The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 689 Layers
When I started writing "SLAMDUNK", I had two wishes: one was to go to the United States to watch the NBA Finals under the guise of gathering material, and the other was to go to Barcelona to watch the Olympic basketball games.

I am so grateful that both of my wishes came true. In Portland, I was lucky enough to get Forrest Gump's autograph. Surprisingly, he was actually reading my comics and wrote a comment saying, "This is a good work. Keep updating." I feel like I'm dreaming.

Now I only have one wish left: I want to see the Japanese basketball team participate in the Olympics, and I wonder what will happen to the kids who watched SlamDunk grow up and start playing basketball... I almost cried.

—Author's comment on the cover of Slam Dunk Volume 9, 1992, by Takehiko Inoue, excerpt.

June 8th, the third game between the Trail Blazers and the Bulls, at the Rose Garden Arena.

Before the match, Gan Guoyang was preparing in the locker room, while the others were either listening to music, chatting, or watching videos.

Gan Guoyang was reading a comic book. He was engrossed in reading "Slam Dunk," which his father had bought for his grandson.

The familiar scene brought out many fragments hidden deep in Gan Guoyang's memory, those memories related to basketball and youth.

When Gan Guoyang received this comic book from Gan Youwei yesterday, he suddenly realized what had been holding him back all along.

从1981年到1992年，他来到这个时空已经整整11年，他成为了一个60年代生，成长在80、90年代的人。

He played basketball for 11 years, receiving training and playing games of this era. He has always been at the forefront and is a trendsetter of the times.

Being a trailblazer is exhausting. There are always people following behind, which makes him anxious. He wants to break through, but he doesn't know how long or far the road ahead is.

But did he really not know? No, he did know, but over a long period of time he was forgetting—not his memory, but his body.

His muscle memory belongs to the 1980s and 1990s because his training and competitions have always been in the 80s and 90s.

People said he wasn't like a center of this era, but in the end, he still became a representative of this era.

In fact, many of the ideas in his mind do not belong to this era; they are ahead of their time, and he can see the future.

No one can know his deepest thoughts. In some areas, he fights alone, and in the end, he forgets himself.

He led the trend of the times. He could shoot three-pointers and had outside shooting skills, but he was only one step ahead. But could he really only be one step ahead?

He has an advantage in technology, but what truly sets him apart is his mindset.

Berman's efficiency philosophy is already ahead of other teams, but Gan Guoyang believes it's not enough.

Efficiency is cold, hard data. In the playoffs, in crucial decisive battles, obsessing over efficiency will lead to defeat.

What is the true philosophy of the future of basketball?
In fact, Gan Guoyang already knew in his heart that it was what Dr. James Naismith, the founder of basketball, said: "The ultimate basketball game is to start the attack no matter where the ball is, from where you get the ball."

Dr. Naismith possessed a profound vision; when basketball was still an immature sport, and even shortly after he invented it, he glimpsed its essence:
It's about offense, about scoring, and everything else revolves around that, including defense.

In the course of its development, basketball has inevitably been divided into two schools: offense and defense. The extreme offensive school, like Doug Mo and Westhead, emphasizes offense to the extreme, with freedom, speed, and crazy scoring, even to a certain extent abandoning defense.

Extreme defensive players, like Larry Brown, and the defensive coaches who are now taking control of the NBA, have elevated defense to an unprecedented level, weaving elaborate traps that make it difficult for opponents to advance and for every point to be scored.

For a long time, the defensive style dominated, the offensive style won the audience, and the defensive style won the victories and championships.

According to well-known basketball experts and commentators, Gan Guoyang's greatest strength and most amazing feature is his defense.

The league's average points per game are decreasing year by year and will shrink to around 90 points by the beginning of the 21st century, making defense increasingly important.

But that's only temporary. Offense and defense are in balance, like the moon waxing and waning, eventually reaching a state of equilibrium.

By 2011, the basketball world had reached a critical point of change, and that summer, Gan Guoyang sensed the coming of a new world.

Moreover, no matter how extreme the defense is, you still need to score points to win the game in the end; offense is always the main theme.

Therefore, an ultimate player must start thinking about your attack the moment you get the ball.

The offensive mode will be activated the moment the ball crosses half-court, instead of leaving the opponent waiting near the three-second zone.

If you dare to wait, I'll make you pay the price. Long-range shots, passes, breakthroughs—every choice is to get the ball into the basket better.

Even when you're on defense, you should be thinking about offense. What kind of block can make a fast break quicker? What kind of rebound can make a fast break smoother? Is my defense in this position beneficial for my fast break?
The two are seamlessly integrated. The court should be considered as a whole. Every step, every pass, and every attack should incorporate offensive thinking, allowing pressure to seep into the opponent's defense little by little, like holes in a dam. Eventually, when the dam breaks, the overwhelming flood will dismantle any solid defense.

Gan Guoyang has done this before; he has played many beautiful and surprising matches.

He used his three-pointers to defeat the Lakers and Bulls, and scored 81 points with his amazing outside shooting skills, which amazed everyone.

He himself was unaware that he was not allowing his subconscious to enter his rational mind, which was something that troubled him.

It's such a small thing, even a fool could quickly understand this principle and not confine himself, but sometimes people are trapped by their own thoughts and hesitate.

At this point, people always hope to achieve a qualitative change through technology and hard work, but the moment of qualitative change still requires a shift in thinking.

Turn around, face the sea, and spring is in full bloom.

With a "snap," Gan Guoyang closed the comic book in his hand.

It's time to make my appearance.
-

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Bill Shawnley, and I'm happy to bring you the 1992 NBA Finals, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Chicago Bulls..."

Bill Shawnley's voice once again echoed throughout Oregon, as Trail Blazers fans nervously awaited Game 3 of the Finals on television and radio.

Trailing 0-2 in the series, the Trail Blazers are facing the most critical situation in their Finals history in eight years, which is enough to show how difficult it will be to win a second three-peat.

At the Rose Garden Arena, the fans were as enthusiastic as ever. Tonight, Tang Jianguo spent money to give every fan in the arena a red T-shirt.

Before the match started, the stands were covered in red, making the stadium feel oppressive and frenzied. The large areas of red resembled blood or the capes of matadors.

The Chicago Bulls were prepared for a fierce comeback from the Trail Blazers. Jordan knew that Forrest Gump wouldn't fall behind 0-3 so easily.

Game 3 will be very tough, but the Bulls will not give up the victory easily. Just like in last year's Finals, the Bulls' goal is to win at least one of the three away games.

Winning the championship in Portland would be ideal, but winning it back in Chicago would also be a very good option. The 2-0 lead gave the whole team confidence and morale.

"Tonight, no matter what kind of defense we encounter, or how rough the competition is, we must hold on and give them a powerful response!"

Phil Jackson loudly reminded each player after the entrance ceremony.

They learned from last season's lessons and are determined not to let the Trail Blazers suppress them physically and mentally this season.

When coming to Portland, Jackson stipulated that no player was allowed to bring family or friends; they had to come alone.

He didn't want the players to be distracted in any way, so they could win the championship and then go home to celebrate with their parents and friends.

The Bulls were indeed united in their efforts, and Jordan rubbed his hands, which were covered in magnesium powder, feeling a little uneasy.

During this playoff run, he lost contact with Forrest Gump again, and now he really wants to know what Forrest Gump is thinking.

Will he give up? Or will he grit his teeth and be determined to turn things around, or will he score 60 points tonight?
"No way," Jordan thought to himself. "If Forrest Gump wants to score 60 points, he'll definitely score 60 points in return."

But is that really what Gan Guoyang thinks?

One fact is that this season, Jordan and Gan Guoyang have grown further and further apart, and are increasingly unable to understand each other.

Even if Gan Guoyang helped Jordan out because of gambling, the two could never go back to how they were in their early twenties. The rift wouldn't disappear overnight, especially since they were still each other's biggest rivals.

Gan Guoyang made his entrance amidst captivating music and cheers from the crowd, his expression remaining indifferent, leaving both his opponents and teammates unable to discern what he was truly thinking.

Equally puzzling was the Trail Blazers' starting lineup tonight: Jerome Kersey was not in the starting five, and Petrovic was replaced instead.

This meant that Reggie Lewis was moved up to the small forward position, while Gan Guoyang moved to the power forward position, so Sabonis became the player standing in front of Cartwright during the jump ball at center circle.

Gan Guoyang played center for most of the season and the entire Western Conference series. In Game 3 of the Finals, he gave up the center position to Sabonis and returned to power forward. Phil Jackson noticed this change and wondered what Bobby Bellman's intention was.
It might be to strengthen Agan's defensive control on the perimeter, or to unleash his offensive potential at the power forward position and use high-scoring bursts to crush the Bulls.

Regardless of the situation, Jackson has a solution. This time, the Bulls coaching staff made very, very thorough preparations, including the lessons learned from being crushed by Agan in the two regular season games.

But what Jackson didn't know was that it wasn't Bobby Bellman who made the adjustment, but rather Forrest Gump who requested it before the game started; Bellman and Kossie were simply following orders.

Amidst deafening shouts, the two sides jumped for the ball, and Game 3, which would determine the course of the series, began.

Sabonis passed the ball to Porter, giving the Trail Blazers possession.

According to the procedure, both sides will land in their positions and engage in fierce positional warfare.

The first two matches were even more intense than those in 1991, especially the second match.

The intensity and drama were off the charts, setting a new viewership record for the finals.

Porter slowly dribbled the ball across half-court with his backside sticking out. The Bulls' defense against Porter in the first two games was quite successful.

The Bulls' best perimeter double-teaming in the entire league made it very difficult for Porter, preventing him from scoring 40+ points in a game like he did against Stockton in the Western Conference Finals.

At this point, Sabonis is in the low post. According to the usual tactics, Gan Guoyang would come to the high post to receive the ball and facilitate, and the Trail Blazers would run a Princeton Drive.

Buck Williams or Pippen will definitely stick close to Gan Guoyang, not giving him a chance to launch a surprise three-pointer. Gan Guoyang's three-pointer from the top of the arc is deadly.

Williams kept his eyes fixed on Gan Guoyang, and Gan Guoyang indeed went around to the top of the arc to receive the ball, and Williams immediately closed in.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang turned around, made a clever dribbling step back, and then suddenly accelerated, driving directly into the three-second zone from the middle!
A very sudden dribble drive, very fast, with extremely long strides, the ball faster than the player, the player chasing after the ball, and in two steps, he broke into the basket.

Before Cartwright could even react, Gan Guoyang had already soared into the sky and slammed home a one-handed dunk!
The Bulls' defense was very tight, but there were gaps at the top in their defense against Gan Guoyang's three-pointers.

Gan Guoyang exploited this very vulnerability like a knife, successfully breaking through.

Fast, extremely fast, explosive, rapid pace, unexpectedly fast.

The only player on the court faster than Gan Guoyang was Michael Jordan.

But Jordan knew he wouldn't play so aggressively; he was a guard, and he needed to avoid being blocked by tall centers.

Gan Guoyang didn't need that; he was a spear that pierced straight into the bull's heart.

Phil Jackson stood up; this was only the first offensive play, but he had a bad feeling.

The Bulls continued with their steady triangle offense, with Jordan receiving the ball at the left 45-degree angle, still guarded by Reggie Lewis.

Jordan drove to the basket with his left hand, then the Trail Blazers collapsed the defense, and Jordan opted for a pull-up jumper, which missed.

Sabonis grabbed the rebound and passed it to Gan Guoyang, who received the ball near the mid-court line.

He accelerates the moment he gets the ball, taking long strides to advance; his dribbling is as coordinated and swift as a guard's.

He drove straight to the basket, scored a layup over Pippen's defense, and drew a foul on Pippen! He got the free throw!
The Rose Garden Arena erupted in cheers, with Bill Shawnley starting his Rip-City game early, but Portland fans were actually a bit bewildered.

Is this Forrest Gump? Although he has occasionally shown this kind of defensive-style attack in past games, two goals in a row tonight seems a bit exaggerated, doesn't it?

After making the free throw, Phil Jackson whistled across the court to remind his players to be more focused, as their previous offensive play had been a bit too relaxed.

Cartwright held the ball in the low post against Sabonis, but after a long time of trying to get past him, he finally passed it to Jordan in the corner. Jordan drove to the basket and made a layup off the backboard.

The Trail Blazers quickly inbounded the ball from their backcourt, and it was passed to Gan Guoyang after crossing half-court. Gan Guoyang skillfully dribbled to avoid Buck Williams' interference, and he even used a behind-the-back dribble to fool Buck.

After shaking off Buck, the Bulls' defense fell apart again, and someone had to come to the rescue. Pippen came to help, and Gan Guoyang made a bounce pass to Lewis, who was cutting inside. Lewis drove to the basket and slammed home a two-handed dunk!
The Bulls were a bit confused. What was going on? Agan wasn't playing power forward; he was playing point guard.

But immediately, Gan Guoyang executed a one-on-two defense under the basket.

Pippen broke through the baseline, and Gan Guoyang covered for him.

Pippen passed the ball to Buck Williams under the basket.

Buck Williams received the ball and tried to get up, but Gan Guoyang knocked the ball away with a chop to the neck.

After successfully intercepting the ball, without hesitation or passing, Gan Guoyang launched another counter-attack.

Jordan and Pippen came to stop him, but Gan Guoyang simply shoved them aside with his body.

The referee blew his whistle, calling a blocking foul on Pippen, his second foul.

Damn it, Jackson had to substitute Pippen. After only three minutes on the court, the Bulls' rhythm was completely disrupted.

What kind of basketball does Forrest Gump play? Is he possessed by the Magician?
Even magicians aren't as decisive as him.

His offensive initiation position is so high that he often starts exerting his power as soon as he crosses half-court, or even before, catching the Bulls players off guard.

There's absolutely no room for maneuver, which doesn't fit the current game's pace.

Basketball wasn't played like this in the 1980s. Back then, there was no need to defend three-pointers, and centers weren't as good at dribbling.

"Sonny, what are you doing?" Jordan asked Gan Guoyang as the Trail Blazers inbounded the ball.

“I’m playing basketball, Michael,” Gan Guoyang replied.

"You didn't play like this before. Are you going to keep pushing like this all the time? You'll exhaust yourself."

"Michael, you really don't understand me anymore."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang received Porter's inbound pass at the center circle.

This position is usually not attacked, especially inside; it's mostly just a receiving pass.

Gan Guoyang received the ball but accelerated forward, and Buck Williams was ready to retreat and defend.

Gan Guoyang suddenly stopped, executed a beautiful hip thrust, and pulled back, causing Williams to stumble and fall hard to the ground.

Gan Guoyang quickly aimed at the basket, jumped and shot, and scored two points!
The entire process was seamless and exceptionally smooth, with Williams becoming the backdrop.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang shrugged at Jordan and said, "I told you, Michael, you understand me less and less."

Jordan chewed his gum vigorously, thinking to himself, "Damn it, Forrest Gump, you stole my skill set?"

But as the first quarter progressed and the game deepened, Jordan quickly realized that Gan Guoyang hadn't stolen his guard offensive skills.

He is playing in a way that is different from the current pace and mode of the game.

He and the other nine people seemed to be on a completely different level.

Jordan remembers that when there were 10 players in the game, the two of them were on the same level.

When watching the video playback, it was clear that their speed and movements were significantly different from the others.

Now, it seems like Forrest Gump has gone to another level, a place where no one can go.

Even Michael Jordan couldn't go.

There, Forrest Gump is everywhere.

(End of this chapter)