The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 766 A Brilliant Debut
The victory in the opening game of the new season put everyone in a good mood.

Regardless of the strength of the opponent or how many problems the Trail Blazers exposed in the game—they committed as many as 17 turnovers throughout the game.

Winning a game allows you to temporarily forget all your worries and move on to the next challenge.

The Trail Blazers' first two games of the new season were both played on the road, a change from their previous schedule.

In the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, the Trail Blazers would always have a stretch of home games in November.

In the first month of the season, there are only two or three away games, and those are usually on the West Coast.

The remaining games will be played in Portland, which will be helpful for the team to build up good form and results.

A good start is half the battle, and the Trail Blazers have benefited to some extent from this schedule.

However, with the increasing number of teams in the league over the past two seasons, the schedule has changed somewhat.

The Trail Blazers have 10 away games in November this season, including a four-game road trip in the Eastern Conference.

This is something the Trail Blazers' regular season schedule has never had before, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of their season.

Gan Guoyang even called the league's vice president, Matt Winnick, to ask him if he was intentionally trying to make things difficult for him.
Despite the NBA's massive annual revenue, player salaries ranging from hundreds of millions to millions, its global brand recognition, and the hundreds of millions of fans watching its games, the NBA's success is undeniable.

However, the most important task of scheduling each year is completed by Vice President Matt Winkney alone.

Since 1985, Winkney has been in charge of scheduling each season.

An office, a desk, an ordinary computer, and his brain—that's all Winkney has to offer.

The NBA now has more than 20 teams, each playing 82 games per season, including 41 away games.

Winkney has to consider many factors, including travel time, stadium events, special holidays, home and away games, and back-to-back games.

Winkney has worked in this position for 10 years, and he started working when Gan Guoyang had just joined the league.

"If one month of your schedule is particularly difficult, it means there will be an easy month. I will always try to be fair."

Winkney explained to Gan Guoyang that it was perfectly normal for him to be criticized by the team and players.

For him, arranging the competition schedule well every year is already extremely difficult; it's impossible to satisfy all parties.

However, the Trail Blazers' schedule for the season opener is indeed a bit cruel, as they have to play the most dreaded back-to-back away games in their first two games.

The second game is against old rivals, the Seattle SuperSonics. Winkney made this arrangement because Vancouver and Seattle are very close to each other.

No matter how close the distance, playing back-to-back away games is a huge test for the team, as the players will not get any rest or adjustment time before they have to get into the next game.

This is precisely where the NBA faces its difficulties. In terms of the intensity of the games, only MLB can compare, but baseball is not as physically demanding or physically exhausting as basketball.

As a player who has endured the hardships of NBA competitions for many years, Bird knows the bitterness of it all, so upon arriving at the Seattle hotel, he immediately told the players to rest and recuperate.

He locked himself in his room and watched the video of the first battle, hoping to learn something from it.

Despite winning the first game, Bird wasn't very excited; the team faced too many problems.

Gan Guoyang's performance and the Grizzlies' weakness masked everything. Post-game statistics showed that the Trail Blazers' overall defense was not very good.

Their offense lacked any discernible strategy, relying mostly on individual player abilities. The Grizzlies' defense was poor, which allowed the Trail Blazers to go on a rampage.

But what if they encounter a strong defensive team? What if they face a team with a balanced inside and outside game, where every player is strong?
The Seattle SuperSonics are such an opponent; they have been the best team in the Western Conference for the past two seasons.

They reached the NBA Finals twice, losing once to the Heat and once to the Bulls, but they were strong enough in the Western Conference and even had a certain degree of dominance.

It all stemmed from the Patrick Ewing trade. After being eliminated by the Trail Blazers in 1992 and 1993, and suffering a upset in 1994, the SuperSonics management lost patience with Shawn Kemp.

They crave a traditional center who can provide rim protection, rebounding, and low-post offense.

In the first round of 1994, their interior defense was dominated by Dikembe Mutombo, who averaged 12 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game.

Kemp shot only 37% from the field in the series. His rebounding, blocking, and assist numbers were all good, but his impact on the game was disappointing.

The SuperSonics traded him to Glen Rice in exchange for Mutombo's Georgetown protégé, Patrick Ewing, a true 7-foot center.

This is a decisive change for the SuperSonics, although they gave up Rice in the trade, the SuperSonics are not lacking in shooters on the perimeter.

They had German player Schramf and signed Lithuanian striker Salunas Mashuglionis in the summer of 1994.

Ewing rediscovered his form in Seattle, reminiscent of his time in Georgetown – a crazy, suffocating defense.

George Karl's psychopathic temperament is similar to that of John Thompson; both are adept at stirring up players' emotions and creating an atmosphere of hostility towards the world.

Ewing is the kind of player who is simple-minded and needs direct stimulation. Don't talk to him about basketball wisdom or playing with your brain.

Let him follow the coach's yelling and play with his emotions, rather than with his brain.

Ewing found a new spring in Seattle.

Therefore, during the two seasons when the Trail Blazers declined and Gan Guoyang retired, the SuperSonics surpassed the Suns, Jazz, and Spurs to become the top team in the Western Conference.

They had a top-three defense in the league in both 95 and 96—the other two being the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls.

Unfortunately, the SuperSonics' two Finals appearances became stepping stones for the other two teams to ascend to the throne.

They also failed to break a curse: for 10 years since 1986, no other Western Conference team besides the Portland Trail Blazers has won the championship.

For Western Conference teams, either the Trail Blazers reach the Finals and win the championship, or they fail to reach the Finals and an Eastern Conference team wins the title.

During the 96 offseason, with Gan Guoyang's return, the SuperSonics didn't make any major moves, as their salary situation didn't allow for such actions.

Trading away Vincent Ascu and acquiring Greg Graham from the Nets was the only minor trade the SuperSonics made.

Even so, the SuperSonics, having retained their core roster, remain highly competitive in the Western Conference, with Ewing, at 34, still nearing the end of his prime.

Gary Payton just won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award last season, becoming the first point guard in history to win the award. At 28 years old, he is in the prime of his career.

In addition, key players such as Sam Perkins, Schrempf, McMillan, and Hersey Hawkins have been retained, and they are ready to continue their pursuit of the championship.

However, in the opening game of the new season, the SuperSonics lost to the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City with a score of 96-99, a 3-point deficit.

In the 96 Western Conference Finals, the Jazz lost to the SuperSonics 2-4. In the summer, they acquired Hornacek, and the Jazz were entering their golden age.

As for the Trail Blazers, while Gan Guoyang's return is certainly frightening, from a team perspective, they are still too thin and disorganized.

Before the game, Bird was worried that playing against a weak team like the Grizzlies in the first game and then facing a strong team like the SuperSonics in the second game would make the players, especially the young players, uncomfortable.

Bird's concerns were correct. On the evening of November 2nd, at KeyArena, the SuperSonics were preparing to give Gan Guoyang a big welcome-back gift.

The SuperSonics both hate and fear the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, having been eliminated by them multiple times in the playoffs and thoroughly outmatched.

Whether coaching the Warriors or the SuperSonics, George Karl was repeatedly thrashed by the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang in the playoffs. Karl was also a person with a strong personality and a great sense of vengeance.

Therefore, the SuperSonics made careful preparations and pre-match pep talks for this home opener, and they were determined to win.

Before the match started, Ewing and Payton came over to hug and greet Gan Guoyang.

Ewing isn't a bad person, but he's a bit stubborn and often says things without thinking.

(In the real timeline, when Mourning wanted to come to New York, he told Mourning not to come and to go to Miami; during the Eastern Conference Finals, he said that all we needed to do was win at home; when the league was in lockout, he said that our players earned a lot but also spent a lot.)
Before the jump ball, Ewing specifically reminded Gan Guoyang, "Karl will be targeting you guys tonight, so be careful."

Gan Guoyang first thanked You Yin, but in his heart he wondered whether to say that this guy was loyal or not so smart.

Off the court, the two are friends, but on the court, they are opponents. How can you casually tell the other your own strategy?

In a competition, everyone should fight for their own team and do their best to defeat their opponent; that is the best way to respect your friends.

Of course, Gan Guoyang knew that Youyin wouldn't think that far ahead; he simply wanted to please Agan, that was all.

Although Gan Guoyang, as the chairman of the players' union, stepped down from Ewing's position as vice chairman, Ewing was quite grateful for this.

Because Ewing himself didn't want to do this job, he knew he wasn't suited for it, and he had no attachment to it.

After arriving in Seattle, Yu Yin fell into Gan Guoyang's sphere of influence and received a lot of help from Gan Guoyang in terms of life, work, and commercial endorsements.

Unlike other players, Ewing has not signed with any sports shoe brand; Nike, Avia, Converse, and Adidas have not partnered with him.

He seems to be intentionally inheriting the closed spirit of Georgetown, not associating with any sports manufacturers, but instead launching his own "Ewing Sports" brand.

This move isn't necessarily a bad one, because given Ewing's fame, he certainly has the right to build his own brand.

However, in the fiercely competitive sportswear market of the 90s, it would have been extremely difficult for Ewing to build an independent brand.

After moving to Seattle in 1994, Gan Guoyang helped Ewing establish a new company on the West Coast and collaborated with Avia to develop the "Ewing Movement".

In 1995 and 1996, Ewing led the SuperSonics to the Finals, which greatly boosted his profile and promoted his sports brand.

By 1996, Ewing Sports had established itself and secured a place in the West Coast, a region teeming with sportswear brands.

Ewing thus secured a long-term meal ticket and a future career after retirement, and he was naturally very grateful for the help of his good friend Forrest Gump.

So before the match started, they specifically reminded Gan Guoyang to be careful tonight, as their coach would be targeting them.

Whether he was reminded or not, Gan Guoyang knew in his heart that every time he faced the Supersonics, it wouldn't be a comfortable experience.

When Gan Guoyang retired, Ewing had just been traded to Seattle, and Gan Guoyang only played one game against Ewing's SuperSonics.

Therefore, this team, with Payton Ewing at its core, is not very familiar to them, and KeyArena has no intention of welcoming Forrest Gump back tonight.

The moment Gan Guoyang touched the ball for the first time, the crowd booed. The two cities had been rivals for years, and Gan Guoyang had taken too many victories here.

The SuperSonics' defensive intensity is indeed unmatched by the Vancouver Grizzlies; the SOS defense has been elevated to its peak with the arrival of Ewing.

In the first quarter, the Trail Blazers trailed the SuperSonics 21-25, a deficit of 4 points. Their 21 points were 10 fewer than in the previous game against the Grizzlies.

With the SuperSonics' effective defense cutting through the defense, the Trail Blazers quickly fell into isolation plays, forcing players to rely on their individual abilities to solve problems.

Furthermore, the SuperSonics cleverly avoided having Ewing guard Gan Guoyang one-on-one. Instead, Sam Perkins, Gary Payton, and Schrempf took turns surrounding and defending him. George Karl knew that having Ewing guard Gan would only allow Ewing to be moved around and exploited, thus disrupting the entire SuperSonics' defensive system.

Since one person can't defend it, Sam Perkins will join in, and the others will actively help defend, with at least three people always ready to defend.

Gan Guoyang was very uncomfortable with the defense in the first quarter, but he still managed to score 8 points and 3 assists, accounting for more than half of the team's points.

But the real disaster happened in the second quarter. When Bird came in with the second unit, the Trail Blazers went into a scoring drought, a real scoring drought.

Van Exel, who scored 22 points in the last game and has extremely high offensive efficiency, confidently said before the game that he would once again destroy the SuperSonics' backcourt.

As a result, this unpredictable player completely faltered tonight, missing numerous outside shots and failing to make any of his difficult floaters after driving to the basket.

This is a double-edged sword; while enjoying his madness, one must also endure the damage caused by shot selection and stubbornness on certain nights.

No matter how Bird adjusted, or how Gan Guoyang stabilized the situation after coming on, the Trail Blazers' offensive momentum had been lost in the second quarter.

They only scored 12 points in the entire second quarter and 34 points in the first half. Bird finally couldn't hold back and started roaring during halftime.

After a string of words, Bird rubbed his forehead and thought, "There are still 80 games to play. Being a head coach is really tough."

Why did I choose to suffer on the west coast instead of enjoying a wonderful retirement in Naples, and even have to put up with Forrest Gump's bad temper? What sins have I committed?

Compared to Bird's anger, Gan Guoyang was much calmer, as he had been mentally prepared for it.

In the second game of the season, after playing against the struggling Grizzlies, they are now facing the defending Western Conference champions, which will definitely be difficult.

The mentality of players is completely different from that of coaches. Players also have a competitive spirit, but compared to coaches, they do not have as much sense of responsibility.

When Bird was a player, he wouldn't get furious over a bad performance or a crushing defeat, but once a person's position changes, their mentality changes.

Bird later summarized, "In a game where you win by one point, the players will feel relieved and happily go back to the locker room to celebrate. But the coach will only think about how many mistakes we made, and how we had to rely on luck to win. We won't be so lucky next game, and we have to make corrections... unless this game is the last game of the season."

Of course, there was someone whose mentality was even more explosive, and that was Kobe, who became increasingly frustrated and anxious because he couldn't play to help the team.

Before the start of the second half, Kobe and Gan Guoyang said, "I will never go to a casual basketball court to play and injure myself again. It feels terrible not being able to play and help the team."

Gan Guoyang showed no mercy to Kobe, saying, "Forget it, you'll only make things worse if you go on the court."

Kobe: "..."

In the third quarter, the situation improved, and Gan Guoyang began to control the pace of the game.

Instead of rushing into a fast break to close the gap, he focused on defense, solidifying the team's backline, and then gradually worked out the offensive issues.

He seemed to have returned to his rookie season, when the Trail Blazers' defense was mediocre and they would rush to launch fast breaks to catch up once they fell behind.

Gan Guoyang always directs his teammates to defend together. By focusing on defense and protecting the backcourt rebounds, the efficiency of the counterattack will be higher.

Trailing by 14 at halftime, the Trail Blazers stabilized their defense and began to gradually close the gap, at one point reducing the deficit to 6 points.

George Karl called a timeout to make adjustments; Jack Ramsey will be providing commentary on television tonight.

Starting in 1996, Jack Ramsey began commentating on some regular season games and the NBA Finals for ESPN.

When talking about his star pupil, Jack Ramsey was quite proud, saying, "Sonny is the best team player in the world, the best, without a doubt, the best."

"People's understanding of team players has always been somewhat narrow. They think that those who pass the ball around on the court and don't shoot themselves, but instead pass it to their teammates, are team players. I think that such players are at best selfless, or even incompetent, but not necessarily team players. A team player is someone who always does what is most beneficial to the team. If at a certain moment the team needs you to shoot, to attack, to take control of the game, then if you do that, you are also a team player."

"That's how Forrest Gump is. Sometimes he can be selfish, but he always plays on the basis of the team's best interests. He knows when to do what. He never complains, and he never shifts responsibility to others, telling them to do this or that. He will do it himself, lead you to do it, and get things done. He's been like this since his rookie days, leading the Trail Blazers, building up the defense, encouraging everyone, and also criticizing without reservation."

"The Trail Blazers' defense is a bit messy right now, but I believe that Forrest Gump and Bird will get everything sorted out. I believe in them."

Gan Guoyang couldn't hear Jack Ramsey's words on the field. The old coach had lost all his hair, and his face had become kind and gentle, no longer as sinister as before, looking like an old monk.

In the third quarter, as the Trail Blazers' defense gradually solidified, they played better and better.

As the third quarter was drawing to a close, Jermaine O'Neal blocked Schrempf's shot under the basket.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, and Riddell once again took the lead, receiving a long pass from Terry Porter and dunking with both hands!

The shot went in, bringing the Trail Blazers within 2 points at 62-64. They outscored the SuperSonics by 12 points in the entire third quarter.

All of this relies on aggressive defense, which forms the basis for effective counterattacks—of course, the Trail Blazers still made too many mistakes.

In the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers suddenly couldn't hold on any longer. Their stamina started to suffer, and apart from Forrest Gump, the rest of the team was a bit tired from playing back-to-back games on the road.

A series of turnovers and fouls on defense sent SuperSonics players to the free-throw line, and Bird's extensive rotations meant that the defense lost its intensity when certain players came on.

In comparison, the SuperSonics' rotation is quite stable. Their lineup and playing style have been well-integrated for several seasons and have proven to be successful and effective.

In this situation, the SuperSonics, with their solid defense, still gained the upper hand and maintained the point difference at around 8 points. When the Trail Blazers tried to push harder, they made mistakes.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers lost to the SuperSonics 89-96 in their second game of the season, a back-to-back away game, falling short by 7 points and failing to extend their winning streak.

Gan Guoyang had an outstanding performance with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists, but wins and losses are common in sports.

Ewing scored 20 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and added 4 blocks, becoming the anchor of the SuperSonics' interior defense. He found it really comfortable not to match up against Forrest Gump.

For Gan Guoyang, losing is certainly not a good feeling. After this game, facing a truly top team in the league, the Trail Blazers' problems were truly exposed.

At the same time, Gan Guoyang also felt that the style of play and the feel of the game in the NBA had changed in the past two seasons.

With the three-point line shortened and the space narrowed, the defense became more physical, and the referees relaxed their standards for fouls, clearly encouraging physicality.

The pace of the game has slowed down, the efficiency of fast breaks and counter-attacks has decreased, the increased physicality has made offense more difficult, and playing too fast can easily lead to mistakes.

In a slow-paced game, when you try to speed things up and then make a bunch of mistakes, your offensive game can be completely disrupted.

It's like someone running and constantly kicking small pebbles; it won't hurt their feet, but it will completely disrupt their running rhythm.

The Trail Blazers haven't found their own style and rhythm yet; everyone is playing by feel and experience.

The effects Bird sought in training camp will likely take a considerable amount of time to fully materialize in the regular season—good physical condition, solid defense, and a well-balanced offense.

The team's unity in the third quarter and their defensive efforts to close the gap were a good sign, but the momentum didn't last long.

In the locker room after the game, Bird praised the team's performance in the third quarter, saying that if they played every quarter like they did in the third, they would win the game.

After saying that, Bird shook his head and said, "But I know it's impossible... God, coaches used to say that all the time, and I always thought you were fucking delusional. Now I've become a delusional person myself. I think coaches, teachers, and parents can all make people stupid."

It's true that players can't maintain a high level of performance all the time; that's the natural order of things.

Criticisms aside, losing one game isn't the end of the world.

The good news is that the Trail Blazers will finally be able to play their next game at home.

They were given a day of rest before their home opener against the Atlanta Hawks on November 4.

The fans' enthusiasm was unmatched, much more exciting than the first preseason game, marking Agan's return to home court.

Even Michael Jackson, the King of Pop who had been making only sporadic appearances in public, came to watch the game, causing a huge commotion.

And this game did not disappoint the fans. The Trail Blazers faced the Hawks, who had signed Dikembe Mutombo in the summer, and were once down by as many as 15 points.

The Trail Blazers' offense remained disorganized and lacked structure against the Hawks' strong defense.

However, the Trail Blazers launched a counterattack in the second half, building on a solid defense, and tied the score in the final stages of the fourth quarter.

At the most crucial moment, Gan Guoyang successfully blocked Laettner's layup on defense, gaining possession of the ball for the final possession.

Bird didn't call a timeout, letting the players handle the final play themselves.

Gan Guoyang received a pass from Terry Porter, turned and drove to the basket, facing three Hawks players and the towering African mountains, and launched a left-handed floater.

The ball bounced twice on the rim before falling into the net – a buzzer-beating game-winner!

The Portland Trail Blazers narrowly defeated the Atlanta Hawks by two points, 90-92, at home.

The Rose Garden Arena was filled with joy; it was another happy night of victory.

Gan Guoyang scored 24 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and dished out 9 assists, including the game-winning shot.

Trail Blazers fans rediscovered the joy of watching the game, and Gan Guoyang also enjoyed the thrilling game-winning moment.

However, the Trail Blazers' start to the season is really unfriendly. After this game, they will immediately go to the away game on the 5th to play a back-to-back game.

The new season started with four games in five days, two back-to-back games. Coach Tang complained to the league, saying that the schedule was designed to mess with people.

The complaint went nowhere, of course. There aren't four matches in five days now, but there will eventually be one by the middle of the season.

The packed schedule left the Trail Blazers with absolutely no time to stop and reflect on the lessons learned from these games.

Bird used his free time to rest as much as possible; he hadn't organized any team training for several days.

But inside Willamette University's gymnasium, you can still see figures shooting, dribbling, and shooting non-stop, from dawn till dusk.

That was Kobe Bryant. His minor fracture in his hand had almost healed. On the 5th, he didn't go to Golden State with the team, but instead had his cast removed and stayed in Portland for rehabilitation training.

He couldn't wait to take the stage and perform. Watching his teammates and idols fight made sitting on the bench unbearable.

Jermaine O'Neal has already started to make an impact in the game, while Kobe hasn't even played a single game yet; he really can't wait.

Time flies and it's November 10th. The Trail Blazers came back and played a home game, then went to play an away game, and then came back home on the 10th to play the Spurs.

After the first six games, the Trail Blazers had a record of 3 wins and 3 losses, winning one game and losing one game, winning one game and losing one game, without any winning streaks or losing streaks.

In this game against the Spurs, Kobe will finally make his debut. Bird promised Kobe before the game, "You'll get to play in this game."

The day before the game on the 10th, Jermaine O'Neal called Kobe and asked him if he was nervous.

Kobe said he was only excited, not nervous, and he was sure he would put on a great debut.

(End of this chapter)