The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 227 Unprecedented
The Lakers and the Celtics are destined to meet again.

The story of the 76ers and Lakers reaching the Finals three times in four years became tiresome, and the 1981 Finals between the Rockets and the Celtics brought the ratings to a rock bottom.

The Lakers vs. Celtics Finals is everything people want.

The Celtics easily made it to the NBA Finals, losing only two games in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers also only lost two games, but their battle with the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals was impressive. The Portlanders' tenacity and resilience are shining, but their moment has not yet come.

The Celtics aspire to establish themselves as a dynasty, not just one of the best teams of an era.

Bird won his second consecutive MVP award in June—but again, Portland's moment hadn't arrived yet, and the Trail Blazers' number 11 unfortunately finished second in the voting. (However, he also won Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming an unprecedented and unparalleled figure; no other rookie has ever accomplished this. This isn't a book about the Trail Blazers, but given the unstoppable light of that era, you can't help but talk about him.)
Johnson had the best regular season of his career, averaging 18.3 points and 12.6 assists per game.

When the Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 115-112 in Game 6 and the final game of the Western Conference Finals, a tired Johnson finally danced with excitement.

Four days earlier, the Boston Celtics eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers, securing their spot in the NBA Finals.

Sam Goldpal of The New York Times wrote: "Can the Celtics stop the Lakers, who average 129.2 points per game and have an 11-2 playoff record? Can the Lakers compete with the frontcourt of Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, and Robert Parish?"

Just a few days later, perhaps due to the intense Western Conference Finals against the Trail Blazers leaving the Lakers too exhausted, the Lakers suffered a crushing defeat at Boston Garden.

In Game 1 of the Finals, the Celtics defeated the Lakers 148-114, a game later known as the Memorial Day Massacre.

The Celtics won by 34 points, the second-largest margin in playoff history after the Washington Bullets' 117-82 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978.

凯尔特人队创下了多项总决赛纪录，包括总得分最多、半场得分最多（79分）、半场领先优势最大（30分，79比49）和投篮命中率最高（61%）。

After the game, the Lakers returned to the locker room dejected, feeling shocked, frustrated, hurt, and humiliated.

Generally, this is the moment when Riley or Johnson stands up and speaks, trying to soothe the wound.

Instead, it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who cleared his throat. He had just delivered one of the worst performances of his career—an embarrassing 12-point, 3-rebound game.

“I want to apologize to all of you,” he said, staring at the floor. “I played like garbage. But I will never play like that again. We will win this series.”

“I guarantee it,” he said, “we will win.”

His teammates were surprised, just like when he led everyone in meditation to calm their emotions during Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. He would never do this before, never do these things, never say these things. He was too arrogant.

The second game was scheduled for three days later. When the Lakers players boarded the bus, they found Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's father sitting on it.

Lakers rules prohibit players' family members from boarding the train, but Riley did not stop him; instead, he shook hands with the subway police officer.

Karim's father didn't say a word; he just sat in the car with his son.

Before the game, Riley gave a motivational speech, quoting his father, Leon Riley: "At times, you have to stand firm, hold your ground, and fight your way to defeat your opponent."

Michael Cooper said, "That comment put the score at 5-0 before the game even started."

Learning from last year's experience, the Lakers specifically ordered two MovinCool portable air conditioners for the locker room. After they were plugged in, they caused a short circuit and power outage in half of the Garden Arena.

But the Lakers didn't care; they got a cool and comfortable locker room.

第二场比赛成为了转折点，卡里姆-阿卜杜拉-贾巴尔（三天前被宣布死亡）在 109-102洛杉矶获胜的比赛中，拿下33分、19个篮板、8次助攻和4次盖帽。

The 37-year-old veteran has once again become the soul of the team.

He was tired of Bird's trash talk and fed up with Parish's physical assaults.

He could hit a hook shot from anywhere within 15 feet, and he destroyed the Bostonians' proud frontcourt.

When the Lakers won the game, their team PR representative, Rosenfeld, threw a wet towel into the stands, hitting Mrs. Robert Parish in the face.

Rosenfeld decided to apologize to Parish, and after explaining the situation, he asked Parish if he was still angry.

Parrish said, "Not at all. I've been telling her to shut up for ten years, and you're the first person to do it."

The Lakers defeated the Celtics 136-111 in Game 3, while the Celtics narrowly won Game 4 107-105 to tie the series.

In the fifth game, the game that would decide the course of the series, Auerbach's proposed 2-3-2 format became a stumbling block for him, and the crucial match was held in Los Angeles.

At the Western Conference, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 36 points, leading the Lakers to victory over the Celtics and a championship point.

Two days later, on the parquet floor of Boston Garden, in front of 14890 jubilant fans, the Lakers defeated the Celtics 111-100.

The Lakers have finally defeated their tormentor, banishing the specter that has haunted the soul of Los Angeles basketball since the 60s.

“That was the greatest day of my basketball career,” assistant coach Bertka said. “I sat there praying to God, ‘Something to help us win this game. Something to help us beat these guys.’”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 29 points and was named MVP of the series. His outstanding and well-rounded performance marked the peak of his career in Los Angeles.

However, this victory also owes a debt to the Celtics, who played a completely undisciplined and unskilled game.

Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge combined for only 6 of 31 field goal attempts, while Larry Bird, hampered by a fractured right elbow and a swollen right index finger, struggled, making only 7 of 29 shots. Many of his shots were taken with his left hand, leaving the home crowd looking at their heroes with unprecedented bewilderment.

"I thought I could lead the team, but today I was just standing on the court," Bird later said. "I was supposed to lead the team through this difficult time, but I failed."

After he finished his Q&A session with the media, a Celtics assistant offered to help Bird get his car.

“I drive a Jeep,” Bird sighed. “When you’re a loser, all you can afford is a Jeep.”

As the Los Angeles team stormed into the locker room, dozens of bottles of champagne sprayed out, leaving a layer of sweet foam on the concrete floor.

This is the Lakers' sweetest moment of the year, in the worst locker room at Boston Garden.

Last year's winners became losers, and last year's losers became winners, but the real big winner is actually the NBA.

The 1985 finals achieved record-breaking viewership, and people were already looking forward to another Yellow-Green battle next year.

However, Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsey once said, "From that time on, I reminded myself not to take anything for granted and not to live in the past. I just didn't expect it to end so quickly."

Now this phrase applies to the Celtics and Lakers: everything will end so quickly.

Red and black are about to spread throughout this alliance, at an astonishing speed.

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

The most exciting thing for Gan Guoyang in the summer of 1985 was not attending the awards ceremony in San Francisco, where he was treated like a king, winning both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, becoming the only one in history to achieve this feat.

He wasn't selected for the All-Defensive First Team or the All-Defensive Team. The All-Defensive Player of the Year is chosen by the media, while the All-Defensive First Team is chosen by the coaches. He received recognition from both the media and the coaches.

It wasn't just that he signed five endorsement deals and received over five million dollars in endorsement contracts—which further increased his assets—that he was looking for a reliable accountant to handle his daily finances.

These are all important; they are the fruits of his hard work throughout the season, the honors and wealth he earned through his performance. But none of these compare to his trip to China in July, an unprecedented overseas NBA game and visit organized by Larry Fleischer.

Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers were undoubtedly the core of this trip to China. In ten days, they visited four major Chinese cities: the capital, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Guangzhou, from south to north and from east to west.

They played four exhibition games against the Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, and Bulls, causing a huge sensation in China.

Although the NBA has sent teams and players to China several times before, none of them have had the same impact as this one.

In the relatively isolated 80s, many Chinese people learned for the first time that in the faraway United States, there was a basketball league called the NBA that represented the highest level in the world.

The players there were incredibly fast and agile, playing exceptionally well. Tickets for the stadium were extremely difficult to obtain, and CCTV recorded and broadcast the matches repeatedly for a year.

Gan Guoyang's contribution to this is undoubtedly immense; the appearance and success of Chinese athletes in overseas competitions has inspired a sense of national pride.

Xu Haifeng's first gold medal at the 1984 Olympics made him a national hero. Given the national circumstances at the time, people needed such idols and role models.

Gan Guoyang's performance on the court shocked everyone: Did you know there are Chinese people who can play like this? What did he eat to grow up like that? Malted milk powder?
At the time, countless domestic manufacturers tried to get Gan Guoyang to endorse their products, most of which were various nutritional supplements. However, Gan Guoyang, with his keen eye, saw through them and rejected these random products.

After the game in the capital, Gan Guoyang was received by high-level leaders, and the Trail Blazers players and their entourage stayed at the state guesthouse, enjoying the highest level of foreign affairs treatment.

Jack Ramsey joked, "With Forrest Gump's help, we got a taste of what it's like to be president."

Four matches, four cities, five teams—all top teams that will make history. Such a lineup and spectacle will never be seen again.

Aiva, Converse, and Nike all joined this grand event, taking full responsibility for commercial promotion and event arrangements. Fleischer followed Gan Guoyang's advice and brought Nike into the game.

This proved to be a very important decision; without Nike's help, such a large-scale sports exchange event would not have been possible.

Nike began exploring the Chinese market and engaging with Chinese partners as early as 1979. In 1980, it established a branch in Shanghai. In 1981, through tireless efforts, it successfully navigated various channels and partnered with the Chinese Athletics Team to sign a contract for contract manufacturing in China, transferring its production lines from other regions to China.

Although China was opening up in that era, its system, culture, and language were very different from those of the United States, and the two countries had once been in a hostile relationship. Everything required a process.

Without a channel familiar with Chinese affairs, it would be impossible to organize such a large-scale exchange competition and commercial promotion activity in four cities. Even with the approval of the highest leaders, many specific details would still encounter numerous difficulties.

Even the most basic necessities like eating, drinking, and relieving oneself would pose a challenge to transportation. Back then, China wasn't like America; there weren't restaurants or cars available for rent everywhere.

Nike's involvement effectively solved these problems, allowing this unprecedented and once-in-a-lifetime event to be completed successfully.

On July 17th, at the final stop of this event in Guangzhou, Gan Guoyang led the Trail Blazers to play against Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls at the Guangzhou Liuhua Gymnasium.

After a thrilling exhibition match, the more than 6000 spectators refused to leave, and people outside crowded in, blocking the players' tunnel. The fans' enthusiasm left everyone at a loss.

When the organizers decided to call in security to disperse the crowd, Gan Guoyang intervened and stopped them.

Gan Guoyang approached Jordan and suggested, "Michael, how about we have a one-on-one match? Let the others go first."

Jordan readily agreed, and the announcer immediately informed the audience. Amid cheers, order was restored in the arena, and the other players from both teams were able to leave the court first.

With only Gan Guoyang and Jordan remaining on the court, a Cavaliers showdown that both of them had been eagerly anticipating began.

(End of this chapter)