The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 759 The final madness
The Trail Blazers' rookie training camp is renowned, and in the days following its opening, numerous media outlets camped out at the Willamette University training facility almost daily to conduct interviews.

Most of them came for Gan Guoyang, who is the only superstar in the league at his age who still frequently trains with rookies.

The Trail Blazers' original rookie training camp was simply to train rookies and select some short-contract players to supplement the roster. However, with the development of the Summer League, many teams no longer hold separate rookie training camps.

But the Trail Blazers were different because of Gan Guoyang's consistent participation every year. Except for the 1993 season when he was absent, he was willing to train with the rookies and provide guidance in other seasons.

His statement, "You are the worst class of rookies I have ever coached," has already spread throughout the league, and many undrafted young players want to prove that they are not the worst.

This gives the Trail Blazers many opportunities to scout those overlooked gems in the future, although the reporters' main target is still Forrest Gump.

As the season approaches, people's expectations for Gan Guoyang's comeback are growing stronger. Some want to see a triumphant return, while others secretly await the tragedy of a hero's decline.

Gan Guoyang remained calm and composed. He knew that the NBA season was an endurance race, and that every step, from training camp to the preseason, regular season, and playoffs, had to be taken cautiously and steadily.

Just like an experienced driver, the longer you drive, the more careful you become when you go out.

All his training and recovery followed a strict schedule and was adjusted according to the actual situation.

For example, regarding weight, after the camp had been open for a while, he felt that 280 pounds was a bit too heavy and would affect his flexibility.

So I decided to make some adjustments, dropping to around 275 pounds, to find the best balance between power and speed.

He began to pay more attention to his diet, and the effects of the food he consumed on his body became more and more obvious. He also had to pay more attention to rest than when he was younger.

When I was in my twenties, my body recovered very quickly. I could train hard for a week and then rest for a day to recover. Now, I need to rest for a day after training for two or three days.

In addition, he also has to consider injuries, especially the burden on his knees, as even a cyborg needs to protect its body at the age of 32.

In addition, he needs to balance basketball, business, life, and family relationships, as well as take care of his aging father and his growing children.

Compared to the cautious approach of experienced drivers, novice drivers who have just learned to drive and are new to the road often drive recklessly and fast.

Kobe was that impatient rookie driver. After the rookie training camp started, he practiced extremely hard. After being reprimanded by Gan Guoyang on the first day, he practiced late into the night every day.

One day, around 2 a.m., he called Gan Guoyang to ask him a technical detail. Gan Guoyang was woken up and started cursing on the phone, asking him why he wasn't asleep yet.

Kobe said he had just come from the training facility and was on his way home, planning to go to sleep as soon as he got home.

It turns out that he practiced from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m., and except for eating and drinking to replenish his energy, he practiced almost non-stop for 12 hours.

During the day, Kobe still went to the training facility at 7:30 as usual, sacrificing his sleep time and devoting it all to basketball.

The 18-year-old didn't care about anything except basketball, and there was nothing else worth caring about.

Gan Guoyang said, "Sacrificing sleep is not worth it; adequate rest is just as important as training."

Kobe agreed, but said he simply couldn't sleep; he was naturally a light sleeper and wanted to train.

In addition to his relentless dedication to training, Kobe was obsessed with dunking.

He always longed to dunk, especially to dunk on Forrest Gump's head, which resulted in him eating hot pot like crazy.

Kobe has jumping ability and explosiveness, but he lacks physicality. Once he gets into contact with a defender, his movements become distorted, and he can forget about overpowering the defender to dunk.

During the scrimmage, Gan Guoyang showed no mercy on defense, repeatedly thwarting Kobe's dunk attempts with relentless blocks.

After each block, Gan Guoyang would point out what Kobe should pay attention to next time, and then block him again next time.

Kobe quickly realized that no matter how much attention he paid to his technique or how he adjusted it, if his physical strength was lacking, he simply wouldn't be able to compete, and muscles wouldn't grow overnight.

So he started increasing his time training at the gym and eating more, wanting to swell up quickly.

Although Kobe was a bit impatient in training, he was composed and generous when facing the media, showing the demeanor of a great general.

Reporters in Portland paid extra attention to Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal, both high school players, and the citizens of Portland were very interested in them.

Kobe was very confident and generous in the interview. He didn't hesitate, but spoke his mind directly, saying whatever came to mind.

This style was very popular with reporters, and Kobe also spoke several languages, especially Italian, which he was very fluent in.

This makes him always shine in interviews, and the spotlight and microphones will unconsciously focus on him.

Shortly after the 1996 talent show, SLAM magazine gathered these talented young men for a cover shoot.

Fans were hoping they could succeed the 1984 generation, but in the 90s, the championships were monopolized by the 84 generation.

Gan Guoyang, Jordan, and Olajuwon took turns winning the championship and shared the MVP award with Charles Barkley.

Every year brings talented players into the league, but no year has seen such a dominant and high-quality roster as 1984.

The first, second, and third picks were all historically great players; they were the true golden generation that underpinned the NBA's prosperity in the 1990s.

By 1996, players like Kobe and Iverson had more distinct characteristics of their era. They were younger and often played in college for one or two years, or even didn't go to college before entering the draft.

In the 80s, players would generally finish college and participate in the NBA draft at around 21 or 22 years old, with some older rookies reaching 23.

It is clear from the photos and interviews that the 1996 group was a group of children who tried to act like adults, but their clothing and behavior revealed their immaturity.

This generation of players is known as the "Silver Generation." They are very talented, but they still need enough polishing before they can show their true brilliance.

Whether they can surpass Gold and advance to Platinum depends on their performance.

Among this group of talented young people, Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal were the youngest, but Kobe appeared very composed, neither arrogant nor humble, and confident and at ease.

He kept playing with the basketball, he didn't talk much to the other players, and his upbringing was very different from that of most Black people.

In comparison, Jermaine O'Neal is more shy. Sometimes, when faced with certain questions, he doesn't know what to say and can only awkwardly touch his face.

At this time, Gan Guoyang would always step in to smooth things over for him, helping him resolve the problem while also demonstrating to O'Neal how to deal with similar situations in the future.

Compared to his harshness and ruthlessness towards Kobe, Gan Guoyang was much gentler and more patient with Jermaine O'Neal.

Both players are inside players, and Gan Guoyang spends a lot of time instructing Jermaine O'Neal on fundamental skills training outside of practice.

For high school players who haven't attended college, the lack of rigorous guidance from college coaches and the influence of team basketball will leave them with many shortcomings in terms of skills and tactics.

Moreover, this deficiency may accompany them throughout their entire career, becoming the biggest obstacle that makes it difficult for them to go further, which is very terrible in the long run.

Young high school players will soon realize that the NBA is a job, not a school, and that the primary goal of a job is to complete tasks rather than to learn skills.

When the NBA's grueling and lengthy schedule truly begins, players have almost no time for systematic, high-quality training.

The endless games, long journeys, and injuries sustained on the field will consume most of the energy of players and coaches.

Summer is a great time for training and improvement, but young people rarely have a stable environment and team to improve themselves, which is where university has an advantage.

Summer leagues and various training camps force young people to adapt on their own, with few coaches or seniors monitoring them to provide comprehensive training and improvement.

That's how work is; everyone has their own things to do, and no one is obligated to guide you in learning or help you improve.

Most young people's talents are quickly exhausted as their physical energy is depleted, and they have not found a smart way to maintain and conserve their energy.

Even someone as talented as Moses Malone, with his unique playing style and beast-like court instincts, experienced a significant decline in his performance after turning 30 and his physical abilities began to decline.

He lacks playmaking and assists, relying on intuition in both defense and offense. However, intuition requires explosive power to respond, and without explosive power, he is lost and helpless on the court.

His assists are pitifully few in each game, and after grabbing offensive rebounds under the basket, he misses more and more shots, wasting opportunities and wearing down the patience of his teammates and coaches.

His stats are still good, and he remains a formidable force on the court, but his offensive efficiency has declined significantly, and he is unable to provide any other assistance to the team.

To work and earn money, he played until the 1994-1995 season, retiring later than Gan Guoyang.

But in every season after reaching the Finals with Charles Barkley in 1988, Malone was no longer a serious contender in the league.

In 1988, he was exactly 32 years old.

In contrast, his old rival Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also 32 years old in 1980. He led the Lakers to the championship and began his second peak period.

Besides the differences in physical attributes and playing styles, another significant difference between the two is that Moses Malone did not attend college, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar served a year as a substitute at the prestigious UCLA, played three years in the NCAA, and graduated from college in four years. He received four years of meticulous training from Coach John Wooden and underwent a well-structured, college-style basketball training, where even the coach would teach you how to tie your shoelaces.

Professional teams obviously won't teach you how to tie your shoelaces. They'll give you a dizzying check and then send you to the court to compete against mature players who are stronger, taller, and more experienced than you, in order to attract more fans to the stadium to buy tickets to watch the game.

As young people grow up through repeated collisions and confrontations and finally climb to the top of the league, they will realize that they may have lost more than they gained, especially in basketball, where they lost many opportunities for growth in order to compete and work hard.

Trail Blazers general manager Buckwalt was the one who handed Moses Malone a check, creating the first high school player in American professional basketball history and making a name for himself as a professional general manager.

But more than 20 years later, Buckwalt watched Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal train on the sidelines at a rookie camp. Looking back, he wondered if he had made a huge mistake back then, and why he was repeating the same mistake now.

“That day I put a wad of cash on their dining table, a total of $25000. In 1974, $25000… At that time, there was an oil crisis, soaring prices, and inflation, but $25000 could still buy Moses’ dilapidated house and renovate it. There was a big hole in their wall, and it leaked every time it rained; they were practically destitute. And the $25000 was just the signing fee; the real contract would have been worth millions. Under those circumstances, it would have been hard for him to refuse.”

“There were countless people who wanted to recruit him at the time. I was mainly competing with the coach from the University of Maryland, and I had to avoid his greedy uncle who wanted to pay Malone a sum of money just to meet him. I didn’t want to pay him, so I sneaked over the fence, dodged a vicious dog, and then went to their house to knock on the door. He ended up going to the University of Maryland for five days, but couldn’t stand school life, so he called me and said he wanted to accept the team’s contract… Now I think that might have been a mistake, just like the Trail Blazers didn’t keep him in 1976. He should have stayed in college back then. He would have been even greater.”

During a break in practice, Buckwalt chatted with Larry Bird, who plans to retire after three seasons and hand over the general manager position to Bird.

Bird and Moses Malone were rivals for many years. In the early 80s, the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers fought tooth and nail, becoming bitter enemies in the East.

In 1981, Bird also faced off against Karl Malone of the Rockets in the Finals. They knew each other very well and hated each other. Bird had publicly insulted Malone.

Time has passed and none of that matters anymore. Bird agreed with Buckwalt's statement: "If Moses had received a good college basketball education like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, things would definitely be different."

Bird insisted on completing four years of college before entering the NBA, even though he had already entered the draft in 1978 and his family was also poor. He still insisted on receiving a college education and going through an important transitional period in his life.

"So, if you realized your mistake, why did you choose high school players? And why the hell did you choose two of them? Batch, your admission of error seems hypocritical, like a rich man saying he doesn't like money. It's despicable."

Bird posed a soul-searching question: You could have chosen one, but you picked two.

Buckwalt pointed to Gan Guoyang, who was training, and said, "It was Forrest who pointed to the names and asked to be selected, as was Jermaine. We wouldn't have selected him if he hadn't nodded. You should know that the main purpose of our draft was to satisfy Forrest so that he could make a comeback. He was obviously satisfied."

Bird laughed and said, "Am I also part of the satisfaction?"

Buckwalt gave Bird a look and said, "It's hard to say no."

This made Bird quite unhappy; it turned out I was also part of the plan to lure Forrest Gump back into action.

Buckwalt continued, "Our original plan was to draft Peja Stojakovic; we really needed a small forward with good shooting ability. However, considering the relationship between Serbia and Croatia, we gave up on that option, as Agan preferred Jermaine."

Bird asked, "Does Petrovich still have influence?"

Buckwalt said, "We've always missed him. His drive and passion for basketball have stayed with me. You know, when I first met Kobe, the first person I thought of was Pete, and I think Forrest Gump probably felt the same way. That's why he cared so much about Kobe; he always felt he hadn't given Pete enough attention and support."

Bird said, "But Kobe will always be Kobe, he will never be the second Petrovic. Anyone who wants to become a superstar doesn't want to be the second anyone else."

Buckwall nodded and said, "I agree with that, just like there's no second Larry Bird."

Bird was in a slightly better mood. He was also one of the new recruits in this rookie training camp, and a new coach.

Head coaches typically don't participate in summer selection camps, and Bird had a lot to learn.

The rookie training camp was a great opportunity for him to practice, allowing him to see a team from a different perspective, from a viewpoint he had never taken before.

Bird soon discovered just how profound the influence of the things he had once disliked and resented truly was.

Just as parents' words and actions affect their children, a son can certainly despise his father for being drunk, smoking, and swearing.

However, when he grows up and faces the same difficult circumstances, his reaction will likely be the same—and all of this may come from his grandfather, his great-grandfather…

Bird didn't appreciate Bill Fitch's harshness and sharp tongue, but he found himself unable to resist making sarcastic remarks when he saw players not putting in the effort.

Moreover, like Fitch, he enjoys a lot of physical training and likes to set strict discipline to control the players' actions on the field.

Even though he genuinely loathed these principles when he was a player, he found himself unconsciously following them after becoming a coach.

And KC Jones would yell "Wash your asses, guys, get ready to go home/get ready to start today's practice!" after every game or before every practice.

Whenever KC Jones said that, everyone would laugh, and Bird would say, "We're not kids anymore, we don't wash our butts, we take baths."

But on the first day of the rookie training camp, Bird blurted out the same thing as KC Jones, telling everyone to wash their bottoms and get ready to start tough practice.

The power of habit is truly terrifying; the marks left by the accumulation of time affect you more deeply than you can imagine.

The newcomer training camp went very smoothly, with a full schedule every day for a week.

Everyone has their own things to do. Those with contracts focus on improving, those without contracts try their best to stay, and those with no hope of staying try to gain experience and then try their luck with the next team.

The entire Trail Blazers organization undoubtedly devoted a lot of attention and effort to Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal; they were the focus of attention, even surpassing Forrest Gump to some extent.

Gan Guoyang patiently spent time training with them, watching videos, guiding Kobe's skills, and helping O'Neal with life issues—his two older brothers had moved to Portland.

Gan Guoyang admires their talent, and on the other hand, he often thinks of Petrovic and Reggie Lewis when he plays with the two young men.

Just over three months ago, during the finals in June, before Gan Guoyang had decided to return to the court, he visited the graves of the two men from Croatia and Maryland as usual.

The world has gradually forgotten them and returned to normal life, but only their loved ones continue to spend each day in pain, in a mundane and helpless state.

Petrovich's mother could never get over it. She could not forgive the girlfriend who drove Petrovich around, and after the incident, she refused to see her or say a word to her.

Meanwhile, Lewis's wife, Donna, is raising their two children while running the Reggie Lewis Foundation and fighting lawsuits against the Trail Blazers and the hospital that treated Lewis.

She believes that the Trail Blazers' medical team failed to recognize the severity of Lewis's heart problem early on, and that the hospital used incorrect methods during the resuscitation, leading to Lewis's death.

In the United States, such lawsuits are protracted, requiring a large amount of evidence, witnesses, and testimony, and going through numerous legal procedures, taking years.

Now, due to the lawsuit, Donna has broken ties with most of the Portland Trail Blazers and has left Portland, a place that caused her heartbreak, to move back to Maryland.

The only Trail Blazers player Donna still keeps in touch with is Gan Guoyang, because she knows that Gan Guoyang has given them a lot of help. He was the first person to realize that Lewis had a heart problem that day.

Donna was always grateful to Forrest Gump, and she made him the godfather of her two children.

While mourning his deceased friends, Gan Guoyang is also doing his best to cultivate and develop new partners.

Under Gan Guoyang's careful guidance, Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal had a very fulfilling rookie training camp.

Your life is filled with basketball, and you'll have someone to answer all your questions after joining a professional team.

The difficulties still need to be overcome on your own, but the feeling of having someone to guide you is completely different from swimming alone.

On the last day of the rookie training camp, Bird picked up the whistle and organized a match between the rookies.

Gan Guoyang was banned from participating, but he also held a whistle and assisted Bird in officiating from the sidelines.

Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal were assigned to different teams, and the two quickly became the core figures of their respective teams in the games.

Kobe tried to dunk over Jermaine O'Neal, but O'Neal chose to foul rather than let Kobe dunk on him.

Gan Guoyang taught Jermaine O'Neal many defensive techniques, such as how to control the paint and how to use good positioning to subdue the enemy without fighting.

Jermaine O'Neal clearly hadn't grasped the essence of the game, and as the match progressed, he started to get caught up in comparing himself to Kobe, causing chaos on the court.

On the contrary, Ben Wallace, who seemed unremarkable, had several brilliant defensive performances. He controlled the paint with his positioning and had excellent control of the rebounds.

While blowing his whistle, Bird observed the young men and said to Gan Guoyang, "That Ben is indeed good, but he's a bit too short. We need someone taller."

Gan Guoyang said, "Wasn't it you who recruited them? If you think they're too short, why did you send them over in the first place?"

Bird said, "It was Charles Oakley who recommended him. He trained at Oakley's camp, and Oakley said he was good. Also, I think it's worth a try for any player the Celtics don't want."

Bird's words contained a hint of resentment towards the Celtics.

Because when he was an advisor to the Celtics, the management's player selection philosophy always differed from Bird's. The Celtics management disagreed with the players Bird wanted, and Bird didn't like the players the Celtics signed.

This difference in perspective caused Bird great distress because he had no power; anyone from any department could easily refute his suggestions.

The results often prove Bird right and ML-Carl or someone else wrong, but unfortunately, the situation doesn't change.

The Boston Celtics are like this now; they've been stagnant and decadent for a long time. They need reform and a complete reshuffle.

However, Bird would not get involved. He chose to leave and went to the West Coast, where he found that the best thing about the Trail Blazers compared to the Celtics was that their power was highly centralized.

Their history is quite long, and they have been one of the hottest teams in the league in recent years.

However, when it comes to basketball-related matters, only a few people really have a say. The boss doesn't interfere in basketball affairs, and other non-basketball departments each perform their own duties.

Buckwolter was an experienced and renowned scout and manager in the basketball world. He worked with only a few people, and they usually shared the same opinions.

The Trail Blazers became arrogant in the late 80s and early 90s because of their championship wins, and transformed from a small workshop into a well-known large company, gradually losing their family-like atmosphere.

Tang Jianguo has focused on building the Trail Blazers into a well-known basketball brand and a money-making machine for him. The Trail Blazers are no longer the small team they were in the 70s.

But Tang was very wise in one respect: no matter how much the Trail Blazers expanded, their core basketball decision-making department remained small and efficient.

This is their heart, the core of their competitiveness. No matter how much power or resources other departments have, they are not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the basketball department.

At the same time, Old Tang highly values ​​the opinions of their team's core player, Gan Guoyang, the only true god in the NBA, and everything revolves around him.

Bird envied this attitude towards talent, as he didn't receive such treatment with the Celtics.

Gan Guoyang indeed wielded immense power. Halfway through the scrimmage, he told Bird, "Ben Wallace should stay; he's a player with potential."

Bird only partially agreed with Gan Guoyang. He acknowledged that Wallace had potential and drive, but believed that Wallace was not a good fit for the Trail Blazers' tactical system.

Bird was preparing to build a defense-oriented lineup with enough height in the paint, but Ben Wallace's height of just over 2 meters was simply lacking.

Gan Guoyang immediately retorted: "He's just a substitute. If he were 6'10", do you think we'd see him in rookie training camp? He would have been drafted by another team long ago!"

Bird put down the whistle and said, "Sonny, why are you always so confident? You think you can just say someone has potential and that's it? I'm the head coach, you know?"

Gan Guoyang said, "I understand. In most cases, I will listen to you, but I think I am better at judging people than you are."

Gan Guoyang's words ignited Bird's competitive spirit. He had been overlooked while working for the Celtics because people generally felt that someone who was good at playing basketball couldn't be good at judging others.

Look at Bill Russell. He won so many championships with the Celtics, but once he left, he did a terrible job coaching and managing the team.

Then there's Magic Johnson next door. He coached for a year, but it turned out that a genius like him couldn't see things from the perspective of an ordinary player, and the matter was dropped.

The Celtics owner also saw Bird in a similar light: "You can stay with the Celtics and be a mascot, like Cousy or Havlicek. You've already achieved enough as a player, why ask for more? Can't you prove you're a perfect coach and general manager?"

Driven by the desire to prove himself and dissatisfaction with a life of idleness, Bird left the Celtics for the Trail Blazers.

Everything went relatively smoothly with the Trail Blazers; the owner, management, and players were all good. But the most annoying person, the one you both love and hate, was Forrest Gump.

Bird thought he was arrogant enough on the basketball court, but Forrest Gump was definitely more arrogant than him.

He's taken the title of the greatest player in NBA history, he's won 7 championships, and he's shown off everything he could on the court.

Now look what's happened. You're back, and we're going to team up to win another championship, but I'm the coach, and you're the one choosing the players.

Bird recalled that back in Naples, Tang Jianguo said, "We'll revolve around Forrest Gump, with him at the core." He thought it was only on the field, but he didn't expect that off the field, everyone would have to listen to Forrest Gump in every aspect.

Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal were your choices, and you thought Ben Wallace was good enough to keep. So where does my opinion as the head coach stand?
Oh, by the way, I'm very likely the head coach you chose, part of your comeback plan.

No wonder the league had rumors that Bobby Bellman was just a lingering appendage on Forrest Gump's thigh; it seems those rumors were true.

Looking at the results after Bellman went to the Lakers, they were only so-so, but they paled in comparison to the glory of the Trail Blazers.

Bird was also a proud and arrogant man. He put down his whistle and started arguing with Gan Guoyang.

The two often trash-talked each other during their playing days, and now, following this habit, they've gradually started trash-talking each other again.

The players on the field were still playing with great enthusiasm, but after a few rounds, they realized that the game was flowing so smoothly.
The whistle is not moving at all, yet it can be fired however one wants. What's going on?
Look, the two referees are arguing!
"Sonny, you can't possibly out-judge people like me. I'm absolutely certain of that. I might not be able to beat you, but my understanding of basketball far surpasses yours. I'm that confident. My knowledge surpasses yours as much as Barkley's appetite surpasses Webber's—it's a foregone conclusion!"

"I see you lack a deep understanding of yourself. You know less than five percent of me. Look at the comparison of the rings: 7:2, 7:2. Do you understand how big that difference is?"

"Rings don't mean everything. Bill Russell has 11 rings, but his management talent is definitely not as good as Jerry West's, who only has one ring! Can't you see that? I think your brain is full of shit."

“7：2！7：2！7：2！”

Later on, Gan Guoyang was unwilling to argue with Bird anymore because he knew he was right, while Bird was just unhappy.

Furthermore, Gan Guoyang didn't want to say anything too offensive that might hurt Bird's feelings, as they would be working together in the future.

Once some things are said, it's hard to repair the relationship. The season hasn't even started yet, and besides, Gan Guoyang wasn't angry; he was just bored and wanted to vent his frustration.

For the proud and arrogant Bird, going to Portland to team up with Forrest Gump was already a blow to his pride.

Boston media ridiculed Bird's "defection," believing that Bird not only betrayed Boston but also, like Jerry West, used his allegiance to the evil Portland empire.

"Look at Jerry West. So what if he won four championships? In the end, he still had to go back to Los Angeles to find his place. A championship won by defection is not a real championship. Everyone knows that."

Seeing that Gan Guoyang was just repeating "7:2" like a child and didn't say anything else, Bird's anger gradually subsided.

Why bother arguing with this guy? You can't beat him anyway. At worst, when I coach him later, I'll just have Forrest Gump stay on the field and keep playing.

You're not so great, you used to play more minutes than me. You like playing basketball? I'll let you play to your heart's content.

Rick Carlisle and Dick Hart came over to dissuade the two from acting like children and to focus on coaching the players and finishing the game.

The two shook hands and made peace, continuing to officiate the remaining matches until the end of the game, thus concluding the rookie training camp.

After training camp ended, Bird called Ben Wallace into his office and told him simply, "Ben, you're on the team. The team will sign you to a contract... what's it called now, a minimum salary contract? Get ready to stay in Portland, find a place to live, and be on time for the team's preseason training camp."

Ben Wallace's rough face revealed little emotion; he was always low-key and indifferent.

Unlike Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal, he was never the center of attention.

During the week-long rookie training camp, Kobe gave no fewer than 10 interviews, Jermaine O'Neal gave 5, while Ben Wallace gave none.

The only time he appeared in news reports was in an article in The Oregonian about a new recruit training camp, where Ben Wallace's name was listed, and that was it.

He was overjoyed when he was told he could stay, but he couldn't muster any emotion and could only sincerely say "thank you."

But Bird hadn't finished speaking. He said, "I introduced you to the training camp, but to be honest, you're not exactly my type. But you seized the opportunity; someone appreciates you. Do you know who it is?"

Ben Wallace recalled what Gan Guoyang had said to him on the first day of training camp and exclaimed, "It's Forrest Gump?"

"Smart, that's Forrest Gump. Are you a Forrest Gump fan?"

Wallace shook his head honestly and said, "No, that's not it."

Bird then asked, "Are you a fan of mine?"

Wallace shook his head again and said, "I like Magic."

Bird glanced at Wallace; the kid was really honest.

Ben Wallace was born in Alabama, the tenth of 11 children.

Therefore, he was destined not to face the media like Kobe. Wallace also loved basketball, but he had a more accurate understanding of himself.

When he was a child, his favorite basketball player was Magic Johnson. He was fascinated by Johnson's crazy fast breaks and ingenious passes.

After falling in love with basketball, he always tried to become a player like Johnson; he wanted to become an excellent guard.

But as he got older, he realized it was impossible; he didn't have the talent, and he would have a hard time even becoming a backcourt player.

Because of his lack of coordination, dribbling and shooting are not easy for him.

The only reason he can stay on the court is because he is physically strong enough and has a good feel for rebounds.

After discovering this trait in himself, Ben Wallace decided to give up his dream of becoming Magic Johnson and instead learn from tough guys on the court like Charles Oakley.

Oakley held a training camp in a city 100 miles from Ben Wallace's hometown, and Wallace decided to sign up, but he needed to pay a $50 registration fee.

Wallace had no money; feeding his 11 children was already a major problem, let alone affording $50 to send him to some kind of training camp.

So Wallace used his barbering skills to earn money in the town. After deducting living expenses and transportation costs, he finally saved up $50 for the registration fee and took a bus to the training camp.

During the training camp, he caught the eye of Oakley, who engaged in intense physical combat with him and was surprised to find that the 16-year-old boy had a very strong physique.

Oakley later recommended him to play in the NCAA Division II league, and Wallace eventually embarked on a basketball career.

His talent and height destined him for a difficult path; at the 1996 NBA draft, he didn't hear his name mentioned by any team.

After that, he played in Italy for more than a month, then played for the Celtics in the Summer League, and was eventually recruited by Bird to Portland.

Ben Wallace had many helpful people along the way, but he knew in his heart that what truly determined his fate was his own hard work and struggle, his diligent training and hard work.

In this respect, Ben Wallace is much more mature than Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal. He quietly does what he is supposed to do and doesn't care about the outside world's evaluations and attention.

He didn't even feel much about being chosen by Forrest Gump and kept on, because he felt it was something he deserved, and that his rejection was a mistake in the first place.

Perhaps this is also a kind of arrogance, only the way it is presented is completely different from Kobe's.

Bird wanted to see if the players Forrest had his eye on could actually make a difference within the future team's structure.

With the rookie training camp over and October fast approaching, the preseason training camp is about to officially begin.

This will no longer be a test for young players to stay, but the true start of the NBA season.

In the sweltering summer of 1996, as the aftershocks were still reverberating at the end of September, a blockbuster trade shattered the league's tranquility.

On September 29, the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns completed a trade, with the Heat sending Anthony Mason, Cliff Robinson, Steve Smith, Grant Long, and a future draft pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Charles Barkley.

This is a heavyweight trade, and it comes from Pat Riley and his Miami Heat.

From acquiring Drexler in 1988, to trading Olajuwon in 1992, to now getting Barkley.

Pat Riley is only interested in big names and big events; he doesn't care about draft picks or small-scale projects.

In fact, the Heat's roster has been quite luxurious in the past two years. In addition to the All-Star duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, Tim Hardaway, Steve Smith, Robinson, Mason, John Salley, and Brian Shaw are all very strong players with near-All-Star caliber.

But Riley was not satisfied. He believed that relying solely on the duo of Olajuwon and Drexler, the Heat would find it difficult to overcome the Chicago Bulls.

Because Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were declining significantly, especially Drexler, who was plagued by injuries and only played about 40 games in the 1995-1996 season.

His average points per game dropped to 18, and his two-point field goal percentage plummeted from a terrifying 57% in the 1995 season to an equally terrifying 45%, even worse than his rookie season.

Clearly, after winning a championship with the Heat, Drexler had lost the motivation to go any further; his career was already complete.

How many players can win championships as the core player for two different teams? And four championships, even Forrest Gump couldn't do that.

As for Hakeem Olajuwon, the rift between him and Pat Riley was widening, and the 1996-1997 season would be the last year of his Heat contract.

There have been persistent rumors that Hakeem Olajuwon is likely to return to Houston after his contract expires, teaming up with Chris Webber to bring a championship trophy back to Houston.

In this situation, Riley was bound to do something, to seize what might be his last chance to pull off a big heist.

Coincidentally, Charles Barkley spent six seasons with the Suns, only reaching the NBA Finals once, and lost to Jordan.

Barkley had originally planned to observe Barkley this season, but then Agan said he was going to make a comeback and returned to Portland, which immediately made Barkley nervous.

Barkley's ambition and fearlessness during his 1993 MVP season have been shattered by the harsh reality.

The Suns are also aware that the championship run of Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson is over.

In the 95 and 96 seasons, they lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in the playoffs. Robert Parish was simply too old and couldn't keep up with Ewing.

The two sides hit it off immediately, and the Heat decided to go all out one last time, forming a super Big Three to compete against the Chicago Bulls and the Trail Blazers.

Charles Barkley is eager to team up with someone and win a championship while he still has a little gas left in his tank, to make his career complete.

He did consider going to the Trail Blazers, but he felt it was shameful to ride on Forrest Gump's coattails. Besides, the Trail Blazers had a bunch of rookies, and Forrest Gump was like a kindergarten principal now, which Barkley didn't want to do as vice principal.

Gan Guoyang heard the news of Barkley being traded to the Heat at home and immediately picked up the phone to call Barkley to find out what was going on, but Barkley's phone was switched off and he couldn't get through.

"Damn it, that fatso went to the Heat to form a Big Three. Another one who takes his talent to the South Beach."

The arrival of the Heat's Big Three caused a huge stir, making the already turbulent 1996 offseason even more exciting.

People's expectations for the new season are growing stronger, including Gan Guoyang himself, who can't wait to see how good he is.

Besides high-profile, earthquake-level trades like Barkley's, there are some less noticeable signings that often have a greater impact on the league's situation.

After their rebuilding efforts failed, the Celtics decided to join the ranks of tankers, and the Utah Jazz traded a second-round draft pick and two bench players to Boston for Jeff Hornacek.

The media didn't pay much attention to this, with only a few words in the news section: the Celtics thanked Hornacek for his comeback over the years, but they needed more talent, the 1997 number one draft pick, and Tim Duncan.

Meanwhile, the Celtics did not renew Divac's contract, and Divac chose to join the Sacramento Kings, a perennially poor team, becoming teammates with his fellow Serbian Peja Stojakovic.

Upon arriving in California, Divac proactively called Gan Guoyang to explain her situation and choices.

When Petrovich suddenly passed away in 1993, Divac suffered greatly both physically and mentally, and their friendship was never restored due to issues of ethnicity and nationality.

The war was temporarily over, and Divac had been looking for an opportunity to reconcile with Petrovich, but now it was simply impossible.

“Going to the Kings is a great choice. It suits you. Just focus on playing basketball. Pete has never really blamed you, and you must know that in your heart, but he couldn't do anything about it in that situation. If there's a chance in the future, we can go to Croatia to see him together when things are better.”

The situation in Yugoslavia remained turbulent in 1996, and after Croatia gained independence, conflict broke out in Kosovo.

There are no signs of peace and stability in this region for the time being.

Besides the departure of these two former Trail Blazers players from Boston, there were some minor signings and trades, just patching things up.

The Trail Blazers offered Ben Wallace a one-year guaranteed contract after the rookie training camp, and that was all they did.

Their salary situation doesn't allow them to do anything more; the salary cap is already full, leaving no room for further action.

In October, the Trail Blazers' preseason training camp officially began, and the 12-man roster was complete: Gan Guoyang, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, Isaiah Riddell, Aaron McGee, Terry Porter Jr., Van Exel, A.C. Green, Chris Dudley, PJ Brown, Ben Wallace, and Ruben Embard.

In addition, there were three players with non-guaranteed contracts, making up a 15-man roster to officially start the 1996-1997 season.

Before training camp began, Bird looked at the roster with a headache because, out of the 12 guaranteed players, they didn't have a single proper small forward.

Kobe, Aaron McGee, and Liddell were all shooting guards by nature and could only fill in at times; they couldn't truly play small forward.

Bird suggested to Buckwalt that they could trade for or sign a versatile small forward mid-season, otherwise building a roster would be very difficult.

Buckwalt looked at Bird and said, "If you think you're short of small forwards, you can take off your suit and play yourself."

"..."

Bird was speechless, yet he also felt that there was some truth to it.

Then, he always had a feeling that he had been tricked.

(End of this chapter)