The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 683 Higher and farther places

Before Game 6 between the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns, Gan Guoyang made a phone call to Stockton.

The two didn't talk about the Western Conference Finals, but instead discussed the Olympics.

Stockton received two pieces of information: one was that the Olympic training camp would be held in La Jolla, Southern California.

The training camp was held right after the finals, which was a very tight schedule because they were going to participate in the 1992 Americas Championship afterwards.

The championships are over, and the Olympics will begin in July.

Gan Guoyang has maintained contact with the Chinese national team for the past two years.

After the defeat at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the Chinese men's basketball team underwent a major overhaul.

From the head coach to the core players, everything was changed, and Coach Qian Chenghai left his coaching position.

Coach Sun Bang, who succeeded Qian Chenghai, also withdrew due to injury, and the young Jiang Xingquan became the coach of the Chinese national team at the 1992 Olympics.

Jiang Xingquan is a coach who practices the "three from one big standard" and "training with strictness, difficulty, and practicality, and high training volume". His training methods are too much for many older players to handle.

Taking this opportunity, the national team eliminated a group of older players who were in decline and added young, fresh blood.

Among them are promising young talents such as Sun Fengwu, Hu Weidong, Sun Jun, Gong Xiaobin, Wu Qinglong, Shan Tao, Ma Jian, Adijiang, and Li Chunjiang.

These young Chinese players will become crucial figures in the development of Chinese basketball over the next 10 years and even the next few decades.

Gan Guoyang really wants to bring this group of players to Portland for a period of training before the Olympics.

Let them experience the world's most advanced and scientific basketball training methods. This FIBA ​​Americas Championship is being held in Portland, so it's a good opportunity for Chinese players to experience the intensity of the American team firsthand.

Young people are at the age when they are open to new things. Experiencing higher and better training levels and witnessing the world's best basketball teams early on can plant a seed in their hearts and set a benchmark for them.

Of course, even if he doesn't come to the United States for training, Gan Guoyang has already become a role model in the hearts of Chinese basketball players, and everyone is looking forward to his arrival.

The second piece of news is that yesterday the US organizing committee finalized the selection of the men's basketball team for the Olympics: they chose Drexler.

Drexler's selection means that Isaiah Thomas has no chance at all.

Gan Guoyang was very happy that Clyde could participate in the Olympics, as he had gained another acquaintance.

Stockton was still a little worried about the Olympics, and he asked Forrest Gump, "I won't be eliminated after training camp, will I?"

"Don't be so anxious, John. You'll be participating in the Olympics, and so will I."

Shortly after making the call, Stockton packed his things and left Salt Lake City for Phoenix for a crucial game that would determine whether he could advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Jazz have experienced too many ups and downs in recent years. Being in a small city and without any big-name free agents, it's difficult for them to even get a nationally televised game throughout the season.

After Jerry Sloan took over, the team always performed well in the regular season, but faltered in the playoffs, getting upset by their opponents and being eliminated in the first round.

However, because the city is small and receives less media attention, the whole team remained calm and composed. They thought, "If we lose this year, we'll try again next year. If we don't succeed next year, we'll try the year after."

Moreover, like the Trail Blazers, the Jazz are the only team in the entire state of Utah, so they will never lack support regardless of how well or poorly they play.

Larry Miller is a good owner. He is never short-sighted and gives players, coaches, and management ample time and support.

In his fourth season coaching the Jazz, Sloan's Flex-offense offensive core, combined with the UCLA system's outer shell, became increasingly sophisticated.

The arrival of Jeff Malone in the 1990-1991 season provided the Jazz with the unstoppable firepower they had long lacked at the wing and guard positions.

Center Mark Eaton has declined significantly and is in the twilight of his career, but he still manages to provide 2.5 blocks per game.

Backup center Mike Brown delivered the best performance of his career. Despite his short stature, Brown possesses exceptional strength and agility, making him one of the best low-post defenders in the league.

Stockton and Malone remained as steady as ever; they were already the most consistent and well-coordinated offensive duo in the league.

On the Suns' side, Charles Barkley certainly didn't want to hand over the series victory to the Jazz; he was determined to reach the Western Conference Finals and avenge his loss to Forrest Gump.

However, the Suns are not in the same form as last year. Sam Bowie has been plagued by injuries and has been playing intermittently. Without his solid protection under the basket, the Suns' interior defense problems have been magnified.

Barkley himself has encountered a lot of trouble in his life: the troubles have never stopped since he became famous.

He and his wife Maureen became embroiled in divorce rumors after appearing on a television program for an interview.

Before the playoffs began, the media reported extensively that the couple had separated, and that Charles had been kicked out of his home by his wife and was living in a suite at the Phoenix Grand Hotel.

In the 90s, news media paid increasing attention to the private affairs and scandals of celebrities, sparing no effort to track, dig, and even fabricate and slander them, all for the sake of ratings.

The Suns' bigger problem is that their roster hasn't seen any substantial improvement compared to last season, and head coach Fitzsimmons is gradually losing the trust of management and the support of the players.

Fitzsimmons sensed that this might be his last season with the Suns, and the entire team was waiting for the season to end, hoping for new and significant changes next season.

On May 16th, the Utah Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns 108-100 on the road, advancing to the Western Conference Finals to face the Portland Trail Blazers.

Compared to Game 5, Stockton appeared quite calm after tonight's away win.

After a brief celebration with his teammates, he jogged back to the locker room and sat down in front of his locker, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

At that moment, he really wanted to call Forrest Gump, and he was sure Forrest Gump was watching the game live on TV.

Reporters crowded into the away locker room to interview the Jazz players. Stockton, as always, was reserved in front of the cameras, saying some polite things.

In fact, he was already bursting with excitement. They had finally made it to the Western Conference Finals and could finally compete against Forrest Gump.

The cell phone in the locker rang, and Stockton interrupted the reporter's interview, taking the phone out of his bag. He was certain it was Forrest Gump calling.

“I’m Sonny.” “I know it’s you, the game is over.”

"Congratulations, John. Tell Carl to wash his ass and wait for me."

"Hahaha... You won't beat me that easily, Sonny."

“You know I’ll beat John, I won’t hold back… Come to Portland the day after tomorrow, have dinner at my house, and bring Nada and your son.”

"I'd better not go. We're rivals, and I'm afraid it will affect the game."

"It won't have any impact; the outcome won't change because of a meal."

Stockton didn't say Gan Guoyang was arrogant. After knowing each other for so many years, Stockton knew Gan's strength better than anyone.

No team in the entire Western Conference could challenge the Trail Blazers, just like in the early to mid-80s when no team could challenge the Lakers; the gap in strength was immense.

This became even more pronounced in the 90s as the league's talent pool was diluted by new teams.

The Trail Blazers capitalized on their favorable draft pick, Forrest Gump, and the benefits of the European draft to establish absolute dominance.

Just look at the age structure of the Trail Blazers' core players; none of them are over 30 years old, including the starters and key reserves.

They are all around 27 or 28 years old, which is the peak age for athletes. Players like Lewis and Petrovic are still on the rise.

The Jazz are a tough and tenacious team, but there is a significant gap in overall strength between the two sides, a fact that Stockton is well aware of.

After some hesitation, and with the persuasion of his wife Nada, he agreed to visit Forrest Gump's home before the Western Conference Finals.

Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi warmly hosted the Stockton family. Their friendship, which began in college and has lasted to this day, is truly remarkable.

Also present at the dinner were Bobby Bellman and the coaching staff of the Gonzaga University basketball team—Coach Fitzgerald, Coach Deron, and others who are still teaching at the university.

Compared to the frequent turnover of staff in professional sports, the jobs of college coaches are indeed much more stable, especially for coaches from non-elite universities, who only need to do their jobs adequately.

If one day you get incredibly lucky and find a gem, have an amazing season, you could live off that experience until retirement.

Almost 10 years have passed since Gan Guoyang and Stockton led the team to a miraculous NCAA championship. Apart from making it to the NCAA national championship twice, Gonzaga University has not achieved anything new.

For the past few years, they have been in the upper-middle position in the WCC league, performing well every season, but always falling just short of the national championships.

Compared to when he recruited Gan Guoyang many years ago, Fitz looks older and thinner, but his smile is as wild as ever. He likes to joke with everyone and has a bad temper.

When the NCAA season ended in April, Gonzaga still failed to qualify for the national championships. It is said that during halftime of a crucial game, Fitzgerald threw a pizza box into the air because the team's performance in the first half was too poor.

The pizza in the box floated out and landed on the head of a freshman. Everyone wanted to laugh but dared not. Then, in the second half, the whole team fought hard to catch up and won the game.

At the dinner table, everyone laughed heartily when they talked about it. Their relationship remained strong, and there was no estrangement caused by the change in their status. They were all very genuine people.

During dessert time, Gan Guoyang took Stockton to his secret basketball base, where the two played basketball together for a while, practicing their teamwork like they did in college.

Gan Guoyang set a screen for Stockton, then cut to the basket and received a bounce pass from Stockton before easily dunking the ball inside.

Compared to his college days, Stockton's passing skills are more refined, Gan Guoyang's cuts to the basket are more natural, and dunks come easily to him.

Besides Gan Guoyang setting screens for Stockton, Stockton can also set screens for Gan Guoyang. Stockton can stand in front of Gan Guoyang to "screen" the shot, and Gan Guoyang can cut out and take a three-pointer.

The two don't need much communication; a simple exchange is enough for them to know what to do next and what path to take.

There were no defensive players on the field, but the formation was in their minds, and they made every move with precision, as if they were really playing a game.

Stockton could clearly sense that Gan Guoyang's positioning was so precise and his ball-receiving so smooth that Karl Malone could not compare.

Malone's playstyle is relatively simple, with a few dedicated sweet spot positions. He excels at initiating offense from the left side of the court, and most of their pick-and-rolls originate from the left wing.

Gan Guoyang is very well-rounded and can run pick-and-roll plays from anywhere on the court, including outside the three-point line, where he is very accurate from three-point range.

Malone's finishing moves are basically limited to driving in for a dunk, a layup, and a mid-range cut to the outside; he doesn't have many other options, it's simple and brutal.

Gan Guoyang is different. His offense is elegant, beautiful, and free. He can drive to the basket and shoot, lay up, dunk, or hook shot.

In his basketball movement dictionary, the word "stiff" will never exist. He is as vast as the ocean, and everything he does is natural and effortless.

If the pick-and-roll between Malone and Stockton is like a meticulously crafted calligraphy model, honed through years of hard work, then the collaboration between Gan Guoyang and Stockton is like a masterpiece born of nature, a stroke of genius.

Their teamwork in college was still quite immature and unskilled, but after years of honing their skills in the NBA, they have both become masters in their respective fields.

Although they have never played together on the field and rarely train in private, their natural chemistry has only grown stronger over time, like fine wine.

After they both broke a slight sweat, Gan Guoyang asked Stockton, "John, do you think I can still improve?"

Stockton stopped, put down the ball, and said, "How much more do you want to improve? Do you want to raise your shooting percentage to 70%?"

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "No, shooting percentage shouldn't be what I'm pursuing. Blindly pursuing a certain statistic will make a person's playing style increasingly narrow. For example, in order to improve shooting percentage, you will give up some difficult shots and some opportunities to win big with small stakes. That's not how you play basketball. To be honest, I don't know John either. I always feel... there's something higher and farther waiting for me."

Hearing Gan Guoyang say this, Stockton knew that Forrest Gump wasn't faking it; he was genuinely confused.

Stockton knew Gan Guoyang; this guy was never one to overthink things when it came to basketball.

He relied on his instincts, loved practice, and dominated the era with his exceptional talent and unique competitive instincts.

If this guy starts to feel confused, it means he's genuinely confused, not just whining, but has a real new idea.

Stockton was very honest with Gan Guoyang, saying, "Sonny, at your level, there is no one else but you. So no one can answer your question about that higher, farther place; only you can sense it. No one else will ever perceive it, never."

(End of this chapter)