The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 719 Old
On November 8th, the 1992-1993 NBA season officially kicked off.

Gan Guoyang has officially entered his ninth season in his career, and his 12th year in the NBA.

In 12 years, the world of the NBA has changed a lot, from an obscure and precarious league to a globally popular professional league.

Among the major professional leagues in North America, the NBA, with the shortest history and once the lowest viewership and popularity, is now catching up.

In this late autumn season, the NFL is on the verge of a shutdown. Back in 1987, the NFL adopted the same strategy as the NBA, dissolving the players' union in order to force the NFL to reach a new collective bargaining agreement that was more favorable to the players.

Unlike the struggle led by Larry Fleischer, the NFL did not compromise. Players and the league did not reach an agreement, resulting in the NFL not having a new collective bargaining agreement since 1987, only a free agent system called "Plan B".

By 1992, the players, unwilling to endure the lack of a stable collective bargaining agreement any longer, began filing a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, seeking to overturn Plan B and sign a new collective bargaining agreement.

On September 10, the jury overturned Plan B, and the players began forming a new union and negotiating with the NFL. This protracted battle will begin in the fall and continue until next spring.

Similar to the NFL, MLB's president, Faye Vincent, who had been in office for less than four years, was voted not to be trusted by the owners and chose to resign in 1992. After the major lockout in 1990, MLB's business began to run into problems.

The doping scandal involving baseball players has tarnished what was once America's number one sport.

More importantly, the development and popularization of live television broadcasts are not conducive to baseball, a round-robin, slow-paced sport.

One important factor that contributed to baseball's widespread influence across the United States and its status as the country's national sport was its suitability for radio broadcasting.

Listeners can understand what's happening on the field just by listening to the play-by-play commentary on the radio.

Basketball and rugby are different; no matter how eloquent the commentators are, it's difficult to accurately reflect the situation on the field.

With the advent of live television broadcasts, baseball's advantage of being suitable for listening disappeared, while its disadvantage of not being suitable for watching on television became glaringly obvious.

CBS President Jeremy Handelman warned MLB: "They must work hard to re-engage young viewers and completely transform themselves to get back to where they were."

On the contrary, basketball, with its vivid live broadcasts, allows viewers to appreciate the players' amazing skills and agile movements even without being on the court.

Moreover, compared to rugby and ice hockey players who wear thick masks and protective gear, basketball players are more easily recognizable, making it easier for them to establish an image as sports icons.

With the combined effects of favorable timing, location, and human factors, the NBA is receiving rapidly increasing attention.

In a Gallup poll in 1992, 16% of Americans listed baseball as their favorite sport, while 12% ranked basketball as their number one.

In 1960, 32 years ago, baseball accounted for 34% of the sport, while basketball accounted for only 9%, a significant change in the situation.

On the evening of the 8th, at the Rose Garden Arena, the Trail Blazers welcomed their home opener of the new season, raising the championship banner and receiving their championship rings for the third consecutive year at the arena.

Having achieved an astonishing second three-peat, Tang Jianguo had six enormous diamonds set into his ring to represent the Portland Trail Blazers' great achievement.

Gan Guoyang personally raised his sixth championship flag to the ceiling. Amidst cheers, he looked at the symbol of victory fluttering in the sky and thought to himself, "It still feels a little empty."

Although he thought this in his heart, Gan Guoyang didn't say anything. From the preseason training camp to the start of the regular season, Gan Guoyang never mentioned the term "four-time champion".

Not only did he not mention it, but the team owner, management, and coaching staff also did not mention the "four-peat".

Is it that you don't want to? Definitely not. No one would refuse a championship, just as no one would refuse success.

But having already won six championships, they know in their hearts what price must be paid for a championship, or rather, for success.

In 1992, a movie starring Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman, was released.

But this film isn't about women or love. Pacino's character, the blind old man, angrily declares at the final interrogation:

"I know which path is right, without exception, I just know, but I never take it, you know why? Because it's too fucking painful."

As a team that has won six championships, they certainly know how to walk the path to victory: arduous training, ascetic self-discipline, fighting hard on the field and never giving up, enduring injuries, loneliness, vomiting, insomnia, boredom, and so on.

This still requires the players, coaching staff, management, and even the team's security, logistics, and paperwork to do their best, working at a high intensity to provide services for the players, and uniting as one to fight against the world.

The Trail Blazers' scouting and medical teams are among the hardest-working and most overtime-bound in the entire NBA. The high-quality draft and trades by the front office and the high-quality medical services by the medical team are the invisible guarantee of a championship.

All of this comes at a price: less time spent with family, loss of physical health, immense mental stress, and the boredom and confusion brought about by the monotonous daily routine...

Even Tang Jianguo, the owner who is usually ambitious and loves to show off, no longer talks about "making the Trail Blazers even greater" or "winning another championship." He feels very tired, after all, he is not a basketball fanatic like Forrest Gump.

After the championship ring presentation ceremony, Old Tang shook Gan Guoyang's hand and said, "Sonny, think carefully about my suggestion and explore new areas."

"I'll consider it, but right now... I still need to focus on playing basketball."

The last time Tang Jianguo attended a charity gala with Michael Jackson in New York, he gave Gan Guoyang an investment suggestion.

He said that a free-fighting league would officially launch in 1993, and they desperately needed investment and spokespeople, and Forrest Gump was definitely the best choice.

Forrest Gump has ample funds to invest, and he will become the best ambassador for promoting free fighting. His takedowns and boxing scenes are still classic learning moments in the fighting world.

Gan Guoyang couldn't directly refuse his boss's suggestion, but he also didn't want to get involved in the sports industry, which was unrelated to basketball.

He practices wrestling and boxing mainly to improve his basketball skills, not to actually compete against others.

Although he is indeed very talented in fighting, given his status, he is not suitable to fight anyone in the ring.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang could only laugh it off. He didn't expect that Lao Tang would still remember this and bring it up again during the opening match.

It's certain that Old Tang was involved as well. Gan Guoyang had someone look into it, and the founder of this free fighting league is called Art David.

Art David had served in the military after studying at the New York Military Academy. Tang Jianguo was David's classmate at the military academy, and the two lived together for a semester.

Besides free fighting, Lao Tang wanted to involve Gan Guoyang in his various industries, including real estate, hotels, film and television, tourism, casinos, and so on.

On the one hand, Gan Guoyang's abundant financial resources would be a strong support for Lao Tang; on the other hand, Gan Guoyang's reputation and popularity would be beneficial to any of his businesses.

Gan Guoyang has shown a cautious attitude towards this. Currently, his largest investment is still in the funeral industry, and his funeral company is gradually becoming a giant in the United States.

At the same time, after the Olympics, Gan Guoyang decided to acquire enough shares from Avia to spin off the Skyscraper brand and receive dividends every year.

These two businesses alone are enough to ensure his financial security for the rest of his life. Wealth will flow into his personal account continuously as society develops and production cycles, so he will never have to worry about money.

In other fields, in the treacherous capital market, risk doesn't care whether you're a basketball god or not; it can devour you at any time. Therefore, Gan Guoyang will definitely be careful, extremely careful.

Focus has always been one of Gan Guoyang's strengths, but not everyone has such focus, especially after achieving great success.

Besides Old Tang, even Bobby Bellman, who once said he "married basketball," has started to fall for someone else.

Tonight, the Trail Blazers' opponent is the Denver Nuggets. The opponent is not strong, but the Trail Blazers are plagued by injuries, and only Gan Guoyang, one of their five core starters, is available to play.

With Porter, Cauchy, Sabonis, and Lewis all sidelined, the Trail Blazers could only field their Plan B lineup.

Before going on stage, Bobby Bellman kept adjusting his breathing; he looked extremely nervous.

Gan Guoyang straightened his shoelaces and said to Bellman, "Bobby, are you sure you want to do this?"

Bellman looked at Gan Guoyang and said, "I also think I must be crazy. You'd better stop me."

"I think it's difficult, but I can't stop you from finding happiness."

"Are you sure this is happiness? You said I was heading towards an abyss, didn't you?"

"I have said that, but a person's fate can only be decided by themselves, especially when it comes to something like marriage."

That's right, tonight Bielman decided to propose to his new girlfriend during halftime.

During the summer when he led the Dream Team to Spain for a competition, Berman met a Catalan girl who was 20 years younger than him in Barcelona.

The two quickly fell in love. The hot and sexy Spanish woman captivated Berman, and she followed him back to the United States.

After a brief courtship, Berman's feelings for his girlfriend flared up like an old house on fire, and on the first day of the season, he decided to propose to her.

The Trail Blazers are naturally delighted with this happy occasion, and the Rose Garden Arena is ready to give their championship coach a perfect proposal ceremony.

Gan Guoyang was naturally happy for Berman, but after knowing Berman for so many years, their relationship was no longer just that of coach and player, or even just good friends or brothers.

They had a deep connection, and Gan Guoyang instinctively felt worried for Bellman because marriages like this, where the husband is older and the wife is younger, often don't end well.

In the United States, there are far too many cases where people end up losing both their money and their loved ones.

Of course, Gan Guoyang also trusted Berman's judgment and wished the two a happy life together.

But when Berman did that, Gan Guoyang felt a little disappointed deep down. He knew that one less person was willing to stay with him and continue to win championships single-mindedly.

But he couldn't criticize Bellman, he couldn't criticize Old Tang, he couldn't criticize any of the Trail Blazers' hardworking employees; they had all done a very good job.

As you keep moving upwards and forwards, the number of people around you will only decrease, and you will become increasingly lonely.

The game started promptly at 7:30 p.m., and the Denver Nuggets looked full of energy compared to the depleted Trail Blazers.

This summer, the Denver Nuggets underwent significant changes.

Westhead, who was once highly regarded, was fired; his frenetic offense was ultimately no longer suited to the current version of the NBA.

With teams placing increasing emphasis on defense, the expected average points per game will decrease again in the 1992-1993 season.

The two best teams in the league, the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, both have extremely strong defenses.

The Bulls have the best perimeter defense and the strongest team defense.

The Trail Blazers' twin towers in the paint boast the best interior protection in the league, and are also outstanding in one-on-one defense.

Meanwhile, with the overall talent pool in the league being diluted, improving defense is the only way to boost combat power.

Offense sometimes really requires a bit of talent, while defense relies on discipline, which can be achieved through relentless effort.

The Nuggets realized this: with Mutombo, a defensive stalwart with great potential, why bother with their crazy fast breaks?

The management fired Westhead and brought in former Denver star Dan Isell as the team's head coach.

Isaiah set out to transform the team, abandoning the past strategy of relentlessly attacking and starting with defense.

The Nuggets performed well in the preseason. The team's main players are young players who have only been in the league for a short time.

Mutombo is in his second year as a rookie, Abdul-Rauf is 23 years old in his third year, Lafonso Ellis is 22 years old, and the oldest starter is 28-year-old Reggie Williams.

The team is mainly composed of young people under the age of 25. It is a thriving young team that is moving forward step by step and is full of hope.

For teams like this, losing is often not so bitter; it's just a lesson they have to learn on their way forward.

As Gan Guoyang stood in the center circle preparing for the first jump ball of the new season with Mutombo, he looked at the old face of the African mountain, who looked much older than himself, and thought to himself, "The youth team is really damn good."

Just like a new character who has just started leveling up and is about to leave the newbie village, the road ahead is full of hope and smooth sailing, as well as the boss demon king waiting for them to defeat.

And what about Gan Guoyang?
He is now the Great Demon King.

During the jump ball, Gan Guoyang slapped the ball away, sending it to Petrovic who was charging forward. Petrovic caught the ball and quickly launched an attack, dribbling forward, stopping abruptly, and releasing a jump shot that went in!
The Trail Blazers scored less than five seconds into the game, catching the Nuggets off guard.

The fans in the stadium cheered. Another winning season had begun. As for the ending?
Portland fans don't seem to care much; six championships in eight years is enough.

Many fans said in preseason interviews, "It's enough to watch Forrest Gump play. I hope he can stay healthy and play well."

Petrovic scored his first basket of the season, and then Nuggets guard Rauf used his individual skills to shake off Petrovic's defense and made a pull-up jumper from the right 45-degree angle!
Rauf was selected by the Nuggets with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft. He was not tall, but he had excellent ball-handling skills and a beautiful shooting technique, earning him the nickname "Moonlight Pistol".

His crossover dribble after receiving the ball is incredibly quick, often catching defenders off guard. Coupled with his accurate jump shot, this third-year player is poised to become a core player for the Nuggets.

In the 1990s, guards' dribbling, shooting, and penetration abilities became increasingly stronger, and their super-fast acceleration and sharp changes of direction were changing the landscape of the game.

On the Trail Blazers' bench, Dell Curry's son, Stephen Curry, sat at the end of the bench watching the game. He's a Forrest Gump fan, but tonight his attention was more focused on Petrovic and Rauf.

Especially Rauf; if Forrest Gump was like an invincible giant, then Rauf was a shining moon spirit.

He's so agile, and he plays so beautifully.

Petrovic's defensive ability is still somewhat lacking; in his matchup against Rauf, neither of them could contain the other.

In the first quarter, Petrovic scored 11 points and Rauf added 10, giving the Nuggets a 24-21 lead over the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers started strong, but then fell into a turnover problem – they committed a whopping 5 turnovers in the first quarter.

The reason is simple: the five players in the starting lineup were not very familiar with each other.

Petrovic plays point guard, but his experience and playmaking vision are not as sharp as Porter's.

Having grown accustomed to playing as the sixth man and Croatia's top player, he prefers to take matters into his own hands and solve problems.

Especially after receiving Gan Guoyang's "permission," his aggressiveness in tonight's first match was quite strong.

Shooting guard Dell Curry tried to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang, but Curry was more often a corner shooter.

For the first time in many years, he was promoted to the starting lineup, and he was somewhat unaccustomed to the Nuggets' aggressive defense.

As for Mario Elie, he was even more at a loss, contributing 2 out of 5 turnovers.

One missed catch and one traveling violation left him quite frustrated during the break.

Gan Guoyang scored 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in the first quarter, showing no signs of exerting himself.

In the first game of the season, he was observing, getting a feel for the atmosphere of the new season, sensing the referee's officiating standards, and experiencing the new style.

Every year the NBA changes, just like the children around you grow taller every day. You don't notice it when you're with them every day, but after a while, you take a measurement and find that they've changed so much.

One of the major rule changes this season is about the 24-second shot clock: the 24-second shot clock will only be reset if the ball touches the rim and the rebound is secured.

Under the previous rules, an offensive play was completed if the ball hit the rim or the backboard, and the 24-second shot clock would be reset. Now the rules are stricter, which will undoubtedly make it more difficult for the offensive team and make it easier for them to commit a 24-second violation.

Regarding malicious fouls, the league has increased the penalties. Anyone who makes a move during a game, regardless of whether they actually hit someone, will be immediately ejected from the game, followed by a suspension of at least one game.

If a player is hit, the suspension will range from 1 to 5 games depending on the severity of the conflict, and a fine will also be imposed. Players who leave the bench during the conflict will also be fined.

After eradicating the two scourges of drugs and gambling, David Stern finally turned all his efforts to combating violence on the court. Stern realized that if the NBA wanted to surpass MLB and NFL and target a wider market of middle-class and youth groups, curbing violence was essential.

Before the match started, the referee jokingly greeted Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, don't throw a punch, or even make any moves, it will make things difficult for us."

Gan Guoyang smiled and shook his head. It seems he needs to be more careful when hitting people in the future, especially in the playoffs and finals. The massacre of the past will become a thing of the past.

With four key players missing and substitutes filling in for the starters, the Trail Blazers' bench lineup is in a sorry state.

Rookie PJ Brown got his first game of the new season, replacing Gan Guoyang as the team's center.

As a result, he made numerous mistakes, standing in the paint like a headless fly, and was completely disoriented by the Nuggets' passing and movement when defending.

With Porter out, the Trail Blazers only have Curry and Petrovic as guards, forcing these two players, who are not good at playmaking, to take turns controlling the ball.

Princeton's offense simply couldn't get going. They were able to play well in the preseason with their relaxed defense, but in the regular season, too much passing resulted in one turnover after another.

Berman, watching from the sidelines, was very anxious. He kept yelling and cursing. Sitting next to Gan Guoyang, he couldn't help but say, "Sonny, I don't think I should have proposed tonight. It was a bad idea."

Gan Guoyang said, "No, this isn't bad; it's just that we didn't play well enough. Let's call a timeout; we're down by 10 points."

After Nuggets forward Marcus Liberty scored on a fast break dunk, the Nuggets led the Trail Blazers 39-29 in the second quarter, a situation that was both unexpected and reasonable.

During the timeout, Gan Guoyang said to his teammates, "This is only the first game, but I feel like everyone here is from the 2000 season, while the Nuggets are playing like college students!"

Gan Guoyang wanted to motivate his teammates to show their energy, but he also pointed out that the Portland Trail Blazers are an old team.

It's not that they're old in age. On average, the Trail Blazers are currently in their middle age, in their prime. What's old about them is their spirit and energy; they are definitely old guys.

The drain on a player's energy is like the drain on a man's energy when it comes to beautiful women; the more they win, the more their spirit and energy are drained.

Therefore, some players collapse immediately after winning a championship, decline rapidly the following year, and never recover.

In the first game of the season, Gan Guoyang tried to encourage his teammates, a first for him in his career.

Boosting morale is secondary; the most important thing is that Gan Guoyang must give it his all to withstand the onslaught from the young Nuggets.

Bellman wanted to replace PJ Brown with Gan Guoyang, but Gan Guoyang said no, "Let me take Pete off, he's already very tired, I'll play with Dale."

Gan Guoyang replaced Petrovic, who had played for a long time. After returning to the court, he began to screen and cooperate with Dell Curry to dribble across half-court.

With Pinckney and PJ Brown anchoring the paint and Mario Elie crouching in the corner, the Nuggets' defensive focus was entirely on Gan Guoyang.

During a handoff pass at the top of the key, Mutombo was momentarily confused, wondering whether he should step out to defend Agam or stay in the paint to protect him.

In that moment of hesitation, PJ Brown cleverly drove to the basket, and Gan Guoyang delivered a high lob pass to the inside, where PJ Brown caught the ball and dunked it with both hands!

PJ Brown was not known for his offense in college; his nickname was "The Miner," which reveals his playing style.

This goal greatly relieved the pressure of his first game. Gan Guoyang shouted to him, "How about that? You scored! Not hard, right? Isn't the NBA easy?"

Brown smiled, his previous bad mood eased, and he was able to concentrate on defense. He had been receiving defensive guidance from Gan Guoyang throughout the training camp.

He is always silent, but he is good at doing his job quietly, which makes him more composed and reliable than Antonio Davis.

To some extent, when the Trail Blazers' management struggled to find aging stars like Walton and Gilmore, rookies like Mason, Davis, and PJ Brown became Jerry West's carefully chosen bodyguards for Gan Guoyang, ready to be replaced once they were used up.

Mason left, Davis came in, and one day when Davis leaves, PJ Brown will be able to fill the gap.

If these players weren't with the Trail Blazers, they wouldn't be able to play in the NBA anytime soon.

In other teams, they don't even meet the basic requirements to play.

Only by experiencing the high-intensity rookie training camp at the Trail Blazers and receiving personal instruction from Gan Guoyang can one quickly become a talent.

Gan Guoyang not only guides them in training, but also teaches them how to play and how to defend during matches.

This is guidance from the greatest interior defender in NBA history; I've benefited immensely from it.

PJ Brown quickly secured his first defensive rebound of his career.

He was in a hurry to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang, but the opponent intercepted it and launched a fast break layup. He then fouled the opponent, sending him to the free-throw line.

Gan Guoyang patted him on the shoulder, signaling him not to rush, "Our opponents should always be more anxious than us."

The Nuggets made both free throws, Curry dribbled the ball past half-court, Gan Guoyang set a screen, and the defense's attention was drawn to Gan Guoyang.

Curry drove to the basket and attempted a floater, but missed. However, PJ Brown grabbed the offensive rebound. This time, he didn't rush and passed the ball to the perimeter.

Mario Elie faked a shot in the corner but didn't shoot, then drove again and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang at the top of the arc, who easily made a mid-range jumper.

With the current roster, the Trail Blazers can only play this simple and straightforward tactic; they shouldn't think about anything else.

PJ Brown is still young, and he continued to make mistakes. Bellman substituted him out of the game, and Gan Guoyang returned to the paint.

The Nuggets immediately sensed that it was much more difficult to get into the paint, and they struggled to score inside for three consecutive possessions.

The Trail Blazers scored on consecutive fast breaks, but Gan Guoyang continued to play uneventfully. He would dribble the ball himself on the fast break and then cleverly distribute the ball to his teammates.

Allie, Davis, and Curry all had scoring opportunities, and they all capitalized on them in this quarter, leading the Trail Blazers to a 7-0 run against the Nuggets.

With the score closing in, Dan Issel called a timeout. During the timeout, Issel, a former Trail Blazers rival, said to Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, you're playing more and more like an old man. Are you planning to retire?"

Gan Guoyang waved his fist at Isaiah and said, "Watch your teeth! Haven't I beaten you guys enough?"

After throwing a punch, Gan Guoyang explained to the referee, "I was waving!"

The referee tonight is Madden, who said, "Don't make things difficult for Sonny, and don't let it happen again."

Gan Guoyang knew the referee wouldn't dare to send him off directly because he was a superstar.

In the latter part of the first half, Gan Guoyang used his passing and excellent timing to gradually bring the team back on track.

Even without four key players, they can still perform admirably with this group of second- or third-rate players.

The Nuggets tried to use their energy and tough defense to shut down the Trail Blazers' less-than-smooth offense, but gradually Gan Guoyang steered the game into a more relaxed pace.

At halftime, the score was tied at 51-51. Gan Guoyang had 10 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds in the first half, achieving a double-double.

During halftime, Berman proposed to his girlfriend in the stands behind the substitutes' bench, presenting her with a ring he had prepared long ago.

The audience erupted in applause, and a shower of rose petals fell from the sky, making the champion coach feel as if he had reached the pinnacle of his life.

Faced with his girlfriend's excited tears, he felt both happy and a little empty and scared, and silently thought to himself, "I'm really crazy... Forrest Gump, where are you?"

At that moment, he called out to Forrest Gump in his heart. He wanted to see Forrest Gump's figure among the crowd of people offering their blessings, to see him clapping and cheering.

But no, he searched and searched, but couldn't find Forrest Gump. Where had he gone? Where was he?
Behrman suddenly realized that all his success and happiness so far in life seemed to be inseparable from Forrest Gump.

Even when he won the important Olympic gold medal, Forrest Gump was on the podium next to him receiving the silver medal; he was the witness to everything.

Without him? Berman thought to himself, what's the point of coaching if he doesn't even want to anymore? So where is he?
Gan Guoyang did not appear until the ceremony ended and the second half of the game was about to begin, when he and his teammates appeared on the bench.

After calming down, Behrman let out a long sigh of relief and casually asked, "Sonny, where did you go? I don't think I saw you."

"Me? I'm right next to you, on the bench, next to Seth Curry. You look incredibly handsome, Bobby."

"Really? Really?" Behrman scratched his head, thinking he was probably getting old and senile.

(End of this chapter)