The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 574 Teammates
Pippen still remembers the first time he met Michael Jordan.

It was in the summer of 1987, at the Multiplex training center in Deerfield, a suburb of Chicago's satellite city, that Pippen walked onto the training ground with then-Bulls head coach Doug Collins.

Doug Collins introduced Pippen to the Bulls players who were practicing, saying that he was the team's rookie and wanted to say hello to everyone.

There were three people in the gym at the time: Jordan, Peter Miles, and Cedar Tretter. Pippen knew Peter Miles; he came from Little Rock University in Arkansas.

Pippen played with him in the Little Rock Summer League.

Just as Pippen was about to greet Miles, he suddenly heard Jordan's voice.

He said, "Oh shit, we have another boy from Arkansas."

His words were full of sarcasm and disdain, which made Pippen feel very embarrassed. At that time, he was an introverted and quiet Southern boy.

He had long admired Jordan's name and knew how dazzling this North Carolina prodigy was across the United States and how invincible he was in the NBA.

At that moment, Pippen didn't know how to respond. He stood there, at a loss, until Doug Collins came over and patted him, gesturing for him to go to the locker room to change, thus getting him out of the predicament.

From then on, Jordan became a shadow over Pippen. Jordan's voice often appeared in Pippen's dreams, just like when they first spoke, disturbing Pippen's peace.

Later, Pippen won Jordan's approval with his performance on the court. They often competed against each other in training, and their teamwork on the court became more and more seamless.

Pippen received a lot of help from Jordan, and his skills improved by leaps and bounds. Jordan also began to respect this country bumpkin from Arkansas and recognized him as a good helper.

But one thing was established from the very beginning and cannot be changed: Pippen didn't like Jordan.

Playing in the NBA is, in essence, a job, and many people don't like the colleagues they work with.

Even if they work together seamlessly and help each other to make progress, they may have no interaction when they leave the workplace and return to their personal lives, and may even dislike each other.

Pippen and Jordan didn't hate each other, but their off-court relationship was just so-so.

Jordan was born into a middle-class family, while Pippen was a country bumpkin. The rift between them was created from their first meeting and could never be truly bridged.

Jordan was the sole core of the Bulls, the sun around whom everyone revolved. Pippen knew he could only be the moon, but he had a heart full of resentment.

Especially after seeing Drexler leave for Miami in the summer of 1988 to become the Heat's leader, Pippen harbored a deep-seated restlessness.

However, Drexler had already achieved his goal in Portland, with three championships in hand. Going to Miami to become the leader and get a big contract would be a perfect ending to his life.

Unlike Pippen, he has nothing to show for it and needs a championship and outstanding performance to secure a long-term contract.

Therefore, he could only bury his resentment towards Jordan deep in his heart and follow Jordan's lead both on and off the court.

Only at certain special moments would his rebellious thoughts surface, like bubbles rising on the calm water.

For example, in the Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers game, when Jordan faced Forrest Gump.

Pippen knew that there were only three or four players in the league who could break through Jordan's defense.

Bird, Thomas, Magic Johnson.

Bird, in particular, is getting older and his performance is becoming increasingly inconsistent.

Magic Johnson was in the West, and he and Jordan always had a good relationship.

Isaiah Thomas was hated by Jordan, and the Pistons were stronger than the Bulls, but in terms of individual ability, Jordan always had a breakout performance when playing against the Pistons, and he was superior to Thomas.

Only Forrest Gump could outshine Jordan in every aspect, and only he could look down on Jordan and point fingers at him.

Pippen certainly knew that Jordan and Forrest Gump had a very good relationship in private, but on the court they were irreconcilable enemies, and Forrest Gump was always able to suppress Jordan, making him Jordan's number one nemesis in the entire league.

With such a nemesis "backing him up," Pippen's heart naturally became restless.

In the second half, Gan Guoyang really moved to the small forward position and hit shots one after another like a high-powered artillery turret, tying the score.

Pippen thought to himself, "Michael, what happened to all that bragging you did before the game? You promised that when Forrest Gump went to the perimeter, you'd be on defense, didn't you?"

You want to brag all you want, but I'll do the work? Is this how you act as the boss?

So during the timeout, Pippen blurted out, "Michael, it's your turn to guard Forrest Gump."

On the bench, the Bulls players were all stunned for a moment, including Jordan.

Everyone looked at Pippen, who realized he had misspoke.

How can you, as the underling, keep repeating the boasts your boss made before the competition?

The boss only boasts when he succeeds.

If you fail, or there is no hope of success, you should forget about it.

Pippen couldn't help himself, putting Jordan in an awkward position.

Jordan's defense against tall, powerful perimeter players has always been relatively ineffective.

He was originally a guard; at 6'6", he could play small forward, but that wouldn't be an advantage.

Jordan's dynamic abilities were exceptional, arguably among the best in NBA history.

His static performance is also very good, but it's slightly inferior to his dynamic performance, at least not as good as Pippen.

Therefore, Pippen was better suited to defending big men in the paint, while Jordan played a more active role in help defense, assist defense, and steals from behind.

If Jordan were to be tasked with guarding tall, big players one-on-one, it wouldn't be very effective and would be a waste of his dynamic talent.

Jordan did try to defend Forrest Gump; he always tried to use his dynamic advantage to take risks and hopefully steal the ball.

However, Forrest Gump's ball protection was outstanding, and his turnover rate was among the lowest in the league, making it difficult for Jordan to steal the ball.

In terms of one-on-one skills, Forrest Gump is also among the best in the league, and his arsenal is unparalleled in NBA history.

Many times, he simply didn't use it, not that he couldn't. Once, during a major battle between Gan Guoyang and Jordan, Gan Guoyang used almost every offensive technique imaginable, leaving both the Bulls and Jordan shaking their heads in disbelief.

Therefore, once it comes down to a one-on-one situation, Jordan can't beat Forrest Gump, as proved during his tour of China many years ago.

This is a natural advantage for the taller person over the shorter person.

Jordan knew all of this, which is why he would avoid direct confrontations with Forrest Gump on the defensive end.

He likes to attack Forrest Gump on offense, draw fouls from him, and hurt the Trail Blazers' interior defense.

This is the best strategy to beat Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers; Forrest Gump sitting on the bench is the least threatening Forrest Gump.

But when Pippen said, "It's your turn to guard Forrest Gump," Jordan felt a little embarrassed.

What to do? He did brag before the game, saying he would handle it if Agan went to the small forward position.

Unexpectedly, Agan actually went to the three-point position to shoot three-pointers, and the situation on the court had already turned around.

Normally, no one would bring this up. Jordan would have used his own methods, his offense, and his scoring ability, to help the team out of their predicament.

But Pippen's comment put Jordan in a difficult position.

If the Bulls coach were Doug Collins, he would have either reprimanded Pippen or ignored Pippen's nonsense to save Jordan's face.

Because Collins was Jordan's number one admirer, during the later stages of his tenure as coach of the Bulls, his main job was to please Jordan, make him play comfortably, and then rely on Jordan to win games.

Phil Jackson also relied on Jordan, but he wasn't Collins; he wasn't Jordan's unconditional babysitter.

Jackson has been trying to teach Jordan to share. I acknowledge your core status as the leader, but the leader also needs to share, do the same work as other players, and even do more and take on more responsibilities.

In Jackson's view, Jordan was often too arrogant, always looking down on this and that.

For example, Bill Cartwright, a tough center respected in the league, was disrespected by Jordan because Krause traded Oakley for him.

Jordan disliked this seemingly muscular big man and instructed the guards not to pass the ball to Cartwright during crucial moments in the fourth quarter.

Jackson, however, saw Cartwright's importance. He was the Bulls' most consistent low-post scorer in many years, a reliable 7-foot center, and an experienced and tough guard of the paint.

So sometimes, Jackson needed to use some methods to suppress Jordan, to make him lower his head and stand with his teammates.

"Michael, if Forrest gets the ball on the perimeter later, you guard Forrest and stop him. That's your job."

Jackson pointed at Jordan and asked him to guard Forrest Gump.

Jackson not only wanted Gan Guoyang to work on Pippen and Grant, but also wanted Gan to continue working on Jordan.

This is called making the best use of everything.

Jordan certainly wouldn't refuse; he'd defend, after all, it's not like he hadn't been beaten before.

Tonight, Jordan really, really wants to beat Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers.

He not only wanted to win, but also wanted to outperform Forrest Gump in every aspect of his performance.

He aspires to surpass others in defense, playmaking, and especially in leadership qualities.

Nothing achieves a greater chance of surpassing others than a head-to-head confrontation on the field.

Just before going on the court, Jordan recalled the scene of his past one-on-one match with Gan Guoyang.

He knew Forrest Gump's outside shooting techniques and offensive habits inside and out; there were just too many of them, making him difficult to defend.

"He likes to move to the left, driving to the left and shooting to the right. His three-point shots are very sudden, and he has a habitual footwork when he shoots. However, he can also fake out, using a fake move followed by a drive... In short, I will keep an eye on him."

Jordan had a lot on his mind.

Jordan would primarily defend Forrest Gump on the perimeter, with Pippen and Grant assisting in the defense.

Theoretically, this actually made the Bulls' defense more purposeful, unlike the first five minutes of the second half when they were running around aimlessly and getting completely bewildered by Agan's attack.

But theory is one thing, and practice is another.

After the timeout, Jordan hit another mid-range shot on offense. Jordan's offensive touch was actually very good tonight, with an extremely high shooting percentage.

The Trail Blazers' relatively short and thin perimeter players meant they couldn't put enough pressure on Jordan defensively.

Gan Guoyang called for the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side, only to find that his defender was Jordan.

"Michael, are you crazy or is Phil Jackson crazy? Why would he let you guard me?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I told you, if you get the ball on the perimeter, I'll come and defend you."

"Really? Then I'll go inside."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang received the ball, quickly passed it back to Porter, and then cut towards the basket.

The Bulls' rotations were simply too slow; the Trail Blazers' ball movement was incredibly fast.

Gan Guoyang had already positioned himself against Jordan on the flanks. Before Pippen could come to help defend, he received a pass from Thompson, turned around, and easily hooked the ball in.

Jordan is too different from Gan Guoyang in terms of physical attributes. Height, strength, and wingspan are all different positions. How can you defend against him?
After scoring, Gan Guoyang mocked Jordan: "Are you guys idiots? You're guarding me on the perimeter, but I have long legs, I can run into the paint!" Jordan shook his head, thinking that it was indeed idiotic. How could he let the Trail Blazers' tactics lead him by the nose?

Phil Jackson on the sidelines quickly realized how stupid it was to have Jordan guard Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang isn't stupid. Facing Jordan's defense, he won't do what people expect—show off his outside skills and get bogged down in a battle with Jordan. He might have done that when he was hot-headed before, but now that he wants to win, he won't do that.

The Trail Blazers have the best perimeter passing system in the league, the best outside-inside tactical coordination, and excellent ball-handling chemistry among the players.

With a simple three-pass, two-direction pass, Gan Guoyang can complete the role switch, quickly moving from the small forward position to the low post, at which point Jordan will be powerless to resist.

The score remains tied.

Jordan backs down Hornacek at the free-throw line.

With skillful back-to-the-basket technique combined with feints, he turned and walked to the middle, finishing with a left-handed layup.

Jordan's legs were like they were made of springs; a seemingly ordinary layup resulted in a release point higher than the rim.

That's not called a layup, it should be called a "downward layup," the basketball fell into the basket from above.

He did this, of course, to avoid being covered up by Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang had the ball on the perimeter again, but Jordan still came out to defend.

After Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Hornacek, Jordan and Pippen immediately switched places.

But the instant the ball switched places, Gan Guoyang cut into the basket again, and Hornacek lobbed the ball to the basket.

Gan Guoyang jumped to receive the ball, went for a layup, but was interfered with by Pippen and missed. He grabbed the rebound, went for another shot, but was interfered with by Grant.

Gan Guoyang still managed to grab the ball, but Jordan reached out and slapped it out of Gan Guoyang's hand. Amidst the chaos, Gan Guoyang still managed to control the ball.

On his third final layup attempt, he put the ball in the basket and drew a foul from Bill Cartwright, earning him a free throw.

Moses Malone's brutal style of play, taking on four opponents at once, getting the ball into the basket, and injuring the team.

Jordan was very unhappy with the play and angrily berated Bill Cartwright, who was quite displeased.

The two had a verbal argument, and Jackson substituted Cartwright with Will Perdue.

Bobby Bellman also made personnel changes, replacing Sabonis with Divac to continue the pressure from the three high-ball players.

Gan Guoyang made the free throw, continuing to score and helping the Trail Blazers take a one-point lead.

Then, for several consecutive possessions, the Bulls' offense continued to miss.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Gan Guoyang used his ability to draw defenders and his passing to launch another beautiful half-court offense.

After Jordan hit a mid-range shot, Gan Guoyang said to Jordan, "Michael, what the hell were you doing in the second half? Where was your drive and passion? Why were you guarding me? Where was your rotation? Where was your fast break? Where was your fast break? Were you just waiting for me to turn the game around?"

Jackson whistled from the sidelines, signaling a change in strategy: Jordan should stop guarding Forrest Gump.

Jackson wanted too much from this game; he was too greedy.

He wanted to win, to hone his players, to build a psychological advantage, and to refine Jordan.

He wanted to use sage to dispel impurity, to use Zen philosophy to calm the players, to use Christian fervor to unite them, and to use the free spirit of hippies to blend in with them...

In short, his coaching philosophy, like his life, is a mixture of many contradictory yet internally unified elements.

But all of this seems somewhat illusory in the face of absolute basketball prowess; Forrest Gump is like a sharp knife, capable of cutting through everything.

Jordan stopped foolishly guarding Forrest Gump; Gan Guoyang's words had brought him to his senses.

He realized that his struggle with Forrest Gump had never changed since 1985.

It's always been that simple and pure, like two unarmed boxers attacking each other with punch after punch until one of them falls.

When facing Forrest Gump, there is no other way but to forge ahead.

Having realized this, Jordan abandoned all his other thoughts and threw himself into the battle against Forrest Gump for the 12th time.

The two players' performances reached a fever pitch at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Jackson and Bobby Bellman abandoned any tactical planning and instead let the two of them attack freely.

Jordan's mid-range shooting was incredibly accurate tonight, and his off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot were simply undefendable for Hornacek.

Gan Guoyang fully utilized his ability to switch between the three and four positions, constantly moving back and forth between the inside and outside lines to confuse and escape the Bulls' pesky triple-team.

The game once again became a stage for the two to perform, and the atmosphere in the Chicago stadium became increasingly tense as the game progressed.

Every time Jordan made a shot, the crowd erupted in huge cheers.

But soon, the cheers will be drowned out by Forrest Gump's successful shot.

In the crucial moments of the fourth quarter, Jordan held the ball with one hand outside the left three-point line, facing Petrovic.

After a series of subtle but convincing feints, Jordan executed a beautiful back turn and cut from the baseline to the basket.

Before Gan Guoyang could block the shot, Jordan leaped up and slammed home a one-handed dunk!
Gan Guoyang ultimately conceded the ball; otherwise, he would have given Jordan a 2+1 play.

The score reached 94-95, with the Bulls taking a one-point lead.

Petrovic tried to salvage the situation with a three-pointer, but missed.

Gan Guoyang grabbed an offensive rebound under the basket, dribbled and turned, and then slammed the ball in with a two-handed back dunk!
The Trail Blazers regained the lead at 96-95.

The Trail Blazers insisted on guarding Jordan one-on-one, but in the final stages, the one guarding Jordan was none other than Forrest Gump.

Jordan couldn't defend Forrest Gump one-on-one, but Forrest Gump could come out to the perimeter to defend Jordan one-on-one—though the effect wasn't necessarily particularly good.

Because Jordan's explosiveness was extremely strong, he was not Bird, nor Magic Johnson; speed and explosiveness were his huge advantages.

But there was no other choice but Forrest Gump, so the two engaged in a knightly duel.

The entire Chicago stadium erupted in cheers. Jordan dribbled the ball, glanced at the time; there was less than a minute left in the game.

Gan Guoyang lowered his center of gravity to defend against Jordan's breakthrough, but after dribbling for two seconds, Jordan suddenly launched a mid-range jump shot—Jordan's mid-range shot was extremely accurate tonight.

The ball swished through the net, a perfect shot, 96-97, the Bulls regained the lead.

The Chicago stadium erupted in cheers as a simple mid-range shot sent the fans into a frenzy.

This shot not only gave the Bulls the lead, but also marked Jordan's 50th point of the game.

The 50 points Jordan scored against Forrest Gump were significant for him.

At this moment, even Pippen, who was inwardly resentful, looked at Jordan with eyes full of admiration.

That's really impressive. Many players feel immense pressure when facing Forrest Gump.

Anyway, Pippen wouldn't dare to go one-on-one against Forrest Gump like that; he'd most likely get blocked.

The Trail Blazers did not call a timeout, and Bellman also handed the game over to the players.

Petrovic remained on the court, and with the ball in hand, he used his speed to break through Jordan's defense.

He drove all the way to the basket, drew the defense, and then passed the ball to Sabonis, who was cutting in from the middle.

Sabonis, like a second passer in volleyball, lightly touched the ball with his hand and passed it to Gan Guoyang, who was following up from the side.

Gan Guoyang received the ball, pulled up, and slammed it home with one hand over Horace Grant! 98:97!

Sabonis, as always, delivered a brilliant pass, providing a very beautiful assist.

Gan Guoyang scored his 40th point of the game.

After scoring only 5 points in the first half, he exploded for 35 points in the second half.

Phil Jackson didn't call a timeout, leaving the ball entirely to the players to handle.

The Trail Blazers players all knew Jordan would take that shot, but no one could stop him!

Jordan drove to the left, dribbling past four Trail Blazers players. He leaned back and dodged in mid-air to avoid Forrest Gump's block, then released a jump shot that went in!
Jordan was extremely excited after scoring, swinging his arm vigorously, making it 98-99, and the Bulls regained a one-point lead.

But he didn't get carried away; instead, he immediately returned to defense, leaving the Trail Blazers with 8 seconds left.

Jordan knew that Forrest Gump had the ability to kill the game, and he didn't want to be defeated in the Chicago arena.

Berman had two timeouts left, but he didn't call them, instead handing them over to the players, not giving the Bulls a chance to set up their final defensive strategy.

Phil Jackson, who usually sits calmly on the sidelines, finally couldn't sit still anymore and stood on the sidelines, loudly directing the defense.

Everyone's hearts were in suspense.

The Bulls lead the defense from the baseline.

Porter quickly crossed half-court and used Sabonis' screen to shake off his defender.

But once they crossed halfway, the Bulls started to apply pressure and double-team.

Absolutely no mistakes!

Porter passed the ball to Sabonis for a transition.

At this moment, Sabonis's large, suction-cup-like hands and towering height allowed him to control the ball and avoid making mistakes.

Sabonis turned his head, and everyone knew he was looking for Forrest Gump; all the Bulls players' attention was on Forrest.

Gan Guoyang stood near the three-point line, ready to launch an attack as soon as he received the ball. Jordan, Pippen, and Grant all had their eyes on him.

However, at this moment, Sabonis suddenly made a through pass to the basket, which was passed to Petrovic who was cutting to the basket!

Petrovic evaded Jordan's defense, found an opening under the Bulls' basket, successfully received a pass from Sabonis, and scored a layup!
The moment the goal was scored, the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game, and the score was set at 100-99, with the Trail Blazers securing a one-point victory over the Bulls!

The Chicago Bulls' sudden demise, killed by a connection between Sabonis and Petrovic, was something no one expected.

After scoring, the Trail Blazers players cheered and hugged each other as they left the court, leaving the Bulls players and Jordan to taste the bitterness of defeat.

They lost again, again to the Trail Blazers, again to Forrest Gump.

Jordan stood on the court with his hands on his hips, his bad mood hanging over him.

Suddenly, someone put their arm around Jordan's shoulder from behind and left the court with him as it was about to end.

It was Pippen who told Jordan, "We'll always win, they're just lucky."

Jordan glanced at Pippen, nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and the two walked back to the locker room side by side.

(End of this chapter)