The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 346 The Greatest Player

Stu Inman is based in Portland, and his home is also in Portland. He spends most of the offseason here and has a rather leisurely time.

Although he is the Milwaukee Bucks' Director of Player Personnel, there isn't much he can do with the Bucks; his main task is to help the new owner complete the handover.

In the 1986 NBA draft, the Bucks, holding the 22nd pick in the first round, selected Scott Skiles, an unremarkable white guard.

Standing at only 6 feet 1 inches tall with mediocre physical attributes, he gives the impression that "this guy is unlikely to play in the NBA for more than two years."

After Len Bias died from cocaine, Skiles was revealed to have been arrested and imprisoned during his senior year for illegal possession of marijuana and cocaine.

This led to considerable dissatisfaction among Bucks fans regarding the draft, and Inman, as the director of personnel, was held responsible and was attacked by the Milwaukee media.

Inman knew that it was Don Nelson's idea to take down Skiles. Nelson was the one who called the shots on the Bucks, and he was quite obsessed with guards.

Moreover, Skiles' performance in his senior season was indeed outstanding, averaging 27 points and 6.5 assists per game. Nelson believes that his accurate shooting can further strengthen the Bucks' backcourt.

Many coaches have begun to recognize the importance of long-range shooting. In the past, one accurate long-range shooter was enough for a team, but now two are needed, and in the future, three or even more will be required.

The Portland Trail Blazers' draft strategy mirrored Inman's: already possessing strong forwards and centers, they began searching for quality shooting guards.

Among them, Hornacek was recommended to Buckwald by Inman, who then gave the little-known white defender a trial before the selection and then picked him in the second round.

Inman recommended Hornacek not because he thought Hornacek was particularly outstanding, but because of Hornacek's father, John Hornacek, a well-known basketball referee.

Before the draft, no team contacted Jeff Hornacek. His father, anxious about his son's basketball dream, contacted an acquaintance, the famous coach Bob Knight.

Knight was a helpful person. After scouting Jeff Hornacek, he thought the kid could play in the NBA, so he contacted the Suns' general manager and also called Stu Inman to ask if the Bucks were interested.

Stu Inman said he doesn’t have much say in the Bucks’ game, and that players like Hornacek, who had a mediocre college career (13 points per game), might not be favored by Nelson.

However, Inman immediately thought of the Trail Blazers. He contacted Buckwalt, who was not initially very interested in this kind of white point guard, but after consulting with Gan Guoyang, they tried out the player and drafted Hornacek with a second-round pick before the Suns.

Afterwards, Bob Knight asked Inman why he would recommend players to the Trail Blazers when Inman was no longer a member of the team and had been sacrificed by the Blazers before the championship season to bring Walton back.

Inman did not give a direct answer, only saying, "He's just a second-round pick, it's no big deal."

But Inman certainly didn't think that way. He and Pete Newell were also very close (Knight and Newell were like father and son). After learning that Gan Guoyang had participated in the Big Man training camp, he specifically called Newell and asked him to give Gan Guoyang extra tutoring, teach him tactical theory, and cultivate his tactical and strategic vision.

Inman knew that, purely in terms of skills, Gan Guoyang wouldn't learn much at the training camp; he had such a strong learning ability that he mastered many things very quickly.

This guy has amazing physical attributes. He's already won a championship, but if he wants to improve further and become a great player, improving his skills and abilities is equally important.

Inman secretly helped Gan Guoyang again, but he didn't seem to want Gan Guoyang to know.

After the Big Man training camp concluded, the entire Trail Blazers team traveled to Washington, D.C., where they were received by President Reagan in the Rose Garden.

The players flew directly to Washington from all over the country, where they gathered and then headed to the White House.

Before departing, the team's president of basketball operations, Spoelstra, approached Inman and asked if he wanted to come along. "Larry said you could come; you're part of the Trail Blazers too."

Larry Weinberger wants to bring Inman along, after all, he is a veteran of the team.

The series of foolish mistakes made by the team in management decisions at the time were not solely Inman's responsibility.

However, when it's time to take the blame, Inman has to step up and sacrifice himself; he can't just let the boss get fired, can he?
Inman played a crucial role in the 1986 championship, and Weinberg feels it's unfair to exclude him now.

Inman hesitated for a moment but still declined, even though he really wanted to go to the White House. In 1977, the Trail Blazers did not receive an invitation to visit the White House because of Walton's political stance.

Clearly, the president didn't want to invite Walton, this ticking time bomb, to the White House, not knowing what outrageous things this political radical would do or say in Washington.

Now that Walton has cut his long hair, moderated his political stance, and is bedridden after ankle surgery, there's no need to worry about him causing trouble. So Reagan invited the Trail Blazers to visit the White House for the first time in their history.

"I'm no longer part of the Trail Blazers, so it would be strange and awkward for me to go."

“But everyone considers you one of the Trailblazers, and I know you’ve been helping the Trailblazers behind the scenes. Your home is still here.”

Inman still shook his head and refused, saying, "After I left the Trail Blazers, I felt I became more pure. Actually, I haven't really enjoyed a basketball game in a long time. I always think about a lot of things that have nothing to do with basketball. I've freed myself from some things. Now I only need to focus on the players, look at their talent, their potential, who fits the team, and who doesn't. I like it this way. It's a lot of fun. I don't have to take a holistic view anymore, think about the impact of public opinion, calculate salaries, and a lot of other miscellaneous things. Those things polluted me."

"Sonny was the best signing I ever made, and he's the most promising player I've ever encountered. I believe that if he's fully developed, he could one day surpass Bill Russell. When we first got him, I just saw him as a lifeline to improve my GM's record and make up for my mistakes. Now I don't have to worry about that anymore; I just want him to become the greatest player of all time. I'm fine this way; I don't have to go back."

Spoelstra nodded, agreeing with Inman's idea, and said, "Sonny is indeed a great player, and I understand how you feel. I used to love basketball too, but after I started working in basketball, I watched fewer games. I've been busy with promotions and trying to make money for the team. My son is better at that than me; he's a basketball fanatic and he likes Forrest Gump."

"By the way, Stu, I heard rumors that the league is considering expanding, adding a new franchise in Florida, and creating a new team. Have you heard about it?"

Inman nodded and said, "I've heard that the league's top priority this summer is to add more teams, which will bring more interesting things to the NBA."

"Are you interested in joining us? I don't think you want to stay in Milwaukee forever, do you?"

"This isn't something I can decide, but... what? You don't want to stay in Portland anymore?"

"No, the team is in great form right now, but everyone needs to plan for the future."

Stu Inman's departure indirectly brought the Portland Trail Blazers a championship trophy.

However, from another perspective, the departure of this elder statesman also means that the originally stable, small and beautiful Oregon standalone entity will inevitably make sacrifices in the process of growing into a towering tree, and the original structure is gradually disintegrating.

Apart from the Trail Blazers, other teams are accelerating their restructuring and replacement of small owners with big-name investors.

The 1986 championship slowed the Trail Blazers' pace, but once change begins, it is never irreversible.

Whether things improve, become stronger, or deteriorate and collapse in an instant, the players' performance on the field often plays a decisive role.

(End of this chapter)