The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 768 I haven't practiced yet.

Kobe's NBA debut featured an epic moment of humor.

If it were a typical newcomer, they would definitely want to disappear into a hole in the ground, and their mentality during the competition would be affected to some extent.

Or, if one is impatient and eager to show off, they are more likely to make more mistakes on the field.

Kobe was initially a bit impatient, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a foolish mistake.

The pressure from all sides still affected him.

But after making a real mistake, Kobe calmed down.

He licked his lips, his mind shifting from solely focusing on dunking to "defending Wilkins well."

The power of role models is immense. Kobe grew up watching Gan Guoyang play, and he knew that Gan's defense was a true weapon.

Whenever the Trail Blazers are in trouble, their offense is in a slump, or they reach a critical juncture, Forrest always prioritizes defense.

He often leads the team to successfully limit opponents on the defensive end, making consecutive blocks and even putting on a spectacular one-on-two defense, thus turning the tide of the game.

After establishing a solid defense, Forrest Gump will then launch a highly efficient offensive attack, scoring points at crucial moments to firmly suppress his opponent.

His steadiness on both offense and defense, his exceptional defensive stability and high offensive efficiency laid the foundation for his seven championships.

Kobe understood these principles; it's just that in high school, as an outside player, he often used offense to destroy his opponents.

Although Forrest Gump joked with Kobe more than once, saying, "You can win the game if you score 60 points," Kobe wasn't stupid; he knew the importance of defense.

In these games, whenever the team made more mistakes and their offense faltered, Agan would use defense to stabilize the team's morale.

However, the Trail Blazers' perimeter game sometimes has too many weaknesses, and opponents intentionally avoid attacking Forrest Gump and instead target the Trail Blazers' perimeter.

The shortening of the three-point line is good for Gan Guoyang's offense, making it easier for him to score.

However, this is a problem for his defense, because opponents can more easily bypass Gan Guoyang's dominance in the paint and launch attacks from beyond the three-point line.

In the previous game against the Kings, Mitch Richmond scored an efficient 29 points, making 3 of 6 three-pointers. The Kings as a team made 6 of 12 three-pointers, a remarkable 50% success rate.

They completely avoided Forrest Gump's interior defense, attacking the Trail Blazers from the outside with one-on-one individual attacks and three-point jump shots, which ultimately led to the Trail Blazers losing the game.

Kobe knew perfectly well that the team desperately needed strong perimeter defense, and that having a good performance on the defensive end was the best and fastest way to stand out.

However, deep down, Kobe still longed to dunk. He told himself, "I'll do the task at hand first, and then figure out how to dunk."

Obsessions may be temporarily buried, but they will not be eliminated.

Kobe quickly got to defense, facing off against Dominique Wilkins, arguably the league’s best scorer in the past.

Wilkins didn't take Kobe seriously; the 18-year-old Kobe looked thin and like a big boy.

While 37-year-old Wilkins has lost the jumping ability and explosiveness he was proud of during his peak years, his technique and strength are still in good condition.

When Kobe came over to guard Wilkins, Wilkins mocked him, "You should figure out who's on your team first. Don't you realize I'm your teammate?"

Kobe remained silent, simply sticking close to Wilkins. Wilkins tried to break free of the defense to receive the ball, but Kobe clung to him like a piece of chewing gum.

The Spurs moved the ball around a few times, but found that Wilkins didn't have a good opportunity to receive the ball. They passed the ball to the inside, and Elliott attacked the basket, but was interfered with by Gan Guoyang and missed.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, and this time Kobe ran in the right direction and charged forward. Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball up the court and delivered a precise bounce pass to Kobe.

Kobe drove straight to the basket, but Wilkins, who was following up on the defense, stole the ball with his hand, and the fast break failed.

Wilkins couldn't keep up with the speed, nor could he jump to block the shot, but he was quick and experienced.

Kobe's first NBA point hadn't come yet, so Gan Guoyang came over and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Watch out for the ball. This is the NBA, not high school."

Kobe nodded and refocused on the game.

On the inbound pass, Gan Guoyang received the ball at the end of the line, pulled up and made a mid-range jump shot.

The movements were simple, precise, and without the slightest hesitation; after scoring two points, they immediately retreated to defense.

Wilkins also wanted to catch the ball and shoot a jump shot along the baseline, but he had a leech following him around that he couldn't shake off.

"Shit, are you planning to keep going like this for the whole game?" Wilkins said, sounding annoyed.

The ball still didn't reach him; Avery Johnson's outside shot missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound.

The Trail Blazers had another chance to counterattack, and Kobe sprinted towards the frontcourt again, but this time Gan Guoyang did not make a long pass.

He dribbled the ball quickly across half-court, broke through the middle, and then passed the ball to Riddell on the baseline.

Riddell caught the ball and made a jump shot, stabilizing the Trail Blazers' situation and giving them the lead.

"You need to run to the right position, instead of just rushing forward," Gan Guoyang reminded Kobe, urging him not to always be in a hurry to launch fast breaks.

On the court, observation and decision-making are sometimes more important than speed and explosiveness.

In the next two possessions, Kobe continued to defend like glue, making Wilkins extremely annoyed.

But Wilkins has dominated the league for over a decade and was once one of the league's top scorers; he can't be easily shut down by close marking.

When the Spurs were falling further behind, Wilkins chose to box out Kobe in the low post, using his strength to push Kobe aside before turning and shooting a jump shot that went in.

The Trail Blazers missed their outside shot, and the Spurs went on offense. Wilkins received the ball at the top of the key and facilitated his teammates. The Spurs attacked inside, and the Trail Blazers collapsed their defense.

Wilkins stood with his hands on his hips, looking like he was watching a show, but suddenly accelerated to shake off Kobe's entanglement and cut in from the middle.

He received a pass from his teammate, dribbled and gathered the ball, took a two-footed step and drove into the basket, slamming a one-handed dunk!

Kobe was completely out of position defensively on this play, not only allowing Wilkins to drive to the basket for a dunk, but also committing a foul from behind, sending Wilkins to the free-throw line.

"Use your brain on defense, rookie," Wilkins reminded Kobe after he made the free throw.

Newcomers to the league often exhibit this characteristic on defense: they are extremely aggressive in one-on-one defense, relentlessly sticking to their positions.

However, there is a lack of overall strategic vision in defense; they do not know how to balance tension and relaxation, and are easily outmaneuvered by experienced players, suffering significant losses.

Wilkins is still as sharp as ever; this dunk was quite beautiful. Although his jump height and explosiveness are not as good as at his peak, his power is still considerable.

Gan Guoyang didn't come over to help defend on this play; he was teaching Kobe a lesson—of course, even if he had come over to help, he might not have been able to stop it.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 21-26, with the Trail Blazers leading by 5 points.

Kobe finished the first quarter, contributing 0 points, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, and 1 hilarious moment.

Such a performance was inevitably disappointing. Kobe, covered in sweat, sat back on the bench, waiting for the coach's criticism.

Unexpectedly, Bird patted Kobe on the shoulder and said, "You did a good job, you played hard on defense, that's what you should do."

Receiving praise from the head coach improved Kobe's mood; Bird wasn't a coach who liked to nag his players endlessly.

Even though he has recently started yelling at players for poor performance, Bird is as quiet as a mute compared to most NBA coaches, such as Larry Brown.

One of the biggest challenges many NBA rookies face upon entering the league is the endless nagging, yelling, and screaming from their head coaches.

Because university and high school coaches also have the role of teachers, they naturally bear the responsibility of educating and caring for students.

Unlike NBA coaches, who are not teachers and students or superiors and subordinates, NBA coaches are more like colleagues in different positions within the same department.

NBA coaches are generally under a lot of pressure. They earn higher salaries but face a more packed schedule, more difficult players to manage, and more responsibilities.

Many people say that even if you include all 20-plus head coaches in the league, you can't find more than five smiling faces in a whole season of live broadcast footage.

Under immense pressure and negative emotions, head coaches generally suffer from mental health issues.

Most of them are patients with bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, profanity, or other mental illnesses; they are members of the VIP ward in the NBA, this giant mental hospital.

Of course, these symptoms will be significantly relieved or even disappear completely after they leave their coaching positions.

Bird was known for his clutch performance during his playing career, and he also had a high basketball IQ and a rational and profound understanding of his own abilities.

He has a very strong ability to control his emotions, but even so, after a few games, there were times when he was so anxious that he scratched his head and wanted to curse out loud.

Furthermore, Bird was one of the people in the league who opposed high school students entering the league, but he was as tolerant and encouraging as possible when it came to Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal.

Having been a player himself, he knew that an 18-year-old would face many difficulties and obstacles in the league. There were already enough things that could suppress him, so he didn't want to add fuel to the fire.

After the start of the second quarter, Kobe continued to sit on the bench.

Bird asked him to observe Wilkins' offensive style and think about how to defend against it.

"Good defense isn't just about sticking close and biting. The purpose of defense is to disrupt their offensive intentions, and anticipation is very important."

Dick Hart sat down next to Kobe and reminded him that these were things he should have learned and trained in college.

Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal skipped this process and had to catch up after they entered the NBA.

Otherwise, their defense will always be more aggressive than strategic, and they will easily become disconnected from the overall defense.

In the second quarter, Gan Guoyang continued to dominate the Trail Blazers' offense and defense, putting the game at a comfortable pace for the Blazers.

After six games, Gan Guoyang has realized that fast breaks are not very effective in this era.

Moreover, once the pace picks up, the Trail Blazers make a lot of mistakes, and the game easily becomes chaotic.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang decided to reduce the speed appropriately and focus on positional attacks.

Gan Guoyang himself frequently appeared in the high post and on the flanks, leaving the interior space open for Van Exel and Riddell to attack.

In 1992 and 1993, Gan Guoyang was already able to cultivate both his internal and external skills, and at that time he held both low and high positions.

So far this season, he has spent more than half of his time in the high post, only moving to the low post when things are at their most crucial.

No wonder Gan Guoyang himself said that he was becoming an upgraded version of Bird, since Bird was a swingman at the three and four positions during his peak.

Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang cut to the outside several times during defense, facing Dominique Wilkins one-on-one.

Wilkins' one-on-one game completely shut down when facing Forrest Gump. On two occasions, he almost flew out of his skin after backing down his opponent to force a shot.

The final shot was clearly too short, hitting the front of the rim. Gan Guoyang turned around, grabbed the rebound, and then steadily pushed forward on the fast break.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Spurs 48-41, a 7-point advantage, with neither team scoring much.

During halftime, Gan Guoyang complained about the current atmosphere in the league, saying, "The three-point line has clearly been shortened, but the pace of the game has been slowed down so much. The league is intentionally increasing the physicality, making the offense less fluid. They are very lenient in calling static contact fouls, such as screen fouls, pushing, and shoving. But sometimes when the pace of the game picks up, they call fouls like crazy. Are they deliberately suppressing fast breaks?"

Bird said, "Fans love to watch high-intensity games. Who wants to watch two sides endlessly throwing three-pointers at each other? I don't think the shortening of the three-point line will last long."

Gan Guoyang said, "I like to play defensively, but this kind of constipated game is uncomfortable. We should play more aggressively."

Bird said, "I think so too, but offense is Rick's responsibility. You should discuss it with him more during practice. I don't care."

Rick Carlisle is the Trail Blazers' offensive coach, and Bird would have Carlisle draw up plays whenever there was a timeout to adjust the offense.

Anyway, Bird didn't want to draw, couldn't draw, and didn't want to learn. He was afraid that if he learned to draw tactics, he would regret becoming a head coach even more.

The division of labor between Carlisle and Dick Hart greatly reduced Bird's pressure and allowed him to focus his energy on what he was better at.

"Me, consult with Rick? What use are you then?"

"I play a supervisory, summarizing, and decision-making role; you should trust my intuition."

Do you have as many championships as I do?

"Sonny, can we stop bringing up the championship all the time?"

Are you as handsome as me?

"You're so handsome! Anyone with seven championships, several MVPs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in assets would look handsome."

The two were chatting and joking in the locker room office, and then they started arguing again.

Outside, Rick Carlisle and Dick Hart were setting up tactics.

There's really nothing to say about playing against the Spurs; the Spurs simply lacked fighting spirit.

Greg Anderson went 0-for-3 against Agan in the first half, getting blocked twice, and then didn't dare to take any more shots.

Elliott's performance has been hampered by injuries, and it's estimated he won't be able to continue for long before needing a break. However, the purpose of the regular season is to find chemistry and methods during games, and Carlisle is trying to convey the coaching staff's intentions to the younger players.

The three of them have been having frequent meetings lately. Carlisle believes that the team has many players with strong individual abilities, and perhaps they should play a more free and fluid offensive style.

However, Carlisle himself is still learning and exploring what this kind of attack is like, and he hopes to discuss these issues with the players.

Unlike Bird's carefree and natural demeanor, Carlisle was much more serious. Most of the time, he was very formal and paid great attention to his image and words.

Personality is one factor, but another reason is that Carlisle hasn't been in the coaching world for long, and he needs to maintain a good image to make it easier for him to find a job later.

Bird made it clear that he would only coach for three years, while Dick Hart was a veteran in the coaching world and didn't need to worry about his future development; the two of them were more relaxed.

Some players were listening attentively, while others were drinking water and spacing out. In fact, for many NBA players, understanding tactics is not an easy task.

Many Black players ultimately rely on instinct when playing basketball. They need coaches to constantly instruct and correct them on the training field, and then rely on muscle and nerve memory to play for a period of time on the court.

As time went on, everyone started playing haphazardly, requiring the coach to call a timeout to regroup and stabilize morale.

I couldn't understand the tactical board I was drawing; I mainly just drank some water to calm down and let my body recover its memory.

Returning to the game and continuing to find the familiar feeling from training is crucial, so training is extremely important.

Many people can't understand the drawings drawn on the spot.

Gan Guoyang agrees with Carlisle's idea. Back in 92 and 93, the Trail Blazers already had a sense of free offense.

Often, there's no need for Bielman to draw up tactical plans; the players know exactly how to pass, move, and play as soon as they get the ball on the field.

This is similar to the triangle offense. Everyone on the court works as a unit, following certain principles to move the ball and the player together, penetrating the opponent's defense to find offensive opportunities.

Once an opportunity arises, launch an attack immediately and score points.

The Trail Blazers initially relied on this fluid offensive philosophy, which combined the best of European and American basketball, to continuously create miracles and achieve victories.

Unfortunately, this "no-move-is-better-than-move" strategy requires a suitable lineup and a lot of practice. It also requires coaches and players to have plenty of patience and understanding, as well as a lot of learning, communication, and correction. It is slow to show results.

Unlike fixed routines that can be drawn on a tactical board, different teams with different configurations can run according to this approach, and if it is used appropriately, it will be very effective.

Therefore, the mainstream tactics in the basketball world are still those complex and ingenious fixed tactical routines, and there are hundreds of commonly used tactics in the league.

Carlisle and Bird discussed whether to try out his ideal fluid offense, and Bird agreed without hesitation.

He said, "Great teams in NBA history all end up on the same path. If our goal is greatness, then we have to go this way."

However, after the start of the second half, the Trail Blazers' offense remained shaky, and their turnovers increased significantly whenever they sped up.

A key issue is that the Trail Blazers' roster lacks a good playmaker.

They have excellent offensive initiators and finishers, plenty of passers and rebounders, but they lack one or two players who can effectively transition, receive passes, and quietly contribute on the fringes.

These types of players often don't have outstanding statistics; they frequently score less than double digits in a game and only have two or three assists.

With such players on the field, the offense becomes much smoother and less choppy.

In the past, the role of the Trail Blazers was played by Sabonis, who took on a lot of supporting work and was the perfect offensive and defensive lubricant.

It seems difficult for the Trail Blazers to find such a role right now, as Gan Guoyang has already taken on a considerable amount of supporting work.

Over the course of six games, he has averaged 10.5 assists per game, setting a new career high for assists.

It seems this guy is no longer satisfied with being the scoring champion, rebounding champion, and blocking champion, and is now aiming for his good friend Stockton's assist champion title.

Halfway through the third quarter, Kobe returned to the court, and the Spurs began to chip away at the Trail Blazers' lead.

Bird didn't assign Kobe any tasks, only telling him to "go up and make a contribution."

After Kobe entered the game, he finally had a scoring opportunity when he cut to the basket from the middle.

Gan Guoyang made a high pass to Kobe, who protected the ball and drove to the basket for a layup.

Kobe was fouled by Greg Anderson, and the referee blew the whistle, giving him two free throw opportunities.

Kobe never expected that his first point in the NBA would not be a dunk, but a free throw.

He made both free throws, and the fans in the arena cheered and applauded Kobe's first score.

After scoring, Kobe wanted to give Forrest a high-five, but Gan Guoyang ignored him and instead gestured for him to get back on defense quickly.

Kobe immediately focused on Wilkins, and compared to the first half, he was smarter and no longer relentlessly harassed him.

But Wilkins is a veteran in the league, experienced and much stronger than Kobe. Once he starts dominating, Kobe can't keep up.

Fortunately, Gan Guoyang started to step up in the second half, blocking Wilkins' dunks twice under the basket, which boosted the morale of the entire Trail Blazers team.

They withstood the Spurs' comeback attempt, while Van Exel and Riddell scored on consecutive fast breaks, allowing the Trail Blazers to build a significant lead in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs, who were aiming for Tim Duncan, had lost all will to fight in the second half of the game. They should have just gone through the motions in the beginning and not overdone it.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs failed to mount a significant comeback and finished the game steadily.

开拓者无惊无险的以98：88，10分的优势主场击败马刺，将自己的战绩改写为4胜3负。

Kobe played 12 minutes, scoring 2 points and grabbing 2 rebounds, which is his statistical contribution to the team.

He tried to put on some impressive plays, but aside from a fast break that almost resulted in an own goal, he didn't leave a lasting impression.

So after the game, Kobe looked very disappointed. When he tried to refuse interviews, Gan Guoyang insisted that he must give an interview.

"Answer whatever you're asked; avoidance isn't the solution. Also, in the NBA, don't reject the media; it doesn't do you any good."

Kobe was a little angry and asked, "Why didn't you give me a high-five when I made the free throw?"

It seems he was still upset that he didn't receive encouragement from Gan Guoyang for his first point in his career.

Gan Guoyang said, "What's with the high-five? It's just two points. What do you want me to say? Buy you a cake and light some candles to celebrate?"

Kobe remained silent, while Gan Guoyang continued, "I also heard that you promised to have a great debut, and what happened? Was it great? Next time you're going to brag, you should really think about your own capabilities."

"No one ever thinks I'm bragging, because I always keep my word. A promise that can't be kept is worth less than toilet paper."

Kobe had the urge to cry, but he held back and obediently went out to give the interview.

Jermaine O'Neal, standing to the side, was a little confused. He remembered that Forrest Gump had come over to congratulate him when he scored his first point.

Why was he so harsh on Kobe? Forrest Gump clearly valued Kobe a lot, so was he disappointed in him?
Kobe composed himself and answered reporters' questions, some of which made him feel awkward.

However, he felt much better after giving an honest answer.

As for Forrest Gump's rather cold attitude towards him, Kobe believed it was because he had performed too poorly.

Indeed, Jermaine O'Neal scored the first point with a dunk, but what should have been an assist from Forrest Gump turned into a free throw.

Kobe is determined to play better in the next game.

On the way back after the game, Quentin asked Forrest why he was so harsh on Kobe.

Quentin overheard their conversation at the locker room door; he rarely saw Gan Guoyang being so strict.

Gan Guoyang said, "Because so many people are paying attention to him, if I am too lenient and protective of him, everyone will see him as a thorn in their side. The veterans will think, is this kid carrying too many halos? Did we come to the Trail Blazers to help develop Kobe's growth? Then some people will dislike him and target him, because no one is born wanting to be a supporting role or an extra."

Quentin said, "So, you're actually protecting him."

Gan Guoyang said, "I guess so. But he did waste one of my assists, otherwise I would have had 15 assists and could have surpassed John!"

Quentin: "..."

Gan Guoyang rarely obsesses over data unless he is determined to compete with a good friend or rival.

There were two previous instances: once he competed with Jordan for the scoring title, and once he competed with Rodman for the rebounding title.

This season he wants to snatch the assist title from his old friend Stockton, after all, John has won it for nine consecutive seasons.
-

After defeating the Spurs, the Trail Blazers face a small challenge: they need to continue their winning streak.

Perfect timing, the Trail Blazers have been playing their last three games in Portland, so they can have a good rest.

Two weeks into the season, the team is operating normally, with training and matches proceeding in an orderly manner.

There are currently no injuries within the Trail Blazers organization, and the locker room atmosphere is positive.

Two major problems urgently need to be addressed: the defense is still not fully developed, and there are still too many mistakes on the offensive end.

To address these two issues, Bird improved the training program, adding more tactical drills while maintaining high-intensity physical training.

On November 11th, the team continued their training session at 7:30 am. Around 9 am, Bird started jogging slowly on the sidelines.

The head coach is warming up.

"Hey Larry, what are you up to? Planning to give yourself a short-term contract? We're not short-staffed right now!"

Gan Guoyang could tell that Bird couldn't resist personally participating in training and guiding the players.

Bird ignored him, ran a few laps, took off his sports jacket, and walked onto the court.

"You bunch of bastards don't know what it means to play basketball with your brains, or what real offense is. Give me the fucking ball, and I'll teach you how to execute a smooth offense and how to pass the ball!"

The players started to boo and jeer.

Bird is over 40 years old this year, has been retired for many years, and has many injuries.

With his old arms and legs, if he were to get injured, the Trail Blazers' head coach would have to miss the game.

With the season just two weeks in, the rookie's own-goal fast break and the head coach sidelined with an injury mean the Trail Blazers shouldn't become the laughingstock of the league.

"Don't fucking worry about me getting injured, worry about whether your defense will have any problems first!"

Bird divided the players into offensive and defensive groups, and he himself joined the offensive group to participate in half-court offense.

The players from the two groups will alternate, and different lineups will be combined to practice and refine tactics.

Bird is indeed Bird. Although he has been retired for many years and is covered in injuries, his offensive sense is still excellent.

Even when he can't run and jump quickly, his shooting and passing remain very threatening.

His passing, in particular, is more inspired and creative than Gan Guoyang's.

Some passes don't lead to assists, but they can turn lead into gold, giving you an instant flash of inspiration.

This is also where Gan Guoyang feels inferior; in terms of passing talent, he is indeed a bit less than Bird.

Gan Guoyang's passing and playmaking skills are the result of hard work and practice. They are the result of extensive learning, thinking, and utilizing his strong defensive presence.

During his first three-peat, his playmaking and passing abilities were not developed, and he often assisted two or three opponents.

Later on, his assists relied heavily on tactical patterns; once the opportunity arose, I was sure I could provide it.

Bird, a genius passer, was the type who could create an opportunity out of nothing by simply passing the ball.

In this respect, only Magic Johnson can compare, and if we only consider the creativity of some passes, Bird even surpasses Johnson.

With five balls per group, Bird led his offensive unit to quickly eliminate several groups, making the head coach the center of attention.

It was finally Gan Guoyang's turn to join the defensive group. He was eager to give the head coach a boost!
As a result, Bird ran to the sidelines, picked up his whistle, and blew it, thus ending the training session!
"Hey Larry, I haven't practiced yet! I haven't practiced yet!"

"You don't need to practice, I'm not going to fight you, I'm tired."

Bird didn't give Gan Guoyang another explanation, picked up his coat and put it on, then stopped fighting.

On the one hand, I am indeed a bit tired, and continuing to play could really lead to injury.

And it really worked! Training with everyone and getting personal guidance made all the difference.

On the other hand, needless to say, if Forrest Gump wants to increase the intensity of his training, anyone who doesn't avoid it is out of their mind!

(End of this chapter)