The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 686 Higher
Salt Lake City has an extraordinary love for the Jazz.

In the 80s, they almost lost the Jazz when the Jazz had already decided to move to Las Vegas.

If this relocation goes through, the Jazz may become a team with a completely different style.

After all, the differences between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas are simply too great.

NBA fans also find it hard to imagine how Karl Malone and John Stockton could continue playing for the Las Vegas Jazz.

Perhaps Stockton would be traded for Tim Hardaway after the Jazz lost to the Warriors in the first round, while Malone would be sent to an Eastern Conference team for draft picks after the team lost to the Suns in the first round, hoping to get Larry Johnson from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the 1991 draft.

Larry Miller saved Salt Lake City's ownership of the Jazz, but what truly saved them was the fans' passionate love for the Jazz and basketball.

Fred Ball, president of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, once said, "We will never be an NFL city, we will never have a Major League Baseball team, we will only choose basketball, we only love basketball. The Jazz are our team, and if one day the Jazz can fight their way to the Finals and win the championship, the city will go crazy for them. Of course, we are just as satisfied with the current level."

For Salt Lake City fans, reaching the Western Conference Finals is enough to make them show their crazy side.

Gan Guoyang also has a special affection for Salt Lake City, as his first NCAA national tournament journey began at Salt Palace Arena in Salt Lake City.

In this ghost town, there wasn't even a place to eat or drink at night, so we had no choice but to go to the cinema to watch a movie and grab some food while we were at it.

Stockton was one of the complainers at the time, never expecting that his career would be tied to this place. Now, seven years later, he will still be staying here.

Before the games, Stockton invited Gan Guoyang's family to his home for dinner. Stockton's parents, brothers, and friends all came to Salt Lake City to watch the two games.

Stockton's son, David Stockton, innocently said to Gan Guoyang, "Uncle Sonny, could you be nicer to my dad? Don't beat him too badly."

David's words made Stockton a little embarrassed, but Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "No problem, I've always been good to John. But I think your dad will perform exceptionally well on his own; he doesn't need anyone's help. You have to trust him, okay?"

"Sorry, Sonny, children say the darndest things; they don't understand what sports are."

"No offense, John, but you really did get beaten pretty badly. 41 points. Is Karl a dead man? Why didn't he stand up for you at this point?"

Previously, when Isaiah Thomas was scoring like crazy against Stockton, Malone knocked Thomas unconscious with an elbow.

Now that it's Terry Porter's turn, Malone is backing down and doesn't dare to make any move.

"Don't joke around, this is the playoffs, and with you here, he wouldn't dare."

In the past two seasons, the Trail Blazers' games have been very peaceful, with no fights or on-court conflicts.

Undoubtedly, this peace was achieved through Gan Guoyang's punches, kicks, and elbows.

Everyone in the league knows that Forrest Gump is really ruthless. If you get beaten by him, you will not only suffer physical injuries, but you will also lose face in front of the entire nation.

Moreover, when Isaiah Thomas was elbowed so badly, everyone pleaded for him. The players had already realized that not fighting with Forrest Gump was the best option.

Karl Malone's elbows were notorious in the league; apart from Isaiah Thomas, big men like David Robinson nearly died from Malone's elbows.

During the Jazz's home game against the Spurs, Malone elbowed David Robinson unconscious, and he had to be carried on a stretcher.

It's fair to say that if Robinson hadn't been exceptionally gifted and physically strong, a strike that would have been fatal.

Malone became even more notorious in the league because of that elbow, and his past of having a child with a minor in college further cemented his reputation as a villain.

However, Gan Guoyang was never afraid of Ma Long. Putting aside the fact that Ma Long couldn't beat him, Ma Long was obviously a bully who preyed on the weak.

This guy mostly only dares to act tough in Salt Lake City. Once he goes to an away game, on someone else's turf, facing tens of thousands of away fans, Malone becomes much more disciplined.

From this perspective, Gan Guoyang doesn't think much of Ma Long. He's similar to Rick Mahorn, always targeting guards with dirty tricks but not daring to make many moves against strong inside players.

To be honest, Gan Guoyang was itching to fight in a match after not having done so for a long time.

Moreover, although the Trail Blazers won these two games, Gan Guoyang felt that the victories were not satisfying enough.

The reason he was willing to keep setting up Porter in the second game and give up the shooting opportunities to the outside was because he felt that he was at a bottleneck in breaking through, unable to go up or down, which made him feel very awkward.

Simply put, he wasn't playing with enough intensity. He remained as solid as a rock, with unparalleled influence on both offense and defense, but he couldn't see the bigger picture.

He stood on the mountain peak, drew his sword, and looked around, feeling lost and bewildered.

Therefore, in the second game, we simply focused on both assists and defense, allowing Porter, Petrovic, and Lewis to dominate the offense.

Besides Porter's 41 points, Lewis scored 25 points and Petrovic added 18 points, showcasing the Trail Blazers' formidable backcourt firepower.

As time went by, the Trail Blazers have completed their transformation from a frontcourt-oriented team in the 80s to a backcourt-oriented team.

This aligns with the major trend in basketball development: interior defense and perimeter offense, with each player maximizing their value, and this trend will continue.

In the second game, Gan Guoyang scored 24 points, grabbed 22 rebounds, and dished out 12 assists, achieving a super triple-double. His influence on the court remained unmatched, and his efficiency was astonishing.

Oregon media praised Gan Guoyang, saying, "He has become a superstar who perfectly combines individualism and teamwork, an unprecedented behemoth in the paint."

Looking at the unwavering praise, Gan Guoyang wondered, "Is this what a breakthrough is all about? Becoming a star player who perfectly combines teamwork and individual skill?"
He can pass the ball, he can score one-on-one, he can defend, he can do everything on the court, he takes on everything, he wants stats, victories, championships, is this the ultimate goal? Is this the higher and farther view?
Gan Guoyang was unsure, but his intuition told him that this was not the case. "All-rounder" was just a skill, a label, indicating that you can do many things and do them well.

There are many all-around players in the league. Even if Gan Guoyang can achieve the ultimate in all-around ability and average a triple-double, that is only a skill, not a level of mastery.

Being all-around is not a state of being; if you can do it, that's fine; if you can't, don't force it. Ultimately, it's all about winning.

This is not something worth pursuing, unless you insist on having an all-powerful but empty title to cover up your weaknesses.

After having dinner at Stockton's house, Gan Guoyang left with his wife and children to return to the hotel.

Before parting, Gan Guoyang said to Stockton, "John, tell Carl to play with more guts and not to be timid in tomorrow's game."

Stockton looked troubled and said, "Sonny, this isn't a good idea."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Let him have the guts to mess with me and see if he dares to back down."

"This isn't a good idea..."

Stockton said it wasn't good, but the next morning during Jazz practice, Stockton told Malone, "Forrest Gump told you to elbow him."

"what?"

“I had dinner with Agan yesterday, and he said you have the guts to elbow him.”

"..."

Malone was silent for a moment, then said, "Is he sick?"

"Yes, so please elbow him, like you did with Robinson."

"..."

Malone fell silent again, thinking that John was also sick.

Malone neither agreed nor refused; he was hesitant.

Perhaps he really should do something, use some tough measures to break down the fear of Forrest Gump.

Almost every big man in the league has some degree of fear of going head-to-head with Forrest Gump.

He is a dark cloud hanging over everyone's head; if you want to see what the blue sky and sunshine look like, you need to break through this cloud.

Malone always persisted in doing his own thing. He knew he wasn't naturally gifted enough, that he wasn't a prodigy like Forrest Gump. He simply worked hard quietly, making progress little by little, slowly getting closer to that level.

In the first and second games, Ma Long performed reasonably well, scoring over 20 points in both games.

However, his presence was somewhat low; he seemed to have become a mid-range spot-up pitcher.

They lack the ability to penetrate inside, make crucial shots in critical moments, and execute difficult plays at key junctures.

Therefore, the average score of 20-plus points in this game is not very impressive and is highly questionable.

The media's criticism of Malone never stopped, but he didn't care much; his mind was on basketball and trucks.

In the past two years, he has formed a truck fleet to do transportation business and obtained a truck driver's license, which has always been his dream.

He also enjoys things that exude masculinity, such as hunting, fishing, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Part of the reason is that he genuinely likes it, and another reason might be that he wants to showcase his masculinity.

His father's suicide left a deep shadow over Malone.

In public, Malone claimed that his father died of cancer when he was three years old, and he did not want others to know that his father had ended his own life.

In his view, that was a kind of weakness, a weakness that could not face the difficulties of life and the hardships of fate.

But the more Malone tried to hide and resist this weakness, the more it clung to it, popping up from time to time like a maggot clinging to a bone.

As a teenager, he tried to get rid of it with all sorts of outrageous actions. After getting basketball, he armed himself with hard training and day-to-day strength practice.

Today he is a national basketball star, one of the strongest men in the basketball world, with hot biceps. According to a TV survey, Karl Malone is second only to Forrest Gump and Michael Jordan in terms of appeal to female fans.

Even so, the weak little boy inside Malone never disappeared, and he would always come out to control him when he faced Forrest Gump.

The TV station kept replaying footage of Ma Long being blocked by Gan Guoyang. He could have easily dunked on him to shake off his dejection, but instead, his floater and layup were blocked by Gan.

A talk show mocked Malone, asking, "Are those muscles just for decoration?"

"When you're facing Forrest Gump, do you forget that you can dunk?"

American media personalities are known for their sharp tongues, putting Malone under considerable pressure.

Stockton's words to him today have put even more pressure on Malone.

The two are very good friends and great partners, working together seamlessly both on and off the field.

But Malone knew that Stockton's true friend and lifelong brother could only be Forrest Gump.

No one can replace the experience of winning the NCAA championship together in college.

After joining the league, they have always looked after each other, and their families often get together. This kind of friendship is unmatched by anyone else.

Moreover, Malone knew that when he first entered the league and was training with the Jazz, Stockton looked down on him.

Although Stockton doesn't usually show it, he occasionally shakes his head slightly during training or matches.

He seemed to be saying things like, "You're not hitting it right. If Forrest Gump were to hit it, he wouldn't hit it like that. He could hit it like that. He would hit it much better."

Later, Malone got better and better, and he lost count of how many times he and Stockton had teamed up.

Stockton finally stopped having that look and expression.

Even at 7 p.m., during the third game between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz, Malone was still feeling uneasy.

He had a premonition that something might happen tonight—a conflict, a fight, or even bloodshed.

He was restless and uneasy. The Jazz's home arena had changed from Salt Palace to Triangle Center.

This modern stadium, with its simple design and cold demeanor, was built in just six months, even faster than the Rose Garden Stadium.

The passionate Jazz fans have made this one of the noisiest venues in the league, and any visiting team playing here will find it an ear-splitting experience.

The Trail Blazers players are used to the noise; they are known for their ability to perform well on the road, and the noisy atmosphere often helps them concentrate better.

So not long after the game started, the Trail Blazers launched a deadly attack – Gan Guoyang scored repeatedly in the low post at the start.

He ignored the Jazz's unusually fierce double-team defense and the referees' lenient approach, attacking the Jazz's paint with hook shots and offensive rebounds, and repeatedly succeeding.

Karl Malone had a mediocre start, missing several mid-range shots. The Jazz scored mainly from Stockton's three-pointers, layups, and Jeff Malone's isolation plays.

"Cheer up, Karl! What are you doing?!" Jerry Sloan yelled from the sidelines, noticing that Malone wasn't playing well tonight.

This is bad news. If Malone is not in good form tonight and the Trail Blazers take the lead again, a loss in this game would end the entire series.

Sloan called a timeout, rearranged the team's offense, and asked the players to be more aggressive on defense.

"Tonight is our home game, we can play even more aggressively!"

The home advantage was definitely a big one. After the timeout, the Jazz players found their rhythm from the outside and made several shots.

Apart from Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers' other players missed many shots, and the Jazz pulled ahead slightly, eventually taking the lead.

The enthusiastic Salt Lake City fans kept chanting for the Jazz, and the disciplined Jazz team's offense was much smoother and more efficient than in the previous two games.

Stockton, in particular, changed his playmaking strategy, no longer easily penetrating the Trail Blazers' backcourt encirclement.

He changed his route, reduced his stops, accelerated his crossing of half-court, and sped up his passing, denying the Trail Blazers the opportunity to double-team him.

The Jazz gradually overtook the Trail Blazers, but just when they were leading by 6 points, Gan Guoyang set a screen with Porter at the top of the arc, cut to the outside, received the ball, and immediately hit a three-pointer.

Not only did the ball go in, it also drew a defensive foul from Mike Brown, resulting in a free throw and a four-point play!
Gan Guoyang stepped up to the free-throw line and easily made the free throw, bringing the score to 2 points in an instant.

The Jazz had another crucial offensive possession; if they missed, the Trail Blazers would have a chance to take the lead.

Stockton advanced quickly, wanting to make a fast play, and Malone understood and cut to the basket.

With the ball arriving at the same time as the player, Ma Long was about to make a layup when Gan Guoyang, who had anticipated the Jazz's offensive move, blocked the shot from the side!

Another block! Ma Long lost possession of the ball, and Gan Guoyang regained control of the ball.

After getting the ball, Gan Guoyang turned around and started a counterattack, which could very well be another long-range run.

At this moment, Ma Long suddenly became emboldened and charged at Gan Guoyang from behind, bracing himself on his arms for a brutal collision.

The impact hit Gan Guoyang in the back, causing him to stumble and the ball in his hand to roll away.

Gan Guoyang looked back with an incredulous expression. Ma Long was staring blankly at him. The two stared at each other.

The referee had already realized the problem, but he didn't have time to react. Gan Guoyang made a deep grab, rushed up and grabbed Ma Long, lifting him up!

At that moment, Malone felt taller. How tall? He had finally surpassed Forrest Gump; he had reached a higher place.

Then, time and space were reversed, and he saw the bright spotlights on the ceiling at the center of the triangle, the hanging flags, and, all, darkness.

(End of this chapter)