The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 521 Fox Bat
Many years later, Jerry West said in his autobiography that he was attracted by Forrest Gump's powerful personal charm and decided to go to Portland to start a business.

He also claimed that if Forrest Gump was in Portland, he would be in Portland too, and if Forrest Gump left, he wouldn't want to stay in Portland either.

However, Tang Jianguo stated that there were two main reasons why Jerry West went to Portland.

One reason was financial. When West divorced his first wife, Jane, he gave most of his assets to her, and his three sons lived with him and were raised by him.

This put a lot of financial pressure on West. The Lakers failed to win a championship from 86 to 89, and West did not receive the bonuses and dividends promised by Buss.

Tang Jianguo was willing to offer West a very high salary, believing that the benefits West would bring would far exceed that salary.

Another issue is public opinion; Jerry Buss has shown his capricious side in his treatment of West.

He initially sided with Don Nelson, but then felt guilty and wanted to persuade West to stay.

But when he learned that West was considering going to Portland, he claimed in an interview with Sports Illustrated, "The job of general manager is nothing special, there's nothing mysterious about it, and many people can do it."

In this interview, Buss subtly pointed out that before he took over, the Lakers in the 70s, under West's leadership, achieved nothing.

His arrival changed the Lakers and created their Showtime legend, but after 86, West became an obstacle to the Lakers' progress.

For example, he blocked the trade between Worthy and Aguirre, did not sign Bill Walton, and sent him back to Portland, and influenced Don Nelson's decision in the 88 Western Conference Finals, etc.

This interview infuriated West, and coupled with the Trail Blazers' high salary demands, Jerry West immediately called Tang Jianguo, saying he would be heading to Portland.

At this point, there were still five days until the draft began.

Tang Jianguo was overjoyed to receive the call and immediately arranged a press conference to announce that West would be their new general manager.

However, West instructed Tang Jianguo to keep it a secret and not to publicly announce his appointment until after the draft.

West then flew to Seattle to attend the opening ceremony of a basketball training camp, and then drove to Portland to meet up with the Trail Blazers.

To avoid attracting reporters' attention, Trail Blazers Vice President Harry Glickman personally picked him up and drove him to Gan Guoyang's townhouse in Oswick Lakes Park.

Since Gan Guoyang moved to a bigger house, it has been empty, and he hires someone to clean it every now and then.

That evening, Tang Jianguo, Gan Guoyang, Buckwalt, Bellman, Glickman and other key figures of the Trail Blazers gathered at the villa for a small private welcome ceremony, where Tang Jianguo personally presented West with a four-year contract.

Tang Jianguo originally wanted to sign a longer contract, but West only wanted to sign a four-year contract, as coming to Portland was a challenge for him.

If you succeed, you can stay, go back to Los Angeles, or go somewhere else.

If they fail, the infamy and pressure they will face will be immense.

West was thrilled; he was like a wild beast released from its cage, ready to make a name for himself.

After signing the papers, there was no rest or celebration. They held a meeting overnight. West first thoroughly understood the Trail Blazers' draft strategy and team-building policy, and then revised the plan for this draft.

West had already devised a plan in his mind, with four main objectives.

First, find a suitable backup center for Gan Guoyang.

Mitchell Thompson is another year older, and Jones retired this year as well. The Brazilian center they drafted earlier is proving unreliable.

A backup center who can make it into the rotation is very important.

West does this job every year with the Lakers, so he's very familiar with it.

While Sabonis is certainly someone to look forward to, it remains to be seen how well he will perform in the NBA.

In particular, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and underwent reconstructive surgery in Portland, but did not fully recover before participating in the Seoul Olympics.

West watched the Soviet Union vs. the United States game and noticed that Sabonis was much slower and less explosive than he was in 1986.

He was clearly outmatched by Robinson, but he helped the Soviet Union secure the victory in his own way, proving his basketball IQ is definitely not an issue.

This is also the second point of West's work goal: to help Sabonis and Petrovic better adapt to the NBA environment and maximize their potential.

Given the limited basketball resources in the United States, the increasingly sophisticated rules, and the growing difficulty for strong teams to obtain high draft picks (such as the Lakers getting the number one pick in the championship), using overseas players to build up talent is a very good strategy, and it might even have a surprising effect.

Petrovic joining the Trail Blazers is now a done deal; all that's left is to sign the contract.

Whether Sabonis will be able to come remains uncertain and needs West to follow up.

Although he met Forrest Gump at the Seoul Olympics and expressed his willingness to cooperate, there were some setbacks.

Unlike Petrovic, Sabonis seemed very worried about his ability to survive in the NBA—especially after his matchup against Forrest Gump.

Other teams are currently competing with the Trail Blazers for Sabonis.

Thirdly: Find a reliable blue-collar player for the Trail Blazers' backcourt.

Drexler's departure had a significant impact on the Trail Blazers, given that he was a superstar guard.

His rebounding, steals, and defense are irreplaceable, qualities that Hornacek and Terry Porter cannot provide.

West knew very well that if Drexler hadn't left in the summer of '88, and if he had been able to defend Magic Johnson one-on-one in the '89 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers probably still wouldn't have been able to get past the Trail Blazers.

From this perspective, Pat Riley did indeed exact revenge on the Trail Blazers, only to benefit the Lakers.

Petrovic is also a talented defender, but according to information obtained by West, Petrovic also has injury problems.

Nicknamed "Basketball Mozart," he is strong on offense but weak on defense. The Trail Blazers' firepower is already overflowing, and they need more defense, rebounding, and steals. They need someone to do the dirty work.

Fourthly, strengthen the Trail Blazers' coaching staff. After Adelman left and Jack Ramsey retired, the Trail Blazers' coaching staff was left with only Bellman.

He tried to find an assistant coach, but the collaboration wasn't very satisfactory. Bellman had his own ideas, which were difficult for others to understand.

Because of his youth, he did everything by himself, just like coaches in the 60s and 70s.

This is definitely not feasible in today's NBA; he needs the assistance of an assistant coach.

When West took over as head coach of the Lakers, he immediately recruited two assistants to help him.

West has decided that if a suitable replacement cannot be found, he can serve as an assistant coach for a while.

West is also very interested in Bobby Bellman, this rising star.

If these four work goals can be successfully achieved, West is confident that the Portland Trail Blazers will set sail again in the new season, and no one can stop them.

In this draft, West is prepared to go all out, secretly fight a brilliant battle, and achieve his strategic goals.

That's why he requested that news of his arrival in Portland be kept secret, and held a meeting overnight to devise a strategy to prevent the news from leaking and to allow other teams to take precautions.

After West's arrival, former general manager Buckwalt will return to his position as chief scout and will be promoted to vice president and director of player affairs.

Buckwalt is very satisfied with this; he had done enough as general manager last season.

With most of his subordinates purged and his all-knowing boss above him, he was caught in the middle and could hardly move an inch.

Last season, the Trail Blazers didn't even make a decent trade or a successful signing.

Now, with a big name like West taking the blame, I can get a promotion and a raise, and go back to my familiar job. I couldn't be happier.

Of course, Buckwald is very good at selecting new talent.

Buckwalt's ability to find hidden gems in the low post was absolutely crucial to the establishment of the Trail Blazers' first dynasty. He was the key to the Trail Blazers' rapid rise when there were no big trades, no big-name free agents to attract, and not many high draft picks.

In this draft, the Trail Blazers have the 24th pick in the first round and the 35th pick in the second round, which are the low draft picks and second-round picks that Buckwalt is familiar with.

Buckwalt said, "The number one target for the 24th pick is Michael Smith from Brigham Young University, a 6-foot-10 white big man who is on the All-American Second Team."

West glanced at Michael Smith's stats, shook his head, and said, "He can't possibly drop to 24th. He's Brigham Young's white forward, Boston will definitely want him, and I don't think much of his abilities. The Trail Blazers don't need his offense."

Buckwalt said, "Smith is a very slim possibility, so we haven't contacted him... Our second target is Anthony Cook from Arizona, who is 6'9" and has good rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. Our third target is Gary Leonard from Missouri, who is 7'1"..."

West read through all the people's information, and from his expression, it was clear that he was not very satisfied with the choices.

Regarding Cliff Robinson, whom they will select in the second round, West said, "This guy has drug-related risks, and you should have taken that into account."

Buckwalt said: "Indeed, it is a problem, but if he is not at risk, I don't think we will be able to get him in the second round. We need a talented striker to make up for the lack of Kiki's decline."

As he said this, Buckwalt glanced at his boss, Tang Jianguo.

Tang Jianguo sat to the side with his brows furrowed and arms crossed, his expression serious, as if he were listening intently.

But Buckwalt was certain he hadn't heard a word and didn't know any of the players.

When Larry Weinberg sold the Trail Blazers to Tang Jianguo, he wanted to make sure the buyer was a true fan, not just a businessman who wanted to make money off the team.

Tang Jianguo is indeed a fan. He often appears at NBA games and exposes himself in front of the live cameras.

But he was only interested in superstars, like Forrest Gump, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson.

Tang Jianguo has never been one to concern himself with minor details or the role players.

This makes him seem less like a true veteran fan, but it also benefits the management in selecting players to some extent.

A boss who likes micromanagement isn't necessarily a good boss.

West asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, what do you think of Cliff Robinson?"

Gan Guoyang said, "I've watched his game videos. He's 6 feet 10 inches tall, and he can play both inside and outside. He's very well-rounded. He seems a bit like me, but he's much worse than me in every aspect."

West rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang and asked, "Is this guy always like this? He likes to compare himself to others. Is that funny?"

Everyone shrugged, indicating that West was right; that's exactly how he is.

"But from a long-term perspective, Clive Robinson is indeed a good option. If we just want to win a championship, we don't desperately need a player like that, but if we want to build a dynasty, such a versatile player will be very useful in the long run—provided that he can develop and stay away from those damn drugs."

Gan Guoyang added that injuries, fluctuations in form, and other factors are inevitable during a long journey, and the Trail Blazers do need a versatile forward.

Clive Robinson played for the University of Connecticut and led the team to the NIT championship in 1988, earning a place on the All-Tournament Team.

88-89赛季场均能拿下20分7.4个篮板球1.5助攻1.4盖帽1.8抢断的全面数据。但他在大学期间有药物违禁的经历，现在联盟对药物的控制越来越严格，这段不光彩的历史让他的选秀行情一路向下。

Another point is that Clive Robinson's outstanding performances were all achieved in the NIT. Connecticut has failed to make it to the NCAA national tournament in recent years, which has led to questions about the value of his statistics and performances.

West did not directly agree with Gan Guoyang's words, but he circled Cliff Robinson's name.

Then, among the profiles of the young players participating in the draft, he circled one name: Vlade Divac.

Some people were puzzled when they saw the name. Buckwalt said, "We will sign Sabonis this year. Divac and he overlap in position and function. We have also scouted him. He is a great center, but... we have better ones."

West said, "This is what the Los Angeles Lakers want."

The room fell silent. Tang Jianguo broke the silence, saying, "Draft him! Our draft pick is ahead of the Lakers'! Get him!"

Gan Guoyang said, "Why? We already have Sabonis."

Tang Jianguo said, "There's no reason why, it's because the Lakers want to draft him, and we can't let them have their way. Especially after Sports Illustrated published that article that insulted Jerry, we have to take action, strike back at the Lakers, and vent our anger for Jerry!"

Tang Jianguo, who had remained silent about the draft, suddenly became enthusiastic when talking about retaliating against West.

This is his domain.

Jerry West's move to Portland was indeed motivated by revenge against the Lakers, but that's not the point.

Gan Guoyang said, "Jerry, do you have a plan?"

West nodded and said, "I need to make sure that no one else knows what I'm about to say except us. It absolutely cannot be leaked before the draft is over. If it is leaked, it means there's a mole among us, and I will refuse to work for the Trail Blazers, even if it means paying a penalty."

Tang Jianguo said, "Don't worry, after my rebuilding, the Trailblazers are absolutely loyal. Everyone attending tonight will keep their mouths shut. If the news leaks out, he won't be working for the Trailblazers anymore."

After receiving the commitment, West said, "I started scouting Divac a long time ago. Although other Lakers scouts thought he wasn't a good fit for the team, Don Nelson was unusually in agreement with me on this point. In fact, he wanted a European center like Divac even more than I did. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has retired, and he needs a talented, passable big man to build his system."

“Divac is second only to Sabonis in terms of talent in this aspect, and he has better low-post back-to-the-basket skills than Sabonis. Of course, this also means that Divac is not a good fit for us, as we already have the best low-post player.”

Gan Guoyang raised his hand, and West added, "You're strong in the high post and you shoot well, but the low post suits you best."

Gan Guoyang put his hand down.

West continued, "So, if we pick Divac with the 24th pick, the Lakers will definitely try to make a trade. We can then offer some cash or players in exchange for the players we need."

"Replace who?"

"We should ask them to send Kevin Duckworth."

"Duckworth? I'm afraid the Lakers wouldn't want him. He's young and his performance is getting better and better."

"The Lakers definitely won't play Kevin; Buss and Nelson both like him. Our real target is Edwards; he's a veteran and a better fit for us. But we can't reveal our intentions right away."

What if the Lakers just won't make the trade?

"Don Nelson will definitely want him, and he's always wanted to trade Edwards anyway; they think he's too slow. If they really don't want to trade him, then keeping Divac might not be a bad thing. In case Sabonis doesn't want to come, or if he gets injured, Divac would be the best replacement."

West's move to hijack the deal was indeed ruthless. As a former Lakers general manager, he knew the Lakers' plan and naturally wanted to take advantage of it.

The NBA draft is like a business war; backstabbing and deception are normal. Just like the Heat's strategy against the Trail Blazers, information is crucial.

The Trail Blazers need this kind of risky maneuver to build a dynasty.

West knew that with the Trail Blazers' current roster, even without making many moves, they were still strong contenders for the championship.

But West came to the Trail Blazers not just to win a championship. The Trail Blazers have no shortage of championships, and neither does West.

His goal was Auerbach, to dominate an era like the Celts, a life he, as Forrest Gump said, also desired.

In addition to hijacking the trade for Edwards by taking Divac, West is also preparing to trade Kiki Vandeweghe in exchange for a reliable and dependable defender.

Tang Jianguo said, "I like Qiqi, and we shouldn't trade him casually."

West said, "Then you can trade me. I'm a legendary guard, and maybe someone will want me."

Tang Jianguo didn't say anything more. West didn't need to reason with the boss; the power to make the deal was in his hands.

This is where West is stronger than Buckwalt; his legendary status gives him an inherent authority.

And it was you, Tang Jianguo, who brought me here. You wouldn't even support a perfectly normal transaction, so why did you come to me?

Subsequently, West and the others carefully studied the rules of the transaction, considered various possibilities, and finally formulated three plans: A, B, and C.

If all goes well, they will complete the draft and trades according to Plan A at the draft, achieving their strategic goals.

If successful, West will be announced as the new manager and will begin dealing with issues involving Sabonis, Petrovic, and the coach.

If something goes wrong, there's Plan B; if Plan B fails, there's Plan C; in short, we try our best to ensure everything goes perfectly.

At the end of the meeting, West said, "We're all champions, and everyone should know that roster is just the foundation of victory. To achieve our goals in a long season, there are so many details to work on and so many difficulties to overcome. Drafting and trades are only a small part of the job. We also need to evaluate players, develop rookies, and do the logistical work. I hope that in the new season and in the days to come, we can work together to build a dynasty, just like Forrest Gump said."

West's calm and meticulous work style quickly established his authority and earned him everyone's recognition.

Tang Jianguo raised his hand: "I've never won a championship!"

Gan Guoyang said, "It will be here soon, don't worry."

After the meeting, Tang Jianguo, Gan Guoyang, and others left first, while Buckwalt stayed behind to discuss some issues with West in more detail.

Before West officially takes office, Buckwalt will remain the Trail Blazers' general manager, and he will be in charge of all operations.

The two exchanged opinions until late at night. Buckwalt admired West's intuition and decisiveness as a manager, something that non-superstar managers like Buckwalt lacked.

Buckwalt makes decisions based on a lot of research, data, and opinions, which makes him good at uncovering unknown players.

Unlike West, he had very sharp intuition and could make quick judgments on many issues with just a glance.

He can quickly determine whether a player is good or not, and he is the most accurate judge of a player with great talent.

In this respect, the two complement each other very well.

After discussing work, the two sat in the somewhat empty study, lit a cigarette, and chatted about other things.

Buckwalt is a few years older than West, and both are former players who graduated from the University of Utah.

He briefly coached the Seattle SuperSonics, and his first scouting job was with the Utah Stars.

His breakthrough was drafting Moses Malone, making Malone the first high school player in professional basketball history.

This shows that Buckwalt is good at making unexpected choices, picking players that others dare not pick.

West admires this, saying that he lacks that kind of vision, otherwise the Lakers would be more successful.

The two had a great chat, and West felt that working with Buckwalt would make his path with the Trail Blazers smoother.

They inevitably talked about Forrest Gump, with Jerry West saying he was like Russell on the court but like Chamberlain off the court.

Buckwalt laughed and said that was indeed the case; what he was most like Russell in was his control of the game.

When Buckwalt was playing for the University of Utah, he was eliminated by Russell's University of San Francisco in the 1956 NCAA National Round of 16.

As they chatted, Buckwalt suddenly said to West, "Jerry, what you said at the end of the meeting was very encouraging. We've both won championships, you know how tough the road is, how much work you have to do off the field. You have a lot to say, but I want to say..."

Buckwalt paused for a moment, then West said, “Speak freely, if you think I’m wrong.”

"No, no, no, you're right, but I'm afraid you might misunderstand later, so I need to clarify a few things with you."

West sat up straight and listened attentively.

Buckwalt said, "Jerry, do you know that the Soviet Union had an aircraft called the MiG-25?"

"Oh, I know, the Foxbat, a very, very fast high-altitude fighter jet."

"Then you must also know about Belenko's defection. He brought a flying fox to an airport in Hokkaido, Japan, and gave it to us for research. Before Belenko's defection, the flying fox was very mysterious. It could fly at Mach 3, which seemed like something only alien technology could do. The military was terrified, believing that it used titanium alloy materials, special radar, and some kind of black technology. After Belenko's defection, the military researchers disassembled the aircraft and were greatly disappointed. The aircraft was not mysterious at all. They used stainless steel to make the fuselage and then relied on two super-powerful engines to take it to Mach 3. It's that simple."

The defection of Soviet pilot Belenko in 1976 shocked the world and unveiled the mystery of the Foxbat fighter jet.

The appearance revealed beneath the veil was a huge disappointment. It turned out that its ability to fly at Mach 3 was not due to any advanced technology, but rather to sheer force—a miracle of sheer power.

West knew the story, and he was also a very clever person who could understand roundabout speech, because he himself liked roundabout speech.

"You mean... the Portland Trail Blazers are actually like the Foxbat fighter jet..."

Buckwall nodded and said, "The main reason we were able to win three consecutive championships was because of Forrest Gump, the engine that made us work miracles. Other factors also played a role, but none of them were decisive."

West said, "I know that. Star players are decisive; no championship team can do without them."

"No, no, no, Forrest Gump is different. His decisiveness is extremely, extremely decisive. When you become a manager, you'll understand how comprehensive and important he is. He even reshaped the Trail Blazers. You'll rely on him a lot then, but don't get addicted, or you'll be unable to leave Portland."

Buckwalt's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and Jerry West gave an awkward laugh.

After Buckwalt left, Jerry West stayed alone in the house where Gan Guoyang had once lived.

He suddenly thought of his college roommate and good friend, Willie Alques.

Willie is completely different from West in personality; he is cheerful, lively, and easy-going, and is always surrounded by many women.

West's biggest regret is that he got married too early and didn't take Willie with him to Los Angeles. If he were single, he would definitely have taken Willie to Los Angeles to try his luck and get him a job with the Lakers.

West was most relaxed and natural in Willie's presence; he could let down his guard.

If Willie were here, his career would definitely be different, West thought to himself.

West decided to call Willie tomorrow to tell him his decision.

(End of this chapter)