The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 704 Say Less
Barkley kept his word and actually brought Gan Guoyang over. Gan Guoyang shook hands with Coimbra and took a photo with him. Gan Guoyang even gave the thin Coimbra a large autograph.

Gan Guoyang's signature is the most precious and special among many NBA stars, not only because Gan is the god of basketball, but also because his name is in Chinese characters, which makes it particularly easy to recognize compared to other names with letters.

Wherever he goes, Gan Guoyang is surrounded by a large number of fans, which is why he lives separately from his teammates and travels between the hotel and the stadium by helicopter.

Otherwise, he would find it very difficult to move an inch in Barcelona.

The next match was between Germany and the host nation, Spain.

Germany is clearly stronger; they have NBA-caliber player Schrempf.

Spain's basketball league flourished in the 80s and 90s, with league teams achieving great success in European competitions, but this was mainly due to the presence of foreign players.

Spanish players were still relatively unknown at the time. In 1986, one of their interior players, Fernando Martin, was selected by the Nets and entered the NBA.

He later played for the Portland Trail Blazers for a short period, signing a short contract as Forrest Gump's backup. He only played for a short time before returning to Spain.

In 1989, Martin died in a car accident, and Spanish basketball lost a talented center. If he had been there, he could certainly have represented Spain in the Olympics.

The 1992 Olympic basketball competition was all about which team had the most NBA players; the stronger and more numerous the team, the more competitive it was.

After all, there is a significant gap between the NBA and international basketball at present. Players who have been trained in the NBA are at a higher level than FIBA ​​players.

Facing the home team, Spain, Schrempf displayed his clearly superior basketball skills, scoring 26 points and dishing out 4 assists, helping the German team, participating in the Olympics for the first time as a unified nation, defeat the host country Spain 83-74.

The last match of the night was Croatia vs. Brazil.

After watching the US team's game, the Chinese national team players left and returned to the Olympic Village.

The morning's match was tough, so they need to go back early to rest and prepare for the next game.

Gan Guoyang stayed until the final match because Croatia had his teammate Petrovic.

Hey Pete! Your hair's grown long!

During Croatia's warm-up, Petrovic came to the sidelines, and Gan Guoyang touched his fluffy head, saying that his hair had grown longer.

In Croatia, Petrovic is the prince of the nation, the absolute core player.

But in Portland, he was just a young boy in Gan Guoyang's eyes whose hair had grown too long and needed a trim.

"Are you confident you can score 50 points tonight? I heard Oscar Schmidt on the other side is very strong, you should challenge him."

“Sonny, I’m not confident. I can’t get that many shots… but I’ll definitely outmaneuver Schmidt.”

"Tomorrow's game against the US is the main event. I'm looking forward to seeing your performance, Pete."

“I’ll teach them a lesson. You really went too far with Sabo. I ran into him at noon, and he said he hates you.”

"Whatever, let him hate me. I've already shown mercy. They're just useless. We were planning to give up anyway, but they gave me the chance."

The two chatted casually, their attention already focused on tomorrow's match between Croatia and the USA Dream Team.

This match was highly anticipated, not only because Croatia had Petrovic, but also because they had Toni Kukoc.

The Bulls had many conflicts with Pippen because of the Kukoc issue. Krause almost refused to give Pippen a big contract in order to sign Kukoc.

If Kukoc hadn't decided to temporarily step away from the NBA, Pippen might not have been able to secure a long-term contract, which is why Pippen has always harbored resentment.

He wanted to see at the Olympics just how good Kukoc was that made Klaus so fascinated.

Croatia is indeed very strong, but their opponents, Brazil, are equally formidable.

Oscar Schmidt of the Brazilian team is considered the best basketball player outside the NBA.

In 1991, he was named one of the 50 greatest basketball players of all time by FIBA.

Schmidt is known for his exceptional scoring ability; his offense is fast, clean, and efficient, often resulting in high scores in games.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he scored a record-breaking 55 points against Spain in Olympic basketball. During that Olympics, he averaged 42.3 points per game, demonstrating his explosive scoring ability.

In 1984, the same year that Gan Guoyang, Jordan, and others were selected, Schmidt was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the sixth round of the draft.

Schmidt rejected the Nets' offer of a full contract, even though he earns much more money in the NBA than in Europe or Brazil.

However, at that time, if you played in the NBA, you couldn't represent the Brazilian national team in the World Championships and the Olympics, so Schmidt didn't go to the United States.

When FIBA ​​later relaxed restrictions on professional players, Schmidt was already 31 years old and a well-known figure in basketball games around the world. He no longer needed to prove himself in the NBA.

Petrovic vs. Schmidt: Both are FIBA ​​players with explosive scoring ability. Although this match was the last one, starting at 10:30 pm, it still attracted a lot of viewers.

However, like Lithuania, Croatia's core members were the mainstays of the former Yugoslavian men's basketball team.

Besides Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, there are also Raja, Stojko Frankovic, and Velimir Perasovic, all of whom are very strong players.

Apart from Schmidt, the other Brazilian players were significantly weaker; otherwise, Schmidt wouldn't have scored so many points.

Brazil's situation was similar to China's, but Schmidt didn't have the terrifying strength of Gan Guoyang. Croatia led Brazil by as many as 15 points in the first half, making the game less suspenseful.

Brazil had no chance to turn the tide in the second half, and Croatia simply held their own against Brazil before easily securing the victory.

Petrovic scored a team-high 22 points, while Schmidt scored a game-high 26 points.

The first day of competition for men's basketball at the Barcelona Olympics has come to an end, with three games in each group.

With three matches in the morning and three in the afternoon, the schedule is quite packed.

The next day, July 27, the players were not given much time to rest and adjust, and the second group stage match continued at the Badalona Sports Center.

China's opponent today is Puerto Rico, and the match is scheduled for 8:30 pm.

The players didn't have much time to adjust or train. They slept soundly last night, warmed up a bit this morning, and then had to start preparing for the match this afternoon.

Jiang Xingquan asked Gan Guoyang with some concern, "Old Gan, how did you sleep last night? Are you tired?"

Gan Guoyang nodded: "I slept well. I'm recovering quickly. I just need to eat more at noon."

"We plan to give it our all in today's match, as Puerto Rico is considered relatively weak in the group."

Unlike Lithuania, Puerto Rico is relatively weaker, so Jiang Xingquan hopes to win this match.

What he's worried about now is Gan Guoyang's stamina. He just played 37 minutes of high-intensity play yesterday and didn't rest for a minute in the second half.

If Gan Guoyang says he can't, he can rest today and not push himself too hard, otherwise it wouldn't be worth it if he got injured.

"I'm fine. I'll give it my all today. If I need to rest, I'll wait until we're sure we can advance from the group stage."

During the Copa America, Gan Guoyang and his teammates watched Puerto Rico's match together.

They are a relatively easy team to beat, but their strength is definitely not weak, and their style is completely different from Lithuania's.

Puerto Rico is a typical example of American basketball, with players playing an energetic, fast-paced style, showcasing a variety of skills, and possessing strong individual abilities. In 1980 and 1989, Puerto Rico defeated the United States to win the FIBA ​​Americas Cup, demonstrating a strong team heritage.

Puerto Rico's basketball league is also quite good, with its own unique characteristics, fierce competition, and a very competitive spirit.

Phil Jackson honed much of his head coaching experience and skills in Puerto Rico.

The Chinese team has never had an advantage against teams with this style of play; they don't know how to deal with teams with an American style.

Gan Guoyang knew that they had practiced basic routines in the training hall that morning to prepare for the evening.

The most anticipated match today is the game between the United States and Croatia, which will take place at 2:30 pm.

The Dream Team's bus arrived at the stadium once again amidst a large entourage, with even more people at the entrance than yesterday.

Some fans broke through the police cordon and surrounded the US team's bus. Only with the police's full efforts to clear the way were the buses able to barely enter the parking lot.

Before the match began, the television cameras repeatedly focused on Croatia's young striker, Toni Kukoc.

Kukoc is 23 years old, wearing a white jersey. He is tall, elegant, and in terms of appearance, he is in no way inferior to Petrovic.

He is now virtually invincible in Europe, earning an annual salary of $300 million, plus roughly the same amount in endorsement and advertising fees.

He is 6 feet 11 inches tall, slightly taller than Gan Guoyang, but he is definitely a true perimeter player.

He is left-handed, excels in dribbling and shooting, and possesses coordination and agility beyond his height.

He was known as "Europe's Magician" and was considered capable of making a name for himself in the NBA.

After Gan Guoyang delivered a well-rounded performance in the 1992 finals, people called Kukoc "Europe's Forrest Gump".

However, when a reporter asked Petrovic whether Kukoc and Forrest Gump could be compared, Petrovic gave a negative answer without hesitation.

“I love Tony, I love him, but he can’t compare to Forrest Gump, not even a second. And don’t try to flatter Tony like this, it won’t do him any good.”

After playing in the NBA for three years and winning three championships, Petrovic has become quite mature, and he knows exactly what kind of ability Forrest Gump has.

Kukoc is a typical outside genius, completely different from Forrest Gump, so there's no way to compare them.

Moreover, Croatia's number one enemy now is not China, but the United States.

Team USA also considers Croatia a formidable opponent, and Jordan and Pippen are showing a very strong fighting spirit tonight.

Before the game, the atmosphere in the US team's locker room was much more tense than when they played Angola, because Bobby Berman kept saying, "If you don't take this game seriously, we are very likely to lose!"

Then he told Jordan how great Petrovic was, and how Petrovic played a very important role in the 91 and 92 NBA Finals.

Especially during the game in Chicago, Petrovic's goal in a crucial moment pierced the hearts of Bulls players and fans.

Jordan, who holds a grudge, definitely took this to heart.

As for Toni Kukoc, Pippen had already written him down in his little notebook.

He and Jordan had heard Jerry Krause talk about Kukoc countless times, wanting to bring him to the Bulls.

What Jordan and Pippen found most unbearable was their loss in the 1992 NBA Finals. Krause, that fat guy, kept nagging, "If we had Kukoc, we could have dealt with Forrest Gump! We wouldn't have let him drive to the basket so easily..."

The main reason for the Bulls' loss in 92 was that they didn't sign Kukoc, but instead gave the contract to Pippen.

Pippen wanted to argue, but his fatal dunking mistake in the Finals left him speechless.

The feeling was indescribably uncomfortable; it was like having a fishbone stuck in your throat, or a basketball stuck in your anus.

With Bielman constantly stirring things up, he hoped to use this match to boost the team's morale and cohesion.

The team won their last match against Angola very easily, the process was too simple, and the post-match public opinion was not friendly to the Dream Team.

They need a solid, powerful victory, the kind of indomitable spirit typical of a team, to prepare for the games to come.

One of the biggest advantages of Berman as a coach is that he is very good at playing in tournaments, while the long leagues of the NBA are not his forte.

The players' competitive spirit was ignited, and Jordan and Pippen were eager to teach Petrovic and Kukoc a lesson.

During the game, this was indeed the case. Kukoc was guarded one-on-one by Pippen, who kept a close eye on number 7 without leaving any gaps.

At the start, David Robinson won the ball and passed it to Barkley, who then charged straight to the basket, easily overpowering the defender and scoring the first point.

Scoring extremely quickly is the basic strategy of the Dream Team in this Olympics. They must give full play to the individual strength of the players, play more fast breaks, and use fast breaks to destroy the opponent.

This is a strategy that the US national team has been using ever since Coach Bob Knight established the basic tactical principle of "pressing + fast counter-attack" in 1984.

Croatia scored very quickly. After a series of passes on the perimeter, the ball was passed to Petrovic, who, facing Jordan's close defense, drove into the middle.

After a contest, when the double team came in, the ball was passed to the inside, and the teammate slammed it home with a two-handed dunk!
This goal clearly demonstrates that Petrovic's ability is far superior to that of defenders from other countries.

Other guards would be lucky to even dribble normally against Jordan's level of defense, let alone break through.

Petrovic was able to withstand Jordan's defensive pressure and also provide timely assists to his teammates; his three years of training in the NBA were truly worthwhile.

The two sides were indeed evenly matched at the start. Raja drew a foul on Barkley in the low post and made both free throws, giving Croatia the lead over the United States.

Petrovic also successfully stole the ball from Jordan. Although the counterattack missed, Kukoc grabbed the rebound and cleverly assisted Raja. Raja faked out Barkley's block and made a layup.

Croatia's talent was on full display during several offensive and defensive transitions, and they really put pressure on the US team.

The US team started to get carried away, and Robinson almost knocked Petrovic down while defending, resulting in a foul being called by the referee.

Pippen drove to the basket during an offensive play, attempting a powerful dunk over the Croatian center, but his shot was blocked, and the referee called a foul.

The Americans pushed their defense to its maximum intensity, and Croatia's passing began to falter, becoming noticeably less fluid and less accurate.

Once the US team steals the ball, Jordan, Pippen, and Johnson launch a relentless counterattack, leaving Croatia with no choice but to foul.

At this moment, Petrovic stepped up, wanting to solve the problem with his individual ability, but the ball was knocked out of bounds by Jordan.

Kukoc inbounded the ball to Petrovic, but his intention was too obvious, and Jordan intercepted it.

A fast break, Jordan soars and dunks!
Petrovich followed at full speed, but he couldn't catch up at all.

Jordan, after dunking, yelled trash talk at Petrovic.

"You'll only be of any use in Portland, Curly!"

On the sidelines, very close to the court, Gan Guoyang heard Jordan trash talk.

He yelled at the players on the court, "Fuck Michael! Pete, teach them a lesson! Kill them!"

Petrovic served from the backcourt, sighed deeply, and thought to himself, "Boss, just shut up. I'm the one getting beaten up."

(End of this chapter)