The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 829 Blue Dress
After setting a record of 34 consecutive wins, the Trail Blazers are now an invincible force in the league.

However, correspondingly, they faced increasing resistance in the later stages of the competition.

It's like the prize pool in a lottery, starting with ten million, with no one winning, and then accumulating to a super jackpot of hundreds of millions.

As is customary, at this time, a mysterious person who buys more than a dozen tickets will often win the prize, then go to claim the prize wearing a mask or hood, and then disappear into the crowd.

Of course, the situation might be quite different in the United States, where winning a big prize is often publicized and one might even appear on television as a celebrity.

Now, the prize pool for "ending the Trail Blazers' winning streak" has accumulated to an unprecedented 34 wins, and every opponent after that is eager to make a move.

Once the Trail Blazers play away games, trouble will definitely come one after another. Fire alarm reports and fan harassment are child's play. They'll go even further for the sake of winning big prizes.

On January 11, the Trail Blazers traveled to Philadelphia to prepare for their away game against the 76ers. However, that night, information about the Trail Blazers' hotel was leaked, and many local prostitutes came and harassed the players by knocking on their doors.

NBA teams don't really regulate the private lives of their players. The Portland Trail Blazers are slightly better in this regard than other NBA teams because their leader is considered more upright.

As the saying goes, "If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too." If the leader leads his underlings to frequent places of entertainment every day, the players, especially the young players, will become even more unscrupulous, and the team's atmosphere will deteriorate further.

Gan Guoyang never gets involved in these messy things, and everyone knows this so they keep it to themselves. So the Trail Blazers are generally okay in this respect—but only okay, slightly better than other teams.

NBA players are already considered self-disciplined for not smoking or drinking. They train so hard every day and are paid so much. It's impossible to expect them not to refrain from prostitution.

Jerome Kossie was previously exposed for taking his staff on dates with teenage girls, but was later accused of rape and sued, which caused his performance to decline significantly and marked a turning point in his career.

The Trail Blazers' reputation in the Portland community was greatly affected as a result, leading to Kossie being kicked out after Gan Guoyang's retirement. Now he is a substitute for the Trail Blazers' old rival, the Seattle SuperSonics, and is a player at the end of the bench.

When Gan Guoyang trained with the team the next day, he found that his teammates were all somewhat listless and not in good spirits.

Even Kobe, who is usually full of energy and tireless in training, looked a bit listless and his expression was somewhat unfocused during training.

Sensing something was wrong, Gan Guoyang asked a few teammates, but they all hesitated and said they either hadn't slept well the night before or were tired from flying to an away game.

Gan Guoyang knew that playing away games was tiring, and with the season already in its middle and the Trail Blazers undefeated, the team was under a lot of pressure.

They defeated the Lakers, setting a new historical record. The carrot that was dangling in front of everyone has disappeared; how far they can run depends entirely on their inner motivation.

It's normal to lack motivation. After winning 34 games in a row, victory can make you numb. On the field, there's no longer a drive to avenge defeats or move forward; it just feels like going through the motions.

But Gan Guoyang still felt something was off. Everyone was fine on the plane yesterday. Although Shengli was numb, the team atmosphere was good.

Some people even said that we should keep winning, ideally going an undefeated season, like the NFL's Miami Dolphins, who created an undefeated championship season.

There are far more NBA games than NFL games, and going undefeated in a season is extremely difficult. But if you have such a wish, you shouldn't give up after a good night's sleep, right?
When they returned to the locker room after training, Gan Guoyang suddenly asked Kobe while changing his clothes, "How was the girl last night, Kobe?"

Kobe was also changing clothes, shirtless. People are often most vulnerable and unguarded at times like this. Kobe replied, "Great..."

Kobe realized he had let something slip as soon as he finished speaking, and quickly shut up. Gan Guoyang, however, already knew what had happened and said, "I'll tell your mom."

"No! Don't do this, Sonny, please." Kobe grabbed Gan Guoyang and pleaded in a low voice.

Kobe's mother was very strict with him; last season, his parents would accompany him to away games.

After playing games or finishing training in Portland, Kobe's mother would urge him to come home and do his homework and college courses like a student.

This season, Kobe is a year older, and while his skills have improved, his parents' control over him has also weakened.

He didn't want his parents to always accompany him to away games, so after training and matches, he would go out for a drink with his teammates.

Eighteen or nineteen-year-olds, young men full of vigor, how could they possibly resist the temptation of women? He's not AC Green.

When Gan Guoyang saw that everyone else was listless except for AC-Green and himself, he already guessed what was going on.

The prostitutes who harassed the Trail Blazers last night wisely refrained from knocking on Gan Guoyang's door; they knew Gan's reputation.

Then, after some more coaxing from Kobe, the kid proved to be too naive and let slip the secret immediately.

The players must have had a wonderful night last night, which may make tonight's game less than wonderful.

Gan Guoyang couldn't say anything; these were all matters of personal freedom. He simply reminded Bird before the game to let him play a little longer tonight.

"They overexerted themselves last night, so let me play a little longer tonight. I'm worried they might not be in good shape and their legs and arms might be too weak."

“Okay, I understand.” Bird seemed to see through everything and immediately understood what Gan Guoyang was talking about.

"You weren't involved too, were you?" Gan Guoyang looked at Bird with a suspicious gaze.

"Fuck you, I have a heart condition." Bird rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang.

He was indeed knocked on the door yesterday, but Bird is getting older and has become less interested in women.

Bird was also reckless in his youth. He hastily got married and then divorced while in college, and had a daughter that he didn't even acknowledge.

In the basketball world, players who are loyal to their partners and have no scandals are extremely rare, and the Trail Blazers have two such players, making them one of the teams with the best reputation.

As expected, the Trail Blazers players were not in good form during the game that night.

The passing and tactical execution were still smooth at the start, but the players' outside shooting percentage was quite poor.

The Trail Blazers' repeated misses of three-pointers, coupled with poor mid-range shooting and free throws, led to them falling behind early in the game.

But Gan Guoyang quickly stepped up, and his recent excellent form led him to make consecutive shots.

Mid-range shots, three-pointers, and hook shots all contributed to the Trail Blazers stabilizing the situation.

From a super role player at the beginning of the season to returning to the role of a core scorer in the middle of the season, Gan Guoyang made a very smooth transition.

It was indeed time for him to make a concerted effort to overcome the challenges.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a trade in the summer, acquiring Tim Thomas in the NBA draft.

Then a three-team trade was made, sending away Jerry Stackhouse and draft picks, and acquiring Ratliff and Aaron McGee from the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks.

Both of these trades were made to build rosters around Allen Iverson.

Stackhouse's offensive style clashes with Iverson's, and the 76ers desperately need a reliable inside player with potential and a defensive workhorse backcourt.

The Philadelphia 76ers specifically recruited Larry Brown to serve as both the team's head coach and general manager, and it was he who spearheaded this trade.

The 76ers are Larry Brown's eighth team in his coaching career. His philosophy has been constantly evolving, but his temperament has remained unchanged.

In his previous coaching career, Larry Brown typically stayed with a team for no more than four years, usually leaving after two to three years.

He was sharp, sarcastic, and difficult to get along with, and people didn't think he could get along with the strong-willed Allen Iverson.

This season is the first year that the two have teamed up. The team with Iverson at its core is still very immature, but some things are already beginning to show.

In this game, the Trail Blazers' outside shooting percentage was very poor. One reason was that the players were in poor form, and another reason was that the 76ers' defense was very good.

Larry Brown’s screaming may be unbearable, but his coaching philosophy and methods are effective and reliable, especially the current defensive version, which suits him quite well.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to keep working in the league; he is indeed a capable coach.

Larry Brown's defensive strengths lie in precision—precise positioning and help defense—using fixed defensive routes and strategies to help players develop defensive memory.

No matter how the opponent plays, I will respond with those precise and fixed routes. If you make it, you're awesome, but under this machine-like precise defensive routine, the opponent's offensive feel will definitely be affected.

However, Gan Guoyang was in excellent form tonight. While his teammates were struggling with their shooting and their legs were weak, Gan Guoyang was almost always on target from the corner of the free-throw line.

He doesn't need screens or teammates to set up him; as long as the ball is given to him, he can make any shot, even when facing a one-on-one situation.

Without a doubt, tonight is Forrest Gump's scoring night; no one can stop him except himself.

In the first half, Gan Guoyang scored 25 points, only 3 of which came from free throws and 18 from mid-range shots.

Like Jordan, Gan Guoyang's one-on-one receiving is simple and smooth, and his starting speed is extremely fast, giving opponents no chance to double-team.

In the NBA, where there was no zone defense and double-teaming was not allowed, isolation plays could solve many problems, especially in the late 90s.

Gan Guoyang and Jordan are the promoters and masters of this style.

The Trail Blazers led the 76ers by 10 points at halftime.

In the second half, the 76ers had no choice but to double-team on defense.

During the offensive play, Larry Brown asked Iverson to step up and engage in a firepower duel with Forrest Gump.

Allen Iverson is a very courageous player, and his scoring average has actually declined this season under Larry Brown's coaching. However, his shooting percentage and offensive efficiency have increased, and his playing time and ball possession have been more rationally managed.

He significantly reduced his three-point attempts and increased his two-point attempts, yet his shooting percentage improved considerably.

Despite being only 6 feet tall, he repeatedly penetrated the paint, finding ways to put the ball in the basket against defenders who were much taller and stronger than him.

Larry Brown intends to develop him as a core player in his offensive tactics, allowing him to take on a significant number of shots and generate a substantial scoring output.

But when facing the Trail Blazers, when facing Forrest Gump, he, who is usually full of courage, seemed a little timid.

Larry Brown told him to attack the paint, but Iverson didn't respond.

When the third quarter began, Iverson did not throw himself into the paint to fight, as Brown had predicted.

He relied more on his skillful dribbling and mid-range shooting to roam around the perimeter, not daring to attack the basket.

Because Forrest Gump had left a deep impression on him, he followed the Forrest Gump rule and decided it was better to stay away.

Brown grew increasingly agitated, and during a timeout, he questioned Iverson: "Why don't you attack the basket?"

Iverson replied bluntly, "Why don't you go?"

Brown was speechless. What are you talking about? I'm the coach, how am I supposed to go?
"You're afraid of Forrest Gump, aren't you?" Brown thought of something and wanted to provoke Iverson with his words.

Unexpectedly, Iverson was not provoked and replied, "Aren't you afraid? You've been very quiet tonight."

Brown was speechless again; Larry Brown was unusually quiet on the sidelines during the game.

Gan Guoyang hates Brown yelling on the sidelines the most, and now Brown has developed the habit of quietly directing when playing against the Trail Blazers.

The communication yielded no results, and Iverson continued to dodge the Trail Blazers' interior defense. His mid-range shot seemed to be working well in the third quarter.

Allen Iverson's playing style was truly captivating. He possessed incredible imagination, speed, and beautiful dribbling skills. Despite his small stature, he had immense energy, making him a little giant on the NBA court.

But the little giant's skills are useless against the giant Forrest Gump.

After Iverson made consecutive mid-range shots, Gan Guoyang switched to defend Iverson.

Iverson attempted a challenge, wanting to end his fear, but was once again brutally defeated face-to-face!
It's unbelievable. When Iverson faced Gan Guoyang, it was as if he was facing an insurmountable wall.

He didn't know whether it was a technical problem or a psychological one.

Technically speaking, Gan Guoyang is a master of steals, but his strength lies more in defending the paint.

When defending smaller perimeter players, his steal efficiency isn't that high; even when matched up against Jordan, he wouldn't be able to steal the ball frequently.

Moreover, there's no reason why a small point guard like Iverson would have the ball stolen by Forrest Gump like that.

Therefore, it is more likely a psychological issue; Iverson felt fear and hesitation when facing Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang stole the ball and made a fast break layup. This guy is getting more and more comfortable with fast breaks.

In the third quarter, both teams played steadily, and the Trail Blazers players gradually found their offensive rhythm, widening the gap from 10 points onwards.

The 76ers, who were already lacking in strength, gave up the fight when Iverson was unable to step up and become a superhero.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers won 109-97 on the road, extending their winning streak to 35 games.

Another dull and tedious victory.

Gan Guoyang scored 41 points, marking his third consecutive game with over 40 points. Of course, this is a piece of cake for him and is insignificant in the grand scheme of his career scoring record.

The whole team felt fortunate that they still won despite being in such poor form; it was truly Forrest Gump who carried the team single-handedly.

In the next two games, the Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets in succession, extending the team's winning streak to 37 games!
As the Trail Blazers' victories increased, so did the attention they received from the league, the entire United States, and even the world, leading to complex feelings towards the team.

On the one hand, everyone hopes they can continue to win; everyone wants to see where the limits of the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump are.

On the other hand, there is also the hope that a team can step up and end the Trail Blazers' winning streak and win the big prize accumulated in the prize pool.

On January 17th, the Trail Blazers visited Washington to face the Washington Wizards.

This summer, the Washington Bullets changed their name from the violently associated "Bullets" to the more neutral "Wizards".

The Chinese translations of Wizards include "male wizard," "wizard," and "prodigy." The Washington team naturally takes the meaning of "wizard," which can be seen from their new team logo, which is an old white-bearded wizard wearing a magic hat and holding a basketball.

However, when translating team names in China, a certain industry pioneer, whose English proficiency was average, didn't even look at the white-bearded old man on the logo and directly translated it as "Prodigy".

Later, I felt that this translation was quite easy to pronounce, so I continued to use it.

Similarly, translations like "Little Mavericks" and "Walkers" all deviate from the original meaning.

However, many words in English originated from their culture and are difficult to express clearly and completely in Chinese.

These somewhat hasty translations gradually became the norm and were no longer changed.

The Wizards have been in a rebuilding phase ever since they traded Charles Barkley.

They are now rebuilding the team with Rasheed Wallace and Juwan Howard as the core of their frontcourt, but it hasn't made much progress.

Juwan Howard is a very overrated player. He performed well in the NCAA, but his physical attributes make it difficult for him to become a true star in the NBA.

The Wizards paid a huge price to sign him, signing him to a massive contract, but his performance on the court has been only so-so.

No one had much hope that the Wizards could stop the Trail Blazers' winning streak, which was already on the horizon with a 38-game winning streak.

However, before the match, a similar tactic to Philadelphia's emerged, except this time it wasn't prostitutes coming to his door, but rather the president inviting Gan Guoyang to a banquet.

Gan Guoyang still had to give the president face, so the night before the competition, he went to the White House to attend a private dinner hosted by Clinton, which was open to people from the arts and sports world.

Clinton did this not only as a routine matter and to fulfill the president's social duties, but also because he was facing impeachment by Congress and needed some public opinion advice and support.

The young and handsome American president is currently embroiled in sexual harassment allegations.

An engineer named Paula Jones has been suing Clinton for harassment since 1994.

Later, this matter was brought up by Prosecutor Starr, who was investigating the Whitewater case, and he relentlessly pursued Clinton, and now another round of prosecutions is about to begin.

Clinton had been president for six years, constantly surrounded by a series of messy issues surrounding the Whitewater scandal, leaving him overwhelmed.

Regardless of his economic, military, or political achievements during his term, the American people are still happy to find amusement in his crotch.

Clinton and the American people were unaware that an even bigger joke awaited him.

But Gan Guoyang knew that he had been watching current affairs news recently and knew why Clinton was hosting the banquet.

Gan Guoyang was already very familiar with the White House and had been there countless times. Clinton took the opportunity to have a private chat with Gan Guoyang.

"Sonny, congratulations on your 37-game winning streak! That's amazing. The whole country and even the world are watching you now."

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Soon the whole world will be paying attention to you and your crotch."

After exchanging a few polite words, Clinton suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Sonny, let's stop here."

"what?"

"That's it, the winning streak can end now."

Gan Guoyang didn't speak. Clinton turned to the side, a smile on his face, as if he hadn't said anything.

But Gan Guoyang quickly realized that Clinton was trying to use the end of the Trail Blazers' winning streak to cover up the heat of his sexual harassment lawsuit.

What a clever tactic of feigning one thing while doing another. Gan Guoyang helped this couple once when he came back in 1996, and now he wants me to lose a game so he can cover for them?

Gan Guoyang was naturally unwilling. But then he thought, "This little bit of news you have now is useless to cover up. You'll have a big one later."

So he shook his head and said to Clinton, "Bill, it's no use. The problem is minor. You don't need to be afraid."

Clinton had a strange look on his face. He knew that Forrest Gump was quite capable, so what did he mean by that?
This is a minor problem now, but could there be a bigger problem later?
Gan Guoyang took a sip of his drink, looked down at Clinton, and whispered in his ear, "You like blue dresses."

A flicker of fear crossed Clinton's eyes, which was noticed by his wife, who was chatting with others nearby. She seized an opportunity to come over and pull her husband aside to ask what was going on.

Gan Guoyang had already walked away, while Clinton calmed down and said, "I think we need to have a serious talk. There's something I need to be honest with you about."

(End of this chapter)