The longest river

Chapter 227 2001-2002 Season (Part 1)
After returning to Portland, Yang Shuai began preparing for the new season.

This time, he focused on improving his close-range finishing skills such as floaters and hook shots, while also continuing to improve his post-up game.

Since the lineup can't be improved or strengthened, the only option is to continue to strengthen oneself.

On September 11, a major event that shocked the world occurred in the United States.

The World Trade Center, where Yang Shuai had dinner with Yao Ming, suffered a devastating impact, triggering unrest across the United States.

The stock market and aviation industry were hit hard, and security fears spread to various cities, including Portland.

With the first letters containing anthrax bacteria being sent to media and government agencies on September 18, resulting in 5 deaths and 17 infections, the entire United States was plunged into a true "white terror".

Against this backdrop, the smooth progress of the unveiling ceremony of Yang Shuai's statue, originally scheduled for September 25, has been greatly questioned.

Given this context, the on-site security pressure would be enormous.

When the time came to the 25th, the ceremony proceeded as planned!

Despite the nationwide panic, it still attracted tens of thousands of people to attend the ceremony.

Portland deployed almost its entire police force for security and order maintenance.

Allen also appeared at the ceremony and delivered an inspiring speech entitled "We Will Not Fail," taking into account the current situation.

His speech also caused a stir among the audience.

As the saying goes, "the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish," Allen's boldness will win him support from people in Portland, but not limited to Portland.

In the United States, not only politicians but also businessmen need a popular base.

Yang Shuai was not interested in those things. Even when it came to what happened on September 11, his only reaction was that he would never have the chance to eat there again.

His focus remained on his own statue.

After participating in the facial design, he was busy with his trip to China. He was kept in suspense about the overall appearance of the statue and the inscription on the base.

After Allen finished his speech, the microphone was handed to Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai talked about basketball in almost every way.

He thanked the fans for their support of the Trail Blazers and for coming to the game, and then stated that he would continue to bring championships to Portland.

Finally, the microphone was given to the sculpture designer, Richie James.

He explained that the inspiration for the statue's design came from Yang Shuai's new documentary "Throne of Thorns," and what the statue was meant to express.

After he finished speaking, the statue was officially unveiled in front of everyone present.

After the unveiling, the scene erupted in cheers.

It was a giant statue nearly four meters tall, with Yang Shuai sitting on a throne, holding the championship and FMVP trophies.

The seats are decorated with blooming roses at both ends, and there are several steps in front of the seats.

As James said, this represents the Throne of Thorns, and Yang Shuai is the one who sits on the throne.

On the base of the statue is a clear inscription: Greatest of All Time.

After Jordan completed his three-peat, he inscribed "Unprecedented and unparalleled" on the statue. But this time, the designer directly gave Yang Shuai the name "GOAT".

This is the highest praise, just like Jordan back then.

However, it also clearly put pressure on Yang Shuai, because four titles and one dynasty are not enough to be called GOAT, which is more due to his youth and future potential.

He must do the same in the future, otherwise he will end up like Jordan today, whose second three-peat was cut short by the Pacers, making that inscription look rather awkward.

Regardless, the statue's design and inscription, against the backdrop of a turbulent society, instilled a strong sense of confidence in the people of Portland.

It wasn't just Portland; with news media coverage, it also became a haven for fans.

Sports, especially successful sports, always instill strong confidence in people during times of uncertainty.

This has made this year's training camp particularly noteworthy.

The Trail Blazers' most significant acquisition compared to last season was the signing of veteran Terry Porter.

This player, who has played for the Spurs for the past two seasons, is actually a Trail Blazers legend.

He entered the league in 1985 and played for the Trail Blazers until 1995, serving as the team's starting point guard alongside Drexler and helping the team reach the NBA Finals twice.

His addition is not just about bringing in an experienced veteran point guard; it can also help Billups grow faster.

In addition, another person who has attracted much attention is Reed.

It wasn't that Reed himself received attention, but rather that several players, including Yang Shuai, praised Reed's progress during media day.

Last season, Reed was a rookie and plagued by injuries, so he didn't play many games, had a weak presence, and didn't make any progress in his skills.

However, Reed impressed everyone at the new season's training camp, as he suddenly developed a reliable three-point shot after just one summer.

Moreover, his physique is much stronger than it was in his rookie season.

With the team unable to effectively strengthen its roster through trades and signings, Reed's progress will undoubtedly inject strong vitality into the Trail Blazers' backcourt, especially as he can complement Sura.

It's worth noting that last season, as the starting shooting guard, Sura averaged 3.5 three-point attempts per game, but his shooting percentage was only 27.3%.

Besides the Trail Blazers, the Pacers and Lakers, who made blockbuster trades in the summer, have also undoubtedly attracted strong attention from the outside world.

In addition to major changes in their frontcourt, the Lakers also made a significant acquisition on the perimeter, signing veteran Mitch Richmond to a minimum contract.

This gives the Lakers not only a strong roster but also ample depth. The key is how well Jermaine O'Neal and Kobe Bryant can create chemistry.

On the Pacers' side, in addition to O'Neal and Miller, the addition of two other new players has also attracted attention.

One is Jamal Tinsley, who is 1.9 meters tall and comes from New York. He has excellent ball handling and passing skills, and his post-up skills are also quite good. He is like a replica of Mark Jackson.

The only shortcoming was that his shooting wasn't as consistent as Jackson's, which is why he ultimately only became a late first-round pick.

However, having played all four years of college, he was nominated for the Associated Press's All-American Player of the Year, selected to the All-American Second Team, and named the Big East Player of the Year. He was a rookie, but also an immediate contributor.

The other is Kirilenko, the 24th pick by the Pacers in the 1999 NBA Draft.

They finally reached a buyout agreement with Kirilenko's former club this summer.

Kirilenko is an all-around player on both offense and defense in European competitions. His addition would provide the Pacers with much-needed wing defense, which is why the Pacers ultimately dared to include Artest in the O'Neal trade.

The Pacers also have a strong roster for the new season.

Following the media day, the preseason games began, with the Pacers and Lakers attracting particular attention.

The Lakers' game started early, which was quite impressive.

Kobe, who previously partnered with Shaq, appeared selfish and greedy, but when he partnered with Jermaine O'Neal, he was willing to relinquish ball possession and become a finisher.

It was at this point that people realized Kobe was essentially another Jordan; they were scorers who needed shot attempts rather than ball possession.

While Jermaine O'Neal may not be as skilled as Shaquille O'Neal, he spent most of his career playing in Bird's system, which not only gave him excellent spacing ability but also a strong sense of teamwork.

Moreover, the two, both high school students, not only had good chemistry on the court, but also had many common topics off the court.

Even Ron Artest, who had a volatile temper, became much more settled after joining the Lakers, and he played like a young Pippen on the court.

This Lakers team has generated more expectations from fans than they imagined.

The Pacers are also surprising us.

Facing the 76ers, who reached the Finals last season, O'Neal and Miller easily defeated them.

Mutombo's face puffed up after being punched by O'Neal, and his angry expression was almost heartbreaking to watch.

The Lakers gained a lot from that previous trade, making people think they robbed the Pacers. However, this was Shaquille O'Neal in his prime in 2001, a top-three MVP, and second only to Yang Shuai in terms of actual strength.

Miller experienced a resurgence under O'Neal's offensive pressure, unleashing a string of three-pointers from beyond the arc.

而且基里连科的表现也让人惊艳，作为新秀的他，季前赛首秀就交出了10分5板4助攻3抢断4盖帽的神奇数据。

Although these are just preseason games and the intensity is much lower than that of the regular season, they undoubtedly give people endless imagination.

Compared to these two teams, the Trail Blazers' preseason performances were strikingly contrasting, one red and one white.

Because the core roster remained unchanged, Carlisle gave the starters less playing time in the preseason, while the substitutes got plenty of opportunities.

Reed, who received high praise from his teammates on media day, seized the opportunity and became the "red".

He made 7 three-pointers in a single game against the Pistons, scoring 28 points in total, which made him an instant star.

This also caused the blood pressure of other teams to instantly spike to 180.

They had the Trail Blazers cornered, and the Trail Blazers were in dire straits, so why did someone on their team always seem to suddenly emerge?

The only thing that can comfort them is that the Trail Blazers are now "white".

Kemp managed to keep his weight under 140 kg last season, but this season he has returned and his weight has soared to 147 kg.

"Fat as a pig" doesn't even begin to describe him; he looks like a gas cylinder that could explode at any moment.

With Sabonis' retirement, the Trail Blazers had hoped that Kemp could fill the void.

But it's clear that if Kemp had a shred of self-discipline last season because of the championship, he has now completely let himself go.

Carlisle was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He could only look for a suitable starting center among rookies Okur and Collins, as well as veteran Kevin Willis.

However, it's clear that these players are unlikely to become the starting center for a championship team, and the center position will be a potential weakness for the Trail Blazers in the new season.

After the preseason ended, the media still released the power rankings for the new season, only this year it was released by ESPN. In this ranking, the Trail Blazers, Pacers, and Lakers ranked in the top three, followed by the 76ers, Spurs, Kings, Mavericks, and Timberwolves.

Barkley, who wrote the list, gave his reasons for ranking the Trail Blazers at the top.

"Compared to the existing problems, the Trail Blazers' real strength lies in Yang Shuai and the core trio. Yang Shuai still seems to be hungry for the championship in the preseason, and although last season was the Trail Blazers' third championship, it was only the first for the trio. Only God can stop them from succeeding."

Barkley makes no secret of his high regard for the Trail Blazers; having spent most of his career with the 76ers and Suns, he now considers himself a Trail Blazers legend.

The reason he ranked the Pacers ahead of the Lakers was that he felt Kobe had always been Shaq's sidekick and had never proven his ability to lead a team.

“Getting high scores and leading a team are two different things, especially when so many people on that team used to hate him.”

The Trail Blazers' season opener will be against the 76ers.

In front of 20,000 fans at home and thousands of fans outside the arena, the Trail Blazers held their third consecutive championship ring presentation and flag-raising ceremony.

This time, the Trail Blazers players not only received a luxurious ring, but even the ring box was custom-made, with the word "Dynasty" inlaid in gold.

This special gift also foreshadows how special Allen's third championship is in his eyes.

When the fourth championship banner appeared in the Rose Garden arena, fans were filled with anticipation for the new season.

Carlisle ultimately chose Collins as the starting center.

Billups, Sura, Young, Wallace, and Collins – this is the Trail Blazers' starting lineup for the new season.

Their opponents, the 76ers, also underwent significant roster changes this summer.

First, they traded back their former player, Derek Coleman.

Last season, the 76ers' most obvious problem was that they only had one offensive weapon. Once Iverson was shut down, it became very difficult for them to score.

In addition, they continued to improve their wing defense, acquiring defensive wing Matt Harpring from the Cavaliers and signing former Pacers player Derrick McGee.

These are all clearly prepared for Yang Shuai, or rather, the wing treatment that Jordan enjoyed back then has now been transferred to Yang Shuai.

Snow, Iverson, Harprin, Coleman, Mutombo.

Compared to last season's roster, the 76ers are clearly stronger on paper.

But once the game actually started, the problems the 76ers faced against the Trail Blazers did not change despite the roster changes, and may even have gotten worse.

The most pressing issue is the three-point shot.

It's unclear whether Brown suffered psychological trauma from Game 4 of last season's Finals, but he's become incredibly critical of his players' three-point shooting choices.

In short, even if a player misses an open three-pointer, he will fly into a rage on the sidelines (ps: this does not apply to Iverson).

This resulted in the 76ers' offense being incredibly crowded, with Iverson facing a jungle of muscles every time he drove in.

Last season, Iverson scored easily because the league favored him and he had the advantage of refereeing. But one season of storytelling is enough. When that kind of treatment is gone, it becomes much more difficult for him to score.

This has made Iverson, who was already inefficient last season, even less efficient this season, and he has made significantly more mistakes.

On the other hand, the Trail Blazers also have many problems. For example, when Sura and Collins are on the court at the same time, the team's offensive space is greatly reduced. Wallace's performance this season has declined compared to last season. They are also prone to foul trouble in the paint due to the league's targeting of interior players. However, as Barkley said, they have the best players in the league.

Yang Shuai's consistency in post-up play has improved significantly this season compared to last season, and his close-range finishing after turning around has become more consistent.

The result of all this was that the 76ers had to double-team him early, which in turn created many easy scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Moreover, Carlisle's coaching ability remains on point. After discovering that the 76ers' defense was being disrupted by Young, he decisively brought in Reed and Okur to improve the team's spacing.

As a result, the Trail Blazers had already built a nearly 20-point lead over the 76ers by the halfway point of the game.

This sparked a heated discussion between commentators Barkley and Kenny Smith: had the 76ers gotten weaker, or had the Trail Blazers gotten stronger?

Smith believes it is the former, while Barkley believes it is the latter.

Neither side could convince the other, but they eventually reached a consensus: last season's fairytale gave many fans unrealistic fantasies, and the 76ers are not a team on the same level as the Trail Blazers.

Since they are not in the same league, it is impossible to determine who has become stronger or weaker based on a single match.

The Trail Blazers ultimately defeated the 76ers 103-83 at home to start the season with a winning start.

Yang Shuai clocked out after three quarters, easily achieving a near triple-double with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists.

"We encountered many problems in the game, such as offensive spacing and fouling standards. These are the issues we need to overcome going forward."

The team won easily, but Carlisle was not at ease after the game.

Sura's three-point shooting remains poor this season, fully demonstrating that his outside performance in his final season with the Cavaliers was just a flash in the pan.

Collins has a good physique and decent rookie experience, but he is not a perfect fit for the team's spacing system.

As for Reed and Okur, although they can create space, their defense is a major problem.

If Brown hadn't stubbornly refused to shoot three-pointers, allowing the Trail Blazers to easily counter with a collapsing defense, they wouldn't have won so easily.

"This is only our first game of the season, and the best news for us is that the team is still hungry for victory."

Yang Shuai, on the other hand, showed a relatively positive and optimistic side.

It would be abnormal for a dynasty team not to encounter problems. The biggest problem is internal desire, which the Trail Blazers still possess.

Time flies, and it's already late November.

As Carlisle said, facing numerous problems, the Trail Blazers entered a new phase of adjustment, and their performance was as inconsistent as last season.

However, given last season's experience, many still believe the Trail Blazers can eventually gel and achieve a good result.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Trail Blazers hosted the Wizards at home.

This was just a regular season game, but it excited domestic fans because it was the first time Yao Ming and Yang Shuai faced off on the NBA stage.

However, just before this game, Barkley pulled off a major stunt.

"If Yao can score 19 points in the game, I will kiss Kenny Smith's ass."

Charles Barkley's words on camera in "NBA Insider" instantly ignited a media frenzy.

Because of the Asian Championships, Yao Ming was unable to participate in the Summer League for the new season. However, he did not score zero points in his debut game, as he participated in the Wizards' full training camp and preseason games.

However, in their first game of the regular season, the Wizards faced the Pistons, who had Ben Wallace, and he didn't perform well.

全场比赛打了25分钟的他，10投2中仅得4分7板。

He was clearly struggling to adapt in the subsequent games, averaging only 7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the first 8 games.

These statistics aren't too bad for a rookie, after all, rookies are evaluated over three years.

But for a second overall pick, this is clearly unacceptable, even terrible.

It is clear that Yao Ming, who entered the NBA earlier, was not able to adapt immediately to the change in intensity from the CBA to the NBA, even with more preparation.

And the worst thing was that in the game against the Suns on November 15, Yao Ming was faked out and fell to the ground when facing Marbury on the defensive end.

This scene was repeatedly broadcast on American television media.

Although both are Asian players, Yao Ming, as a Chinese player, faced even more discrimination and unfair treatment when he entered the league than Yang Shuai did back then.

On the day of the Thanksgiving Day game, Yang Shuai approached Barkley, who was there to provide commentary.

“Charles, I don’t like what you’re doing.”

Yang Shuai was straightforward. He could understand that Barkley did this to gain traffic and attention, which is what media people would do. But Yao Ming is now a key client of HARK Company.

Moreover, Yao Ming entered the NBA carrying the hopes of all Chinese fans, and the pressure he faced was unprecedented.

If it weren't for his good relationship with Barkley, Yang Shuai would have already fallen out with him.

"Hansen, I'm helping him."

So I should thank you?

Barkley's answer almost made Yang Shuai laugh out loud.

"Hansen, do you think Yao can get 19 points?"

"of course."

Yang Shuai is a time traveler; let alone 19 points in a single game, Yao Ming averaged 19 points per game in his career.

“I think so too. His performance has been getting better and better over the past two weeks.”

Barkley's next answer surprised Yang Shuai.

"You know this is America, and American fans love to see things backfire."

After hearing Barkley's next sentence, Yang Shuai finally understood what Barkley wanted to do.

This move kills two birds with one stone.

Barkley gained attention, and by fulfilling his bet afterward, he was able to establish a persona of someone who dares to take responsibility.

As for Yao Ming, he proved Barkley wrong, demonstrating his strength, and his fame will be greatly enhanced.

Keep in mind that there are so many first picks in the draft every year, let alone the second pick. It's not easy for a rookie to get the spotlight in the United States.

From a marketing perspective, Barkley's move was very sophisticated.

(End of this chapter)