The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 132 You are already dead

At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang sat on the bench to rest. He didn't want to leave the court, but Ramsey said, "Others also need a chance to play, and sitting on the sidelines helps you think about the game."

Gan Guoyang finally felt at ease and sat down on the sidelines. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also sitting on the bench. The game allowed Gan Guoyang to experience the intensity of the strongest center of this era.

He knew that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hadn't even started yet; their competition had only just begun. Professional basketball is a long marathon, and Abdul-Jabbar had been running for a very long time, while Gan Guoyang had only just begun.

The on-court confrontation alleviated Gan Guoyang's slight fear of this legendary giant. He was somewhat worried before the game because this 7-foot-2 skillful center was indeed very difficult to defend.

Gan Guoyang hated the feeling of helplessness when he was repeatedly hit in a game. Ewing, Olajuwon, and Hickma could not score continuously against him, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could.

The one-on-one battles in the game proved this point. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in a favorable position, he was indeed unstoppable. Whether he made the shot or not depended entirely on his shooting form.

Walton is right. Defending Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a systematic project. You don't need to disrupt the moment he shoots, but rather every step he takes before he shoots, so that he can't find his rhythm and form.

If you try to interfere the moment he makes his move, it's too late.

So far, the project seems to be going well, or so Gan Guoyang thinks.

During the rotation time, the pace of the game did not slow down at all, and the Lakers' bench strength remained very high.

The Trail Blazers have Drexler, who is gradually adapting to the role of the sixth man.

When he comes on the court with the ball, the Trail Blazers' offense becomes more imaginative.

He is the team's second-in-command after Gan Guoyang; the others are just spare parts.

After a while in the second quarter, the two teams went from 31-31 to 40-40, with both sides locked in a tight battle.

At this point, a minor incident occurred during the match: a commotion suddenly broke out on the sidelines for some unknown reason.

A large number of fans left their seats and crowded towards one place, forcing stadium security to go up into the stands to maintain order.

The chaos off the field affected the game, and the referee blew his whistle to stop the match and send staff to handle the situation.

First, people need to figure out exactly what happened.

Gan Guoyang and his teammates stood up and looked towards the stands, where the advantage of being tall became apparent.

"It's MJ! He's here to watch the game!" Gan Guoyang spotted the most influential face of the 80s in the crowded throng.

Michael Jackson appeared at the game for some unknown reason. He arrived in the second quarter, but his appearance immediately drew the fans' attention away from the game and towards him.

The game was paused for a full eight minutes. Only after staff and Magic Johnson spoke into the microphone did the fans return to their seats and maintain order, allowing the game to resume.

Gan Guoyang warmed up briefly before returning to the court. Before going on stage, he glanced at the stands. Jackson noticed Gan Guoyang's gaze and waved at him.

The presence of superstars elevated the significance of this match to another level.

The Trail Blazers' starting lineup consisted of Gan Guoyang, Drexler, Vandeweghe, Cort, and Paxson.

The Lakers also brought back Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, along with Rambis, Cooper, Worthy, and Magic Johnson.

Riley learned from the first quarter's experience and brought in Rambis to assist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on defense when Gan Guoyang was on the court.

Cooper's presence meant that Gan Guoyang had to be careful every time he had the ball or attempted a hook shot; you never knew when the ball would be stolen from your hands.

The Lakers' defense has become more three-dimensional, with three layers: outside, middle, and inside. Gan Guoyang's attacks on the Lakers' interior have been contained.

"Rambis fouled! But he stopped Gan's attempt to drive to the basket, and he won't let Gan easily get into the paint again."

"Cooper double-teams, Gan passes the ball, Drexler misses his three-pointer... Oh my god, his shooting form seems different from before... Lakers rebound, fast break, Worthy dunks! Wow! Show-time!"

"Gan knocked down Rambis! The referee called an offensive foul on him! Looks like our super rookie is having some trouble in the second quarter."

As Hearn's voice grew louder, the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang encountered some problems.

The Lakers' change in defensive strategy hampered Gan Guoyang's aggressive play in the first quarter.

Rambis drew an offensive foul, which resulted in Gan Guoyang committing his second personal foul and a turnover.

This white man with a mustache and black-rimmed glasses, who looks like an office worker, plays an indispensable role in the Lakers' outstanding talent team.

A team needs players who score, assist, block shots, deliver spectacular dunks, and hit thrilling game-winning shots.

Similarly, people are needed to do those basic, inconspicuous tasks, such as covering, getting the ball out of bounds, and blocking shots in defense.

You can't expect Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to fly out of bounds to contest a ball; his old arms and legs might not be able to get up after that.

We can't expect Worthy and Johnson to always be blocking shots or positioning themselves; they need to focus their energy on fast breaks.

Rambis's mediocrity, ironically, perfectly complemented his dazzling talent; even his office worker appearance blended in with a sense of perfect harmony. His defense against Gan Guoyang was effective in the latter part of the second quarter, at least on the surface.

After being called for an offensive foul and committing a turnover, Gan Guoyang did not actively ask for the ball or initiate any further attacks.

Instead, he focused his energy on defense and the battle for offensive rebounds, and Rambis never let up in his fight against Gan Guoyang.

As soon as Gan Guoyang enters the three-point line, Rambis will block his path to prevent him from quickly cutting in and attacking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Trail Blazers' offensive focus shifted from Gan Guoyang to Drexler and Paxson. Gan Guoyang gave up the three-second zone to allow Drexler to drive and Paxson to cut to the basket.

However, this methodical tactical approach is exactly the rhythm that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar prefers. He stays in the paint to protect the rim, and when smaller players come to challenge him, even if he just stands there without moving, the opponent's shooting percentage will automatically drop by ten percentage points.

This is the rim protection threat of a center. After several possessions, both Paxson and Drexler scored, but the team gradually fell behind.

The Trail Blazers' offensive efficiency is declining, while the Lakers remain highly efficient, their fast breaks crashing against the Trail Blazers' basket like waves.

The Lakers gradually took the lead, extending their advantage to 5 points, but they couldn't widen it any further, as Gan Guoyang's protection in the paint was not something that could be easily broken through.

He even blocked a left-handed layup that was almost guaranteed to go in for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and then Drexler made a long pass to the frontcourt, where Vandeweghe caught the ball and dunked it!
Gan Guoyang's defense against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the same as in the first quarter: relentlessly harassing him, creating chaotic struggles, and fouling him to disrupt his rhythm when necessary.

Jabbar even wondered if the kid had given up on attacking and was now focusing all his energy on bothering him. How annoying.

The Trail Blazers, who were on the back foot, kept the score close. Ramsey was getting a little anxious on the sidelines, wondering why Forrest Gump had given up on attacking with the ball.
The combination of low post and outside shooting is essential to breaking down the opponent's defense and creating more opportunities. Gan Guoyang seems to have transformed into a defensive anchor and offensive rebounder.

During the timeout, Ramsey yelled at Gan Guoyang, "You should increase your ball-handling and attacking! Our tactics need to be more three-dimensional!"

Gan Guoyang wiped his face, but said, "Now is not the time!"

Ramsey thought to himself, "Damn it, you're the coach and I'm the coach?"

On second thought, I decided against it. The season is long, and we're still in the observation period. No rush, no rush.

Ramsey has been changing himself this season, transforming from an absolute control coach into a caretaker coach who allows players to play freely.

Gan Guoyang's arrival gave him a lot to think about, reflecting on his past successes, as well as his past failures and lessons. He didn't want to make the same mistakes again.

So he was lenient with Gan Guoyang, and even with Drexler. In the last few games, Drexler felt that the coach rarely scolded him, which made him a little uncomfortable.

At the end of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers trailed the Lakers 55-59 by 4 points, which is an acceptable gap.

During halftime, Michael Jackson visited the Trail Blazers' locker room, surprising everyone who didn't know that Gan Guoyang and MJ were friends.

"Fuck, why didn't you let us know you were coming?" Gan Guoyang chatted with MJ naturally, leaving everyone else speechless with surprise.

"I'm leaving soon; staying too long will cause trouble." Jackson's voice was still soft, but not inaudible.

"Shit, my third performance hasn't even started yet, and you're already leaving?"

“I’m sorry, I have to leave. Magic invited me here because he was touring with the Jackson 5 before, and I promised to see one of their shows, so I chose your show.”

Gan Guoyang recalled the commotion when the audience spotted Jackson in the second quarter and realized he had to leave; otherwise, there might be even bigger trouble at halftime, and there was still half a game left.

"Being a superstar is no good at all. Look at me, I play well but nobody pays any attention to me."

Jackson didn't say anything, he just smiled. He wasn't a sharp-tongued person, unlike these basketball players whose words were as sharp as knives.

Michael Jackson, who only watched one quarter of the game, left under the escort of his bodyguards. He promised Gan Guoyang that he would definitely watch the post-game report.

Celebrities have their own troubles, especially a groundbreaking pop superstar like Michael Jackson. The tide of the times pushed him to an extremely high peak, and it continues to push him upward, completely disregarding the feelings of those at the top, because he is no longer in control of his own destiny.

At the start of the second half, Riley made changes to the starting lineup, with Rambis and Cooper replacing Wilkes and Scott.

He realized that having the team's five best offensive players on the court didn't necessarily mean they were the strongest.

Lambis, wearing his somewhat ridiculous black glasses, continued to stick close to Gan Guoyang, preparing to continue his successful defense from the first half.

Gan Guoyang suddenly said to Lambis, "Lambis, I'll tell you a secret."

Lambis, without glancing to the side, said, "I have no interest. Let's have the game."

Gan Guoyang said, "No, this secret is about you."

Lambis didn't speak, but his eyes moved.

Gan Guoyang continued, "Kirk, you are dead."

(End of this chapter)