The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 541 Change
In November 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down.

This iconic building, a symbol of separation and confrontation during the Cold War, has collapsed, and the Iron Curtain that fell between East and West after World War II is being destroyed and disintegrated.

Reforms began in various Eastern European countries, and a dramatic change was taking place in Europe and the world as a whole.

Changes are happening in the NBA as well.

Within a week of the start of the 1989-1990 season, the average points per game for each team had fallen below 108.

NBA自1976-1977赛季球队场均超过108分以来，球队的场均得分就一直稳定在108分-110分之间。

In his first year in the league, the 1984-1985 season, Gan Guoyang reached a career-high of 110.8 points, which then declined year by year.

The NBA is gradually entering a slower-paced era.

The fast-paced offensive wave launched by teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and Nuggets in the early to mid-80s was gradually overshadowed by the slow-paced, defensive strategies of the Trail Blazers, Pistons, and Bullets.

Driven by giants like Gan Guoyang in the paint, NBA players are getting better and better in terms of physical fitness, with more and more muscular players emerging year after year.

The image of tall, thin players with long socks and afros from the 70s is gone forever.

The idea that strength training would affect shooting touch has been corrected, and teams have begun to conduct systematic strength training.

Forrest Gump, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Charles Barkley, Rick Mahorn, Patrick Ewing, and others are ushering in an era of muscle in the NBA.

On November 13th, the Washington Bullets faced the Utah Jazz on the road. The Bullets, playing back-to-back away games, were in poor form and then faced the Jazz at their home court.

斯托克顿破天荒的砍下30分，送出16次助攻和5次抢断，卡尔-马龙33分16个篮板球3次抢断。

The Jazz's duo is showing their power.

Charles Barkley had a poor performance, scoring only 17 points.

Playing back-to-back away games takes a lot of toll on him.

The Bullets' Sidney Moncrief can no longer contain a rising point guard like Stockton.

The times are entering a phase of rapid change.

The Trail Blazers were given two days of rest, with Bobby Bellman giving the players a break.

Mitchell Thompson's muscle soreness is a result of accumulated injuries from his age, and he's overreacting to minor ailments.

Anyway, the Trail Blazers have plenty of interior players right now, and young players are all getting playing time, so there's no shortage of players.

This is a great opportunity for Sabonis and Divac to showcase and improve themselves.

Sabonis, in particular, played well against the Bullets, scoring 10 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots.

However, just as Bellman judged Sabonis during training camp, it would be difficult for him and Forrest Gump to develop the same offensive chemistry as he had with Bill Walton. Sabonis is not a master of offensive organization.

His occasional flashes of inspiration and his passing after grabbing a rebound can help the offense. Once in the half-court, his role is more like a traditional center, except that his long-range shooting is very threatening and his passing is excellent, so double-teaming him is not very effective.

On the contrary, Divac sometimes has some clever high-low post combinations with Gan Guoyang, and some of his passes show his playmaking talent, but the two of them are on the court together too rarely.

In the NBA, Sabonis's most prominent role is his defense. His 7-foot-3 height, good mobility and jumping ability make him a formidable force in the Trail Blazers' interior defense.

This should be the most powerful interior defense combination the Trail Blazers have faced since Gan Guoyang entered the NBA.

Both of these guys possessed the power to shatter backboards, and in the increasingly competitive 90s, they were destined to shine.

If Sabonis can resolve his foul trouble, take the time to adapt to NBA defense, and stay healthy, this frontcourt duo will be incredibly powerful.

Compared to Sabonis, who has already won the coach's trust, and Divac, who has received special training from Gan Guoyang, Petrovic's performance has fallen to the bottom of the Eastern European trio.

He has had the opportunity to play in the last two games, but his performance on the field can only be described as mediocre.

There are occasional bright spots, but they don't play a decisive role.

Porter and Hornacek's positions are unshakeable.

He trails Curry in the race for the third point guard position.

Curry's role is very clear: to shoot three-pointers.

Petrovic wants to do more; he wants to become a decisive defender in the backfield.

But this goal is very, very far away from him.

On his days off, he didn't spend time with his girlfriend or sleep at home.

Instead, he went to a gym in Portland's waterfront area to work out.

This place was introduced to Petrovich by Gan Guoyang.

Although Billman said that he would wait until the offseason to fully build muscle and improve his physical condition, Petrovic did not want to miss the opportunity to make himself stronger during the season.

To his surprise, he encountered Sabonis here, the giant god who was also working out here on his day off.

Needless to say, it must have been Forrest Gump who introduced them. Petrovich suspected that Forrest Gump might have a stake in the business.

With Divac absent, their conversation was a little awkward, but they became more talkative when they discussed the current situation in Europe.

Their hometowns were in turmoil.

As Eastern European countries began to undergo reforms, Soviet rule there gradually crumbled.

Different political factions, different ethnic conflicts, and historical legacies are all surging towards people under the sweeping tide of the times.

In Lithuania, the calls for independence from the Soviet Union are growing louder, and in the near future, Lithuania will seek national independence.

With Milosevic coming to power in Yugoslavia, the conflict between Croats and Serbs was gradually coming to the fore, and the domestic political atmosphere was tense.

Petrovic is Croat and has a deep love for Croatia, while Divac is Serbian.

As teammates within the larger concept of Yugoslavia, they had a very good and close relationship.

But if we specifically talk about ethnic groups...

"What will happen between you and Divac if war breaks out with the Croats and Serbs?" Sabonis posed a difficult question to Petrovich.

Petrovich remained silent for a while before saying, "I will always stand on the side of my nation, just as you care about Lithuania and Forrest Gump cares about China."

"But we are also teammates and good friends."

“Some things are just unavoidable, Avidas… I still hope for peace so that we can unite under a unified Yugoslavia.”

Sabonis nodded, but then he thought of his own country, Lithuania. Would they want to live and unite under a Soviet Union?

The situation in Lithuania was already turbulent. On the 48th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1987, the Lithuanian Freedom Union launched a rally to publicly protest the treaty signed by the Soviet Union and Germany 48 years earlier in 1939, which placed Lithuania under Soviet sphere of influence.

Then the Soviet Union sent troops to Lithuania and incorporated this small country into its territory.

In August 1989, the Baltic states launched an initiative called "Baltic Chain," in which people joined hands to form a 675-kilometer-long human chain that traversed the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, hoping to draw global attention to the historical experiences of these three countries.

Sabonis knew that it was only a matter of time before Lithuania left the Soviet Union.

But he was also confused. Although he loved his home country Lithuania, he had achieved many glorious accomplishments in the Soviet Union, including the highest honor in men's basketball: Olympic gold medals.

This superpower with 300 million people and 22 million square kilometers of land once made every member of it proud.

In every national team match, Sabonis longed to see the Soviet flag raised. A reporter once asked him to betray his country, but he resolutely refused. For the sake of the 1988 Olympics, he insisted on playing despite his injuries.

But now, this great nation is teetering on the brink of collapse, facing a turbulent storm.

Their situation is similar to that of Yugoslavia, where complex ethnic issues are erupting and everything is spiraling out of control.

The two of them were working out at the gym and talking about these heavy topics, until they were both speechless.

On the field, they are heroes, stars, and can command the wind and rain.

But in the real world, when it comes to issues concerning the fate of a nation or country, they are just insignificant individuals.

Faced with the torrent of epochal change, they could do almost nothing; they could only watch and wait quietly.

Basketball is the best tool for them to get rid of their mental distress.
-
On November 15th, the Trail Blazers hosted their seventh opponent of the season, the New York Knicks.

Mitchell Thompson remains sidelined with injury, while Sabonis will start tonight against the Knicks' center, Patrick Ewing.

Before the game started, in the locker room, Gan Guoyang was getting a massage and said to Sabonis next to him, "Sabo, tonight you'll be guarding Ewing one-on-one. Are you confident?"

Sabonis will be the one tasked with dealing with Ewing in the starting lineup.

In the past, this work was done by Gan Guoyang, who could completely outmaneuver You Yin.

From college to the NBA, he could handle Ewing in no time.

Ewing's playing style is easier to deal with than Olajuwon's and Robinson's.

That might not be the case for Sabonis.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Sabonis said confidently.

"That's settled then. I won't help you during the match; you'll have to deal with him yourself. Even if you can't defend against him, you'll have to do it yourself," Gan Guoyang said.

If Sabonis were a veteran, Gan Guoyang would definitely help Sabonis, and might even take the initiative to defend against Ewing during the game.

But Sabonis was a newcomer, and he needed one-on-one training opportunities, while Ewing in 1989 was gradually entering his prime.

In his first two years in the league, Ewing didn't play very well in the 85-86 and 86-87 seasons.

Due to injuries, he missed a significant number of games, and his performance in the regular season was overly reckless. His physical advantages from the NCAA were less pronounced in the NBA.

When facing other top centers, Ewing appeared rather clumsy, and his playing style lacked imagination and aesthetic appeal.

His contract negotiations with the Knicks during his rookie season caused a huge stir in New York, and his silent, aloof, and somewhat arrogant personality led to a poor relationship with the New York media.

Therefore, in the first two seasons, Ewing was under a lot of pressure and suffered a lot of attacks.

The tough guy image that Coach Thompson cultivated for him not only failed to help him succeed in the NBA, but also led to a lot of criticism and misunderstanding.

These past two years have been very difficult for Ewing.

The turning point came in the 1987-1988 season when Rick Pitino took over as head coach of the Knicks, replacing Hubie Brown.

From 83 to 85, Pitino worked as an assistant coach for the Knicks, then went to teach at Providence University, before returning to New York in 87.

That year, the Knicks drafted point guard Mark Jackson, and Pitino began to cultivate a more agile style, changing the Knicks' and Ewing's previous cumbersome image.

Ewing developed an excellent jump shot ability; his mid-range shot, turnaround jumper, and hook shot with both feet up began to show their power.

His knees received better treatment, his steps became lighter, and his speed, strength, and explosiveness all improved.

Ewing played his first full season in his professional career, appearing in all 82 games, earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive Second Team, and making his first All-Star appearance.

In the 88-89 season, Ewing and the Knicks reached their peak.

They acquired Charles Oakley from the Bulls in the offseason in exchange for Bill Cartwright.

The Knicks' cumbersome twin towers strategy of Ewing and Cartwright is gone forever.

Oakley would undoubtedly be a better fit for Ewing's frontcourt partner.

With a great helper like Oakley, the Knicks won the Atlantic Division regular season championship.

Ewing was once again selected to the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive Second Team, and broke into the top five in the MVP rankings.

This once-renowned NCAA center finally showed the brilliance of a superstar in his fourth year in the league.

Of course, Gan Guoyang had already achieved a three-peat that year, reaching an unprecedented level of glory.

Ewing didn't envy his friends; he simply focused on working hard and striving to be the best in his field.

In the 89 playoffs, he led the Knicks to victory over the Washington Bullets, before losing in the second round to Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

This was the first time he had lost to Jordan in the playoffs since entering the NBA, and the second time in his career that he had lost to Jordan in a major competition.

Despite the loss, the New Yorkers saw hope for a revival in Ewing, who is only 26 years old and everything is getting better and better.

Coach Thompson's imprint on him is fading as he adapts to life in New York. He's become more outgoing, relaxed, and casual, strolling around training camp in slippers, talking to young players, and joking with reporters.

Although every time a reporter mentions Forrest Gump, Ewing will put on a straight face, raise his chin, and revert to his arrogant demeanor, saying, "I am me, Forrest Gump is Forrest Gump, I have my own way of playing and my own career."

He doesn't like being compared to Gan Guoyang, even though that's the fate of all young centers in the league.

Since the start of this season, Ewing has been in the best form of his career, averaging 27 points in his first five games.

In the game against the Miami Heat, Ewing scored 41 points, reaching 40 points earlier than Gan Guoyang this season.

Although Rick Pitino left the Knicks in the summer, Stu Jackson, who succeeded Pitino, inherited his predecessor's strategic approach—a fast and agile offense, and a large number of three-point attempts.

Pitino was among the first coaches in the NBA to recognize the importance of three-pointers.

In the 88-89 season, the Knicks had one of the highest numbers of three-point attempts in the league, but their accuracy was not great.

Pitino's strategy is somewhat similar to that of the Trail Blazers, but for many reasons, it is far less effective than the Trail Blazers'.

The Trail Blazers played a slow-paced style with three-pointers, while Pitino wanted a fast-paced style with three-pointers, but they couldn't capitalize on that advantage in the playoffs.

Ultimately, after two seasons, Pitino was unable to stay in New York.

His reforms were half successful and half unsuccessful.

For Sabonis, how to defend Ewing is definitely a big challenge.

Gan Guoyang said he wouldn't help Sabonis, and he absolutely wouldn't lend a hand during the match.

So when the players from both sides took to the field, Sabonis was a little nervous as the match was about to start.

Although Gan Guoyang said he wouldn't offer any help, he still wanted to tell Sabo how.

"Ewing likes to go mid lane, so we cut off his mid lane."

"His left hand isn't very good, let go of his left hand."

"Try to reach out and interfere with his shot; his ability to resist interference is average."

"I won't help defend, but I'll remind you during the game that you shouldn't get discouraged when you encounter problems, and you should try to fight back."

Sabonis nodded repeatedly, taking every word Gan Guoyang said to heart and pondering it carefully.

After the opening ceremony, the players from both sides took to the field.

The Knicks' starting lineup: Ewing, Oakley, Mark Jackson, Gerald Wilkins, and Johnny Newman.

The Trail Blazers' starting lineup: Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, Korsey, Hornacek and Porter.

The Memorial Stadium was packed to capacity, and the floor had been improved compared to last season.

The three-second zone was painted white and red, and the large blocks of color made the court look brighter and more eye-catching.

Tonight, team owner Tang Jianguo came from New York to personally watch the game between the Trail Blazers and the Knicks.

As a native New Yorker, Tang Jianguo has supported the Knicks since childhood, but now he is a die-hard Trail Blazers fan.

Tang Jianguo was very satisfied with the Trail Blazers' strong start to the season, which to some extent alleviated his disappointment in the business world.

Apart from the profitable investment in the Trail Blazers, almost all of his other investments in the past two years have failed, resulting in significant financial losses.

Nowadays, he relies on the Trail Blazers to maintain his image, appearing on the sidelines of NBA games and getting screen time from TV cameras to increase his exposure.

Jerry West sat next to Tang Jianguo. After the players' entrance ceremony, Tang Jianguo said to West with a proud smile, "How was it? Wasn't it magnificent? Only a symphony orchestra could do justice to Forrest Gump's entrance, like a sun rising from the horizon!"

West remained expressionless and simply said, "A genius idea."

Tang Jianguo was very happy to receive West's approval, and he twirled his fingers around in the air.

“Jerry, you said if we build a super-sized arena that can hold more than 30,000 people, will the Trail Blazers’ games still be sold out? That way we can collect more than double the ticket revenue.”

West turned to look at Tang Jianguo, wondering if he had gone mad.

A stadium that can hold 30,000 people—converting football stadiums into basketball courts is no longer a trend in the NBA.

For a dedicated basketball arena, 20,000 seats would be the most suitable number.

Last season, Tang Jianguo promised to build a new stadium, but the investment has been slow to materialize.

Because Tang Jianguo's other projects were losing money, he no longer had the funds to select sites or initiate projects.

He'd be lucky if he could maintain the current player salaries for the Trail Blazers and not sell any players.

They even had the audacity to want to build a super-large stadium that can hold 30,000 people.

Tang Jianguo continued, "I want to name this arena after my own surname and hang all the Trail Blazers' championship banners there!"

West said, "Boss, if my information is correct, many of your projects have fallen through, and you're still in debt. How do you plan to build a stadium with a capacity of 30,000?"

Tang Jianguo said, "What does that matter? I can raise funds, issue bonds, and use box office revenue as collateral—as long as we can win the championship, money is not a problem at all. If we hadn't failed to win the championship last season, we could have broken ground this season."

West knew the capitalists' methods; a shrewd businessman never uses his own money, but rather the money of banks and the public.

"The season has just begun. You need to be patient with Donald and have faith in Forrest Gump. We're on a good run."

"Of course, I have unwavering faith in Forrest Gump, and I believe in you too. But it's best, best not to let me down."

After saying that, Tang Jianguo smiled and gestured for the game to begin.

Tang Jianguo spends most of his time in New York, not in Portland.

He comes to Portland every two weeks to watch the games and take care of some business.

Occasionally revealing his fangs shows that he is not a boss who can be easily fooled.

West felt a bit of pressure, but fortunately the Trail Blazers are doing well and in stable condition.

However, West still had his eye on the Trail Blazers' somewhat weak backcourt.

He glanced at Petrovich sitting on the bench; if this guy didn't meet the requirements, he might be a bargaining chip.

West is still undecided about whether to make changes to the team, and the future landscape of the league remains to be seen.

Let's make a decision when the season goes on a bit longer.

At this moment, both center forwards are standing in the center circle.

Sabonis and Ewing jump for the ball, and the game begins.

(End of this chapter)