The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 762 First Shooting Guard
Gan Guoyang's advice to Nash was not good at all, and was even very misleading.

Nash never expected that his senior would offer such an unreliable suggestion during their first match together.

In modern basketball, offensive ability is far more important than defense for point guards, especially given the increasing spacing on the NBA court.

The defensive benefits of a point guard are inherently low. A point guard who is good at defense can at most keep an eye on the shooting guard and shooting guard, and do some other defensive work.

Other important defensive tasks, such as rim protection, rebounding, and switching, are often not things that point guards can do due to their height.

In comparison, the defensive benefits of the small forward and center positions are the highest. The center position is because it guards the most important area under the basket, while the small forward position is because of its versatility. It can fill in at all five positions and can do everything.

A standard point guard like Nash, no matter how much he practices his defense, is useless if he's mismatched against someone like Forrest Gump. Instead of wasting energy on defensive skills, he should focus on improving his offensive abilities.

It's no longer the 40s and 50s, when point guards were just ball handlers. Now every team demands that point guards be aggressive, especially in terms of shooting ability.

Most of the league's best perimeter shooters are point guards for their respective teams.

Because if a point guard doesn't have excellent shooting ability, opponents won't guard you closely, and your passes will lack threat.

There are very few geniuses like Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd who, despite having average shooting ability, can still excel at the point guard position.

Moreover, Johnson and Kidd's primary task every summer is to improve their shooting ability, as they themselves know that this is a weakness that prevents them from reaching greater heights.

After Gan Guoyang made a shot from the outside, Nash received the ball in the backcourt, quickly dribbled across half-court, drove straight to the basket, and after drawing the defense, passed the ball to the baseline.

A teammate received the ball and shot from the outside, making it again! Nash delivered another assist just before the end of the first half, contributing 2 points and 3 assists in just 5 minutes.

"Steve Nash, from Gonzaga University, is an alumnus of Forrest Gump, and also a top-tier product of Gonzaga. His college resume is impressive enough..."

Commentator Bill Shawnley introduced Nash's college career; he was Gan Guoyang's junior, a rare Canadian player.

Before Nash, there were some Canadian players in the league, such as Bulls center Winnington, and Mike Smreek, a role player during the Lakers' Showtime era (who was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 1985 and then traded to the Bulls).

There are also some other older players who played in the NBA in the 40s and 50s. These Canadian players have two characteristics.

First, although they are Canadian citizens, their basketball development was basically completed in the United States, where they attended high school and university and joined basketball teams.

Therefore, they are no different from American players. They grow up and are selected under the strong basketball atmosphere in the United States, and eventually come to the NBA.

Secondly, most of these players are interior players. Players like Wennington and Skree are seven-foot centers, and others such as Stewart Granger and Ron Corewell are also interior players.

"A height of seven feet is something that cannot be achieved through training," a famous scout said, highlighting the importance of height.

Nash doesn't fit either of these criteria. He's a slightly slender guard, and his draft registration height is 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm).

但现在NBA选秀虚报身高成风，175到180左右的都报6尺，185以上的基本往190报。

If the distance is more than 2 meters, and you're shooting inside, call 6'9". If you're at 6'9", call towards 6'11". The higher the better.

A very small number of players feel they are too tall to play center, so they report a lower height, such as 6'11" or 6'10" for 7'3", and 6'11" for 6'9", hoping to play forward.

When Nash stands on the court, he is noticeably shorter than Porter, who is over 190cm tall, so he is probably less than 190cm.

Forget about playing inside, he can only play guard.

At the same time, Nash was not a player entirely developed by the American basketball system.

He was born in South Africa and later settled in Victoria, Canada, a sparsely populated area on the west coast of Canada.

The city has a total population of less than 10, which is less than some of the larger towns in China.

This place is very close to Seattle and Portland, and you can reach Washington State by crossing the sea border.

Nash attended high school in Canada. He was very athletic and excelled in basketball, soccer, rugby, ice hockey, and field hockey. He was a star player on his school's basketball, soccer, and rugby teams.

In his senior year of high school, he averaged 21 points, 11.2 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per game on the basketball team, leading the team to win the provincial high school basketball championship.

However, this championship has no real value in the eyes of the American basketball community, and in fact, nobody knows who Steve Nash is.

Although the internet existed in 1996, it was not widespread. Information about high school basketball players was scarce, and many major news stories could not be found online.

Twenty years later, no basketball prodigy could escape the search and discovery of the world's largest basketball economy, whereas in 1996, college coaches and professional teams had a very narrow vision.

Nash's high school coach tirelessly wrote recommendation letters to various universities across the United States, praising Nash to the skies. However, most schools lost interest once they saw that he was a 190cm tall, skinny white guard.

It wasn't until Dick David, a coach at Santa Clara University in California, decided to take a look at the guard's performance that Nash's high school coach sent him the videotape.

After watching Nash's game and training videos, Dick David's heart pounded. He had only one thought in his mind: absolutely, positively, no other school coach should have seen Nash's performance.

However, Dick David never expected that he was still a step too late, as Gonzaga University, which was also in the WCC conference, offered Steve Nash a scholarship.

After weighing his options, Nash chose Gonzaga. Dick David, very dissatisfied, called Nash and asked, "Why did you choose Gonzaga? Was it because of Forrest Gump?"

Nash replied on the phone, "No, it's because it's close to home."

Gonzaga University is located in Washington state, about an 8-hour drive from Seattle.

Santa Clara is in California, thousands of kilometers from Victoria, a four-hour flight away.

Of course, it's impossible to say that Gan Guoyang didn't put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.

Before the start of the 1992 Olympic Games, Gan Guoyang went to Spokane to attend the "Gan Guoyang Day" event.

Coach Fitzgerald kept pestering Gan Guoyang to introduce a good player to play for Gonzaga.

Gan Guoyang first introduced Ma Jian, and Fitzgerald was satisfied, saying that he could come and play after the Olympics.

But Fitz then added that it would be best to introduce another guard, as Ma Jian alone in the paint is not enough.

Gan Guoyang looked around and realized that most of the guards on the Chinese team were unwilling to come to the United States to study and play basketball.

They are the top players in their respective teams, so they can't easily leave, nor are they willing to suffer in foreign lands.

After thinking it over, Gan Guoyang did some quick calculations and asked Fitz to check his email to see if he had received any recommendations for high school players, so he could help him take a look and make a selection.

Unexpectedly, as he flipped through the letters, he came across a recommendation letter from Nash's high school coach. Gan Guoyang immediately pulled out the letter and said that recruiting this guard would be no problem at all.

"This guy will be the next John," Gan Guoyang commented at the time.

Fitzgerald also watched Nash's video and said that Forrest was right, that he was definitely an excellent guard who was overlooked.

Gonzaga and Santa Clara extended invitations to Nash almost simultaneously, and Nash ultimately accepted Gonzaga's invitation.

Because throughout the Pacific Northwest, Gonzaga's reputation and stories of miracles have inspired and influenced students there.

The story of Gan Guoyang leading an unknown school to an undefeated NCAA national championship has, over time, become a legend that many high school students aspire to.

But while they may yearn for it, there aren't many talented players who are truly willing to go to Gonzaga to follow in Forrest Gump's footsteps.

Choosing a college basketball team is not a trivial matter; it involves not only passion but also future prospects, so most players are rational in their decisions.

Nash didn't have many options. There wouldn't be much difference between going to Santa Clara and Gonzaga, and Gonzaga was in Washington state, which was indeed close to home.

So in 1992, Nash went to Gonzaga and became the school's second outstanding white point guard after John Stockton.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga now has a Chinese player with yellow skin in the paint, and everything seems to be repeating itself from yesterday.

In the following four seasons, Gonzaga made it to the NCAA National Championship twice, with his best result being reaching the Final 32.

This is Gonzaga's best NCAA record since the 1983-1984 season, and Nash's performance was absolutely crucial to that.

In March of 1996, Nash, then a senior, led Gonzaga to victory over the University of Maryland in the first round of the NCAA National Championship, advancing to the second round.

Although he lost the game in the second round, Nash's four years in Gonzaga were successful, which brought him into the national spotlight and led to his selection in the first round.

When he ran for office, people called him the second John Stockton.

However, scouts and managers soon realized that calling Nash the next Stockton was wishful thinking.

At first glance, the two do look very similar; both are short, white point guards with strong playmaking and assist abilities and accurate shooting.

But upon closer examination, one can find that Nash and Stockton were significantly different, starting from their college days.

Leaving aside the technical details, there are many differences. In terms of playing style, Stockton is more reserved and restrained, while Nash is more unrestrained and free-spirited.

Moreover, Stockton's defense is very good and solid, although his one-on-one defense is limited by his physical attributes, and he can be overwhelmed in some games.

Overall, however, Stockton's defense is above the league average.

Nash's defense was a mess. Fitz called Gan Guoyang on the very first day Nash arrived in Gonzaga for training.

He complained, "This guy's passing and shooting are absolutely fine, but his defense is fucking terrible!"

Nash's poor defense was not only due to his physical limitations, but also because his defensive awareness was very poor. While other players' defense was only a step behind, he was two steps behind.

For some fast young defenders, getting past him is as easy as crossing the street in the early morning.

He doesn't employ any aggressive, tearing defense, nor does he compensate for his lack of physicality with dirty tackles like Stockton did.

Fortunately, Nash has one remarkable quality: he has excellent mental fortitude and a strong sense of self-confidence, regardless of what others say.

Many people criticized his defense, including his senior teammate Gan Guoyang, who complained during the game that his defense was terrible and he needed to work on it.

But Nash didn't care at all. He never thought that his poor defense was a problem. As a point guard, the most important thing was offense.

He always focuses on running, passing, and shooting. Defense is important, but if he's not good at it, he's not good at it. It's better to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.

This personality type has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it can block out negative information and focus on doing what you believe is right. Once you're on the right track, you can achieve remarkable results.

The downside is also obvious: as the saying goes, "listening to both sides leads to enlightenment, while believing only one side leads to darkness." Blindly trusting only oneself can easily lead to a stubborn and self-willed personality.

Stubbornness isn't necessarily a bad thing when it involves himself in his decisions, but trouble will arise once more people are involved and the scope broadens.

Nash is currently just a rookie, a young man who needs to improve and hone his skills in games. Being confident and ignoring others' opinions isn't necessarily a bad thing.

During his brief playing time in the first half, Nash did his best to perform.

Although Gan Guoyang suppressed him in a few rounds, this was perfectly normal.

Nash's performance was outstanding, which made Kobe Bryant, sitting on the sidelines, feel quite uneasy.

He should have been playing on the court like Nash, showcasing himself to Portland fans.

As a result, he could only sit on the sidelines with his leg in a cast, watching from the sidelines. For Kobe, who loved playing basketball and was extremely competitive, this was the greatest torment.

Some people can't fight, while others fight too much and keep complaining.

During halftime, Gan Guoyang and Larry Bird had a minor argument.

Gan Guoyang bluntly stated: "Larry, during the preseason, you kept letting me play but not let me play? I think you're just settling a personal score."

Gan Guoyang played 18 minutes in the first two quarters. This preseason game was played according to playoff standards.

Bird said, "Everyone bought tickets to watch your game. It's only right that you play a little longer in your comeback match."

"You let me play more in the regular season, but what am I supposed to play in the preseason? We should give other players more opportunities. We have a lot of problems."

Bird patted Gan Guoyang, ending their petty argument.

Gan Guoyang is right; the Trail Blazers exposed a lot of problems in the first half.

There were so many problems that Bird didn't even know where to begin. He decided to continue playing as planned in the second half and expose all the issues.

After the start of the second half, Gan Guoyang only played for about four minutes before leaving the court to rest, and never returned.

Bird gave opportunities to every player on the team who could play, especially the younger players.

Jermaine O'Neal played much better in the second half than in the first, and he is trying to adapt to the pace of the NBA.

He kept reminding himself that this was just the preseason, and the regular season would only be more difficult.

For an 18-year-old who has just graduated from high school, playing in the NBA is indeed tough, much like an 18-year-old going to work in a factory without going to college.

His body hadn't fully developed yet, and his muscle mass was clearly insufficient. When battling against a bulldozer like Anthony Mason under the basket, Jermaine O'Neal appeared utterly helpless.

Jermaine O'Neal was easily knocked off his feet and failed to protect the defensive rebounds several times, giving the Suns opportunities to score on second-chance points.

At this moment, O'Neal would recall how Forrest Gump repeatedly and patiently told him during training camp that he needed to work out more and gain more weight.

Like most children who hear the wisdom of their elders but can't quite grasp it, O'Neal listened, but his understanding of muscles and strength wasn't deep or direct enough.

He worked hard enough at the gym, but he wasn't crazy at all—Kobe was much crazier than him.

It wasn't until he played in the games that he realized how painful it is to lack the strength to compete on the NBA court.

His pursuit of strength and muscle immediately became urgent.

Compared to a lack of physical strength, a lack of experience is more fatal.

In high school, Jermaine O'Neal faced opponents his own age, all with similar experience. The NBA is a much more complex environment, full of seasoned veterans, where a single misstep can put you at a disadvantage in almost every possession.

While sitting on the sidelines and watching the game live, Jermaine O'Neal felt that the Suns players, like Mason, Robinson, Smith, and West, were all easily manipulated by Forrest Gump and were nothing to be afraid of.

When he actually went up against them, he realized that he was the one who had been completely fooled. His experience facing Mason and West was no different from Mason and West facing Forrest Gump.

At this moment, he realized even more how intelligent, powerful, and experienced Forrest Gump was.

Jermaine O'Neal's inexperience is a microcosm of the Trail Blazers' current situation. Although they have Forrest Gump, they are a new team.

This is different from when Gan Guoyang first joined the Trail Blazers in 1984, when the Trail Blazers were a strong team, the second-best team in the Western Conference.

They had a relatively successful 1983-1984 season, although they lost to the Suns in the first round of the playoffs. That Trail Blazers team was complete and logically consistent.

At the time, they were lacking a good inside player, so they gritted their teeth and selected Forrest Gump, only to end up with seven champions.

Gan Guoyang was a perfect fit for that Trail Blazers team, and from that moment on, the Trail Blazers embarked on their journey to contend for the championship.

The situation is completely different now. Gan Guoyang has been back in action after retiring for two seasons and is trying to regain his form according to the planned schedule.

The other players were either new high school freshmen, troublemakers who had just been traded, or brilliant players who hadn't figured things out after two seasons.

Then there's Porter, a veteran player who seems unambitious and lacks any competitive spirit in the preseason, as if he's just waiting to retire.

The head coach was Larry Bird, who was renowned as a player but had yet to prove himself as a coach.

There was a lot of skepticism about Larry Bird becoming the Trail Blazers' coach. Although his appointment was quite a spectacle, most people were just watching the show and waiting for Bird to fail miserably and be fired.

There is a consensus in the coaching world that former superstars rarely become good coaches; those who can become good coaches are usually former bench players.

This is indeed the case; talented players who become coaches often fail to understand the thoughts of ordinary players and ask them to do things they cannot do.

The team consists mostly of ordinary players, with superstars being a minority. On the contrary, the ordinary players who follow the coach and listen to his lessons are often the ones who receive the real instruction.

Players like Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, and Bobby Bellman were either role players or had never even played in the NBA.

On the contrary, players like Magic Johnson, whose vision far surpasses that of ordinary players, are unable to provide guidance. Jerry West also struggles to coexist with ordinary players; he cannot tolerate or understand why ordinary players don't give their all for victory.

Bird acknowledged that there was some truth to this statement, but it wasn't absolute. He cited Bill Sharman, Bill Russell, Lenny Wilkens, and Don Nelson as examples, all of whom are excellent players and coaches.

"I'm no worse than them, whether it's playing or coaching."

Bird is quite confident about this; he saw problems in the preseason, but he also saw the good side.

Take Jermaine O'Neal as an example. His athleticism in the game, his energy under the basket, his jumping ability, dribbling, blocking, quick attacks on the rim after grabbing a rebound, and his mid-to-long-range shooting have all left a deep impression on fans and coaches.

He struggled against the Suns' interior defense, but he also had a few possessions where he either blocked shots or made spectacular rebounds using anticipation and jumping ability.

On one occasion, the opponent missed a shot, and Jermaine O'Neal slipped between three Suns players, jumped quickly, and grabbed the rebound with both hands through the gaps in the defense.

When he grabbed the rebound, the Suns players hadn't even jumped yet, and this simple rebound earned cheers and applause from the entire audience.

Gan Guoyang stood up and applauded with a smile, because spectators kept shouting from the sidelines, "Ah Gan, he looks like you, he looks like you!"

Jermaine O'Neal is not a finished product, but a half-finished product. But it is precisely because he is a half-finished product that fans are full of anticipation.

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a similar situation now; in their first preseason game, they ultimately lost to the Suns, suffering a comeback defeat.

But the fans didn't mind, because they saw hope, much more hope than in 1995 and 1996.

After the game, Nash approached Gan Guoyang, hugged him, and asked to exchange jerseys.

Gan Guoyang took off his jersey and gave it to Nash, but Nash refused to take off his own, saying, "I only have this one away jersey. If I take it off, I won't be able to play."

Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "Your behavior is exactly the same as Fitz's—thick-skinned and shameless."

Nash laughed. He didn't care about Gan Guoyang's opinion and was very happy to receive Gan Guoyang's jersey.

In Gonzaga, everyone is proud to own a jersey worn by Forrest Gump, which is why Gan Guoyang applies for a large number of home and away jerseys to be made every season.

Seeing Nash leave satisfied, Gan Guoyang shouted a reminder: "Remember not to wash it! It has my sweat on it! It's very precious!"

He lost a home jersey in a preseason game, but luckily he has plenty of jerseys in Portland.

Next, the Trail Blazers faced the Kings and the Golden State Warriors in succession, achieving two consecutive victories. Compared to the first game, their performance was much better.

On October 27, as the preseason training camp drew to a close, the Trail Blazers traveled to Los Angeles to play their final two preseason games against the Lakers and Clippers.

With the games as a reference, the Trail Blazers' training became more targeted.

Bird discovered that the Trail Blazers had significant problems on both the offensive and defensive ends.

The main problem with the offense is the lack of teamwork; the once-popular Princeton system has failed.

The team's positional warfare system is too simple and lacks variation. They often perform well when they go first, but their performance is quite poor when they go second.

At times, we have to rely on Gan Guoyang to dribble and attack, which is indeed a good method, but Bird believes it is not a long-term solution.

To achieve ultimate success, any team needs to unleash the power of the entire team; no one can succeed by relying on just one person, not even Forrest Gump.

But teamwork takes time to build and requires practice in each game; it can't be rushed.

Bird wasn't going to put any system on the Trail Blazers; he left most of the offensive tactics to Rick Carlisle.

Like Bielmann, Carlisle is a technically skilled player with a tactical mindset; he excels at devising various tactics for his players.

Bird believes that as the season progresses and the players develop better teamwork, their offense will improve.

The real problem is still defense. What gives Bird the biggest headache is that the Trail Blazers' defensive resources are really unbalanced.

They have the best rim protector and an excellent power forward, but they lack a qualified small forward and their backcourt defense is riddled with holes.

Porter is too old, Van Exel and Riddell are both notorious defensive sieves, and Aaron McGee has the potential to become a defensive stalwart, but his height is a problem.

The two and three positions were Bird's biggest concern. There wasn't a single qualified and capable player; they were all young, aggressive players who loved to attack, which was quite dangerous and potentially fatal for a team's defense.

Today, the league has more and more perimeter scorers with excellent physical attributes, strong penetration skills, and accurate shooting.

They followed in Jordan's footsteps into the league, greatly changing the style and atmosphere of the NBA, with more and more high-flying dunks and breakthroughs.

During the preseason training camp, Bird kept urging Buckwalt to sign a qualified small forward to fill the Trail Blazers' gaps on the wing.

Buckwalt suggested several candidates, such as Xavier McDaniel and Dominique Wilkins, but Bird rejected them all.

Bird made it clear that he didn't want to add any more veterans who love to attack and handle the ball, as this could easily disrupt the team atmosphere and increase management costs.

Moreover, McDaniel's form has declined significantly, and Dominique Wilkins does not meet Bird's defensive requirements.

Wilkins and Bird had a lot of feuds during Wilkins' playing days, and Bird was worried that Wilkins would go against him after he joined the team.

No coach likes to recruit troublemakers who go against them, and Bird didn't want to waste his energy on locker room battles.

Finally, Buckwalt signed forward Dontonio Winfield, who had been waived by the Raptors.

A 6-foot-8, 256-pound heavy small forward, who, like Van Exel, graduated from the University of Cincinnati.

Van Exel had just graduated when Winfield joined Cincinnati and became a key member of Don Hudgens' team.

Buckwalt signed him for two reasons. First, he has a decent three-point shot, which is very important for the Trail Blazers.

Secondly, in terms of style, playing style, and physique, he is somewhat similar to Jerome Kersey, belonging to the heavy small forward category, and can occasionally play the power forward position.

“Forrest Gump is used to having a shadow striker playing alongside him,” Buckwalt told Bird.

"Shadow striker? Then let me play that role. I guarantee I can completely hide in the shadows and be a shadow."

Despite Bird's joke, he ultimately agreed to the signing because time was running out.

With training camp about to end and the regular season about to begin, Bird felt that there were still a lot of problems to solve in the team.

There's nothing we can do but wait until the new season starts and solve these problems while the games are underway.

Bird could foresee that this would be a chaotic, messy, yet exciting and spectacular new season.

At the end of October, the preseason training camp officially ended, and in November, the 1996-1997 NBA season was about to begin.

At this point, Gan Guoyang was following his planned schedule and was going to maintain his weight at 273 pounds, which was the best weight he had achieved through his experiments.

After a chaotic preseason, he reorganized his offensive arsenal, tearfully removing some offensive moves that were no longer suitable for the times and his physical condition.

For example, the special skill that Bernard King once taught him was to catch the ball, quickly turn around, lean forward, and jump shot. The jump and turn were done at the same time. No one could match this move. It was incredibly fast and was one of Gan Guoyang's greatest weapons for scoring.

But now Gan Guoyang has decided to stop using it so frequently because he is 32 years old and needs to protect his knees, as this type of attack is too damaging to them.

Some skills that were only occasionally shown will become common weapons in Gan Guoyang's arsenal, such as the step-back jump shot and the short floater after driving to the basket.

These are relatively healthy playing styles, and Gan Guoyang needs to plan for the longer term.

He is excited, thrilled, and nervous about the upcoming new season.

His pressure is greater than others imagine. With the king returning to the stage, everyone will be watching closely.

If they play well, it's only natural; if they play poorly, the boos will be much louder than before.

Those old rivals he once trampled underfoot are now all eager to fight back, waiting for him to come knocking on their door.

On October 31, the entire Trail Blazers team boarded the "Trail Blazer One" and flew from Portland to Vancouver, Canada.

Their first opponent of the new season will be the newly formed Vancouver Grizzlies, which is a good opening game opponent.

The plane took off on time, and no one was late, which was what Bird was most pleased about.

Of course, he was under just as much pressure as Forrest Gump. On the plane, he looked restless and kept gazing out the window at the vast expanse of white.

He was very familiar with NBA games, but when it came to coaching a team in the NBA regular season, he was completely clueless, just like the clouds outside.

Jermaine O'Neal and Kobe Bryant sat one behind the other, one excited and nervous, the other continuing to feel frustrated.

Kobe vented all his frustration in the gym during this period, working hard to build muscle.

Jermaine O'Neal trained with him, and through games, he realized how important strength is in physical confrontations.

The good news for Kobe is that, according to recent examinations, the fractured bone has healed well, and his recovery is fast due to his young age.

According to the schedule, he is expected to return to play in the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 10.

The bad news is that Bird doesn't plan to start Kobe; instead, he wants him to start from the bench.

This displeased Kobe, but he couldn't refuse; this was the NBA, and the coach was Bird, so he had no choice.

This led to Kobe exhibiting some temperamental behavior in their daily interactions; he acted like a child who sulked if he didn't get candy.

Gan Guoyang observed this coldly, neither pointing it out nor interfering, knowing that this was a necessary process.

Kobe needs to work on his patience. When he can truly calm down and be patient, he will improve much faster.

Of course, Kobe asked Gan Guoyang, "Why were you able to start in your first game as a rookie?"

Gan Guoyang answered him bluntly: "Because I defeated all the main players in the training camp, and then I became a main player."

Kobe had nothing to say.

Gan Guoyang told Kobe, "First, figure out how to deal with Van Exel on defense, how to break through Aaron McGee on offense, and how to easily beat Riddell in one-on-one situations before we talk about starting positions and the main players."

Kobe looked at Gan Guoyang seriously and asked, "Really?"

Gan Guoyang nodded, "Really."

"What if Larry disagrees?"

"Then you can kill Larry in the horse game."

Kobe was silent for a moment, then said, "What if I just take you out?"

Gan Guoyang seemed to have guessed that Kobe would say that, smiled and said, "You should first find a way to surpass Jordan and become the number one shooting guard."

"Number one shooting guard".

Kobe silently made it one of his mid-term goals.

The thought that he still had to defeat Van Exel, McGee, Ridley, and Kobe made him feel much better.

He was filled with hope and motivation again, and together with his teammates, he threw himself into the 1996-1997 season.

(End of this chapter)