The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 285 Getting Darker and Darker
Like the "Veteran Day Massacre" in Game 1 of the 1985 Finals, this "Silver Dome Massacre" was also marked by exaggerated language from North American media.

After all, in this so-called "massacre," the only person who actually bled was Bill Laimbeer.

He was punched because he was too close to Gan Guoyang, and his nose bled. During the rest of the match, his left nostril was stuffed with cotton to stop the bleeding.

Lambiel felt very wronged tonight because he didn't lay a hand on Forrest Gump at all during the game, and didn't even say much sarcastic remarks.

In the end, they still got beaten up!
Furthermore, this guy lacks martial ethics and uses his fists, even resorting to sneak attacks, without employing any fall defense techniques.

Moreover, although Gan Guoyang was ejected from the game, it seems that the punch he took was worthwhile. But upon closer inspection, even if he hadn't taken that punch, Gan Guoyang would still have been ejected anyway.

It seems that Forrest Gump still made a profit. Lambiel was very resentful and resolved not to join in the fun next time. He would run as fast as Thomas.

As for Te Ping, who had taken a solid fall, he was fine after returning to the locker room for a check-up, except for feeling a little dizzy. Gan Guoyang was still very capable and had protected Te Ping's neck during the fall.

Vinnie Johnson and Joe Dumars were completely unharmed. Johnson was caught by the fans, while Dumars only fell and was slightly sore.

Thomas was a little different; he wasn't physically injured, but he was mentally traumatized, and most importantly, he lost all face.

If you're so capable, go and fight. If you can't beat them, there's nothing I can do, the size difference is too big. But what's the point of running away if you can't beat them?

If Thomas had been timid by nature, or shameless like Lambiel, it would have been one thing, but he was an extremely strong-willed person.

He grew up in one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods, a place rife with drugs, guns, and violence, where Thomas had an older brother who died from drugs.

However, Isaiah Thomas was well protected by his brothers, who kept him away from things that could corrupt him, and he eventually became a great basketball star.

But he always carried the tough mark of the Chicago area, etched by the gunshots of his childhood, and Thomas was proud of it.

That's why Thomas was so unsettled when Michael Jordan became a hero in Chicago; his hometown was cheering for Michael, and he wanted to be his rival.

But this time, when faced with the ferocious Forrest Gump, Thomas actually ran away. After he calmed down, he felt ashamed of his escape.

Sitting on the bench, he was lost in thought. For a moment, he doubted himself, wondering if he was just a coward without his brother's protection.

Or perhaps, it was under the protection of his brothers that his weakness was well hidden, concealed beneath his smiling mask, and hidden behind Lambiel, Thupin and others.

Thomas didn't listen to a word Daly said, and in the subsequent game, he played like he was sleepwalking. He couldn't stop thinking: Am I a softie?

His shots became hesitant, he kept missing, and his drives became unresponsive. After a series of misses and turnovers, Daly had to substitute Thomas out of the game.

Daly understood Thomas's mindset and comforted him, "Zek, knowing when to dodge isn't weakness. It's like if you're unarmed and encounter someone with a gun, would you run away or rush in and get shot? That's not toughness, that's stupidity."

Zeke is Thomas' nickname, given to him by Georgetown defender John Durren when they participated in the Pan American Games.

They were discussing defensive tactics together when Duren found "Isaiah, Isaiah" too cumbersome, so he gave him a more concise nickname, "Zek".

Thomas disagreed with Daly's words of comfort, shaking his head and saying, "He wasn't carrying a gun."

Daly said, "What's the difference between a dangerous person like him and someone carrying a gun? You have to understand, a professional fighter is essentially holding a gun when he's unarmed."

"He is not a professional combat athlete."

"Pretty much. He's a beast. I bet some professional fighters wouldn't be a match for him. And Zeke, our primary goal right now is to win the fight. Don't worry about things unrelated to the fight. Winning is worth it. Losing would be even worse, wouldn't it?"

Daly is right. If the Pistons lose after all that effort, they'll have lost both their money and their reputation.

Thomas struggled to control his emotions, unlike Bill Laimbeer.

Laimbeer only suffered for 30 seconds; he was the only one who got hit and injured, now looking like a clown with cotton stuffed in his nose, yet he continued his performance on the court. He drew a defensive foul on Drexler in the paint, then shoved Thompson on offense, allowing Tripka to grab the offensive rebound and put it back in for a layup.

Then, on the defensive end, he made some small fouls to harass Bill Walton. After being called for a foul, he complained to the referee in a wronged tone, pointing to his own nose and saying, "I've been beaten up like this, why did you call a foul on me?"

He's a complete tough nut to crack, a total bastard. He doesn't care about toughness or self-respect; all he wants is to win.

That's why Thomas was the Pistons' core player and number one star, but the team's true soul was Bill Laimbeer.

Although the Trail Blazers have lost their key player, the courage left behind by Gan Guoyang is enough to inspire the Trail Blazers players to forge ahead.

Bill Walton anchored the Trail Blazers' interior offense and defense, making both free throws and then blocking Joe Dumars' shot on defense.

He received a pass from Drexler on the fast break and made a 45-degree bank shot, contributing on both ends of the court and helping the team maintain their lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers grew stronger, with Drexler and Walton showcasing their control of the game and using clever passing and cutting to break through the Pistons' already weak defense.

Referee Struth became increasingly strict, not wanting the conflict between the two sides to escalate further. Gan Guoyang's outburst was already alarming enough; if he hit Struth again, he would cause trouble for the referee.

随着德雷克斯勒在第四节砍下12分4助攻，沃顿拿下8分4个篮板2个盖帽3次助攻，两人联手保住了胜利果实。

The Trail Blazers escaped with a victory at the Silver Top Center, defeating the Detroit Pistons 109-103 by 6 points, securing a hard-fought win after sacrificing their star player.

After the game, Gan Guoyang's rampage at the Silver Dome Center once again caused a huge uproar in the American sports world, and the next day, newspapers and news headlines were dominated by "Silver Dome Massacre".

Fortunately, Gan Guoyang didn't injure anyone; fortunately, he was playing against the Pistons; and fortunately, the conflict involved players, so most people viewed the incident as entertainment.

Gan Guoyang acquired several more nicknames, such as "Silver Top Killer," "Michigan Butcher," "Detroit Funeral Industry Tycoon," and "Insomnia Therapist."

Media outlets in Chicago, Cleveland, and other cities with grudges against the Detroit Pistons went to great lengths to mock them, with a variety of headlines and comments, such as "Melvin Turpin's funeral was held at the Silver Top Center, with Bill Laimbeer buried with him."

"Bill Laimbeer's only time of innocence was when he was implicated because he enjoyed watching the spectacle."

“We believe that given Laimbeer’s criminal record, it was reasonable for Forrest Gump to punch him in that position, and it was considered self-defense.”

“Next time a conflict arises, Lambiel should choose to jump onto the scorer's table to prove that he has nothing to do with it and avoid getting beaten up.”

"Isiah Thomas will represent the United States in the Olympic 200-meter race, and his cornering technique is amazing."

"The time when Struth most resembled a kindergarten teacher was when he was playing eagle catching chicks with Thomas and Forrest Gump."

The Pistons once again demonstrated their poor reputation in the basketball world. This was only 1986, and they hadn't even reached their worst point yet.

This "massacre" certainly couldn't stop the Pistons from continuing down this path; instead, it led them further and further astray.

"...It took Thomas some time to come out of the shadows. He's a very self-aware person, and when he turned his attention back to the court, I knew he was fine. He was still the same Zeke he always was."

Bill's only symptom was a sore nose for a few days, but he recovered quickly and felt stronger, so he started learning some boxing techniques.

But the one who was truly most affected was Melvin Turpin. I think that fall made him discover something, something that had been hidden within him in the past.

He changed. He became more and more like Lambiel, doing whatever it took to win, no longer hesitating, no longer lazy. I think he should thank Forrest Gump, thank him for that hard fall.

—Excerpt from "Tales from the Detroit pistons," co-authored by Rick Marburn and Joe Dumas, published in 2004.

(End of this chapter)