The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 533 Loyalty Will Only Hurt You

Gan Guoyang had a good sleep on the plane.

He initially intended to do some visual training, but he got so sleepy that he fell asleep sitting cross-legged.

They're all taking care of children.

Because Gan Guoyang was about to play an away game, he took the initiative to take care of the children last night, giving his wife a chance to catch her breath and rest.

As a result, his son and he stayed up all night, one sleeping while the other slept, and the son would cry out for milk every now and then, so he couldn't get a full night's sleep at all.

Even so, Gan Guoyang couldn't sleep in the morning and got up to train on time. In the afternoon, Tang Jianguo dragged him to a promotional event. In the evening, he boarded a plane to Houston and finally had some peace and freedom.

Private jets do have their advantages: one seat per person, spacious and quiet, and with eye masks and earmuffs, you can get a good rest.

Gan Guoyang really hoped this flight would last longer so he could rest a little longer.

Upon arrival at their destination, the entire Trail Blazers team immediately headed to the hotel, which was around 9 p.m.

Bobby Bellman allows the players to go out and have fun at night, but they must be back at the hotel before midnight, and he will check the rooms.

In professional teams, very few coaches would do this. Coaches and players are, frankly speaking, colleagues, so why would they care about their colleagues' private lives?

But a team is a collective, and collectives need management, discipline, and coaches need to exert a certain amount of discipline and pressure on the players.

Berman did not try to please the players just because he was a new coach. He has been tough since last season, just like Jack Ramsey.

During away games, he would interfere with the players' private lives to a certain extent. Before the game, they were not allowed to visit prostitutes, drink alcohol, or gamble. At most, they could play cards on the plane or in their rooms.

After a game or an away game, players should be allowed to relax and do what they like.

When Adelman first returned to Portland, some media and fans hoped that he would become the head coach and let Berman return to the position of assistant coach.

Tang Jianguo had also considered this idea, but it was rejected by West, and Buckwalt also believed that Berman was more suitable to be the head coach.

Because Berman is tougher and more principled than Adelman, he dares to clash with the players and knows how to handle the situation better.

It's impossible to have no conflicts and contradictions in an NBA team. If a coach always compromises and yields to the players, things may be relatively harmonious most of the time, but when it comes to crucial moments, the team's morale will be low and unable to unite.

After Bellman set the rules, no one went out to mess around that night; everyone stayed in their rooms to sleep and rest.

When they went to the gym for shooting warm-up practice the next day at noon, Bellman could tell that everyone was in good shape.

Around 4 PM, the Trail Blazers arrived at Summit Arena to prepare for their away game against the Rockets.

After the 1986 Western Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers went down two different paths.

Rocket was destroyed by injuries and drugs, and the elite army that once built around the Twin Towers has collapsed, leaving only some ruins.

The biggest legacy is, of course, Hakeem Olajuwon. The 1984 number one draft pick has gone through many hardships in the past two years. After converting to Islam, he seems to have less of aggression, but he seems to have become more closed off and silent.

After two seasons without a team, Lloyd and Wiggins, who had previously been banned for life due to drug issues, were finally allowed to return to the court by the league.

But by then, everything had changed; the rocket was no longer the same rocket it once was.

Last season, coach Bill Fitch, who was instrumental in creating the twin towers, left Houston.

He was replaced by Don Chaney, a star player from the University of Houston and a former protégé of Coach Lewis.

Chaney couldn't make it on the Clippers anymore, so he came back to his old stomping ground, hoping to bring some hope to himself and the Rockets.

The Rockets also traded McGrady and acquired Audis Thorpe from the Kings to support Olajuwon and fill the void left by Sampson.

This summer's offseason, the Rockets recalled John Lucas, who had previously been fired by Bill Fitch.

Because Lucas abused drugs, Fitch didn't want to keep this bad apple around.

Unfortunately, the poison had already taken root, and even after driving Lucas away, they couldn't stop Wiggins and Lloyd from falling into depravity.

With Lucas, Lloyd, and Wiggins all back, along with Olajuwon and Thorpe, the Rockets seem poised to recapture their 1986 glory.

But they are missing one of the most important people: Bill Fitch.

Fitch's overly harsh treatment of players, coupled with his exceptionally foul mouth, led to strained relationships with both players and management.

Therefore, he never stayed with a team for long, and when he left, he often had a bad relationship with the players, and was even overthrown in a coup.

He's worse than Dick Motta in this respect, because Dick Motta's mouth isn't as foul as his.

Then he was always replaced by a coach who had a good relationship with the players and was good at interpersonal skills.

KC Jones and Don Chaney are examples of this type of role.

However, many years later, when players recall Bill Fitch, they all admit that Fitch was a good coach and the best fit for a championship team, but they were too young to realize it.

Larry Bird said so, and Hakeem Olajuwon thought so too.

After another first-round exit in the 1988-1989 season, Hakeem Olajuwon was disappointed with the Rockets and their coaches. In his view, Don Chaney was trying to please every player, but in reality, it was impossible.

When Fitch was around, he had a tense relationship with everyone, but correspondingly, everyone would be more focused when training and playing, for fear of being called out and scolded by Fitch.

Chaney wouldn't do that; he's not that serious and always maintains a relaxed relationship with the players.

This would be a win-win situation for everyone, but in the actual game, the Rockets became less competitive.

Gan Guoyang clearly felt during the game against the Rockets last season that the Rockets had lost their former competitiveness.

In the 85 and 86 seasons, every game between the Trail Blazers and the Rockets was an epic battle in the paint.

Every time Gan Guoyang plays against the Rockets' twin towers, he has to deliver five or six blocks, and then get five or six blocks himself. He plays a bumper car game with his opponents under the basket, and his muscles and bones are sore the next day.

Now, even Hakeem Olajuwon seems somewhat disheartened and lacks fighting spirit when facing Gan Guoyang.

Because we can't beat them. We can't beat them one-on-one, and the team can't win either.

The same was true in tonight's game, with the Trail Blazers establishing a lead early in the first quarter.

Hakeem Olajuwon was completely out of form tonight, making consecutive mistakes when facing Gan Guoyang with the ball.

On the contrary, Rockets forward Buck Johnson played exceptionally well, carrying the Rockets' offense.

Don Chaney's tactical strategy did not completely revolve around Hakeem Olajuwon; he attempted to adopt a team-oriented approach to offense and defense.

The Rockets' roster is actually quite good, with Buck Johnson, Thorpe, Floyd, and Wiggins. They also have many useful players off the bench, such as John Lucas, Mike Woodson, and Larry Smith, all of whom are very capable players.

The team is fully capable of making the playoffs and becoming a strong contender in the Western Conference.

However, the lack of an absolute core player caused the Rockets' games to become somewhat disorganized, with everyone playing their own game according to their own ideas.

When players are in good form, they are like dragons, able to win many games, especially at home.

If a team is not in good form, its core strengths are not prominent, and the coach is not strict with it, the team will fall apart.

Last season, the Rockets had a record of 45 wins and 37 losses, which was quite good.

However, they have a home record of 31 wins and 10 losses, and an away record of 14 wins and 27 losses, showing a significant difference between their home and away performances.

The inability to win away games indicates a lack of discipline and fighting spirit, making them unable to handle tough matches.

Tonight, the Rockets trailed the Trail Blazers by 11 points in the first half. In the third quarter, they got away from Olajuwon on the perimeter and launched their own attacks with shooting and penetration, turning the tide and narrowing the gap to 2 points.

At a crucial moment, the Trail Blazers slowed down the pace, and Gan Guoyang hit consecutive shots in the low post.

The Rockets' outside shooting touch faltered, and they suddenly went cold, allowing the Trail Blazers to widen the score gap again.

In the fourth quarter, the Rockets attempted to double-team, but Gan Guoyang assisted Hornacek and Petrovic to hit consecutive three-pointers, establishing a decisive advantage.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Rockets 116-107 on the road, securing their third consecutive victory.

Gan Guoyang scored 34 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and dished out 8 assists.

Hakeem Olajuwon only scored 12 points, but he grabbed 18 rebounds.

Tonight, the Rockets used Hakeem Olajuwon as a blue-collar center.

At the end of the game, Hakeem Olajuwon and Gan Guoyang embraced.

Hakeem Olajuwon was clearly frustrated; religion could not heal the pain of defeat.

Gan Guoyang knew that he had been unhappy with the Rockets for the past two years and was wasting his talent.

The Rockets' owners have never been as emotionally stable as Weinberg, nor as flamboyant and extravagant as Tang Jianguo. This can be seen from the fact that when Olajuwon first came to the Rockets, they tried to undercut him on his rookie contract. In addition, there was the previous squabbling over Moses Malone. The main reason for this is that the owner is mentally unstable, unlucky, and a bit stingy.

It's no wonder that Hakeem Olajuwon had to rediscover his faith, otherwise he wouldn't be able to make a living.

Gan Guoyang patted Olajuwon on the shoulder and said, "Akim, if all else fails, go to the South Coast and find Clyde. I think you two would make a good team."

Hakeem Olajuwon rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang and said, "I will not leave Houston. I am loyal to this place."

Gan Guoyang said, "Loyalty will only harm you, Akim. You'd better watch yourself."

When Forrest Gump decided to return to the NBA in 1996, all teams recruited him, but he decided to return to the Trail Blazers.

When asked by a reporter if it was because he was loyal to Portland, Forrest Gump said, "No, it's because Portland is loyal to me."

So Forrest Gump returned to his loyal Portland.

—Excerpt from "Forrest Gump" by Wu Zhixiong, published in 2025.

(End of this chapter)