The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 827 Forrest Gump Killer

Hu Weidong, born in 1970, is 28 years old this year. He only entered the NBA at the age of 27, and at this age, there is not much potential left to be explored.

For Hu Weidong, his greatest growth was not in technique and physical ability, but in truly experiencing the most brutal competitive environment of basketball and persevering.

This has a huge impact on a person's will, beliefs, and character. Although fans and viewers often can't see these things, the players themselves know that they are different from the past.

Hu Weidong hit a three-pointer in the first quarter and drew a foul from Kobe at the end of the first quarter, making both free throws.

Hu Weidong was very calm when he took the free throw. He received the ball, shot, and made the shot without any adjustment or hesitation, unlike Malone or Hornacek who were slow and hesitant.

His confidence in his shooting skills is evident in his performance, and Jerry West appreciates this confidence in Hu Weidong, which is one of the reasons why he was willing to bring him to the NBA at the age of 27.

Making both free throws helped the Lakers trail the Trail Blazers by only one point in the first quarter.

"Well done, Hu." West patted Hu Weidong on the shoulder from behind the bench.

Hu Weidong turned around, nodded again, forced a smile, and said nothing more.

West didn't mind Hu Weidong's "indifference" because West himself was that kind of person.

In fact, West is growing to hate the current NBA, hating the noisy courts and the flashy color schemes of the courts.

During the two-minute break between games, the cheerleaders would come onto the field and dance and jump, raising their thighs very high.

It's the same everywhere. Young players are getting richer and richer, and all that stuff from the streets is flooding the stadiums—tattoos, dreadlocks, hip-hop, it's all Black stuff.

Cheerleaders' skirts are getting shorter and shorter, while players' shorts are getting longer and longer, making them look sloppy, and their playing style is becoming more and more flashy.

West isn't incapable of accepting new things; on the contrary, he's open to anything new related to basketball in order to win.

But deep down he loathed all of this, he loathed everything, he even loathed himself, so he was never smiling, always had a cold face, and he didn't like seeing the players laughing and joking.

West disliked none of O'Neal's laziness and eccentricity, Kidd's neuroticism, or McGrady's perpetually sleepy eyes.

But he also rationally understood that they were talented, they could bring victory and championships, and he had to take good care of them and nurture them.

This conflicting mindset tormented West every day, especially since he also had to work with Jerry Buss, a playboy. It's no wonder he became depressed.

Therefore, Jerry West was surprisingly fond of Hu Weidong and enjoyed being with this quiet, somewhat introverted and shy Chinese guard.

In the past, West disliked China and even hated the red country across the Pacific because of his brother.

Through Forrest Gump and Hu Weidong, West gained a different perspective, and he visited China several times while working for the Trail Blazers.

Like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he said he liked the tranquility here.

The second quarter began quickly, with both teams' second-string lineups entering the game and continuing their offensive battle.

Bird brought in Portland's young trio, using fresh talent to launch an offensive counterattack against the Lakers.

Bird demanded an even faster pace of the game: attack, attack, and attack some more.

Tonight is destined to be a high-scoring game.

Kobe was the absolute core of the second unit, controlling a large portion of the ball.

He is very fast and has a strong ability to handle the ball. He has made great progress compared to last season.

More importantly, he has abundant physical strength and runs at full speed on both offense and defense whenever he takes the court.

He often complained to Bird that he wasn't playing enough minutes and that he could play longer.

Recently, Bird has indeed been giving him more and more playing time, especially as the defensive weaknesses of the Chris Mullin + Riddell forward-guard combination have been magnified.

Bird often brought Kobe on in crucial moments, replacing Mullin or Riddle, to enhance the defensive vitality on the wings and prevent them from easily creating gaps and putting too much pressure on the inside.

Tonight, the Lakers have a tall and young frontcourt, so Kobe's responsibilities will definitely be heavier.

Hu Weidong remained on the court for the Lakers.

At this point, some of Hu Weidong's defensive problems became apparent.

When facing Kobe, Kobe could often get past him with a simple crossover.

Under the NBA's rule of only allowing one-on-one defense, being beaten on the perimeter is very damaging to the defensive system.

Kobe scored two consecutive baskets. The first was a 45-degree crossover dribble that drove to the basket for a layup. The second was a layup after receiving the ball in the corner and driving along the baseline, dodging Thorpe in mid-air.

Hu Weidong sensed the gap, and Del Harris was ready to bring McGrady back into the game.

The Lakers' perimeter player passed the ball to Hu Weidong, who then passed it to Robert Horry in the paint according to the play. Horry backed down O'Neal and overpowered him.

But his layup attempt after turning inside was blocked by Ben Wallace, who came over to help defend. The Trail Blazers launched another counterattack, with Kobe orchestrating the move and quickly crossing half-court to draw double teams.

A bounce pass was given to Porter Jr., who went for a layup but missed due to defensive interference. Jermaine O'Neal followed up with a putback, but it also missed.

Holly grabbed the rebound, giving the Lakers a fast break opportunity. Derek Fisher received the ball and then made a long pass to Hu Weidong, who was rushing ahead.

Hu Weidong received the pass, was unguarded, dribbled once, and slammed home a one-handed dunk!

Hu Weidong scored his seventh point tonight, and his performance as a substitute has been absolutely outstanding.

He seized all the opportunities that came his way in the first half, when the defensive situation was not yet severe and the competition was not yet intense.

Hu Weidong clearly understands his role: he is not someone who creates opportunities on the court, but someone who converts the opportunities created by his teammates into points as much as possible.

In this respect, Hu Weidong is not as good as McGrady or Kobe, and he knows it himself.

What he didn't know was why Kobe was being so aggressive and targeting him.

Is it because they both wear size 8? Or because they are Chinese?

Wasn't Forrest Gump also Chinese?
Because of Hu Weidong's dunk, the game continued, and neither side stopped.

So McGrady continued to sit by the scorer's table, waiting for the ball to die before making substitutions.

Kobe continued to hold the ball, and while facing Hu Weidong's defense, he kept talking.

"You can't stop my Chinese guy. Didn't Forrest Gump teach you how to defend?"

"I'm going left! I'm going to go to the left!"

Kobe said he was going to the left, but he actually went to the right, driving straight to the basket and piercing the Lakers' defense.

After dodging the defender's block, Kobe executed an mid-air switch, a lobbed layup, and scored!

Kobe was on fire tonight. The Trail Blazers' starters have shown signs of declining efficiency recently, and fatigue is taking its toll.

One of the key factors that has allowed the Trail Blazers to maintain their winning streak is that their young bench players have stepped up.

The second unit, centered around Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, and Ben Wallace, is contributing more and more.

This is one of the reasons why the Trail Blazers were able to maintain such a long winning streak: they actually have two very good lineups that they are taking turns using.

A team can easily become fatigued, both physically and mentally, and there will always be times when it falters.

But if you have two good lineups, and everyone takes turns playing their roles, the margin for error is very high.

Despite Kobe's provocation, Hu Weidong remained calm and did not lose his temper. Instead, he continued to use his outside shooting ability to draw the defense and shoot three-pointers.

Hu Weidong didn't score again until Del Harris called a timeout, and Kobe seemed a bit bored.

As he was leaving the court, Kobe was still muttering, "Are you a lump of dough? Don't you know how to counterattack?"

Hu Weidong glanced at Kobe. The two were seven or eight years apart in age, and their levels of maturity were completely different.

Hu Weidong simply said, "The most important lesson Forrest Gump taught me was to shut up."

Kobe was speechless after hearing Hu Weidong's words.

In terms of basketball skills, Kobe was the best among young players.

But he does have many of the problems that young people have.

Arrogance and conceit. Many years later, when Kobe recalled his rookie season and second season, he shook his head with a wry smile and said that he was too stupid back then.

He said too many self-righteous things and did too many self-righteous things.

But as for whether he regrets it or not? Of course not, because that's why Kobe is Kobe, that's the path he came from.

Kobe stayed on the court to play the small forward position midway through the second quarter, while Bird used a small lineup that he rarely used.

Gan Guoyang plays center, Mullin plays power forward, Kobe plays small forward, Riddell plays shooting guard, and Blake plays point guard.

Bird did this because the Lakers also had Robert Horry play the power forward position, which was to completely stretch the floor and allow O'Neal to dominate the ball in the paint.

At the same time, Bird wanted to use a small lineup to further speed up the pace and weaken O'Neal's power in the low post.

This is a contest of running, endurance, and rhythm. Both sides are gradually accelerating and increasing the intensity to see who can't hold on any longer.

To establish an advantage before the end of the first half, Gan Guoyang began to increase his low-post offense. The Trail Blazers fed Gan Guoyang the ball through exceptionally skillful perimeter passing, while maintaining fluidity on the perimeter to ensure that Gan Guoyang could punish opponents with three-pointers and sharp cuts when double-teamed.

The Lakers didn't dare to double-team easily, and as a result, Gan Guoyang scored three consecutive goals against O'Neal in the low post.

He made 3 out of 4 shots, scoring 6 points in a row.

Looking across the entire league, only Gan Guoyang can score on O'Neal with such unbridled efficiency.

Other centers who want to attack O'Neal need to use some finesse, either by pulling out for mid-range shots or by using pick-and-rolls to attack him.

Gan Guoyang was all about head-on confrontation. He enjoyed the intense feeling of this clash of the strongest forces. His adrenaline surged, and he became excited.

Tired? Not at all. I've been waiting to fight the little shark for a long time. I've worked so hard to make this comeback so that I can have a good fight.

Gan Guoyang's mentality can only be understood by people like Kobe and Jordan. They play basketball not only for victory, money, and honor, but more for a heartfelt love, even a fanaticism.

The more difficult the situation, the more it inspires their fighting spirit. Adversity does not discourage them, but excites them, because the time has come to show a stronger version of themselves.

In the entire league, only Shaquille O'Neal could rival Gan Guoyang in low-post battles, so Gan Guoyang certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

O'Neal was frustrated. He was a bit bewildered after being outscored three times. He wanted to fight back on offense, but he couldn't break through Gan Guoyang's defense in the low post.

He can only rely on teamwork, such as setting screens with teammates and cutting to the basket, grabbing offensive rebounds, or scoring with a mid-range hook shot, just like at the start of the game.

Despite playing like this, O'Neal was still scoring points. His teamwork with McGrady and Kidd was quite good, and he was still a very competent finisher.

However, when O'Neal can only be a finisher, his tactical significance will be greatly reduced.

Scoring 30 points in a game through pick-and-rolls, rolls to the basket, and second-chance opportunities has a different strategic significance than scoring 30 points by posting up and drawing fouls to make the free throws.

The former is just 30 points, but the latter means you can create 10, 20 or even 30 scoring opportunities for your teammates.

Del Harris realized this, but there was nothing he could do. The 7-foot-1 O'Neal simply couldn't dominate the 6-foot-10 Forrest Gump in the low post.

Therefore, the Lakers continued to use Kidd as the offensive axis, constantly accelerating and using ball distribution and forwards to attack the Trail Blazers.

Towards the end of the first half, the competition between the two teams intensified, and thanks to Gan Guoyang's score, the Trail Blazers took a 5-point lead.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led 61-56, a five-point advantage.

In the third quarter, the competitiveness and confrontation between the two teams suddenly intensified.

The Lakers took control on the road, with Robert Horry and Jason Kidd hitting consecutive three-pointers.

In just two possessions, the Lakers took a 61-62 lead over the Trail Blazers by one point.

Three-pointers are a game-changing weapon, and now every team has learned to use them.

As the pioneers of the three-point shot, the Trail Blazers' three-point shooting is certainly not bad.

Gan Guoyang stopped hiding his true intentions and began to unleash his killer instincts in the third quarter, abandoning his playful approach.

He exploited O'Neal's weakness in defending him too far out, receiving the ball at the top of the arc and launching a three-pointer.

hit!

Lakers, O'Neal and Kidd set a pick-and-roll, O'Neal cut to the basket, caught the ball and dunked it.

The score is 64:64, a tie.

Kidd's pass wasn't particularly tricky, but it was very accurate and timely, making it very comfortable to receive.

The Trail Blazers don't play by the rules. Gan Guoyang receives the ball at the top of the arc, and O'Neal can't defend him, so it's another three-pointer!
It's still working!

The Lakers, especially Shaquille O'Neal, started to get nervous.

O'Neal received the ball in the low post and once again challenged Forrest Gump's iron wall in the low post.

As a result, Gan Guoyang pulled out a chair, causing O'Neal to commit a traveling violation.

O'Neal cursed Harden inwardly. In the first half, Harden had talked about fair competition and no dirty tricks.

When it came to the crucial third quarter, they used whatever methods were available, completely abandoning any sense of martial ethics.

In a match that must be won, Gan Guoyang certainly wouldn't talk about martial ethics.

The ball was received for the third time at the top of the key. This time, Horry came over to defend closely, but he didn't use the "you're too short" rule.

Gan Guoyang pulled the ball up and threw it again, the ball arcing in a very high arc, a trajectory familiar to Lakers players.

That three-point barrage at the Great Western Forum, that incredible comeback, one of the Lakers' most humiliating moments in franchise history, was all achieved with those high-arcing projectiles.

The ball, spinning intensely, pierced the net, marking the third consecutive basket!

The entire Rose Garden arena erupted in cheers as the Sun King began to unleash his power.

Fans haven't seen Gan Guoyang go all out to score in a while.

The 34-0 scoreline was frequently raised, prompting Del Harris to call a timeout; they needed to make adjustments.

He knew that if things continued like this, Forrest Gump could keep going until the game was completely over.

The Lakers made an adjustment, removing O'Neal from guarding Gan Guoyang one-on-one.

Instead, Horry, McGrady, and even Kidd took turns guarding Gan Guoyang on the perimeter.

The Lakers' advantage of tall, strong perimeter players became apparent, as they were able to defend the paint.

Gan Guoyang didn't keep trying to shoot threes; he knew that his touch had been disrupted after the timeout.

He then began to operate in the low post, and the Lakers double-teamed him very quickly, but Gan Guoyang's passes were even faster.

The Trail Blazers' fluid half-court offensive passing often created gaps in the Lakers' defense.

On the other hand, the Lakers always manage to find a way to score on offense.

Kidd is indeed a genius guard; his ability to spot opportunities far surpasses that of the average player.

He can see opportunities that other point guards can't, and he can pass the ball in ways that other point guards can't.

Thanks to Gan Guoyang's powerful offense, the Trail Blazers maintained their lead, while the Lakers kept the score close and did not fall behind.

The Trail Blazers are strong, but the Lakers were just as resilient tonight.

O'Neal became increasingly focused, basically abandoning his low-post attacks and instead making more use of his face-up position, cutting to the basket like a tank to receive the ball and attack the rim.

Gan Guoyang's static strength can hold off O'Neal, but in dynamic situations, once O'Neal gets going with his weight, he's really unstoppable.

O'Neal played purely as a finisher, and the two sides engaged in a thrilling offensive and defensive battle in the third quarter.

Bird was on the sidelines directing his troops and constantly observing the development of the situation. He was silently thinking to himself, when should they use their trump card?

Bird certainly had a trick up his sleeve; he knew the Lakers had always aimed to emulate the Trail Blazers in terms of roster composition and team building.

Look at their forwards, look at Horry and McGrady's wingspan and athleticism, they caused the Trail Blazers a lot of trouble.

But the Trail Blazers are not without countermeasures; it's just that Bird doesn't plan to reveal his abilities too early or too much unless it's a crucial moment or a key game.

In the latter part of the third quarter, the score was tied at 85-80, with the Trail Blazers still leading by 5 points.

Bird substituted Gan Guoyang, letting him rest and catch his breath to prepare for the decisive battle in the fourth quarter.

"The Lakers played well tonight," Bird said.

"Yes, their forward line is quite strong," Gan Guoyang said, taking a sip of water.

McGrady and Horry kept giving him trouble, both on offense and defense.

Teams in the league should have learned some lessons from the case of Pippen harassing Gan Guoyang.

This was the best time Gan Guoyang was contained during the playoffs, although Pippen was still completely outmatched later on.

But people realized, especially Jerry West, that using the versatile small forward to counter the versatile Forrest Gump was the best option.

In the future, there will be an all-around forward who is expected to become the "Forrest Gump killer" and enter the league in a high-profile manner.

"Alright, you'll play small forward in the fourth quarter."

"What, now I can put my hands on my hips again?"

"You can't put your hands on your hips tonight. You have to go all out and crush them."

"Okay, I'll do my best."

Gan Guoyang said it casually.

He was thinking to himself, "Haha, maybe I can get some easy balls again."

(End of this chapter)