The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 887 A Fact

In 1982, my friend Gus pointed out in a data analysis report that the Philadelphia 76ers' weakest point was offensive rebounding. As a result, with the addition of Moses Malone, the king of offensive rebounding, the 76ers immediately won the 1983 NBA championship with overwhelming force. After that, I continued to work with Gus, using data analysis to constantly guide the team's defense and offense. At the time, I was coaching at Gonzaga University, and even after Forrest Gump left for the NBA, I still led the team to the NCAA National Championship.

"After working at the university for two more years, I felt it would be difficult to achieve more here. I thought of Forrest Gump, who was facing some difficulties with the Portland Trail Blazers—their defense needed improvement. At that time, I, who was primarily a defensive scorer, approached Forrest Gump and talked to him, telling him that my data model based on Saga would revolutionize basketball tactics. Forrest Gump agreed and wanted me to coach the Blazers. I said I would seriously consider it…"

—Excerpt from Bobby Bellman's "The Sun Rises in the West," published in 1999.

"That's utter nonsense! Bobby is shameless. When the hell did I ever want him to coach the Trail Blazers?"

"He was the one who wanted to defect. He came to me and complained about how good and advanced his defense system was, and he wanted to use my connections to get him a job!"

"This guy is shameless, glorifying himself in his book. I think this old bastard lost too much money in his divorce and now he's trying to make up for it by publishing a book."

"This lousy book has been selling so well lately..."

During a rare moment of leisure, Gan Guoyang lay in bed reading a recently popular book about himself, "The Sun Rises in the West."

The book was scheduled for publication in October, coinciding with the approaching NBA season. However, possibly due to the espionage case, the publisher and booksellers did not promote it extensively.

However, as the NBA season gradually unfolded, basketball became a hot topic, and more importantly, Bobby Bellman led the Celtics to a whirlwind of success, leading to a gradual increase in the book's sales.

Later, after Gan Guoyang attended several hearings, the bookseller changed the subtitle, adding "The Greatness and Secrets of Forrest Gump," making people feel that this was a book that revealed Forrest Gump's secrets, and sales soared.

By Christmas in December, the book had climbed to the top of the US bestseller list and become a hot topic.

Gan Guoyang certainly knew long ago that Bobby Bellman was going to publish a book. In fact, there have been countless books published around Gan Guoyang over the years, and Gan Guoyang has been able to get some royalties from them.

In order to settle Michael Jordan's golf gambling scandal, Gan Guoyang sold the publishing rights of his autobiography to Random House and received a signing fee of $500 million without writing a single word.

In the United States, a society with a highly developed media and commodity economy, fame equals money, and anyone who becomes famous will publish a book to make a fortune.

A sports superstar like Gan Guoyang, a unique and iconic figure in American popular culture, comparable to Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, will undoubtedly have countless books written about him in the future.

If Gan Guoyang were to read them one by one, he would never finish them, so he doesn't care. He just wants you to write whatever you want, as long as you remember to give me a share of the money.

However, Bobby Bellman's case is indeed very special. The relationship between Bellman and Gan Guoyang goes without saying. From high school to college and then to the NBA, Bellman has always been Gan Guoyang's coach. It can be said that they have a deep connection.

Other sports superstars often have mentors in high school, talent scouts in college, and new partners in the NBA.

Bobby Bellman, however, was like a legendary accessory, always hanging on Gan Guoyang's side. From a penniless assistant who was fired from school for gambling, he grew into a grand slam winner in the history of American basketball and the head coach of the Dream Team.

Every honor is related to Gan Guoyang, even the 1992 Olympic gold medal was won by the Chinese team that defeated Gan Guoyang.

While people mocked Bobby Behrman as a parasite on the giant Forrest Gump, they were also curious about the story between Behrman and Forrest Gump.

So in 1999, the film "The Sun Rises in the West" satisfied the voyeuristic desires of many fans.

Behrman was well aware of this, which is why he didn't write the book as his autobiography, but rather as his own perspective on Forrest Gump.

Since Beiqiao Middle School in 1981, there are so many stories to tell between Behrman and Forrest Gump, so many classic events and classic scenes.

It's fair to say that this thick book is full of valuable information and content that people are interested in, so it's no surprise that it sold well.

Now everyone in the league seems to have a copy; everyone buys it to read, partly to keep up with the trend, and partly because reading it does help them understand Forrest Gump and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang hadn't planned to read it, but his wife bought a copy and, after reading it, encouraged him to take a look, saying it was a very well-written book.

So Gan Guoyang took some time to look through it, and ended up finding the content where Bellman was praising himself.

"That traitor, he really knows how to pat himself on the back. I'm going to call him." Gan Guoyang was "furious" and wanted to get an explanation from Bellman.

Wang Fuxi said from the side, "Come on, that's how it is when you publish a book. They embellish themselves, isn't that normal? Besides, Bobby has already praised you enough in this book, hasn't he? He's practically blowing you off the top. In the current public opinion climate, it's really kind of him to publish this book to support you."

The espionage case has had a significant negative impact on Gan Guoyang. In addition to affecting his performance on the field, his endorsements, advertisements, and assets have also been greatly affected.

Although it wasn't crippling, it was still a significant blow. Under these circumstances, instead of kicking Gan Guoyang while he was down and exposing his "dirt," Bellman wrote a book praising Gan Guoyang to the skies, even to the point of deifying him, which shows the depth of their friendship.

After hearing what Wang Fuxi said, Gan Guoyang felt that it made a lot of sense, so he patiently continued reading.

[…One of Forrest Gump's major problems was that he swore a lot, probably more than I did…]

"Bullshit! Do I swear as much as he does? I have to call him."

Gan Guoyang threw down the book and ran to the next room to call Bellman; the two hadn't spoken for a while.

This is Bielman's third season with the Celtics, and the young roster he built is finally starting to show its power.

The West is a battleground of rising powers, all vying to challenge the Trail Blazers' authority, while the East has become the Celtics' domain.

Since the start of the new season in November, the Celtics have achieved a record of 21 wins and 4 losses, 1.5 games higher than the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the entire league and standing out in the Eastern Conference.

Moreover, compared to the aging Trail Blazers, the Celtics have the youngest starting lineup in the entire league.

Of the starting five, only Fox is 30 years old this year, while the others are all under 25. It can be said that by maintaining this stable lineup, the Celtics will remain a championship contender for the next 5-8 years.

With Bellman, the Celtics built a well-rounded system that could play high-intensity defense and fast break offense. They had a towering twin towers in the paint and fast-paced alley-oops from their guards. Their game brought Boston fans back to the Bird era of the 80s.

The team's popularity soared across the United States, with the Fleet Center packed every night and ticket prices skyrocketing.

The Christmas Day game this season will be between the Celtics and the Trail Blazers, with Bellman leading the Celtics to the Rose Garden Arena.

This was the most anticipated race of the 1999 season, and tickets were being resold for thousands of dollars each.

There was also a lot of anticipation that the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics would meet in the 2000 NBA Finals.

"Bobby, you stinking glass from New Jersey, all the cow dung in the entire Texas prairie piled up couldn't compare to your foul mouth, how dare you say I swear more than you?"

"Oh, dear Sonny~ I can tell from the phone that you haven't brushed your teeth for at least three days, suck my XXXXXX!"

"You have such a strange quirk. Just from your voice, I can tell you're riding high. Have you paid off your gambling debts yet?"

"Who said I have gambling debts? I'm a big winner! You won't be shortchanged on your royalties. You brat, you haven't been behaving well lately, this is unlike you at all."

Gan Guoyang chatted with Bobby Bellman on the phone.

So far this season, Berman has indeed been riding high.

The Celtics are fulfilling their potential, and the team is poised for a lucrative season.

So far, Bellman's transformation and management of the Celtics have been successful. He is slowly shaking off the shadow left by his four years in Los Angeles, and it is clear that the colder Boston environment suits him better.

Berman is also very concerned about Gan Guoyang's condition. As the coach who knows Gan Guoyang best, he clearly feels that Gan Guoyang's performance this season is abnormal.

"That's terrible. You're almost on par with Barkley and Olajuwon. This isn't like you at all," Bellman commented.

"Everyone gets old, and there are too many off-field issues, so I can't tell you too much..." Gan Guoyang is still being monitored.

So, aside from basketball, he and Bellman didn't talk much about anything else on the phone.

“Rick is a good coach, he has a lot of ideas, but I don’t think he knows you well enough and doesn’t know how to work with you.”

"Rick is good, but... let him be. I really don't have the energy to put into the regular season right now. Maybe I really need to take a break, Bobby. I'm really tired."

In front of Bellman, Gan Guoyang can show his vulnerable side.

But Bellman didn't believe him, saying, "Then would you give up the championship?"

"No, I'm determined to win the championship this season. For myself, and for Charles Barkley."

"Then you might be disappointed, Sonny. We're very strong this year."

Gan Guoyang just chuckled on the phone and didn't say much.

Bellman was somewhat unsure of himself, after all, most of what he said in "The Sun Rises in the West" was true.
-

On December 16, the Trail Blazers traveled to Utah to play against the Utah Jazz.

Kobe Bryant traveled with the team to Salt Lake City; the bandage on his right hand had been removed, and he was placed on the team's observation list.

Before the game, Rick Carlisle stated that Kobe's wrist injury had healed and he would return to play in the next game. Whether it would be the Warriors or the next game was still uncertain and would depend on the player's condition and the team's situation to decide whether Kobe would play.

Kobe believed his wrist injury had healed, so he was eager to play.

Before the game, Kobe found Carlisle in the locker room and said, "Coach, my hand is all healed, and I can play in this game."

Carlisle nodded, but did not give a specific answer, only saying, "I know, I will decide based on the situation on the ground."

Kobe was very dissatisfied and said, "Rick! Look at how the team has performed without me! I'm ready, I should start tonight."

Carlisle pursed his lips and thought for a moment, then said, "Hmm... I still need to decide when to have you play based on the situation."

Kobe smiled helplessly and said, "What's going on, Rick? I'm a starter now, I'm not a rookie anymore, I'm recovered from my injury, so I should be allowed to return to the game."

Carlisle scratched his face and finally said, "Theoretically, you should observe for one more game before putting you back in the starting lineup. So, I can only decide based on the situation for this game. The medical team said it's best to let you rest unless the team really needs you."

"The team really needs me right now. We've been losing lately, and our perimeter defense has been terrible."

Kobe bluntly stated that the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense has been very poor recently.

Carlisle, however, remained firm, giving the impression that he wanted to bargain with Kobe.

Kobe finally realized this and asked, "Hey coach, are you trying to negotiate with me? Just say what you want, don't beat around the bush."

Carlisle was probably doing this for the first time, so he was a little embarrassed when Kobe saw through him.

He said somewhat embarrassedly, "Um... I have a condition that I hope you can do. If you do, I will send you out to play earlier tonight, instead of waiting until the next match."

"Tell me, coach, how many points do you want me to get?"

"No, no, I wanted you to... give Forrest Gump a little nudge."

"Provoke Forrest Gump? What do you mean?"

"Don't you think Forrest Gump has been playing too... too relaxed lately? I need..."

"I understand! This is easy, just leave it to me! I thought you had some requirements, this is something I'm good at!"

Kobe was full of confidence, patting his chest and assuring everyone that he would complete the task.

Carlisle didn't expect Kobe to agree so readily, but he figured he might as well give it a shot since he had nothing to lose.

Although this method seems a bit unreliable, what if it works?
Larry once said that a head coach not only needs to understand tactics, but also needs to know how to motivate and unite people.

Carlisle is a first-time head coach and still has many shortcomings in managing people's hearts and minds. Tonight, he just wants to give it a try.

In this game, not only did Kobe Bryant return to the lineup, but Domantas Sabonis, who had previously been injured, also returned to the team.

However, Carlisle did not start Sabonis, but instead continued to start Jermaine O'Neal and made Sabonis a substitute.

Due to Sabonis' knee condition, his defensive impact on the defensive end is no longer as strong as that of Jermaine O'Neal as he would have been in the starting lineup.

Kobe was also sitting on the bench, waiting for his chance to return to the court.

During his two-week break, he didn't rest at all; he worked hard to train his left hand.

As a result, he even reduced his dates with Vanessa, believing it was more important to become as strong as Forrest Gump.

Before the game started, during the halftime warm-up, Kobe stood at the free-throw line and made several left-handed shots, all of which were successful.

Gan Guoyang came over to praise Kobe, saying that he had been training well during this period and had not wasted his time due to his wrist injury.

Kobe coldly replied, "Sonny, do you know why the team hasn't been able to win in a row lately? We're losing one game and winning the next, it's been a mess."

Gan Guoyang said, "Why? Don't tell me it's because you were absent that we lost the game."

"No, it's not because I'm absent, it's because of you. Because of you, Sonny, you can no longer score 50 or 60 points in a game and lead the team to victory."

"You told me that if you want to win, you have to score more points, but you can't do that now, Sonny."

Gan Guoyang's expression darkened slightly. He said, "Are you trying to provoke me? Try to trick me? Or are you trying to challenge me?"

"No, I'm just stating a fact. You're about to live only in the praise of books, Sonny."

(End of this chapter)