The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 851 A Very Stinky Fart
The high-scoring duel between Gan Guoyang and Jordan sparked a viewing frenzy.

According to later rough estimates, more than 100 million people worldwide watched the game on television during the first half alone.

This data far surpasses any previous NBA Finals, and also far surpasses the NFL Super Bowl.

It created a ratings miracle.

The popularization of television sets in China during the mid-to-late 90s played a significant role in this.

From 1984 to 1998, Gan Guoyang cultivated China's earliest, most extensive, and most loyal group of sports television viewers.

Meanwhile, in the mid-to-late 90s, many fans were also attracted by Michael Jordan's brilliant and stylish skills and became die-hard Bulls fans.

Therefore, the battle between the Trail Blazers and the Bulls also attracted enormous attention in China. With the country's huge population, countless viewers sat in front of their televisions to watch the game that day.

The match took place in the morning Beijing time, and many primary and secondary school teachers chose to temporarily suspend classes to watch the game with everyone.

If we include the number of dozens of students watching together on one TV, the number of viewers will increase even further.

In China, only the Chinese men's football team's subsequent qualification for the World Cup can rival such a sporting event.

Gan Guoyang's four three-pointers in the second quarter almost single-handedly shattered the Bulls' hopes of winning.

But after showing a hint of helplessness and returning to the locker room to adjust, Jordan rallied in the third quarter and continued to fight at his own pace.

Just as he showed in the first half, Jordan did not lose his composure or get caught up in a heated one-on-one battle with Gan Guoyang; he kept trying to support the whole team.

The most notable manifestation of this was that Jordan did not relax his defense and rebounding efforts. He participated extensively in double teams and actively fought for rebounds to make up for the team's rebounding disadvantage.

Otherwise, even without three-pointers, Forrest Gump would have crushed the Bulls' interior defense by dominating offensive rebounds, which would have been a worse way to die than with three-pointers.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, led by Jordan, the Bulls launched a counterattack in the second half.

Jordan's weapons were his accurate mid-range shot and his beautiful fadeaway jumper.

Rodman once said, what is the triangle offense?

"The triangle offense is all about getting the ball to Jordan."

By creating space and establishing passing channels through the triangle formation, Jordan could easily receive the ball closer to the basket.

After 1994, in order to achieve higher offensive efficiency in half-court sets, Jordan focused on developing his post-up game and fadeaway jump shot.

Especially after losing to Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1993 playoffs, the Bulls desperately needed a ball-dominant machine in the low post who could rival Olajuwon.

The Bulls couldn't acquire a center like that, so the task fell to Jordan.

Now, although Jordan is a shooting guard, his weight and strength are enough to compete with many average power forwards.

Neither Liddell nor Kobe could cause Jordan any trouble in post-up defense.

Red number 23's fadeaway jump shot took center stage at the start of the third quarter.

Jordan sent the ball into the basket with a coordinated and elegant jump and a springy release.

One shot, two shots, three shots, four shots – a series of successful shots were a response to Gan Guoyang's consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter.

Besides Jordan, Pippen, Harper, and others also quickened their pace of attack and took more decisive shots.

Jackson changed tactics at halftime. The Bulls stopped trying to slow down the pace and play defense, because if they continued playing like that, they wouldn't be able to catch up.

They must close the gap as quickly as possible, aiming to reduce it to within 5 points in the fourth quarter, and then engage in a back-and-forth battle with the Trail Blazers.

In contrast, the Trail Blazers experienced a brief slump, with Gan Guoyang being surrounded by multiple defenders on the perimeter, with Jordan being the main culprit.

Once Gan Guoyang has the ball beyond the three-point line after crossing half-court, Jordan will immediately come over to closely guard him, preventing Gan Guoyang from directly initiating a three-point shot.

Jordan could choose not to focus on defending Ridley, because the Trail Blazers' backcourt wasn't actually that strong, and they were at a disadvantage compared to the Bulls.

When Gan Guoyang is attacking with full force, Mullin, Riddell, and Brellock's individual deficiencies are exposed without Gan Guoyang's screens, assists, and tactical support.

Riddle is too rough, Blelock is too short, and Mullin is too old. They must implement team tactics in Forrest Gump and integrate into the team to leverage their strengths and conceal their weaknesses.

However, Gan Guoyang did not seem to have any intention of returning to team tactics, but continued to go his own way, launching attacks with a lot of possession of the ball. This meant that when players like Mullin and Brelock got the ball, they often had to rely on their individual abilities to solve the problem.

The Bulls gradually closed the gap, from trailing by 9 points to trailing by 7 points, then the two teams traded baskets, and finally seized an opportunity to close the gap to 5 points.

Larry Bird called a timeout, somewhat displeased with Agan's insistence on handling the ball extensively, leaving Rick Carlisle, who was responsible for the offense, somewhat frustrated.

"You can't maintain the same three-point shooting touch as you did in the first half."

"You stand on the perimeter, get the ball, dribble around for a while, but then don't attack. You pass it to a teammate, who then has to take the shot themselves, completely disrupting the rhythm!"

"This isn't our basketball Sonny. Shouldn't you stop fighting with Michael and refocus on the team?"

Carlisle was very anxious, watching helplessly as their core player, Forrest Gump, destroyed the perfect team basketball they had played in the previous game.

In terms of pure ability, the signings of Sabonis, Brelock, and Mullin last summer were only above average, not the kind of sudden arrival of a top-tier All-Star.

But the arrival of the three people triggered a magical chemical reaction, achieving things they never dared to imagine. Now that the journey is nearing its end, Carlisle doesn't want everything to go to waste.

Although the finals have enough room for error, who would have thought that such a highly anticipated first game would end in defeat on home soil?

Gan Guoyang drank his water without arguing with Carlisle. Carlisle was still young and couldn't understand his intentions, so Gan Guoyang didn't blame him.

After the timeout, both teams returned to the court. Bird patted Carlisle on the shoulder and said, "Trust Forrest Gump. He's well-prepared, he's determined, and he's not doing this to show off or simply for a win."

"What's that for?"

"To destroy Jordan, to destroy the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls will not only lose this game, they will fall apart in this series."

Bird saw through everything, while Carlisle didn't quite understand; he was obsessed with tactics and didn't know much about psychological and human aspects.

The game continued, and the Bulls made a fierce chase, only to find themselves still 5 points behind when they looked up at the score.

Jordan's playing style is extremely physically demanding. He was already slightly out of breath and occasionally rested his hands on his knees.

Looking at Gan Guoyang across from him, the kid was chewing gum as if nothing had happened. His physical fitness was astonishing, and he didn't even seem to be sweating much.

"Damn it, how come his stamina is so good? Resting for two more seasons is good for his body. I should have retired and rested for two years too. Forrest Gump is so cunning."

Jordan thought to himself that Gan Guoyang's two-year retirement was actually a form of recuperation, reducing wear and tear and indirectly extending his own career lifespan.

Jordan has been playing since 1984, and hasn't suffered a major injury since the 1986 season. Coupled with his relentless work schedule, he's played an enormous number of games. Since 1990, the Bulls have reached at least the Eastern Conference Finals for nine consecutive seasons. Except for 1995 when he was hampered by knee inflammation, he played around 100 games each season. To reach MVP-level performance at 35 years old in 1998 is a miracle of human physical ability.

Unfortunately, Forrest Gump on the other side was on fire. He played more games in the conference finals than Jordan, and his physique was even better than Jordan's.

After the timeout, Gan Guoyang began to appear frequently in the low post, which is his best defensive skill, and Jackson certainly anticipated this.

Langley, Rodman, Pippen, and Kukoc took turns on the court, along with Jordan and Harper double-teaming Gan Guoyang, providing the most rigorous defense.

Gan Guoyang's solution was not to pass the ball or rely on teammates to play team tactics, but to speed up his own shot release.

He positioned himself, received the ball, turned and launched an attack without any observation or hesitation, like a ruthless low-post offensive machine, bombarding the Bulls' basket.

"Agan received the ball in the low post, immediately turned around, got past Longley, and dunked! His dunk after the timeout was like that of a hunting crocodile!"

"Forrest Gump was still in the low post, on the left side, he turned and threw a hook shot! It went in again, a beautiful hook shot. This is why I've always stuck with watching Forrest Gump's games. You can see this almost lost skill. He takes me back to the wonderful 80s."

"On the right low post, the double team came in, he turned and shot, and it went in! He also drew a foul from Kukoc, a beautiful leaning shot. Nobody in the league uses that kind of shot anymore, it's so aggressive. He can guarantee he won't get blocked while still causing enough damage."

Bill Walton passionately explained Gan Guoyang's low-post offensive techniques.

After making adjustments at the beginning of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang's shooting touch returned.

Anyone who has played basketball knows that a player's shooting touch often comes in waves. For a period of time, a certain player can make a series of consecutive shots, and no matter how you defend, you can't stop him.

The best response at this point is not to double-team, but for the coach to call a timeout to disrupt the player's rhythm and touch.

When the player returns to the court after the timeout, he will likely lose his touch. If he insists on continuing to shoot, he may miss even without playing defense.

This is a characteristic of basketball: a player's shooting percentage curve fluctuates regularly. Excellent players can make these fluctuations as quick as possible and the downshorts as short as possible.

Ordinary players often only have a brief period of brilliance in one game, followed by a period of stagnation. As a coach, the greatest contribution to the team is to make good use of a player's periods of good form and let him play more.

Gan Guoyang is clearly not just an excellent player; once he gets into a rhythm, he can maintain it for a long time, unleash a barrage of shots, and is extremely lethal.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang's offensive techniques are unique. He can shoot three-pointers from the outside, which is ahead of its time and his three-point accuracy is amazing.

Inside, this guy is a retro type, using the now-extinct hook shot and turnaround jump shot techniques. If the defenders don't change their mindset, sometimes they really can't keep up.

Needless to say, the hook shot, especially the Jabbar-style hook shot, is no longer widely used by any player except Gan Guoyang.

The quick turnaround and leaning jump shot technique inherited from Bernard King has been "obsolete".

Because if you don't master it, leaning forward to shoot will just give your opponent a chance to block your shot.

The idea behind leaning forward and fadeaway jump shots to avoid being blocked is the opposite. The advantage of leaning forward is that it is closer and more accurate, and the increased physical contact can draw fouls. The difficulty lies in controlling the speed and timing.

With the improvement of shooting techniques, no one uses the techniques commonly used in the 60s and 70s anymore. Gan Guoyang has taken a different approach, and he is unique in that he cannot be learned by others.

During the regular season, Gan Guoyang rarely showed his full potential, often defeating his opponents with just a few simple moves.

In the Finals, this guy stopped pretending and used whatever he had and whatever could be scored, scoring 10 points in a row and helping the Trail Blazers extend their lead back to more than 10 points in the second half of the third quarter.

"Forrest received the ball in the low post again, and Pippen pounced on him. Foul! A foul was drawn, and Forrest went to the free-throw line."

Later on, whenever Gan Guoyang got the ball, Bulls players would rush at him and foul him without hesitation.

We need to disrupt his offensive rhythm and stop him from scoring in open play.

The Bulls were starting to falter, but Jordan was still holding on.

As his physical exertion increased and his jumping height became insufficient, Jordan's mid-range shots began to miss.

Jordan then changed his strategy, continuing to strengthen his defense and disrupt the Trail Blazers' low-post passes to Gan Guoyang.

The Trail Blazers made a series of mistakes, and the Bulls resorted to a dirty trick, using illegal defense to double-team Gan Guoyang and disrupt his passing lanes.

On the other hand, Jordan began to make numerous drives, layups, draw fouls, and go to the free-throw line on offense, scoring points while allowing himself to rest.

In the final two minutes of the third quarter, the Bulls prevented the Trail Blazers from extending their lead, instead keeping the score close.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 72-80, with the Bulls narrowing the gap to 1 point in the third quarter.

Jordan scored 14 points in a single quarter and had already scored 42 points in total, while Gan Guoyang scored an astonishing 44 points.

Both players delivered breathtaking performances, a true clash between the first and second greatest of all time.

The difference was that Jordan was a little tired, while Gan Guoyang still had plenty of energy.

As Jordan was leaving the court in the third quarter, Gan Guoyang grabbed him and said, "Michael! It's the last quarter. If I win, you've lost the whole season, you've lost everything."

Jordan said, "Fuck you, stop talking nonsense, the series is still going on."

"No, Michael, you're wrong. The fourth quarter is your last chance."

"The way I played today is to tell you that I can beat you not because my teammates are better than you, not because our peak coincided with your slump. I don't want to take advantage of you, Michael."

"I can win because I'm better than you."

"If you can't even win this game, then in the next few games, my teammates and I will be no match for you. Do you understand?"

"Don't miss this last chance."

At this point, everyone else on the field had left to rest.

The two of them were the only ones standing there talking, and all the camera lenses were pointed at them.

The referee didn't interfere with the two players and told them to go down and rest early, but instead let them talk.

This was a dramatic moment, and everyone wanted to know what the two said, what childish trash talk they had.

Don't overestimate the cultural level of NBA players. Often, their trash talk is just ordinary cursing, with absolutely no substance.

But Jordan and Forrest Gump are unlikely to be like that; they look very serious, with Gan Guoyang talking and Jordan listening.

After Gan Guoyang finished speaking, he turned and left. Jordan looked very upset and returned to the bench with a solemn expression.

Jackson asked Jordan, "What nonsense did Forrest Gump spout this time?"

Jordan replied, "A really stinky fart, really stinky, really stinky."

(End of this chapter)