The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 767 Obsession
Kobe had been waiting a long time for his first professional appearance.

Not only Kobe couldn't wait, but his family, Portland fans, and all the sponsors, reporters, and writers surrounding him were also eager to see him.

By 1996, NBA rookies were no longer simply newcomers to the NBA; their aura of success and commercial value sometimes shone brighter and attracted more attention than that of veteran players.

Just like newly listed stocks, which always generate a lot of anticipation, most of the older stocks that fluctuate and make people lose patience are on a downward trend.

Kobe Bryant gained attention because of his high school background, and he signed with Adidas, becoming a key player in Adidas's development and investment.

Although Avia and Nike both extended offers to Kobe, Kobe believed that Avia belonged to Forrest Gump and Nike belonged to Michael Jordan. He wanted to own a sports brand that he could dominate.

Kobe was very ambitious in basketball, but that doesn't mean he was just a basketball fanatic who only knew how to play basketball. At 18, he was also planning his own future as a sports star.

He was determined to create a "Kobe team" to manage his various business affairs, and the core of the team consisted of his father, sister, and other relatives and friends.

Before the NBA season officially began, after being drafted by the Trail Blazers, one of the deals he personally negotiated was to collaborate with high school sports writer and basketball promoter Jeremy Tritman on an autobiography.

That's right, Kobe didn't play a single game in his professional career, but he's already planning to write his autobiography.

The autobiography is tentatively titled "My NBA Rookie Season".

Kobe's rookie season is currently fraught with trouble and uncertainty; he has not played a single preseason or regular season game.

Fortunately, the Trail Blazers had a good opinion of him, with Bird and Forrest both having high hopes for Kobe.

Kobe himself worked very hard, which gave everyone confidence, making this game against the Spurs even more important.

On the day of the game, Tritman, who works and lives in Philadelphia, flew to Portland specifically to buy tickets for the game, hoping that Kobe would perform well.

Tritman served as an assistant coach at Merion High School for a year, which is when Kobe was a senior in high school, and the two met there.

Tritman wasn't the type to focus solely on basketball tactics and training; his mind was drawn to more lucrative business ventures.

He saw enormous commercial value in Kobe and recognized the potential of the high school basketball market.

Although professional basketball (NBA) and college basketball (NCAA) dominate the mainstream of the American basketball market, there is still great potential in the fragmented high school basketball market.

This provides the NCAA and NBA with younger, more original talented players, and also offers fans fresher and more magnificent legendary stories.

The story of a child prodigy achieving fame at a young age is always the most captivating, no matter the place or the era.

Besides Tritman, Kobe's high school coach and classmates were all watching in front of their televisions at home in Philadelphia, eagerly awaiting Kobe's NBA debut.

They all called Kobe during the day to ask about him, wish him good luck, and said they couldn't wait to see Kobe perform in the Rose Garden.

All of this undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on Kobe, but instead of making him nervous, he had even stronger confidence in his debut.

On game day, the team scheduled an hour of shooting practice. Kobe left home early and refused his mother's offer to drive him to the training facility, instead driving himself to Willamette University's gymnasium.

"Mom, I'm an adult, I'm 18 years old. Have you ever seen an adult who needs their mom to drive them to work?"

As Kobe left the townhouse in Lake Hill Park, he said this to his mother, Pamela, as a way of protesting against her overprotective parenting.

After arriving in Portland, Kobe's mother took care of everything in his life, big and small, including his social life, which was under her strict supervision.

Pamela only allowed Kobe to visit Forrest Gump's house and didn't want him to have too much contact with other players off the court, as she was worried that her precious son would be led astray.

Kobe's resistance was not very effective. Pamela allowed him to drive himself to training, but apart from that, Kobe's life was still inseparable from his mother's arrangements.

He can only focus his energy on things related to basketball; he can hardly be distracted by anything else.

Because it was game day, Bird's training schedule was very simple: just warm-up and maintaining his form.

In their last game, they surprisingly lost to the Sacramento Kings on the road.

Despite leading for most of the game, they were overtaken by the Kings in the final quarter.

Bird was frustrated by the team's mistakes on both ends of the court, and he finally couldn't help but yell at the players from the sidelines.

During shooting practice today, Bird gave the players a long lecture, warning them not to make mistakes, not to make mistakes.

"Please think before you make any decisions. I know the competition is fast-paced and intense, and sometimes there's not enough time to think. But I hope your minds can be as quick as your feet, otherwise I really don't know what the purpose of that thing you're carrying on your shoulders is, besides increasing your height?"

People inevitably become the kind of person they dislike.

When playing, Bird disliked Bill Fitch's harsh criticism of the players.

But when I actually became a coach, I found that it was really hard not to mock some players for their mistakes.

No one dared to talk back, including Gan Guoyang. He never dared to offend Bird to his face; the head coach needed to maintain his authority.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang was also dissatisfied with his teammates' mistakes, but since the season had just begun, he could still tolerate it.

After a training session that lasted more than an hour in the morning, Gan Guoyang treated everyone to a seafood restaurant in Portland for lunch and held a small debut ceremony for Kobe.

In the restaurant, everyone egged Kobe on to sing. Kobe wasn't shy at all and sang Brandy's folk song "I Wanna Be Down." Everyone applauded and cheered, saying they would pass the ball to Kobe more often that night so he could perform well.

Around 3 p.m., the whole team went to the Rose Garden Stadium to prepare for the match.

The Trail Blazers held a special press conference for Kobe's first game, allowing him to answer reporters' questions.

The Trail Blazers' marketing department is quite impressive; they've already sensed the commercial potential hidden in Kobe.

People are very curious about high school players, and in the first few games, Jermaine O'Neal got a lot of playing time.

His playing time is almost on par with veterans like AC Green, which is enough to show the team's trust in him.

In the game against the Kings, Jermaine O'Neal scored in double figures for the first time in his career, with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block.

Of course, Jermaine O'Neal made some mistakes and bears responsibility for the team's loss; this is a detour that young players must take.

When asked by reporters about his views on high school players, Larry Bird said, "I put players on the court based on their performance in practice and games, not their age. If a 50-year-old player can bring victory to the team, I will put him on the court without hesitation, as long as he doesn't collapse halfway through the game."

Despite saying this, Bird actually harbored a deep distrust of high school players before the season even began.

Jermaine O'Neal earned Bird's favor through his hard work and visible improvement in every game.

Of course, to punish him for his mistakes and errors in the crucial moments of the previous game, Bird made it clear to Jermaine O'Neal before the game that his playing time would be reduced tonight.

Bird should appropriately increase the playing time of veterans like A.C. Green to balance the emotions in the locker room.

While Kobe was holding a press conference, Bird was having coffee in his locker room office and chatting with Forrest Gump.

He asked Gan Guoyang if people were paying too much attention to a young man like Kobe.

"I'm worried that too much pressure will break him. You know, my son called me and said that Kobe will be playing tonight and asked me to give him more playing time and not let him sit on the bench all the time. He said that all his classmates want to see Kobe play. Good heavens, are high school players really that popular these days?"

Gan Guoyang sat there tying his shoelaces. He declined interviews that night, letting the reporters focus their spotlights on Kobe.

"So what? I was even more popular than him when I was in high school."

During his high school years, Gan Guoyang was an absolute ratings king, creating a ratings frenzy in California and even across the United States.

His later achievements in the NCAA and NBA were so great that people forgot he was already a hot commodity in high school.

Bird resisted the urge to pour coffee on Gan Guoyang's head and said, "I'm worried about his stress, not whether he's popular or not!"

Gan Guoyang said, "You should worry more about your own stress. I remember you didn't like coffee before, did you?"

Bird put down his cup. He hadn't really liked coffee before, but since becoming a coach, he couldn't stop drinking it.

"Pressure can break a person, but it can also forge a diamond-like character and qualities. I think the more pressure this kid is under, the more he can improve himself. He won't break down."

Gan Guoyang is right; Kobe did not break down under the immense pressure from the attention he received from all sides.

On the contrary, he was eager to try before the game started, and during warm-up he kept shooting and dunking, showing off his agility.

A smile appeared on his face from time to time; he was very excited to be officially included in the roster.

Gan Guoyang didn't give Kobe any hints or instructions, which was completely different from how he treated Jermaine O'Neal.

Gan Guoyang knew that Kobe was not listening to anything right now; he was focused on making a good performance in the game.

We'll find out the actual situation after the match begins.

Tonight's opponent is the San Antonio Spurs, who are wearing black jerseys. Before the game, the Spurs received some bad news.

Their star player, David Robinson, broke his leg in Game 6 against the Heat, ending his season.

The Spurs had a rough couple of years. In the 1994-1995 season, they signed Moses Malone and Chuck Paison in free agency and built a strong team around Robinson.

They finished first in the Western Conference and second in the regular season, and David Robinson lost the MVP award to Hakeem Olajuwon.

In the playoffs, they were the top seed in the Western Conference, but lost to the Phoenix Suns 3-4 in the semifinals, once again missing the chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

In the 96 season, they maintained their strong competitiveness, winning 59 games in the regular season, but lost to the Utah Jazz in the semifinals, shattering their championship dreams.

During the preseason this season, 31-year-old David Robinson suffered a back injury, but he still insisted on playing in the regular season, though his performance was poor.

Then, in the game two days ago, he broke his leg and was sidelined for the rest of the season. At the same time, his starting small forward, Elliott, was also plagued by injuries, forcing the Spurs to adjust their season strategy. Like the Boston Celtics, they decided to tank and join the race to win Tim Duncan, the 1997 number one draft pick.

Tonight's game against the Trail Blazers marks the beginning of the Spurs' determination to tank, which is good news for Kobe's debut.

Despite their determination to tank, the Trail Blazers' current record doesn't allow them to relax in any way.

With a record of 3 wins and 3 losses, a 50% win rate, they haven't achieved a winning streak yet, and they don't want to suffer a losing streak either.

Even before the game started, the Rose Garden Arena was already packed with people. With Gan Guoyang on the team, Portland's home games were destined to be incredibly exciting.

Bird, dressed in a simple suit and wearing a red tie, stood on the sidelines waiting for the game to begin.

To be honest, he doesn't like the current NBA atmosphere, finding it too commercialized and flamboyant.

Under Tang Jianguo's management, the Trail Blazers team has a particularly strong commercial atmosphere, where everything can be bought and sold.

The only reason he was comforted and willing to stay was that the Trail Blazers took basketball very seriously and the owner didn't interfere.

A 3-3 start is not good for the Trail Blazers and Bird, but so far, there have been no complaints or criticisms from management.

Old Tang never interfered excessively in basketball affairs, which gave Bird enough space and time to adjust and learn.

The Trail Blazers made changes to their starting lineup tonight, with Aaron McGee and Terry Porter both on the bench.

The starting lineup became Gan Guoyang, PJ Brown, AC Green, Riddell, and Van Exel.

With the team lacking a strong small forward, Bird decided to have Green play that role.

Although Green has played power forward for many years, his height and playing style also allow him to play small forward as well.

Terry Porter is indeed getting old, and making him the starting point guard would be too much of a burden for him.

Besides, Van Exel has been complaining all along, so it's better to put Porter on the bench so that both of them can have some peace and quiet.

Kobe, of course, did not get a starting opportunity and had to sit on the bench and wait patiently.

The Spurs, as their opponents, replaced Robinson with Greg Anderson as their starting center.

Anderson played for the Trail Blazers for a period of time, serving as an assistant to Gan Guoyang, but was quickly abandoned after Sabonis arrived.

The Spurs signed him, and now he's 32 years old, entering the later stages of his career.

Facing his former boss in the center circle, Greg Anderson had neither confidence nor fighting spirit.

On the contrary, the Spurs' starting small forward, Dominique Wilkins, asked Forrest Gump with great enthusiasm, "I heard that high schooler of yours is playing tonight?"

Gan Guoyang said, "That's right, his mission tonight is to lock you down, Dominic. Oh, and dunk on you while he's at it, he has a great jump."

Wilkins, once an iconic figure for the Atlanta Hawks, now dons another team's jersey and becomes a black Spurs player.

In the 1991-1992 season, Wilkins suffered a fatal Achilles tendon rupture. Just when people thought he was going to fall apart, he returned from injury and still contributed 29 points in the season. He was 33 years old that year.

In the 1993-1994 season, at 34 years old, he was still one of the best small forwards in the league, but the Hawks were preparing to rebuild and traded him to the Clippers for the younger Danny Manning.

After playing for half a season with the Clippers, Wilkins still averaged 29 points per game, but he had no interest in staying with such an unfortunate team.

He spent the 1994-1995 season in Boston, but unfortunately his partnership with Divac and Hornacek was not successful, as his overly selfish playing style clashed with theirs.

In the summer of 1995, he went to play in the Greek league, playing for Panathinaikos and helping the team win the Greek Cup.

However, due to injuries and absences from matches, his relationship with Panathinaikos ended badly, and he returned to the United States.

In the summer of 1996, many teams tried to sign the 37-year-old veteran, including the Portland Trail Blazers.

However, Bird refused to sign his old rival, knowing Dominic's style and that he wasn't a good fit for a team that needed to develop.

The Spurs ultimately acquired Wilkins, originally hoping to let the veteran continue his career and compete for the championship alongside David Robinson.

Who knew that the plans would change at the very beginning of the season? The pursuit of the championship became the pursuit of the number one draft pick, and Wilkins went from being a follower to becoming the carry himself.

Before the game, not much media attention was paid to him, a veteran who had ruptured his Achilles tendon and started wandering around. Everyone was talking about Kobe Bryant—a kid who had never played a single NBA game and went straight from high school.

Wilkins was determined that even if they couldn't win tonight, they would still give the young players a taste of their own medicine, as long as they had the chance.

This is a tradition in the NBA: veterans often bully and target rookies, especially those who enter the league with a halo of success.

Everyone goes through this, including Wilkins; respect is earned through tough performances on the court.

Besides, even if I can't beat Forrest Gump, can't I beat you, Kobe?
The two sides jumped for the ball, and the game began. Gan Guoyang easily won the jump ball.

In the following rounds, he scored on Greg Anderson in consecutive singles matches.

He used his footwork, strength, and hook shot to easily penetrate the Spurs' interior defense, and the Trail Blazers quickly took the lead.

On the Spurs' side, Wilkins, who has become a key player, helped the Spurs close the gap with his isolation plays and shooting.

Despite being a dunker, Wilkins is actually very accurate with his mid-range shooting.

This is why he has been able to maintain a high scoring level all these years after suffering a major Achilles tendon rupture.

Shooting is an extremely important skill for a basketball player.

With five minutes left in the first quarter, both teams went into an official timeout. Bird patted Kobe, who was sitting on the bench, signaling him to get ready to enter the game.

Kobe immediately stood up as if his butt had springs in it, took off his sports jacket, moved around a bit to warm up, and prepared to go on the court.

The eyes of more than 20,000 audience members were focused on this 18-year-old boy, eagerly anticipating his performance.

Kobe's thought was simple: he wanted to dunk, he wanted to dunk one in the Rose Garden, in a game broadcast live across the United States.

Even when he was still young, Kobe had such a strong obsession with dunking that he barely listened to Bird's instructions and plans.

Soon, the timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court. As soon as Kobe, wearing jersey number 8, stepped onto the court, the crowd erupted in cheers.

During the Trail Blazers' offensive possession, PJ Brown inbounded the ball, and Kobe tried to come out to receive it, but Wilkins tightly guarded him.

Brown then served a high lob into the three-second zone. Gan Guoyang jumped high, but the pass was a little too high, and Gan Guoyang didn't catch it very securely.

Upon landing, Greg Anderson and Gan Guoyang scrambled for the ball, and the referee called a jump ball, with the two standing at the free-throw circle for the ball.

Gan Guoyang gave Kobe a look, indicating that he was confident he could beat Anderson in a jump ball.

Kobe understood immediately; he knew this was an opportunity to receive the ball and attack the basket directly.

In the jump ball, Gan Guoyang overtook Anderson and flicked the ball toward Kobe.

Kobe reacted quickly and grabbed the ball. This was an opportunity!
Gan Guoyang was preparing to move aside and let Kobe attack the paint, giving him a chance to shine.

Then he saw Kobe land, turn around, and sprint off in another direction with the ball...

The remaining nine people were stunned, as were the more than 20,000 audience members present.

Kobe only had eyes for the basket; he was focused on completing a fast break dunk!
He'd already reached the three-point line and was about to jump when shouts erupted in his ears.

"You're running the wrong way!" someone shouted from the sidelines.

Looking back, no one was following.

Immediately afterwards, Kobe heard the referee's whistle.

Just as he was about to jump, he braked suddenly, looked back, and saw that everyone else was motionless in the other half of the court.

It took him a moment to realize, "Damn it, we were on the offensive, not on the defensive!"

He almost scored on his own fast break, but the referee called a backcourt violation.

Kobe's first career point was almost an own goal, which drew laughter from the crowd, filling the Rose Garden Arena with a joyful atmosphere.

One can imagine how many of the millions of fans watching on TV almost died laughing at Kobe's play; he's definitely going to be on the news tonight.

Kobe walked back with his head down. Gan Guoyang came over and patted his head, saying, "Don't go. Go back to the backcourt to defend. The ball is in the Spurs' possession."

"I'm sorry, I... was too hasty."

"It's okay. Actually, you should have deducted one point just now. You should have at least left some highlights, right?"

"sorry."

"Your job tonight is to guard Dominique Wilkins. Stop thinking about dunks, understand?"

Kobe nodded vigorously. This mistake finally dispelled his obsession with dunking.

Kobe's rookie season doesn't look like it will be smooth sailing, given that he made a fool of himself right from the start.

Bird sat on the sidelines, covering his face to calm himself down. He was regretting why he had become a coach.

(End of this chapter)