The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 367 Strike When the Time Is Right

The game between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers started at 7 p.m. Pacific Time.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in Italy, the match began at four in the morning.

Kobe Bryant Jr. set his alarm to wake up promptly at 4 a.m., tiptoed to the living room, turned on the TV, tuned to the sports channel, and watched the game broadcast. His TV could receive CBS signals.

He had been looking forward to this game for a long time. His two favorite players would be facing off in this game, Magic Johnson vs. Forrest Gump. He couldn't sleep at all last night.

It was still dark outside, and Kobe didn't turn on the lights so as not to disturb his family's sleep. Only the TV was on in the living room, and he turned the volume down to the lowest setting.

He sat on the floor, watching the fluorescent television, waiting for the game to begin.

Starting in the 1986 season, CBS began receiving more and more advertising, a sign of the boom in live television.

In particular, they received a Toyota car advertisement, which has always been a hallmark of the advertising industry. Receiving a car advertisement indicates that the program is very popular.

In the advertisement, a 1986 Toyota Corolla was advertised for just $5848, and Japanese cars were conquering the American market with their affordability.

The NBA is no longer a trashy TV program that sells off advertising slots before games; instead, it's a hot commodity in the current TV market and a favorite among advertisers.

Kobe had no interest in these advertisements. He was still young, and all he cared about was basketball. He just wanted the game to start quickly.

His passion for basketball was extraordinary, especially after meeting Forrest Gump in the summer. He was like a pilgrim who had completed a pilgrimage, and his soul was further purified and sublimated.

After Forrest Gump left Italy, Kobe returned to Philadelphia with his father, and then returned to Italy at the start of the new season. This time, the whole family moved from Rieti to Reggio Calabria, a city in southern Italy across the sea from Sicily. Joe Bryant changed teams and played for Stendha Reggio Calabria.

Eight-year-old Kobe became a ball boy for the Reggio Calabria team. He loved the job, enjoyed watching the games up close, and felt the players' high-speed running and intense physical contact.

Of course, for Kobe, who had once witnessed Forrest Gump and Jordan's rivalry live, the Italian league's competition was considerably less intense.

However, the basketball atmosphere here is excellent, much better than in the United States. In the US, watching an NBA game is more like watching a circus than basketball.

Unless it's a crucial moment in the game, most of the time the fans' attention isn't on basketball; they're more focused on chatting, watching the excitement, and enjoying the performances, like they're at a big party.

In Italy, the arenas are smaller and there are fewer fans, but the fans are very focused on basketball. There's nothing else in the arena that can attract you except basketball.

Kobe, as a ball boy, was a little star who attracted the attention of fans. He liked being the center of attention, so he would often go to the court to mop the floor when he had nothing to do. During halftime, he would take the ball and perform dribbling, shooting, and layups on the court, winning cheers from the fans.

He enjoys being the center of attention on the field, even when he was very young.

However, despite the enthusiasm, the level of competition in Italy can never be compared to that of the NBA.

So Kobe got up at four in the morning just to watch an NBA live broadcast, patiently waited through the long commercials and entrance ceremony, and finally the game started.

The Trail Blazers and Lakers were evenly matched in the first quarter. When Gan Guoyang drove to the basket after a pick-and-roll and dunked over Duckworth on the last possession, Kobe jumped up excitedly and shouted.

Joe Bryant, who lived upstairs, heard the noise and went downstairs to check. He found his son watching TV in the living room, and it was only a little past four in the morning.

"Hey Kobe? Aren't you sleeping? Why are you up so early watching TV?"

"There's an NBA game on this morning, Lakers vs. Trail Blazers, I have to watch it."

"Okay, this is definitely worth watching. Dad will watch it with you."

Joe Bryant put on a jacket and went downstairs to watch the game with his son.

The TV station was repeatedly playing footage of Gan Guoyang dunking over Duckworth. Gan Guoyang's impact was so strong that even though rookie Duckworth weighed 260 pounds and was a heavyweight center, he still couldn't withstand Gan Guoyang's attack.

Duckworth looked frustrated sitting on the bench during the break; anyone would feel bad after being treated like that.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar comforted Duckworth: "It's normal. It's the first time you've faced Forrest Gump, so you're bound to be a little careless and think you don't need to go all out. But that's not the case. You have to go all out from the very first minute to avoid being pushed aside. That guy is a monster."

It's strange to hear Kareem Abdul-Jabbar call someone a monster, because Abdul-Jabbar himself is a basketball monster.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rarely mentors newcomers, but tonight's game at Duckworth was an exception.

Johnson and Duckworth said, "It's very normal to get knocked down by him. It will happen often in the later confrontations. You might even get tackled by him. You should be prepared."

Everyone laughed, and Michael Cooper said, "Don't scare Kevin. We need him to deal with Forrest Gump. Just play seriously and don't be afraid."

Byron Scott, who was standing nearby, said, "You can try to compliment him, have some friendly conversation with him. Forrest is easy to talk to. Don't try to provoke him, or you'll be in trouble." Worthy said, "Don't listen to Byron. Just elbow Forrest, and he'll behave."

Everyone laughed again. The bench during the break was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. That's just how the Lakers are; they always have a relaxed vibe, which is why the players like to play here.

For a moment, Duckworth didn't know who to listen to. Just before he went on the court in the second quarter, Riley pulled Duckworth aside and said, "Don't listen to them, listen to me. Remember, when facing Forrest Gump, you have to abandon any unnecessary thoughts. You're just playing basketball, nothing more."

Duckworth nodded, but his mind was actually foggy. Fortunately, Gan Guoyang was resting on the bench at the start of the second quarter, so Duckworth didn't have to confront Gan Guoyang head-on.

Kobe stared intently at the television, watching the intense competition between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers. The second quarter saw both teams' second units trading blows, making for a very fierce battle.

Drexler became the Trail Blazers' primary point guard. Ramsey would let Drexler rest in the latter part of the first quarter and then bring him back in the second quarter to lead the bench unit.

With Gan Guoyang absent, Drexler has more room to perform. After several weeks of training and matches, his form has recovered considerably, and he is also trying out more diverse playing styles.

He plays like an outside playmaker, controlling the ball, distributing it, taking outside shots on offense, and frequently cutting inside to attack the rebounds.

He reduced his fast break attempts, no longer charging forward headfirst every time he got the ball. He weakened his forward attributes and played more like a defender.

Of course, Drexler would never let go of an opportunity to attack the basket directly on a fast break.

He handles the ball better than in the previous two seasons, with crisp and clean movements, and his passing technique is sophisticated, often producing exquisite and imaginative passes.

The only area where he hasn't made significant progress is his shooting—it has improved, but not much, or rather, the improvement is slow.

His shooting motion has become much more fixed compared to the past. His legs will bend slightly in the air to maintain balance, and then he will "flick" the ball out instead of pushing it out.

After receiving a pass from Jim Paxson and hitting a mid-range shot, Drexler seemed confident in his shooting touch.

In the next offensive play, he missed two mid-range shots after dribbling and stopping, allowing the Lakers to launch a fast break and score 4 points in a row.

Kobe shook his head as he watched Drexler's shot and asked Joe, "Dad, why can he play in the NBA with a shot like that, but you can only play in Italy?"

This question put Joe Bryant in an awkward position. He is an excellent shooter and a prolific scorer, but only in low-to-medium intensity games.

Given the intensity of defense and the speed of transition in the NBA, it would have been impossible for Joe Bryant to make a large number of shots; his physical attributes simply wouldn't allow it.

Drexler's counterattack came quickly. Jim Paxson made a long pass from half-court to the basket, and Drexler hadn't gotten back on defense.

He leaped high into the air and slammed the ball home with a two-handed alley-oop dunk!

Upon seeing this play, Joe Bryant said, "That's why he can play in the NBA. I can't do that."

Kobe shook his head and said, "I can do it too, and my shooting will be much better than his."

Joe Bryant was unsure how to respond to his son's confidence—whether to encourage him or spur him on.
I don't know, let him be. Kobe may be very young, but he already has his own world, and no one else can interfere.

The two teams were evenly matched in the second quarter, with Drexler leading his second unit against the Lakers' second unit in an offensive battle.

The pace of the game accelerated, with both sides pushing at breakneck speed until Gan Guoyang and Jabbar returned to the court, at which point the game returned to a normal offensive and defensive rhythm.

Gan Guoyang repeatedly outmaneuvered Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the low post, using his footwork, explosiveness, and deceptive spin moves to score over Abdul-Jabbar.

Of course, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also made two saves and drew an offensive foul on Gan Guoyang, before hitting consecutive hook shots on offense.

After gaining weight, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's hook shot in the low post became even more difficult to defend. You could only defend him before he caught the ball and started moving; once he began to make the move, it became difficult.

At the end of the second quarter, the score was tied at 57-59, with the Trail Blazers trailing the Lakers by 2 points on the road.

Gan Guoyang had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the first half, which was a decent performance for him, but his 5 assists were particularly impressive.

Since being trained at the Big Man training camp and mentored by Bill Walton, Gan Guoyang's organizational skills have been steadily improving.

Joe Bryant took the opportunity to tell Kobe, "Look, Forrest Gump and Magic Johnson both have great passing skills. You need to pass the ball more in the team. That's how you win games."

Kobe sat there unmoved by his father's lecture, saying, "Forrest Gump said, 'When it's time to act, act.'"

(End of this chapter)