to the Rockets' general manager beside him, "The post-up and the pivot were good, but his awareness is lacking. He didn't see Mourning, who had been pulled out by Gugliotta, recover to the paint."

Pat Williams nodded. "It’s a vision issue. A top-tier super-center should possess excellent court vision; that’s an invisible talent that combine data can't reflect."

Schaffel laughed, "Indeed. In this regard, Christian Laettner is far superior to him. Laettner is the better choice."

Several other general managers nearby heard their conversation, rolling their eyes or curling their lips. They all thought to themselves: do these two take everyone else for fools?

In the following possessions, neither O'Neal nor Tang Bei found opportunities. Everyone was a rookie looking to showcase their own skills; there wasn't much teamwork, and the perimeter players wouldn't consistently feed them the ball.

"Clang!" The White team attacked, and Tom Gugliotta fired from the right wing, missing the shot under Mourning’s defense.

O'Neal used his superior anticipation to move first, occupying the landing spot two meters in front of the basket and grabbing the ball.

"Smack!" Tang Bei, quick of hand and eye, swiped the ball away and snatched it for himself.

"Shit!" Having lost the ball, O'Neal immediately pressed behind Tang Bei, while Alonzo Mourning also rushed back to the paint, the double-team forming.

Tang Bei was just over two meters from the basket. At this distance, about two point three meters, his technique required a dribble to attack the rim, making a Tai Chi pivot difficult. If it went smoothly, one dribble would suffice; if not, he might even need two.

But with O'Neal pressing his back and Mourning closing in, he couldn't dribble, or he would likely commit another turnover.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in a split second.

"Mourning?" At that moment, he heard the sharp squeak of sneakers approaching from his left rear, directly in front of the rim. He knew it had to be Mourning.