Xiao Hua bribed and maliciously smeared the league's number one player.

After this news was confirmed, the NBA encountered a wave of trust crisis.

After all, both sides were the league president and the league's number one player.

This was infighting!

Discussions on social media reached a peak.

"I think both Tang and Xiao Hua were impulsive. What they did has caused too much damage to the NBA's image!"

"That's right, this is probably going to become a joke for other leagues. Impulsiveness is the devil!"

"And the key issue now is that even if Xiao Hua steps down, there isn't a good person to take over!"

…

Many fans were complaining, and they were complaining about both Tang Tian and Xiao Hua.

"Your vision is as short-sighted as Xiao Hua's. If the judging standards don't change, the NBA's influence will only get worse! Attention will plummet!"

"Agreed, the viewing experience of games in the Xiao Hua era is too poor. We need to make changes. Change comes at a price. A short, sharp pain is better than a long, drawn-out one!"

"Who says there's no successor? The current vice president, Matt Tatum, is a suitable candidate!"

"Xiao Hua stepping down is definitely a blessing for the NBA! The wonderful games of the early 2000s can finally return!"

However, more people were encouraged by this incident.

The referee problem wasn't a one-time issue, but something that had accumulated over several seasons. Most fans were unhappy, and the Xiao Hua incident was a release valve.

Xiao Hua's resignation was already inevitable.

But at this crucial juncture, Xiao Hua fell ill.

Severe depression.

There was a certificate issued by the hospital, stating that he needed a long period of rest to recover.

It seemed that this series of events had caused Xiao Hua's psychological defenses to collapse.

This illness came at a very opportune time, and it temporarily stopped the fans' verbal attacks.

Moreover, this matter had caused a relatively large impact on the NBA itself. In order to stabilize the situation, the league's senior management decided to let Xiao Hua rest first.

After he recovered, they would decide on his punishment.

Until then, the league would be managed by Mark Tatum, who would serve as acting president, to manage the league's relevant affairs.

If Xiao Hua's resignation was likened to a death sentence, then this was actually a suspended death sentence, the only difference was the time.

The day after the league announced this decision, the league's acting president, Tatum, held a press conference at the NBA headquarters in New York.

Almost all world-class basketball media were present.

The NBA had only had five presidents in its history, and Tatum would become the sixth.

This was a sensational event in the basketball world.

Tatum delivered his inaugural speech in front of numerous media.

The most frequently mentioned point in his speech was to restore the game rules of the Stern era, and to reproduce the basketball of the early 2000s that combined both confrontation and entertainment.

In other words, he would abolish most of the new penalty rules of the Xiao Hua era and return the NBA to a confrontation league.

This move was warmly welcomed by fans and the media.

As spectators, that was the basketball they liked the most.

However, most NBA players had a general reaction.

This was also understandable. Stronger confrontation was something fans liked, but it also meant that their risk of injury would increase.

At the critical moment, Tang Tian stood up.

"Fast-paced games test players' instantaneous reaction ability, which actually increases injuries. Conversely, slowing down the pace will also reduce injuries. This change is not a step backward. It is more beneficial than harmful to both players and fans."

Tang Tian was obviously supporting Tatum.

And after he spoke out, TNT also listed the player injury rates during the Xiao Hua era and the Stern era, and overall there was only a slight decrease.

And this decrease was related to medical advancements.

In other words, a series of changes such as tightening the game standards, reducing confrontation, and increasing speed did not really reduce injuries.

After Tang Tian, ​​the president of the players' union, Paul, also echoed and supported Tatum.

Whether from a personal or overall perspective, he would do so.

From a personal point of view, the game dominated by three-pointers was not what he was good at. He was good at positional organization and control.

From an overall perspective, this was the only way to change the status quo and avoid so many penalty issues.

In addition to current players, many retired celebrities also expressed their views on this event.

Kobe: What a great change, my future son will love this league!

Jordan: I have long felt strange and uncomfortable with the current league. This is a positive change.

"Magic" Johnson: David (Stern) promoted the NBA to the world. He did it very successfully, and the NBA that world fans love is the NBA of his era, which is something that doesn't need to be changed.

…

Fans, media, players, retired and current, almost all supported this change.

Only a very few people spoke out for Xiao Hua, but they were quickly drowned out by other voices.

The righteous receive much support, while the unrighteous receive little.

During Xiao Hua's tenure, although the ultra-long three-pointers increased visual stimulation, the game gradually transformed into a three-point and dunk contest, and the overall viewing experience declined.

Referee problems were prominent, especially with more and more key penalties deciding the results of games.

Star players formed groups seriously, and only the games of a few teams received attention. The attention of other weak teams became lower and lower, and polarization became increasingly serious.

Everyone knew this before, but no one dared to say it. Now that Xiao Hua has finally stepped down, fans will naturally cheer and be encouraged.

You have to know that Xiao Hua continuing to lead the league is like a slow death. Now they have finally stopped the medication halfway!

A week after Tatum delivered his inaugural address, the league announced new game penalty standards.

Compared with the existing penalty standards, it obviously encouraged physical confrontation, and also increased the power of each team to challenge the referee twice in a game.

Although this will lengthen the game time to a certain extent, it will make the game more fair.

A very positive sign is that with the implementation of the new referee rules, the topic of NBA games on social media has obviously increased.

And this phenomenon is not only in the United States, but globally.

This shows that this series of changes are playing a positive role in the development of the NBA.

People also have enough reason to believe that the end of the Xiao Hua era is completely beneficial to the development of the NBA.

Against this background, time unknowingly came to Christmas.

The Christmas battle that fans are familiar with is coming again.

And like last year, the Pelicans and Warriors will usher in the second season of the two teams' grand battle on this day.

As of now, the Pelicans are at the top of the league with a record of 31 wins and 3 losses.

The Warriors' record has declined since Xiao Hua stepped down, but their adjustment ability is very strong. They have recently ushered in a wave of 3 consecutive victories, and their record has also reached 28 wins and 7 losses, ranking second in the league.

The two teams are outstanding in strength, but of course, more important than strength is the topic.

This is Durant's first time playing against Tang Tian since joining the Warriors. Can he get rid of the embarrassment of not being able to win against Tang Tian?

Can the Four Star Warriors avenge the shame of being swept last season?

Without the referee factor, can the Warriors defeat the Pelicans in a fair manner?

These are all the focus of this Christmas century war.

ps: I'm not in good condition today, so let's just update three chapters. Good night, commanders, love you~