The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 631 Be Your Own Provider
Charles Barkley gave an interview to NBC after the "spit incident".

In the interview, he admitted that he acted on impulse and sincerely apologized to the girl.

However, he emphasized that he did not do it intentionally; it was an accident, an embarrassing accident.

“I think it’s time to make a change. This season has been full of changes. I changed teams, came to a new city, and achieved some results. At the same time, I have a family and children. If I want to go further, I have to say goodbye to my past self.”

Barkley spoke with such conviction on the show, like a man who has made a mistake promising never to make it again.

Of course, whether fans and viewers believe it or not is one thing, whether he says it or not is another, but attitude is essential.

After this interview, Barkley successfully weathered this image crisis, and the public will soon forgive him, since this incident wasn't particularly egregious.

After a one-game suspension, Barkley has returned to the Suns, who will be playing at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.

This is a great opportunity for Barkley to showcase his energy.

For athletes, no matter what happens off the field, achieving good results on the field is the most solid foundation.

Unless you've committed heinous crimes, some moral flaws will be overlooked by the public, provided you're strong enough.

Since joining the Suns this year, Barkley has performed exceptionally well, not only with remarkable growth in his stats, but also with the Suns joining the ranks of the league's top teams.

Although the Washington Bullets were a strong team in the East and had even reached the NBA Finals, their run to the Finals in the 1988 season had an element of luck.

They were only slightly above average in the regular season, but in the playoffs, they relied on the veterans' fighting spirit and a bit of luck to barely make it to the finals.

They lost to the Trail Blazers in the Finals without any suspense. After that, Moses Malone left and Moncrief retired, and the Bullets lost their competitiveness in the East. Charles Barkley's leadership ability was questioned.

The Suns have been on a strong run this season, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers in record and closing in on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Barkley ranks third in the MVP voting, behind only Michael Jordan and Gan Guoyang, and ahead of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

This is an affirmation of him by fans and experts. He is now only below the new two giants and above the old two giants, just one step away from the top.

Barkley is returning from suspension for this game, and it's at home, so he's determined to win and lead his team to victory.

Before the game started, Barkley thanked Gan Guoyang during warm-up: "Thank you, Forrest Gump, you always step up when I need help."

Gan Guoyang said, "No, I didn't do anything. I told you what to do, and you knew what to do after that. I was just reminding you."

"Thank you for reminding me, Sonny. I was extremely panicked at the time, and my family was also being hurt and affected by me. Fortunately, you reminded me, and I calmed down and chose to reconcile, which was the best choice."

"Even without my reminder, you would have understood someday, sooner or later. I just brought it a little earlier."

Gan Guoyang never boasted about his achievements to his friends, nor did he feel that he had given his friends much help.

He firmly believes in the principle of "helping others to help themselves." Others can only offer guidance and reminders; ultimately, a person has to rely on themselves to overcome difficulties.

Barkley added, "Sonny, I've decided to reconcile with my father."

Gan Guoyang raised an eyebrow and said, "I never agreed to reconcile with you. Tonight I'm going to beat you up."

“Fuck Sonny, I’m talking about my real father! Frank! Frank Barkley!”

"Oh really? Then what am I?"

"You're my godfather, I'm going to beat you up tonight, sorry."

Barkley boasted shamelessly. Gan Guoyang shook his head, thinking to himself that old habits die hard and this guy's big mouth was beyond saving.

Barkley did reconcile with his father, Frank, but according to Barkley himself, "I forgave him as a friend, as a man, not as a son. We are equals, we shook hands and made peace, and I no longer hold grudges against him, but that doesn't mean we've become a normal father and son. I'll bring him home to live with me. Oh no, we'll only keep in touch occasionally. I'll have him come to watch my games, I'll visit him, um, that's it."

Charles Barkley wanted to be a real man, a man who no longer needed a father to protect him psychologically; that's what little boys need.

He can take responsibility for himself, protect his family, be a support for everyone, and rely on himself instead of looking for a backer everywhere.

For a boy who is not yet psychologically mature, no matter how strong his body is or how weathered his appearance is, there will always be a missing piece in his heart.

These types of people often have a "father complex," and deep down they crave a strong, omnipotent father who will protect them, indulge them without limits, and support their every action.

They will seek protection everywhere, even if they are already very powerful, they still do not have enough confidence to bear failure alone.

If a person cannot handle failure, he will inevitably fail to achieve true success.

Because success is destined to be rare, while failure is the main theme, there are only one winner in a season out of more than 20 NBA teams.

Many teams are destined to have a failed season from the very beginning.

Even a big winner like Gan Guoyang inevitably encounters failure and has to find a way out in pain.

Of course, it's still uncertain whether Barkley has truly matured; he still has many challenges to face.

Tonight's home game against Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers is like a midterm exam.

The Suns, playing at home, were in high spirits. Although their unexpected loss to the New Jersey Nets ended their winning streak, it also gave the team a chance to rest.

With Barkley returning from suspension, the entire Suns team is eager to put on a good show in tonight's game against the Trail Blazers.

From the first quarter, the Suns displayed a strong offensive approach, with Kevin Johnson pushing the offensive pace quite fast.

To avoid the Trail Blazers' double-team defense as much as possible, Kevin Johnson was very decisive in passing and shooting, and he had a good touch at the start of the game.

Sam Bowie and Jerry West have built a solid defensive line in the Suns' paint, no longer the leaky three-second zone that West and Barkley used to create.

Bowie looks to be in great shape. He still has the ability to average 15+10 per game. He is obviously more muscular and his defense under the basket is still excellent.

He is one of the most experienced and skilled interior players in the entire league when it comes to defending Forrest Gump. Since his time with the Mavericks, he has always adhered to a strategy of half double-teaming and half one-on-one defense, and he has strictly followed it.

Bowie once said, "When facing Forrest Gump, you can't have the slightest emotional fluctuation. You have to be as calm as ice and execute the established strategies and procedures as strictly as a machine. Defend, call for help, and then devote some energy to helping defend the three-second zone. Never jump to block, never rush forward, always keep your hands up, and then leave the rest to luck."

"When he scores in a row, don't be discouraged; when he misses, don't be proud and think it's because you defended well. It's all up to fate, and that will have the best effect."

Bowie was once shattered by Gan Guoyang, his body and confidence were both broken, and he was beaten from the NCAA all the way to the NBA, he was no match for him.

But he persevered, becoming more and more courageous, and because of Forrest Gump, he had a goal and motivation to strive for success.

He wasn't as outstanding as people expected, but he improved himself and found his direction again after coming to the Sun.

In the first quarter, Gan Guoyang was surprisingly contained by a triple-team from the Suns.

The Suns' defensive strategy was to have Sam Bowie guard behind them, Barkley harass them, and West come over to form a triple team at any time.

Although Gan Guoyang can pass the ball to his teammates, Bowie can always turn around and protect the three-second zone, rendering the Trail Blazers' cuts and reverse runs ineffective.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers could only rely heavily on mid-range and long-range shots at the start of the game, and unfortunately, playing on the road meant everyone struggled with their shooting.

Bobby Bellman complained to the referees, "The ball was too hard tonight! And I suspect there's something wrong with their rim!"

Before the game, Bellman measured the air pressure of the ball, which was significantly higher than normal. The purpose was to make it easier for the shot to bounce off the rim.

Once the Suns grab a long rebound, they can quickly launch a counterattack, which gives them an early advantage on the court.

The referee then said to Berman, "You guys make the ball soft in Portland too, don't you?"

Bellman had nothing to say. When the Trail Blazers play at home, the air pressure is slightly lower, which is beneficial for the ball to bounce into the basket, as well as for grabbing offensive rebounds and slowing down the pace of the game.

The NBA is full of such tricks, and everyone knows how to use them. It will definitely be more difficult and arduous for the away team to win.

Throughout the first half, the Suns dominated the Trail Blazers on both ends of the court. They led by 7 points in the first quarter and by another 6 points in the second. At halftime, the score was 51-64, with the Suns leading the Trail Blazers by 13 points—the Trail Blazers' largest halftime deficit this season.

A score of 51 points was far too low, and allowing the opponent to score 64 points in two quarters was far too high. In the locker room, Bellman was furious and criticized the players for playing terribly.

"Although playing away is tough and there are many problems, that's no excuse for how badly you've played. We've already lost several games in a row!"

Since the All-Star break, the Trail Blazers have lost two of their four games, and it's clear that everyone has become a bit complacent, bringing their good momentum before the All-Star break to an abrupt end.

During this holiday, apart from Gan Guoyang and Sabonis going to Charlotte, the other players were either on vacation, recovering from injuries, or taking a break, all staying away from basketball.

As far as Berman knew, there was only one person who insisted on training at the training center during the holidays—Pelovic.

Everyone remained silent in the face of criticism; if Forrest Gump didn't speak, no one dared to say anything either.

Gan Guoyang believes that Berman is right; everyone did relax after the All-Star Game.

The unstoppable momentum of the 1990 season is unlikely to be found again.

Revenge can only happen once; after it's successful, ordinary life must go on.

For NBA players, finding passion in the mundane and monotonous regular season is just as difficult as a married man looking for fun.

In the past, Mitchell Thompson often made bets with Kenny Carr, and Vandeweghe and Drexler would drink coffee in the locker room, all to make their work less boring.

Gan Guoyang didn't pressure his teammates or yell in the locker room. He reassured Berman and told him to relax.

Before the start of the second half, Gan Guoyang said to everyone, "Charles said before the game that he was going to beat me up. If we lose this game, I'll lose face. So, I'll get my revenge in the third and fourth quarters. Just support me. This is a personal feud between Charles and me. Just relax, play good defense, and make the shots you're supposed to make, and that'll be OK. If we lose, it's my responsibility. I've been humiliated by Charles."

Gan Guoyang spoke casually, and everyone's attention was diverted to the "personal feud" between Gan Guoyang and Barkley.

As a result, the rest of the match became quite interesting.

Mitchell Thompson returned after the All-Star break, and in the second half he and rookie Antonio Davis made a $50 bet on who would score more points, Barkley or Gan Guoyang.

Barkley has already scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the first half, and he's aiming for 40+20 tonight.

Gan Guoyang only scored 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the first half, a mediocre performance.

Davis thought about it and decided to bet on Barkley.

Thompson smiled slightly and said, "Then I can only bet on Forrest Gump."

Young man, you are so young, you don't understand Forrest Gump's temperament at all.

Don't be fooled by his nonchalant tone; the second half is bound to be a raging storm.

After all, Forrest Gump had staked his pride on this, and he couldn't afford to lose this duel no matter what.

As expected, in the third quarter, Gan Guoyang began to take the lead in attacking, and he chose to avoid the three-man encirclement of the Suns.

He frequently opted to run pick-and-roll plays with Porter and Petrovic on the perimeter, then punished the Suns with mid-range and three-pointers.

Because the Trail Blazers had a poor shooting percentage tonight, the Suns tightened their defense heavily, specifically to target Agan.

In the second half, Gan Guoyang wanted to improve the team's shooting percentage, so he resolutely used shooting to attack the Suns.

Gan Guoyang's mid-range shot was extremely accurate. He once defeated the Lakers in a playoff series in 1988, which was his peak mid-range game.

In 89 and 90, his mid-range jump shot accuracy fluctuated, mainly because further muscle gain affected his feel for the shot.

This season, Gan Guoyang has increased the proportion of hook shots and post-up attacks in the paint, reduced the number of mid-range shots, and increased the number of three-pointers, achieving an overall ratio of 5:3:2.

His main shooting spots for mid-range and long-range shots have changed from the two corners to the top of the key and the 45-degree angle, in order to match the Princeton offense.

From this perspective, Gan Guoyang's tactical adaptability is really strong. He can give up two scoring sweet spots without hesitation, all for the sake of the tactical system.

With Gan Guoyang's high-flying shot finding its mark on the perimeter, consistently hitting mid-range and three-pointers, the Trail Blazers gradually closed the gap.

Sam Bowie knew he couldn't defend Forrest Gump's mid-range and long-range shooting; he vividly remembered the game where the Mavericks were overturned at home by Gump's super hot shooting.

So during the timeout, Bowie reminded Barkley, "Charles, Forrest is taking all his shots from the outside right now, you need to take care of him."

Barkley looked up at Bowie and said, "Me, go and handle Forrest Gump? Then what are you doing in the trade?"

Bowie said, "I can only deal with Forrest Gump inside, but he's going around our defense now, so the outside is up to you, Charles, boss!"

Barkley put his hands on his hips and thought for a while. It made sense. This cunning Forrest Gump was too accurate with his outside shooting. We couldn't let Kevin Johnson or Ainge defend him, could we?

"OK, I'll take care of Forrest Gump."

Despite saying that, Barkley was filled with unease.

After the timeout, when Gan Guoyang received the ball on the perimeter, Barkley guarded him one-on-one.

Gan Guoyang didn't try any fancy tricks with Barkley. He just used one move: handoff with Porter, pick and roll, cut to the outside, and then Porter passed back to Gan Guoyang, who would then catch the ball and shoot a jump shot.

Barkley is short, so his jump block can't effectively interfere with Gan Guoyang. Moreover, Gan Guoyang is very cunning; he leans slightly forward when shooting, taking up a lot of shooting space. If Barkley gets too close, it's a foul.

After being called for two shooting fouls, Barkley couldn't help but complain to the referee and received another technical foul—this series of fouls became the turning point of the game.

Gan Guoyang scored 24 points in the third quarter with a combination of field goals and free throws, helping the Trail Blazers take the lead. Entering the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers led the Suns 86-84 by 2 points.

In the fourth quarter, when the Suns were still focusing their defense on Gan Guoyang, they didn't expect that the other Trail Blazers players had recovered and their shots were gradually coming on.

Petrovic, Porter, and Sabonis all hit three-pointers in the fourth quarter. The Suns' defense was too focused on Gan Guoyang, which allowed them to exploit the opening.

The Trail Blazers launched a scoring run, widening the gap between themselves and the Suns.

Although the Suns, led by Barkley, struggled and narrowed the gap to just 2 points late in the fourth quarter.

But at the crucial moment, Petrovic, with Gan Guoyang's screen, drove into the basket and slammed a one-handed dunk over Sam Bowie!

Petrovic rarely dunks, but he came alive in the final moments tonight, helping the Trail Blazers take a four-point lead.

After the Suns called a timeout, Barkley had the ball and faced off against Agan in a Cavaliers-style game. Barkley made a wrong choice: he stepped back and shot a three-pointer.

He wanted to catch up quickly, but he overlooked his poor shooting percentage. Even Forrest Gump rarely used this difficult technique because he wasn't confident enough.

The Suns' home court ball, fully inflated and hard-hitting, didn't fall into the net. It hit the rim and, because it was too inflated, didn't bounce into the basket. Instead, it bounced far away, becoming a long backboard.

Sabonis grabbed the rebound and passed it to Reggie Lewis, who was running down the court. Lewis had no space in front of him and easily dunked the ball!

This shot sealed the victory for the Trail Blazers, who defeated the recently strong Phoenix Suns 117-111 on the road, securing their position as the top team in the Western Conference.

Charles Barkley accepted his defeat after the game, saying, "I didn't do well. I didn't guard Forrest Gump and I couldn't break through his defense, but next time, next time I will definitely win."

Barkley scored 36 points tonight, while Gan Guoyang racked up 45 points. In terms of scoring explosiveness, few can rival Gan Guoyang.

Mitchell Thompson received $50 from Antonio Davis and laughed, "You're hard to lose when you bet on Forrest Gump. We should offer odds from now on, otherwise it's not fair. If Barkley wins tonight, I should give you... $500."

Antonio Davis replied, "Then I'll bet on Charles Barkley next time."

"Then you can forget about ever winning money from me in your entire life."

(End of this chapter)