The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 573 Mountain
The situation inside the home locker room at Chicago Stadium is much the same as in the away locker room.

A large number of media reporters packed the Bulls' more spacious locker room to the brim, surrounding Michael Jordan in the center before the game.

In some ways, Jordan and Forrest Gump are so similar; they are both adept at managing their relationship with the media, using this intermediary bridge in a friendly manner to maintain close ties with fans.

For any commercialized sport, media promotion is indispensable. They are the eyes and ears of the fans, and sometimes even their brains, able to think on behalf of the fans and guide public opinion to praise or belittle a player.

Jordan and Forrest Gump are both objects of praise. Although they are not without controversy, people's love for them is evident.

Gan Guoyang has achieved even greater success so far, with his three consecutive championships being unprecedented and his various records shining brightly.

However, according to surveys conducted this year by authoritative magazines such as Sports Illustrated, the number of people who support and like Michael Jordan far exceeds that of others.

The reasons are multifaceted, including differences in nationality, playing style, and commercial promotion. However, it is speculated that the most important reason is that everyone wants to see Jordan win once.

Forrest Gump has won too many times. If it's always one side winning and the other side losing, then it's not a balanced contest, and it won't be interesting.

Like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who met twice in the Finals with mixed results, they also had their share of wins and losses in the regular season, with neither able to gain an overwhelming advantage.

Forrest Gump and Michael Jordan each have their own strengths in individual performance and are undoubtedly the leading figures in the league both inside and outside.

However, the records of the two teams are very different. In the 11th meeting between the two teams last year, Gan Guoyang led the Trail Blazers to win their 9th victory.

Tonight marks the 12th matchup between the two players in their careers. If the Bulls and Jordan lose again, Gan Guoyang will have an overwhelming advantage with a 10-2 record, reaching double digits in wins.

Jordan has been asked more than once in interviews how he views the relationship between the two teams' records and how he views the Bulls' losing record.

In his early years, Jordan would confidently say, "We'll be in the league for a long time, and one day I'll win back."

Now, when Jordan faces this question, he might get slightly annoyed, but he still firmly answers: "I have plenty of time left, and I will beat him in more important games."

Gan Guoyang often heard Jordan's answers from reporters, and his responses were always as heartwarming as ever: "The future belongs to Michael."

So much so that many years later, Avia filmed an advertisement with the tagline "The future is yours," which was later interpreted as a satire of Michael Jordan.

Like Forrest Gump, Jordan enjoyed sitting in front of his locker room chatting with his many media friends and learning about the Trail Blazers' current situation through their accounts.

“The Portlanders have the most players from socialist countries, and their style of play is quite different from other teams. Bobby Bellman particularly values ​​the role of statistics.”

"Sabonis and Agam are the cornerstones of the Trail Blazers' offense and defense, but their backcourt has been outstanding in recent games. Hornacek, Porter, Petrovic, Curry, Sanders—they're a very potent offensive force."

"Sabonis will be plagued by foul trouble, and his defensive experience is still insufficient. Divac is more talented on offense, but he lacks speed and explosiveness."

"The Trail Blazers' biggest weakness is their frontcourt. Jerome Cahill won't be playing well tonight; he has a finger injury. Apart from Cahill, the Trail Blazers don't have a reliable, versatile frontcourt player."

“No, they do,” Jordan interrupted their conversation, adding, “If Forrest goes to the three.”

The reporters chuckled, but the laughter quickly faded because Jordan wasn't joking.

Gan Guoyang rarely plays the small forward position, but that doesn't mean he lacks the ability.

The Trail Blazers' former trio of big men, with Gan Guoyang as their small forward, made their offense unmatched in the league.

Moreover, playing 6'10" at small forward is not unacceptable; John Salley, at 6'11", could also thrive at the small forward position.

"But if Forrest goes to the perimeter, I'll go after him. Sonny always brings out the best in me on the defensive end."

As Jordan spoke, the reporters scribbled furiously in their notebooks, knowing this statement would undoubtedly become a major headline story tomorrow.

While Jordan was chatting with reporters, his Bulls teammates watched coldly from the sidelines. Scottie Pippen would occasionally show some strange expressions, his eyes seemingly carrying a hint of contempt, but he dared not show it outright.

He thought to himself, "I'm the key to defending Forrest Gump, what use are you?"

Pippen would never say this aloud, but it's true that Pippen was the key figure in the Bulls' fight against Gan Guoyang.

In the previous game, Phil Jackson did not assign Pippen the responsibility of helping defend Gan Guoyang, because the season had just begun and everyone was still testing each other.

As the season progressed, the Bulls' triangle offense and team building proved successful, and they played better and better throughout the regular season.

Jackson had a different coaching style from Collins. He was not a tactical genius and did not like to endlessly design various routines.

He used his unique values ​​to mold and unite this talented team, and he gained increasing respect and affection from the players—except for Jordan.

Jordan still had doubts about Jackson until the Bulls could truly compete with the Portland Trail Blazers.

As the players were about to warm up, reporters were asked to leave the locker room. Phil Jackson started burning sage in the locker room and banging on a hand drum to gather the players together for a pre-game tactical meeting.

Phil Jackson's strategy in this game was completely different from the previous Gan Joe match.

He wrote a large name on the whiteboard: "Gump".

Then a big X was drawn on the name.

Horace Grant asked, "Are we going to kill Forrest Gump?"

Jackson shook his head and said, "Then you might as well kill me."

Everyone laughed. When playing against the Trail Blazers, peace is very important.

Jackson continued, "We need to surround Forrest Gump on defense and suppress his efficiency."

"Bobby Bellman loves efficiency, and Forrest Gump is the most efficient scorer in the league."

"We can't let him shoot in the sweet spot. We need to take him into uncomfortable offensive areas, force him to pass, and prevent him from finding his offensive rhythm. Also, we need to pray that he doesn't have a good shooting night."

"We need to win the game, we need to forget the past failures, and turn our disadvantage against the Portlanders with a victory."

"They were better than us in the past, but the world is always changing, and we are getting better."

Jackson was honest; he didn't shy away from acknowledging Forrest Gump's strength and the fact that defending him required a lot of luck, which was a major reason why he was so popular with his players as a head coach.

He was a player himself, so he knows what players are thinking. While an eloquent orator can inspire and energize everyone in a short time, a sincere and down-to-earth coach, one who genuinely points out and solves problems, is the one who can truly earn the players' loyalty.

Next, Jackson specifically requested that Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant assist Bill Cartwright in defending Forrest Gump.

Cartwright is an experienced and tough center, but in the last game against the Trail Blazers, he was completely outplayed by Gan Guoyang, scoring zero points on both offense and defense.

Now that Agan has moved to the power forward position, Cartwright should theoretically be matched up against Sabonis, but Jackson is not going to let Cartwright off the hook.

He instructed Cartwright to primarily guard Forrest Gump, which would divert some attention to Sabonis, while Pippen and Grant would focus all their efforts on dealing with Forrest Gump.

This is the most effective strategy developed by Dick Motta to deal with Gan Guoyang. It requires agile and powerful forwards to double-team Gan Guoyang in the most timely, ruthless, and relentless way in order to barely suppress Gan Guoyang's terrifying firepower and reduce his efficiency.

Scottie Pippen demonstrated his outstanding interior defense ability during his rookie season.

His exceptional physical attributes and outstanding awareness give him versatility on the defensive end.

Horace Grant is also a power forward with excellent defensive potential. Although he is slightly disadvantaged in size (he is said to be 6'10" but is actually around 6'9"), he has the advantage of agility, which allows him to cover both the inside and outside.

In comparison, Charles Oakley was a more traditional center. Jerry Krause valued Grant's potential and traded Oakley to the Knicks, keeping Grant to nurture his talent.

The problem this leads to is that Jordan always disliked Grant.

When Jackson asked Grant to keep an eye on Forrest Gump, Jordan scoffed, "He'll be torn to pieces by Forrest and eaten piece by piece."

When faced with Jordan's denial, Grant responded directly: "I won't, I'll contain him."

Jordan looked at Grant with a sharp gaze and said, "Then you'd better make sure you survive. I'll remind Forrest to put some pressure on you."

Grant didn't say anything more, but lowered his head to avoid Jordan's gaze, a sign of yielding.

No one on the Bulls could challenge Jordan, so it was normal for them to feel resentful, but on the surface, Jordan had absolute control.

Phil Jackson didn't stop Jordan from teaching his teammates a lesson because that's exactly what he wanted to see.

He told all the players that Jordan was the absolute boss, not to flatter Jordan—that's the difference between Jackson and Doug Collins, who always tried to please Jordan.

Jackson did this to tell Jordan: "You're the leader, so you have to set an example, you have to do the most, and take on the greatest responsibility. You have to take on many things that ordinary players don't have to, including motivating your teammates to grow."

Back when Jordan was on the US Olympic team in 84, Bobby Knight described Jordan in this way.

You are the core of the team. If something goes wrong, I will only blame you because you, as the leader, failed to lead the team well.

Therefore, in the Chicago Bulls, being the "boss" is not just an honor, nor does it simply mean privilege; it also means unlimited responsibility and the heaviest burden.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown"—Forrest Gump's famous quote—will accompany Jordan throughout his basketball career, urging him to keep moving forward.

Jackson assigned Pippen and Grant to play against Gan Guoyang in this game, one of the main purposes of which was to urge the two players to grow.

Phil Jackson viewed the Bulls' development with a developmental perspective. For him, the regular season was not just about racking up wins; the growth and progress of young players were equally important, even more so than wins.

A coach who only cares about current results and doesn't value player growth and future development is destined to be just a passing coach.

Phil Jackson doesn't see himself as just a passerby; he has great ambitions and wants to achieve success in the league using his basketball philosophy.

Compared to Doug Collins, Jackson placed more emphasis on defense. Although he brought the triangle offense, the key reason why the Bulls have been playing better and better this season is their defense.

Phil Jackson's full-court press and half-court double-team defense always puts immense pressure on opponents at crucial moments, forcing them into mistakes.

In terms of forcing turnovers, the Chicago Bulls have increased their average number of turnovers per game from 15 last season to 17 this season.

Their pressure on the perimeter is second only to the Detroit Pistons, and while the Pistons relied on brute force, the Bulls did not; they relied on talent, discipline, and tactics.

The defensive trio of Jordan, Pippen, and Grant demonstrated tremendous power.

Jordan no longer needs further refinement, while Pippen and Grant's defense still needs to be tested in games.

Forrest Gump is undoubtedly the best and most dangerous whetstone in the entire league; if dealt with properly, he can help your players improve rapidly.

If used improperly, it will destroy you.

As he was about to go on the court, Phil Jackson told Pippen and Grant, "There's a mountain in front of you. Climb it, get over it, and you'll see a different view."

Pippen and Grant looked at Gan Guoyang, who was standing near the center circle chatting with Jordan, with a mixture of doubt and anticipation in their hearts.

Will they be able to stop Forrest Gump tonight?
If possible, their confidence will be greatly boosted.

If it doesn't work out, it doesn't seem like a big deal; after all, it's Forrest Gump.
-
Michael Jordan and Gan Guoyang chatted and joked as usual before the game.

Last time, Gan Guoyang used Jordan as a whetstone to sharpen Petrovic.

The match made Petrovic realize that there are always people better than you.

Since that game, Petrovic has become much more grounded, and this basketball Mozart is now accepting and adapting to his role. Like Gan Guoyang, Jordan also wanted to use a "golden knife strategy" in this game, telling Gan Guoyang the team's defensive plan and asking him to work on Pippen and Grant.

"You're going to be triple-teamed tonight, Pippen and Grant will be going all out against you, you're in trouble," Jordan said.

"Why don't I let you double-team me? Does Jackson look down on your help defense?" Gan Guoyang retorted.

"No...no, because...I don't need to lift a finger to deal with you."

"This is the best joke of the year, Michael. I know you want to take advantage of me, but don't worry, I'll teach them a lesson."

"You took advantage of me last time too."

"I thought you were too smart to realize that."

"Fuck you. Oh, and tonight I'm still going to beat Petrovic to a pulp. Let him get ready."

"I thank you on his behalf."
-
As expected, the game was much more intense than the one in Portland.

The Bulls displayed strong defensive aggression from the first quarter, using full-court press and half-court double-teams to disrupt the Trail Blazers' perimeter passing and cut off Gan Guoyang's connection with the perimeter.

This is the first step in Phil Jackson's defensive strategy.

The second step was to have Pippen and Grant double-team Gan Guoyang from all angles.

These two young guys are probably the best help defense forwards in the entire league.

At the beginning, they were a little hesitant and lacked coordination, but in the second quarter they became more familiar with their game and more confident in their defense.

Privately, Pippen and Grant had an excellent relationship. They entered the league in the same year, and during their confusing rookie season, they lived and ate together, supported each other, and got through the most difficult first year together.

They all admired Jordan, yet they also disliked him. In order to support Jordan, they sacrificed much of their own glory.

Their close cooperation caused Gan Guoyang a lot of trouble on the defensive end, and Gan Guoyang hardly got any good shooting opportunities throughout the first half.

He was surrounded by a large number of triple teams, and the Bulls were forcing him to the perimeter, pushing him away from the basket.

Gan Guoyang's mid-range and long-range shooting is indeed excellent, but no matter how excellent it is, it can't be as efficient as the three-second zone.

The Bulls' relentless double-teaming forced Gan Guoyang to keep passing the ball to his teammates, who were not in good form tonight.

The Chicagoans' high-intensity press defense and the heated atmosphere in the arena made the Portland Trail Blazers look isolated and helpless.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers trailed the Chicago Bulls 47-59, a total of 12 points. Gan Guoyang made 2 of 5 shots in the first half, scoring only 6 points.

Jordan, however, went 9-for-12, scoring an efficient 21 points and helping the Chicago Bulls establish a decisive advantage.

During halftime, Jordan yelled at Gan Guoyang, "You disappointed me, Sonny!"

“You know I never let people down!” Gan Guoyang replied.

However, back in the locker room, Gan Guoyang, unusually, punched the locker, denting it.

He did run into trouble in the first half; Pippen and Grant were very quick and their help defense was very timely.

Gan Guoyang's pass was timely, but the problem was that the Trail Blazers' offense didn't feel right tonight.

The Bulls came out strong, which caused the Trail Blazers to struggle with their outside shooting and miss repeatedly.

Furthermore, Phil Jackson made a very bold choice to leave the perimeter open, giving the Trail Blazers opportunities to shoot three-pointers.

He was gambling, betting that the Trail Blazers would miss their three-pointers, and then he would focus all his defensive resources on Gan Guoyang.

Because Phil Jackson knew that to deal with Forrest Gump, you had to gamble; it was impossible to be perfect in every way.

Hornacek, Porter, and Petrovic all wasted numerous open opportunities, rendering Gan Guoyang's passes and ball movement futile.

When Bobby Berman tried to turn the tide in the second half with tactical adjustments and rotations, Gan Guoyang interrupted Berman's plans.

He pointed out the Bulls' strategic objectives for this game, which included Jackson's psychological tactics.

He said, "This game is not a contest of tactics and rotations, but a battle of will and mentality. Phil wants to use this game to reverse the Bulls' psychological disadvantage against the Trail Blazers and lay the groundwork for a future Finals meeting."

“In the next few years, Portland and Chicago will definitely have a showdown in the Finals, and everyone needs to be prepared for that.”

Gan Guoyang's eyes swept across the entire locker room. Berman remained silent and handed the baton to Gan Guoyang.

"I'm the team leader, and I bear the greatest responsibility for winning or losing. In the second half, I'll make changes. What you guys need to do is put the damn balls in the basket, do your jobs, and leave the rest to me, OK?"

Gan Guoyang spoke in a calm tone, without any grand pronouncements. Everyone nodded slightly and then reached out their hands to join together.

“The Chicagoans are too green. I’ll show them just how high the mountain really is,” Gan Guoyang said.
-
The 15-minute break has ended, and the second half of the game continues.

The Trail Blazers made a change to their starting lineup – Mitchell Thompson replaced Jerome Cahill, who was injured with a finger, and started at the power forward position.

Thus, the Trail Blazers adopted a three-tall formation in the second half, moving Gan Guoyang to the small forward position.

Phil Jackson was surprised that the Trail Blazers would actually let Forrest play the small forward position, making their frontcourt height suddenly unmatched.

Gan Guoyang has played from center to power forward, and now he can also play small forward, which further increases the difficulty of defending him.

At the start of the third quarter, Jordan received a pass from Grant in the middle and made a mid-range jump shot.

The Bulls extended their lead to 14 points, the largest gap of the game.

The Trail Blazers were on offense, and Gan Guoyang received the ball on the left side, drawing all of the Bulls' defensive attention to him.

He made a simple pass to Mitchell Thompson, who hit a mid-range shot from the left corner.

During his time with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan's most trusted and favored player was not Pippen, not Grant, and certainly not Bill Cartwright (whom Jordan disliked at one point because of Oakley), but rather point guard John Paxson.

When Paxson played alongside Jordan on the court, Jordan felt most comfortable because Paxson not only knew what he could do, but also what he couldn't do, which was the most important thing.

Mitchell Thompson plays the same role as John Paxson for the Trail Blazers.

He was the one Gan Guoyang trusted most because he knew what he could do, what he should do, and what he shouldn't do.

This season, Thompson's position has been gradually replaced by Sabonis, but in critical moments, it is still this veteran number one draft pick who has to step up to save the day.

Mitchell Thompson successfully disrupted Jordan's shot on defense, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, leading to a Trail Blazers counterattack.

The Trail Blazers no longer cared whether Sabonis could keep up; they needed to score, so Thompson started running fast down the court.

After receiving the pass, he quickly passed it to Gan Guoyang on the wing, who then quickly took a three-pointer and made it!

The score has been narrowed to 51-61, just 10 points behind.

Jackson did not call a timeout, expecting the players to solve the problem themselves.

Especially Grant and Pippen, how are they supposed to defend Forrest Gump?

Jordan dribbled past Hornacek with a series of crossovers on the perimeter, cut into the middle, jumped, and passed the ball to Grant who was cutting inside.

Grant's layup was blocked by Sabonis, Thompson grabbed the rebound, and Porter received the ball to quickly launch a fast break.

Gan Guoyang charged forward like an NFL running back, received the ball, drove straight down the middle to the basket, and easily dunked – at that moment, he was unstoppable.

Gan Guoyang regained his offensive rhythm by using fast breaks and outside shooting.

This is his biggest advantage over traditional centers; he won't get bogged down in double teams in the paint.

He has ways to break free and confuse his opponents' defense.

Once he found his rhythm on offense, Gan Guoyang unleashed his full offensive power.

The key is that his three-point shooting touch has come, and that's the most crucial thing.

Sabonis received the ball in the low post and passed it to Gan Guoyang at the top of the arc.

Thompson set a screen for him, and Gan Guoyang quickly launched a three-pointer and made it.

Jordan used his agile footwork to turn and drive into the paint, and before being double-teamed, he passed the ball to Paxson at the top of the key.

Paxson received the ball and took a mid-range shot, but it was blocked by Gan Guoyang who rushed over – Gan, who moved to the three position, suddenly increased the pressure on the Bulls' outside shooting.

During the counterattack, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Hornacek and took another shot, positioned just one step from the three-point line.

The ball flew in a high arc like a cannonball and then landed precisely in the net, making a crisp sound like a gunshot from Lexington.

With each shot hitting its mark, the Trail Blazers tied the score at 65-65 in just five minutes!
Pippen and Grant seemed completely lost in the third quarter. Instead of going inside and defending Forrest in the low post, how were they supposed to defend him?
How can they defend a center who is so accurate with three-pointers and has won the league's three-point title?
How do you defend a player who has more offensive skills than Michael Jordan and is the strongest in the league?
At the end of the first half, they thought they had seen the summit and that with a little more effort they could climb the mountain.

Five minutes into the third quarter, we realized we were only halfway up the mountain; the summit was still shrouded in clouds and mist, seemingly insurmountable.

Even Phil Jackson, who always prefers to let his players solve problems, had to call a timeout.

If this keeps going, we're supposed to be sharpening Pippen and Grant's knives, but we might end up breaking them instead.

During the timeout, Pippen suddenly said to Jordan, "Michael, it's your turn to guard Forrest Gump, isn't it?"

I met Horace for the first time at the hotel the day before the draft.

We have a lot in common; we both come from small towns in the South—Horace grew up in Michelle, Georgia.

I saw in him the same desires and the same work ethic as me. God gave us talents, and we must do what we are meant to do.

Early in our careers, when we first entered the league, our friendship was crucial; we both entered a completely new world together:
A more intense playing style, and stronger and more experienced opponents.

Back-to-back games, long plane journeys.

Reporters are always ready to seize on your smallest mistakes to criticize you, and so on.

There are so many things to adapt to in the NBA, and our relationship has grown closer through this process of adjustment.

Horace and I often greet each other with "1987, 1987" to remind ourselves that our lives began to change in that year.

Later we changed our greeting to "Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump".

Because he changed us in so many ways.

—Excerpt from Scott Pippen's autobiography, Unguarded, published in 2021.

(End of this chapter)