The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 732 No More Fighters
Bernard King's arrival has given the Trail Blazers' bench greater depth.

Of course, this is only on the surface. Whether Kim can truly integrate into the Trail Blazers' system still needs to be tested in games.

Moreover, Kim's arrival was not to replace Petrovic; the two were from completely different eras and had different styles of players.

Petrovic is younger and plays a more modern style; his pull-up jump shot, long-range shot, passing, and dribbling all fit the current trend.

Petrovic plays a crucial role in the Trail Blazers' Princeton offense.

He often sets up plays at the high post and top of the key, coordinating with Sabonis and Agam to create screens and break down the opponent's defense.

With him and Terry Porter on the court, the Trail Blazers always had two important long-range shooting options.

They were like two horns on the court, opening up the Trail Blazers' formation space.

The Trail Blazers' offense is more fluid and more potent this season.

One reason is that Petrovic has reached his peak.

Before his injury, he averaged 21.5 points per game, second only to Forrest Gump on the team.

Bernard King is nearing the end of his career; he grew up in the 60s and 70s.

Back then, the NBA didn't have a three-point line, and Bernard King was a typical classic small forward.

He lacks a long-range shot, has a high dribbling ability, is excellent with his back to the basket, excels at scoring in the low post, and doesn't focus much on defense.

This type of small forward is slowly disappearing from the NBA, with players like Dantley and Aguirre entering the twilight of their careers.

The perimeter players who grew up in the 80s and entered the league in the 90s no longer play like this.

The small forwards of the 90s were modeled after Pippen, possessing long-range shooting ability, strong defense, and high overall ability.

Scoring may not be the top priority, but defense is essential, and a little playmaking ability would be even better.

Back-to-the-basket attacks are icing on the cake, but they're no longer the mainstay.

Mario Elie, the Portland Trail Blazers' backup forward, is a typical example of a new-era forward.

He plays aggressive defense, has a pretty good three-point shot on offense, and his playmaking and ball-handling are average.

Such a player wouldn't have made it into the NBA in 1985, because the league didn't need players like that at the time.

However, as times changed, players like Ellie suddenly became popular in the 90s.

Ellie, who was a year older than Gan Guoyang, was re-signed by an NBA team in 1991.

His personal efforts and perseverance are certainly important, but the key is that his technical skills are in line with the times.

Therefore, a person's destiny certainly depends on their own efforts, but the course of history must also be taken into account.

Because of his fit with the current league trends, Elie has taken on an important position in the rotation after Jerome Kossie was absent for various reasons.

So Bobby Bellman had a bit of a headache after signing Bernard King.

How should we utilize this former All-Star veteran?
The Trail Blazers were prepared for Petrovic's absence.

The team has kept Dell Curry as a backup for Porter and Petrovic.

Ellie played very well at the forward position, not to mention Reggie Lewis is a regular starter.

Lewis is developing into an all-around small forward.

In the Trail Blazers' plan, Forrest Gump is the absolute core, Lewis is a versatile outside shooter, and Petrovic focuses on scoring.

The Argan-Sabonis twin towers system of 90 and 91 gradually gave way to a new trio as Sabonis suffered too many injuries.

With these three as the backbone, the Trail Blazers can maintain their championship competitiveness for another 4 to 5 seasons.

Not to mention Jerome Koch is sitting on the bench, earning over a million dollars a month.

No matter how bad his form is, he is still a veteran of the team and the person who is most familiar with the Trail Blazers' system.

We can't just stop Kessy from playing and put the older, defenseless King on the court instead, can we?

If Kim were just an ordinary veteran, it would be fine, like Jones back in the day.

Or Wayne Cooper, who sits at the end of the bench, can play as the 12th or 13th man.

Unfortunately, Kim is a proud and arrogant star who was once the king of the team.

If you make him do less work and work as an assistant, he will harbor resentment.

If you don't manage your relationships with your teammates well, you can easily become a locker room bomb.

Behrman certainly knew that Kim and Forrest were good friends.

They had known each other since their time in San Francisco, and Bellman also knew Kim.

At that time, Bellman was an unknown high school basketball coach.

Jin Fenghua is in his prime and is a well-known super scorer and star player in the league.

Time has passed, and Bellman is now a nationally renowned championship coach.

Jin, due to recurring injuries, was on the verge of retirement and was almost ignored.

His reputation was shining brightly for a time, but he was completely overshadowed by other stars in the new era.

There weren't many fans present at yesterday's signing ceremony, apart from reporters.

Bernard King displays his Trail Blazers #30 jersey in the cold rain.

The desolation of a hero in his twilight years is unmistakable.

During practice, Bellman spoke with Jerry West:
"Trading Mark is acceptable; we do have too many players in the attacking third. But with Pete injured, we should sign a defender."

West looked up at the training field and said calmly:
"Defenders? Do you think we even need defenders?"

"Of course, we only have two proper guards on our team now, Porter and Curry. Lewis can play guard, but he plays more at the small forward position now."

Bobby Bellman prefers West to sign a small guard back.

This ensures the team has an extra backup in the backcourt during Petrovic's absence.

Otherwise, relying solely on Porter and Curry, the Trail Blazers' backcourt might not be able to cope.

Porter missed the early stages of the season due to injury.

The Trail Blazers, with only two guards, are stretched thin.

At that time, Gan Guoyang stepped up and took on many defensive responsibilities.

Thinking about this, Bellman seemed to understand.

No way, are we going to have to practice Forrest Gump again?
Do they want to get Forrest Gump to participate more in the organization from the outside?

Although Gan Guoyang underwent a transformation in last year's finals.

He became a true free agent on the court.

Sometimes, when you open your heart, you can truly do whatever you want without overstepping the bounds.

Fight however you want.

They can dribble the ball and launch a fast break.

You can also dribble the ball and launch an attack from the outside.

They can even be used as spot shooters, playing a role in the bottom corner and at 45 degrees.

However, most of the time, Bellman still needs Gan Guoyang to guard the inside.

That was his foundation, and the foundation of all pioneers.

"You mean, let Agando play on the perimeter? Although he has a lot of assists and his dribbling is no problem at all, if you let him handle the ball all the time and do everything, the pressure will be too great."

West shook his head and said, "With the current style of play, there won't be any problems with Forrest Gump. There's no need to put more pressure on him. Recruiting Bernard King was actually Forrest Gump's idea; he recommended him. I just wanted to make him happier and give him more friends to talk to on the team."

"I know you're worried Bernard will be a locker room bomb, and his role on the court is a problem. But Bobby, you know, you can't sign any good players right now. The biggest success is getting someone who makes Forrest happy, right?"

"Moreover, Bernard is very eager for a championship."

It turns out that West wasn't considering tactical issues, but rather psychological ones.

Bellman looked at the training field, where Gan Guoyang was practicing three-pointers with Bernard King.

The two chatted and laughed, having a very pleasant conversation.

Gan Guoyang is usually quite serious during training.

A smile rarely appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Bellman nodded, agreeing with West's statement.

With the playoffs approaching, Forrest Gump's physical and mental condition is of utmost importance.

To be honest, nobody is confident about winning a fourth consecutive championship.

Bellman had already prepared an escape route for himself.

This season, he didn't talk about winning the championship; he just wanted to do his best.

Apart from core players like Gan Guoyang, Petrovic, Lewis, and Sabonis who were determined to win the championship, everyone else on the Trail Blazers team was prepared for failure.

After all, having come this far, it would be legendary to remain stagnant.

To push and spur oneself on like this is something not everyone can do.

Bellman was a typical gambler, not a winning fanatic.

When he's desperate for a win, he'll go all in, hoping for a dramatic comeback.

But when the situation was very favorable, he remained calm.

After a conversation, he understood Jerry West's deeper meaning.

Bernard King can bolster the team's championship aspirations.

It can also make Forrest Gump happy and make playing ball more comfortable.

This is indeed a very good signing.

As expected, experience matters most; Jerry West has more expertise in team building.

He learned his lesson from playing for the Lakers.

In the 1986 season, he let go of Bob McAdoo, who was popular with the whole team, and signed Lucas.

In terms of form and ability at the time, Lucas was better and more outstanding than McAdoo.

But Lucas didn't get along with the rest of the Lakers, especially with Magic Johnson.

Everyone missed McAdoo more and was unwilling to work with Lucas, causing rifts to appear within the team.

This led to the Lakers being eliminated by the Rockets in the semifinals, losing their chance to defend their title.

This time, West traded away Mark Bryant, who had little presence in the game.

They signed a friend of Forrest Gump, mainly to please the star player.

In this respect, West is unlike the fat Krause, who specifically sought to pick fights with Jordan.

Jordan would trade away whoever he liked—of course, this was also related to his poor judgment in choosing his partners.

On February 27th, the Trail Blazers will host the Atlanta Hawks.

With Petrovic absent, Dell Curry started in his place.

In order to address the lack of scoring due to the absence of a firepower point, Gan Guoyang decided: I will make up for it.

Gan Guoyang always puts up amazing stats when facing the Hawks.

This stems from psychological inertia and advantage.

There is one team in each of the East and West divisions that is Gan Guoyang's go-to tool for racking up stats.

The Eagles are in the East, the Nuggets are in the West.

Gan Guoyang delivered another outstanding performance in this match.

He scored 44 points and grabbed 28 rebounds.

One person takes on all the responsibilities on both offense and defense.

The incident started when Dominique Wilkins clashed with Gan Guoyang in the opening stages.

Gan Guoyang didn't pay attention at first, but Wilkins had a very good start.

He scored 15 points in the first quarter, helping the Hawks take the lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Trail Blazers' perimeter defense this season has been really bad.

Wilkins, who was in excellent form, got into the game and drove to the basket in the second quarter, dunking over Gan Guoyang.

This got Gan Guoyang really angry, and he started to get really into it.

He frequently attacked one-on-one with the ball, starting from the outside.

The Hawks' defense was quickly overwhelmed and forced to commit numerous fouls.

Gan Guoyang is unstoppable at the free-throw line.

As he took more and more free throws, his shooting touch improved.

In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang exploded with three-pointers, making all four of his attempts in the quarter.

Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang consistently grabbed defensive rebounds and offensive rebounds.

They dominated the Hawks' rebounding.

This quarter saw them take down the Hawks in one fell swoop.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers had extended their lead to 19 points.

The Hawks quickly gave up; if Gan Guoyang had continued playing, he would have scored even more points.

Bernard King got his chance to play during garbage time for most of the last quarter.

Gan Guoyang deliberately made the game a disaster in order to give Jin some playing time.

Kim was able to showcase his turnaround jump shot skills at the Rose Garden Arena.

However, his shooting percentage is also average during garbage time.

His speed was much slower than before, almost like he was doing a slow-motion demonstration.

Slower speed means it's more vulnerable to interference from defenders.

Because of his knee injury, his turns and jumps lack elasticity.

The shot lacks power and is likely to hit the front edge of the rim.

On the defensive end, he can't keep up with the opponent's pace and is easily beaten near the three-point line.

Relying on his experience and past prowess, Kim still managed to score 6 points through pick-and-roll offense and free throws.

He finally left the court to rest amidst sparse applause from the fans, ending his Trail Blazers debut.

Jin returned to the bench somewhat dejected, gave Gan Guoyang a high-five, and apologized.

"I played terribly; I haven't played basketball in a long time."

"Yes, it's bad, you need time to find your rhythm."

Gan Guoyang did not simply offer comfort to Bernard King.

He was very direct and told Kim that he really didn't play well and needed to practice more.

"It seems I don't have much time left."

Bernard King practiced with the team once and quickly realized that he would have a hard time finding a suitable position in the Trail Blazers' system.

It wasn't that his tactics and experience were lacking, but rather that his legs and physical strength couldn't keep up.

Whether it was Allie, Lewis, or Jerome Cauchy, he was at a disadvantage in the confrontation.

He's the type who's quick-witted but physically slow.

I know what to do, but my legs won't allow it; I'm always a step too slow.

Moreover, injuries not only leave scars on the knees, but also leave deep scars on the heart.

Princeton offense may seem like a civilian tactic, but it actually demands a high level of physical fitness and running ability.

Bernard King is better suited to playing standing up, as a microwave scorer off the bench.

However, judging from the rotation ranking, he will probably be ranked ninth or tenth.

Gan Guoyang patted Jin on the shoulder and said, "It's okay, Bernard, I'll buy you some time."

“Oh, no, Sonny. You can’t just let Bobby increase my playing time. We have to see how I perform.”

"You misunderstood Bernard. I'm not asking Bobby for playing time. As long as you blow out the game early like today, you'll get your playing time, right?"

So that's what Forrest Gump meant?
That arrogant guy, but he really does have that ability.

For a player of Gan Guoyang's caliber, finding goals in the regular season and getting himself fully engaged in the game is a very real issue.

The championship is the ultimate goal, but the season is long, lasting more than half a year from November to June of the following year.

The regular season is a long journey, and without some exciting surprises, veterans who have played for many seasons are bound to get tired.

In this respect, Gan Guoyang is very similar to Jordan.

Jordan's favorite thing to do is to practice shooting in the air, creating enemies for himself.

Some people have speculated before that the conflict between Jordan and Isaiah Thomas was entirely fabricated by him.

This season, Jordan is doing the same thing again.

The Chicago Bulls and the Washington Bullets recently played a game.

Bullets rookie Bradford Smith scored 37 points over Jordan.

After the game, Jordan claimed that Smith had mocked him during the game.

He said, "You played well, Michael."

Jordan angrily relayed the story at a press conference, stating that such a thing would not happen again in the next game.

The two teams will soon play their second game, and Jordan will have a chance for revenge in Washington.

Jordan told the media around him, "In the next game against the Bullets, I need to score 37 points in the first half."

"I will get my revenge. That motivates me to play the game. I will definitely get my revenge."

Jordan kept talking, trying to get himself excited.

On the day of the away game against the Bullets, Jordan got up early in the morning to go to the arena for shooting warm-up drills.

When the game started that night, he made all 8 of his shots and easily scored 36 points in the first half.

Jordan scored 47 points in the game, ending a perfect revenge.

Gan Guoyang saw the relevant report on his way to Detroit.

The Washington Post was giving this brilliant performance and the revenge against the rookie a huge shout-out.

This is actually a disguised way of promoting the Bullets' rookie.

Before this, few people knew who Bradford Smith was.

But as soon as Gan Guoyang saw the news report, he said, "Michael, that liar, is talking nonsense again. Smith would never say such things to him; he must have made it up."

Bodyguard Quentin asked Gan Guoyang how he knew Jordan was lying.

Gan Guoyang explained, "Michael likes to create enemies for himself to motivate him to win. He's always making enemies in his mind, and I suspect that the conflict between him and Thomas was also made up by him."

Quentin asked, "And what about the competition between him and you?"

"That's all true, of course. Michael and I don't need any adrenaline to play against each other."

Gan Guoyang verbally called Jordan a fraud, but in his heart he came to understand Jordan more and more.

Gan Guoyang also needs some of this kind of motivation to stay focused this season.

Unlike Jordan's unrealistic pursuit of goals, Gan Guoyang sets more realistic objectives for himself.

For example, his competition with Dennis Rodman for the rebounding title last season gave Gan Guoyang a lot of energy in the game.

He competed with Jordan for the scoring title, the MVP award, and so on, even earlier.

This season, we'll play against Shaq and teach him a lesson, leaving him with psychological trauma.

Also, with Bernard King's arrival, we're planning to have a few more games played.

Give old friends a chance to play during garbage time and get back into the game.

After defeating the Hawks, the Trail Blazers then dominated the Los Angeles Clippers at home.

Bernard King played for 3 minutes in the second quarter and 8 minutes in the fourth quarter.

In 11 minutes, Kim scored 10 points, along with 1 assist and 2 rebounds.

Their performance was much better than the last game; at least their efficiency improved.

Gan Guoyang scored 29 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, added 7 blocks and 9 assists in this game.

He had a very high field goal percentage of 80% and revitalized the team's offense.

The team made 7 of 11 three-pointers, with Dell Curry making 3 of 4, delivering an outstanding performance.

Gan Guoyang single-handedly dismantled the Clippers on both offense and defense.

His offensive style became increasingly free and unpredictable. Larry Brown's rigid defensive setup simply couldn't withstand it.

Brown is a great defensive coach; his greatest strength in defense is precision.

Precise one-on-one positioning, precise rotation, precise double-teaming.

He meticulously calculated every step, striving to ensure his players could execute their tasks methodically, like characters in a video game.

Such defense is very useful for ordinary players and teams, as it can greatly reduce the opponent's efficiency.

But this kind of precise defense is the least effective against a versatile player like Gan Guoyang, who has evolved to play in all five positions.

For example, Brown prefers to use excellent defensive point guards to apply pressure to the opponent's playmaker throughout the entire game and half-court.

In Denver, he used Brian Taylor; in the Spurs, he used Rod Strickland; and in the Clippers, he used Mark Jackson, Rivers, and Harper.

He likes this type of defender, who strives to disrupt the opponent's attack from the root and put pressure on the ball handler.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Gan Guoyang frequently dribbled the ball across half-court to organize the offense.

How to defend against it? Have the point guard steal the ball?
Even Jordan and Pippen combined couldn't steal the ball from Gan Guoyang.

Using a small guard to defend results in the player being pushed in with their back to the basket and scored on easily.

If the inside players are allowed to come out to defend, then how do we protect the rim and how do we rotate the players?
Brown's meticulously planned defensive formation immediately fell apart.

In addition, Gan Guoyang would always give Brown a stern warning, "Stop screaming!"

This caused Brown to have a somber expression when playing against the Trail Blazers, unable to vent his emotions.

Ultimately losing the game must have been incredibly frustrating.

The coach and team that are truly suited to defending a "free agent" like Gan Guoyang is George Karl and his SuperSonics.

It wasn't precision that mattered, but rather unparalleled energy, a tall forward line, and the ferocity of the SOS defensive system.

Tonight's game saw the Clippers quickly overwhelmed by Gan Guoyang's individual brilliance, and the game soon entered garbage time.

Brown's resentment towards Gan Guoyang increased even further.

This resentment will only grow deeper and stronger over time.

Many years later, the two sides will settle their scores.

After the match, Jin's admiration for Gan Guoyang increased by one point.

That kid is really good at pretending, and the key is that he actually succeeded.

In March, the Trail Blazers embarked on another road trip in the Eastern Conference.

This is the Trail Blazers' last long Eastern tour before the playoffs.

The plane arrived in Detroit, where a large number of reporters were waiting at the airport exit.

Every time Gan Guoyang went to Detroit for a game, it caused a sensation.

As time went by, the aftermath of the Silver Dome Massacre did not dissipate.

On the contrary, as the NBA's popularity and influence have increased, so too has its influence grown.

Gan Guoyang and his Trail Blazers were at their peak, the most popular team in the league.

Pistons are inevitably heading towards decline.

Fans and local media could only add a layer of bloodshed to the game by constantly evoking memories of past glories.

From the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the stadium, you can see signs written by fans everywhere.

"Forrest Gump, you can't kill us!"

"Take this punch, Forrest Gump!"

"You are the worst boxer and wrestler in the world."

Some signs also depict a coffin.

Gan Guoyang lay inside, his face peaceful.

Gan Guoyang was already immune to this kind of provocation.

In the past two seasons, the Pistons fans have been more offensive than the players.

Their talents are all focused on trash talk rather than team building.

A team can fall from grace so quickly.

Last season they were still vying for the championship, but next season that might be over.

The corruption and decadence within the team is one aspect, but the rapid changes in the overall environment have accelerated this process.

The Pistons were in a period of rapid development and change in the NBA.

First, their playing style was rejected and targeted by the league.

In the 90s, many teams were descendants of the Pistons.

Since the league introduced the flagrant foul rule in 90, NBA games have not become any gentler.

There have been fewer malicious acts of violence, but the competition has become more intense, and the scores have been declining year by year.

The Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Hawks, and SuperSonics are all teams with a very aggressive playing style.

Daly and his Pistons created a path to success where "even those with average talent can compete with geniuses."

He taught his apprentice, but starved his master to death.

The Pistons, as the instigator, were targeted the most.

They received the most criticism from the media, and the name "Bad Boy" was known to everyone.

They take pride in winning games and championships.

If someone becomes even slightly dejected, countless people will take advantage of their misfortune to kick them while they're down.

This has severely hampered the Pistons' team building efforts.

Daly was eventually forced to leave, ending Bad-boy's history.

Secondly, the constant influx of new teams dilutes the talent pool.

The Pistons have not received any fresh blood, and their roster continues to age.

The addition of four new teams has scattered many talented players.

Aside from Dennis Rodman, the Pistons haven't developed a single outstanding rookie player in recent years.

Rodman was an excellent role player, but he was destined not to be a core player, much less an offensive core player.

Moreover, both Rodman and Sally were drafted in 1986.

After the expansion in 1988, the Pistons won none in the next five drafts.

The only player selected who played for a period of time was Lance Banks—a player who averaged 1.7 points per game.

Besides that, the players they selected were either traded or simply abandoned.

No team can afford to go five or six years without any new talent emerging.

That's just how the Pistons are; they haven't even developed a good bench player.

Of the remaining core players, Dumars can be a great supporting player, but he can't be a core player either.

Melvin Turpin's self-discipline issues finally surfaced, and he couldn't maintain it any longer.

After Daley left, Tping weighed 300 pounds when the team's training camp began in the summer of 1992.

The Pistons' only tactical core is still Isiah Thomas, who is just 31 years old this year.

Logically speaking, he should be in his prime, but due to a series of setbacks, his ambition has diminished considerably.

First, he failed to make the Olympic dream team, and then he was almost killed by Ma Long's elbow.

Forrest Gump elbowed him, so I let it go; there was nothing I could do, he was the boss.

It wasn't him who elbowed me; I touched his elbow with my face.

Clinton, who stood up for Forrest Gump back then, is now president.

Fortunately, Forrest Gump forgave me in the end, and everything was alright.

Now, you, little Malone, are doing this too? Who gave you the guts?
Thomas is hoping the league will impose a severe punishment and that the media will speak up for him.

As a result, the league's punishment for Malone was a one-game suspension and a fine.

The media barely made a sound, and some even gloated, thinking Thomas deserved it.

From that moment on, Thomas knew he was completely disliked.

In the basketball world, in the NBA, David Stern would love for him to die.

If he had been elbowed to death earlier, Jordan and Forrest Gump would have met in the Finals long ago.

The NBA definitely has higher viewership and makes more money.

After realizing this, Thomas, who had already won a championship, became disheartened.

He realized that his era had come to an end.

From then on, he kept a low profile on the court and focused on playing basketball.

Once a person loses that fighting spirit and that drive to overturn everything, their competitive state will decline rapidly.

This season, Thomas's average points per game have dropped to 17.6, and his field goal percentage has plummeted to a historic low of 41%.

That's a very poor shooting percentage, just over 40%, which is unacceptable for a small guard.

This means that when you have the ball, your opponent will be happy and will really want you to have the ball and attack.

Because your efficiency is very low, I don't need to allocate too many defensive resources; a normal one-on-one situation will suffice.

Thomas's selection to the Eastern Conference starting lineup for the Salt Lake City All-Star Game offered him some comfort.

He realized that many fans still supported and approved of him.

However, he can no longer give the fans anything more; this little guy is almost exhausted.

That night, in the grudge game against the Trail Blazers, the fans were as crazy as ever.

Bad boy banners fluttered across the court, and various slogans and screams stimulated the players' nerves.

"To be honest, I still prefer the Silver Dome. It's much bigger there, with more seats, like a great opera house. Competing there would feel like fighting in the center of the universe, with so many damn spectators, it's really exciting."

Before the match began, Gan Guoyang and Thomas shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Gan Guoyang's words seemed to carry a hint of provocation.

Actually, no, he was just reminiscing about the Silver Dome Center.

Thomas, who shook hands with Gan Guoyang, no longer had the arrogance in his eyes.

His smile was no longer cunning; it simply revealed his white teeth to show friendliness.

“I also miss that place. There, I felt more like a fighter than an actor.”

Thomas calls himself an actor, and now he feels like he's acting every night.

To put on a basketball-related show for the fans, and to play a character called the Smiling Assassin.

He acted very convincingly, but he knew in his heart that it was acting, not the real thing.

Although he is still himself, this name and this nickname will always belong to him.

But the most glorious and noisiest memories of this player are buried in the Silver Dome Center.

Thomas is now just gliding around the court by inertia, instead of soaring.

Before a game between the Trail Blazers and the Pistons, the two players would never chat or exchange pleasantries.

They hated each other, and Gan Guoyang even instigated Jordan to prevent Thomas from going to the Olympics.

But now, they're chatting like old friends, holding the ball near the center line.

They talked about future investment and development, and Thomas asked Gan Guoyang if he knew any good investment projects.

Gan Guoyang immediately replied, "The funeral industry!"

As a funeral industry tycoon, Gan Guoyang pitched the benefits of the business to Thomas.

There's no need to worry about repeat customers, no need to expand the market, all the reviews are positive, and there's little pressure to meet sales targets, etc.

Gan Guoyang and Knight's funeral company has expanded its business throughout the West Coast.

The Great Lakes region remains untouched, and it is an old industrial area of ​​the United States.

With the aging population becoming increasingly prominent, the future market is sure to be a blue ocean.

Thomas was so impressed by Gan Guoyang's words that he couldn't wait to pay for the experience.

The two chatted about topics completely unrelated to basketball before the game.

Gan Guoyang knew that Thomas was not far from retiring.

If not this season, then next season.

His mind was no longer on basketball, and his fighting spirit had vanished.

On the contrary, Gan Guoyang's other rival, Bill Laimbeer, remained the same.

During the jump ball, he greeted Gan Guoyang with "Fuck you, Sonny."

Gan Guoyang glared at Lambiel, but Lambiel was not afraid.

He had an attitude of "I know I can't beat you, but I'm not giving up."

Lambiel's fortunes have also declined significantly in the last two years.

The most critical issue is the decline in defensive rebounds.

Bill Laimbeer was once the league's best defensive rebounder.

In the past two years, his defensive rebounds have dropped to an average of 3 or 4 per game.

Rodman's rise is one aspect, but his declining physical condition is the biggest problem.

But Lambiel was all bark and no bite; he never won a fight, and he never backed down in a verbal battle.

Looking at the current league, the player Gan Guoyang beat the most was Laimbeer.

Kolanbe was the only player who dared to challenge Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang was too lazy to bother arguing with this scoundrel.

He is different from Thomas, who lost his fighting spirit and turned from a fighter into an actor.

And Lambiel was an actor from beginning to end.

A spoiled rich kid, with nothing better to do, went to the NBA and played a ball-grabbing game with a group of low-level black men.

He maintained a calm mind, knew what he was doing, and remained clear-headed and steadfast in his beliefs.

He actually hoped that Forrest Gump would fight him again tonight.

However, Gan Guoyang knew his tricks and stopped arguing with him.

Moreover, in one-on-one situations, Lambiel was completely unable to defend against Gan Guoyang.

He easily dribbled past her with a back turn and cleanly drove in for a two-handed dunk.

If the ball is pulled to the outside, Gan Guoyang can easily drive past it with a powerful shot.

Lambiel had no options other than helplessly standing with his hands on his hips and making incompetent noises.

Why bother hitting him?
When the Pistons brought in Melvin T. Pin, Gan Guoyang could hardly believe his eyes.

"Melvin, what's wrong with you? Did you steal Barkley's recipe?"

Teping, who was once strong and muscular, has now become a complete ball.

During summer training camp, he claimed to weigh 280 pounds.

He said he gained weight to compete against Shaquille O'Neal, who had just entered the league.

In reality, he weighed 300 pounds, and it was all fat.

After a period of training and weight control, I dropped to 290 pounds.

It was still too heavy for his height; the jersey was stretched tight.

Te Ping felt somewhat embarrassed when faced with Gan Guoyang's question.

"I...I just want to improve my combat skills."

"But can you keep up with your feet?"

After asking the questions, and after two rounds of questioning, Gan Guoyang got the answer by making a breakthrough at the bottom line.

Teppin was walking a little slower than Lambiel.

His main role on the court is not defense, but rather his offensive capabilities in the low post.

Teping only made a slight push at the end of the first quarter.

He was quickly substituted off the field and sat on the sidelines, chin in hand, lost in thought.

Teping was once known as a fighter, fighting on the front lines against Gansu.

He was also a member of the 1984 golden generation and made great contributions to the Pistons' championship.

But even a fighter can lose his fighting spirit and become fat and round one day.

The first half was fairly intense because the Pistons still had a solid foundation.

The team is also trying to remain competitive through trades and free agent signings.

They acquired Woolridge and traded for Alvin Robertson.

Joe Dumars entered his career peak, averaging 23 points per game and becoming the team's leading scorer.

However, without their defense and fighting spirit, they were quickly overwhelmed by the Trail Blazers in the third quarter.

Gan Guoyang led his team with a 16-2 run, quickly widening the gap between the two sides.

The Trail Blazers are currently the team in the league best at creating offensive surges.

They scored consistently with high efficiency, maintained defensive pressure, and launched numerous successful counterattacks.

They won the regular season thanks to a run in the third quarter.

The Pistons tried their best to hold on, but were blown out in the latter part of the fourth quarter, turning it into garbage time.

Bernard King was able to return to the court and contribute his remaining energy.

Forrest Gump was an absolute friend to his friends.

I promised to help you with the flower competition, and I'll definitely keep my promise to give you time to play.

Bernard King was also very emotional, saying that his most glorious game was against the Pistons.

In the first round of the 1984 playoffs against the Detroit Pistons, he averaged 42.6 points in five games, leading his team to a 3-2 victory over the Pistons and advancing to the semifinals.

He then battled the eventual champion Celtics for seven games in the semifinals, averaging 29 points per game.

He was so powerful back then, the King of New York, a scoring machine.

Now, he's just a nobody, trying his best to get a little playing time.

He even needed his friends to beat the game badly in order to get a chance.

Jin felt somewhat ashamed, and he tried his best to perform within the limited time available.

He not only scores points, but also actively participates in defense, integrating into the Trail Blazers' offensive and defensive system.

The Trail Blazers easily secured a victory in Detroit and will head to Milwaukee next.

In the locker room after the game, Bernard King said to Gan Guoyang, "Gan, that's enough. I've found my rhythm. You don't need to play too hard for me and try to blow the game out of proportion. Just play normally."

"I will earn my chance to play through my own efforts, I promise."

Hearing Jin say this, Gan Guoyang didn't hesitate and said, "I believe you."

After that, the Trail Blazers defeated the Bucks and Timberwolves, both of which are weak teams in the league.

A favorable schedule meant the Trail Blazers weren't too affected by Petrovic's injury.

However, the subsequent back-and-forth home and away games in the Western Conference caused the Trail Blazers some trouble.

They lost to the Suns, they lost to the SuperSonics, and they lost to the Nuggets.

Petrovic was eager to return to the game after seeing the team's consecutive losses, but was stopped by Jerry West.

It wasn't until the end of March that the Trail Blazers hosted the Chicago Bulls.

Petrovic's knee injury has finally improved, and he is able to return to face strong opponents.

Last time, Gan Guoyang missed the Gan-Qiao battle because of his uncle's death.

This time, neither of them missed the opportunity, and they prepared for the showdown with all their might.

For some reason, before the match, Gan Guoyang had a feeling that if he didn't play now, he would never have another chance.

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Could Michael be dead? That doesn't make sense; I don't remember him being..."

(End of this chapter)