The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 878 Adding a Blazing Flame

No matter what difficulties or problems he faced, Forrest Gump always tried his best to find solutions and was willing to change and adjust himself to adapt to the environment.

His pragmatic spirit, which comes from the East, is the secret to his long-term success.

In the 1999-2000 season, when everyone expected his downfall, he stubbornly persisted, as if he would forever remain on the throne, obstinate and greedy.

—Excerpt from Phil Jackson's autobiography, *Christ, Hippies, Indians, Zen, and Basketball*, published in 2014.

The Trail Blazers had a smooth start to the new season, although Gan Guoyang was tricked by the judicial bureau and had to travel between the two places, which greatly depleted his energy.

However, Gan Guoyang's timely return to Portland in the second half greatly increased the drama of the game, and this one-sided match became the focus of media attention afterward.

Of course, in the post-game team meeting, the cautious Rick Carlisle still said that the opponents in the first two games were relatively weak, and winning was normal. The team has not yet encountered a real challenge.

The Grizzlies and Clippers are indeed the worst teams in the West, and the Trail Blazers must win this game, especially at the beginning of the season when the veterans are still in good physical condition and form.

As the season progresses, fatigue and injuries will increasingly wear down the performance of older teams. If they don't establish a good foundation at the beginning of the season, they will have to rush to catch up in order to improve their ranking at the end of the season, which will greatly damage their overall strength.

The team must plan well, win more in the early stages, and provide enough redundancy and room for error in the mid-to-late stages, so that they can take their time and make a final push for the championship.

Jack Ramsey and Bobby Bellman did the same thing during the Trail Blazers' first three-peat and four-peat, and both successfully achieved their goals.

But now it's Rick Carlisle's turn, and the situation is much worse.

Back then, Jack Ramsey and Bobby Berman had both been in charge of the team for many years and had authority within the team, enabling them to control the team's direction.

From management to players to fans, Ramsey and Berman are able to keep things in check, ensuring the team stays on course even amidst turbulent times.

More importantly, Gan Guoyang was in his prime at that time, and no matter what strategy the team implemented, he always provided full support to the team.

Jack Ramsey later said during his commentary, "Actually, with Forrest Gump around back then, you could have a dog on the bench and the team wouldn't have played too badly."

With such a strong safety net, the coach feels very secure, like driving a car with plenty of power. Even if there are minor technical mistakes, it doesn't matter as long as you don't fly off the track. Once you get on the straight, just floor the gas and you'll catch up.

Carlisle's situation is much more difficult. Although he is well-liked by the Trail Blazers, he was an assistant coach, not a head coach, and his authority is not enough.

When he was coaching, he often had to rely on the endorsement of Bird and Hart. Another new assistant coach, Spoelstra, was even younger, not even 30 years old, so he could share even less of the burden.

The worst part is Gan Guoyang's situation. Due to interference from the Department of Justice, Gan Guoyang will have to go to New York or Washington every month for hearings and investigations.

The constant travel will not only cause Gan Guoyang to miss the competition, but will also affect his training and maintaining his form.

Gan Guoyang was already declining, his control over the game was decreasing, and with distractions off the field, the situation will only get worse.

3号对阵快船的比赛，下半场甘国阳出战21分钟，拿下12分8个篮板和3次助攻。

Although he only played half the game and was leading by too much, Gan Guoyang didn't exert himself much, but this data shows that Gan Guoyang was more cautious on the offensive end.

Gan Guoyang's two main guarantees were his exceptional rim protection and rebounding abilities, ensuring the paint was not breached.

Secondly, his offensive output is among the best in history. His unlimited stamina, coupled with an extremely high shooting percentage of over 60%, makes him an even more terrifying and efficient scoring machine than Jordan.

As for other support, organization, drawing space from the defense, mental strength, etc., they are just icing on the cake, side benefits.

This season, Gan Guoyang has maintained his standard in terms of defense under the basket.

However, Gan Guoyang gradually lost his second superb ability to carry the team. During the playoffs, he reduced his shot attempts and focused on offense.

In the new season, Carlisle will not only need to change the offensive and defensive strategies, but also adjust Gan Guoyang's shot attempts and coordinate the shot ratio between the inside and outside lines.

At the same time, following Bird's advice, Gan Guoyang should move to the small forward position to maximize his role and maintain his physical condition and form.

This would create more weaknesses in the team's defense under the basket, which Carlisle would need to find a way to address, especially since Sabonis is getting older.

With so many problems facing Carlisle, almost every day since the training camp has been a sleepless night for him, much harder than being an assistant coach.

In the following games, the Trail Blazers indeed exposed many problems on both offense and defense.

On November 5th, they will host the Utah Jazz, who are also facing serious aging issues.

But the Jazz's strength lies in their consistency; they are like snow on a high mountain that never melts, and the cooperation between Malone and Stockton remains skillful.

The Trail Blazers lost the game 98-94.

Gan Guoyang still held the advantage in his matchup against Ma Long, but the outside shooters had a very poor shooting percentage.

Relying on three-pointers, they only made 4 out of 16 attempts throughout the game, a shooting percentage that makes it difficult to win.

Gan Guoyang's performance of 28 points and 15 rebounds was not enough to turn the tide in the final stages.

If Gan Guoyang can increase his output to 35 points and grab two more offensive rebounds, the game will be won.

But it didn't work. At the end of the competition, Gan Guoyang himself felt a little disappointed in himself.

Things that used to be easy to do now seem difficult, and that feeling is unpleasant.

Since the end of the finals, Gan Guoyang has not received complete, systematic, and targeted training.

During the competition, I could clearly feel that my control over my body was decreasing. In the past, my mind was focused and my body was in sync with my hands, but now my mind is focused, but my body is still on its way.

"Sure enough, everything got out of control, starting with losing control of oneself."

The feeling of being out of control became increasingly apparent to Gan Guoyang, both on and off the field.

To cope with the negative impact of the espionage case, Gan Guoyang has sold nearly half of his assets, securing enough cash to prepare for a fallback plan, while also maintaining good relationships.

After the match, his good friend Stockton came over to comfort Gan Guoyang. He knew that Gan Guoyang was preoccupied with various troubles and that he didn't play like himself at all tonight.

"Everything will be alright. Actually, I think the league should give you a retirement tour. No one deserves this honor more than you."

“I never said I would definitely retire. Besides, given the current situation, Stern wouldn’t do that. What if I really am a spy?” “I don’t believe it. This is pure persecution. Besides, even if you were a spy, you didn’t harm America. You protected your own people. What’s wrong with that? You’ve made so many contributions without harming the country. What kind of spy are you? On the contrary, some people in high positions claim to be patriotic, but they keep leeching off and harming the people. They are even more despicable than spies.”

"You can't say that, you absolutely can't say that..."

Gan Guoyang quickly told Stockton to stop talking, as he was being monitored at all times and didn't want to implicate his friend.

After losing to the Jazz, the Trail Blazers traveled to Seattle on November 6th to face their old rivals, the SuperSonics.

Patrick Ewing is also nearing the end of his career; he's 37, a year older than Gan Guoyang.

If he had a championship ring, he probably would have retired after this season, but since he has nothing, he will continue to fight.

After firing George Karl, the SuperSonics hired former Suns head coach Paul Westphal, hoping the renowned coach could lead the SuperSonics back to their former glory.

The SuperSonics also made significant signings in the summer, acquiring talented players such as Horace Grant, Brent Barry, and Vernon Maxwell, determined to give it another shot.

Although Ewing is getting old, Gary Payton is only 31 years old, in the prime of a point guard. With the Trail Blazers seemingly on the verge of collapse, they may still have a chance.

In this game at KeyArena, the passionate SuperSonics fans actually saw a glimmer of hope. The Trail Blazers played poorly and suffered another defeat, losing 94-100 on the road.

Seattle and Portland have a decades-long history of feuds, and Seattleites won't miss any opportunity to gloat over each other's misfortunes.

During the match, they kept booing Gan Guoyang, and after winning the game, they celebrated wildly as if they had won the championship.

In two consecutive games, the Trail Blazers suffered defeats against strong Western Conference teams, and neither game saw them score more than 100 points.

This team is completely different from the Trail Blazers who had an incredibly strong offense in the previous two seasons.

Their three-point shooting percentage has dropped significantly, and their turnovers in fast breaks have increased markedly.

The team's success rate in positional attacks and its scoring rate per 100 possessions also dropped significantly, which contributed to their defeat.

Charles Barkley's impact as a substitute after returning to the bench was clearly not as good as when he started.

Barkley is already a veteran, and he needed to find his form in the last game, especially since he is an offensive-minded, shorter center.

His shooting ability is inconsistent, and his declining athleticism means he can no longer launch explosive, fast-paced attacks.

Previously, the Trail Blazers' second unit, based on young players, would immediately launch a whirlwind of fast-paced offense, which might be even more intense than the starters, and many opponents simply couldn't keep up.

Now? Kobe has been promoted to the starting lineup, Riddle has been traded, Alan Henderson is not a driving player, Porter is a year older, and Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace are better at defense than offense.

The remaining option is Charles Barkley. Expecting him to orchestrate a rapid offensive surge in the second unit? That's clearly unrealistic.

How to use Barkley became a major headache for Rick Carlisle.

After the game, Barkley offered a highly imaginative and creative suggestion: "Let me start, and let Forrest Gump come off the bench!"

It was indeed very imaginative and creative, but it was immediately rejected; Gan Guoyang was not going to be a substitute.

With little time for the Trail Blazers coaching staff to make adjustments, they immediately left Seattle for Portland, where they were about to host their next Western Conference challenger: the Los Angeles Lakers.

Unlike the Trail Blazers, who went 2-2 in their first four games, the Lakers have won all four of their opening games this season. Clearly, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to go all out for the championship this season.

The biggest change for the Lakers this season is the addition of former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson, who will bring championship experience and the triangle offense to the team.

Throughout the 1998-1999 season, Jackson, who had left the Bulls, did not look for a new job, but instead lay low and waited for the best opportunity.

In his personal life, he divorced his wife after his mistress was exposed, and returned to bachelorhood.

He lived a secluded spiritual life in a small village by Lake Iliamna in Alaska while waiting for a job opportunity to come his way.

Phil Jackson learned about his Lakers job from the kids in his village; they had seen the news on ESPN and followed him from the barren lands of Alaska to sunny Los Angeles.

Of course, this is Phil Jackson's own account. He meant that he abandoned himself in the wilderness to cultivate himself, like Jiang Ziya fishing with a straight hook, detached from worldly affairs, waiting for the fish to take the bait.

Sure enough, the Los Angeles Lakers, with their keen eye for talent, found him and hoped he would come out of retirement to assist O'Neal and Kidd and lead the team to the championship. Jackson believed that Los Angeles could showcase his talent and decided to come out of retirement.

In reality, Phil Jackson was far from the carefree and impulsive person he claimed to be. Teams like the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets extended offers to him, but Jackson turned them all down.

In particular, in the summer of 1998, the Nets hoped that Jackson would coach them. They had Pippen, Olajuwon and Barkley, but Jackson refused the opportunity because he realized that it would be difficult for such an old superstar team to succeed, and he did not want to ruin his reputation.

In the summer of 1999, Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers faced a major crisis and were on the verge of disintegration.

With a strong roster, excellent management, and ample room for maneuver, the Los Angeles Lakers were the perfect fit for Phil Jackson. He decided to join forces with this carefully selected team and land in Los Angeles to lead the Purple and Gold to regain their glory.

This is indeed a perfect time, with O'Neal and Jason Kidd both entering the prime of their careers, and Tracy McGrady showing immense potential.

The team's core roster is about to enter its prime, and they also have excellent role players like Fisher and Horry. As long as they make some adjustments to this structure, the Lakers will definitely be the most competitive team for the championship in the next three to five years.

When Forrest Gump retires, the Western Conference will fall to the Lakers. The long period of oppression they have suffered since 1986 will finally come to an end, and the dawn will break.

As dawn approached and darkness receded, Phil Jackson was willing to come to the Lakers and become the rooster that crowed the sun.

If Phil Jackson can take advantage of the Trail Blazers' weakness and eliminate them again in the Western Conference playoffs, he will fulfill his unfulfilled dream in his career.

That was a shared regret for Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan during their Bulls era; they were never able to overcome the formidable obstacle that was Forrest Gump.

This shows that Phil Jackson was exceptionally shrewd and calculating, yet he preferred to use so-called Eastern philosophy to create the image of a reclusive sage.

This was also the key reason why Michael Jordan broke with Jackson after 1998; he felt that Jackson was not sincere enough and that he had taken advantage of him too much.

For the same reason, Gan Guoyang doesn't admire Phil Jackson much, but he must admit that Jackson is a very good head coach.

However, what Jackson excelled at was exactly what Gan Guoyang could see through and counter, which led to Jackson being slightly better than the Trail Blazers coach in psychological warfare and strategy in several finals, yet ultimately failing to win a single game.

Now, both in the Western Conference and having joined the Lakers, Gan Guoyang knows that Jackson came for him, and he wants to add fuel to the fire during this season when everyone is kicking him while he's down.

(End of this chapter)