The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 614 The Strongest Opponent in the West

Magee Short (the female owner of the MLB Cincinnati Reds) can be described as a 'profit-driven Jew' because that's the kind of society we live in.

People say we have freedom of speech, but no, there is no freedom of speech here.

Worse still, she would fawn over his players (who were Black), drinking champagne with her 'Black brothers' when the Reds won the World Series, and then secretly calling these Black players 'million-dollar niggers'.

I have more respect for the KKK because they won't sit there and drink with you when they call you a nigger.

Oh, I know some of you will mention Tang Jianguo, and Agan.

Let me tell you, Forrest Gump is different. He's not a black man, nor an Asian, nor an Indian.

He is a totem, a stone statue, a being who makes people disregard skin color, or even gender.

Forrest Gump is to America what Garth Brooks is to Phoenix—in Phoenix, Brooks was more popular than Michael Jackson.

—An interview with Charles Buckley, The Arizona Republic, November 22, 1990.

In the summer of 1990, when Charles Barkley requested a trade to leave Washington, he was met with a barrage of criticism from the capital's media.

Even as the 1990-1991 season began, the sharp-tongued commentators in Washington, D.C., continued to ridicule Barkley, with some of their comments containing racist undertones.

In response, the outspoken Charles Barkley fought back fiercely, continuously publishing his sharp remarks in the media and newspapers to counter the criticism from all sides.

Bullets owner Paulin and Barkley had a summer of verbal sparring that became a long and tedious offseason soap opera, and it shows no signs of stopping now that the new season has started.

The conflict between Barkley and the Bullets over the trade brings to mind the feud between the Bullets, Pollin, and "Black Pearl" Earl Monroe more than a decade ago.

At that time, the Bullets were based in Baltimore, and Monroe, with his unique playing style, was very popular with fans, but he was unhappy with his salary contract.

In 1971, during a period of intense competition between the NBA and the ABA, the ABA offered lucrative contracts to many talented players to attract them to play in the ABA.

In 1971, the Bullets reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Bucks, causing the players' market value to skyrocket.

Earl Monroe has a flamboyant playing style and an unrestrained, free-flowing approach, which is a perfect fit for the ABA. Therefore, Monroe used the threat of going to the ABA to pressure Pollin into giving him a bigger contract.

But Pollin refused, believing Monroe was too selfish and unwilling to offer him a big contract. In anger, Monroe demanded that the team trade him.

When the ABA's Indiana Pacers heard the news, they approached Monroe, who then visited Indiana to experience the place.

He went to the Indianapolis arena to watch the Pacers play, and the Pacers won. Monroe was pleased with the Pacers' roster.

They are very strong, with players like George McGinnis, Roger Brown, and Freddie Lewis.

But when he visited the Pacers' locker room after the game, he saw that the players had finished showering and getting dressed, and all the Black players had reached into the lockers, taken out their guns, and tucked them into their waistbands.

Monroe was shocked and asked why. The Pacers players told him that the KKK was everywhere in Indianapolis and that Black players had to use guns to protect themselves.

Monroe didn't want to play in a city full of KKK members, so he turned down the Pacers' offer.

Afterwards, Monroe discussed with his agent, Larry Fleischer, his desire to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

He longs for the California sun and beaches, and hopes to work with superstars like Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain.

Or he could go to the Philadelphia 76ers; his hometown is Philadelphia, and he just bought a Rolls-Royce there this summer.

But after several weeks of back and forth, the Baltimore Bullets traded Earl Monroe to their arch-rivals, the New York Knicks.

There are two reasons: first, only the Knicks were willing to offer the Bullets a contract in this trade; second, Pollin deliberately wanted to annoy Earl Monroe.

In the 60s and 70s, there was a deep rivalry between the Bullets and the Knicks. From 1969 to 1971, the two teams met in the playoffs for three consecutive years, with the Bullets winning one and losing two.

Monroe's trade to the Knicks was seen by fans as blatant defection, and he became a traitor despised by everyone in the Baltimore area.

In reality, Monroe had little say in the deal; he could only go wherever the owner wanted him to go.

Afterwards, Pollin continued his war of words with Monroe, claiming that Monroe was selfish, didn't care about the team, and had broken up a championship-caliber team.

He also compared Jerry West to him, saying that Jerry West would never have done such a thing if he were with the Lakers.

Monroe said that West is white and doesn't have to worry about his retirement, while he is black and must earn enough money to support himself in retirement.

After Monroe joined the Knicks, the two teams met three more times in the playoffs from 1972 to 1974. This time, without Monroe's bullets, they lost all three games and each time fell to Monroe's blade.

By taking down his former team and winning a championship trophy, Monroe has avenged the Baltimore bullet that humiliated him.

Times have changed, and the same thing has happened to Charles Barkley as Monroe.

Both led their teams to the finals, both fell short at the last hurdle, and both forced a trade.

The difference is that Monroe wants more money, and if the Bullets are willing to offer him a big contract, Monroe would be very willing to stay.

Barkley is not short of money. Times have changed. NBA stars like Barkley can earn money through endorsements, advertisements, and shoe contracts.

Avia's contract with him is not much smaller than his player contract, showing that top NBA stars today are no longer so reliant on player contracts.

Barkley wants a championship, he wants to taste the Finals again, return to the Finals stage, and give his children a good living environment.

This time, Paulin learned from Monroe's mistake and sent Charles Barkley to the West instead of keeping him in the East and making himself miserable.

Even after Barkley went to Phoenix in the West, his verbal sparring with the Bullets never stopped.

Barkley kept complaining about how terrible the basketball atmosphere was in Washington, how incompetent the team was in terms of recruitment and development, and how awful the jerseys were.

Pauline accused Barkley of being arrogant, disrespectful to coaches and teammates, and having a huge appetite.

This war of words gradually subsided as the Phoenix Suns' record improved throughout the new season.

Gan Guoyang is right. In the NBA, victory can mask most problems.

The Suns underwent a successful rebuild after the drug scandal.

Management quickly realized that without a superstar, they could not get past the Lakers or Trail Blazers in the Western Conference.

Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers are just one step away; they need a true superstar, someone who can change the landscape of the East and West.

Charles Barkley was their answer.

Before visiting Portland, the Phoenix Suns had a 10-3 record, ranking second in the Western Conference, with a victory badge including a win against the Chicago Bulls.

Tonight's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers is the first step in Charles Barkley and Forrest Gump's quest for the throne, and it's the first encounter between the two teams.

Since arriving in sunny Phoenix, Barkley has been talking non-stop. He praised the Phoenix sunshine, saying, "If you want to get beaten up, get beaten up in the sun. That way, even if you lose, you can still play a round of golf in good weather and at least vent your emotions."

He sarcastically remarked on the high crime rate in the Washington area, saying, "Oh, I haven't heard a gunshot or a siren in 24 hours, it's a bit strange."

When asked to comment on Northeastern cities like New York, Washington, and Philadelphia, Barkley exclaimed, "I love New York, I love Washington, I love the East Coast! Because I have guns."

Barkley's remarks angered fans and media writers in the Northeast, but also won him the affection of many fans—there are fewer and fewer celebrities in this society who dare to speak their minds.

Most powerful, wealthy, and famous people cherish their reputation and are afraid of saying the wrong thing and bringing negative consequences, but Barkley is completely unafraid.

Before the last game against Michael Jordan, Barkley declared, "This year's scoring title is mine!"

As a result, he did surpass Jordan in scoring and won the game.

In a pre-game interview before the match against Gan Guoyang, Barkley once again made a bold statement: "This year's rebounding title is mine. As long as I focus on rebounding, no one can beat me, not even Gan Guoyang!"

Barkley has really gotten arrogant.

He certainly has the right to be arrogant this year. In November, his scoring average reached a career high of 29.7 points, close to 30 points, second only to Jordan.

His average rebounds per game also reached a career high of 13.3, just one rebound away from Forrest Gump's 14.3.

If Barkley focuses on statistics, it's not impossible for him to surpass Jordan or Forrest Gump in either of these two areas.

Of course, Barkley's idea of ​​winning both the scoring title and the rebounding title is a bit of a pipe dream.

He doesn't have Forrest Gump's stamina, and his shooting percentage is a whole level below Gan Guoyang's.

Gan Guoyang had, of course, learned of Barkley's arrogant statement from the reporter. Knowing Barkley's tendency to talk nonsense, he didn't bother with him.

He simply said, "If Charles needs it, I can take more shots and provide him with rebounding opportunities."

The two were good friends for many years, and Forrest Gump always gave Barkley face, as the fat man was always very concerned about his image.

However, when it comes to the game, Gan Guoyang never shows Barkley any courtesy; it's a matter of respect for a good opponent.

At 7:30 p.m., Barkley stood on the floor of Memorial Arena for the first time wearing a Suns jersey, facing Forrest Gump directly.

To be honest, Barkley was still quite intimidated when facing Forrest Gump on the court.

He could challenge Jordan face-to-face, but it would be much harder against Forrest Gump.

Because Forrest Gump was a player who completely surrounded Barkley in the same position.

Barkley has no advantage over Gan Guoyang in anything except his appetite, which makes Barkley feel very insecure.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang had the dirt on him about "pooping on the court." Although he believed in Gan's character, this information was like a time bomb, making him uneasy.

Before this game, Barkley boasted to the media that he would "surpass Forrest Gump in rebounding," which was the most confident Barkley had ever been.

“Sonny, you know…”

“I don’t know. Die, Charles.”

"..."

This was their last conversation before the match began.

The Suns' starting lineup: Charles Barkley, Mark West, Kevin Johnson, Eddie Johnson, and Danny Ainge.

The Trail Blazers' roster remains unchanged, consisting of Sabonis, Gan Guoyang, Kexi, Reggie Lewis, and Terry Porter.

Unlike before, Gan Guoyang stood in the center circle for the jump ball, which means that Gan Guoyang has returned to the center forward position.

This change caught Charles Barkley's eye. He thought, "Is Forrest back at center? Does that mean Sabonis will be guarding me?"
Barkley's guess was correct; the task of defending Barkley did indeed fall to Sabonis, and Gan Guoyang returned to the center position, his main task being to guard the paint.

This is a major change for the Trail Blazers on the defensive end, with Bobby Bellman no longer assigning Gan Guoyang the heavy task of sweeping the middle lane.

At the start of the game, Gan Guoyang received the ball, turned around, and attacked Mark West with great force, easily squeezing under the basket and scoring with a hook shot.

This isn't some Princeton offense; it's the standard "you guys spread out, I'll go one-on-one" strategy.

Barkley, using his footwork and shooting range, moved to the wing and attacked Sabonis with mid-range shots.

Although Sabonis is tall, he is not slow. He can keep up with Barkley and then use his height and wingspan to interfere.

Barkley's initial attempt failed, and then Gan Guoyang received a pass from Sabonis on the baseline, turned around and made a jump shot.

Barkley attempted a strong drive to the basket, but Sabonis gave him a step back, and Gan Guoyang blocked Barkley's layup attempt.

In just two rounds, the difference between Barkley and Forrest Gump became apparent: in terms of one-on-one play, Barkley was still inferior to the league's top player.

In the NBA (not basketball as a sport), especially since David Stern took over, it often comes down to the individual skills of star players.

The league's rule-making process encourages individual play and players to solve problems using their individual abilities, which is a commercial trend.

Whoever has the best singles player in the world has a greater chance of winning the championship.

Forrest Gump has proven this with four championships.

The Princeton offense is a great system, but like the triangle offense, its purpose is not to eliminate isolation plays, but to make it easier for Forrest Gump to isolate in crucial moments, giving him more energy and more options.

In the third possession, Gan Guoyang received the ball again at the corner, suddenly faked a shot and then swiftly turned around, leaving Mark West a little distance behind.

Eddie Johnson on the wing thought Gan Guoyang was going to shoot directly, so he came over to interfere, but Gan Guoyang just faked a shot and suddenly cut to the basket.

Facing Charles Barkley's help defense, Gan Guoyang leaped high and dunked the ball over Barkley into the basket!
Barkley was knocked down by Forrest Gump's massive impact, and then the referee blew his whistle and called a blocking foul on Barkley.

Barkley got up and complained to the referee, but Gan Guoyang pulled him back and said, "Stop struggling, Charles. This is Portland. Besides, your ability to draw fouls is really not good. Just play the game."

"Why are you always so heartless, Sonny!"

"History is the victory of ruthlessness over mindlessness, Charles."

Gan Guoyang made the free throw, giving the Suns a 7-0 lead.

Suns head coach Fitzsimmons shook his head; Forrest Gump remained an uncontrollable factor.

If he starts off with such a great performance, how are we supposed to compete?

The Suns called a timeout and quickly adjusted their defensive strategy.

Eddie Johnson focused all his efforts on defending Forrest Gump, leaving Kesey open.

Then... nothing happened. The Suns' defensive adjustment was simple: if they couldn't stop someone in a one-on-one situation, they would double-team them.

The rest is all about offense; scoring more points than the opponent is the winning principle for an offensive team like the Suns.

After the timeout, Barkley, undeterred, continued his offensive run, this time opting for a pick-and-roll with Kevin Johnson.

That was a good choice. Barkley set a screen and stepped back to the three-point line, where he received a pass from Kevin Johnson and made the three-pointer!

After scoring, Barkley flexed his muscles at Gan Guoyang and said, "You taught me this!"

A long time ago, Gan Guoyang began to guide Barkley, urging him to improve his three-point shooting.

For a center of Barkley's height, not having a reliable outside shot will be a huge disadvantage in the future.

Barkley listened, practiced, and shot, but his shooting percentage remained around 30%, which was really not good.

So far this season, Barkley's three-point shooting percentage has reached a career high of 33%, making one out of three attempts, which is already his best performance.

Next, Sabonis passed to Kossie under the basket for a layup, but Barkley blocked it as he came over to help defend!

Barkley thought to himself, "If I can't bully Forrest Gump, I can at least bully you."
Kevin Johnson gets the ball and initiates a counterattack. Barkley receives the ball and cuts into the middle, then passes to the wing. Eddie Johnson receives the ball in the corner and launches a three-pointer, which goes in!
Two three-pointers narrowed the gap to just one point in an instant; the power of the three-pointer is mesmerizing.

Since Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers started shooting three-pointers and achieved a series of successes, shooting three-pointers has become commonplace for all teams.

This play showcased the difference between Charles Barkley and Tom Chambers.

Barkley has stronger passing and playmaking abilities; his role is more comprehensive, making him a true tactical core rather than just a scorer or rebounder.

It is foreseeable that Barkley and the Suns will be the strongest opponents in the West for Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers on their road to defending their title this year.

(End of this chapter)