The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 626 Emperor
After defeating the Celtics, the fully-staffed Trail Blazers went on to win two more games.

They are very strong at home, and importantly, the Princeton system is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Bobby Bellman originally expected it would take at least one or even two seasons to digest this tactic, but unexpectedly, the players have already grasped it very well in just half a season.

On the one hand, this is inseparable from the meticulous help of Pete Carell, who shared his knowledge with the Trail Blazers coaching staff and players, and would occasionally take time to give the team some pointers on training.

The Trail Blazers coaching staff put a lot of effort into simplifying the system, removing overly complex parts, and refining some essential routines through repeated practice.

Just like cramming for the exam three months in advance, don't do any obscure, difficult, or strange questions; focus on the past exam questions and syllabus questions that can get you high marks.

This greatly reduces the learning and usage costs for players, allowing them to already exhibit a different playing style before the All-Star Game.

Now all teams know that the Portland Trail Blazers are using a very special tactical system that is giving everyone a real headache.

Coaches from all teams began studying Princeton and the Trail Blazers' movement and tactics.

The second reason is that the Trail Blazers' players are indeed very well suited to the Princeton offense; they are all very intelligent and have a good tactical foundation.

For Sabonis and Petrovich in particular, many of the methods and principles in the Princeton system seemed tailor-made for them.

They play for European clubs and national teams, and their core spirit is consistent with that of Princeton, rather than the NBA's combination of star players and one-on-one play.

Therefore, Sabonis and Petrovic have both made significant progress in their performance and statistics this year compared to last year.

Compared to the 1990 season, the two players were no longer just icing on the cake or dispensable, but rather important forces on both ends of the team's offense and defense.

Despite being NBA players, there are significant differences in basketball IQ and basketball intelligence.

The Trail Blazers' players are all "high achievers" with solid basic knowledge and strong learning abilities.

Some teams aren't particularly intelligent, like the Utah Jazz, whose entire team, from top to bottom, is of average intelligence.

Therefore, the team struggled to learn and utilize the UCLA system brought by Jerry Sloan.

Since taking over in the second half of the 1988-1989 season, Jerry Sloan has been trying to transform the entire Jazz with the UCLA system.

Unfortunately, the Jazz are not exactly a prodigy team, and the original UCLA system is very complex, making it difficult to fully integrate.

So far this season, after nearly two seasons, the Jazz have finally started to resemble the UCLA system, making opponents aware of their uniqueness – they habitually use a 1-4 formation to execute positional warfare tactics.

However, when facing strong opponents and engaging in high-intensity competition, the Jazz's system is not so effective.

The fact that they were repeatedly overturned by weaker teams in the playoffs shows that the players and coaches still need to deepen their understanding and execution of tactics.

The Trail Blazers players may not be as adept at mastering the system as the Jazz players, but their understanding of the game is undoubtedly deeper.

"Our system is that during regular time, whoever has the opportunity passes the ball to them, and in crucial moments, we give the ball to Forrest Gump to solve the problem."

Reggie Lewis recently gave an interview to an Oregon media outlet, where he was asked about his understanding of the Trail Blazers' tactical system. He spoke candidly about it.

This simplistic and crude explanation is certainly not comprehensive, but upon closer examination, it is not entirely wrong.

The so-called system is that Forrest Gump gives the ball more possession to everyone, and then he still wins the game in the final moments.

The Trail Blazers follow this process in most games, and in some they even crush their opponents in regulation time before the final moments.

A small number of matches were like playing with fire and burning oneself, where the system was overplayed, allowing the opponent to seize opportunities and weaknesses, and in the end, it was too late to recover.

Therefore, judging from their record, the Portland Trail Blazers' performance before the All-Star Game was not as good as at the same time last season, for various reasons, including morale, injuries, schedule, etc.

However, the use of the new system is definitely one of the reasons, which makes people wonder whether the team's adoption and implementation of the Princeton offense was superfluous.

In a pre-game interview, Gan Guoyang strongly supported the coaching staff and the team's new tactical system, saying, "This keeps me in top form; regular season results aren't everything."

"Last season was last season, and it had its own unique characteristics. The new season has new problems and new goals. Moreover, the system is designed for the long term, and there is also the next season to look forward to. We started preparing early, which has always been a tradition of the Trail Blazers. We plan ahead."

After the locker room door was closed, Gan Guoyang reminded Reggie Lewis, "There are some things you can't say to Reggie, and I won't be happy if you say them like that. This isn't a complete picture."

Reggie Lewis feigned innocence, shrugging and saying, "But I'm telling the truth."

Even if it's true, you can't just spread it around!

Reggie Lewis had no choice but to agree, feeling somewhat helpless. In his eyes, Forrest Gump was a strange and unusual leader.

He is not like a typical American sports leader, but more like an Eastern monarch. The harmony and balance of the team are things he cares about very much.

Within the Bulls organization, the players referred to Michael Jordan as "The General" because Jordan was as volatile, domineering, and rude as a general both on and off the court.

Within the Trail Blazers organization, the players privately refer to Gan Guoyang as "The Emperor" because Gan is more serious, reserved, and subtly controls the entire team.

Forrest Gump's control over the Trail Blazers was much stronger than Jordan's control over the Bulls.

But in most people's eyes, Jordan was more volatile and more like a control freak than Forrest Gump.

Most of the Trail Blazers players didn't realize it. Players like Porter, Korsey, Cliff Robinson, and Sabonis had been playing with Forrest Gump since they entered the league, so they were used to it and lacked comparison.

Reggie Lewis is different. He spent his formative years with the Celtics, served as Bird's backup, stepped up when Bird was injured, and had to struggle at the unfamiliar shooting guard position after Bird returned.

He fought a lot for his tactical position and salary, battling with the team leader, management, and fans. He understood how the Celtics and Bird controlled and managed the team, and he also knew how to break free from control and fight for his rights.

After joining the Trail Blazers, he experienced a stark contrast within half a season.

Here you have no room to struggle, Forrest Gump controls everything, he is the god here.

From fans to players, from media to management, everyone is a fervent follower of his.

Forrest Gump doesn't like being praised, whether openly or secretly. He likes it when you play basketball diligently and do your job well.

He will use his own methods to regulate the atmosphere of the entire team, maintaining a stable state that is neither too enthusiastic nor too decadent.

"Victory is the best sacrifice."

Forrest Gump would sometimes say that, especially after winning some tough races.

After defeating his former team, the Boston Celtics, Reggie Lewis's form has been steadily improving. Things are going better for him both on and off the court.

After being traded to the Trail Blazers in the summer, he quickly signed a big contract.

This freed him from renting an apartment and allowed him to buy a comfortable, upscale house in Portland.

He and his girlfriend Donna ended their years of dating and living together, and in October, before the start of the new season, they held a brief wedding in Las Vegas and officially became husband and wife.

The downside of coming to the West Coast is being separated from his former relatives and friends. He was born in Baltimore, studied at Northeastern University in Boston, and his social network was all on the East Coast.

However, the advantage is also that you are away from them. A black player can have a lot of troubles after he becomes rich, especially the relatives and friends he had when he was poor. Many players have to support not just one person, but a whole group of people.

After arriving in Portland and signing a big contract, Reggie Lewis faced fewer of these troubles, but the "nagging" from his parents was something he couldn't shake off.

Reggie Lewis did not invite his mother, Peggy, to the wedding. The couple only called her after the wedding to inform her of their marriage.

Peggy was very unhappy that she did not receive an invitation to her son's wedding. Reggie Lewis was her third child, and traditionally, these children do not have a stable father.

Peggy was not in good health; she had a congenital heart condition that prevented her from undertaking heavy work. When she gave birth to her fourth child, Jon, in 1968, the child had a small hole in his heart, which was later repaired through surgery.

Peggy later became addicted to cocaine, which worsened her heart problems, and she suffered a heart attack before Christmas in December 1990.

When the team traveled to the East Coast for an away game at the end of January, Lewis and his wife visited Page and found her in bad shape, losing weight, emotionally unstable, and heavily in debt.

Reggie helped his mother pay off her debts, and then persuaded her to quit drugs and start a new life. He suggested she leave Baltimore and go to Portland with him.

But Peggy was unwilling to leave the East Coast, so Lewis and his wife Donna arranged for her to attend a drug rehabilitation center in New York, with Lewis covering the costs.

That evening, the Trail Blazers faced the New York Knicks on the road, with Forrest Gump battling Patrick Ewing at Madison Square Garden.

The Trail Blazers had a tough time in this game because their outside shooting was terrible tonight, and they could only rely on their inside players, Gan Guoyang and Sabonis, to keep them going.

Another important factor was the breakout performance of former Trail Blazers player Kiki Vandeweghe. Facing defensive stalwarts Kersey and Lewis, Vandeweghe repeatedly hit three-pointers, dealing a blow to his former team.

Vandeweghe was traded to New York in the 1990 season. That season, Vandeweghe was plagued by injuries and only played 22 games, averaging 11 points per game.

This season, Vandeweghe has recovered from his injury and has maintained a high attendance rate so far. His offense and shooting have also returned to a high level, making him the Knicks' primary offensive weapon on the perimeter.

The confidence boost from three championships is immeasurable. He went on a rampage against his former team, Vandeweghe, and since he wasn't going to challenge Agan, he just kept taking one-on-one shots from the outside.

As a heavy forward, Kossie is not good at swarm defense, so Bobby Berman changed the assignment to have Reggie Lewis defend Vandeweghe, which should have worked well.

However, Lewis was distracted by his mother's situation tonight, which made him less focused and resulted in ineffective defense, leading to some inexplicable mistakes.

The Knicks, playing at home, maintained their dominance over the Trail Blazers. At a crucial moment, Bobby Bellman went all out and fielded a small lineup—but Lewis was not among them.

He used Forrest Gump, Cliff Robinson, Mike Sanders, Terry Porter, and Petrovic.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers unleashed a whirlwind offense, a 9-0 run that wiped out the Knicks' lead that they had built up over most of the game.

After regaining the advantage, as if afraid of using too many players and revealing their weaknesses, Bellman immediately substituted Robinson and Sanders with Kossie and Sabonis, playing the standard lineup and tactics.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers, with their superior strength, defeated the New York Knicks 108-104 on the road, securing a hard-fought victory.

Vandeweghe scored a season-high 31 points against his former team in this game. This was the first and only time Vandeweghe scored over 30 points this season.

Due to injuries, he is no longer the super small forward who could score points like water. He dedicated his best years to Portland.

When the match ended, Gan Guoyang and Vandeweghe hugged and discussed finding a place to have a drink after the match.

Reggie Lewis scored only 10 points and failed to defend Vandeweghe, leading to his benching in crucial moments.

To his further dismay, after returning to Portland, he received a call from his mother in New York, telling him, "They reviewed my medical records and refused to admit me. They think my heart isn't strong enough and I'll be under too much stress. But I've already quit my job and am ready to focus on rehabilitation..."

Peggy hoped for comfort from her son and daughter-in-law, but received more blame than anything else, especially from Donna, who was very angry.

"Why did you resign before receiving a clear answer from the center? This is very irrational and impulsive, and now you're in a dilemma!"

Reggie Lewis is in an even more difficult situation. His wife and mother's argument upset him, and the recent All-Star voting results, in which Lewis was not selected, have further damaged his confidence.

He thinks that if he were with the Celtics, he would most likely make the All-Star team. His stats are improving, the team's record is progressing, he is becoming the team's leader, and he is very popular in the Boston area.

But once he arrived in Portland, he was destined to be a supporting player, the third or even fourth number on the team, striving to become the second number, but never the number one star.

His scoring average dropped from 17 points last season to 16 points. He originally planned to increase his scoring average to 20 points this season, but that's difficult in Portland because the team has too many offensive talents and everyone's shot attempts are very even.

Peggy and Lewis had a big fight. Lewis tried to appease his mother, but Peggy felt that her daughter-in-law Donna did not respect her. Donna, on the other hand, thought that the old lady was willful and would ruin her son's life that was on the right track.

Arguing won't get you anywhere, and the problem needs to be solved, which has affected Lewis's performance to some extent.

Gan Guoyang quickly noticed that something was wrong with Lewis; he was so perceptive and paid close attention to every "subject" in the kingdom.

After training, he found some time to talk to Lewis, who quickly poured out his troubles and asked Forrest Gump if he had any ideas.

Gan Guoyang scratched his face, thought for ten seconds, then asked Quentin to hand him his cell phone, found a phone number, and dialed it.

Gan Guoyang had previously helped Steve Colter with his drug rehabilitation. He knew people in the field and then made a phone call to a drug rehabilitation center in Portland to inquire about the situation.

With Forrest Gump's help, Peggy was able to check into the drug rehabilitation center, and a warehouse management job was arranged for her nearby, which would cover her rehabilitation costs.

Furthermore, Gan Guoyang arranged for the elderly woman to study at a nearby community college, so that she could obtain a degree certificate and find a better job in the future.

“Although your son is a star player, everyone wants to earn their own living and live with dignity,” Gan Guoyang said to Lewis and Page.

Peggy and Lewis were very grateful for Forrest's help, and Lewis also understood why Forrest was called "The Emperor" in the team.

He possessed not only the privileges of an emperor, but also the responsibilities of an emperor—responsibilities that should not have belonged to him.

From then on, Reggie Lewis focused all his attention on the court, especially on the defensive end.

He is striving to become an All-Star player and to win his first championship.

(End of this chapter)