The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 795 Gone or Die
Kobe made the most important shot of his NBA career.

A seemingly ordinary catch-and-shoot mid-range jumper led to a crucial victory.

The Trail Blazers avoided the embarrassment of being swept by the Jazz this season, solidifying their second-place ranking in the Western Conference.

Back in the locker room, Kobe couldn't contain his excitement, cheering loudly and muttering to himself.

"I did it! I made it! This is a major step in my journey! It's the beginning of my dominance in the league!"

This kid's stopped pretending; he's obsessed with ruling the alliance.

At only 18 years old, he was still emotionally like a child, sometimes calm and sometimes fiery, sometimes pretentious and sometimes genuinely emotional.

Bird reminded Kobe, "Think about what you'll say in the interview later, don't say anything careless. I'll treat you to ice cream tonight, kid."

In Bird's eyes, Kobe was just a kid. At 18, Bird had just started college and was struggling with college life, so he had to drop out.

Kobe has made a lot of mistakes in his games so far, some of them ridiculous, and he's not very popular with the team.

But in some games he shone brightly and was not overshadowed by being next to Forrest Gump.

Aside from the game-winning shot, Gan Guoyang's scoring streak before entering the game was equally impressive; if no one had stepped up then, the Trail Blazers would have been finished.

Gan Guoyang put up an amazing performance in this game, but the real star after the game was undoubtedly Kobe.

People have become so used to Forrest Gump's outstanding performances that it will only make headlines if he fails to score in double digits or misses several shots.

So Bird took Kobe to the post-game press conference to answer reporters' questions.

Kobe was very composed in front of reporters; he possessed a superstar quality, as if he were born for the big stage.

There are also people like this in life. In private, they are out of place with those around them, making them seem a bit pretentious and not very sociable.

However, when it comes to large-scale events or situations that require them to be in the public eye, they really step up and make people feel that no one else can do it.

So far, regardless of how well he plays or whether the team wins or loses, Kobe has always been relaxed and never nervous when facing the media.

This does not mean that he is flawless in front of the media. On the contrary, he never hides anything and is not at all nervous or uncomfortable in front of the camera, or says anything against his conscience.

He'll sulk and roll his eyes when asked a bad question, but he'll talk endlessly about topics that interest him, as if he were chatting with a stranger.

As for the cameras and his words being seen and heard by the public, and being interpreted in various ways, Kobe didn't care at all; he didn't think about these issues.

At the press conference, a reporter asked Kobe a question: "Before Forrest passed the ball, you were standing there with your arms outstretched, ready to go. Were you sure Forrest would pass the ball to you?"

Kobe shrugged and said, "I can't be sure. Sometimes Forrest Gump will shoot even when he's facing two or three defenders, and he can make the shot. But he might also pass the ball to me, so I have to be ready."

"What if he didn't send it?"

"If he hadn't passed the ball and had shot, I would have gone in to box out for the rebound. You have to learn to fight for things yourself."

Kobe's tone was very mature, and Bird, who was standing next to him, laughed.

After the press conference, on the way back to the bus, Bird said, "Actually, you should say that I firmly believed Forrest would pass the ball to me. That's the least controversial statement."

Kobe said, "Why would I lie? My honest thought is that I'm not sure. Forrest Gump told me that double-teaming is a good opportunity, triple-teaming doesn't mean he can't shoot, and even four people surrounding him can make the shot."

Bird laughed and said, "He was just kidding. He said you always liked to play by yourself in high school and didn't pass the ball to your teammates."

"That's because my teammates are terrible!"

"Aren't you guys bad now? Sometimes I even want to take over."

Bird sighed. They won tonight, but Forrest Gump couldn't score 60 points every game.

The Trail Blazers' second-place position in the Western Conference is entirely due to Forrest Gump's individual abilities.

The others couldn't even see Forrest Gump's back, let alone keep up with him.

Moreover, as the season progressed, the team's sense of fatigue intensified, and their performance became inconsistent.

Apart from a few players like Forrest Gump, PJ Brown, and Porter, the rest of the team lacked the experience to make a final push before the playoffs and then surge to the top once they entered the playoffs.

The team had been hoping that Porter could regain his form during the season, but after the All-Star break, Porter's performance was only so-so, barely managing to complete his tasks.

The former helmsman of the pioneers found it difficult to muster the spirit to follow the old captain and charge toward the rising sun.

PJ Brown is in the final year of his contract, and since the All-Star break, he has been negotiating with the Trail Blazers' management, hoping to extend his contract early.

However, after acquiring Jermaine O'Neal, the Trail Blazers have maintained an ambiguous attitude towards re-signing PJ Brown, and they are observing the situation.

Recently, Ben Wallace has made some achievements, and AC Green can also contribute at the power forward position.

More importantly, the management has been in contact with Sabonis in Europe, hoping that he can return to the NBA next season.

The Trail Blazers will try to use some special exceptions to re-sign Sabonis; the Lithuanian is Forrest Gump's best partner.

This series of reasons has made PJ Brown's contract extension seem far off, and the Trail Blazers are very likely to let him go this summer.

This made Brown less positive on the court. Although Gan Guoyang had a good relationship with PJ, he respected the management's decision on the contract issue and also understood PJ's feelings.

No player should be obligated to make financial sacrifices for the team's championship glory, and the team leader should not use the team to coerce teammates into giving up lucrative contracts to stay with the team and maintain competitiveness.

For superstars, losing a million dollars from their contracts isn't a big deal; their off-field income and the bonuses from championships can make up for it many times over.

Role players are different; every penny counts, especially since taxes are very high in the United States. Many seemingly huge contracts are reduced to about half after taxes, agent fees, and pension payments.

If your contract is less than a few hundred thousand or a million, after all the taxes and fees are deducted, you'll get even less.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang has always encouraged his teammates to strive for bigger contracts. If other teams want to poach them, he always supports them to "go where the money is."

Players like Anthony Mason and Cliff Robinson signed big contracts in Miami. Although they missed out on a few championships, they still earned valuable rings and, more importantly, dollars with the Heat.

Even now, Mason and Robinson maintain close contact with Forrest Gump and regard him as their leader, after all, they really succeeded in everything by following Forrest Gump.

PJ is in the same situation. He has won the championship, and now what he needs most is a long enough and big enough contract.

Bird's concerns were valid, as the Trail Blazers faced the Jazz again at home just three days after Kobe's game-winning shot.

This is the last regular season matchup between the two teams, and the Jazz have made more thorough preparations.

Stockton, Malone, and Hornacek, a formidable trio, used fluid team offense to firmly suppress the Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang can't score 60 points every game against the Jazz, while Kobe highlighted the inconsistency of a young player: 1-for-6 shooting throughout the game.

Last time, when Kobe Bryant hit the game-winner, Gan Guoyang even picked him up to celebrate. But this time, I just want to beat this guy who keeps shooting recklessly to death.

105：101，开拓者在主场4分的劣势败给了爵士，常规赛和爵士4战1胜3负，妥妥的劣势。

After the press conference, back in the locker room, Bird and Gan Guoyang chatted in the tactics office.

"This is the NBA, like an unpredictable bitch. Yesterday she's all lovey-dovey and saying she'll love you forever, the next day she's all sullen and saying dream on, I'm dumping you! But a few days later, she'll be all smiles and sweet-talking you, getting you hooked again. Shit, I'm back in this place, living with this bitch, I must be fucking crazy."

Bird grumbled as he shoved coffee into his mouth.

Whenever he lost a game or felt unhappy, Bird would complain about why he had to come back to work in the NBA.

Gan Guoyang was slightly better; he said, "I shouldn't have played basketball."

Bird nearly spat out his coffee, saying, "Fuck, what are you talking about?"

"If I hadn't played basketball, I wouldn't be dead, and if I hadn't died, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be here..." "Stop it, okay, okay, I'm not complaining about my coaching anymore. Let's talk about Kobe, what do you think of that kid?"

"A promising talent, but he's too young. Larry, are you really not considering a comeback? You should just come back, we'll give you a short-term contract, and you can play."

"Come on, don't joke around, I can't handle this. I think you should talk to PJ, or have the management renew his contract to stabilize morale. This isn't a solution."

Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "PJ deserves a big contract. I can't stand in the way of his financial future. If I could, I would even like him to get a big contract. I guess that bitch Riley has her eye on him. That guy is keen on collecting former Trail Blazers players."

"Portland is indeed the West Point of the NBA. You are a good principal who takes good care of your students, nurtures them very well, and thinks about them a lot."

"Those who betray me can get championships and big contracts, let alone those who are loyal to me. When problems arise, we have to find solutions ourselves and not always let others sacrifice. Besides, I have the biggest contract in the history of the league, so I can't expect my teammates to work hard without getting paid, right? Forget it, Larry, increase my playing time. I still have the capacity."

After saying that, Gan Guoyang left the office and went to the ice water bath for physiotherapy.

Bird finished his coffee, thought for a moment, and then made himself another cup.
-
1997年美国时间2月18号，北京时间2月19号，总设计师去世。

At that moment, Gan Guoyang was en route to Miami when his bodyguard Quentin learned of the news via radio and came to inform him.

"You really are Quentin, the messenger of death. From now on, you can quit being a bodyguard and work at a funeral home, making you answer and make phone calls every day."

Subsequently, Gan Guoyang called the Overseas Chinese Endeavor Foundation to arrange a memorial service, which was attended by Gan Guohui on his behalf.

Another era has come to an end in China, and with the change of leadership, a new era will begin.

On the evening of the 18th, the Trail Blazers faced the Miami Heat on the road, a highly anticipated game.

The rivalry between Miami's Big Four and Forrest Gump could fill three seasons of a TV series.

Starting from the NCAA, the series featured fierce battles against the University of Houston and Olaf in the finals.

He was in the same training camp as Barkley for the Olympics.

Then in the 1984 draft, they all entered the league together, becoming teammates and rivals in the 80s.

Midway through, Drexler "betrayed" the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, joining Pat Riley, who was determined to seek revenge.

Riley painstakingly built his team over many years, poaching players from the Trail Blazers and gradually assembling it, eventually acquiring Hakeem Olajuwon and coming incredibly close to avenging his previous defeat.

As a result, he was dramatically defeated in 1993, and his ambitions were not fulfilled. Fortunately, he won the championship in 1995, but there was still regret.

With Forrest Gump's return and Charles Barkley's move to Miami, the third wave of the Avengers was formed, aiming for the championship and seeking revenge once again.

Under Riley's management, the Heat's roster was considered luxurious for many years, but they only won one championship trophy in the end.

Last summer, the Heat underwent a major overhaul, acquiring Charles Barkley and assembling a near-unbeatable lineup of four superstars.

However, NBA history has repeatedly proven that the success rate of accumulating superstars in basketball is not as high as one might imagine.

From the Lakers' Big Three of Chamberlain West and Baylor, to the Philadelphia 76ers' luxurious caravan, and then to the Celtics' five-star lineup, they often only managed to win championships by a narrow margin.

Dynasty teams are often built through the draft, and a roster of stars assembled later in life can often only maintain its fighting power for one or two seasons, and once it wins a championship, it faces collapse.

The Heat not only face internal divisions, but also injuries and declining performance due to the aging of their core players.

Charles Barkley started the season in great form, and together with Olajuwon, Drexler, and Tim Hardaway, they swept the league, even the Bulls were no match for them.

But by the middle of the season, Barkley started getting injured, and Olajuwon and Drexler were not in their best form. Olajuwon had taken a second wife, and Drexler was in the twilight of his career and had lost the motivation to compete for a championship.

At this point, the Heat's true core player became the young Tim Hardaway, and Riley, who naturally preferred the point guard position with the ball, was also a key player.

From Magic Johnson to John Starks, and then to Tim Hardaway, Riley liked to give the point guard enough freedom to solve problems on offense.

Hardaway put up All-Star caliber numbers and controlled a lot of the ball. At this point, conflicts began to arise between him and Hakeem Olajuwon, the original core player.

This is no longer an internal problem for the Heat, but an open struggle known to the entire league. The conflict between Hardaway and Olajuwon is just the surface; the real, deeper conflict is with Riley.

Hakeem Olajuwon became increasingly intolerant of Riley's excessive interference in the team and his lack of respect for him personally.

Da Meng is a Muslim, and he has many religious restrictions in his lifestyle. For example, he observes Ramadan and does not eat during the day, which undoubtedly affects his training and competition performance.

A few years ago, Riley was able to support Hakeem Olajuwon's traditions, but in the last two years, as Olajuwon refused to renew his contract, Riley's criticisms and dissatisfaction with Olajuwon have increased.

He even criticized Hakeem Olajuwon: "If you want to maintain religious purity, why find a wife so much younger than you and affect your state of mind?"

This greatly displeased Hakeem Olajuwon, since marriage is his private matter, and even if it affects his performance, it is his own business. Besides, it is normal for his performance to decline in his 30s.

Hakeem Olajuwon still delivered All-Star caliber performances for most of the season, though he wasn't quite on par with legends like Forrest Gump or Michael Jordan. He felt Olajuwon deserved a big contract.

In 1997, with Barkley injured, Olajuwon's dissatisfaction grew, the Heat's record became unstable, and they gradually fell behind the Bulls.

After the All-Star break, the Bulls have pulled far ahead, while the Heat have fallen to third in the East and will have to compete with the Hawks for home-court advantage.

In this highly anticipated game between the Heat and the Trail Blazers, both Barkley and Olajuwon are sidelined, one due to injury and the other due to stomach upset.

Barkley has missed more than 20 games this season, including the All-Star Game, and he is still sitting on the sidelines, lost in thought.

Before the game, Gan Guoyang hugged him. When the trade was completed in the summer, Barkley called Gan Guoyang and the two agreed to meet in the Finals.

Barkley remains confident of reaching the Finals. Despite the team's various problems, everyone is focused on winning in the playoffs and believes they have a chance against the Bulls.

However, Barkley still wanted to leave himself a way out. He whispered to Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, if all else fails, save me a spot in Portland."

Barkley used to say things like that as a joke; he was proud and didn't want to rely on Forrest Gump.

It's hard to say now. Although he's only 33, his poor body management and diet control have caused him to lose his form very quickly.

After this injury, Barkley clearly felt that his peak was rapidly slipping away from him, and there was no way to pull it back.

If he doesn't hurry, he might never win a championship in his entire career.

The Trail Blazers also had a player absent; Riddell was suspended for one game by Bird for being late to practice.

This kid gritted his teeth and persevered for most of the season, but he still slacked off at the end of the season.

Since his suspension for fighting with Kobe, he was once again sidelined for this game, and Kobe replaced him.

Kobe got a starting opportunity, which made him feel triumphant again, and he was thinking about dunking on Drexler tonight.

Before the race, he looked at Drexler with a provocative gaze, staring intently at the glider as if trying to see a hole through him.

After experiencing all the ups and downs over the years, Drexler no longer has much of a pursuit of winning or losing in basketball; he plays the game more for enjoyment.

Seeing Kobe's competitive gaze, Drexler, speaking from experience, said to Kobe, "Good evening, Bryant, yet another Forrest Gump toy."

Kobe glared at Drexler and said, "I don't understand what you're saying."

Drexler chuckled and said, "You're another right-hand man that Forrest Gump has groomed, aren't you? That game-winning shot against Jazz was beautiful. You've forgotten, I used to be one too."

Kobe scoffed, "But you deserted, you traitor."

Drexler's smile remained unchanged as he said, "You're too naive, young man. Forrest Gump's second-in-command only has two fates: go one or die. That's destiny."

Kobe remained dismissive, saying, "I don't believe in fate. Get ready to get one of my dunks on, you traitor."

Drexler stopped smiling, not because of Kobe's words, but because Forrest Gump was walking over, and he couldn't keep smiling, or he would be targeted.

(End of this chapter)