The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 814 Deep Sea
December 2nd, evening, Boston Fleet Center, game day.

After a dismal 1996-1997 season, the Celtics now have a sense of relief and excitement, with home fans arriving early to await the start of the game.

It's worth noting that last season, the Celtics not only had the worst regular season record in history with 15 wins and 67 losses, but also the lowest attendance and worst ticket revenue.

The Celtics' worst record before was 29 wins and 53 losses in the 1978-1979 season.

With the arrival of Larry Bird in 1979, the Celtics were revitalized, winning 61 games and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, before winning the championship the following year.

Twenty years later, the same miracle happened again in Boston.

When the Celtics secured the number one draft pick in May, confirming Tim Duncan's arrival, season tickets for the new regular season sold out instantly, and individual tickets doubled in price, making them extremely difficult to purchase.

In the season opener, the Celtics will host the defending champion Chicago Bulls.

Tim Duncan's performance of 15 points, 22 rebounds, and 2 blocks helped the Celtics defeat the defending champions and secure a winning start.

This victory caused a sensation, and Tim Duncan's performance became a hot topic in the league.

Wearing the number 21 jersey, he became the new savior of the Boston basketball market, and Bill Sharman specially gave his retired number 21 to Duncan.

Although people often say that football fans don't understand football, even those who don't understand football can tell at a glance that a truly great player is "awesome".

Just like the best works of art, which often have no threshold for appreciation, even people without aesthetic education can immediately sense that "this thing is good".

Duncan is such a great player, just like Forrest Gump, Jordan, Bird, and others. When they step onto the court, they have a huge positive impact on the team, and you can quickly feel that he is different from other players.

Although everyone standing on the court in the NBA is a genius, only the geniuses among geniuses can stand at the top.

Both teams were warming up before the match began.

The cheerleaders, dressed in green miniskirts, put on an eye-catching performance in the center of the field.

While other NBA teams have their own cheerleaders and mascots, the Celtics have always adhered to the principle that "there is only basketball on the court."

No cheerleaders, no mascots, no halftime magic show, no Harlem Globetrotters dunking on air cushions—basketball, only basketball here.

This tradition is a source of pride for the Celtics' management and a core tenet of Reid Auerbach.

But all of this was disrupted by Bobby Bellman, who intervened in the team's operations, demanding the establishment of a marketing department, the recruitment of cheerleaders, the design of a mascot, and increased interaction with children.

This decision was naturally opposed by the old-fashioned management. Bellman was unusually insistent and kept making suggestions, saying that even the oldest college basketball team has a cheerleading squad, so what are you, an NBA team founded in 1946, pretending to be?

To put it bluntly, we were poor back then. We couldn't even afford to pay the players' salaries, let alone hire cheerleaders or do any marketing. We gave ourselves a nice title, "Only Basketball." But was that all you had? You were so poor and stingy that all you had left was basketball.

Now that the team's stock has been sold, the league's revenue has caught up, and there's a huge amount of broadcasting fees, why aren't you doing these marketing and events?
These activities can attract new fans and liven up the atmosphere at the stadium, and they can also provide job opportunities for many people.

The marketing department will eventually develop. If it's just about selling tickets and organizing community events, the Celtics will find it difficult to become a true super team like the Lakers or Trail Blazers, attracting fans all over the world.

Bobby Bellman's words make a lot of sense, and the Celtics' management certainly understands this as well.
However, the glorious traditions of the past and Auerbach's stubbornness weighed heavily on them, and those below tended to maintain the status quo, lacking the motivation for real change, and no one wanted to provoke Auerbach.

Regardless of what Berman does, he's qualified enough—a championship coach, an Olympic dream team coach, his resume is very impressive.

Meanwhile, Bellman suffered greatly from being suppressed in the Lakers over the years. After joining the Celtics, he completely let loose, willing to go all out and disregard everything. If you don't cooperate with me, I'll harass you every day, bring it up every day, spread rumors in the media, and create momentum among the fans.

He frequently threatened to resign, displaying an unusually tough attitude of not giving up until he achieved his goal.

Auerbach had undergone heart bypass surgery a few years ago, and his physical condition was not as good as before. His energy and thinking could not keep up, so he could not withstand Berman's kind of exhaustion.

Bellman also united a group of internal managers who were interested in reform. Together they worked to create momentum and spread the word, and finally Auerbach relented. As a result, the Celtics had their own cheerleading squad and a new marketing team.

Tonight, Auerbach sat in his familiar front-row seat, wearing brown sunglasses, watching the cheerleaders dance with great enjoyment.

Of course, Auerbach's main reason for his happiness was the Celtic's excellent record and bright future.

This is the fundamental reason why Berman's various measures are accepted; this guy can indeed lead the team to victory.

Although Auerbach was stubborn, traditional, arrogant, and quite harsh on his long-time employees and subordinates, he was still very determined on the issue of delegating authority in team building.

Even if they were not satisfied with some of Bellman's decisions, they eventually compromised, and once they compromised, they completely trusted Bellman's decisions on the deal without hesitation.

In addition to trading Antoine Walker for Nash and Cliff Robinson, Berman also used the team's sixth overall pick in the draft to acquire Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This was another controversial decision. The Boston management originally wanted to use the sixth pick to acquire Kentucky shooting guard Ron Mercer, so that he could form a star duo with Duncan, with a promising future.

However, Bellman was not interested in Mercer. He believed that Mercer was not suitable for the Celtics' system, nor was he suitable to pair with Duncan and Nash.

The Celtics need a center, an inside player who can relieve some of the pressure on Duncan.

Bielman spotted the Cavaliers' rookie Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and in 1996 the Cavaliers selected the tall Lithuanian center with the 20th overall pick in the first round. However, Ilgauskas soon missed the rest of the season due to injury and did not play a single game in his rookie season.

Bielman wanted to trade this sickly player, who hadn't been tested on the field, for the sixth pick, but everyone disagreed.

"Did Bellman think that pairing Duncan with a Lithuanian would turn him into Forrest Gump?"

"Bellman is simply copying past experience. Ilgauskas hasn't been tested at all, and as for white centers, don't we already know what Divac was like in the past?"

There were strong voices against the deal.

At this point, Auerbach stepped forward and called to express his support for Bellman.

"It's not because I agree with your approach, but because once a tactic is started, it must be carried out to the end. Since I've chosen to trust you and compromise, you'll make all the decisions from now on, and of course, you'll bear all the responsibility!"

Auerbach finally demonstrated the basic qualities of an excellent manager: firmly executing strategies, not using those he doubts, and trusting those he uses.

This trust was earned by Bellman through his persistence and toughness.

From the offseason to training camp, then to the preseason and regular season, Berman withstood tremendous pressure and built the team step by step.

Behrman has that kind of mental fortitude, which is where he's better than Rick Pitino. Bobby has experienced too many big stages; he just needs a stage that suits him.

When the regular season started, the Celtics' record slapped those critics in the face and silenced all their doubts.

The young frontcourt duo of Duncan and Ilgauskas is excellent on both offense and defense, and exceptionally stable, providing the Celtics with a cornerstone of offensive and defensive security.

Steve Nash's offensive flair has amazed Boston fans. How long has it been since they've had such a dynamic point guard?

Although many details of his game still need polishing, especially his worrying shooting percentage, it doesn't diminish his contributions to the team.

These three young men were just part of Bellman's grand plan.

In the summer, Berman also signed Rick Fox to a new contract, showing that he did not give up on this excellent forward just because he acquired his former player Cliff Robinson.

Bellman also signed rookie forward Bruce Bowen from the free market. He is optimistic about the forward's future development. Bellman attaches great importance to stockpiling at the small forward position, especially functional forwards who are strong defensively and have good shooting skills. All of this is for Duncan.

In addition, in the trade with the Cavaliers, the Celtics also acquired the Cavaliers' 1998 first-round pick, hoping to showcase their skills again in the 1998 draft, select promising players, and continue to build a system around Duncan.

Berman's series of operations were purposeful, methodical, and solid. He had a clear vision for building the team, made accurate judgments about the potential of young players, and left ample room for future development.

In just one month, it was clear to anyone with a discerning eye that the Celtics were on the right track.

Bellman carefully guarded all of this, knowing that a bright future awaited him and the Celtics, and his career would usher in a new dawn.

However, before that, Bellman needs to be extra careful in tonight's game against the Trail Blazers.

The cheerleaders left the court, and both teams came on to warm up. Tim Duncan led the young Celtics players onto the court, and the fans cheered.

But Bellman's attention was focused on the Trail Blazers on the other side, especially Gan Guoyang.

He ran to the sidelines and chatted with Gan Guoyang, then grabbed Gan Guoyang's hand tightly and said, "Sonny, I'm begging you, please don't be so cruel to Tim tonight, be a little gentler, okay?"

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "Bobby, am I that bad? It's just a basketball game. Besides, you have to believe in Tim. He's an amazing player. He's trained with the Dream Team, and many people are no match for him. You have to believe he can handle me."

Bellman shook his head and said, "I don't believe it. Promise me you'll play normally, or if you want to teach him a lesson, no problem! Let him chase after you, don't do that, please, Sonny."

"Bobby, you've never treated me like this before. Have you ever begged anyone not to mess with me?"

"Fuck! Who the hell can handle you? Are you kidding me! Just play normally, just play normally."

Gan Guoyang rubbed his nose and nodded, saying, "Okay, okay, I promise I'll fight normally. At most... I won't talk to him, okay?"

"Then I really thank you. It's no big deal to teach him a lesson; it will motivate him even more. To be honest, sometimes I feel like he doesn't care about anything and lacks a bit of competitiveness."

As he spoke, Behrman gave Gan Guoyang a tight hug; the two seemed very close.

Gan Guoyang felt a little uneasy; he sincerely hoped that Bellman could be reborn in Boston.

But it seems that Berman has never taken such good care of him in the past. It can be seen that Berman takes care of Duncan like a father, afraid that his growth will be hindered in the slightest.

Look at the teammates the Celtics gave Duncan: the frontcourt and the wing. They were all built around Duncan's skills and playing style. Players like Antoine Walker, who didn't fit in, were immediately traded away.

Nash and Ilgauskas were good trades, re-signing Fox and signing Bowen were excellent moves, and acquiring a draft pick was a stroke of genius.

"Bobby, I'm so happy for your success! No wonder you were so cautious and careful." "Okay, I promise I'll go easy on him. I'll... I'll make sure he doesn't score."

The warm-up was over, the competition was about to begin, and the cheers from the crowd reached their peak.

The game was a star-studded affair, with Celtics legends in attendance for Robert Parish's jersey retirement ceremony.

Gan Guoyang glanced at the stands on the sidelines and saw many of his defeated opponents.

They all hoped that the younger Duncan would cause Forrest Gump some trouble.

Kevin McHale and Parish, dressed in suits, sat courtside. McHale asked Parish, "How many points can Tim score on Forrest Gump tonight?"

Parish said, "I guess... 18 points."

McHale shook his head and said, "I guess there's a chance of 20 points, or even 25 points."

Parish said coldly, "Unlikely. Forrest Gump is petty. Everyone says Duncan is the second Forrest Gump, and he would try to suppress Tim."

"Forrest Gump isn't Jordan, I guess he'd give Behrman face."

"Let's bet 100."

"200."

The two legends made their bet.

If Bird were present, he would generally not participate.

Although Bird also liked to place bets, he preferred to gamble with his performance.

At this moment, Bird was also filled with emotion. With so many old friends present, he thought to himself: Forrest Gump, you have to live up to his expectations!

In the center circle, Ilgauskas and Gan Guoyang jump for the ball.

Ilghskas is 7 feet 3 inches tall, a true Lithuanian giant.

Gan Guoyang and Sabonis are his idols, so he wears the number 11 jersey.

Facing Forrest Gump, he was clearly nervous and made a mistake on his first jump ball, jumping too early.

"Relax, young Lithuanian. I won't guard you later. You'll be matched up against Sabo."

Ilgauskas didn't dare to speak. Before the game, Berman had told him not to chat with Forrest Gump and to just pretend he was deaf.

In the second jump ball, Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Sabonis, and the Trail Blazers began their offense.

This season, the Trail Blazers' offense has reached a very fluid state; they don't even know where to start their offense before the very first possession.

Sabonis, holding the ball, didn't pass it to Blaylock. He spotted an opportunity under the basket on Chris Mullin and made a through pass directly to him.

Mullin received the ball, shook off the defender Fox, and went for a layup.

It was a very good pass, but instead of going in, it resulted in a very good block.

Tim Duncan followed up from behind and blocked Mullin's layup attempt.

Duncan not only made the block, but also kept possession of the ball.

The ball was passed to Nash, and the Celtics launched a fast break, with Nash dribbling straight into the paint.

After circling around, the ball was passed to Duncan, who received it, faked a shot, and then dribbled into the middle!
The fans in the arena all stood up. Was Duncan going to give the Trail Blazers a taste of their own medicine right from the start?

No, the ball had just entered the three-second zone not far when Gan Guoyang came from the side and knocked the ball away from Duncan.

It was another excellent steal; the ball was regained by Blaylock, and possession returned to the Trail Blazers.

After losing the ball, Duncan thought, "He's so fast, where did he come from?"

Before the breakthrough, Duncan observed the route and noticed that Forrest Gump's attention seemed to be on the other side; he wasn't looking this way.

But halfway through the attack, he appeared and immediately lost the ball.

Coach Bellman is right, Forrest Gump has so-called "defensive feints," and we shouldn't be fooled by them.

Gan Guoyang, who successfully stole the ball, didn't say anything to Duncan, and the two ran across half the court to continue their offense and defense.

The Celtics didn't have Duncan guard Forrest on defense; instead, they had Ilgauskas guard him.

Bellman really went to great lengths, fearing that Forrest Gump would destroy Duncan on offense, so he simply created a mismatch, having Duncan guard Sabonis instead.

As for Ilgeskas? It doesn't matter if you take some damage; your role is to tank it.

Gan Guoyang did not take the lead in attacking at the beginning of the game, but instead kept setting screens for his teammates on the outside. The real pivot was Sabonis.

Another cut to the basket, and this time Mullin was smarter. He switched hands under the basket for a reverse layup, dodging the block and scoring! He got the first point.

The Celtics spread out on all four sides, and they're going to give Duncan a one-on-one opportunity from the start!

The player guarding Duncan wasn't Sabonis, but Gan Guoyang.

A direct matchup between two talented big men in the low post!

The fans stood up again, and on the sidelines, Berman was unusually nervous.

Nash passed the ball to Duncan, who received it and observed the situation.

However, just by turning his head to look for a moment, the ball in his hand was gone!
Gan Guoyang reached out from behind and, with a swift chop, knocked the ball out of Duncan's hand!
It was so fast, so incredibly fast, that Duncan didn't even have time to react.

For NBA-level centers, ball protection is a fundamental skill.

Duncan's ball protection was undoubtedly excellent, but he didn't expect Forrest Gump's chop shot to be so fast.

"How did you get here? Where did you come from?"

Duncan only thought for 0.1 seconds; he didn't have time to think further and had to go for the ball.

Gan Guoyang still managed to steal the ball; he possessed incredible strength, repelling anyone who rushed at him.

Even after winning the ball, they didn't launch a fast break; instead, they settled into a positional attack, relying on Sabonis's high-post playmaking.

Riddell received the ball and took a mid-range jump shot, but missed. The Trail Blazers' offense wasn't going well at the start of the game.

Duncan grabbed the defensive rebound; his anticipation was spot on.

Duncan dribbled the ball across half-court himself; his dribbling was excellent.

Before playing inside, he initially practiced outside.

He grew taller rapidly afterward and then became an inside player.

The dribbling was smooth and there were no obstacles. Duncan wanted to drive in from the middle.

Duncan often did this in previous games, catching his opponents off guard.

Just as Duncan was about to accelerate, a strong, dark figure attacked from his side and rear.

"Watch out!" Berman shouted from the sidelines!

Duncan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Be careful, be careful of what?
What suddenly attacked him? Was it a shark?

No, it was Gan Guoyang who attacked from the side and behind, stealing the ball from Duncan's hands.

Duncan was knocked down, but the referee did not call a foul and made another steal.

Gan Guoyang received the ball and turned to charge forward.

Nash tried to stop him, but was bounced away.

He drove to the basket and easily dunked.

The center of the fleet was silent. Duncan struggled to his feet, his face expressionless.

But deep down, he felt a little uneasy as he watched Forrest Gump running towards him with steady and powerful steps.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time, especially after he dominated the NCAA.

He seemed to see a dark, deep sea approaching, teeming with dangerous sharks.

(End of this chapter)