The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 570 I Don’t Understand
Gan Guoyang's solid defense against Magic Johnson caused the Lakers' offense to struggle in the latter part of the third quarter and the fourth quarter.

Don Nelson made adjustments in the fourth quarter, starting to use a playoff-ready lineup—two big guards.

Edwards and Duckworth started in the paint, while James Worthy was replaced on the perimeter, with Cooper, Scott, and Johnson forming a three-guard lineup.

Although it's a three-guard lineup, Johnson is actually a point forward. At 6'9", he has the perfect physique for a point forward.

Johnson moved from the middle to the wing, using spot-up shooting and ball-handling to help the team, while leaving the middle to Scott and the two big men to attack the paint.

In the 1988 playoffs, the Lakers' three guards caused the Trail Blazers considerable trouble.

With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Lakers, Gan Guoyang would be punished if he tried to guard Johnson one-on-one.

However, Don Nelson did not have enough control over the Lakers at that time, and he was unable to bench James Worthy in crucial moments, which led to their loss to the Trail Blazers in 1988.

By 1989, Don Nelson had strengthened his control over the team, and the Trail Blazers and Lakers went up and down in popularity.

With Drexler gone and their bench in disarray, the defensive pressure on Johnson has been greatly reduced.

When the Lakers used a three-guard lineup in the playoffs, the Trail Blazers couldn't keep up, and Gan Guoyang was forced to make constant defensive choices.

Should we guard the paint or the perimeter? Should we control Johnson's passing or his shooting? Should we guard Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Because even at 41, Abdul-Jabbar still had the ability to score 20 points with a 50% field goal percentage in a playoff game.

Amid a series of confusing and difficult choices, the Trail Blazers lost the series, and in Game 6, Johnson hugged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and looked as happy as a child.

But this season, the situation has reversed again, and the offensive and defensive roles have been reversed once more.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has retired, and the Lakers are unlikely to have another center like him anytime soon.

The Lakers made the mistake of passing up a trade with the Trail Blazers during the draft.

To prevent the Trail Blazers from getting their way, the Lakers refused to trade Edwards for Divac.

This was a mistake. It was supposed to be a win-win trade, but the Lakers didn't want to get what they wanted from the Trail Blazers.

As a result, the Trail Blazers not only acquired Divac, but also the defensive giant Sabonis, and Petrovic, one of the best guards in Europe.

The arrival of Sabonis and Divac has made the Trail Blazers' three-second zone resources exceptionally abundant, and Gan Guoyang no longer needs to make choices on the defensive end.

He can shut down Johnson one-on-one without worrying about his interior defense being exposed.

They can also actively go out to help defend, so there's no need to worry about no one assisting in the final defensive line under the basket.

When Don Nelson deployed a three-guard formation and launched a counter-attack surge, Berman called a timeout.

The Lakers narrowed the gap to just 6 points.

Berman replaced Jerome Kossie with Mike Sanders, also using a three-man backcourt.

Bellman instructed Sanders to defend Johnson, Sabonis to guard the basket, Agam to sweep the mid-range, and to allow the Lakers' three guards to shoot from the outside, resolutely denying them opportunities to attack the basket or to get easy mid-range shots.

In the crucial moments of the fourth quarter, the area under the basket remains the most important and needs the most protection.

On the offensive end, Gan Guoyang repeatedly outmaneuvered Duckworth and Edwards in the low post, firmly controlling the point difference.

With the Trail Blazers maintaining their lead, they used this tactic to force the Lakers to improve their offensive efficiency.

The Trail Blazers have absolutely reliable scoring options, and then they let you shoot on the defensive end. I don't believe your outside shooting efficiency can be higher than Forrest Gump's one-on-one play.

Scott and Cooper hit consecutive three-pointers, narrowing the gap to 5 points at one point.

But Gan Guoyang immediately drew a foul from Duckworth under the basket and made both free throws.

Magic Johnson then missed a three-pointer, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound.

During a fast break, Hornacek held off Cooper's defense and scored a layup, drawing a foul on Cooper in the process.

These two possessions were fatal for the Lakers; when Hornacek made the free throw, the point difference suddenly became 10 points.

For teams that have suffered losses earlier and are trying to catch up in the final stages, the margin for error is extremely small.

While three-pointers can certainly help close the gap quickly, they are unreliable.

If you miss a shot and your opponent seizes the opportunity to counterattack, the situation can suddenly become very bad.

The effort to close the gap can feel like a disheartening failure, as all previous efforts seem to have been in vain.

As time went by, the Trail Blazers became more and more confident on the defensive end.

It's about playing defensively, focusing on the paint and mid-range, forcing you to shoot from further away.

Even after the referee called an illegal defense, believing the Trail Blazers were using a zone defense, they still stuck to their defensive strategy.

This aligns with the Trail Blazers' long-standing defensive strategy of being loose on the outside but tight on the inside. Furthermore, with Sabonis' presence, Forrest moved to the power forward position, making the team's defense even more solid.

The best ways to deal with a turtle-shell defense are either to shoot wildly from the outside or to have a dominant low-post player.

The Lakers no longer have a dominant low-post presence. They have the ability to unleash a barrage of outside shots, but throwing in three-pointers at the last minute is a gamble.

Byron Scott's three-point attempt from the corner missed, and Sabonis grabbed the rebound with two minutes remaining in the game.

Logically, the problem shouldn't be too serious, but Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Hornacek, whose outside shot missed—he was a bit too hasty in his shot.

After grabbing the rebound, Johnson made a fast break layup, then stole the ball from Terry Porter and passed it to Cooper, who hit a three-pointer, bringing the score difference back to 5 points!
That's how things change in the basketball arena; advantages and disadvantages can be reversed in an instant.

Tactical advantages do not necessarily translate into victory, because there are too many factors that determine the outcome of a match.

The primary factor is people.

Superstars are those who can defy fate and turn the impossible into the possible.

The moment of truth had arrived again, testing Gan Guoyang's crucial abilities. Berman gritted his teeth and didn't call a timeout, believing that Gan could solve the problem.

The Lakers will inevitably have to employ a full-court press, with the entire crowd standing up and using noise to disrupt the Trail Blazers' offense.

If the Trail Blazers miss this attack or make a mistake, they will inevitably face a thunderous counterattack from the Lakers.

If the Lakers score another basket, narrowing the gap to 3 or 2 points, the game will be in suspense again.

Gan Guoyang didn't go to the low post, knowing he would be easily double-teamed, but instead went directly to the three-point line to receive the ball.

Duckworth pulled out to defend Gan Guoyang, and the Trail Blazers spread out their defense, giving Gan Guoyang plenty of space.

Gan Guoyang held the ball facing the basket; he posed a threat with both three-pointers and passes, forcing Duckworth to move closer.

Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball with his left hand towards the middle, not very fast. He then used his strong body to lean against Duckworth, pushing Duckworth away a bit. After judging the center of gravity and angle, he immediately followed up with a back turn to get past Duckworth!
Michael Cooper reached out to grab the ball from Gan Guoyang's hands, but Gan Guoyang protected the ball and made a quick, two-step run into the basket.

Sabonis firmly blocked Edwards under the basket, clearing a path to the basket, and Gan Guoyang easily dunked!

In a crucial one-on-one play, the score reached 108-101, with the Trail Blazers extending their lead to 7 points.

This basket sealed the victory for the Trail Blazers, and by the time Don Nelson called a timeout to reorganize the tactics, it was too late.

Even though Johnson hit a three-pointer and Edwards made a mid-range shot, the final score was still 110-106, with the Trail Blazers holding a 4-point advantage and suppressing the Lakers in the Western Conference, securing the first victory in the two teams' matchup this season.

Gan Guoyang scored 37 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 blocks. With his all-around performance, his first quadruple-double is just around the corner.

Magic Johnson had a solid performance with 17 points and 13 assists.

As seen from the game's flow, he was completely shut down by Gan Guoyang at certain points in the game, causing the Lakers to remain passive on offense.

For Nelson, finding a second consistent ball-handler and a second Playmaker for the Lakers is an urgent task.

James Worthy is just a finisher, destined to be the third option on the team. He's more than capable against average teams, but clearly not good enough against an epic powerhouse like the Trail Blazers.

The remaining players, like Byron Scott and Duckworth, are only at the level of the team's third or fourth option. If they maintain this level of roster, they are almost certain to lose to the Trail Blazers in the playoffs, unless the Trail Blazers self-destruct or suffer a major injury.

For example, Forrest Gump might get sick and have to retire.

Otherwise, Don Nelson could have foreseen that there was no hope against the Trail Blazers.

Just like other teams faced the Lakers in the early to mid-80s.

The Trail Blazers weren't at their full strength tonight, and Forrest Gump only used about 70-80% of his playoff energy.

The Eastern European trio has yet to reach their full potential. If they can replicate their performance in Europe, the Trail Blazers will maintain their dominance for many years to come.

When the game ended, Magic Johnson came over and hugged Gan Guoyang, and the two exchanged some compliments.

The NBA is a world of fame and fortune; when you're just a nobody, nobody cares about you.

When you have the momentum to rise, some people will support you, while others will dislike you and suppress you.

Once you overcome those suppressions and achieve real success, most people will come to be close to you and try to build a good relationship with you. A small number of people will keep a close eye on you and wait for you to fall from power before stepping on you to climb up the ladder.

No one can escape this fate.

Gan Guoyang fell down in 1989, but he quickly got back up.

For him, life is still at the foot of the mountain, and he has tremendous motivation to continue climbing upwards.
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Winning against the Lakers is crucial for boosting the Trail Blazers' overall confidence.

When leaving Los Angeles, Jerry West, who is usually serious, had a noticeably bigger smile on his face.

After the game, Jerry West declined interviews with Los Angeles media and did not accept Jerry Buss' invitation to attend the dinner that day.

He and the entire Trail Blazers team left Los Angeles overnight and returned to Portland to begin planning for the rest of the season.

To date, the Trail Blazers firmly hold the top spot in the league, ahead of the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The team is in good health, has a reasonable age, and a very harmonious atmosphere – the biggest destabilizing factor in the team is the owner, Tang Jianguo.

In 1989 and 1990, Tang Jianguo suffered complete setbacks in many of his businesses.

Tang Jianguo made his fortune through real estate development. In the 1980s, he invested in, built, and acquired many real estate projects.

This includes acquiring the Plaza Hotel, opening a casino in Atlantic City, and acquiring Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

In 1988, he was also planning to acquire a third casino, the famous Atlantic City Taj Mahal.

However, the Trail Blazers were also up for sale at the time, so Tang Jianguo immediately changed his target and chose to acquire the Trail Blazers.

In just two short years, reality has proven that his change of choice was very important.

Because apart from the Portland Trail Blazers, his other assets are on the verge of being sold off at a loss.

Worse still, the vast majority of the money he used to acquire these assets was borrowed from banks.

Throughout the 1980s, he borrowed and financed more than $40 billion from banks to expand his business empire.

These real estate projects are currently operating at a loss due to poor management or the impact of economic shocks.

Tang Jianguo is definitely unable to repay his loan. His financial situation has changed from "rich man" to "debtor". He has not only been removed from the Forbes list, but major banks have also stated that they will no longer extend credit to him.

In this situation, Tang Jianguo did not act discreetly like other business failures, quietly repaying his debts or selling his only valuable asset—the Portland Trail Blazers.

On the contrary, Tang Jianguo treated the Trail Blazers like a treasure, mentioning them more and more often in public and appearing courtside to watch games more and more frequently.

Tang Jianguo also actively participates in social events, expressing his views on various public issues and sparking public controversy.

In April 1989, the shocking Central Park Five incident occurred in New York City, in which a white woman was violently attacked and assaulted while jogging at night in Central Park, suffering serious injuries.

New York police subsequently arrested six Black teenagers suspected of crimes. They had participated in a riot involving more than 30 people that night and were later charged with their connection to the attack. One of them was quickly released, while the other five were charged with assault and harassment.

At that time, the United States was developing rapidly, shaking off the quagmire of economic stagnation and chaotic development in the late 70s, and was gaining an increasingly dominant position in the Cold War.

However, another problem has become increasingly prominent amid rapid development: the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.

Especially in New York, a financial city, the division between rich and poor neighborhoods is becoming increasingly apparent.

The wealthy enjoy a safe, clean, and comfortable life, while the poor are surrounded by chaos and crime.

New York City, often called the center of the universe, is half heaven and half hell. In the poor neighborhoods of New York, there are an average of 9 assaults, 5 murders, 255 robberies, and 194 riots every day.

The perpetrators of the crimes are undoubtedly Black people, especially Black teenagers whose hormones are running wild and who have not received a good education.

Therefore, after the incident, public opinion unanimously and fiercely criticized the five suspects. Before the police had even completed their investigation, American media outlets published articles convicting them and criticizing them as wolves and beasts.

As a New Yorker, Tang Jianguo certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to express his stance. He simply bought a space in the newspaper and published a slogan demanding the reinstatement of the death penalty in response to the case.

(Bring back the death penalty, bring back our police!)
However, it remains questionable whether the five teenagers were the perpetrators in the case. As late as 1990, the case was still under investigation and no verdict had been reached.

However, under immense public pressure, and knowing that the five poor black boys would certainly not be able to find a good lawyer, their fate was almost sealed: imprisonment was inevitable.

In fact, similar cases happen every day in New York, with even more Black victims being killed or assaulted.

The Central Park Five case, in particular, drew significantly more attention than other cases because the victim was a young white woman who was seriously injured.

Racial discrimination, coupled with wealth inequality, is causing the antagonism in American society to become increasingly serious and obvious.

Tang Jianguo's big mouth naturally caused some trouble for the Trail Blazers. As a commercial league, the NBA has always disliked getting involved in cases involving race, politics, and law.

Moreover, there are many Black players in the league, and their numbers are visibly increasing, making race a sensitive issue.

Tang Jianguo's behavior of making outrageous statements everywhere in order to gain exposure and maintain his fame may one day backfire on the NBA or the Portland Trail Blazers.

On January 5th, the Trail Blazers hosted the Utah Jazz, and David Stern personally traveled to Portland to watch the game.

This is Stern's second time visiting Portland this season to watch a game; the first time was when the Trail Blazers played the Pistons.

Tang Jianguo invited Stern to watch the game from the front row, but Stern refused, as he did not want to sit in the same row as Tang.

If the media takes a picture of them together and publishes it in the newspapers, creating a big news story and criticizing him, then Stern will be in trouble.

Stern sat in the stands opposite Tang Jianguo and patiently watched the game—the Trail Blazers easily defeated the Jazz at home and won the game. During the game, Gan Guoyang elbowed Karl Malone, breaking his eyebrow bone and causing him to bleed profusely.

Of course, such a trivial matter could no longer stir Stern's emotions, since no one had been killed.

After the match, Stern and Tang Jianguo had a secret meeting, which no reporters managed to capture on any part of the meeting.

Stern has always been very private, which is quite different from Tang Jianguo's big mouth. Many secrets about the development of the NBA were kept to himself by Stern.

Shortly after their secret meeting, before the start of the 1990 All-Star Game, the league office announced that the 1992 All-Star Game would be held in Portland.

Previously, due to considerations of developing new markets, the All-Star Game was held in Miami in 1990 and in Charlotte in 1991, so it should have been held in Orlando in 1992.

However, the event was still confirmed to be held in Charlotte in 91, but the decision was changed in 92, and it was announced in advance that the event would be handed over to Portland.

Stern explained, "Given the passion of Portlanders for basketball and their tremendous contributions to the NBA over the past decade, I felt it was necessary to hold an All-Star Game here to let people experience the Portland fervor."

Shortly after the league made its decision, Tang Jianguo announced the official start of the construction project for the Trail Blazers' new arena. He specifically established "Jianguo Sports Facilities Construction Co., Ltd." in Portland to take full responsibility for the fundraising and construction of the new arena.

Although major banks had previously decided to stop lending to Tang Jianguo, they all eagerly came forward to lend him money once they saw the endorsement from the NBA All-Star Game and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Meanwhile, Tang Jianguo's harsh voice quickly disappeared from the media. He said: "I don't know much about legal issues. These should be left to the police and the courts to handle. Please wait patiently for the results."

(End of this chapter)