The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 714 Hope
Apart from Johnson and Bird, the members of this dream team are all stars of the same era as Gan Guoyang, and they all know Gan very well.

But if we're talking about who understands him best, it's not his strongest rival Jordan, nor his good friends Charles Barkley or Ewing, but Stockton.

The only person who knows Gan Guoyang better than Stockton is head coach Berman.

Berman called a timeout midway through the first half and sent Stockton onto the court, hoping he could help the Dream Team regain their advantage and cause trouble for Gan Guoyang on both offense and defense.

In terms of both ability and fame, Stockton ranks second to last in this Dream Team, only slightly better than Leitner.

In previous matches, Stockton was hampered by a leg injury and played very little, roughly the same amount as Leitner.

His opportunities to perform were even fewer. Although Biellman was Stockton's college coach and the two had a close relationship, Biellman had to find a balance in the star-studded Dream Team.

This is not the 1984 college Olympic team, where Bob Knight had absolute authority and could place his own students on the team according to his own preferences.

Bellman won't do; he needs to find a balance. Big names like Johnson, Bird, and Jordan need to play more, and players with a fiery temper like Barkley also need to play more.

So, Stockton, with his low status, good temper, and leg injury, is perfect for sitting on the bench, keeping an eye on the water cooler, handing out towels, and clapping for everyone.

But tonight was different. Magic Johnson's leg injury clearly affected his performance, and with the Dream Team's defense and counter-attacks not going smoothly, the Chinese team was on the verge of catching up.

At this moment, Stockton stepped onto the stage with a crucial mission. Following Bellman's instructions, he was to reorganize the Dream Team's offense and unleash their full potential.

As the game was about to begin, Berman put his arm around Stockton and said, "John, I know you know Forrest Gump, but forget about him right now. Don't let him draw all your attention. Organize your offense, play your own game, and we'll win."

Stockton nodded vigorously; he understood what Bellman meant.

The Dream Team must prioritize themselves, abandon any thoughts of revenge against Forrest Gump, and focus on their own performance.

The match continued, with both sides making lineup changes. The intensity of the first 10 minutes was beyond imagination.

This was also beyond the expectations of the Chinese players; the players who were resting after the game were panting heavily on the bench.

The intensity of the US team's offense and defense was extremely high, and even the Chinese players, with their excellent stamina, felt they couldn't keep up.

Of course, tension is also a factor; everyone's body is tense, which exacerbates the physical exertion.

The US team is in a slightly better position, but everyone is equally tense. The game is a quarter of the way through, and they are only leading by 2 points.

If it were Croatia, Lithuania, or the CIS, the US team would take a deep breath, then accelerate and quickly widen the score gap.

But on the other side was Forrest Gump, the man who left countless shadows on the NBA court. Everyone on the Dream Team knew just how strong he was.

As Bellman said, are we really going to lose the gold medal battle because he scored 80 points in one go?

So in the first ten minutes, the Dream Team played somewhat chaotically, with their offense often consisting of individual efforts, and their defense trying to focus on key points but failing to do so.

Now, Stockton has entered the game. He may be the weakest in terms of individual skill, but he has the best mentality and sees things most clearly and understands them best on the field.

He quickly organized the team's half-court offense, first setting a screen with Karl Malone, then cutting to the basket, drawing the defense's attention before passing the ball to the weak side, where Barkley received the ball and made a mid-range jump shot.

Then, Stockton used tough defense to steal the ball directly from Adijiang's hands!
He didn't care where Agan was at all; his attention wasn't on Gan Guoyang.

During the counterattack, Stockton didn't rush. After observing the situation briefly, he dribbled to the outside and made a mid-range jump shot!

Stockton knew that the Chinese team was using a zone defense, so he had to attack them with his shooting.

At 18:12, the score difference returned to a relatively safe 6 points.

Then, Stockton focused his defensive efforts on targeting China's defenders.

He didn't double-team Gan Guoyang; he trusted his teammates' combined defense.

Unlike Magic Johnson's flashy style, Stockton's organization was down-to-earth and steady.

This is exactly what the Dream Team needs most right now; they need a stable positional offense and a good mindset against the enemy.

Gan Guoyang grabbed another offensive rebound under the basket and scored with a hook shot after turning around.

Stockton, meanwhile, calmly dribbled and orchestrated the offense.

A slow and steady change of direction, cutting into the three-second zone from a 45-degree angle.

Stockton was observing, and he wanted to put Gan Guoyang in a difficult position defensively.

Gan Guoyang came over to cover, and Stockton then passed the ball.

As the defense shrank inwards, Stockton took a mid-range shot.

As a result, Gan Guoyang chose to retreat, which was the Chinese team's strategy tonight.

Stockton pulls up for a jump shot and scores again!
"Damn it," Gan Guoyang cursed under his breath.

Stockton's mid-range shooting is more accurate than Johnson's, who is injured in the leg.

Johnson had wasted a season, which affected his leg strength, so giving him some space was effective.

Stockton is a typical small guard with accurate shooting; if you leave him open, he can really keep scoring.

Under FIBA ​​rules, Stockton undoubtedly thrived, and the Dream Team's situation stabilized.

What followed was a back-and-forth battle of offense and defense. The Dream Team did not deliberately surround Gan Guoyang with multiple players, leaving the others completely unguarded.

Ewing and Robinson took turns defending one-on-one, while Jordan, Pippen, Mullin, and others continuously harassed them.

Gan Guoyang has a very high offensive success rate, with a 60% field goal percentage under the basket.

However, the Dream Team had a higher offensive success rate. After the timeout, they made all ten consecutive attacks!
Even if Gan Guoyang had four hands, he couldn't possibly manage every aspect of the game.

Without the help of Sabonis, Korsey, and Lewis, he could only limit his defensive coverage to a relatively small area.

Stockton, on the other hand, very rationally and intelligently maneuvered the defense, constantly making the best passing choices to give his teammates easier offensive opportunities.

The Dream Team players were already far superior to other Chinese players, and they could score every one of them in a one-on-one situation.

Even if the Chinese team insists on zone defense, if Gan Guoyang doesn't provide support from behind, many times the two players can't even trap one player.

Jordan received the ball at the top of the arc, accelerated past the zone defense, and drove straight to the basket, forcing Gan Guoyang to come over to help defend.

Jordan switched hands in mid-air and passed the ball from behind Gan Guoyang to David Robinson, who caught the ball and slammed it home with both hands!
There's no way to stop this kind of play; the perimeter is easily torn apart. It would take Gan Guoyang, with three heads and six arms, to block Robinson's dunk without turning around.

The score difference gradually widened from two points. With their superb offensive efficiency, the Dream Team changed the score to 42-30 with two minutes left in the first half, leading the Chinese team by 12 points.

A score of 42 points is low enough for the Dream Team. Although the Chinese team couldn't defend against the American team's offense in positional play, they did manage to slow down the pace of the attack.

In previous games, the Dream Team averaged as many as 120 points per game, which is an extremely terrifying score in a FIBA ​​40-minute game.

It's important to know that in the NBA, each game lasts 48 minutes and zone defense is not allowed. Even a team like the Nuggets, which only focuses on offense and doesn't play defense, only averages 110 points per game.

The Dream Team's high score wasn't due to a barrage of three-pointers, but rather to their relentless fast breaks and counterattacks.

Their defense was too strong, and the opponents were often forced into mistakes, which were then followed by a continuous, tidal wave of counterattacks from the American team.

In a game, more than half of the points may come from fast breaks. With so many points scored so easily, it's hard for the score not to be high.

However, the Chinese team successfully controlled their mistakes because their attack was very simple: just pass the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Most of the time, no one else controlled the ball; Gan Guoyang personally dribbled the ball across half-court to organize the attack.

If there aren't good opportunities on the court, he won't attack casually. He'll hold onto the ball and stall until the 24-second shot clock expires before forcing a shot.

Because his success rate when he forces a shot is higher than when he passes to someone else, and he is less likely to make a mistake.

Once the attack fails, they immediately retreat to defense, not giving the American team a chance to counterattack, which is why the American team only scored 42 points.

During the break, Jiang Xingquan asked Gan Guoyang if he wanted to rest for a while.

Gan Guoyang shook his head without saying a word.

He is running on his own track.

His teammates were also running, but they could only watch him from afar and couldn't keep up at all.

Although the opposing Dream Team was leading, they were also trailing behind.

At the end of the first half, the score was 46-34, with the Chinese team trailing by 12 points.

Gan Guoyang scored 22 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and dished out 3 assists in the first half.

Apart from Gan Guoyang, the rest of the Chinese team only scored 12 points, which is already a very good performance.

Gan Guoyang played the entire first half, but he wasn't always accurate and made some mistakes under intense pressure.

Overall, his performance was perfect, his strategy was perfect, and the Chinese team did its best.

During halftime in the locker room, Gan Guoyang reiterated the strategy and asked everyone to stick to it.

"Even at the very last moment, you have to give it your all, otherwise the game will end prematurely."

"In such an interesting match, every extra minute played is a reward."

On the other side, in the Dream Team's locker room, everyone had long since lost the arrogance they had before the Olympics, the kind that said, "I'm going to beat Forrest Gump up."

Forrest Gump should never be underestimated, and he should always be taken seriously. He was the best basketball player ever.

Jordan sat in front of the locker without saying a word, reflecting on Gan Guoyang's performance in the first half and wondering if he could have done better than Gan.

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

With such a group of teammates, Jordan felt he would go crazy first.

That bald guy dribbling has absolutely no offensive ability; he just darts around. The two forwards on the perimeter are so skinny; one is good at running and jumping but has terrible dribbling skills, and the other is hunchbacked and too slow.

The interior players are either too short or too slow; none of them could even be the 12th man in the NBA, and their skill level is even lower than that of college players.

Their centers and forwards seemed to have a certain physique, but they were weak in physical confrontations. Jordan believed that he would have no problem playing center.

In terms of physical fitness, this group of people is probably not even as good as the African refugees in Angola. I really don't know what kind of training they had in Portland.

But by halftime, the Chinese team had become the most formidable opponent the US had faced so far, and everyone finally stopped playing around and started playing seriously.

Berman called the first timeout since the Olympics began, Stockton started to organize seriously, Jordan made the best solution like a team guard, and Bird lay on the sidelines constantly giving advice.

Charles Barkley avoided Agan's sharpshooting and constantly used mid-range shots to disrupt the Chinese team's solid zone defense—the Chinese team's zone defense was as solid as the rock at the base of a pyramid, unmoving.

This requires excellent discipline and a strong mindset.

Zone defense is a type of defense that is easily broken up, especially when the ball is repeatedly scored on.

If any link in the chain is weakened, the joint defense system will collapse, leading to utter chaos.

Therefore, coaches often use zone defense and man-to-man defense in rotation to ensure that players do not collapse due to being constantly under pressure.

However, the Chinese team's man-to-man marking was bound to be a defensive disaster, so throughout the first half, they relied on their amazing discipline and willpower to unite closely and fight a fearless battle.

Meanwhile, Forrest Gump was running alone on the offensive end, like a runner walking across a wasteland, trying his best to find the optimal solution and scoring one difficult goal after another.

Jordan recalled his early years with the Bulls, those days and those games were not easy, and he was criticized a lot because of them, but Forrest Gump did so well that his opponents began to appreciate everything about him.

His fadeaway jumper was beautiful, his footwork in the low post was solid, and he used no-look passes to draw the defense's attention, not to show off, but to create opportunities for his teammates.

He never missed a fast break opportunity, and his three-point shooting was better than anyone else's. Jordan even thought he played better than in the Finals.

Jordan was dissatisfied with losing Game 5 of the 1992 NBA Finals, and Pippen's missed dunk was a pain that would never fade for him.

But tonight, Forrest Gump's performance was even more perfect than in Game 5, not because of the stats, not because of his shooting percentage, and not because of his skill.

It is Forrest Gump's calmness, confidence, and elegance when facing setbacks, formidable opponents, and inevitable defeats, as well as his wisdom and courage to give everything for victory.

Jordan is certain that Forrest Gump did a lot of research and preparation. Apart from the lack of overall strength, the Chinese team did quite well in all other aspects.

No wonder they made it all the way to the finals; it wasn't just about passing the ball to Forrest Gump.

Berman was also aware of this, and during halftime he repeatedly emphasized, "We must take this seriously."

"Sonny is definitely the most serious opponent on the basketball court, and this championship will carry a lot of weight."

As the second half began, the Dream Team became more united than ever before.

No one had the heart to play or act cool anymore; victory, and only victory, was the sole objective.

In the second half, Berman made some lineup changes, with Robinson replacing Ewing in the starting lineup and Bird replacing Malone at power forward.

Johnson voluntarily gave up the starting point guard position in the second half to Stockton, who was in better form and more suitable to play against the Chinese team.

Bird's role was to create space. Berman knew that the Chinese team would definitely use a zone defense, so long-range shots were absolutely necessary.

At the start of the second half, Bird and Stockton executed a pick-and-roll, and Bird received the ball at the top of the arc and hit a three-pointer!

Bird could only play for about ten minutes per game; his back only allowed him that much playing time, which was enough for the US team.

Another outstanding player was Chris Mullin, whose long-range shots the Chinese team had no way to deal with.

Mullin is the Dream Team's three-point king, averaging 1.8 three-pointers per game with a shooting percentage of 53.8%, which is higher than the shooting percentage of some players near the basket.

In the second half, Berman gave the shooting guard position to Mullin instead of Jordan. Jordan was not angry and was willing to play as a substitute in the second half.

Jordan's performance at this Olympics was only so-so, considering how much he had been worn out by the regular season, playoffs, and finals.

He didn't expect to give 100% at the Olympics; performing at 60%-70% would be enough.

Seeing Forrest Gump's performance tonight, he really wants to go all out and have an epic battle with Forrest Gump.

But he knew it wouldn't work. He was too relaxed in Barcelona, ​​gambling, drinking, and having fun, and his condition was far from its peak.

If the team forces itself into Bulls mode, a poor shooting touch will cripple the offense—Jordan's shooting percentage in this Olympics was only slightly higher than Laettner's, at 45% and 45.1%.

So Jordan put aside his personal competitiveness and devoted himself to the team game, following instructions, all for the sake of defeating the Chinese team.

After the second-half lineup, which relied heavily on shooting, spread out, the Chinese team, which depended on zone defense, really struggled on the defensive end.

Chris Mullin and Bird hit consecutive mid-range and long-range shots, with Mullin even making two three-pointers in a row.

The point difference suddenly widened from 12 points to almost 20 points, and the gap in strength between the two teams became increasingly obvious.

The Dream Team also changed its defensive strategy, no longer simply pressing, but pursuing steals and fast breaks.

If you slow down, I'll slow down too. Utilize Robinson's powerful mobility to test the passing ability of the other Chinese players.

Everyone knew you were going to pass the ball to Agan. Once you understood the ball's trajectory, you could block and double-team appropriately, quickly shutting down the Chinese team's basic offensive routes.

Gan Guoyang could only continue to dribble and organize the attack himself, which was a huge drain on his physical strength. He did not rest at all in the first half.

Without the support of offensive and defensive transitions, forcing yourself to dribble and attack on your own will consume a lot of your energy.

But he had no other choice. Trailing by 20 points, he used his sharp footwork and unpredictable rhythm to drive with half-back and half-face attacks, penetrating into the paint from the middle.

Facing a double team, he didn't even jump before launching a floater. The ball bounced off the backboard and into the basket, drawing a defensive foul from Mullin – Mullin grabbed his hand.

After making the free throw, Gan Guoyang immediately focused on defense.

He first slowed down Stockton's advance in the middle.

Then he returned to the three-second zone to guard David Robinson.

Finally, he blocked Charles Barkley's reverse layup after receiving the ball and cutting along the baseline.

After gaining control of the ball, he passed it to Hu Weidong on a fast break. Hu Weidong charged towards the basket like a light cavalryman and dunked successfully!

The Dream Team's lineup lacked defensive capabilities, and Gan Guoyang capitalized on this to launch a counterattack.

They quickly closed the gap to 5 points. Led by Gan Guoyang, the Chinese team played extremely tenaciously, and Gan Guoyang remained calm and composed throughout.

Whenever the Dream Team thought they had built a large enough lead, he could always immediately launch a counterattack, closing the gap by several points.

He had perfect control over the pace of the game, and he could respond immediately to any lineup changes made by Bellman.

So much so that Jiang Xingquan's timeout in the second half was mainly just to let Gan Guoyang rest for a while and catch his breath; he couldn't offer any guidance.

This is a match for Gan Guoyang. He knows how to play, he knows the situation of his opponents, and he also understands the condition of his teammates.

As the game time gradually shortened, with five minutes remaining, the score was 82-66, with the Chinese team trailing by 16 points.

Jiang Xingquan called another timeout, rotated personnel, and gave Gan Guoyang some water to catch his breath.

Gan Guoyang looked exhausted; he had played for 35 minutes without taking a break.

He pushed his mental and physical abilities to the limit, doing everything he could, but the Chinese team still lagged behind.

However, there was no disappointment in his eyes, but rather a burning fighting spirit. As he finished drinking water and prepared to go on stage, he still encouraged his teammates: "Alright, last five minutes, time to sprint, one last hurrah!"

They can still sprint, they can still make one last push!

He has already scored 40 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, and blocked 5 shots.

They brought the Chinese team to their limit in an unparalleled state of perfection.

But can it still explode? Can it still sprint? Is it really that unbelievable?

At this moment, every young man on the Chinese team displayed their full fighting spirit.

At this point in the war, they wouldn't hesitate to carry explosives to blow up a bunker.

Jiang Xingquan had already reached his physical limit, and he had used all the available people, but they were all about the same anyway.

There are only two requirements for going on the field: first, don't make mistakes easily, and second, be able to safely get the ball into Agam's hands.

Throughout the match against the Dream Team, the Chinese players truly experienced what a gap in skill and experience meant.

But at the same time, they also realized how to play when there is a huge gap, and what the correct way to play is.

You need to use your brain, be disciplined, understand strategies, make good judgments, and above all, have courage and perseverance—these are all ways to narrow the gap.

Most importantly, they had to carry the hope of victory; at this moment, they even believed that one day they could really defeat the Dream Team.

China serves from the backcourt. Gan Guoyang receives the ball from Shan Tao and dribbles towards the frontcourt.

The five players on the Dream Team were all in defensive stance: Jordan, Malone, Pippen, Ewing, and Stockton. This was the final lineup given by Bellman.

A five-man team with exceptional offensive and defensive capabilities is likely the Dream Team's strongest and most balanced lineup in terms of pure skill.

They stood like a towering, powerful, and terrifying giant, blocking the way of the basketball hoop, insurmountable by anyone.

Gan Guoyang, on the other hand, is like Don Quixote, riding a skinny horse and wielding a lance, charging forward with a thirst for victory and hope.

"Never give up your dream and hope of victory at any time; if you do, your life will end prematurely." — Gan Guoyang

—Excerpt from "Forrest Gump," a biography of Gan Guoyang written by Wu Zhixiong and published in 2025.

(End of the Olympic Special Edition "The Barcelona Dream".)
(End of this chapter)