The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 41 The Presidential Duo
Gan Guoyang wasn't actually talking nonsense. "Visualization" was something Bernard King told Gan Guoyang about. It was a training method that had just emerged in the professional basketball world in the late 70s and early 80s.

The so-called visualization is to imagine yourself performing various technical actions on the field in your mind, simulating the game scenario. Professional players have proven through practice that this method is effective.

The prerequisite is that the body must undergo a lot of training and become very proficient in various technical movements. Combining this with visualization training can have a strengthening effect, enabling players to maintain the sensitivity and stability of their neuromuscular responses during high-intensity matches.

However, this seemingly mysterious training method is only used by a small number of teams and players. Many people think it is just self-comfort, while others believe that players need self-comfort on the field to maintain their confidence and strength.

Gan Guoyang's current skill level is not yet ready to utilize this kind of mystical training method.

Since leaving Notre Dame, Bellman has been far removed from the core of basketball tactics and naturally had no idea about this new training method.

Gan Guoyang didn't tell Bellman about the extra training he received with the Warriors, mainly because he was worried that the hot-tempered guy would lose his composure.

Like Kim, Berman had just emerged from the shadow of alcoholism, and he devoted a great deal of effort to the Water Bell team and Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang could sense that Berman was very proud of the team and his own growth, seeing it as the first step in starting his life anew.

If you tell him, "Your training is no longer enough for me, I want to go to a professional team for extra help," it could very well be a blow to Berman, who has just begun to build confidence in his new life.

Gan Guoyang didn't want the coach to lose heart so soon after the team's campaign in CIF began, so he simply used "visual training" to appease Berman.

A white lie, to appease the coach.

Berman didn't dwell on it. Gan Guoyang was someone he couldn't control anyway, and as long as he could perform normally on the court, that was fine.

In the second half, Gan Guoyang played for another ten minutes, worked up a sweat, and scored 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 blocks before being substituted by Bellman.

In the remaining few minutes, the Balboa High School players finally got some breathing room and were able to drive to the basket and score normally.

I enjoyed basketball for a bit.

The Water Clock team's first game ended smoothly, with them easily defeating their opponents 63-45, a 18-point advantage, and securing their first win of the regular season.

After winning this game, both the coach and the players have gained confidence for the new season; at least they are no longer the worst team in the San Francisco league.

Making a name for yourself in California's basketball league is no easy feat.

California has been, is, and will continue to be the place in the United States that produces the most professional athletes.

In the entire United States, only New York State can rival California in terms of the number and quality of players. These two, one in the south and one in the north, one in the east and one in the west, are two basketball powerhouses.

However, New York State is small in area and densely populated, while California is vast and divided into Southern California and Northern California.

Southern California is centered around the Los Angeles-San Diego metropolitan area, while Northern California is centered around the San Francisco-San Jose-Sacramento metropolitan area.

For the past 60 years, due to inconvenient transportation and limited funding, high school basketball leagues in Northern and Southern California have been held separately, with each team competing independently.

Last season, the California Championship Series was restarted, and the format was that the teams that made it to the playoffs were drawn into a single match. The two Oakland teams met in the final.

Ultimately, Odowd Bishop High School defeated fellow Oakland school Castlemont High School to win the 1981 California championship.

This year's format has been changed. The champions of Northern and Southern California will be determined first, and then the two champions will compete for the overall California championship.

This North-South division format makes it easier for more teams to enter the finals, while also greatly increasing the hype surrounding the finals.

Regional rivalries have always been one of the most fascinating aspects of sports. Teams represent the talent of their respective regions and carry the expectations of their hometowns. Fighting tooth and nail in the finals is definitely more captivating than teams from the same city battling it out.

The Auckland division won both the championship and runner-up titles last year, demonstrating their formidable strength.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco division, where Waterbell is located, is also surrounded by strong opponents, and Balboa High School is just an appetizer.

On November 18th, the Waterbell team faced the Lincoln Broncos in a game.

This high school, named after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, along with another high school named after President George Washington, are the two strongest high schools in San Francisco.

They are all located in the West Side of San Francisco, and are comprehensive public high schools with a large student body, strong faculty, and excellent football, soccer, and basketball teams.

The game was held at the Broncos Gymnasium at Lincoln High School. It was the toughest game the Waterbells had ever played since the team was founded, lasting more than two hours and including two overtime periods.

The Waterbells led by 10 points at halftime, but Lincoln High School gradually chipped away at their lead in the second half.

Although Lincoln High School couldn't stop Gan Guoyang from scoring inside, their teamwork on both offense and defense was excellent, and their overall strength was stronger than Fremont's.

However, the Water Bell team was extremely tenacious. Led by Gan Guoyang, they fought fiercely against the Wild Horses. In the second overtime, when everyone was exhausted, only Gan Guoyang still had energy left.

With the Broncos' defense lax, he hit consecutive turnaround jump shots at crucial moments, helping the Waterbell secure the victory.

The Waterbells defeated the Broncos in double overtime with a score of 77-75.

Gan Guoyang scored 44 points, grabbed 27 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots in the game.

The race against the Mustangs made him sweat a lot.

However, Gan Guoyang was not satisfied with his performance after winning the game.

In addition to his outstanding scoring and rebounding, he also committed as many as 7 turnovers.

Lincoln High School's timely double-teaming caused Gan Guoyang considerable trouble, a predicament that almost every top center has to face.

When he tried to connect with Franklin or other teammates on offense, the Lincoln players' tenacity and agility on defense gave Gan Guoyang a hard time.

During the post-match debriefing, Berman reminded Gan Guoyang that if the passing wasn't effective, it would be better to take the initiative and play the ball himself.

Berman is not a coach who excels at developing offense; he focused on defense during his time at Notre Dame.

His volatile, passionate, and emotional personality is indeed well-suited to be a defensive coach.

Offense requires greater rationality, the ability to calmly observe the situation, see through the opponent's defensive strategy, and deliver a decisive blow. Gan Guoyang was frustrated that while he could see his teammates' opportunities on the field, he couldn't successfully convert them into passes and assists.

He realized that passing is a skill that is difficult to improve through hard training. You can gain technique and passing accuracy, but you can't gain vision and experience.

These skills must be accumulated through years of real-world competition, and also require some exceptional talent.

On November 23, the Waterbells' third regular season game was against another presidential-named high school in the West, Washington High School.

The game was held at the Eagles Gymnasium at Washington High School. Standing in the stands of the football field next to the gymnasium, you can see the red Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

With the Kayzal Stadium operating at full capacity, some games had to be played in the school's own stadium.

Without a home stadium, Beiqiao Middle School can only suffer from playing away games one after another, as they do not have their own home field.

This time, the Shui Zhong team and Gan Guoyang finally met their match.

The Washington Hawks are a well-trained team with players at all positions and strong individual skills.

Their strongest combination is 6-foot-5 forward David Bonner and 6-foot-8 center Quentin Stephenson.

Both are physically imposing Black players. Quentin Stephenson is broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a slightly hunched back and a round head, giving him a resemblance to a younger Moses Malone.

The Hawks made thorough preparations before the game, and Gan Guoyang was double-teamed by two players during the game.

They used every means possible in their interior defense, pushing, squeezing, and surrounding and blocking, just to prevent Gan Guoyang from receiving the ball.

Even if Gan Guoyang runs to the outside to receive the ball, Bonner will follow him closely, not giving Gan Guoyang an easy opportunity to shoot from long range.

As everyone knows, this guy has long-range shooting ability.

This greatly disrupted the Waterbell team's offense, and Franklin gained more possession of the ball.

In the first half, the Waterbell team managed to stay afloat thanks to Franklin's scoring.

In the second half, Franklin began to run out of energy, while Gan Guoyang was constantly harassed and could only maintain his score by grabbing offensive rebounds.

The Hawks' offense was also very agile; their counterattacks were quick, and their outside shooting was accurate.

Despite being only 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall, point guard Harry Bobinho can still dunk with one hand on fast breaks.

Once Chen Xing is out of the team's zone defense and the protection of Gan Guoyang behind him, he is completely unable to defend against his opponent one-on-one.

The game fell into the Hawks' rhythm from the very first minute, and the fatigue of chasing points eventually wore down the Waterbells.

Gan Guoyang grabbed 28 rebounds in this game, including 9 offensive rebounds. He went to the free-throw line 10 times and scored a total of 34 points.

Despite their impressive performance, the Water Clock still lost the game 62-68 at Washington High School.

This is also the first game that the Water Clock team has lost since its formation.

On the way back to school, the team was in low spirits; the loss had left everyone feeling frustrated.

Gan Guoyang's arms were covered in scars and bloody marks, all thanks to Bonner and Quentin.

With the rise of Shui Zhong and Gan Guoyang, more and more teams will study them, and more and more targeted tactics will be developed.

They must be prepared for this.

The following day, in the training hall of the underground ice rink at Fisherman's Wharf, Bellman reviewed the lost game.

They will not meet the Hawks again in the regular season, but if their goal is the playoffs, they will definitely face the Hawks again.

Without the availability of match footage, Berman could only rely on his memory to analyze the problems that occurred on the field.

Halfway through the analysis, Bellman had everyone sit on the floor, close their eyes, take deep breaths, completely relax, and then imagine playing against the Hawks.

"Our zone defense is stretched thin, and their outside shooting is accurate. What should we do?"

"Shrink, let them shoot, that's the only way out."

"Gan was double-teamed and made a passing error."

"Perhaps he should have received the ball further out."

"They're launching a counter-attack, they're speeding up! Keep up! But we need to slow down, we can't outrun them..."

"Franklin, your free throw. Relax, stare at the basket, forget your hand, imagine the ball in your hand, its texture, its weight, relax, release..."

Berman guided the players to recall the scenes from the game through words, and then helped them solve these problems in their imagination.

When everyone opened their eyes, there was a hint of confusion in them.

Gan Guoyang asked, "What kind of training method is this?"

"This is the damn visualization training you were talking about! I've been calling a lot of people lately, and they say it really exists. Coach Jack Ramsey of the Portland Trail Blazers uses it, so I wanted to give it a try. How does it feel?" said Bellman.

Gan Guoyang said, "I was just saying it casually, why did you take it so seriously? But I think the solution you proposed makes some sense."

"..."

Without the second half of the sentence, Behrman would have strangled Gan Guoyang and then committed suicide.

(End of this chapter)