The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 188 The Lakers of Fox Hill

Following the Lakers' crushing defeat in the 1984 NBA Finals, Lakers general manager Jerry West refused to panic. He believed the Celtics had exposed their weaknesses in the Finals; they weren't as tough as they seemed, at least in West's view, not as tough as the Celtics under Russell. Furthermore, to some extent, the Celtics couldn't play slow-paced games for long stretches; they relied on speed more than people thought.

These two points were partially confirmed in the 1985 Portland Trail Blazers-Celtics Garden game, giving West and Riley confidence. However, they also had to take the rising Portland Trail Blazers, and center Sonny Gan, who seemed like a second Bill Russell, more seriously. West felt a nightmare-like dread when watching his games against the Lakers, which unsettled him.

—Excerpt from Jeff Pearlman's 2013 book, *Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s*.

While the Trail Blazers and Celtics were battling it out, in Los Angeles, California, in a beige three-story apartment building in the Green Valley Circle neighborhood of Fox Hill, Lakers players gathered in one room to watch the broadcast of the Massachusetts WBZ-TV (Channel 4) television program via satellite TV.

Because of the time difference, the sun had just set in Los Angeles on the Pacific coast, casting a crimson glow on the exterior of this beautifully decorated apartment building.

This apartment building is the private property of Lakers owner Jerry Buss. To allow the players to enjoy convenient training and comfortable living, he rented it to them at a discounted price of $550 per month, allowing them to live together and providing services such as private chefs, luxury bathrooms, city views, and privacy.

Back then, player salaries weren't particularly high, and real estate investment was a significant expense. Moreover, players didn't know when they would leave the city, so most players rented apartments.

Even if they sign a big contract to buy a house, they usually buy it in their hometown, and they'll go back to live there after they stop playing ball.

Los Angeles home prices are high, and most of the Lakers' young players don't own property. Jerry Buss' generosity brought these young men together, much like a fraternity from college.

This not only makes training and daily life more convenient for the players, but also allows them to eat and live together, which helps them develop relationships and become friends from being just colleagues, making the team more united.

Every season when a new player joins the Lakers, they are invited to live in an apartment in Fox Hill, which is fully equipped and where they can listen to music, drink, and enjoy delicious Fatburgers in their free time.

Moreover, Green Valley Circle is an upscale community in Los Angeles, with nightclubs, various clubs and strip clubs nearby. When you take a walk in the community, you can often encounter long-legged beauties in swimsuits.

Buss is an owner who understands and treats his players well. He enjoys himself and wants his players to enjoy it too, which is why Lakers players are happy to play for him and work hard on the court.

However, Pat Riley had no interest in such enjoyment. After losing the 84 Finals, Riley brought a satellite TV to his apartment and installed a satellite dish on the roof to receive live broadcasts of the games from Massachusetts television.

On days without games, after practice, Riley would lead the players to watch the Celtics' game together, if there happened to be a broadcast that night.

Although replays are available after the game, Riley believes that only live streaming can allow players to focus more intently on understanding how their opponents play each game and how to defeat them.

Lai used this method to set goals and enemies for the players, just like his mentor Rupp, to physically and mentally push them to their limits and force out the best Los Angeles Lakers players over an entire season.

Tonight's game between the Trail Blazers and the Celtics is particularly important because the Trail Blazers are increasingly becoming a significant obstacle in the Lakers' path to victory.

After being blown out by Gan Guoyang's six three-pointers on January 1st, Riley questioned whether they could overcome the Trail Blazers in the playoffs. He hoped they wouldn't repeat the tragedy of being defeated by the Rockets in 1981.

After watching the first half, the Trail Blazers led the Celtics at Boston Garden. Larry Bird was forced to score 21 points in the first half, setting the pace of the game, but still couldn't completely reverse the decline.

Kevin McHale scored only 4 points in the first half, and had almost no standout performances under the tight one-on-one defense of Mitchell Thompson.

Riley told Jerry West, who was watching TV with him, "If we could get Thompson, everything would be much easier."

West said, "Then I might as well bring Forrest Gump over here!"

“That would definitely be the best… Parish is going to get smashed to pieces by him.”

West glared at Riley, not in the mood for jokes.

Gan Guoyang's performance in the first half was impressive. West could sense that Gan was trying to drag the game into a slow stalemate.

If this wasn't Jack Ramsey's pre-game setup, but rather his own idea of ​​the game, then his understanding of basketball is astonishing.

During halftime, West shared this view with Riley: "Dragging the Celtics into a slow, positional attack is a good way to beat them."

Riley had some concerns because the Celtics' half-court offense has always been excellent. They have two strong one-on-one players, and all five starters are capable of handling the ball and solving problems.

Moreover, the Celtics are one of the most tactically sophisticated teams in the league. They pass the ball quickly, move with precision, and shoot the right shots every time.

On the contrary, the Lakers are a true speed-oriented team. This season they are averaging 118 points per game, second only to the run-and-gun Nuggets led by Doug Mo, an increase of 3 points from last season.

If they want to slow down the game, it means they also need to slow down themselves. Can they beat the Celtics that way?

"Last year in the Finals, we scored more points and had a higher shooting percentage than the Celtics, but we still lost the series. We relied too much on speed in the decisive moments of the game, which also made the Celtics too confident and comfortable. We made too many mistakes, which gave the Celtics opportunities. You said in Palm Springs that you couldn't let the Celtics score easily. You weren't just faking it, were you? Slowing them down is the key to preventing them from scoring easily."

"I agree with you. In high-intensity, slow-paced games, our positional offense is more reliable." Riley agreed with West. They are heading to Boston on January 16th to challenge the Celtics, and Riley hopes for a good performance.

Back in the room showing the game, the third quarter began, and Larry Bird continued to attack the Trail Blazers, hitting consecutive jump shots from the outside.

Riley stepped forward and turned up the TV volume. Johnny Most's hoarse voice came through the screen: "Larry Bird! Left-handed floater goes in! Beautiful... The Celtics get the rebound and launch a fast break, but Valentine steals the ball. The Trail Blazers try to counterattack, passing to Gan... Robert Parish steals the ball! The ball is back to Bird, who passes it to Maxwell under the basket for a layup! It's in, the score is tied!"

Magic Johnson, who was lying down, stood up and said, "Could you turn the sound off? Most's voice sounds like he has a tattered shoe stuck in his mouth, it's really unpleasant to listen to, especially the way he calls Larry Bird."

Riley remained unmoved and said, "You need to get to know the enemy's voice. It would be best if you could shut him up, silence him, and make him lose his passion during the match."

The Celtics tied the game, with Bird's impressive performance of consecutive points, assists, and fast breaks further stimulating Magic Johnson.

He couldn't play like Bird, making accurate shots and using his superb individual offensive skills to lead the whole team.

The Trail Blazers called a timeout, and after the timeout, they fielded an uncommon lineup: Paxson, Drexler, Gan Guoyang, Thompson, and Kenny Karl.

With three strong frontcourt players and a tall backcourt, the Trail Blazers are going to challenge the Celtics in terms of height and strength.

"Can Kenny Carr stop Larry?" Johnson muttered.

Putting Vandeweghe on the court does indeed give Larry Bird a chance to score.

But Kenny Carr isn't necessarily much better than Vandeweghe, and they'll lack Vandeweghe as a strong offensive weapon.

However, when the game was paused and the match officially started, the Lakers players discovered that the Trail Blazers had Gan Guoyang matched up against Bird.

Kenny Karl moved to center and desperately pushed Robert Parish outwards, preventing him from getting deep into the paint.

Gan Guoyang clung to Bird like glue, and Bird couldn't gain any advantage over Gan Guoyang in terms of strength, speed, or height.

The situation on the court suddenly changed, and after a few rounds, the Celtics' offense stalled.

Although Parish made two mid-range shots, the Trail Blazers, having regained their composure, relied on Thompson and Gan Guoyang to score consecutive baskets in the low post.

The score was tied at 72-72, then went to 86-82, with the Trail Blazers regaining the lead in the third quarter.

Bird struggled, and his once-reliable shooting suddenly became blindfolded, his outside shooting became inaccurate, and he couldn't catch the ball.

When the Celtics try to get the ball to Bird, Bird has to run repeatedly to get rid of Gan Guoyang's entanglement. Gan is a 6-foot-10 big man with the strength of a bull and the speed to keep up with you. Moreover, his defensive moves are very standard and precise. You have to be extremely careful.

By the time Bird got the ball, the Celtics' smooth passing game was disrupted, and the problem stemmed from Bird's presence.

"My God, Larry's been completely entangled with Forrest Gump," James Worthy exclaimed.

"Forrest Gump locked down Mark Aguirre in a single quarter," Magic Johnson said. Aguirre is Johnson's best friend.

He complained to Johnson that Forrest Gump was fast, strong, and tall, and he suspected that the man was created by China using special technology, as he did not conform to biological principles at all.

“I was killed by Forrest Gump,” Kirk Rambis said quietly, sitting in the corner.

The Lakers players gradually became engrossed in the game, finding the live broadcast much more thrilling and exciting than the recorded version.

Just then, the television signal suddenly dropped and turned into static.

The room was filled with wailing and screaming. Johnson went up and banged on the TV, but there was still no picture.

"Coach, you bought this TV!"

"Why is there no picture? It's a crucial moment!"

"I'll do it! Let me give it a hit!"

"Stop hammering! Stop hammering! You'll break it! It's a satellite signal problem! I'll go up and check it out!"

(End of this chapter)