The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 854 Move on
"I need to quit drinking."

One day in July 1998, shortly after the NBA Finals ended and before the labor negotiations were finalized, when Michael Jordan suddenly announced his retirement, Charles Barkley seemed to be inspired or stimulated by something, and he decided to quit drinking.

Jordan was also a good friend of Barkley. The two entered the league together and would train together every summer, play golf together, attend various events together, shoot commercials, make documentaries, and participate in talk shows together.

Suddenly, Jordan decided to leave. Although there had been signs of trouble, the decision still came as a surprise.

Barkley and Jordan also had a strong rivalry. The 1994 Finals was the most exciting Finals game outside of the battle between Gan and Jordan. Barkley gave it his all, but still lost to the Bulls and Jordan.

Before he was focused on surpassing Forrest Gump, Barkley's primary target was Jordan, who was also in the Eastern Conference for most of the time. To reach the Finals, he had to get past Michael.

This friend, whose personality was somewhat annoying yet full of goodwill, was about to end his career.

Despite Forrest Gump's terrifying dominance, Jordan still reaped a great harvest: six NBA Finals appearances, three championships, four MVP awards, countless scoring titles, and numerous other honors and memorable moments.

After Jordan's press conference, Barkley immediately called Jordan, who said on the phone, "I've had a great career, Charles. I have regrets, but I don't care anymore. That's life."

"When the hell did you become a philosopher?! No wonder you're retiring!" Barkley mocked Jordan over the phone.

He said that, but he felt empty inside.

Michael retired and left, leaving behind regrets, but even more so, a rewarding and fulfilling basketball career.

And look at yourself? Two Finals, one loss to Forrest Gump, one to Jordan. Running around, but ultimately achieving nothing.

In a game against the Lakers in February 1998, Barkley hit the game-winning shot, and as a result, he went out drinking that night to celebrate, causing him to miss practice the next day and back-to-back games.

When Pat Riley sent people to find him, Barkley was fast asleep in a private room at a bar.

Riley was furious and suspended Barkley for two games, but Barkley didn't care and continued his dissolute and undisciplined life.

In the 1998 playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round, another failed season.

They battled the young Boston Celtics to a decisive Game 5, but Drexler went 1-for-13 in the final game, a poor performance that angered and frustrated Barkley, who angrily denounced Drexler for completely lacking ambition.

Drexler didn't care at all. He held up four fingers at Barkley and then announced that he would retire and leave the NBA.

Hakeem Olajuwon is gone, Clyde Drexler has retired, and they both have championship rings, but Charles Barkley is still empty-handed.

In the series against Tim Duncan, Barkley was completely dominated by the young, tall rookie, who was said to be the next Forrest Gump.

His arms were swollen, his legs were heavy, and his knees were sore and numb. His physical weakness exacerbated his depression. Since May, he had been immersing himself in alcohol, using the feeling of living a life of drunkenness to resist the frustration of life.

His weight has soared to nearly 300 pounds again. Given his height, he is better suited to sumo wrestling than to basketball, where he needs to run and jump around.

When Jordan chose to leave, Barkley finally realized that his career was coming to an end, and perhaps next season would be his last. Who knows?

Standing in front of the mirror, looking at his poorly managed physique, Barkley knew he needed to quit drinking, lose weight, and work hard to get back in shape during the offseason.

But Barkley still had a difficult choice: which team should he play for in the 1998-1999 season?
He can't stay with the Heat anymore. Pat Riley, that bloodsucker, talks a good game when he invites you to join, but once your performance on the court declines and you lose your value, Riley will show his mean side.

Barkley regrets coming to the Heat. He should have gone to the Trail Blazers. If he had gone to the Trail Blazers first and then waited for Forrest Gump to return in 1996, he wouldn't have been considered to be riding on someone else's coattails.

Instead, you could say, "Forrest Gump returned to Portland because of me!" And then winning a championship with Forrest Gump would be just too wonderful.

Unfortunately, Barkley didn't expect Forrest Gump to return, and no big names were willing to go there; it just goes to show that things are unpredictable.

With the Trail Blazers' failure in the 1997 season, Barkley was ready to go to Portland to help Forrest Gump.

No one expected the Trail Blazers to be so successful in the 1998 season, so successful that if Barkley went to Portland, it wouldn't be considered an improvement, but rather a begging for food.

What difference does it make whether he's there or not?
Although Barkley longed for a championship, he wanted the trophy to have real value, rather than just being a decorative piece to get a ring.

Just then, Hakeem Olajuwon, Barkley's former teammate on the Heat, extended an invitation to Barkley, hoping he would come to the Nets.

After a season of dormancy following the arrival of a major sponsor, the Nets are poised to make a big splash this summer, aiming to assemble a super team to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers' dominance.

While Barkley hesitated, he watched as Pippen joined the team, Derrick Harper joined the team, and Mitch Richmond arrived, forming a super team that was beginning to take shape. Barkley was tempted.

But after learning from the Heat's experience, Barkley still hesitated.

It's worth noting that when the Heat formed their Big Four, everyone was younger, had higher profiles, and had Pat Riley, a super coach.

Ultimately, it failed.

The Nets' star duo, Barkley and Olajuwon, are two years older, Pippen is still in his prime, and Richmond is good but lacks star power, not necessarily as strong as Drexler.

And players like Derek Harper are also nearing the end of their careers. Can they really challenge Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers just by putting them all together? That sounds like a joke.

Barkley knew that if he joined the Trail Blazers and signed a veteran contract, it was highly likely that Forrest Gump would carry him to new heights next season.

But... he still couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart. He called Jordan again to explain his hesitation. Jordan warned Barkley mercilessly, "If you go and cling to Forrest Gump, I'll look down on you for the rest of my life."

Jordan's words spurred Barkley on, and he finally decided to give it one more shot. He said on the phone, "Michael, I'm going to do what you can't do, beat Forrest Gump in the Finals!"

After boasting, Barkley first contacted the Nets to discuss contract issues, then held a press conference and officially donned the Nets jersey.

Then Barkley and Olajuwon went to Los Angeles. In recent years, Los Angeles has become increasingly popular with NBA stars. It has excellent facilities, a pleasant climate, and a large number of basketball professionals, making it a perfect place to improve oneself in the summer.

Hakeem Olajuwon told Barkley that he spent a very meaningful summer in Los Angeles after finishing his pilgrimage in the summer of 1992, during which his offensive ability was significantly improved and he entered a new level.

After arriving in Los Angeles, in addition to training, Barkley also spent a week at a spiritual center in Calabasas.

In this monastery, which also serves as a weight-loss center, Barkley manages his weight while practicing yoga and meditation.

His breakfast is an apple, lunch is salad and fruit, and dinner is a bowl of soup.

In Barkley's words, the food here is worse than pork, but he lost 17 pounds in a week, strengthened his legs, and at least got abs.

Barkley felt like he had been reborn. On the last day of his hospital stay, just before he was about to be discharged, Hakeem Olajuwon came to pick him up and brought him a Big Mac and French fries!
"Is this how God teaches you to treat your friends?" Barkley questioned Olajuwon, his eyes never leaving the food.

“This is a beef burger,” Hakeem Olajuwon said.

Ultimately, Barkley couldn't resist the temptation of McDonald's and ate 10 hamburgers and 15 bags of French fries on the day he was discharged from the hospital—which was actually not enough to even fill his teeth.

Even so, Barkley declared to Olajuwon, "We're about to have a great season!"

Hakeem Olajuwon smiled but didn't say anything. Barkley said the same thing when he first came to the Heat, and everyone saw how it turned out.

Hakeem Olajuwon certainly wanted to give it another shot, otherwise he wouldn't have signed such a strange contract with the Nets, only earning $300 million next season, just to attract big-name free agents to join and form a super team to once again challenge Forrest Gump for the championship.

Jordan eventually gave up the challenge against Forrest Gump and ended his professional career.

Hakeem Olajuwon wasn't about to give up; the loss in the 1993 Finals was like a needle pricking his heart.

Although the 1995 championship somewhat made up for the disappointment, he was hailed as the "second center of the 90s" because of that championship.

But people keep saying that Hakeem Olajuwon benefited from Gan Guoyang's retirement, and deep down Olajuwon was unconvinced. No matter how many times he prayed to Allah in the mosque, a voice always echoed in his heart: "You should try to beat Forrest Gump in the Finals."

This thought haunted Hakeem Olajuwon like a ghost, and he endured hardship and humiliation in New Jersey during the 1997-1998 season.

While playing, he conserved his energy and maintained his form. He reduced his weight, gradually changed his playing style, reduced his shots, and strengthened his defense, hoping to pull off a big score in the summer of 1998.

In fact, the person Hakeem Olajuwon really wanted to team up with was Michael Jordan. These two, the number one and number three picks in the 1984 NBA draft, the second and third in the golden generation, should cooperate to challenge that man's dominance.

But Jordan wasn't interested in this kind of super team-up; he couldn't do it, while Olajuwon was already very experienced and had mastered it.

The same goes for Barkley; once you've done it the first time, the second and third times become much easier.

"I heard... the boss wants Magic to be our coach, do you think that's feasible?" Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley discussed a more practical issue.

After quickly assembling a star-studded roster, the Nets faced the challenge of finding someone to manage it.

The Nets' coach is John Calipari, who is actually a very talented coach, but the problem is that he is likely to be unable to control the team's big men.

This is a question that NBA teams always consider when selecting coaches. Unlike college teams, personal relationships are a key factor in the NBA, especially for teams with many veteran players.

If a coach can't control his players and the team falls apart, that team can forget about achieving good results.

Paul Allen had worked hard to assemble this super team, and of course he didn't want an unknown, ordinary coach to ruin his money and effort.

While Barkley and Olajuwon were training in Los Angeles, the Nets' management also came to Los Angeles to visit Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

The Nets saw the potential for imitation in the success of Bird and the Trail Blazers. If the white bird of the 80s' "Black and White Duo" could become the best coach, then the black magician certainly could too.

However, Barkley and Olajuwon were skeptical. Barkley said, "Maggie has coached before. He coached a few games with the Lakers, and what was the result? 5 wins and 10 losses! A complete mess. I don't think he's coaching material."

“However,” Barkley added, “if he were to become the coach, I would respect him, until he messes things up.”

Clearly, Barkley and Olajuwon did not trust Magic Johnson's coaching abilities, and this distrust influenced the Nets' management's decisions to some extent.

They met with these two bigwigs in Los Angeles to discuss the head coach selection. If all else fails, they will have to let John Calipari continue to coach for another year and see how things go.

But Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley couldn't wait. They were getting older and their condition was deteriorating. They didn't know when they would leave the league.

It's possible that in one of the offensive or defensive rounds of the next season, a sprain, a bruise, or a ruptured ligament could happen, and that would be the end of it all.

At this time, news also came from Magic Johnson. He called back the Nets' management to indicate that he had no intention of coaching.

"I'm sorry, this job is very attractive to me, but I don't think I can handle it. It's not just because of my own self-awareness, but also because of my health, family, and many other factors."

Magic Johnson worked as a coach for a while. He's smart and self-aware; he knows he's not cut out for it.

Larry Bird is Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson is Magic Johnson. At Larry Bird's retirement ceremony, Magic Johnson said that there would never be another Larry Bird.

"However, I can recommend a suitable candidate to you. I believe he can do this job well."

"Who?"

"Rivers, Doc Rivers, I bet he'll be a good coach."

In many ways, the careers of professional athletes have a lot in common.

Compared to ordinary professions, professional athletes live more like birds.

Birds possess amazing physical abilities that enhance their experience of the world around them: their senses, especially their vision, are exceptionally sharp.

Of course, they can also fly.

Birds survive entirely on their high-performance bodies, strong muscles, full feathers, and light, hollow bones.

Therefore, even the slightest damage can completely destroy it.

Furthermore, birds have short lifespans.

A professional athlete's career is like that of a bird in the sky—dazzling yet fleeting.

After the 1998 season, Michael Jordan retired with his legendary career.

Although he can still have a season like a lone hero, carrying the Bulls to the Finals, he is already very tired.

He is already 35 years old.

That's right, 35 years old! At this age, most people in ordinary professions have just established themselves in their industry.

Even the top professional athletes have to start thinking about when they will be eliminated.

An athlete's peers may be teachers, accountants, bricklayers, lawyers, or doctors.

They are in their prime, using seven or eight years of work experience as a foundation for stable long-term development, but the athlete must face a situation: he is on the decline.

The decline of a professional athlete is not gradual; rather, when he senses that he is going downhill, everything will quickly slip away, from 100 to 5, or even 0.

Professional athletes burn out their lives too early; they have the opportunity to receive extremely high praise at a very young age.

While most people in their twenties are still clueless, some professional athletes have already reached the pinnacle of their field.

The problem is that athletes of this age often don't care much about self-worth and dignity; they enjoy money, cheers, and a rich life.

By the time they reach 35, while most ordinary people begin to find their place and self-identity in their work and life, many athletes face this situation: they are becoming worthless in their field. In their thirties, they have a wife in her prime and two children under seven years old, yet they are about to be eliminated from competition.

Most athletes at this age have made many futile attempts, hoping to fight against the ravages of time and stubbornly trying to hone themselves based on their experiences from their youth, only to find that things only get worse.

This also explains why Forrest Gump chose to make a comeback in the summer of 1996. He had almost everything and lacked nothing, but he still wanted to play basketball.

They need competition, cheers, applause and excitement, and they even need to fail.

If you don't even experience failure, you won't know how to get back on your feet.

Doc Rivers was one of them. After announcing his retirement in the 1996 season, he said frankly, "When I stopped playing, I felt tremendous pain and hurt."

In the summer of 1998, an opportunity came his way. The New Jersey Nets, who had assembled a super team, invited him to coach the team, which was on the verge of retirement and preparing for one last push.

Rivers accepted this extremely challenging task and position without hesitation. He commented on his mindset, saying:

“As I’ve said before, I’m extremely competitive and have a competitive mindset, but my goal isn’t to beat others. I just want to move forward and realize my potential, my talent and abilities. Others are obstacles and challenges on my path, both resistance and motivation. When a coaching position was offered to me after I’d been away from the court for over two years, I knew my motivation to keep going had returned, and I accepted it without hesitation.”

—Excerpt from "Keep Moving Forward," written by Bruce Brooks, in the January 1999 issue of Sports Illustrated, Issue 1.

(End of this chapter)