His strength lay in a robust underpinning, paired with strong mobility that allowed him to quickly close in on defense; his shot-blocking skills were not too shabby either.
The Heat Team had Haslem and Ilgauskas, yet he had surpassed them to become the starting center, which certainly spoke volumes about his remarkable abilities.
However, Randolph wasn’t a rough-and-tumble type like Howard. Upon noticing Bosh being drawn out of the paint by Little Gasol, he didn’t wrestle with Anthony for strength. Instead, using Anthony’s body as a pivot, he spun towards the free-throw line, mowing down Anthony with his body like a tank advancing to the basket for a close-range floater.
This was a true tank, much sturdier than James.
Anthony was so overwhelmed that he could only watch as Randolph scored over his head.
The Grizzlies took the lead, and turning back, Wade passed the ball to James.
Undoubtedly, even with James at the Heat, it remained Wade’s team, a fact evident from the order of appearance in the opening ceremony—Wade was the final presentation.
Yet, Wade’s character was more mature; he didn’t treat James the way Guy initially treated Hansen.
On the contrary, he was very considerate of James’s feelings, letting James get a feel for the game at the start.
After receiving the ball, the other members of the Heat Team spread out as much as possible to give James space for a strong-side one-on-one.
Guy hadn’t been known for his defense since entering the League, and theoretically, James should have a good handle on him.
James quickly began his drive, but, unexpectedly, Guy lunged forward to challenge him, not letting him start easily.
This aggressive defense surprised him, and though he managed to push past Guy due to his physical advantage, his footwork was clearly a bit messy.
Especially when he stumbled his way into the paint and Randolph left Anthony to help defend, he instinctively stopped with the ball then restarted his drive.
This unusual rhythm helped him shake off Randolph, but just as he was about to shoot, the whistle from a sideline referee blew.
A traveling violation due to James’s alternating hand rolls.
James looked at the referee with the ball in his hands, his face full of confusion.
The arena erupted into restlessness.
In the end, James could only hand the ball to the referee and jog back with a smile.
"Well done," Hansen said, proactively going over to high-five Guy.
He had maintained that Guy’s defense was crucial—not an exaggeration—as Guy’s speed was utterly incapable of keeping up with Wade, so it had to be him defending Wade.
Now, with Guy putting such defensive pressure on James, the Grizzlies had a great chance tonight.
The ball changed hands, and the Grizzlies moved upcourt to continue their set play. Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Randolph received the ball and continued his back-to-the-basket one-on-one.
This time, with the Heat Team helping on defense, Randolph passed the ball to the weak side where Little Gasol was.
Little Gasol drove towards the basket, and James cut back to swipe at the ball.
The ball left Little Gasol’s hands as the referee’s whistle sounded again.
When the referee pointed at James, the unrest in the arena grew.
James was called for a defensive foul again!
James first held his head, then removed his mouthguard to approach the referee for an explanation.
However, the referee paid little heed, merely pointing to Little Gasol’s reddened forearm to indicate that James had hit his hand when swiping at the ball.
The arena was filled with boos—this was the Heat’s home court! The referee was clearly targeting him!
But the booing didn’t last long because the big LED screen in the arena replayed the recent play; it was clear that James had indeed hit the hand, causing Little Gasol to lose the ball.
James helplessly shook his head.
Such plays weren’t usually called in the past.
Hansen couldn’t help but find amusement.
It reminded him of his experiences during internal training sessions with the Cavaliers.
"Such plays wouldn’t be called in a game either."
That was the catchphrase of Lloyd Pierce, the first assistant coach of the Cavaliers at the time.
The Cavaliers treating league favoritism as routine training, James was naturally not likely to change those bad habits.
But then, who could guarantee such favoritism would persist?
Clearly, with James’s "Decision", some things had already subtly shifted.