The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 539 Years of Friendship
After the game, in the locker room, during the debriefing session, Berman gave each player a score.

Petrovic only had one assist in the second half, but the Trail Blazers didn't lose points after he came on and kept the score close on the defensive end.

After some calculations, the rating was still D, but Berman specifically told Petrovic, "Your performance in the second half was significantly better than in the first half. Although the data can't show it, I saw it."

Petrovich received some encouragement, but he was far from satisfied.

He was still thinking of surpassing Gan Guoyang, but Gan Guoyang scored 41 points in the game, a performance that can be described as perfect.

After the match, he didn't forget to encourage Petrovic: "I told you, I'm still an A, there's no room for improvement. You're full of hope, Pete."

Petrovich was so angry that he couldn't sleep well at night, tossing and turning, his mind filled with thoughts of how to improve himself.

Through this game against the Spurs, Petrovic truly realized his shortcomings.

Poor physical strength, slow shooting speed, slow reaction speed, and lack of toughness in physical confrontation, etc.

However, the season is in progress, and after this game, the Trail Blazers will immediately move to Dallas.

Throughout the season, a lot of time is spent traveling, and there is simply no uninterrupted time to sit down and improve physical fitness.

Not to mention building muscle, the demands of games and training are immense. Some players lose several kilograms in a season, and it's good enough if they don't lose muscle.

Petrovich was somewhat confused. He realized the huge gap between himself and Forrest Gump. He had been thinking about surpassing Forrest Gump, but that was just wishful thinking and not realistic at all.

The next day, on the team's flight to Dallas, Petrovic approached Bellman and asked for his opinion on how he should adjust his strategy.

Berman admires Petrovic's dedication to basketball and his focus on improving himself.

Many NBA players treat playing basketball as just a job, making some money in the league while they're young. If they can't make it in the league one day, they can go to Europe or play in minor leagues.

They don't have an urgent need to improve or develop their skills; they can simply rely on their talent, some hard work, and a good professional attitude to keep playing.

Petrovic was clearly different; he was someone who truly immersed himself in basketball, and Berman could see that because he was one himself.

"How's your back injury?" Berman asked Petrovich first, concerned about his condition.

"I'm recovering well. The doctor will give me another check-up when I get back to Portland."

"Yes, you must get your body back in good shape first; that's the foundation of everything. Also, don't train with Forrest Gump anymore; his intensity is too high and not suitable for you. Rest is just as important as training, and your current physical condition is not very good."

Before Petrovich nodded, he had been competing with Gan Guoyang, always trying to keep up with Gan Guoyang's pace.

Now he understands that the two of them are from different worlds, and forcing himself to stay with them will only hurt him.

"You need to improve your strength and physicality, but it's very difficult to gain muscle during the season, so let's talk about that during the offseason. Your first priority now is to familiarize yourself with the team's system, find your own role, and make a difference when you're on the court. As the season progresses, your rotation will become shorter, and you'll have to earn your playing time through your performance. You can't just focus on technical and physical training; you also need to use your brain, observe more, learn more, and deliver highlights in every game."

Berman knew that Petrovic was a key player in Europe, and that when he got the ball, he would attack.

During the attack, everyone else revolved around him; he held the baton and had the most opportunities to shoot.

With the Trail Blazers, Gan Guoyang became the sole core player, and Petrovic had to adapt to and cooperate with Gan.

As he spoke, Berman took out a thick stack of booklets from his briefcase and handed them to Petrovich, saying, "There are more than three hundred sets of tactics here. Take some time to memorize them well, and I will check them when I have time."

Petrovic was taken aback. Over three hundred tactics, and he had to memorize them all?
Seeing Petrovic's surprise, Berman said, "Don't you guys memorize tactics when you play in Europe?"

Petrovich said, "They will train tactics, but... not that much."

"You think that's a lot? Forrest Gump memorized all these tactics back in college and knew them by heart."

Upon hearing Forrest Gump's name, Petrovich's surprise vanished, and he nodded, saying, "I can too."

Berman wasn't lying. Back in Gonzaga, Gan Guoyang and Stockton memorized some of the more common and advanced tactical routines used on the basketball court, all thanks to Berman.

Of course, Bellman later made them all forget about it, which actually meant that they should integrate the concepts and not be bound by routines.

Petrovic grew up in a European basketball environment. Although basketball is a sport that is constantly evolving, there are indeed significant differences between the NBA and FIBA ​​in terms of rules and tactics.

European basketball tactics are designed to counter zone defense, while NBA offensive tactics are designed to counter man-to-man defense.

If Berman only wants Petrovic to be a catch-and-shoot player and an outside shooter, then with a few simple adjustments, he should be able to adapt quickly.

But if you want to develop Petrovic into an excellent ball-handling attacker, a playmaker, he must master these hundreds of tactics.

Every pass and every run on the field must be precise.

Physical fitness cannot be rushed; start by training your mind first.

Petrovich not only watched it by himself, but he also shared half with Divac.

The two of them practiced like they were learning a secret manual, each looking at half of it while the other looked at the other half, and then testing each other.

Once you're pretty much on your feet, switch partners and test each other.

Just like Gan Guoyang and Stockton back then, they studied with the same thirst for knowledge as students.

Moreover, Petrovich also confided many of his troubles to Divac.

The two encouraged and supported each other, getting through this inevitably difficult period for the newlyweds.
-
After defeating the Spurs, the Trail Blazers achieved a four-game winning streak, which is a good start.

The team arrived in Dallas for the third stop of their away trip.

After their glorious semifinal battle against the Trail Blazers in 1988, the Mavericks quickly declined.

In the 1988-1989 season, the Mavericks' star player Mark Aguirre was traded to the Detroit Pistons.

This trade shocked the league last season, and such a swap is relatively rare in NBA history.

The Pistons were a mature team. They made it to the NBA Finals in 1987, and although they lost to the Bullets in 1988, they were still a Finals-level team.

By the 1989 season, with forwards like Salley and Rodman maturing, and Thomas, Dumars, and Laimbeer at their peak, the Celtics were in further decline, the Bullets were rapidly fading away, the Bullets were still not fully developed, the Trail Blazers were severely weakened by losing their star player, and the Pistons had no rivals left.

With the start of the regular season, the Pistons have been on a winning streak, quickly taking the lead in the league in terms of record and heading towards 60 wins.

Beneath this seemingly prosperous surface, however, lay hidden contradictions within the pistons.

Adrian Dantley, who once provided the Pistons with much-needed low-post offense and free throws, gradually became a stumbling block to the team's rapid progress.

Despite Rodman and Salihamidzic's continued improvement and maturity, Dantley was unwilling to reduce his playing time.

In a game against the Celtics, the coach wanted to substitute him, but he refused to leave the court and insisted on staying on, preventing Rodman from playing.

As a result, Daley and Dantley got into an argument on the court, which eventually turned into them hurling insults at each other, providing a spectacle for the fans at Boston Garden.

In this game, the Pistons suffered a crushing defeat to the Celtics. Afterwards, Dantley said it was an impulsive decision, but Daly had already considered making a trade.

Off the court, Chuck Daly and Thomas also grew increasingly annoyed with Dantley.

He publicly stated, "I play basketball for the money; championships aren't that important to me."

So even though Dantley was a player the Pistons desperately needed, and even though Dantley's arrival changed the Pistons' face and propelled them into the Finals.

But when he goes from being an asset to a liability, the team will still let him go eventually.

Coincidentally, Aguirre, whose position and playing style are very similar to Dantley's, is also struggling in Dallas.

Logically speaking, they played very well in 1988, and should have gone even further in the 1989 season, especially since the Trail Blazers' strength had greatly decreased and the Lakers were a year older. This year should have been their chance to soar to new heights.

However, the negative effects of Dick Motta's departure are gradually becoming apparent, and no one can restrain Aguirre anymore.

His relationship with his teammates deteriorated, his temper worsened, and his relationship with head coach McLeod quickly collapsed. The nature of human relationships is fascinating; for seven out of the past eight years, Mark Aguirre and Dick Motta had been at odds, their terrible relationship becoming common knowledge, appearing on local talk shows, and becoming the subject of ridicule.

Aguirre never intended to leave Dallas. Even when he verbally expressed his desire to leave, Motta would say, "Let's just trade you." In the end, Aguirre remained with the Mavericks.

But after Motta's unexpected departure from the Mavericks, Aguirre clashed with the easygoing and friendly McLeod only once or twice before he didn't want to stay.

The Mavericks had a good record at the beginning of the season, but they played worse and worse in January. Aguirre's temper got worse and worse, and his relationship with everyone became very bad.

Therefore, the Pistons and Mavericks were perfectly matched, and there couldn't be a more perfect trade.

Both were small forwards, both were one-on-one liability players. When they were traded away, their own teams secretly laughed, "Finally, we've gotten rid of this liability."

The timing of the transaction was also quite coincidental; it took place on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1989.

However, the results after the transaction were vastly different.

Dantley didn't want to leave the Pistons; he knew the Pistons had a very high chance of winning the championship this year.

Leaving now means that the Finals in June, or even the championship, will have nothing to do with Dantley.

So Dantley was furious when he left, believing that Thomas disliked him and had orchestrated the deal behind the scenes.

Thomas, of course, denied it.

Thomas always seems to get caught up in conspiracy theories about scheming behind the scenes.

Once or twice might be a misunderstanding, but if it happens repeatedly, it really makes one wonder if this guy is truly insidious.

When Dantley arrived in Dallas, he was already 33 years old, and he no longer had the energy to lead a mid-table team to the top.

The Mavericks went downhill in the following days and eventually fell out of playoff contention, even though they had held the top spot in the Western Conference at the beginning of the season.

The situation was the opposite for the Pistons; Aguirre was very excited about coming to Detroit.

The Pistons have a chance to win the championship, and Thomas and Aguirre are close friends who have been playing together since elementary school.

Thomas, Aguirre, and Magic Johnson were inseparable buddies, all entering the NBA in 1979 and 1980, two as number one draft picks and one as number two pick.

Similar to Gan Guoyang, Barkley, and Jordan in 1984.

In 1984, Magic Johnson lost Game 7 of the NBA Finals and was forced to stay in Boston due to flight issues, where he witnessed the Celtics' championship parade.

At that time, Aguirre and Thomas went to the Boston Hotel to comfort Johnson.

In 1989, Aguirre and Thomas joined the same team.

Aguirre, who was known for his bad temper and domineering behavior with the Mavericks, changed completely when he joined the Pistons.

Treat yourself like a brick, ready to be moved wherever needed, and absolutely obey the coach's arrangements.

His playing time has decreased from 34 minutes during his time with the Mavericks to 29 minutes.

His average score dropped from 21.7 points to 15.5 points, which shows that he completely saw himself as part of the team and abandoned selfishness and obsession with data.

Furthermore, Aguirre is only 29 years old, younger than Dantley, so this trade is a win for the Pistons no matter what.

However, Dantley was a player who brought great help to the team in the past, and trading him away at this time feels a bit like discarding a useful tool after it has served its purpose.

In the 1989 NBA Finals, Magic Johnson, Aguirre, and Thomas, three good friends, met on the biggest stage.

At first, they were very much in love, and Thomas, Aguirre, and Magic Johnson would kiss each other on the cheek before each game.

But as the series progressed, the two sides played more and more intensely, and the emotions and tension between them grew stronger.

Both teams are extremely obsessed with the championship; they have been waiting for it for a long time.

In the end, Thomas and Johnson broke off relations, and the kissing ritual disgusted them both.

Larry Bird, as a spectator, bluntly stated, "Seeing them putting on such a show makes me want to vomit."

Ultimately, the Pistons proved superior and won the championship, and the three players reconciled after the game.

However, this Finals competition has already sown the seeds for a complete break between Thomas and Magic Johnson.

Regardless, the trade was a success for the Pistons; Aguirre is younger and more obedient, and the Pistons are stronger.

Besides Dantley, the Mavericks also acquired two draft picks from the Pistons, which they certainly won't need in the short term.

With the departures of Aguirre and Dick Motta, the Dallas Mavericks' spirit and soul have also been taken away.

Although Aguirre may not be considered a superstar, he was the Dallas Mavericks' first star and core player after the team's inception.

To date, all the records and all the fondest memories in the Mavericks' history are related to Aguirre.

Aguirre's departure signifies the end of the Mavericks' first era, much like the end of one's first love.

On Valentine's Day in 1989.

The young calf is waiting for their next real lover to arrive, but who knows when that will be.

The Trail Blazers won the game relatively easily on the evening of November 10th.

The Mavericks had a record of 1 win and 2 losses in their first three games, playing loosely and lacking energy.

The Trail Blazers are in good form, and their road trip has not affected their physical condition.

Bobby Bellman once again used an 11-man rotation, giving Anthony Mason a chance to play, where he committed three fouls.

Gan Guoyang had another unremarkable night, recording a triple-double with 28 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Needless to say, he's a shoo-in for the first Player of the Week award of the new season.

The Trail Blazers defeated the Texas Triangle with a perfect 3-0 record.

They won all five of their matches since the start of the new season, and they made major rotations in every game.

The cost of this major rotation is that Gan Guoyang's playing time has increased by 2 minutes compared to last season, reaching 42 minutes.

If you're going to play with the younger guys on the bench, the older guy has to be on the field watching, otherwise things can easily go wrong.

After a perfect week, the Trail Blazers headed home, returning to their home base in Tang Jianguo's Trail Blazer One.

Upon returning to Portland, Gan Guoyang received a phone call from a friend, Charles Barkley.

Bullet is coming to Portland for a game tomorrow, and on the phone he asked Gan Guoyang a very important question: "Sonny, what kind of formula does your son drink? Why does my child get diarrhea after drinking formula?"

"You didn't feed your child hamburgers, did you?"

"Fuck, of course not! I'm asking you, don't joke with me."

"Come to my house tomorrow, and I'll bring you some to try out the milk powder I bought."

In May 1989, Charles Barkley also became a father and worked hard to raise his child, becoming a Black adult male with a child.

After the 1988 finals, his friendship with Gan Guoyang actually deepened.

(End of this chapter)