The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 677 The Moon
The game between the Trail Blazers and the Hornets was not much of a surprise, with the strong and in-form Portland Trail Blazers maintaining their dominance over the Hornets throughout.

The Hornets played very hard, but the gap in talent and strength could not be bridged by hard work and home-court advantage, and they could not find a way to break the deadlock.

In particular, Larry Johnson was firmly contained by Gan Guoyang, and the Hornets struggled to respond when the Trail Blazers tightened their defense and increased their pace.

They can only catch their breath during the few minutes the Trail Blazers relax or when they rotate their second unit, scoring a few points to prevent the team from losing too badly.

As the game was drawing to a close, Larry Johnson felt dizzy, disoriented, and questioning his existence.

He believed he knew Forrest Gump well, having watched his games since high school and learned the skills of this top center through live television broadcasts.

Only after the actual fight tonight did he understand and realize how huge the gap was between them, how vast the chasm was.

Gan Guoyang's meticulous attention to detail and pursuit of the game's atmosphere allowed Larry Johnson to see a world far removed from his own.

In four quarters, Gan Guoyang scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, which isn't a particularly impressive statistic for him.

Sabonis scored a game-high 31 points, his towering height leaving the smaller Hornets players helpless.

Larry Johnson only scored 12 points, and he struggled to compete with Gan Guoyang in one-on-one offensive and defensive battles.

His once-proud physique was no longer an advantage against Forrest Gump. What he needed more at that moment was skill, wisdom, and sufficient experience.

In this respect, Charles Barkley is better than Larry Johnson. The fat man's technique is more refined and his experience is richer, which can sometimes make Gan Guoyang suffer.

After the game, Larry Johnson shook hands and hugged his idol. At the post-game press conference, Larry Johnson honestly said, "Forrest Gump is even better than I imagined. I am no match for him at all. I still have a very, very long way to go."

Rookie Johnson was no match for Gan Guoyang. At this moment, Gan Guoyang had already reached the gate of the new world, leaving everyone else far behind. Only Jordan could see his back.

Through long-term training and competition, and the accumulation of experience, skills, and emotions, Gan Guoyang has reached the boundary of the "selflessness realm".

In the NBA, being able to play with your brain, rather than relying on instinct and habit, already puts you ahead of the game.

Gan Guoyang no longer uses his brain; he doesn't need to think. He has internalized everything about basketball into his subconscious.

He's like a black box with an extremely fast reaction speed. This black box contains all the answers about basketball, and when a question arises, it can react immediately and provide the optimal solution.

On his flight from Charlotte to Miami, Gan Guoyang sat in his seat with his eyes closed, reminiscing about his high school days when he trained at the YMCA gym in Chinatown.

The gymnasium had a basketball court on the first floor and a martial arts dojo on the second floor. Back then, Korean Heo Hoon often practiced martial arts on the second floor, and Gan Guoyang would sometimes join him.

It was around that time that Gan Guoyang became interested in wrestling, boxing, and other martial arts. His goal wasn't to fight, but rather to discover that these martial arts could improve his flexibility, balance, and fighting ability, which would be very helpful for playing basketball.

Xu Xun was a Bruce Lee fan. Back then, he often told Gan Guoyang, "You have to use your senses to punch, not your thoughts. By the time you start thinking, it's already too late."

"It's like pointing at the moon with your finger, but you can't focus on your finger, or you'll miss all the moonlight."

At the time, Gan Guoyang didn't believe Xu Xun's nonsense and laughed out loud. Then, whether it was fighting or basketball, he could beat this Korean kid to a pulp.

Xu Xun would always scratch his head and say that he could never reach that level, but one day Forrest Gump could.

Gan Guoyang hadn't taken it to heart until today, when he finally realized it.

Gan Guoyang opened his eyes and opened the window shade. The plane was flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

The bright yellow moon hung in the distance, shrouded in layers of hazy lunar halos, turning the surrounding dark sky a deep blue.

Gan Guoyang thought of Xu Xun again. After graduating from high school, he went to Los Angeles with his father. A few years ago, Xu Xun appeared at a basketball team reunion of Beiqiao Middle School. At that time, he had given up basketball and martial arts and was preparing to inherit the family's Korean restaurant.

As Gan Guoyang became famous throughout the United States and gradually became a basketball hero, other classmates flocked to him, but Xu Xun disappeared without a trace.

Gan Guoyang sent Gan Guohui to Los Angeles to inquire about the situation. Gan Guohui said that Xu Xun had opened a new Korean restaurant in Koreatown, married, had children, and was living a normal life.

As for the championship in high school, that was the most beautiful memory of my life, but it's all in the past now, so let it remain in my memory.

Gan Guoyang immediately realized that the gap between him and his classmates like Xu Xun was now too big. Wherever he went, he was in the media spotlight and had a lot of exposure.

For some classmates who just want to live a peaceful life like ordinary people, forcing them to get together will only cause them trouble.

So over the years, he hadn't bothered his old classmate, but when his basketball skills were about to reach a new level, he suddenly remembered him.

What he once said might actually be true; aren't his own words exactly the same as Larry Johnson's?

As Gan Guoyang thought this, he looked out the window at the moon, which shone incredibly brightly in the thin, frigid stratosphere.
-

The games in Miami and Orlando were equally easy.

Orlando goes without saying; for Gan Guoyang, the scariest thing there wasn't the Magic, but the roller coasters at Disney.

This time, everyone was going to Disneyland, but Gan Guoyang simply pretended to be sick, saying he had diarrhea, and hid in the hotel instead of going, thus avoiding trouble.

Upon arriving in Miami, Gan Guoyang met up with his former coach, Jack Ram.

Compared to when he was a coach for the Trail Blazers, Ramsey has less hair, but his face looks much kinder.

He thrived as a commentator, free from the pressure of being a head coach, and could fully enjoy the game.

When Ramsey saw Gan Guoyang, he held his arm tightly and looked his most prized disciple up and down with loving eyes.

"Sonny, I never thought you could get even better. Watching your game is a real treat for me."

"Jack, are you regretting retiring so early? If you were here, you could definitely have a couple more rings."

Gan Guoyang's words completely disregarded Bobby Bellman, implying that he could win championships no matter who was coaching him.

Ramsey laughed and said, "You're underestimating Bobby's role. He's a great coach, in his prime, and full of ideas. Let me tell you a secret: Pat has been secretly learning from Bobby, trying to get his data analysis methods and software."

Gan Guoyang scoffed dismissively, saying, "What secret is that? Riley, that thief, has been stealing players from Portland all along. Inman, Spoelstra, Clyde, and you—they've all been stolen! I thought you'd be an assistant coach for the Heat, but if that's the case, I won't have dinner with you." Jack Ramsey shook his head, saying, "Why would a championship-winning coach like me be an assistant coach for a defeated team? I just want to find a place to retire and enjoy watching basketball. I don't want to be under pressure anymore; it's making me age too quickly. But with Riley around, the Heat's rise is only a matter of time. I recently heard they're talking about trading Olajuwon, which is undoubtedly aimed at you."

Gan Guoyang has recently heard the rumors about the Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon.

After the last game between the two teams, Hakeem Olajuwon strained his hamstring. The Rockets believed that Olajuwon was faking his injury to blackmail them into changing his contract. Olajuwon insisted that he was really injured and refused to play.

When Hakeem Olajuwon called him and said, "You're right," Gan Guoyang knew that Olajuwon might really be leaving.

Anyway, the Houston Rockets are really not an attractive team. From the owner to the fans to the management, they all exude a cold-heartedness.

Gan Guoyang just didn't know where Olajuwon would go. If he really went to Miami, the Heat would rise rapidly and become a strong challenger for the championship.

“It’s okay. If Hakeem comes to Miami, the first person to worry about will be Jordan, not me.”

The Heat are in the East, after all. If Hakeem Olajuwon moves to the East, Jordan will have to face the two former powerhouses of the University of Houston in the playoffs.

If Jordan can't get past the Heat, he can forget about facing the Trail Blazers in the Finals.

Of course, it will not be easy for Gan Guoyang to face Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in the Finals.

Riley has been plotting revenge against the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang ever since 1988.

He took it one step at a time, trying to dismantle the Trail Blazers, trying to rebuild a new basketball empire on the South Coast, trying to assemble a strong roster to counter the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump.

Over the past few years, he has been patient and low-key, building the Heat step by step, brick by brick. Now it's finally time to go all in and make a big splash.

Of course, Riley is not only building the Heat's roster, but more importantly, he is shaping the Heat's team culture, which is more important than the roster on paper.

Before the game, Jack Ramsey reminded Gan Guoyang that the Heat would definitely be a formidable opponent in the future, as they were becoming increasingly better and more aggressive.

This season, the Heat have successfully entered the playoffs, and their last victory over the Trail Blazers in Portland is enough to prove their formidable strength.

Returning to Miami, the Heat will certainly want to win another game at home to complete a double sweep of the Trail Blazers.

However, before the game started, Gan Guoyang, who had learned of the rumors, began to launch a psychological attack on the Heat.

During the jump ball at center court, Gan Guoyang pointed at the Heat's starting five and said, "Besides Clyde, I don't know which of you will be traded to Houston. I advise you to prepare to smell horse manure."

The Heat players were certainly aware of the rumors surrounding Hakeem Olajuwon.

Although the trade deadline for this season has passed, once summer arrives, the Heat will definitely put everyone except Drexler on the trading block in order to acquire Hakeem Olajuwon.

Although Riley has consistently emphasized that the goal is to finish the season and strive to reach the second round of the playoffs.

However, trade rumors can damage team morale. If the trade goes through, great; if it doesn't, it's a double loss.

Riley, who was on the sidelines, heard Gan Guoyang's words and turned ashen with anger. He wondered how this guy knew about the trade rumors.
Someone within the Heat must have leaked the information to him.

However, there was no other way. Riley poached a lot of players from the Trail Blazers to the Heat. The advantage was that he could uncover a lot of information about the Trail Blazers.

However, this group of people will also leak Heat information to the Trail Blazers, profiting from both sides; there's no way around it.

Gan Guoyang has always had a good relationship with the veteran employees of the Trail Blazers, and Inman is a hidden loyal fan of Forrest Gump (Riley is actually one too).

Riley has to consider that if a championship-contending roster is formed in the future, he will have to ruthlessly purge a group of employees he poached from the Trail Blazers.

For the championship, for revenge, Riley would absolutely do it.

Since the start of this season, Riley has been implementing a strategy that prohibits players from getting too close to team staff.

Riley did not want to build a family-style team culture, believing that at this stage of the NBA's development, family-style teams would inevitably be eliminated.

The kind of close-knit team that starts with a junior employee and gradually promotes them to manager is outdated.

The NBA has become a commercial league where capital and efficiency are paramount. Family-run teams will ultimately lead to nepotism and a lack of talent selection, forcing reforms in the end.

To achieve this effect, Riley prohibited staff and players from having frequent private contact within the team.

Some time ago, he even fired a marketing staff member who had a good relationship with the players, as a warning to others.

Riley's decisive, even ruthless, methods, besides improving efficiency and reducing emotional interference, also serve another important purpose:
He wanted to make the players emotionally dependent on him alone, to maintain tight control over the Heat, and to demand that the players be loyal to him alone.

He didn't want anyone else to affect his control over the players, and thus his ability to exert influence over them.

The current Heat are highly disciplined and physically demanding. Riley demands a spirit of sacrifice from everyone. He is adept at stirring up players' emotions, squeezing their potential, and making them willingly engage in intense physical battles—bad for the players' bodies.

However, Riley's control was almost completely shattered tonight by Gan Guoyang's trash talk.

During the game, Gan Guoyang kept trying to persuade and brainwash the Heat players, saying things like, "Riley is going to trade you guys, why are you taking it so seriously?" "Don't get injured, staying healthy is the most important thing right now," "Try to get a good contract," and "You earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, why are you risking your life?"

Riley stood on the sidelines, his face turning ashen with anger, but there was nothing he could do.

The trade rumors just started to spread, which completely demoralized the Heat.

The Trail Blazers easily suppressed the Heat, with Gan Guoyang scoring 47 points while grumbling, leading his team to a crushing victory over the Heat.

At the end of the game, Gan Guoyang said to Riley, "Pat, I look forward to you assembling a super team to challenge me again. I'll be waiting for you in Portland. Don't keep me waiting too long."

Riley gave a forced smile, then angrily left the court and returned to the locker room, where he punched the whiteboard. The pain made him much more rational.

This season is probably over, but next season, I must get my revenge, I must, Riley vowed silently.

(End of this chapter)