The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 786 Warden

(Originally, I was going to write this section about Iverson all at once, as I don't like dragging out too many chapters for a single game. However, I've been experiencing nerve pain near my right ear these past two days, which is severely affecting my writing. It hurts every few strokes I take. The painkillers aren't very effective, and I have to use an ice pack every now and then to feel a little better, but I can't write when I have an ice pack on, so my progress has been slowed down. Please forgive me.)
Iverson was telling the truth when he spoke to Gan Guoyang; he genuinely disliked Gan Guoyang.

No one can be liked by everyone, and Gan Guoyang is no exception.

The more a person is loved, the more criticism and slander they will receive.

Especially in the field of competitive sports, every winner stands on the feet of countless losers.

Behind every scene of victory and laughter, there are bound to be some people who weep bitterly and suffer sleepless nights because of defeat.

These failures and tears will transform into spears of hatred and resentment, aimed at the victors who stand high above.

Gan Guoyang has won too many championships and won too many titles over the years. In addition, his Chinese identity has led to a considerable number of people opposing him.

It's not 1982 now, it's 1984. Back then, everyone loved this fledgling, mysterious Chinese kid. He was like a miracle illuminating the basketball world.

It is now 1997, and the title of "Miracle Boy" has been bestowed upon Allen Iverson. For many fans, he also has a mysterious aura, and his skin color and experience can resonate with more black teenagers.

Born in Hampton, Virginia, Allen Iverson was a Michael Jordan fan from a young age. Many street kids idolized Jordan and longed to play like the "Air Jordan" someday.

Since they idolize Jordan, they naturally see Forrest Gump as a thorn in their side.

Forrest Gump has always been a fantasy rival for Black teenagers like Allen Iverson.

They long to one day stand on the basketball court and end Forrest Gump's basketball legend, preferably in the NBA Finals.

Iverson didn't want to wait that long; he wanted to give Forrest a taste of his own medicine during the regular season.

Just last game, Iverson scored a spectacular basket in front of his idol, Jordan, and also scored 37 points.

This caused Iverson's confidence to swell to an extreme, so he decided to issue a challenge to his imagined opponent, the former king of the NBA.

Before the game, Iverson discussed this with the team's veterans. After hearing Iverson's idea, Derrick Coleman shook his head repeatedly and said, "You must be crazy, Allen. You must be crazy. I advise you not to do this. Please don't."

The team's oldest player is Michael Cage, who previously played for the Seattle SuperSonics and was a key player in the SuperSonics vs. Trail Blazers series.

Standing at 6 feet 9 inches, he often plays center, and Cage knows all too well what it's like to go up against Forrest Gump.

Hearing Iverson's audacious declaration of war against Forrest Gump, he repeatedly tried to dissuade him: "Allen, we know you're amazing, you're a genius, even Michael sometimes couldn't stop you. But you have to understand, Michael is just a god of war on earth, while Sonny is a devil from hell, he's a real devil. This isn't literary rhetoric, it's a fact, he really is a devil, he will destroy you and leave you with terrible trauma."

"Sonny will seize every psychological and technical weakness in you, tear it open, and pour pepper spray into it. When you encounter Forrest Gump, stay away from him and just compete normally. Allen, he's not invincible. Haven't you read Forrest Gump's Law? Stay calm and just do your best."

Cage patiently and earnestly persuaded him.

He is nearing the end of his career. With the 76ers, he is the kind of locker room leader who plays for about ten minutes each game. His main role is to impart experience and stabilize the team's morale.

But young people never listen to the advice of veterans.

Iverson not only told his teammates that he was going to challenge Forrest Gump, but he also made a bet with his friends that he would score at least 10 points against Forrest Gump tonight.

Allen Iverson has many friends who grew up with him. Before Iverson became famous, they swore an oath that whoever becomes famous and wealthy in the sports or rap field must never forget their friends from their humble beginnings and share their riches.

These friends, like Iverson, all liked Michael Jordan, disliked Forrest Gump, and supported Iverson teaching the seven-time champion a lesson in the game.

Iverson didn't think too much about it. He ignored the veteran's words, thinking, "What's the big deal? At worst, he'll just say a few trash words."

Even if things go terribly, like getting a couple of blocks, getting some flak, or having a bad night and being mocked by Forrest Gump, it's all the same.

In the last game against Jordan, Iverson withstood Jordan's big mouth, so he didn't believe Forrest Gump could pull off anything.

These veterans are getting less and less cowardly as they play. Look at Derek Coleman, who was also a number one draft pick like them, what has he become now?
The Nets dumped him; he's only 29 years old, his weight is starting to increase uncontrollably, and his performance is declining uncontrollably.

He can score a dozen points per game thanks to his talent, but his role on the court, especially on the defensive end, is really poor.

As for Cage, he's 35 years old and about to retire, and he hasn't really achieved anything significant. He's just relying on his seniority with the 76ers.

In Iverson's view, they were all intimidated by Forrest Gump because they were not strong enough, or they were boasting about the king who had overpowered them in order to cover up their incompetence.

Allen Iverson is a rebellious person, a common characteristic of young people his age. So before the game started, he didn't hesitate to challenge Gan Guoyang.

But when Gan Guoyang casually said, "I smell the aroma of bread," dark fragments buried deep in Iverson's memory flashed through his brain like a flash, sending shivers down his spine.

For a moment, he was unable to move, felt short of breath, and was disoriented, unsure of where he was.

If Shaquille O'Neal knew how Allen Iverson felt, he would definitely jump out and shout, "I felt the same way! I've been there, I understand you!"

Of course, this moment was very brief, and Iverson quickly recovered and focused on the game, and no one else noticed anything unusual.

Iverson turned his gaze to Gan Guoyang, who was standing in the center circle preparing for the jump ball. His eyes were fixed on something else, neither looking at the ball in the referee's hand nor at Scott Williams, who was jumping for the ball with him.

He seemed to be in a daze, or perhaps he was staring at himself—staring at Allen Iverson.

Like a beast eyeing its prey in the grass.

Iverson had heard that Forrest Gump didn't use his eyes when playing defense.

In other words, you cannot judge his defensive footwork and next move by observing his eyes.

He seems to be looking at nothing, yet he also seems to be looking at everything, which puts immense psychological pressure on his opponent.

The game began, and the referee tossed the ball into the air. Gan Guoyang was the first to touch the ball, and the Trail Blazers launched their first attack.

Gan Guoyang came out to set a screen for his teammates. With two simple screens, the Trail Blazers got a scoring opportunity. Liddell received the ball, cut to the basket, and made a layup.

A common characteristic of weak teams with poor records in the NBA is their poor defense, and the 76ers are no exception.

In terms of offensive talent, they are not bad. In addition to Allen Iverson, they also have number one draft pick Derrick Coleman, North Carolina star Jerry Stackhouse, and Clarence Witherspoon, all of whom are very talented offensive players.

However, they lacked strong defense and discipline, and played individually, focusing their energy on offense, shooting, and scoring, rather than putting too much effort into defense.

After losing the first two points, the 76ers immediately turned their offense around. Allen Iverson dribbled the ball across half-court, looking very small in the NBA court where giants abound.

Facing a strong inside player like Gan Guoyang, he seemed like he would be easily overwhelmed, but he didn't; he persevered and survived.

The player who was primarily responsible for guarding Iverson was Van Exel, who was also short and thin. Van Exel appeared much taller when he was matched up against Iverson.

At the start of the game, Iverson didn't rush into an attack. He tried to organize the offense, coordinate with his teammates, and slowly find his rhythm. Besides Forrest Gump's words before the game, another reason for Iverson's caution was that he came from Georgetown, which was also one of the reasons he hated Forrest Gump.

Georgetown is known for producing excellent centers, but without exception, these giants have been suppressed and even ridiculed by Agan, from Ewing to Mutombo to Mourning.

Furthermore, Agan has always scoffed at Thompson's methods of developing players, stating on more than one public occasion that Thompson was only producing soulless zombies.

In fact, Iverson quite agreed with this point deep down. After spending two years at Georgetown, Thompson hoped that he would continue studying until his senior year.

Because players like Ewing, Mutombo, and Mourning all completed four years of college before leaving for the NBA, Thompson believed Iverson should be no exception and should complete his Georgetown education.

But Iverson didn't want to wait any longer. Many people were waiting for him to enter the league and make money. Those high school students had already started signing multi-million dollar contracts. He had already studied for two years. What reason did he have to wait any longer?
As for Georgetown's traditions? Screw traditions.

So, Iverson ignored Thompson's advice and insisted on participating in the NBA draft.

Although he left Georgetown, Georgetown and Thompson left a deep mark on him.

He is strong, stubborn, serious and dedicated to the game, full of passion, and also thoughtful and observant.

After several rounds, the Trail Blazers' defense proved to be just as predicted in the pre-game meeting: solid inside but weak outside.

You can move freely near the three-point line, but once you get close to the three-second zone, you will be met with strong resistance.

Agan roamed around the paint like a ghost, not blocking shots, but anticipating the 76ers players' intentions with his movement.

Iverson observed this and patiently waited for his opportunity. He dribbled the ball under the basket several times, but ultimately did not shoot, instead choosing to pass to a teammate.

Coleman and Witherspoon's hands seemed frozen in a refrigerator; they couldn't make mid-range or three-point shots, and they seemed hesitant to drive inside.

The Trail Blazers launched a sharp counterattack and quickly took the lead, 6-2, with the Trail Blazers in control.

Coleman attempted to receive the ball on the wing, turn, and drive, but under PJ Brown's defense, his bank shot didn't even touch the rim.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and passed it to Van Exel to launch a counterattack. Van Exel then made a long pass across half-court to Riddell.

Unexpectedly, Iverson leaped high and intercepted the ball in the middle. Van Exel clearly underestimated Iverson's jumping ability and wingspan.

After successfully intercepting the ball, the 76ers switched from defense to offense, the Trail Blazers' formation became unstable, and Iverson knew that his opportunity had come.

He quickly dribbled to the vicinity of the three-point line, and facing AC Green who was guarding him, he made a very fast change of direction, easily getting past Green!
Before Green could even react, Iverson had already charged into the three-second zone from the front. Just as Iverson was about to make his next move, a shadow loomed over him.

It was Gan Guoyang. He moved in from the side and then knocked the ball out of Iverson's hands.

AC Green turned and controlled the ball, passing it to Gan Guoyang, while Iverson attempted to intercept.

As a result, Gan Guoyang took control of the ball, performed a behind-the-back dribble and a crossover dribble in front of Iverson, and then used his strong body to shake off Iverson's entanglement.

“Shit…” Iverson couldn’t help but curse, thinking it was truly a ghost.

Why did Forrest Gump tip the ball away from me when I was making a breakthrough? Where did he come from?

As a small point guard, Iverson had excellent ball-handling skills and strong ball protection abilities.

He has a low center of gravity and is fast. It is extremely difficult for a small guard of the same level to intercept the ball from him, let alone a center forward.
But Forrest Gump did it, which made Iverson even more wary; he had a very bad feeling about it.

Subsequently, Gan Guoyang scored two points with a simple pick-and-roll followed by a mid-range jump shot from the corner, making the score 8-2.

Iverson refused to believe it and didn't call a timeout. After conceding a point, he continued dribbling and sprinting towards the frontcourt, while Gan Guoyang had already retreated to the basket to defend.

Iverson made another beautiful crossover dribble past Van Exel on the right, and then drove forward with the ball, only to be met by Agan again.

With the defensive distance just right, Iverson realized that neither his layup nor his pass seemed to be very effective. Should he just drive along the baseline again?
Iverson decided to accelerate, cross the baseline, and then drive for a reverse layup!

As a result, Gan Guoyang seemed to have anticipated his move and stepped forward to block and interfere.

Although he didn't block the shot, he disrupted Iverson's layup attempt, which missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound.

A long pass to the frontcourt, Riddell used his speed to drive, but missed the layup. However, AC Green followed up and scored on the putback, making it 10-2.

The 76ers' head coach called a timeout. Iverson was puzzled by the two failed offensive plays he had just made. Gan Guoyang walked by and asked, "Allen, you still haven't answered my question. Can you smell the aroma of bread?"

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, stop spouting nonsense, Forrest Gump.” Iverson shook his head, refusing to answer.

Gan Guoyang smiled, said nothing more, and returned to the away team's bench.

Iverson seemed a bit distracted, not because of the offensive struggles, but because of his desire for a win.

Others might not understand what this means.
Only Iverson knew the truth, because he had spent four months incarcerated on a farm in Newport News, where his main labor camp work was baking bread in a bakery.

In 1993, Allen Iverson almost ruined his career because of a bowling alley brawl.

He was accused of injuring an innocent woman's face and throwing a chair at the crowd during a brawl.

After his arrest, Iverson was tried and convicted. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended for 10 years, and required to spend 5 years in reformatory work on a farm, under the strangely old charge of “anti-abuse.”

The original intent of this crime was to prevent white plantation owners from mistreating their enslaved people, but in 1993 it was used to sentence a black man who assaulted another to continue working on a plantation.

The verdict caused great controversy, and many people rallied for Iverson. Iverson himself wrote to the governor and judges from prison, hoping for a retrial.

Before his retrial, Iverson spent four months in hard labor on a farm, baking bread every day and then being disciplined by Warden Billy Payne.

In life, Iverson was unruly, but in prison he was very obedient. He was submissive to Billy Payne and dared not disobey in any way. Even when Payne scolded him to his face as a black man, he just nodded in agreement.

Because Iverson knew that when you're in prison, resistance will only lead to greater misfortune. He had to endure it, keep writing letters to clear his name, so that he wouldn't be ruined and could continue his basketball or football star career.

This is a part of Iverson's history that he is most reluctant to mention. He never talks to outsiders about his experiences in prison or his obedient and docile nature.

Because it is a stain on his personal dignity, a wound in his pride, something he wants to forget and bury.

He couldn't understand how Forrest Gump knew he was baking bread on a farm, and what else did he know? Was this guy an FBI agent?
Did he investigate my background before the competition in order to put me down?
Back on the bench, Iverson didn't listen to a word of the coach's instructions; his mind was filled with random thoughts.

He suddenly felt a tickle in his nose, as if he could really smell the aroma of bread, Warden Gan.

(End of this chapter)