The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 110 Itchy Meat

[Stu: In Bruce's evaluation process, there were 13 intrinsic dimensions to a champion, and almost no one can possess all of them. Except for Forrest Gump.]

—Excerpt from an interview with Stu Inman, published in 2004, regarding Clyde Drexler's autobiography, "Clyde The Glide".

Dr. Ogilvy handed the report to Ramsey and Inman for review. Before reading it, Ramsey said incredulously, "What are you talking about, perfection? The greatest perfection in the world is imperfection!"

"Gan is certainly not perfect, but based on this report alone, he is perfect. You know, this test is designed to evaluate a player's true character, to measure whether he has the heart of a champion. It involves a person's malleability, curiosity, perseverance in achieving goals, resilience in the face of difficulties, his character, and many, many other aspects. In summary, there are 13 dimensions, and in the past, no one could possess all of these dimensions simultaneously, no one could score high in every dimension. My test is quite accurate, and even if some people wanted to manipulate their scores, it would be impossible. Roger Stauba was the highest scorer on my test before, and Drexler was the second highest. Now, the highest is Gan; he has high scores in all 13 dimensions. He has the heart of a champion."

Ogilvy sounded excited; he hadn't expected Gan Guoyang to score so high.

He had been wanting Walton to take the test, believing that Walton would definitely get the highest score.

However, he also doesn't believe that Wharton can fully possess all 13 dimensions; his eccentric personality determines that he has flaws in certain aspects.

But Gan Guoyang did it; he surpassed Roger Stauba in the test score—a superstar of the Dallas Cowboys in the 70s NFL, Player of the Year, and Super Bowl MVP.

After reading the report, Ramsey looked at it with distrust and said, "Ever since this test allowed Drexler to get the second-highest score, I've been doubting its reliability. Well, now I'm even more certain of it!"

Ramsey seemed somewhat resentful for not getting the test results he wanted, as he had hoped to use this unfortunate test to prove that Gan Guoyang might not be a champion player.

After watching Gan Guoyang's game video, Ramsey acknowledged his strength, but whether due to prejudice or stereotypes, he always felt uncomfortable with the increasingly "unrestrained" play of the post-60s generation in the 80s.

Ramsey particularly abhorred Gan Guoyang's love of long-range shooting. When the NBA introduced the three-point line in 1979, Ramsey, like most old-school coaches, expressed his opposition.

He believes the three-pointer is just a gimmick, Suns coach McLeod said it's a boring way to play, and Bullets head coach Dick Motta claimed the league didn't consult the coaches and refused to let players practice three-pointers in training.

The Portland Trail Blazers have consistently been one of the teams that attempt the fewest three-pointers since the 1979-1980 season, never averaging more than two per game.

Unlike Ramsey, Stu Inman was overjoyed, examining the report repeatedly and asking, "Bruce, is he... is he really that perfect? ​​Are you sure he didn't... deliberately mislead you or lie during the tests?"

Upon hearing this question, the doctor hesitated and said, "Actually, I can't be very sure, because I feel that towards the end of the test, I had lost control of the situation. I don't mean that we had an argument or something unpleasant. On the contrary, we had a very pleasant conversation, but that's not right. I talked too much, and he was listening carefully."

Ramsey said, "You weren't controlled by this kid, but instead he tested you, were you?"

Ogilvy shrugged and said, "If he has that ability, then he is more perfect than perfect."

Regardless of their opinions, this is the result of the test.

Of course, this doesn't mean anything; the Trail Blazers never use this test to judge a player's ability.

Stu Inman is still very rational. He knows that the decisive factors in basketball are still physical condition and talent, and that mentality determines the height, but it must be based on a solid and reliable foundation.

A physically disabled person who has endured many hardships may have the mentality of a champion, but he can never stand on the NBA court as a champion player.

Inman decided to temporarily seal the report away, not to make it public, and not to let anyone else on the team know about it.

He explained, "Overly perfect test results don't bring support and cohesion; they often bring doubt. If other players or the media find out and publicize it, it will only cause more public relations trouble. His public image in Portland isn't very good right now, so let's leave that for later."

Stu Inman said that, but the media reports and press releases were all made with your consent.

Ramsey said, "You managers love to play these kinds of tricks. Forrest Gump is my player, and if I think he's not good enough, I'll do my best to coach him and make him a good player. But you always give in to them, letting them think they have everything, and then taking everything away from them in the end! Just like Bill!"

Stu-Inman shrugged and said, "Jack, that's because we have different positions, positions..."

Ramsey left the office without listening to Inman's explanation. Inman sighed, rubbed her forehead, and sat down in her chair.

As Ogilvy watched the two argue, he recalled what Gan Guoyang had said during their test chat the day before. When asked to evaluate Inman and Ramsey, Ogilvy assumed he would prefer Inman and dislike Ramsey.

Gan Guoyang calmly said, "Those who support you may not necessarily be doing it for your own good, because they just want to get something out of you; while some people who oppose you and dislike you are actually urging you to improve. Because they want you to be good, they always focus on your shortcomings and problems."

Ogilvy asked Inman, "Stu, where did Forrest Gump go? Is he still in Portland?"

Inman said, "He went to Beaverton, and his shoe sponsor Avia invited him to visit and participate in events. You know what? In one month, Avia sold $1500 million worth of products, all thanks to this kid. He's a money-printing machine."

"Will he stay in Portland? I'd like to see him this afternoon."

"He's already been tested, why does he still want to meet your perfect tester?"

“My friend in San Francisco called me yesterday and asked me to give him some pointers.”

"Come on, Doctor, in this situation, it's not certain who will guide whom."

Ogilvy met with Gan Guoyang, who had returned from Beaverton, in the afternoon.

He told Gan Guoyang the test results, and Gan Guoyang seemed very calm, saying, "I told you, the tests are sometimes pretty ridiculous."

Ogilvy didn't dwell on the test, but instead asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, do you know about 'visual training'?"

Gan Guoyang said, "I know! Our high school and college coaches used it. I remember he said that Coach Ramsey used this training method. Bernard King also used this training to practice his turnaround jump shot."

"Your coach is Berman, right? He did consult me. So, how did you feel about the results?"

"Not so good, it doesn't seem like there's been any significant improvement."

"That's because you haven't reached your physical limits yet. When physical training reaches its limit, visualization is the key to achieving a breakthrough."

"Then I probably haven't reached my physical limit yet. I never feel tired, and I never feel like I've trained enough or that I'm not in good shape anymore."

Ogilvy praised Gan Guoyang's excellent physique, saying, "Gan, I want to develop a very long-term psychological and physiological training plan for you, with a timeframe of five or even ten years. This is not only for your improvement but also for my observation and research project. My visualization training is not only used to improve free throw percentage, but it also has many other uses. It can strengthen your technical movements and achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Hearing Ogilvy's words, Gan Guoyang was very interested. In eight games between NBA stars and the Olympic team, he competed against various masters, and his signature moves were dazzling.

Gan Guoyang secretly learned a move or two and asked them for advice, but unfortunately, he lacked training to strengthen it. It was okay to play around with, but it would be very difficult to use it in a competition.

For example, Bird's turnaround jump shot from mid-to-long range, supported by one leg, is a move that Gan Guoyang couldn't execute well; he could practice the form but not the spirit.

He also has his own move hook, which he has practiced for a year and can only say he is proficient at, not completely at will. He rarely uses it in competitions against the Olympic team.

Because he is prone to turnovers or being double-teamed, he has to focus a lot of energy on protecting the ball. NBA defense is much more intense than college defense, so he has to work on improving his skills.

"Are you serious? You can't lie to me. If you want to practice, I'll start tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I'll be fully prepared once the summer training camp starts."

"It's a deal. Don't wait until summer training; I'll come back to Portland to see you after the Olympics."

Gan Guoyang has no interest in the mindset of a champion or the dimensions of a champion. The championship is not an adornment for him, but simply a reward on his path forward.

But real basketball training and skill improvement are what truly ignite his passion.

(End of this chapter)