The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 535 Silencer

David Robinson won over San Antonio and the Spurs fans with just one game, making everyone realize that it was all worth it.

In a post-game interview, Magic Johnson said, "Some rookies aren't really rookies, and Robinson is one of them."

Magic Johnson himself is one.

However, Robinson's performance failed to impress Spurs head coach Larry Brown, who had many complaints about the San Antonio superstar.

For example, during training, Robinson would finish his tasks on time and then stop training, but Larry Brown believed that as a superstar, you must do extra training.

Robinson, however, believes that he has done his duty and completed his job. Whether or not he does extra training is his own business and should not be dictated by others.

This conflict began on the first day of the preseason training camp, and it was just a small part of the many disagreements between the two.

Robinson is a responsible but relatively undisciplined person. His passion for basketball is still average, higher than that of the average player, but not as much as basketball fanatics like Gan Guoyang or Jordan.

Larry Brown's personality is like that; he didn't get along well with his players when he was at the University of Kansas, and there was always tension between them.

In this respect, he differs from Bill Fitch and Dick Motta. Fitch is known for his sharp tongue and strict demands, while Dick Motta is principled and concerned about his image but is very sincere towards his players. Larry Brown's biggest problem is that he likes to yell at his players, disrespects them, and manipulates them to his advantage, aiming to control and manipulate them at will.

Compared to Fitch and Dick Motta, Larry Brown lacks a kind of warm-hearted strictness. His strictness is not for your benefit, but for his own. He needs results, success, and achievements.

So many years later, when many players recall Larry Brown, they don't have much to say about him—Fitch and Motta are different.

In terms of coaching style, Larry Brown is typical: I have a set of tactical strategies, and the players under my command must be integrated into my plan and play according to my instructions.

He doesn't cater to different people; he prepares the right feast for each type of player and arranges tactics based on their characteristics.

This is one of the reasons why Brown has trouble getting along with his players; not everyone can adapt to his system.

He is very persistent and stubborn about his system, and any player who disobeys his instructions will be met with his roars and screams.

Before David Robinson arrived, the Spurs' core player was Alvin Robertson.

During the 88-89 season, Larry Brown's daily coaching routine consisted of verbally abusing Robertson and cursing the Spurs, saying that the Spurs had no future and were a sinking ship.

Robertson said he didn't feel loved, appreciated, or needed, which ultimately led to his trade in the summer.

Despite the poor record, Brown did not take responsibility. He felt that his players had not performed well and that he had not been able to get the players he wanted. He kept complaining to the media that the Spurs' lineup did not meet his system requirements.

He even stated bluntly: "I think I don't have a good relationship with Robertson, that's obvious, and I don't think we can win with a player like him."

Logically speaking, Robertson's playing style and approach should fit the requirements of the Browns system.

Top-tier perimeter defense, best steals in the league, and an incredibly aggressive playing style.

They are both top-notch defensive stalwarts, but for some reason, they just can't seem to create any chemistry.

By the time Robertson was disheartened, he realized halfway through the season that he didn't want to play for San Antonio anymore.

At the time, many media outlets reported on the chaos within the Spurs team, and Larry Brown frequently complained publicly in newspapers and on television.

Gan Guoyang found this very annoying. During the 88-89 season, when playing against the Spurs, he could feel the resentment throughout the entire Spurs team.

How can a team like this play a beautiful game? The players are like zombies on the court, and Larry Brown is screaming like a shrew on the sidelines.

During a game in San Antonio last season, Gan Guoyang couldn't stand Brown's yelling anymore. He went to the sidelines and said to Brown, "If you keep yelling like that, I'll shove the basketball down your throat. I don't want to see your tonsils again!"

Although Gan Guoyang received a technical foul for this, Larry Brown did quiet down considerably.

This year's Spurs roster finally meets Larry Brown's expectations.

In their first game against the strong Lakers, the Spurs used their tough defense to limit the Lakers' score to 98 points, never exceeding 100.

The Lakers' field goal percentage was limited to 38% throughout the game, which is quite low.

From this perspective, Brown's complaints last season were not entirely unfounded.

When he has a dominant center and a defensively excellent power forward, his system can indeed produce beautiful defense and defeat strong teams.

Despite his various personality issues, Brown's coaching ability is still solid.

The Spurs' starting lineup tonight is David Robinson, Maurice Cheeks, Terry Cummins, Willie Anderson, and Elliott.

The Trail Blazers' starting five remained the same: Forrest Gump, Thompson, Hornacek, Porter Jr., and Korsey.

At the center court jump ball, Robinson touched the ball first, and the Spurs began their first offensive possession.

Robinson's physical attributes are truly outstanding; his 7-foot-1 height is like that of an ancient Greek sculpture, with muscles that are very well-proportioned and coordinated.

When it comes to face-to-face ball possession, Robinson is truly no less skilled than Gan Guoyang.

At the start, the Spurs' offense did not focus on Robinson; Cummins tried to get the ball in the low post.

The Trail Blazers collapsed their defense, denying Cummins any opportunities to attack in the low post, and Cheeks passed the ball to Elliott at the top of the key.

Elliott received the ball, faked a shot, and drove to the basket. The Trail Blazers collapsed their defense, and Elliott passed the ball to Willie Anderson in the corner.

Willie Anderson took a three-pointer from the corner, but it missed. Gan Guoyang then squeezed past Robinson to grab the rebound. This kind of offensive pattern would have been impossible in the mid-80s.

There's no way you start a game by having your guard camp in the corner so they can receive the ball and immediately shoot a three-pointer.

However, with the development of tactics in the 90s, the situation on the field had changed.

Players often break through the middle to compress the defense, creating an open space in the corner, and then receive the ball to shoot a long-range three-pointer. This has become a common tactic for many teams, with an average of two to three such shots per game.

Although the number is small, it is enough to show that coaches are paying attention to utilizing space and three-pointers.

Robinson tried to grab the offensive rebound, but had no chance at all; Gan Guoyang controlled the rebound very well.

Then, during the attack, Gan Guoyang blocked Robinson in the low post, and Elliott immediately came over to double-team him after receiving the ball.

Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Kexi, but Kexi lost his grip on the ball and his dribble was intercepted by Cheeks who came up to double-team him.

The Spurs launched a counterattack, and just past midcourt, the ball in Williams' hands was stolen by Porter and went out of bounds.

In just one possession, the Trail Blazers players realized that the Spurs' defensive intensity was completely different from that of the Kings, Timberwolves, and Rockets.

In addition to defending their own assigned players, the Spurs players also actively help and rotate their defense around the ball movement.

Tonight will undoubtedly be a tough battle, and the Trail Blazers players need to be prepared for the outcome to be decided in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs' defense proved effective in the first quarter, with aggressive double-teaming and full-court pressure on the Trail Blazers' backcourt, focusing on disrupting the Trail Blazers' first pass.

In the low post, once Gan Guoyang gets the ball, the Spurs will immediately double-team him. After Gan Guoyang passes the ball, the Spurs' defense will immediately resume.

This will put Gan Guoyang's passing and the Trail Blazers' backcourt players to the test.

Gan Guoyang remained calm and composed, first turning and leaning forward in the low post to shoot a powerful jump shot over Robinson.

He then received the ball in the low post and passed it to Hornacek for a mid-range shot, which he made, giving the Trail Blazers the lead.

Soon, David Robinson used his agile movement to cut to the basket, received a pass from the outside, and scored an alley-oop layup.

Larry Brown had undoubtedly made thorough preparations before the game; he wouldn't allow David Robinson to dominate Gan Guoyang in the low post.

Robinson High School didn't play centers; they played small forwards.

He once suffered a fracture during training, and an examination revealed that it was caused by excessively large gaps between the bones.

这意味着他还没有发育结束，还会继续长高，结果从6尺5一下子窜到了6尺10，接着又长到了惊人的7尺1。

Therefore, Robinson played more like a small forward than a center on offense.

He didn't want to go head-to-head with Gan Guoyang, as countless centers had already proven that head-on confrontations never end well.

Robinson scored consecutive points by utilizing his agile movement and quick mid-range shots after receiving the ball.

Gan Guoyang continued to play steadily, constantly coming out to help the guards relieve pressure and distribute the ball when the Spurs kept harassing the defense and pressuring the perimeter.

He also suddenly launched a surprise attack, hitting a three-pointer from the outside, catching the Spurs completely off guard.

With the Trail Blazers leading 11-6, Larry Brown became increasingly agitated and started yelling and shouting again.

Brown's scream did indeed raise the Spurs' defensive intensity to a new level, triggering a full-court press.

The Trail Blazers' backcourt has always had a problem since Drexler left – it's too short.

Both Porter and Hornacek are over 190cm tall, and their passing vision will be affected when they are double-teamed by opposing forwards.

At this point, it is very necessary for Gan Guoyang and Ke Xi to come and provide support. Gan Guoyang provides the most support and plays a pivotal role.

Porter jumped up in the backcourt to pass the ball and avoid a double team. Gan Guoyang received the ball at the midcourt line, but David Robinson was quick and intercepted the ball!

However, Gan Guoyang's strong physique prevented Robinson from intercepting the ball and making a quick run. He blocked Robinson and flicked the ball to the sidelines.

The ball was about to go out of bounds, and Robinson stopped chasing it, but Gan Guoyang chased the ball towards the sidelines like a big truck.

The target was Larry Brown, who was loitering around on the sidelines.

Brown turned pale with fright. Gan Guoyang got the ball and charged over with his elbow raised!

Fortunately, Gan Guoyang stopped at the last moment, with his elbow about 20 centimeters away from Brown.

The Spurs' bench has been cleared out; everyone has run away, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

Brown stared intently at Gan Guoyang, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead and cheek.

"Luckily I managed to stop. I'll honk less in the future, it's impolite."

Gan Guoyang threw the ball back to the referee, giving the Spurs possession, but Brown wasn't happy.

His screams and roars disappeared during the rest of the match.

(End of this chapter)