The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 724 The New and Old Power Kings

On the last day of 92, Gan Guoyang decided to spend New Year's Eve at home with his family and friends.

A brand new CD player was installed in Gan Guoyang's living room.

This is a birthday gift that Charles Barkley gave to Gan Guoyang in September.

As 92 was drawing to a close, the stereo played Luo Dayou's album "Shining Days".

Luo Dayou is Gan Youwei's favorite singer. He said that he loves to listen to Luo Dayou's songs when he is homesick.

In 1992, according to statistics from American media, CD sales officially surpassed those of cassette tapes.

The era of tape recorders and cassette tapes is coming to an end, and CD players with better sound quality will usher in a new era of music.

A large number of singers will determine their status in the music industry based on CD sales.

During this time, Gan Guoyang saw many things in his father that he had never seen before.

His hobbies, his preferences, and his temperament made Gan Guoyang feel that his father was becoming more and more real.

Their relationship grew closer, and they chatted while listening to music.

Gan Youwei also has his own understanding of basketball, and he has always thought that Gan Guoyang's playing style is too aggressive.

"Be gentle, use softness to overcome hardness. Too much hardness is easy to break."

"What do you mean by 'too rigid and you'll break'? I've already won six championships."

"Because you're young, capable, and lucky. But what about later? What about when you get older?"

What does it mean to be very lucky?

Gan Guoyang never expected that his father would think that his son's six championships were just good luck.

"You've always been lucky. Look, the Trail Blazers were a playoff team before they drafted you, second in the West. With you as the second overall pick, they suddenly became a championship contender, and they won the title the following year. Look at your friend Joe... what?"

"Jordan!"

"Yes, Jordan, he went to a bad team, his teammates changed one after another, and he fought for so many years before finally making it to the Finals. It wasn't easy."

"His leadership skills are terrible."

"Later, your team drafted Sabonis and Pete, both European players. You got lucky; with their talent, you definitely wouldn't have been able to draft American players. Isn't that also a kind of luck?"

"How can this be called luck? They didn't stop other teams from choosing them. This is a success of the management. Dad, what magazines have you been reading lately? Where did you get these fallacies and heresies from?"

"Hey, I was just browsing. I just wanted to tell you that good luck is certainly a good thing, but you also have to be able to handle bad luck. Fate is always unpredictable and doesn't follow any logic, so you have to be careful."

As Gan Youwei spoke, Luo Dayou's "The Story of Time" was playing from the stereo. The warm and flowing melody made Gan Guoyang feel the care in his father's words.

But there was something else that made him uneasy: his father's behavior lately seemed a bit abnormal.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and the surveillance equipment in front of the gate showed that a guest had arrived.

Gan Youwei turned off the stereo and said, "The guests have arrived, I'll go cook."

Tonight, Curry, Mitchell Thompson, and others brought their children to Gan Guoyang's house for a gathering.

Gan Youwei decided to show off his skills and cook a fusion dinner for everyone.

The dishes were already prepared in the kitchen, just waiting for the guests to arrive so he could start cooking.

Since arriving in Portland, Gan Youwei has not cooked.

Today is his time to shine.

The Thompson family, the Curry family, and some other friends all came in with their families.

After retiring, Mitchell Thompson worked as a basketball commentator for a Portland television station.

In March 1991, Thompson and his wife had their third son, Tris Thompson.

The Curry family also gained another son; Dell Curry's youngest son, Seth Curry, was born in the summer of 90.

Besides the Thompson and Curry families, there's also the Love family.

Stanley Love played for the Baltimore Bullets, Lakers, and Spurs in the 70s.

After retiring, he lived in Oswick Lake Hills Park and was very familiar with the Trail Blazers players.

He married in 1986 and had a son, Kevin Love, in 1988.

Love grew up in Oswick Lake Hills Park, and at only 5 years old, his father had already instilled in him a love for basketball.

Of all the kids, Stephen Curry and Kevin Love are the oldest.

Upon arriving at Gan Guoyang's house, the two immediately led Gan Wenshan, the Thompson brothers, and a group of other kids to the second, third, and attic floors to play and make a ruckus.

Gan Wenshan was very curious and explored around the house every day, eventually discovering the passageway leading from his home to the glass pyramid basketball court outside.

He led the kids through a secret passage in the study into the basketball court, where several of them started playing basketball.

When Gan Youwei had prepared a table full of dishes and called the children to eat, the adults realized that the children's noisy noise had been gone for a while.

Everyone was startled, thinking the children were missing.

Gan Guoyang immediately realized that they probably ran to the stadium through a secret passage.

The security guards checked the surveillance footage and, as expected, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Gan Guoyang went to the basketball court and brought all the kids back.

These little guys are barely bigger than basketballs.

But he has already shown interest in basketball.

Among them, Curry, Gan Wenshan, Thompson, and Love can dribble the ball quite well.

The remaining children ran around behind, having a great time.

Gan Guoyang carried two in each hand and two under his upper arm, leading the group of little brats back into the house.

At dinner, everyone got to appreciate Gan Youwei's superb culinary skills.

While Gan Guoyang has been making great strides on the basketball court over the years, Gan Youwei has not been idle either.

He also pioneered innovation in the culinary field, combining Chinese and Western styles to develop new dishes.

Many of his new Chinese and Western dishes are very popular in San Francisco.

Gan Youwei was named one of the top chefs in both 89 and 91.

For a chef, pleasing everyone's tastes is always a challenge.

For nearly ten years, Gan Youwei has focused his culinary efforts on the word "taste".

After dinner, the men played cards and smoked cigars, while the women chatted and played mahjong—Wang Fuxi introduced mahjong into the Portland wives' circle.

They stayed up until the early hours of the morning, when the children were all asleep and everyone started celebrating the New Year.

1992 passed, and 1993 arrived.

George H.W. Bush will officially end his term and deliver his final New Year's address.

The United States is about to enter the Bill Clinton era, with the last US president before the 21st century.

After seeing the guests off, the two children fell asleep, and Gan Guoyang lay on the bed in a daze.

Wang Fuxi woke up groggily and saw that her husband was still awake. She clung to him and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Thinking about something."

"What are you thinking about? You're thinking about your basketball game again."

"No, I was thinking about Dad."

“Dad? What’s wrong with Dad? I think he’s been doing very well lately. Before he came, I was worried that if he stayed too long, he would get stubborn and go back. But he’s doing just fine, he’s doing great every day. His grandson and granddaughter love him very much, he’s doing great.”

Gan Guoyang turned over and said, "It's precisely because I feel something is wrong that I'm perfectly fine."

"You really are something else. Dad's doing so well for you now, and you're still not happy about it?"

"No, I feel... something's not right. I just feel like something's not right."

The couple always understood each other, and when Gan Guoyang said that, Wang Fuxi was also jolted awake.

She turned on the desk lamp and said, "Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit true, especially after your great-uncle passed away."

Gan Guoyang nodded and said, "That's right, he seems... Do you think something happened to my dad?"

"what's up?"

Do you think Dad might be dating someone?

Wang Fuxi punched Gan Guoyang.

"You're talking nonsense, Dad wouldn't. But if he were to actually fall in love, it would actually be a good thing."

The two men made a bunch of jokes about Gan Youwei, but Gan Guoyang didn't relax.

He would rather his father wanted to find love and remarry than have something else on his mind.

"Schedule an appointment with the family doctor tomorrow to give Dad a thorough check-up. Just say it's a routine check-up, and since you've already paid, you can all come along for the check-up. Get everything checked out, make sure it's detailed."

Thinking of his great-uncle, Gan Guoyang became worried about his father's health.

I've decided to give him a proper medical check-up.

Gan Guoyang goes to team training as usual during the day, and there is a game against the Los Angeles Clippers in the evening.

Just before the start of the competition, Gan Guoyang received a call from Wang Fuxi, who said that the doctor's examination showed everything was normal.

"Everything's normal? Some project results probably haven't come out yet?"

"A few things are scheduled for tomorrow or the day after, but the doctor said it should be fine. Dad is generally quite healthy."

"Is that so? That's good, that's good."

Hearing his wife say this, Gan Guoyang finally felt relieved.

He was restless all day.

He was terrified that his wife would call and say that his father had been diagnosed with some kind of late-stage disease.

After calming down, Gan Guoyang refocused his attention on the game.

The Clippers are the first opponent of the new year.

With Larry Brown taking over, the Clippers seem to have found their footing.

Brown brought defense and discipline to the Clippers, along with endless screaming.

Before the game started, Gan Guoyang walked to the Clippers' bench and warned Brown:

"Larry, you better keep quiet tonight, or I'll make sure you have some peace and quiet."

Larry Brown turned pale with anger, then his face turned bright red.

He complained to the referee and the podium that Gan Guoyang had threatened him.

The referee walked to the bench and asked Vandeweghe, the Clippers player closest to the two players:

"Did Forrest Gump threaten Larry Brown?"

Vandeweghe looked bewildered. He gestured with his chin and said, "Uh, it was just some trash talk, nothing more. It's hardly a threat."

Brown retorted angrily, "Isn't this a threat? He wants me to shut up, and don't you know what methods he'll use?"

Vandeweghe leaned over and said to Brown, "Coach, since you know, wouldn't it be better to keep quiet?"

Brown stared at Vandeweghe in shock.

But then I thought about it again, and realized that these two were old teammates.

They even won a championship together.

After being traded to New York, Vandeweghe played a good half-season.

Later, due to injuries, he retired from the ranks of first-team players.

After the 88-89 season, Vandeweghe's scoring plummeted to single digits.

There was a brief resurgence in the 90-91 season, but he could only manage an average of 16 points per game.

He is no longer the superb scorer who could easily rack up 20 or 30 points per game. Furthermore, his playing style is no longer suited to the physicality and pace of the 90s.

After the 92 season, the Knicks did not renew his contract.

The Clippers offered him a contract; let's see if this former superstar scorer still has any fuel left.

Vandeweghe is 34 years old, and this season will most likely be the last of his career.

Whether it's money, fame, or championships, Vandeweghe has it all.

All he has to do is play his last season peacefully, then retire and start a management career.

Therefore, Larry Brown simply couldn't handle him.

Between his former teammates and his current coach, he naturally sided with Forrest Gump.

Brown calmed himself down and could only swallow his anger in Portland.

Seeing that Brown didn't say anything, the referee walked away and ignored him.

You want to complain about Forrest Gump at the Rose Garden Arena? Are you kidding me?

Gan Guoyang bumped fists with Vandeweghe and said, "You're still going to be with the Clippers, buddy."

Vandeweghe said, "He'd better bench me and put me on the bench, because I don't want to play anyway."

Are you planning to retire?

"After this season, it'll probably be almost over. I've got everything I wanted, it's time to relax."

Van der Werner truly had no other desires.

"Besides, without you, this lunatic, around, playing ball is really boring, I have no motivation."

During his several seasons in New York, Vandeweghe had few notable highlights.

Following Ewing, Kiki increasingly felt the vast gap between him and Agantcha.

It's not just about skill, but more importantly, about mental fortitude and leadership qualities.

Ewing was tough, but his toughness was more like acting on impulse than genuine courage.

Moreover, Ewing often makes foolish mistakes, saying things that are morale-damaging and inexplicable to his teammates and the media.

It seems like he never thinks things through, which hurts the feelings of his teammates and fans.

In contrast, Vandeweghe, reflecting on his time with the Trail Blazers, couldn't help but lament how the entire team was completely outmaneuvered by Forrest Gump.

The match between the two sides that evening was quite intense.

Although Brown is not popular with the players, his coaching ability is solid.

This year's Clippers, after his complete coaching, have indeed developed the qualities of a strong team.

With outstanding defense and attention to detail, the team is built around Manning, Jackson, and Harper.

They played a back-and-forth game against the Trail Blazers; it wasn't a one-sided affair.

Although the Trail Blazers have a complete roster, their starting lineup has been playing intermittently for most of the season, and their cohesion is clearly insufficient.

In addition, Kossie is still out on bail and indefinitely suspended, which has led to a decline in the Trail Blazers' strength.

However, Bellman made the right adjustments to help the Trail Blazers maintain their record.

In December, the Trail Blazers played well; their defensive efficiency dropped significantly, but their offense remained strong.

The team's offensive and defensive focus shifted entirely outwards, with Porter, Lewis, and Petrovic forming a formidable backcourt trio.

Gan Guoyang dominated the paint, while Sabonis' playing time was limited due to injuries.

In this game against the Clippers, Bellman used a starting lineup of Sabonis, Gan Guoyang, Lewis, Petrovic, and Porter.

This starting lineup abandons aggressive perimeter defense, instead collapsing the defense and relying on the simple logic of protecting the rim and attacking from the perimeter to wear down the opponent.

Berman didn't want to further strain Sabonis's precious knees, nor did he want Gan Guoyang to spend countless hours in the regular season helping, assisting, and stretching out to defend smaller players.

Lewis has transitioned from a defensive specialist and offensive role player to a primary offensive player who handles the ball on the perimeter.

Petrovic and Porter formed a backcourt duo, providing extremely strong outside firepower.

Gan Guoyang played the role of a free agent in the attack.

The team's Princeton offense is now fully developed.

For most of the regular time, Gan Guoyang was part of the team's offense.

In the last dozen or so games, his assists have repeatedly reached double digits, and he has become a master of playmaking.

With Sabonis's support and screens, the Trail Blazers' offense became extremely flexible.

This compensates for the team's shorter bench, insufficient strength, and poorer attention to detail.

They relied on scoring more points to go toe-to-toe with their opponents, on offensive efficiency to overwhelm them, and on scoring to cover up their problems.

Simply put, it means: when the Trail Blazers score more points than their opponents, the Trail Blazers win.

This involved calculating offensive efficiency, and Bellman derived this strategy through repeated calculations.

In short, this is a victory for mathematics.

Tonight, in the clash between the Trail Blazers and the Clippers, the Trail Blazers ultimately prevailed.

In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang, Porter, and Petrovic combined to launch a 15-4 offensive surge.

They hit consecutive three-pointers on the counterattack, rendering Larry Brown's prized half-court defense useless.

Moreover, Brown knew that Forrest Gump's sledgehammer had not yet entered positional assault mode.

He plays like a small forward, cooperating with his teammates on the perimeter.

He's shooting from three-point range really well tonight, the Clippers need to send a tall player to guard him.

In defense, Forrest Gump tenaciously guarded the paint and refused to leave the court, controlling all the defensive rebounds.

If the Clippers' shooting percentage drops even slightly, they will be countered by Porter, Petrovic, and Lewis.

It's fair to say that the Trail Blazers' roster and playing style are logically quite unfair.

They will lose, they will be out of form, and they will falter in some matches.

The problem is that they play with minimal effort and their tactical logic is impeccable.

There's only one way to defeat them: fight them head-on.

They shoot more accurately than the Trail Blazers, defend more aggressively, and suppress shooting percentage in one-on-one situations.

There's no way you can gain an advantage in terms of troop deployment.

This is also what makes the Trail Blazers so formidable:
For many seasons, their margin for error has been incredibly high thanks to Forrest Gump's presence.

Regardless of the problems with the roster structure, player age, injuries, or health.

With adjustments made around Forrest Gump, a highly efficient and effective skirmish lineup and system can be quickly assembled.

Lacking offensive resources, they retreated and focused on a desperate defensive strategy, emphasizing Forrest Gump's one-on-one play.

With insufficient defensive resources, they launched an all-out offensive offensive, highlighting Forrest Gump's versatility.

With multiple forwards, the team is built around forwards, featuring a tall, strong lineup, high-post offense, wave-like defense, and aggressive offensive rebounding.

With guards as the main focus, the team is built around a center-guard combination, featuring inside-out offense, Princeton offense, fast breaks, and three-point shooting.

Entering 1993, this characteristic of the Trail Blazers remained unchanged.

And because Forrest Gump became more versatile, their lives changed even more.

Brown is trying to keep up with the Trail Blazers by adjusting the roster.

But after taking the lead, the Trail Blazers' offense became increasingly relaxed.

Gan Guoyang started to exert his strength in the fourth quarter, hitting consecutive mid-range shots.

This guy started taking away the wins.

Brown still wanted to fight back, and during the timeout, he asked his players to commit aggressive fouls.

As a result, the Clippers players simply didn't listen to Brown.

A vicious foul? You're crazy, Larry.

If it were in Los Angeles, I might consider it.

This is Portland, and you expect us to foul Forrest Gump viciously?

Why don't you go and yell at Forrest Gump a couple of times?

It's just the regular season, why risk your life?

The Clippers never had a strong team culture.

There is no animosity between them and the Trail Blazers.

If there is one, it's between Sterling and Forrest Gump.

What does the boss's business have to do with the players?

Therefore, Brown's words were meaningless.

The Clippers players finished the fourth quarter as scheduled.

The Trail Blazers defeated the Clippers 119-107 at home, a 12-point advantage.

They secured their first victory of the new year.

After the game, Larry Brown stormed off.

He didn't shake hands with Berman and left the stadium with his head down.

Shortly after the game, Brown internally submitted his resignation to the Clippers' management.

He said he would leave after this season.

The Clippers initially agreed, but later tried to retain Brown by offering him a long-term contract.

But Brown was determined to leave; he knew he wouldn't make a name for himself there.

In the following games, the Trail Blazers had both wins and losses.

Losing games is often due to poor outside shooting and a bad offensive performance.

If their offense falters, their defense will also falter, making them vulnerable to falling into a disadvantageous position.

When they win, their offense flows smoothly, and their opponents find it difficult to resist the Trail Blazers' highly talented offensive lineup.

They began to become an offensively-oriented team, with their defense being a slight weakness.

Of course, this is just the regular season; the situation in the playoffs will certainly be different.

In January, the Trail Blazers achieved a record of 8 wins and 4 losses, which was acceptable.

By February, with the All-Star Game approaching, All-Star voting was in full swing.

Gan Guoyang and Jordan remain far ahead in the voting.

Both players are impeccable in terms of statistics, team performance, and individual performance.

However, the NBA always needs new faces, new idols, and new heroes.

Especially in the great position of center, the topic of giants never stops.

On February 7th, just before the All-Star Game, the Orlando Magic played the Phoenix Suns on the road.

Rookie number one draft pick Shaquille O'Neal used his immense strength to tear apart the Suns' home court's rim during the game.

This terrifying power and enormous size have amazed NBA fans; yet another monster has descended upon the league.

Moreover, in terms of physique, he is even more terrifying than Forrest Gump.

People are starting to anticipate that the two will meet for the first time during the Trail Blazers' Southeast road trip on February 11.

The rivalry between the old and new King of Strength is incredibly captivating.

(End of this chapter)