The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 265 Teach Me
After being "removed" from the Trail Blazers at the beginning of the season, Inman had no trouble finding a job, as he has a very wide network of connections in the basketball world.

Besides being a good friend of Bob Knight, he also has a close personal relationship with Bucks coach Don Nelson. The Bucks had already extended an offer to Inman before he left the Trail Blazers.

Inman's departure in the summer remains shrouded in mystery, as there were no warning signs and the Trail Blazers offered no explanation, stating that it was due to Inman's personal reasons.

After leaving the Trail Blazers, Inman quickly went to Milwaukee to serve as the Bucks' player personnel manager, a place that was also going through a period of turmoil.

Previously, team owner Jim Fitzgerald was preparing to sell the team and then use the money to invest in the Golden State Warriors, shifting his business focus from Wisconsin to California, much like Mike Corleone moved his family business from New York to Nevada.

Fitzgerald wasn't killing his enemy, of course; it was for health reasons. The California sunshine and warm weather were better for his body, while Milwaukee was just too cold.

Another reason is that Fitzgerald originally hoped to establish a Wisconsin television sports broadcasting network with the Milwaukee Bucks, just like the Portland Trail Blazers did in Oregon, riding the wave of television broadcasting.

But he soon discovered that there were too few cable TVs in the Wisconsin area to build a network, and the failure of this investment made him determined to leave.

The team is about to be sold to Milwaukee businessman Herb Cole, and Milwaukee Broadcasting Company owner Lloyd Pettit is willing to donate funds to build a new arena to replace the previous smallest and most dilapidated Macce Arena.

Changes in ownership inevitably lead to changes in management, staff, and team roster. After all, a new owner will certainly have new ideas. At this time, an experienced and well-connected veteran is needed to advise the team and, if necessary, take the blame.

Inman, having been scapegoated once with the Trail Blazers, seemed unconcerned about taking the blame again, and quickly threw himself into his work as the team's personnel manager.

However, the Bucks don't have much room for improvement in their roster. Last season they won 59 games, but were eliminated 0-4 by the 76ers in the semifinals.

The roster built around Moncrief has not yet reached its full potential; if there is any, it is that there is still room for improvement in the frontcourt.

The Bucks brought in Inman not to poach Gan Guoyang, that's impossible. Any star player needs the right opportunity to switch teams or make a trade. Inman's role is to help the team seize the opportunity when it comes.

In the game against the Trail Blazers on December 31, Inman, who had returned to Portland, actually helped Nelson a lot tactically.

Inman is not just a simple team manager; before coming to the Trail Blazers, he coached high school and college basketball teams for many years, so he understands tactics.

Regarding the Trail Blazers' "Big Three" strategy that swept the league this year, Inman gave Don Nelson key advice on several details: Walton's running speed issues, Mitchell Thompson's inability to maintain efficiency for extended periods, and avoiding Forrest Gump.

In dealing with Gan Guoyang, Inman's advice was probably the most accurate and effective in the entire league: avoidance is not shameful, but rather very useful.

Nelson trusted his old friend and former Blazers manager, and in the game on the 31st, he fully utilized his advanced tactical imagination, using three guards to deal with three tall players, and using speed and penetration to avoid Gan Guoyang's mobile defense.

If Dick Motta, Doug Mo, and others in the late 70s were pioneers of roster experimentation, then Don Nelson was the originator.

In 1976, after losing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Don Nelson became the Bucks' head coach and began to introduce the concept of a point forward, breaking the traditional basketball notion that offensive organization must be carried out by small guards.

The main purpose of using a point forward is to unleash the offensive power of smaller players, allowing them to focus less on ball handling and playmaking, and instead focus more on attacking and becoming purer attacking guards.

Therefore, the Bucks were able to field a three-guard lineup of Moncrief, Paul Plessy, and Rich Pierce, avoiding the advantage of three tall players and using speed and perimeter shooting to launch a fierce offense.

After the game, in the Trail Blazers' locker room, Jack Ramsey was very dissatisfied with the players' performance and swore for the first time this season.

"You guys were like lead on the court, didn't you know how to run? Did the halftime lead make you lose your minds? Where was the defense? Where was the energy? You played like a pile of dog shit in the third quarter. Sonny, what were you doing in the third quarter, you 'King of the Third Quarter'? Your job is to guard the men you're supposed to guard. It's good that you're extending your defense outwards, but don't forget you're a center! When you're on the perimeter, you're a center on the perimeter, understand?!"

Since Gan Guoyang joined the Trail Blazers, Ramsey's temper has improved a lot, and he rarely gets angry even when the team loses.

Today, however, he was very dissatisfied with the Trail Blazers' performance, not only because he had higher expectations for the team, but also because he saw many problems with the Trail Blazers through this game.

The entire league is now focused on the Trail Blazers. The Bucks can use this method against the Trail Blazers, and other teams can do the same, especially Western Conference teams, particularly the Los Angeles Lakers.

Gan Guoyang remained silent. He knew Ramsey was right; he hadn't played well tonight, and the Bucks had exploited the team's weaknesses.

Bill Walton wanted to stand up and say something, but Ramsey stopped him, saying, "But ultimately, the responsibility for tonight's defeat lies with me. I was completely outmatched by Nelson in terms of tactical arrangements and player rotation. I'm primarily responsible. Fortunately, we're going to Milwaukee next month. Hopefully, I can make amends then. I don't want us to be swept by any team this season, no one!"

After saying that, Ramsey announced the disbandment of the team, and the Trail Blazers' 1985 came to a less than perfect end.

But imperfection is not necessarily a bad thing; seemingly perfect experiences often hide huge risks.

The devastating loss to the Bucks has made the Trail Blazers players realize that there is no perfect system in the world. You will always encounter countermeasures and strategies, and you will always make mistakes and fail.

Gan Guoyang was in a bad mood after returning home from losing the game. He asked Spoelstra for a copy of the game videotape and planned to watch it at home.

But Wang Fuxi stopped him, saying he needed to clear his head and relax, instead of constantly immersing himself in basketball games, which wasn't good for him. Gan Guoyang agreed, so the two drove to the city center, found a private cinema, and bought tickets for a midnight showing of the popular July film, "Back to the Future."

This low-budget science fiction film became a dark horse in 1985, raking in $2 million at the box office during the summer and making time travel a popular film and television theme in the United States.

Even by the standards of cinematic appreciation of Gan Guoyang in later generations, this film remains a masterpiece, and he saw many elements in it that were later borrowed from other films.

Wang Fuxi asked Forrest Gump, "Forrest Gump, if you went back to the future and met me, what would you do?"

Gan Guoyang, eating French fries, said, "Kill my future self, and be with you."

Wang Fuxi was satisfied with Gan Guoyang's answer and leaned on his shoulder. However, she realized what was happening and asked, "What about me now?"

Gan Guoyang said, "Wait, wait until I go there in the future."

"But the timeline must be different now. The present you is no longer here, so naturally there won't be a past you killing the future you, and you won't be with the future me!"

"The universe does indeed have many timelines... If I went back to the future, the world would be normal."

"What nonsense are you talking about? The world is only normal with you in it."
-
When the sun rose as usual the next day, 1985 had passed and 1986 had arrived, and nothing had changed in the world.

At least the NBA landscape remains unchanged: the Eastern Conference is still dominated by the Celtics, while the Western Conference is a battle between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers.

On the morning of January 1st, the entire Trail Blazers team flew to Chicago to begin their road trip.

Gan Guoyang was really looking forward to a showdown with Jordan, but unfortunately Jordan officially announced that he would miss the rest of the regular season.

Jordan was not in Chicago. After it was confirmed that he would miss the rest of the season, he returned to North Carolina to recover from his injury and finish his remaining courses.

Gan Guoyang called Jordan from the hotel. The two hadn't spoken for a while, and Jordan seemed more worried than when he was first injured.

When he first got injured, Jordan was angry and frustrated that he couldn't play. But when it was confirmed that he would miss the rest of the season, Jordan realized that it wasn't as simple as just being unable to play.

Because Jordan has a contract with Nike, an injury would mean a significant drop in his commercial value, making many of Nike's business plans impossible to realize, and potentially ruining everything.

Nike has invested a lot in Jordan, getting deeply involved in his basketball and life, so when Jordan saw the negative effects of being sidelined for the season, he felt a sense of dread.

The experience of never having climbed to the top of a mountain is completely different from the experience of climbing to the top and then falling down.

"Actually, my biggest worry is you, Sonny. You're running too fast and too far now. I'm really afraid I won't be able to catch up with you." Jordan spoke frankly to Gan Guoyang, making no attempt to hide his anxiety.

"Don't worry, a year will go by quickly. You'll be able to compete with me next year. How are you feeling in North Carolina? Are you able to pick up female students again?" Gan Guoyang joked.

"Stop messing around, I have a girlfriend now. And let me tell you a secret, I've already started playing basketball with people, it's just too hard to go without playing basketball."

"What? Weren't you out for the season? Why are you still playing?"

"Yes, that's what the doctor said, but my foot doesn't hurt anymore. I can run and jump normally now, but I can't start quickly. I'm fine for regular competitive sports."

Jordan's injury was not as severe as Bernard King's; it was relatively minor. The Bulls' decision to keep Jordan out of the regular season was a cautious one, as they wouldn't miss out on another year.

This caution is absolutely correct. The player's career is still long, and the Bulls have no pressure to win this year. Let Jordan rest well, and the team can get a good draft pick. It's a win-win situation.

"Don't your manager and boss care about you?"

“I don’t want them controlling me. Your team can’t control you either, can’t they? By the way, I heard you ousted Stu Inman to bring Bill Walton back. Is that right, Sonny?”

Jordan suddenly brought up Inman's departure, it seems he's been sitting idly in Chapel Hill, listening to a lot of gossip from the industry.

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "What are you talking about, Michael? I don't have that kind of power."

"That's not necessarily true, Sonny. Why don't you teach me? I also want to get rid of that Klaus guy."

(End of this chapter)