The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 509 The true nature of a hero
The Trail Blazers have reached the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year, giving them a chance to build a dynasty.

After defeating the Lakers again in the Western Conference Finals, people have begun to take a comprehensive and in-depth look at this team.

Why are they so powerful, just because of Forrest Gump?

It seems it really is because of Forrest Gump.

Why would a player in his early twenties, who has been in the league for four years, bring such a huge change to a team on the verge of the playoffs?

This kind of thinking seems to have come a little late, because the Trail Blazers are already aiming for their third championship in three years.

It's like the woman's child is already grown up, while you're still agonizing over whether or not to give a bride price.

However, the dilemma still exists, as Gan Guoyang once again graces the cover of the first issue of Sports Illustrated's June issue.

The headline article is: "Why is he so powerful?"

The article was written by Rick Tland, a well-known sports writer.

He once wrote a famous book about basketball called "Heaven is a playground," showing his deep affection for the sport.

However, Tland is not a columnist whose main focus is basketball; his main focus is rugby, and his articles are mostly about rugby.

There was only one reason why he started writing a basketball article at this time: the Trail Blazers' unexpected return to the NBA Finals had caused a huge stir in the American sports world.

Before the season started, no one believed the Trail Blazers could win the championship again, or even reach the Finals again.

The league's rule change in the summer of 1987 was a signal that isolation plays, where one player takes on four opponents, were no longer allowed, forcing the Trail Blazers to change their tactical system.

Throughout the season, the Trail Blazers faced a series of negative reports: Vandeweghe was injured, Agan's stats declined, and Adelman left.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers went on a winning streak, defeating the Trail Blazers one after another in the regular season and gaining a significant advantage.

In the playoffs, the Trail Blazers failed to sweep their opponents in the first round for the first time—correspondingly, the Los Angeles Lakers swept their opponents in the first round for the sixth consecutive year.

In the semifinals, the Mavericks almost pushed the Trail Blazers to the brink of defeat, and in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers led 2-0. Everyone thought the Trail Blazers were doomed.

Their achievement of winning two consecutive championships is already a great accomplishment. Let's stop here. This can be seen as a footnote to an era. Your mission is over.

But the Trail Blazers proved to the basketball world with their resilience and tenacity that they are far from finished. After a turbulent and chaotic season, they have once again stood on the highest stage of the NBA, launching a final assault on the top of the world.

Because of Gan Guoyang's Chinese identity, people's initial curiosity turned to surprise after he won his first title, and then to complex emotions after he won his second title.

Now, he's making great strides toward his third title, and people have to re-evaluate this monster.

Over the years, he has received more than enough praise in various articles, interviews, and commentaries.

Off the court, Gan Guoyang's influence is growing, and he is moving towards becoming a symbol, just like Bruce Lee.

On the basketball court, however, he seemed even more mysterious and unfathomable.

Fans are curious about what kind of magic he possesses.
In his article, Rick Tland re-examines Forrest Gump from a historical and insightful perspective.

He didn't simply analyze how excellent Forrest Gump was in the game or how outstanding his performance was; he took a broader perspective.

Tland said, "Forrest Gump's emergence was as epoch-making as Bill Russell's. Before Bill Russell, people didn't realize how decisive the impact of defense, especially a center's defense, could be on the game. Russell redefined the center position and also redefined defense."

"And Forrest Gump redefined the center position, and defined both defense and offense. When I first watched Forrest Gump play live, I was amazed that a center could play like that. I witnessed his transformation over four years, from a more traditional center to a player who transcended his era. His long-range three-pointers, his mid-range shots, his hook shots, and many other little-known details profoundly changed the game of basketball."

"What's surprising is how slow the other teams have been. No one has really responded over the years, and no one has tried to emulate Forrest Gump in terms of player selection. Perhaps he's too unique to be imitated, or perhaps he's too powerful and changes too quickly for opponents to counter. In any case, if Forrest Gump can lead the Trail Blazers to another championship, we must admit that the latter half of the 80s belonged to Forrest Gump, to this mysterious Chinese man."

The United States is known as the basketball nation, but now their strongest professional league is dominated by a Chinese player.

Some say this is a disgrace to American basketball, while others say it demonstrates the strength of American basketball.

Because Forrest Gump did not showcase his basketball talent in China, but it was gradually cultivated and discovered after he went to the United States.

Gan Guoyang's high school and college experiences have earned him a lot of goodwill from American fans.

The United States is a multi-racial and multi-ethnic immigrant country. If you trace your ancestry back a few generations, most people aren't originally from the Americas, so no one should judge anyone else. Forrest Gump may not be an American citizen, but he was a product of the American basketball system.

In other words, he has "roots" in basketball; his basketball roots are in the United States.

This is different from athletes who grow up in Europe and then come to the United States to play.

In short, discussions about the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump reached a fever pitch before the Finals began.

Everyone seemed completely unconcerned about the Trail Blazers' opponent in the Finals – the Washington Bullets.

On June 5th, the Washington Bullets outlasted the Boston Celtics in a brutal Game 6, defeating the Celtics 4-3 and advancing to the NBA Finals for the fifth time in history.

The Bullets won both the semifinals and the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 7, highlighting their basketball philosophy: to wear down their opponents with defense, and also to wear down themselves, to see who can outlast whom.

This team, composed of players of all ages and builds, including the elderly, the infirm, the tall, the short, the fat, and the thin, has unleashed a rare energy under the relentless pressure and exploitation of Dick Motta and Wes Unseld.

It's normal that they're not favored, because their barely made it to the finals looks too much like a bullet from 1979.

The Bullets went to two Game 7s in the semifinals and Eastern Conference Finals, and the games were very tough and ugly. They were down 1-3 to the Spurs in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ultimately, exhausted and worn out, they were swept by the SuperSonics in the Finals, and Wes Unseld achieved a "glorious" record of 5 wins and 15 losses in four Finals appearances.

Now, Unseld, along with his mentor Dick Motta, is using the style of basketball from the 70s, relying on ugly defense and simple, brutal offensive rebounding to grind their way back into the Finals.

This kind of competition philosophy is clearly not up to par with the "advanced" and "era-leading" pioneers.

Even the Los Angeles Lakers couldn't last seven games against the Trail Blazers, let alone the hastily assembled and exhausted Bullets.

However, before the finals began, not many fans were optimistic about the Bullets, but quite a few fans supported them.

The fact that the Bullets have come this far is quite inspiring. If they win the championship, it would be the NBA version of A Better Tomorrow.

Veteran coach Dick Motta has just lost his job, his years of hard work in Dallas have been ruined, and he can only return to the Bullets as an assistant coach to assist his former protégé Unseld.

The Bullets had a poor start to the season, falling to the bottom of the standings at one point. Unseld was called upon to take over the Bullets mid-season.

This was his first time coaching, and he had no experience whatsoever.

Charles Barkley, as a member of the 84 draft class, was always a step behind Gan Guoyang, Jordan, and Olajuwon.

His bulky physique made him look like a clown, and he often received ridicule and mockery from fans instead of admiration.

Moses Malone had his glory days, but after 1983 he followed the 76ers and Dr. J in a rapid decline, losing his championship competitiveness.

He is still in his prime as a center, but he has been questioned by all sides, who believe that his playing style relies too much on his physicality and that he will be unable to perform well if his physical condition declines even slightly.

Bernard King suffered a major injury and was sidelined for a year and a half. After recovering, he played four games before being released by the New York Knicks.

The Knicks didn't believe he could make a comeback, and Patrick Ewing didn't want to work with a washed-up leader.

蒙克利夫在赛季中途交易过来，他已经从场均20+5+5的全明星、最佳防守球员，变成了10+3的角色球员。

Throughout his career, he was consistently underestimated, consistently overshadowed by the 76ers and Celtics, never reaching the NBA Finals, and never showcasing himself on the biggest stage.

And their bench, including the notoriously cunning Rick Mahorn, the tallest player Ball, and the shortest player Muggsy Bogues, are all oddballs in the league.

In short, it's already a miracle that the Bullets made it to the finals; no one expected this team to make a name for themselves before the season started.

Regardless of how pessimistic the outside world is, the Bullets team is full of confidence. Once they reach the finals, no one wants to miss out on winning the championship.

Especially for Barkley, Bernard King, and Manute Bol, there's nothing more wonderful than beating Forrest Gump and winning the championship.

However, A Better Tomorrow is essentially a tragedy, a tragedy about heroes.

(End of this chapter)