The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 103 is really simple.

Havlicek made the right decision in the second half: to keep Gan Guoyang on the field and not interfere with him too much, allowing the young man to lead the team's defense.

This is not an easy thing. The NBA is a circle that values ​​seniority. For those senior players, it is very embarrassing to be bossed around by a junior player on defense.

Gan Guoyang didn't care at all. When he stood in the three-second zone, he was full of authority, like a general directing every teammate on the court, reminding them to help defend, box out, and grab rebounds.

His defensive awareness was excellent, and he was very familiar with the US team's offensive tactics. After a few rounds, the NBA stars found that following his instructions to defend was quite effective.

Rick Mahon was pushed by Gan Guoyang to help defend, and the big-butt guy was a little unconvinced, yelling at Gan Guoyang not to touch him, but Gan Guoyang then blocked Concaco's shot one-on-one in defense.

Then, on offense, he received a pass from Gus Williams, drove to the basket, and slammed home a one-handed dunk. Concaco was no match for Gan Guoyang's speed, and Gan Guoyang scored his first point.

Gan Guoyang's dunk was clean and crisp; his large hands could completely catch the ball, and he even had a hovering and dodging motion in the air.

As Rick Mahon wiggled his big butt on the way back on defense, he praised Gan Guoyang's dunk, saying, "Beautiful dunk, kid! You play really well!"

"Play good defense. It'll be even more exciting when we turn the score around."

The morale of the NBA star team is gradually recovering, and Gan Guoyang's defense and energy are gradually inspiring everyone.

They originally approached the competition with a playful attitude, thinking that winning against this group of college students would be a piece of cake.

When the match actually started, they discovered that without teamwork and coordination, they were no match for the united and well-trained national team.

Then they thought, since it's just a warm-up, it doesn't matter if we lose; we can just consider it a way to cheer on the national team.

How can you possibly win a game with this kind of mentality?
Gan Guoyang's appearance changed everything, and the NBA All-Stars quickly narrowed the score gap.

Jordan, who had returned to the court, blew past Daryl Walker on the perimeter and drove straight to the basket.

Gan Guoyang came over to help defend, and the two clashed in the air. Gan Guoyang overpowered Jordan, but Jordan still managed to shoot the ball, drawing a defensive foul from Gan Guoyang.

Jordan was too fast; even NBA-level guards couldn't keep up with him. It would be extremely difficult for Gan Guoyang to help defend Jordan.

Jordan looked at Gan Guoyang's Avia shoes with curiosity and asked, "What shoes are you wearing? They look damn good."

"Avia, how about the brand I endorse? One million for endorsement."

Jordan's eyes widened when he heard the number. He thought to himself, "This guy has already got a shoe endorsement deal, and it's worth a million?"

"When did this happen?"

"Just last night during dinner."

"Shit, I want to play cards with you tonight."

"Let's talk about winning this game first."

Jordan didn't shoot any free throws; he just chatted with Gan Guoyang.

The referee on the sidelines was getting impatient; if you don't take the free throw soon, he'll cancel it.

Jordan made both free throws, and the national team maintained a 6-point lead.

"Gan, your shoes are too eye-catching today, I'm going to beat you up."

Jordan made a bold statement to Gan Guoyang, as he was quite envious of the very cool new shoes.

What made him even more envious and jealous was Gan Guoyang's one million dollar endorsement fee.

He wasn't envious of the money, but he felt inferior because Gan Guoyang had secured such a large endorsement contract so quickly.

Gan Guoyang was the second pick in the draft, ahead of Jordan, and his endorsement deal was snatched up by him, so Jordan was naturally unhappy.

However, Gan Guoyang immediately shut Jordan down with one sentence: "You can try it, Bob will beat you after the game."

As soon as Gan Guoyang said that, Jordan immediately deflated. If he had insisted on going one-on-one with Gan Guoyang, he would have been scolded to death by Knight after the game.

Gan Guoyang did not insist on one-on-one play. He did not go to the low post to ask for the ball, but instead came out to set a screen for Gus and then cut to the basket to attract the defensive attention.

After missing a three-pointer, Gan Guoyang fought hard to grab the offensive rebound under the basket and scored on the putback.

It's okay if you guys don't pass the ball to me, I can just steal it myself.

Gan Guoyang has an excellent instinct for offensive rebounds, leaving Concaco helpless.

Then on the offensive end, Concaco received the ball but was dispossessed by Gan Guoyang, resulting in a turnover.

Coach Knight couldn't sit still any longer. When the ball went dead in the next round, he pointed at Ewing and brought him on.

Ewing sighed inwardly, thinking, "Damn it, I'm going to be facing off against Gan Guoyang again."

He dislikes playing against Gan Guoyang, feeling that he always gets thoroughly tormented by him.

Gan Guoyang's noisy and fiery playing style, combined with his calm and meticulous game strategy, often made Ewing experience the agonizing contrast of extremes.

As soon as Ewing came on the court, Gan Guoyang came over and said, "Patrick, what do you think of my new shoes?"

Off the court, Ewing also noticed that Gan Guoyang was wearing a very flashy new pair of shoes tonight.

He glanced down and said, "Not bad, super cool."

Before he could finish speaking, Gan Guoyang suddenly turned and drove into the paint.

"The Wizard" Gus Williams lobbed a pass to the basket, and Gan Guoyang caught the ball with both hands and slammed it home with an alley-oop dunk!
After landing, Gan Guoyang shouted at Ewing, "Patrick, when you're on defense, don't look at the ground, keep your eyes on the top!"

Ewing could only serve from the baseline, cursing under his breath. That's why he hated his opponent, Gan Guoyang!
Ewing immediately responded with a mid-range jump shot.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at the high post, and Jordan immediately came up to defend him, knowing that Gan Guoyang could shoot from long range.

"You're guarding against my Mike?"

"A piece of cake."

Gan Guoyang raised the ball above his head. He knew that Jordan was very good at stealing the ball and was very quick to make a move.

After a probing step, he dribbled to the side, using his left hand to block and protect the ball from Jordan's steal.

Then, relying on his strength, he drove all the way down the middle lane, dodging Mullin's attempt to steal the ball, and scored two points with a frontal move hook.

Gan Guoyang's steady dribbling and strong physique were on full display in this attack.

If a typical center were to dribble into Jordan from such an outward position, he would definitely get the ball stolen.

Gan Guoyang executed the move flawlessly, successfully hitting the basket with a large ball against a smaller one, and scoring two points back.

The US national team launched a quick counterattack, without pausing, and immediately served from the backcourt.

Jordan accelerated past the defender, jumped in mid-air, dodged Mahone's block, and made a bank shot that went in!
What wore down the NBA All-Star team in the first half was this high-speed offensive and defensive pace.

Bob Knight uses a 12-man rotation, with everyone getting a chance to play, so everyone is full of energy and the pace of offense and defense is extremely fast.

As the game progressed, these veteran NBA players gradually fell behind, and Havlicek didn't use a 12-man rotation; he just randomly selected players.

At this point, only Gan Guoyang from the NBA All-Star team could keep up with the pace of the US team, as he was familiar with Knight's tactical style.

Gan Guoyang began to increase his independent offense, and the NBA All-Star team also realized that giving the ball to Gan was a good idea, as he could score.

After receiving a pass from Cummins, Gan Guoyang cut in and faked out Ewing before making a left-handed layup with the same hand and foot.

With a quick adjustment of his hands and feet, he evaded Perkins' help defense on the other side and put the ball into the basket.

Bob Knight couldn't help but admire Gan Guoyang's finishing skills from the sidelines, saying they were incredibly refined, almost on par with top NBA small forwards.

Don't underestimate a center's finishing ability; good finishing ability can efficiently translate tactics and teamwork into points.

Knight really understands all too well how frustrating and painful it is when a team plays a combination but the center can't put the ball in the basket.

For these top players, small technical details can often create a gap between them, and Ewing was much rougher in this regard.

Only Jordan on the entire US national team possesses the same level of finesse as Gan Guoyang; both of them have an unwavering pursuit of technical details.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang immediately sprinted back to defend. He was able to keep up with the pace of the US team's offense, reaching out to block Jordan as he dribbled down the court, and then immediately dropping to the paint to anchor the defense. This small defensive detail created time for his teammates to get back on defense, delayed the US team's fast break, and dragged the opponent into a positional game.

After repeated passes, Alford's drive was disrupted by Gan Guoyang and missed. Mahone grabbed the rebound and passed it to Williams, who then sprinted down the court.

Ewing had to run alongside Gan Guoyang with his long legs. He was still wearing knee pads tonight, which made every step look heavy.

The fast break didn't go through, but Gan Guoyang immediately got back into positional offense. He called for the ball in the low post, and the NBA All-Stars set him up using the triangle offense.

This is a sign that Gan Guoyang has gained recognition from his teammates. Cummins passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who received the ball, faked a move, and immediately turned inside to shoot with a straight arm.

Gan Guoyang turned and shot without leaning back, instead pressing forward to prevent the defender from jumping to block. Ewing was pressed down and couldn't jump, watching helplessly as Gan Guoyang made the shot.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang did not rush back to defend, but instead joined forces with Cummins in the attacking third to double-team Jordan, forcing Jordan to pass the ball.

After Jordan passed the ball, Gan Guoyang sprinted back to the backcourt to direct his teammates in defense, and successfully defended against the US team's attack in positional play.

Once the ball is in position, the American team's offensive success rate will drop significantly, as speed is the college students' most lethal weapon.

Gan Guoyang's tireless running and defensive support slowed down the US Olympic team's offensive pace.

The two sides began a long and arduous tug-of-war.

John Havlicek watched Gan Guoyang play like a machine on the court, with inexhaustible energy, and his mind drifted back to his own athletic years before retirement.

Havlicek is a triple-threat star in baseball, football, and basketball. He made the state's all-time team in all three sports during high school, largely thanks to his superhuman physical abilities.

He could run endlessly on baseball, football, and basketball fields, seemingly without ever getting tired. His opponents would be exhausted after every game, while he remained full of energy.

He spent some time with the Cleveland Browns, but was eventually cut. He went to Boston, where he ran on the parquet floor of the Gardens for over a decade without stopping, winning eight championships.

Now he's retired, completely retired. He hardly touches basketball anymore, and his most frequent activity is fishing. Every year, he invites a group of familiar NBA stars to organize a fishing competition.

Hongdo was tired, and he didn't want to be a coach anymore. It's probably because he ran too much while playing, which exhausted his energy and interest.

But seeing Gan Guoyang running like the wind tonight, his long-extinguished soul seemed to slowly revive.

Havlicek, who had been sitting on the bench and not particularly engaged or concerned about the match, stood up in the final stages of the game.

He went to the sidelines and started shouting to encourage the players to run, move, defend, and chase.

Tonight's NBA All-Star team doesn't have any superstars, but they are all very brave and tough players.

Terry Cummins and Rick Mahon are well-known steel men on the court in the league.

They initially looked down on Gan Guoyang, but as the competition progressed, they began to be motivated by him.

There's another player who doesn't need Gan Guoyang to mobilize; he has a deep-seated aversion to the American team, specifically to Jordan.

That was Reggie Thurs, the guard who came off the bench. He had previously played for the Chicago Bulls but was traded to Kansas in February of this year.

After the Indian-looking guard left, the Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick in 1984. His departure can be said to have made room for Jordan.

It's impossible for Sergios not to harbor resentment after spending six years in Chicago and being traded away early to develop new talent. That's why he kept targeting Jordan when he came on tonight.

The long-standing feud between the two, spanning over a decade, officially begins tonight—Sers had dated a woman named Juanita for a period of time while playing for Chicago, and years later this woman became Jordan's wife.

As people with similar interests, coupled with various other conflicts, how could the two possibly not have any grudges?

When Jordan took possession of the ball and launched another attack, Thurs lunged at him and committed a vicious foul.

Jordan glared at Thurs without reacting; he'd experienced this kind of malicious foul many times before. He went to the free-throw line and made both shots.

The score was 107-104, with the US national team still leading by 3 points, and there were two minutes left in the game.

When the NBA All-Stars were on offense, Thurs had the ball on the perimeter and used a screen to drive to the basket for a layup, but Jordan swatted it away!

Gan Guoyang picked up the ball, took a step inside, and suddenly bounced the ball to Ma Hong under the basket. Ma Hong slammed the ball in!
With the two teams separated by only one point, the US national team wanted to play a fast-paced game, but the All-Stars increased their defensive intensity, with Havlicek yelling for defense from the sidelines.

Bob Knight stood on the other side, knowing that Hondo was serious and the game was entering a life-or-death moment.

Instead of dribbling the ball himself, Jordan patiently passed it around on the perimeter, breaking through the defense through teamwork, and Ewing received the ball under the basket for a dunk!
Gan Guoyang was moved out of position, leaving the paint open. But on offense, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, got a pass from Seres, and immediately turned and jumped to shoot, making the shot.

He turned with his heel, incredibly fast, before Ewing could even react to interfere, the ball was already out and in.

Gan Guoyang immediately double-teamed Alford again, and the US team tried to break the full-court press with wide passing.

However, they made a fatal mistake. The high-intensity, high-speed offense and defense fatigued the players, and once fatigued, they would lose focus.

Cummins intercepted the pass, Gan Guoyang turned and ran towards the basket, Cummins passed the ball to the basket, but Jordan jumped high and blocked the ball!
Possession returned to the US team. Jordan drove to the basket but was surrounded. His attempted layup was blocked by Gan Guoyang from behind.

The referee didn't blow the whistle to call a foul; it was a good defensive play. Thurs got the ball, and the competition between the two sides became fierce.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang once again blocked Ewing in the low post and asked for the ball. In the same position, Thurs passed the ball to Gus Williams, who then passed it to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang received the ball and, without waiting for the American team to double-team him (in a zone defense, the low post is almost always double-teamed), quickly turned and shot again.

Ewing almost blocked his shot, but Gan Guoyang, who was fast and relied almost entirely on instinct rather than aiming, still managed to throw the ball out.

The ball flew through the air in a beautiful arc and swished through the net!

The NBA All-Stars have finally taken the lead! This is their first lead of the game! 109-110!

With only 8 seconds left in the game, the NBA All-Stars staged a comeback in the second half and took the lead.

Knight called a timeout, extremely unhappy with the players' mistakes in the final moments, and started yelling at them.

One issue was the rash pass, and the other was how could we allow Gan Guoyang to score repeatedly in the low post?
In a zone defense, it's very difficult for the center to receive the ball and shoot in the low post, so their zone defense is clearly problematic.

In fact, Gan Guoyang's positioning is very sophisticated, and his speed in receiving the ball and releasing the shot is extremely fast, almost giving the zone defense no chance to double-team him.

Havlicek, who hadn't really laid out any tactics throughout the game, stepped forward with his tactical board this time to set up a defense.

As a nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, Havlicek knew how to deal with the final crucial defensive play, and he made a very meticulous plan.

He, who had been sitting blankly on the sidelines, was now squatting down and gesturing with the players on the tactical board, as if he had returned to the glorious days of the Celtics, radiating brilliance from head to toe.

"Defense, win the game, we want victory, victory!" Havlicek's encouraging words were simple, but powerful.

Originally, he only intended to play for fun, but his heart started pounding. He remembered Game 7 of the 1965 NBA Finals, when he intercepted Greer's pass to Chamberlain, keeping the championship in Boston and securing the Celtics' seventh consecutive title. The crowd surged onto the court, lifted him up, and tore his jersey to shreds.

That night, that steal, he will never forget.

At this moment, both teams' players returned to the court. For the US team's final attack, Chris Mullin inbounded the ball from the outside, and the NBA All-Stars pressed him from half-court, double-teaming Jordan.

The atmosphere in the arena was extremely tense. Mullin almost missed the time limit on the inbound pass, but in the end he passed the ball to Alford. Jordan broke free from the double team using Sam Perkins' screen and tried to receive the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side.

Alford immediately passed the ball to Jordan, but the moment the ball left his hand, he sensed something was wrong. Gan Guoyang charged out of the three-second zone like a tiger!
He had just hidden behind Sam Perkins, which Alford didn't see. Perkins screened for Jordan, but also for Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang stretched out his long arm and tipped the ball forward to Seres. Seres dribbled the ball and charged forward. There was no time left; the game was over!

Hondo seemed to hear Johnny Most's shouts again, the ones he'd only heard after the Finals ended:

"Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!"

Havlicek spread his arms, leaped high into the air, and threw a punch, running towards Gan Guoyang, who had already gone out of bounds.

The two embraced tightly—even though they had only known each other for less than two hours, and Gan Guoyang didn't even know how to spell Haveliceke.

Reporters swarmed around, snapping photos of the two, while the US national team, who were supposed to be the main focus, were ignored.

"Well done, kid. We won. You did a great job." Havlicek praised Gan Guoyang in the simplest of words.

At that moment, he once again experienced the passion and joy that basketball and victory brought him, something he had forgotten for a long time.

"I told you, just let me play in the second half, there won't be any problems. Isn't being a coach easy?"

Gan Guoyang, drenched in sweat and panting, hugged Havlicek tightly again.

"Simple, really simple."

(End of this chapter)