The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 765 Back

At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang was resting on the sidelines.

Jermaine O'Neal got his chance to play, and when he stepped onto the court, he became the youngest player in NBA history to participate in an official game.

He still looks young, wearing jersey number 5, and his arms are a bit stronger than when he was drafted in June, but not by much.

He wasn't wearing any protective gear, and apart from his clothes, shoes, and socks, he had no tattoos, so he looked very clean and neat.

Most young players are like this, like blank sheets of paper. It's not their first time playing basketball; they've played basketball for many years in high school and college.

But the NBA is different, completely different. It's a big stage, a melting pot, where young people drift and rise and fall, and changes happen very quickly.

For Jermaine O'Neal, the greatest fortune in entering the league was having Forrest Gump mentor him—a comprehensive mentorship, from life to basketball.

Jermaine O'Neal was a good student. He always tried to imitate and learn from Kobe, and like him, he always carefully observed his idol's every move.

The difference is that after observing, Kobe was thinking about how to beat Forrest Gump, while Jermaine O'Neal was thinking, "I can become an inside player like Forrest Gump."

What Jermaine O'Neal should observe and learn from most is Gan Guoyang's defense. From the rookie training camp to the preseason and then to the regular season, Gan Guoyang's defense amazed Jermaine O'Neal.

With his excellent positioning, amazing anticipation, and ability to always make the best choice in passive situations, Jermaine O'Neal had no idea how Gan Guoyang did it.

Gan Guoyang always told O'Neal to use his brain to think, constantly summarize his experience, and gradually form his own judgment. Of course, talent is also very important.

Jermaine O'Neal was talented. He was a guard in high school, but as he grew into a big man, he switched to playing inside. At that time, he was determined to become an inside defensive anchor like Bill Russell and Forrest Gump.

In the South Carolina state league, Jermaine O'Neal averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 blocks per game, demonstrating the dominance of a high school prodigy who could make it to the NBA.

It wouldn't work in the NBA. He wasn't facing ordinary high school enthusiasts who couldn't even get into college, but rather the best of the best, the world's best basketball players.

Even a weak team like the Vancouver Grizzlies can sink if underestimated.

Of the 15 wins the Grizzlies achieved last season, two were against the Trail Blazers, one of which was the season opener.

The Trail Blazers became the only team to hand the Grizzlies two wins last season, which, while not exactly a disgrace, was certainly not a pleasant sight.

Jermaine O'Neal started making mistakes shortly after entering the game. He misjudged Rasheed's movements on defense, leading to a defensive lapse.

Rasheed dribbled past Jermaine O'Neal and scored a layup, bringing the Grizzlies closer to victory.

Having gotten used to playing against players in high school who were much shorter and had less jumping ability than themselves, it's easy to habitually take a step back or make presumptuous predictions when defending.

Because by creating an opening and giving the opponent some space, you can then deliver a powerful block, given the significant physical difference between the two players.

That won't work in the NBA unless your anticipation and defensive skills are as good as Gan Guoyang's or Olajuwon's.

"Go up and confront the kid! Go up and confront him!" Gan Guoyang shouted from the sidelines.

Gan Guoyang found that playing basketball was more mentally exhausting than before during his comeback.

In the past, playing ball was just playing ball. We were all old partners, with strong abilities and excellent teamwork.

His attention was focused on the game and his opponents.

Things are different now; he needs to pay attention to the young players' progress and give them guidance.

Bird, standing nearby, said, "Don't shout nonsense. The player will adapt on his own; he has a brain."

Gan Guoyang said, "You won't shout it yourself, but you won't let me shout it? Jermaine needs to be spurred on."

After a few rounds, Jermaine O'Neal was indeed playing quite well, successfully defending against Rasheed Wallace once.

However, he hesitated during the attack, unsure of what to do with the ball, and made a passing error.

Bird didn't rush to substitute him; he gave O'Neal time to make mistakes.

Bird and Gan Guoyang both admired the talents of Jermaine O'Neal and Kobe.

Before joining the Trail Blazers, he was puzzled as to why the Trail Blazers would select two high school students.

After a series of training camps were completed and they trained together frequently, Bird realized that the Trail Blazers had a truly sharp eye for talent.

Bird even suggested that the Trail Blazers had acquired the best perimeter player and the best interior player in the 1996 draft.

The premise is that they need to be properly trained; both of them are still in the process of becoming finished products.

Unlike Gan Guoyang's one-on-one instruction and small-group teaching, Bird, as the team's coach, could not be too biased.

He had to consider the whole team and the overall situation, so his biggest help to Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal was to increase their playing time and let them hone their skills in games.

Nothing improves a player's skills more than playing high-level matches.

Back then, Gan Guoyang also made continuous progress in high-level competitions. His learning ability was so strong that he could learn a lesson in the first half and recover in the second half.

Jermaine O'Neal didn't have that ability yet. When he committed a foul midway through the second quarter, picking up his second foul of the game, Bird substituted him out.

In just a few minutes of playing time, Jermaine O'Neal contributed 2 rebounds and 2 fouls, but otherwise had no other statistical achievements.

This is the normal performance for most rookies when they first appear on the court; they're getting used to the competitive pace and environment of the NBA.

Very few players can dominate in their debut.

Gan Guoyang replaced Jermaine O'Neal, and the two bumped fists.

Although when Jermaine O'Neal was on the court, Gan Guoyang was always correcting him from the sidelines.

However, when he came off the field, Gan Guoyang still encouraged him, saying, "You did a good job."

After Jermaine O'Neal left the court, Kobe looked at him with envy and asked, "How did it feel to play?"

"I was a little thirsty at first, but I felt better after a while," said O'Neal.

As he spoke, Jermaine O'Neal took a big gulp of water; the regular season and the preseason were indeed different.

Jermaine O'Neal was certainly not satisfied with his performance.

It wasn't that he didn't score or had bad stats, but rather that during the time he was on the court, the Trail Blazers' lead was about to disappear.

In the second unit showdown, the Vancouver Grizzlies used their home-court advantage to create chaos with the Trail Blazers.

Rasheed Wallace, along with Blue Edwards and Lee Mayberry, scored in quick succession, boosting the Grizzlies' morale.

Gan Guoyang returned to the field but still played lukewarmly, having taken over the offensive command from Van Exel.

Van Exel played very impatiently after coming on, not because he was eager to show off, but because that's just his playing style.

This is also why Bird didn't want Van Exel to start; as a point guard, he was simply too attention-grabbing.

He's fast, accurate, has a ghostly footwork, and is an unpredictable left-handed player.

Bird was always worried about whether Van Exel could fit in with Forrest Gump, and whether he would be traded as the season progressed.

A point guard like Porter, with strong shooting, good defense, and a steady playing style, seems to be the most suitable teammate for Forrest Gump.

However, after Gan Guoyang returned to the court in the second quarter, his cooperation with Van Exel was surprisingly good.

Gan Guoyang didn't just stay in the low post and let the perimeter players feed him the ball. Instead, he kept playing with the guards on the perimeter and at the top of the key.

Pick-and-roll, screens, and high-post playmaking gave Van Exel and Riddell ample space to operate in the paint.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang is very fast, and he can organize the offense after winning the rebound himself.

On several occasions, he simply stopped passing the ball and instead carried it across half the field to organize an attack.

Riedle and Van Exel made runs to receive the ball and launch attacks.

They continued to play in the way they were familiar with and used to.

Quick and agile breakthroughs followed by layups, and high-intensity low-post attacks from the shooting guard position.

For a time, the Trail Blazers' offense was indeed chaotic, but it was also quite entertaining to watch.

Gan Guoyang could even deliver low-handed bounce passes like Magic Johnson, penetrating the Grizzlies' defense.

The strong Isaiah Riddell transformed into a small forward, receiving the ball and attacking the basket with powerful dunks.

The Grizzlies' weak defense appeared extremely vulnerable under this onslaught.

Gan Guoyang contributed 6 assists in the second quarter alone, helping the Trail Blazers lead the Grizzlies 64-53 at halftime.

This section allowed troublemakers like Riddell and Van Exel to have a good time and play to their hearts' content.

Before the start of the regular season, they had already prepared to fully coordinate with Gan Guoyang on offense, slowly grind down the position, cut, move, and attack the low post.

Unexpectedly, Forrest Gump is Forrest Gump. Give him whatever ingredients he has, and he can make whatever dish he wants. He uses his defensive presence and playmaking ability to allow his teammates to maximize their strengths.

Even if you lose a match like this, you can still feel happy and not frustrated.

Everyone was excited when they returned to the locker room, and they took turns coming over to give Gan Guoyang a high-five.

“It’s so good to have you back, Sonny,” Van Exel said, his words coming from the heart.

Before Gan Guoyang's comeback, he felt he was about to be unable to stay in Portland any longer.

With Forrest Gump back in action, Van Exel feels he can play for the Trail Blazers until retirement.

However, while the players were happy, the head coach was not, because the defense that Bird valued most was still a complete mess.

If it weren't for Forrest Gump, Bird doubted the team could have tied with the Grizzlies in the first half.

It's no wonder that the Trail Blazers were able to hand the Grizzlies two easy wins last season, a feat unmatched in the entire league, because their perimeter defense was truly appalling.

Van Exel and Riddell's one-on-one defense was practically nonexistent; their talents were entirely focused on offense.

The things emphasized and trained during the preseason training camp can be implemented in the first quarter, but by the second quarter, especially in the latter part of the game when the offense gets going, they are completely forgotten.

On the defensive end, they relied entirely on the two big men, Agan and PJ Brown, to clean up the mess. The two guarded the paint like water, after all, they were the championship duo back then.

The grizzly bears aren't stupid; they won't just blindly run into Forrest Gump. They fully adhere to the Forrest Gump principle of dodging and attacking from the outside and mid-range, constantly launching attacks from the perimeter.

The lack of physical contact on the perimeter allowed the Grizzlies' outside shooting to become increasingly smooth, and coupled with playing at home during the regular season, the Grizzlies' offensive performance was satisfactory.

During halftime in the locker room, Larry Bird patiently refrained from yelling or getting angry at anyone, instead offering gentle criticism that everyone should remember to play defense while attacking.

He didn't single out Gan Guoyang and PJ Brown, saying that our interior defense is good, only our perimeter defense is bad.

He follows the principle of collective responsibility: if someone on the court doesn't defend well, then everyone on the court will be criticized.

"Defense is a team effort. On offense, you can go it alone, and your points are the team's points. But on defense, you must understand that your mistakes are also the team's mistakes. Don't think that you can stand aside just because you've fulfilled your own responsibilities. On the defensive end, everyone is responsible for everyone else."

Bird's approach was correct. Gan Guoyang wouldn't argue with him directly; he would reflect on the defensive issues with his teammates.

However, Gan Guoyang joked privately, asking Bird, "When you play, why don't you think about defense as a team effort? You always drag the team down."

Bird would always give Gan Guoyang a piece of his mind and then say that he was just not physically good enough, and that as long as his attitude was good, it didn't matter. He would say that having a good attitude doesn't mean he was bad at defense, and besides, would an MVP be considered if he wasn't good at defense? He would say that he contributed more on offense, and so on.

Bird was a bit impatient as it was his first time as head coach.

When he played for the Celtics, he led the team to 60 wins in his first season.

That was a team with a lot of great veterans: Dave Cowens, Nate Archibald, Pete Maravich, and Chris Ford.

The Celtics are a completely team-oriented team, and they allow the sixth fewest points per game in the league, making them one of the best defensive teams.

With Bird on the team, the Celtics consistently maintained a solid defense, and even as they gradually declined in the later stages, they never became a defensive liability.

Therefore, Bird could not tolerate his team's defensive problems, and could not stand by and watch as his perimeter players, riddled with holes, got blown past in one step.

But thinking about the $20 bet with Gan Guoyang in the first half, Bird decided to hold back and not yell at the players.

Let's wait until the next game. We'll shout then if we really can't hold back anymore.

Gan Guoyang's experience is different from Bird's. When he first arrived at the Trail Blazers in 1984, it was a team that only knew how to attack and had a mediocre defense.

Before Gan Guoyang arrived, they couldn't go very far in the playoffs because their defense was too bad.

Drexler was lazy on the perimeter, Valentine was short, and Vandeweghe was notoriously bad at defense.

Gan Guoyang's only defensive partner in the paint is Mitchell Thompson.

In this harsh environment, Gan Guoyang single-handedly held up the paint, slowly pulling the Trail Blazers into a championship-level defense.

The situation is exactly the same now, with a great defensive partner in the paint, PJ Brown, and offensive prodigies on the perimeter.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang has the confidence and patience to gradually improve the team's defense.

Before that, Gan Guoyang needed to calm Van Exel down and calm his somewhat agitated emotions.

As the second half was about to begin, Gan Guoyang put his arm around Van Exel and said, "We can't play like we did in 1994 anymore; we need to be a little more disciplined. But I'll still give you plenty of freedom to play your game, provided you can sit on the bench, okay?"

Van Exel nodded; he was certainly unhappy that Terry Porter had taken his starting position.

Porter is a veteran player with a distinguished career, but in terms of current ability, Van Exel is definitely superior to Porter on offense.

For the two seasons Agan was away, the team relied on him to carry the team. Now that Agan is back, he has to sit on the bench, and he is extremely resentful.

But since Forrest Gump had said so, Van Exel could only hold back and save his energy for when he came on as a substitute.

At the start of the third quarter, the Trail Blazers intensified their play, and Bird's reprimand at midfield had an effect.

The Grizzlies tried to open up the game from the inside, and they played well in the first half, but it was all about shooting from the outside.

Such offensive inefficiency makes it impossible to win the game. Regardless, the Grizzlies wanted to win their first home game of the new season. As a result, Bryant Rivers, who had been quiet for the entire first half, repeatedly attacked Gan Guoyang in the low post, contributing two turnovers.

Once, Gan Guoyang stole the ball from him, and he lost possession before he could even get a firm grip on it; another time, he turned and bumped into Gan Guoyang, resulting in an offensive foul.

When PJ Brown pulled Gan Guoyang up from the floor, he laughed and said, "Boss, you can draw offensive fouls now."

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "I also need to keep up with the times."

Gan Guoyang didn't usually draw offensive fouls; he preferred head-on, direct defense.

Before the 90s, the NBA rarely had a defensive habit of drawing offensive fouls.

Later, slippery European players like Divac and Sabonis came to the NBA, bringing with them some deceptive and tricky defensive tactics.

Divac is a master at drawing offensive fouls. Despite his size, he often falls over with the slightest touch in the paint, making it quite frustrating for the offensive team.

Rivers shook his head as he returned to defense, his positioning like a tree rooted to the ground, no matter how hard he tried to bump into it, it wouldn't budge.

When you get the ball and try to contest it, you fall over at the slightest touch; it's really frustrating.

布莱恩特-里弗斯到目前为止的数据是0分，4个篮板，0个盖帽，1个助攻外加3次失误2次犯规。

He's completely stopped thinking about competing with Forrest Gump now; he's just trying to get a point, because getting zero is just too embarrassing.

The Trail Blazers' defense improved, but their offense faltered – they committed too many turnovers.

This time it was Gan Guoyang's turn to be unable to tolerate it. Compared to being unable to tolerate the poor defense, Gan Guoyang was even more unable to tolerate the excessive number of mistakes.

Mistakes are like stains on a pristine white sheet to him, driving him crazy. He doesn't allow himself to make mistakes easily, and he hates seeing his teammates make a lot of mistakes.

Once the intensity of the game increased in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers could no longer play as freely as they did in the first and second quarters, and the situation changed.

The Grizzlies are also improving their defense, while the Trail Blazers have made a series of basic mistakes, all due to their relentless pursuit of offensive speed.

The mistake led to a Grizzlies score, narrowing the gap to single digits.

Gan Guoyang called a short timeout. Instead of criticizing the players who made consecutive mistakes, he said, "If we're not confident, I think we should slow down a bit. Give me the ball, and I'll take control of the pace."

Bird didn't say anything; he gave Gan Guoyang that authority and replaced Terry Porter with Van Exel.

Porter looked to be in poor form; he suffered a major injury in the 1994-1995 season, missing nearly 50 games.

He was 31 years old that year, which marked a turning point in his career. After that season, Porter's statistics plummeted.

Forrest Gump's return is certainly exciting, but Porter also has his own troubles: as his mentality has gradually become more Zen and he is preparing to enjoy the rest of his NBA career with 7 championship rings at the age of 33, he has to continue to bear the enormous pressure of record and championship as Forrest Gump's only loyal partner.

Porter is not Forrest Gump; his physical and mental abilities are not suited to bear such a heavy load.

Of course, the season has just begun, and the veteran has plenty of time and experience to adjust.

Van Exel was different; this madman was eager to try, hoping to partner with Gan Guoyang and achieve the same results as the 1993-1994 season.

In the 1994 season, the Trail Blazers won 51 games in the regular season and made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, thanks to the crazy offensive performances of Gan Guoyang and Van Exel.

In Gan Guoyang's career of seven championships, the 1993-1994 season was the most lackluster and the one most easily overlooked by fans.

However, some fans also believe that the 1993-1994 season was the season that truly showcased Forrest Gump's strength and charisma.

When the situation was dire, the roster was terrible, all hopes had been dashed, and no one had any faith in the Trail Blazers, even Portland fans themselves thought they should take a break, Gan Guoyang still held the line and led the team into the Western Conference Finals.

If it weren't for the fact that the Suns had a really good roster that year, and Robert Parish's arrival made up for the Suns' height problem.

Adding to the woes, Van Exel's argument with the referee during a crucial moment in Game 4 resulted in two free throws and possession, leading to the Trail Blazers' narrow defeat. The final outcome remains uncertain.

That season, the Trail Blazers' defense and offense were both average, but they still managed to produce some dazzling and exciting individual offensive plays, and Van Exel deserves a large part of the credit for that.

It was during the 1993-1994 season that the Trail Blazers and the entire city of Portland were able to keep the flame of hope alive.

If Gan Guoyang had retired directly in 93, the Trail Blazers would have inevitably suffered a major setback, with their morale and performance plummeting.

This might allow them to snag a few high draft picks in the draft market, but rebuilding a destroyed winning culture and championship legacy is extremely difficult.

The impact of death was greater than imagined. Gan Guoyang held up the Oregon basketball market, making the collapse of everything much gentler.

After that season, both the Trail Blazers and Portland were able to catch their breath, and their logistics, medical, and management teams were able to rebuild in an orderly manner.

When he retired in 1994, the team and the entire city were shocked, but they were able to accept it.

It was from that time that Van Exel became the offensive initiator on the Trail Blazers' court and the team's new ticket-selling asset.

Of course, his influence cannot be compared with Gan Guoyang's, and negative news off the field almost overwhelmed him.

In particular, during the 1995-1996 season, a feature article in Sports Illustrated described Van Exel as a violent individual who assaulted his teammates and girlfriend.

Although the campus police intervened in the investigation but did not file charges due to a lack of concrete evidence, the report still put Van Exel in the spotlight.

He faced immense public pressure in 1996, with numerous media outlets and fans criticizing him, and some Portland fans even suggesting he should be traded.

Although he repeatedly denied hitting the woman, saying that if people didn't believe him, they could take a lie detector test, he added guiltily at the end, "It's also possible that I forgot. Anyway, I can pass a lie detector test."

Van Exel's poor public relations skills have made him a controversial figure, and if Gan Guoyang doesn't return this summer, the sports section of The Oregonian will once again be dominated by negative news about Van Exel.

When Gan Guoyang returned to the Trail Blazers, everything quieted down; the media, newspapers, and fans all shut up.

Van Exel does have a bad temper and personality; judging by his appearance, he's the same type as Charles Barkley.

But he was indeed very talented, a true prodigy, and Gan Guoyang knew how to work with him.

After Van Exel entered the game, the Trail Blazers' offense became simpler, and they began to focus all their efforts on the two-man game between Agan and Van Exel.

The two had worked together for a whole season, so their chemistry in both the high and low positions was still intact.

Gan Guoyang rarely goes to the low post, but instead appears frequently in the high post, the top of the key, and the wings, using his penetrating passes, which he developed under the Princeton system, to feed the ball to the inside and the weak side.

Don't let Van Exel's small stature and thin build fool you; he's a short, skinny defender, like a big-eyed monkey.

He has excellent jumping ability, fast jumping speed, strong hang time in the air, and is also very good at receiving the ball on the outside and pulling it up directly.

A left-handed general, when accurate, is unstoppable; when unstoppable, his iron will is limitless.

In one-on-one offense, Van Exel can proudly say that no point guard in the entire league dares to say they can stop him one-on-one.

This includes Gary Payton, who won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 1995-1996 season.

Van Exel could score 40 points over Payton's head.

Gan Guoyang used his excellent ball-handling skills to create opportunities for Van Exel to play one-on-one and directly attack the basket.

For nearly five minutes, NBC's commentary almost constantly repeated "Gump to Van exel!"

When the Grizzlies realized they needed to keep an eye on Van Exel, Gan Guoyang used two three-pointers from the top of the arc to tell them that he could be even more terrifying on offense.

The Trail Blazers unleashed a 17-5 offensive surge against the Grizzlies, taking a 7-point lead before a timeout, and extending the lead to 19 points.

The Grizzlies called a timeout, but it had no effect. The Trail Blazers had already started their attack and found a useful weapon.

However, Van Exel has a problem: once he gets into a rhythm, he starts to lose control, especially by randomly shooting three-pointers.

If he makes a shot, he will definitely shoot again the next time he has the ball, no matter where he is, even if it's just the center circle.

Even when double-teamed or when the opponent defends well, he will still use some strange postures and moves to throw the ball.

Sometimes they do score, leaving a deep impression on fans and opponents, but most of the time they don't quite live up to expectations.

This reckless playing style makes him inconsistent, sometimes brilliant and sometimes terrible, a sharp double-edged sword.

Van Exel is starting to go crazy. No one on the Trail Blazers could control him before, but now Gan Guoyang can.

The Grizzlies launched another fierce comeback, narrowing the gap to 13 points, and Gan Guoyang started calling for the ball in the low post.

"If you shoot another three-pointer, I'll kill you," Gan Guoyang warned Van Exel.

So Van Exel obediently fed the ball to Gan Guoyang in the low post.

Two seasons of rest did not cause Gan Guoyang to lose his cooking skills.

However, fans who frequently watch Gan Guoyang's games can see that his low-post technique has changed.

The lightning-fast turnaround jump shot is gone; instead, it's more about probing with strength and rhythm, culminating in a familiar hook shot to finish the attack.

The continuous Moon-hook shots, from both the left and right hands, made it impossible for the slow-reacting Da Xiangcun to interfere with the beautiful arc.

Bob Costas said, "For the audience here and the fans watching on TV, seeing that elegant hook shot makes tonight's ticket price absolutely worthwhile. It embodies classic style, technique, sweat, day after day of hard training, and the earliest glory of a center. Forrest Gump brought it back to the NBA court, and my God, seeing his elegant move almost brought tears to my eyes..."

The match gradually found its rhythm in Gan Guoyang's hands, and he could feel himself getting better and better, with his form improving.

The pent-up passion for basketball from the past two seasons, the desire for the court, the hesitation and regret arising from inner struggles, and the sadness of 1993 were all covered up at this moment by a simple basketball game where sweat was poured out.

He didn't care about anything, and he stopped caring whether his teammates were defending or making mistakes. It was none of his business.

He simply enjoys playing basketball and the wonderful swish of the net as the ball goes into the hoop.

In the latter part of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang completely dominated the offensive end, scoring as soon as he got the ball.

He's a bit slower than he was in his youth, and he no longer has the explosive inside dunks and offensive rebounds.

With more refined dribbling, beautiful hook shots, perfectly timed floaters, and still incredibly accurate shooting.

Towards the end of the game, Bird was reluctant to substitute Gan Guoyang. He felt that substituting him would be a crime and a waste of his performance.

The Grizzlies were very cooperative; they never gave up, and they had to be tenacious in their home opener no matter what.

In addition, the Trail Blazers' defense was mediocre, and the point difference was not widened, so Gan Guoyang was still on the court in the fourth quarter.

At this point, he had already scored 22 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and dished out 16 assists.

Bird realized that this might be an opportunity for Forrest Gump to set a historical record.

"Forrest Gump, I'm not going to take you off the field. Can you keep going?"

"Of course, I still want to play. I haven't played for two years, and I want to play a little longer."

Therefore, Gan Guoyang remained on the court to continue playing at the start of the fourth quarter.

His exceptional physical abilities make him the best player in history in terms of sustained performance.

He repeatedly drove into the paint from the low post with his back to the basket, but the Grizzlies double-teamed him. Gan Guoyang then lobbed the ball high to Jermaine O'Neal.

Jermaine O'Neal received the ball and slammed it home with an alley-oop dunk! This was O'Neal's first point in his career.

The Grizzlies responded with a three-pointer, and Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post.

With no one double-teaming him, he turned around, drove over the big village, and easily dunked with one hand under the basket.

The Grizzlies are once again trying to score from three-point range. In a season where the three-point line has shortened, everyone is taking more and more three-pointers.

This time the shot missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and dribbled the ball on the fast break. The Grizzlies focused on guarding the other players.

As a result, Gan Guoyang went to the top of the arc and took a three-pointer. The distance was too close for him, and he made it!

Scoring, assists, and rebounds are all incredibly easy for Gan Guoyang.

As time went on, Gan Guoyang continued his performance, and the Grizzlies' will to resist gradually crumbled.

The most devastated was naturally Rivers from the rural area, who still hadn't scored a point.

It wasn't that Gan Guoyang was fixated on Dacun Village, but rather that Rivers found himself unable to keep up with the pace of the game.

Especially when the defense is destroyed, how can you score if you can't score one-on-one on offense and can't get offensive rebounds?

When Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Jermaine O'Neal on the baseline, and O'Neal received the ball and made a mid-range shot, the fans in the stadium cheered enthusiastically.

On the big screen, the technical staff displayed Gan Guoyang's stats: 31 points, 22 rebounds, and 20 assists!
Next to the data is a note: "First time in history".

For the first time in NBA history, a player has achieved a super stat line of 30+20+20.

Forrest Gump did it again, and fans witnessed him set yet another new record.

Bird, who had maintained a calm expression all along, could no longer keep up the act. He stood up, clapped, and cheered loudly for Gan Guoyang.

"Well done, Sonny! You're the upgraded version of me!"

After achieving this, Bird substituted Gan Guoyang off the court, and the game was already over.

Gan Guoyang said to Bird, "Larry, you really owe me 20 this time, you've been yelling and screaming."

“I’m cheering for you,” Bird defended.

"I'm betting that you'll cheer for me and won't have a chance to scold me."

Gan Guoyang went to the bench to rest, and this wave of attacks finally completely destroyed the Grizzlies.

The Trail Blazers ultimately defeated the Grizzlies by 21 points in the first game, 110-89.

Although the team exposed many problems, the players' individual abilities far surpassed those of their opponents.

Gan Guoyang also announced his perfect return to the entire league with his amazing performance.

The following day, The New Yorker ran a headline with huge numbers: "30+20+20, the familiar Forrest Gump is back."

(End of this chapter)