The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 368 Different from Others

Joe Bryant shook his head helplessly at his son's stubbornness.

Kobe was known for not passing the ball when he started playing basketball at the age of five or six.

Because in Italy, the people he played with were far less skilled than him, and he had almost no teammates he could trust.

Moreover, most people participate in the competition to have fun and experience the joy of basketball, but Kobe only had one thought: to win.

So he chose to ignore his mediocre teammates and go it alone, especially in crucial moments of the game, he would yell at his teammates, "Give me the ball."

Kobe was exceptionally skilled and the only Black kid on the court, making him stand out. This made Kobe accustomed to his uniqueness; he knew he was different from everyone else.

At first, this was a source of distress. He was the only Black man in Italy. But when he returned to Philadelphia, he was different from other Black people in America. His clothing, mannerisms, and speech were like those of a white man.

However, after meeting Forrest Gump and seeing how a yellow-skinned man could dominate the American basketball scene, Kobe knew that none of that mattered; winning games and championships was all that mattered.

During halftime, Joe Bryant still tried to instill some "correct" basketball concepts in his son.

Kobe always countered with the example of Forrest Gump: "Forrest Gump didn't pass the ball in high school, but he won the championship by scoring, defense, and offensive rebounds."

"Forrest Gump didn't pass the ball in college either, but he won all the awards."

"The Trail Blazers used to be a team that passed the ball a lot, but now they play a lot of isolation plays."

Despite his young age, Kobe already possessed a clear logic and a deep understanding of American basketball.

Joe Bryant couldn't refute it and could only helplessly say, "Forrest Gump is a center, and you'll be a guard in the future."

Kobe said, "So what if you're a guard? You don't even pass the ball yourself."

Old Joe was completely speechless. The Italian team invited him over to score, shoot, and put on a personal show, so of course he passed the ball less.

In fact, Joe Bryant also felt that the world of the NBA had changed. He played eight seasons in the NBA, from entering the league in 1975 to leaving for Italy in 1983.

He was an extremely talented player, standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, yet possessing excellent ball-handling skills and the ability to fly high and deep. His iconic dunk over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the most classic goal of his career.

In his second year as a professional, he reached the NBA Finals with the Philadelphia 76ers, but lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. He didn't play much in the Finals and his contribution was minimal.

After winning the first two games, the 76ers were swept four in a row. What destroyed them was the Trail Blazers' smooth passing. Their team-oriented style of play caused the Philadelphia 76ers, who focused on individual offense, to collapse.

Ten years have passed, and the Trail Blazers have won the championship again. Their coach is still Jack Ramsey, who is still bald and has thick eyebrows like caterpillars. He still likes to kneel on one knee on the sidelines to direct the team. Their core is still a center, and even Bill Walton is still sitting on the bench recovering from an injury.

However, the content of their game is completely different from that of 10 years ago. Today, Joe Bryant watched the first half with his son and marveled at how quickly the basketball world has changed.

When the third quarter began, it was already daylight in Italy, the sun was out, and the Lakers and Trail Blazers were beginning their most intense competition of the third quarter.

At the start of the third quarter, Magic Johnson drove hard down the middle to the basket and passed the ball to Worthy, who caught the ball and made a floater, scoring two points.

Subsequently, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, turned inside and walked to the top of the court, forcefully pushed past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and made a left-handed hook shot.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could feel that Forrest Gump had increased his intensity in the third quarter, and the collision had hurt him badly.

This kid's strength is still unparalleled.

After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gained weight in the summer, he played two games against the Rockets in the new season, and Hakeem Olajuwon could no longer move him.

Whether it's grabbing offensive rebounds or post-up play, we can no longer bully older players like we did in last season's playoffs.

It must be said that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's physical attributes were truly exceptional, a stark contrast to Walton's.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been in the league for many years and is already 40 years old, but he has never suffered a major injury, never had a surgery, and has never even worn a knee brace.

The most frequently worn and most useful protective gear he wore was the goggles on his head.

But Gan Guoyang can still challenge him, it's just a little more difficult than last season.

Jabbar was astonished; just how strong was this kid? His strength talent was truly terrifying.

Magic Johnson dribbled the ball across half-court and immediately launched a high-post jump shot, which went in again!
This is the difference between Magic Johnson this year and previous seasons; he's very decisive with his mid-range shots and has a high shooting percentage.

Drexler is already a tall defender, but he's still a size too small for Johnson.

Johnson drove to the basket first, and Drexler stepped back to defend, so Johnson immediately took a shot. Double-team? Trying to double-team the league's assist leader is suicide.

"Run! Run!"

Gan Guoyang signaled to Terry Porter to speed up the pace of the game and increase the game's tempo.

Porter didn't understand, but he knew he had to listen to his boss, so he quickly crossed the halfway line.

Gan Guoyang quickly established position in the low post and delivered a bounce pass to Drexler, who was cutting inside.

However, Drexler's layup was thwarted by A.C. Green, and the Lakers, having regained possession, launched a fast break.

Johnson dribbled the ball up the court and delivered a classic bounce pass to Cooper, who caught the ball and dunked it in!

But the Trail Blazers immediately launched a fast counterattack. Gan Guoyang rushed to the frontcourt to receive Porter's long pass, caught the ball firmly, and dunked it with both hands under the basket.

Both teams were speeding up, and the Trail Blazers didn't try to slow down and fight the Lakers in a half-court game. Instead, they both sped up to launch counterattacks.

Gan Guoyang sensed that the team's pace was unlikely to match the Lakers' tonight, given the significant gap in offensive and defensive capabilities and experience among their backcourt players.

Instead of dragging things out, they should speed things up. The Trail Blazers' fast break is already pretty good, and if they can get into a rhythm with their offense, they can keep the score close.

If you slow down the pace and your offense doesn't find its rhythm, while the Lakers can still score, and the point difference widens to 10 points, it will be very difficult to win.

After a back-and-forth exchange, the Lakers maintained their lead at around 6 points, while the Trail Blazers relied on Drexler, Vandeweghe, and Gan Guoyang's aggressive counterattacks to keep scoring and keep the score close.

However, Magic Johnson clearly controlled the pace of the game, and he could play almost however he wanted on offense, leaving the Trail Blazers' defense with no good way to deal with him.

A 6-foot-9 perimeter player who can drive, shoot, and pass is incredibly difficult to defend.

This is different from Larry Bird. Bird's penetration wasn't good enough, and unlike Johnson, he couldn't hold the ball for long periods. He needed to move around and get the ball fed to him. But once Johnson got the ball in the backcourt, it was very difficult to control him.

In the past, it was possible to defend against his weaknesses, such as poor shooting and many turnovers, but now it is becoming increasingly difficult.

Gan Guoyang might be the most suitable candidate to defend Johnson, but the Trail Blazers don't have Walton in the paint, and Johnson is too far out.

When Gan Guoyang is defending Bird, he can also cover the inside, since Bird likes to operate near the three-second zone.

To defend Johnson, you have to start defending him from half-court. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the paint, doing so would be tantamount to leaving the paint completely exposed for the Lakers to exploit.

During a timeout in the third quarter, Jack Ramsey agreed with Gan Guoyang's idea: "We need to speed up, increase the pace, and not try to compete with the Lakers for the rhythm; we can't outpace them. We need to unleash our fast break potential, try some bold offensive options, and the goal is to stay close in the score!"

If they stay close in the third quarter, they'll have one last chance to fight back in the fourth.

"The Lakers have the advantage, the Trail Blazers are at a disadvantage. The Lakers are really strong this year."

Joe Bryant pulled his son onto the sofa, and the two sat together to watch the game. As someone who always follows the NBA, Joe could tell from the game that the Lakers were exceptionally strong this year and had already dominated the Trail Blazers on the court.

The most significant achievement was bringing the Trail Blazers into the Lakers' game rhythm.

Although Gan Guoyang can take on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar one-on-one, his advantage in one-on-one situations is not as significant as when he plays against other centers.

A slight drop in efficiency prevented them from creating consistent scoring opportunities, which in turn gave the Lakers a chance to counterattack – the other Lakers players were all positioned near the three-point line, making them easy targets for fast breaks.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang decisively reduced his one-on-one plays, started setting screens and passing to his teammates, and then went for offensive rebounds and drew fouls to reduce the Lakers' fast break opportunities.

His wife Pamela and daughter Shaya were already up. Seeing the father and son sitting in the living room watching a basketball game so early in the morning, they shook their heads helplessly and went to make breakfast.

Kobe, however, said, "I think the Trail Blazers are building up their strength."

"Charging up?"

"They'll build up their strength and fight back in the fourth quarter."

"Kobe, look, Forrest Gump has started passing the ball to his teammates. In the third quarter, he was always serving his teammates, setting screens, and grabbing rebounds. He trusts his teammates."

Kobe shook his head and said, "No, it's his teammates who trust him. They trust that he will win the game in the final moments."

Joe Bryant sighed, thinking to himself, "Why is this kid so stubborn? Who does he take after? Why is his understanding of basketball so different from everyone else's?"

(End of this chapter)