The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 885 The Best and Last Chance
On December 1, when Gan Guoyang walked out of New York City Hall again, snowflakes were already falling from the sky.

From summer to autumn, and then to winter, the espionage case clung to Gan Guoyang like a persistent leech.

The questioning was still largely meaningless; the FBI didn't have much left to ask, and they just kept harping on certain issues.

Congressman Christopher Cox did not let up in his interrogation of Gan Guoyang, and he personally participated in the hearing and questioning of Gan Guoyang.

However, Cox failed to make any breakthrough and quickly succumbed to the physical and mental strain.

Cox was in a serious car accident in Hawaii when he was young, which resulted in paralysis of his lower limbs. After treatment and the addition of steel plates, he regained his ability to walk.

However, he cannot sit for long periods of time and needs a special chair to work standing up.

During the hearing, Gan Guoyang stared at Cox and kept talking to him, not giving him a chance to stand up and move around.

Ultimately, Cox was carried out of the hall by security personnel due to unbearable back pain, and the hearing had to be adjourned.

Gan Guoyang's exceptional mental fortitude, astonishing physical strength and energy left the FBI and the committee in a state of utter disarray.

However, they were still unwilling to give up easily, for a simple reason: the 2000 election was just around the corner.

Gan Guoyang's case involves Clinton and the Democratic Party, while Cox is a Republican congressman.

He previously served as Reagan's aide and currently has close ties with George W. Bush, who is running for the 2000 election.

The Lewinsky case has been dropped and can no longer cause further damage to the Blue Party.

The current economic situation in the United States is very good, and the unemployment rate in December has fallen to its lowest level since 1970.

With Clinton's term nearing its end, the Democrats were bound to receive positive reviews. However, the case of Gan Guoyang gave the Republicans an opportunity to continue bleeding the Democrats dry, thus increasing their chances of winning the 2000 election.

Therefore, regardless of whether the problem can be found out, it must be delayed, and the wound must be allowed to grow large enough and bleed enough to prevent it from healing easily.

As for the bilateral relations behind the case, they were not too bad. Significant progress was made in the WTO negotiations in November, and the two sides signed a bilateral agreement.

This will be a major opportunity for development on the other side of the Pacific. Gan Guoyang's espionage case has diverted the attention of many hostile forces, and the Clinton administration made concessions in the negotiations.

In short, Gan Guoyang has realized that the hearing will be an unavoidable obstacle for him this season.

Fortunately, once the situation stabilized, everyone went through the proper procedures. As long as there was no groundbreaking evidence, Gan Guoyang wasn't afraid at all.

Because the hearing was held in the afternoon and it was already dark when it ended, Gan Guoyang was definitely not going to make it back to Portland for the game.

For safety and rest reasons, Gan Guoyang decided to stay in New York for one night and return to Portland the next day.

The Trail Blazers will rest and regroup on the 2nd, and on the 3rd, they will play the Phoenix Suns at home.

Tonight, the Trail Blazers will host the Houston Rockets in a tough game without either Gan Guoyang or Sabonis.

Gan Guoyang lay in his hotel room, turned on the TV to watch the game broadcast on a pay channel, but he didn't see himself, Sabonis, or even Kobe in the starting lineup introductions.

"What? Rick excluded Kobe from the starting lineup too? Did he put him on the bench?"

The Trail Blazers' starting shooting guard for this game was Chris Mullin, who has been in very poor form this season.

He didn't get much playing time in the previous games, and his three-point shooting percentage was quite low. Carlisle hopes he can get himself back into form before making any moves.

As a result, Gan Guoyang quickly spotted Kobe's figure on the sidelines through the camera lens—the TV station gave a close-up shot, showing the guy wearing a tracksuit with a bandage on his right hand.

"Shit, did Kobe break his own bones while masturbating?"

Gan Guoyang immediately called the team's medical department to inquire about the situation.

It turns out that Kobe went to Los Angeles to date his girlfriend, and in an attempt to show off, he got carried away and went to a street basketball court to play pickup games.

As a result, he injured his right hand during a confrontation. He didn't take it too seriously at first, but his wrist swelled up after he returned to Portland.

After examination, Kobe had a minor contusion in his wrist and needed to rest for about two weeks before being observed again.

Gan Guoyang was speechless after hanging up the phone. This kid really doesn't learn his lesson.

During his rookie season, he went to play pickup basketball, which resulted in a fracture of his metacarpal bone, causing him to miss a series of games after the start of the season.

Now in his fourth year, he's already an All-Star player, yet he still goes to play pickup basketball and injured his wrist.

Needless to say, he was trying to show off in front of his girlfriend, so he went into the game without warming up properly and ended up getting injured.

The Trail Blazers' fighting power has been greatly reduced due to the absence of three key players, while the Rockets are in good form.

After joining the Rockets, Steve Francis quickly became the team's new core player.

He and another young player, Mobley, formed a backcourt duo, shouldering the task of rebuilding the Rockets.

The young Rockets faced a depleted Trail Blazers roster, and it seemed like the Trail Blazers were in for a bad night.

Unexpectedly, Rick Carlisle boldly expanded the rotation despite the shortage of players, making use of all the available players on the bench.

Barkley replaced Gan Guoyang in the starting lineup, with Jermaine O'Neal starting at center. Off the bench, players like AC Green, Porter, and Dell Curry took turns playing, and everyone made their contribution.

The game was quite intense, with the Rockets playing more freely and unrestrainedly. Francis gained complete control, constantly using his individual skills to tear apart the Trail Blazers' defense, scoring or creating opportunities for his teammates.

However, the Trail Blazers' defense was very solid, with Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace playing a good role in protecting the rim. The Trail Blazers' offense was inconsistent, but they always managed to keep the Rockets in check through their defense.

The two teams battled closely until the final moments of the game, with Dell Curry's three-pointer and Charles Barkley's strong drives helping the Trail Blazers gain the upper hand.

Then, in defense, Francis exposed his youth, recklessness, and eagerness to be a hero, missing two shots and making a mistake, completely squandering the team's advantage.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Rockets 88-84, a four-point advantage, despite missing three key players.

This game was an unexpected victory. Although the Rockets are not a strong team, given the Trail Blazers' current form and the absence of their three core players, winning is already quite an achievement.

After watching the game, Gan Guoyang exclaimed that his teammates were not bad at all, especially head coach Rick Carlisle, who deserves the main credit for the victory.

His tactical arrangements, personnel deployment, and especially his precise control over rotation times demonstrated his strong control over the game and his keen ability to capture the situation on the field.

When Carlisle took over at the start of the new season, many people saw him as a scapegoat for Larry Bird's attempts to shift blame.

Bird coached for three years, winning two championships and the Coach of the Year award.

When it came to the most difficult final championship of their three-peat, with Forrest Gump embroiled in a spy scandal and the team aging significantly, Bird simply retired.

Although this was an agreement he made three years ago that he would back down no matter what the situation, leaving under these circumstances has indeed drawn some criticism.

The bigger controversy was over the choice of Bird's successor. The Portland media hoped for an experienced coach who could command respect and lead the Trail Blazers forward. However, Bird insisted on promoting the young Carlisle and choosing his successor from within, while he himself remained as general manager, which drew further criticism.

After overcoming immense pressure at the start of the season, Carlisle is finally beginning to show his value.

The absence of three key players in the game against the Rockets is the best proof of Carlisle's coaching ability.

He did not give up on victory easily, but instead made the best use of the resources at his disposal to plan and execute his strategy, and successfully won a victory.

After returning to Portland, Gan Guoyang, number 2, met Carlisle at the training facility and showered him with praise: "Rick, you did a great job coaching. With your performance, I can rest for a couple more games!"

Carlisle smiled and said, "The Rockets are a weak team. Their win was luck. We still need your leadership."

Carlisle knew perfectly well who the king and queen were.

After praising Carlisle, Gan Guoyang walked coldly to Kobe at the other end of the court.

With his right hand bandaged, Kobe could only use his left hand to hold the ball and perform some simple drills.

Seeing Gan Guoyang approach, Kobe lowered his eyes, wanting to explain, but Gan Guoyang said, "Don't say anything. I'm giving you two weeks to do something. Practice your left-handed shooting until it's almost as accurate as your right. This isn't my requirement for you, but a standard you should set for yourself. Good luck, kid."

Gan Guoyang patted Kobe on the shoulder. Kobe looked ashamed, but he quickly recovered and said, "You don't need to tell me, that's what I thought all along."

After saying that, Kobe took the ball and stood at the free-throw line, starting to practice shooting with his uninjured left hand. Of course, his shooting percentage was far lower than that of his dominant hand.

Seeing this, Gan Guoyang asked Kobe to throw him the ball. He stood in the right corner, took a three-pointer with his left hand, and made it.

"Pass the ball again." Kobe ran over and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang received the ball, positioned himself at a 45-degree angle on the right, one step inside the three-point line, and made a long two-pointer with his left hand.

Reaching the top of the arc, he received the ball, took a long two-pointer from just outside the three-point line, and made it again with his left hand.

At a 45-degree angle to the left, at mid-range in the bull's horn position, the left hand is used, and the fourth shot hits.

On the last ball, at the left baseline, I received the ball, turned, and unleashed a powerful left-handed hook shot, which easily went into the net without even touching the rim.

"You've probably heard about that time I got bored in a game and shot with my left hand for the entire first half." Gan Guoyang threw the ball back to Kobe after shooting five times.

"I've heard about it, and I'll do it too." Kobe stopped talking and began to immerse himself in practicing his left-handed shooting.

During a game between the Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1989-1990 season, Gan Guoyang felt bored and decided to shoot with his left hand in the second half.

In that game, he scored 27 points in the second half and 45 points in total. His balanced left and right hands and unparalleled confidence marked the peak of his career. He had complete control over the game and could play however he wanted.

Watching Kobe Bryant so earnestly dedicate himself to training and constantly strive to improve, Gan Guoyang suddenly felt a pang of envy.

Indeed, the upward trend is always exciting. No matter how low the starting point is, as long as you are moving upward, you will feel excited and hopeful.

When things are going downhill, no matter how high you've climbed before, as long as you keep going down, people's hearts will be in suspense. Hope will not exist; you can only make despair come later and slower.

On the evening of December 3rd, the Trail Blazers hosted the Phoenix Suns, and Gan Guoyang returned to the team.

With Kobe out of the paint, the offensive pressure fell on Gan Guoyang again, but he was already used to it.

Moreover, the Trail Blazers won the last game even without Gan Guoyang and Kobe. With Gan Guoyang back this time, beating the Suns shouldn't be a problem.

However, things took an unexpected turn. The Phoenix Suns put on a spectacular performance at the Rose Garden Arena, unleashing a scoring explosion and defeating the Trail Blazers 111-103, an 8-point victory.

Now Gan Guoyang is in an awkward position. He won when you weren't around, but lost when you were.
Back in the locker room after the game, Carlisle couldn't help but joke, "Sonny, why don't you take a couple more days off?"

Gan Guoyang himself laughed. He actually played quite well tonight, with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists, which was a pretty good performance.

But the Trail Blazers' inability to contain the Suns' relentless offense tonight was the key to their ultimate defeat.

Especially their perimeter defense; it was only when Kobe was absent that we realized how porous the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense was.

The Suns are a team that seems to rise again every few years, as if they were a phoenix that never dies.

Years ago, after Barkley left, the Phoenix Suns entered a rebuilding phase, and they didn't have many assets to offer.

In 1997, the Suns traded Steve Nash to the Celtics for Antoine Walker and began building their roster around him.

In the 1999 NBA Draft, the Suns acquired Shawn Marion and quickly packaged Tom Gugliotta, along with draft picks, to send to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Pistons superstar Grant Hill.

This trade caused a sensation in the summer of 1999 because Hill was the Pistons' star player, a rising star highly touted by the league, and was considered to have a bright future.

The Pistons had always said they wanted to build the team around Hill, but in 1999, with one year left on his contract, they suddenly made a trade decision and sent him to Phoenix, which was really incomprehensible.

Hill had just gotten married in the summer of '99, completing a major life event. As a traditional Duke graduate, he envisioned finishing his career in Detroit and having his number 33 jersey hang in the rafters of the Palace of Auburn Hills.

But Hill never expected that his former teammate, Joe Dumars, who had just retired in May 1999 and took over as the Pistons' general manager in June, would make a trade that would send him away.

Hill finally realized the reality and cruelty of the NBA, but fortunately, Phoenix was a good place for him.

The dry climate and abundant sunshine here are of great benefit to his recovery from the illnesses that have plagued him.

After acquiring Grant Hill, the Suns traded Danny Manning to the Magic for Anfernee Hardaway.

A roster built around Hill, Walker, and Hardaway was assembled, and the Suns even acquired two first-round draft picks from the Magic.

With veterans Kevin Johnson and Steve Smith on the roster, the Suns have a very strong squad.

In addition to rebuilding the roster, the Suns also fired coach Danny Ainge and replaced him with former Magic player Skiles.

Skiles is the same age as Gan Guoyang, which makes him the youngest coach in the league. He quickly demonstrated his coaching talent with the Suns.

Under his leadership, the Suns became one of the few offensively-oriented teams in the league, a tradition of the Phoenix Suns.

They never focus on defense; instead, like a blazing sun, they are always on the offensive, always attacking, and always attacking.

As head coach, Skiles chose to give his players more freedom, allowing players like Hill, Hardaway, and Walker, who are highly capable of creating their own offense, to fully control the ball and score by utilizing their individual abilities.

This roster and unique playing style allowed the Suns to secure a place in the fierce competition in the Western Conference at the beginning of the season.

The Suns, Lakers, Kings, Trail Blazers, and SuperSonics are all in the top five in the Western Conference, with only a few wins separating them.

After winning this game, the Suns were even more confident. The Western Conference teams realized that no matter how hard Agan played, his overall decline and that of the Trail Blazers were undeniable.

The 1999-2000 season, the last season of the 20th century, will be the best, and possibly the last, chance to kill the Sun King and reach the pinnacle!

(End of this chapter)