The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 298 True nature exposed

The game on April 20, 1986, was a message that Michael Jordan conveyed to the Chicago Bulls management. Bulls owner Reinsdorf said, "It was from that game that we realized just how great Michael was."

For Jordan personally, that game also marked a significant turning point.

Looking back years later, Jordan said, "Until that time, many media people said that although he was good, he was not good enough to be compared with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird."

“I earned Larry Bird’s respect—which, for me, showed me I was on the right track. Not because of how many points I scored, but because we lost the game in the end. The highlights of that game were great, but not that meaningful because I lost, and his words after the game were the greatest compliment I ever received.”

"Of course, Sonny had 40 points and 42 rebounds on the same day. That guy is always like that, loves to show off, and always wants to get ahead of me in everything." Jordan concluded with a smile, mentioning Forrest Gump.

That was a figure he would always have to confront. That year, Forrest Gump was writing his legend with the Trail Blazers, while Michael was still struggling to catch up.

—Excerpt from "Michael Jordan: The Life," a biography of Michael Jordan written by Roland Lazambi, published in 2016.

After the game on April 20, Larry Bird said what was probably the most cheesy compliment he had ever made: "Tonight God disguised himself as Michael Jordan."

Of course, soon after the game in Portland on the West Coast ended, some people started joking, "God not only impersonated Michael, but he also rushed to impersonate Gane."

Anyway, God is very busy tonight.

These two games allowed the American basketball community to get to know these two rising stars better. Although they have huge popularity, they have also received a lot of criticism.

This stems from their personalized playing style and distinctive attire; their actions have consistently challenged the sensibilities of traditional basketball players.

Although people often say that data is not important and victory is the most important thing, this is usually based on the premise that your data is not important enough to surpass the importance of winning or losing.

Some statistics can transcend victory and defeat, because many years later people will forget the wins and losses of the game, and only remember the performance of the heroes on stage.

Just like Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, it has long transcended the game itself and become a symbol.

The two young men each created a typhoon on the East and West coasts, but they themselves didn't care much about the statistics and were very unremarkable after the game.

Jordan told the media, "63 points is not bad, but we lost, so it doesn't mean anything."

Jordan was still frustrated by the loss. Fans and history will remember his 63 points, but he himself wanted to win even more.

Gan Guoyang said, "42 rebounds means we missed too many shots tonight, and we need to make changes for the next game."

As always, Gan Guoyang, who had just won the victory, acted innocent even after getting the benefit.

After the game, Jordan returned to Chicago with a sense of disappointment, and then focused all his efforts on preparing for the third game.

He scored 63 points in this game and did everything he could. He doesn't need to prove anything to the team management anymore; he just wants to win one more game.

The next day, both of them threw themselves into training, making no comment on their brilliant performance in the previous match, as if nothing had happened.

That evening, Gan Guoyang and Jordan spoke on the phone, during which they were able to say things that they couldn't say in front of the media.

"Why did you only get 63 points? You should have gotten 70! With 70 points, you would have won!"

"I scored 63 points, and you're going to try and steal my thunder with 42 rebounds, huh? Fuck you, Sonny."

"I was just trying to win. Our shooting wasn't working tonight, but we secured the rebounds and that's how we won."

"You're talking nonsense. I know you, Sonny. If I lose badly tonight, you won't get 42 rebounds."

"If you lose badly tonight, you won't answer my call! You absolutely have to win the next game back in Chicago. Let me tell you, don't play fast against the Bostonians, you need to control the ball and slow down the pace. I bet the Celtics will double-team you to prevent you from receiving the ball. If you score 63 points, Larry and the others will be furious! So you need to move them around, pass the ball. Don't play players like Kyle Messi who lack offensive firepower, and George Gervin won't work either. Let John Paxson play."

Are you teaching me how to play ball?

"Nonsense, what's wrong with me teaching you how to play? I know how to play against the Celtics, and Thompson knows how to defend Kevin McHale. I'll tell you what to do..."

The two chatted on the phone, with Gan Guoyang constantly giving Jordan advice on how to play in Game 3 to have a chance of winning.

Because one thing is clear: the Celtics will definitely double-team Jordan relentlessly, preventing him from receiving the ball.

Therefore, the key to Game 3 is how Jordan can use his defensive prowess to draw attention away from his teammates at home, allowing them to open up the game, and then close it out himself.

Jordan knew this, but sometimes he needed a reminder, otherwise people tend to play according to their own habits.

The Trail Blazers have always had a knack for playing against the Celtics, so Gan Guoyang knew how to deal with the Celtics. The two talked a lot on the phone.

"Go Michael! If you lose, you'll be eliminated and won't have the chance to meet me in the Finals."

Finally, Gan Guoyang couldn't resist taking a jab at Jordan. Two days later, on April 22nd, the Bulls hosted the Celtics, while the Trail Blazers' game against the Spurs was scheduled for the 23rd.

Before the game, Larry Bird made a bold statement: "If Jordan scores another 20 points tonight, I'll become a truck driver."

This was undoubtedly a full-scale defense against Jordan, preventing him from scoring.

Jordan did indeed use his influence to get John Paxson to start in place of Kyle Messi.

The Celtics did indeed guard Jordan tightly during the game, but unexpectedly, Jordan played point guard.

During his rookie season, Jordan played point guard. He had no problem with ball handling and his passing was also very good.

Facing the Celtics' double-team, Jordan kept passing the ball to his teammates, especially John Paxson, who hit several shots from beyond the arc.

In the first quarter, the Bulls led the Celtics 31-33, with Jordan dishing out 5 assists in the quarter.

The Celtics sensed something was wrong, but what if they changed their defensive strategy and Jordan's offense exploded again?
KC Jones was in a dilemma, while the Bulls, with the advantage of playing at home and led by Jordan, became stronger and stronger.

In the end, Jordan only scored 18 points, but he delivered a beautiful 16 assists, with John Paxson scoring 25 points.

Corzine scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the paint, while Oakley added 16 points and 7 rebounds, and he provided relatively successful defense against McHale tonight.

The Celtics' biggest problem is that while they have depth on the wing, their interior rotation is somewhat lacking.

Marquez Johnson is outstanding, making the Celtics' offense more potent. He can do the job of Maxwell and do it even better, making him a perfect replacement for Maxwell.

But in 84 and 85, the Celtics' real problem was rim protection. They were lucky enough to win the championship in 84, but in 85 they were completely outmaneuvered by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Tonight, the Celtics' interior defense was breached again, and Jordan broke through the Celtics' not-so-impregnable three-second zone with a pass, not a drive.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulls repeatedly used tactics to put Jordan directly against Bird's defense, and then Jordan broke through Bird to score crucial points.

Ultimately, the Bulls narrowly defeated the Celtics 121-123 at home, securing a very valuable victory.

Although he only scored 18 points, Jordan's 16 assists proved many people wrong, showing that he could also pass the ball.

Some people also said, "Sure enough, Michael needs to pass the ball more to win the game."

That's certainly not the case. Tonight's situation was unusual; the Celtics played too impulsively.

Even when Jordan had already orchestrated the team's offense, they still double-teamed him to prevent him from attacking.

In fact, the first two games have already proven that the Bulls cannot win if they allow Jordan to score, not even 63 points.

However, when he orchestrated the entire team and enabled everyone else to perform exceptionally well, the Celtics couldn't contain him on the road and lost the game.

The Bostonians paid the price for their arrogance once again; their goal in the game was not to win, but to suppress Jordan.

This victory was extremely important to Jordan. After winning, he pumped his fist wildly, hugged his teammates, and enjoyed the cheers of the entire crowd.

That evening, he called Gan Guoyang again to share his joy of victory, but Gan Guoyang was very dissatisfied with Jordan.

"Why don't you score two more points! If you score just two more points, Bird will be driving a truck!"

"I didn't think that much about it, as long as I won, that was all that mattered. I didn't even look at the stats during the game."

"How could you not look at the stats? From now on, you need to ask about the stats every time you play a game. You should have been playing with the spreadsheet in mind. If you had made that tough layup, you would have had 20 points!"

“I can’t possibly be distracted by just thinking about scoring; every choice I make is aimed at winning. But your strategy really works; you’re a fucking genius, Sonny.”

"Nonsense, you should know that I won the championship faster than you and made it to the finals earlier. Why do you think that is? Just because I'm handsome? I know football."

"Yes, yes, you know football, you know football. Anyway, seeing Larry's grumpy face tonight felt great, hahaha."

Just like back in the Olympic selection training camp, when they chatted privately, they would speak without restraint, criticizing others and looking down on any other players.

Because pride is their nature and humility is their character, friends don't need to consider character when they're together, and can reveal some of their true nature.

After the game, Bird had to joke, "Thank goodness I don't have to drive a truck anymore, otherwise we would have been in danger in Game 4."

(End of this chapter)