The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 114 Red Warmth
During the timeout, Adelman approached Ramsey and said, "Jack, I think we should end this match as soon as possible and stop playing."

Ramsey crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What do you mean? You're worried the first team will lose?"

Ramsey has the most flexible eyebrows in the entire league, and when he raises or furrows his brow, he always manages to convey a message precisely—though most of them are unsettling.

Adelman had worked with Ramsey for many years and knew that Dr. Jack's biggest flaw was his emotionality; he was too easily swayed.

Even though he has worked in the NBA for more than 20 years, won championships, and has a wealth of honors, he can still be easily controlled by negative emotions.

When he was coaching at St. George's University in his youth, Ramsey would often yell and scream in the locker room after a loss, accompanied by violent outbursts such as kicking cabinets and chairs.

During the game, he would often get so angry that his face would turn red, and he would pace back and forth on the sidelines. If he couldn't stand the players' performance on the field, he would take off his jacket and throw it away or even tear it.

During his years coaching at the college level, Ramsey tore countless jackets, possibly a record in the college coaching world.

Behind his extreme emotional outburst lies Ramsey's competitive spirit; he loves to win.

In fact, most of the people who ultimately stand on the NBA court are, to some extent, fiercely competitive.

But Adelman believes Ramsey's competitive spirit was misplaced today. Instead of trying to make the team more harmonious and move towards the goal, he was looking for trouble with Gan Guoyang.

He wanted to see the rookie team lose so he could criticize Gan Guoyang, take the opportunity to correct what he considered to be some of Gan Guoyang's "shortcomings," and then gradually mold him into a great center.

Adelman has played for the Trail Blazers since the team was founded. He worked with Ramsey for many years, and he understands Ramsey and his mentality.

"It's not Jack's fault. Winning or losing isn't important. The key is to unite the whole team through training camp and find the most suitable way to win."

"Who told you that winning or losing doesn't matter? This is about building their winning mentality and letting those newcomers experience what the NBA level is like. Only by experiencing failure will their desire for victory become even stronger."

Ramsey completely ignored Adelman's advice and let the game continue.

After the timeout, both teams returned to the court, and as Gan Guoyang predicted, the main team began to attack the paint.

Gan Guoyang firmly occupies the three-second zone. His ability to protect the rim is second to none. Although he can no longer block every ball like he could in high school, his ability to disrupt the offense is still extremely strong.

Vandeweghe made three drives, but only scored once. His other two layups and shots missed due to interference from Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang's strength is the foundation of his excellent defense. He can withstand the speed and impact of the outside players, and no one can stop him in aerial duels.

On offense, Gan Guoyang played very flexibly, alternating between low and high pick-and-rolls to prevent the opponent from finding their defensive rhythm.

One turnaround jumper went in, followed by a move hook layup, and the starter team's defense was on the verge of collapse.

At this moment, Adelman called a foul on Gan Guoyang while he was defending Drexler, sending Drexler to the free-throw line.

The score is now 20-26, with the rookie team leading by 6 points.

Gan Guoyang was very dissatisfied with Adelman's call, saying that he did not commit a foul on defense.

As Adelman explained, he winked at Gan Guoyang.

Drexler hasn't scored yet in this match.

On the one hand, he was not in good condition, and on the other hand, Gan Guoyang was targeting him very much.

They let him shoot but not drive, they blocked him completely in the paint, making Drexler's shots unbearable to watch.

Gan Guoyang intercepted his two previous attempts to break through, and this was the third time Adelman deliberately gave him the whistle.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you, Rick?" Gan Guoyang didn't go for the rebound, but instead whispered to Adelman.

"Anyway, you know, Clyde is proud, so don't be like that."

Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "This is my punishment for his lateness. You have a chance to tell him that if he is late again next time, I will keep targeting him until he cries."

Adelman looked at Gan Guoyang with a horrified expression and said, "Are you the devil?"

"That's how they described me in high school."

Drexler missed his first free throw, but made his second.

He looked terrible; he had thought he could easily win the game.

As a result, he was too relaxed at the beginning, and as the game progressed, the rookie team gained confidence, while Drexler was completely out of form.

Without coaching guidance or a halftime break to relax and regroup, Gan Guoyang began to become an unsolvable bug.

He pulled out the simplest and most unreasonable weapon: the "offensive rebound."

He took advantage of the fact that the main team players were shorter than him and had average rebounding ability, and started to get second-chance opportunities in the paint.

With Gan Guoyang's offensive rebounding support, the rookie team's Cort and Bernard Thompson were able to shoot more decisively.

Bernard Thompson is this year's 19th overall pick, a shooting guard, left-handed, and a skilled shooter.

He is considered a replacement for Drexler, and Bernard Thompson may step in once the team deems Drexler unsuitable for the shooting guard position.

This is a normal competitive mechanism for professional teams. There were rumors that Drexler wanted to be traded, so the team needed to select a replacement to develop.

If Drexler hadn't left, Thompson's presence would have forced him to improve, especially his shooting—Coach Ramsey said his shooting form was different every time he shot, it was incredibly varied, the essence of human shooting form.

Bernard Thompson received the pass on the perimeter and hit consecutive catch-and-shoot shots, which is exactly the ability Drexler lacked.

Drexler calmed himself down and tried to adjust. He began to take over the playmaking and command from Valentine, using breakthrough passes and through balls on the wings to help his teammates break through Gan Guoyang's defense. He also focused on protecting the backcourt rebounds on the defensive end, preventing Gan Guoyang from continuing to disrupt their three-second zone.

With Adelman's whistle providing an edge, the main team stabilized the situation. After all, they were a team with a comprehensive advantage in talent and experience, and they couldn't be easily defeated. The two sides' performances fluctuated like waves, sometimes one side was in control, and sometimes the other was in control.

Inman, Weinberg, and the rest of the Trail Blazers staff were all engrossed in watching, never expecting the game to be so intense.

Time passed slowly, and the rookie team's advantage was gradually eroded, with both sides' physical strength declining rapidly.

A high-intensity competition lasting 20 minutes without rest or substitutions is a huge test of physical endurance.

Both sides are making more mistakes and missing shots.

The score is now 46-48, with the rookie team still leading by two points.

This was a rebound that Gan Guoyang grabbed while charging for the offensive rebound under the basket.

The rookie team's offense and defense are collapsing; their stamina and experience are failing them.

With only 30 seconds left in the game, there's still a chance to win if you grit your teeth and persevere.

Adelman started counting down on the sidelines; he couldn't wait for the game to end.

Gan Guoyang was the team's last bastion, holding off Drexler's latest attack, but they lost the offensive rebound.

The ball was passed to Vandeweghe on the outside, and Vandeweghe made a bold, open three-pointer from the left 45-degree angle!

In an era before three-pointers were common, Vandeweghe was one of the few players in the league who was willing to try three-pointers and had a good shooting percentage.

That ball went in perfectly!
After scoring, Van de Welsh raised his arms high, and everyone else in the training camp cheered.

A three-pointer to take the lead and a near-game-winning shot was a rare occurrence in games at that time.

Inman and Weinberg both stood up and applauded, a gesture that made Inman feel the trade was worthwhile.

Only Ramsey stood on the sidelines, pacing back and forth with his hands on his hips, clearly distressed as he watched Vandeweghe shoot a three-pointer.

What's even more frustrating is that he scored, overtook them, and is about to beat Forrest Gump.

Gan Guoyang raised his hand and used the team's last timeout.

The five people were soaked in sweat and panting heavily.

All four of them looked at Gan Guoyang, who squatted down and drew a simple diagram on the floor, outlining a tactic.

"Is it... really that simple?"

"Yes, it's that simple."

When Scheffler was assigned to serve the inbounds ball, he asked and received an affirmative answer.

Scheffler has played in Europe for many years and has a wealth of on-court experience and excellent mental fortitude.

Moreover, he is tall and has a good field of vision, making him suitable for serving from the sideline.

After the timeout, Adelman told both teams, "This is your last chance. Once the ball is thrown, it's over. There won't be another attack."

Man-to-man defense was employed, with Kexi, Gan Guoyang, and Thompson clustered near the free-throw line, while Cort lurked along the baseline.

Kossie set a screen for Bernard Thompson, who ran to the right corner.

Next, Gan Guoyang set a screen for Ke Xi, who then made an alley-oop cut to the basket.

Gan Guoyang was left standing at the corner, with his back to the basket, which was a very poor offensive position.

The main team's defensive attention was drawn to Korsey and Thompson.

Scheffler easily passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who was very close to him.

Gan Guoyang received the ball, raised his leg, turned around, and hooked the ball directly from the corner.

Mitchell Thompson never expected Gan Guoyang to shoot a hook shot from that position.

This is a full 15 feet from the basket, which is the distance for a mid-range shot.

The ball traced a high parabola and then fell into the basket as Adelman blew his whistle.

Goal! The rookie team has scored a dramatic victory against the starter team in a 20-minute scrimmage.

Jerome Kossie hugged Gan Guoyang excitedly, shouting and jumping around, while everyone else in the stadium looked on incredulously.

Inman immediately covered his head, while Weinberg, standing beside him, couldn't stop laughing.

The five players on the main team were stunned, unable to believe that they had lost.

Adelman looked at Ramsey with a hint of helplessness, hands on his hips.

Sure enough, Dr. Jack blushed all the way down to his neck.

It was a tough day for him, and it was only the first day of training camp.

[At the 1984-1985 training camp, Forrest Gump's performance on the first day shocked everyone, especially in the afternoon scrimmage, where he ended the starters' game with a long-range hook shot, just after Vandeweghe had taken the lead with a three-pointer. Coach Ramsey wore the most helpless expression on his face; he was as red as a crab, but he couldn't get angry. I can understand his feelings towards Forrest because in 1978, he was heartbroken by Walton. We had a chance to build a dynasty, but we missed it. When the opportunity reappears, a person's mentality changes, becomes distorted; he wanted to be perfect from the start. Fortunately, Forrest later won everyone over with his performance.]

—Excerpt from Adelman's "The Long Hot Winter," published in 1991.

(End of this chapter)