The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 893 Basketball Show
At night, the Air Canada Centre was packed with 19800 seats.

Last season, with the arrival of Vince Carter, the Raptors' attendance ranking rose by 6 places.

So far this season, the Raptors' attendance has climbed one place to ninth in the league, entering the top ten.

All of this credit goes to one person: Vince Carter, without a doubt.

As a rookie team that has only been in the league for five seasons, the Raptors have virtually no established base in Toronto.

The last time they had a professional basketball team was back in 1949, when the Toronto Huskies were at the very beginning of the NBA.

The Husky only existed for a year before going out of business due to mismanagement. It wasn't until 1993, when they rejoined the NBA as part of the NBA's expansion plan, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, who are also from Canada.

At this point, the Raptors' franchise fee for joining the NBA was $1.4 million, and basketball had become a commercial game dominated by big capital.

For a new team like the Raptors, the immediate priority is not winning a championship. Not every new team can be like the Heat, who had Pat Riley and used his experience and connections to quickly build a team and successfully contend for the championship. Besides, Riley has been on this path for many years.

The Raptors' primary task is to open up the market, attract enough fans in Toronto to come to the arena on game days, buy team merchandise, and pay for long-term tickets to ensure a stable cash flow for the team. After that, they need to attract enough advertisers to partner with the team, run ads in the arena and on television, and earn enough commercial revenue.

Survival is the top priority. The Toronto management doesn't want to go bankrupt like it did in 1949, shattering Toronto's basketball dream once again.

The good news is that Toronto has a large sports market, much stronger than Vancouver, and Toronto basketball fans have enough passion to support the Raptors.

In the 1995-1996 season, the Raptors, as a fledgling team with a poor roster and record, still managed to rank third in attendance in the league, which speaks volumes about the fervor of Toronto fans.

However, relying solely on the fans' enthusiasm is not sustainable. In the following two seasons, the team's record was poor and its rookies were embroiled in scandals, causing the Raptors' home attendance to decline repeatedly, from third to eighth, and then to sixteenth. The team began to feel a strong sense of crisis.

In the 1998-1999 season, the Raptors moved their home arena from the relatively old Sky Dome to the current Air Canada Centre.

This means the Raptors will share a field with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, and the two professional teams from different leagues will compete openly and covertly.

Ice hockey has a much longer history and is far more popular in Canada than basketball, and the Maple Leafs are an iconic team in Toronto.

They joined the hockey league as early as 1917 when the NHL was founded, and unlike the huskies, they have persisted to this day.

Before the 70s, the Maple Leafs were one of the most successful teams in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup 13 times, including two three-peats.

However, after winning the championship in the 1966-1967 season, the Maple Leafs have never won another championship until today.

Even so, the Maple Leafs' more than 80 years of history and past glory in Toronto are incomparable to the Raptors'.

Now, the Raptors are going to share a home court with the Maple Leafs, competing for market share and attendance, which seems like a futile effort.

It's worth noting that in Boston, when the Celtics shared the Garden Arena with the NHL's Boston Bruins, the Celtics were always at a disadvantage.

Even with their glorious championship history, the Celtics couldn't even use the arena for pre-game warm-ups at Boston Garden.

Because Boston Garden was the Bruins' home court, the Celtics were only using it temporarily. It wasn't until the Fleet Center opened that the Celtics were able to compete on equal footing with the Bruins.

The Raptors seem to have no chance of winning and are destined to play a supporting role to the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.

However, the arrival of one man changed everything: Vince Carter.

It is said that during the 1998 NBA Draft, when the Raptors traded Jamison to Carter for Toronto, the team's executives were trembling with excitement.

The Raptors' management did not disappoint Carter, as he quickly began to showcase his unparalleled charisma on the court—dunking.

In a game against the Indiana Pacers, the venue was the Civic Plaza Center in Indianapolis.

In the November Rookie of the Month voting, Vince Carter lost to the Celtics' Paul Pierce.

But Carter quickly proved with his performance in the game who the real best was, making people understand that the NBA is not just about statistics, but also about how you play and how you score.

Basketball is a sport, but it is also an art.

Not many Indiana fans attended the game that night; only about 13000 people showed up for the 16000-seat stadium.

Because their opponent was the Raptors, Pacers fans weren't very interested in this newly joined team.

The Raptors have experienced scandals, internal conflicts, the Stoudemire fiasco, and the Thomas controversy over the past two seasons.

The team is very talented, but it is disorganized and has a mediocre record, making it seem hopeless and uninteresting.

But during the game, Carter once dribbled past his defender on the left side, drove into the basket, and faced the tall Schmitz, stunning the entire arena with a two-handed folding back dunk.

Indiana fans didn't even have time to react. It wasn't until Carter ran back that they gasped in surprise and wondered what the hell had just happened.
The Raptors' bench was equally amazed. This dunk was more spectacular than many dunk contest performances, and because it happened during a game, it was especially breathtaking.

This play was repeatedly replayed on television after the game and became an important source of dunk material online in the future—but it may not even make the list of Carter's classic in-game dunks in the future.

Because Carter's career has just begun, he has many games to play and many shots to dunk.

Around this point, more and more people began to notice Vince Carter, especially Toronto fans. Carter began to create the same effect that Michael Jordan had in Chicago.

Large numbers of fans, especially young fans, began flocking to the arena to watch the Raptors' games, specifically to see Carter's dunking performance.

In the NBA, there are countless people who can dunk, but very few who can't, and there are countless dunking masters.

But Carter's dunks in actual games were visually more spectacular than Michael Jordan's.

With a rare talent, he combines his 41-inch vertical leap with his skill, power, and extension to create a unique visual spectacle of dunks.

His energetic first step, his leap as if stepping on air, and his fluid and imaginative movements make his dunks so captivating.

Moreover, Carter is a very old-school player. He has no tattoos, no piercings, and no gangster or street vibe. He exudes the aura of an old-generation superstar.

While other rookies addressed their coaches as "Coach," "Boss," or "Big Brother," Carter remained old-fashioned and called his coach "Sir."

During Carter's games, whenever he brought the ball close to the basket, the atmosphere in the arena would suddenly erupt, with constant buzzing and flashing lights.

Once a dunk is successful, the arena erupts, with fans high-fiving and cheering as if it were a holiday celebration.

Such scenes have been frequently seen at the Philadelphia Spectrum Arena, after Dr. J Kyrie Irving dunks.

When Carter went to an away game, if he couldn't dunk for a while, fans on the sidelines would yell, "Hey Vince! Dunk one! I bought this ticket just to see you dunk!"

Carter's dunks have reached such a level of charisma that, in other aspects he may not be as good as Jordan, and he certainly cannot be compared to Gan Guoyang.

But when it comes to dunking, the most captivating way to score in basketball, Carter has indeed reached a very high level, making fans willing to watch his games.

Gan Guoyang was equally generous with his praise. Before the game started, he shook hands with Carter and said, "I'm looking forward to your dunk. You must put on a great performance."

Carter smiled somewhat shyly and nervously. Last season, Carter, unaware of his own limitations, tried to dunk on Gan Guoyang, but was blocked by a big blocker.

Gan Guoyang's defensive judgment was very accurate. He didn't wait for Carter to fly to the highest point before trying to block him because it would be impossible to touch him. Instead, he started early to block the shot.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang was too strong. Carter's impact was not enough to push Gan Guoyang aside, so he was unable to dunk on the basket and was directly pushed down.

Carter wanted to try again, so Gan Guoyang found an opportunity to mismatch Carter on offense and made a strong dunk that scared Carter away, making him afraid to dunk at the basket again.

This season, Carter is stronger and more skilled. I wonder if he still has the guts to challenge Gan Guoyang and dunk over this greatest center in history.

The Raptors have had a good record this year. After retaining Marcus Camby and Damon Stoudemire, the addition of Vince Carter has created a young trio.

Camby is tall and has a long wingspan, and his ability to help defend and block shots is outstanding. He guards the three-second zone in the paint.

Damon Stoudemire is fast, agile, and nicknamed "Little Flying Mouse," possessing formidable offensive power. Vince Carter, on the other hand, is a well-rounded swingman at both the two and three positions, with comprehensive skills and outstanding shooting ability. Carter is averaging 25.7 points per game this season, placing him among the league's top scorers.

With these three as the core, the Raptors built a young, competitive team with outstanding offensive performance.

To balance the team's offense and defense, the Raptors also acquired Antonio Davis, Gan Guoyang's former bodyguard, from the Pacers.

With such a young and energetic roster, the Raptors have made it into the playoff zone in the Eastern Conference, and their top goal this season is to reach the playoffs.

In comparison, the Trail Blazers are a typical older team, but after the game started, the Trail Blazers did not engage in the typical old-age team's strategy of grinding out the game against the younger team.

The Trail Blazers took the initiative, launching a fierce attack on the Raptors' defensive weaknesses from the very beginning—Kobe and Blake constantly used screens and ball movement on the perimeter to drive into the Raptors' paint.

Stoudemire is a strong offensive player, but his defense is limited by his height and size, making him vulnerable to being easily penetrated.

The Trail Blazers capitalized on this, constantly using outside drives and passes to disrupt the Raptors' already weak defense.

The Raptors didn't think too much in these encounters; they attacked and attacked back, and it was a contest between the two sides to see who could score more points.

As a result, both teams set a very fast pace in the early stages, with the inside players constantly running back and forth with the small guards.

Gan Guoyang's trip wasn't in vain; he has outside shooting ability and can shoot as soon as he catches the ball. However, he had a poor start, missing two three-pointers.

The Trail Blazers took the lead in the first phase of the first quarter thanks to Kobe's consecutive scores.

Kobe was clearly playing with a very competitive mindset tonight, wanting to compete with Carter, even though the two had known each other for a long time.

In the summer of 1997 when McGrady was drafted by the Lakers, he spent a long time at Kobe's house.

At the time, McGrady told Kobe that he had a cousin who was very good at dunking. Kobe didn't believe him because he didn't know that McGrady's cousin was Carter.

Kobe and Carter knew each other for a long time. In high school, Carter was a year ahead of Kobe, and the two played together in the AAU amateur league and were teammates.

Kobe was amazed by Carter's incredible vertical jump and tried to beat him in games, but the two never became opponents.

It wasn't until both of them entered the league that Kobe finally had the opportunity to match up against Carter, and he performed quite strongly in the first quarter.

Carter, on the other hand, appeared more composed, consistently following the team's instructions and playing according to the coach's plan.

General Manager Isaiah Thomas was not very satisfied with Carter's performance.

During the break, sitting behind the bench, he told Carter, "You need to be more aggressive, go one-on-one with Kobe, eat him up!"

Thomas spoke with a smile on his face, and if you couldn't hear what he was saying, you'd think he was joking.

But that's just how Thomas is. The nickname "Smiling Assassin" wasn't given for nothing. He always says ruthless things with a smile, and then does ruthless things.

He always looks calm, but he's often plotting something. David Stern said that if you want to see ruthlessness, watch more games played by Isaiah Thomas.

Thomas admired Carter and was determined to nurture him, but Carter's soft personality made Thomas shake his head. This guy wasn't ruthless enough, and it would be difficult for him to achieve great success in the cutthroat world of the NBA.

During the era when Gan Guoyang dominated the NBA, Isaiah Thomas was able to lead the Pistons to a championship and at one point become the Trail Blazers' number one rival, which already shows that he was definitely a ruthless person.

Thomas hopes Carter can be this ruthless, so that the Raptors will have a place in the league in the future, especially with Forrest Gump's retirement just around the corner.

No matter how much respect Thomas showed for Forrest Gump off the court, he would always consider Gan Guoyang an opponent on the court. At this moment, like many managers and coaches, he was thinking, "Forrest Gump is finally going to retire." The exhilarating feeling of dawn approaching was hard for others to understand.

If Gan Guoyang hadn't warned him beforehand, Thomas would have wanted to give Gan Guoyang a grand memorial ceremony tonight, with drums and gongs, to force Gan to retire even if he didn't want to.

Carter didn't react much to Thomas's words. Although he kept nodding and saying yes, he couldn't figure out how to eat Kobe or why he wanted to eat Kobe. He didn't want to think about it.

For him, the game is both a competition and a performance. Right now, he's thinking more about scoring a goal during the game to make the fans happy, get the kids excited, and help them get a good night's sleep.

He knew Kobe was competitive, but winning a game isn't a one-man show; it's a team goal, isn't it?
The subsequent game was quite intense, with the Trail Blazers taking the initiative and gaining an early advantage, while the Raptors, relying on their home-court advantage, gradually warmed up and their outside shooting percentage became higher and higher.

Damon Stoudemire used his speed to hit consecutive jump shots on fast breaks, quickly closing the gap by playing fast and fast.

The Trail Blazers called a timeout to slow down the pace and solidify their advantage, with Gan Guoyang and Sabonis taking to the court as their twin towers.

The two players' continuous high-low post play, coupled with Kobe's one-on-one attacks on the perimeter, allowed them to regain the advantage.

On the defensive end, the Trail Blazers used an outside-pressing defense, making it difficult for the Raptors to move the ball.

They attempted to drive the ball straight to the basket to penetrate the Trail Blazers' defense, but were stopped by two help defense blocks from Gan Guoyang.

With the point difference reaching 10, the Raptors' offense stalled, and at this point, Carter needed to step up and solve the problem with one-on-one isolation plays.

Carter, however, did not back down. After receiving the ball on the left side, he suddenly accelerated past Kobe, who was not paying enough attention to the defense.

He drove straight to the basket and slammed home a dunk over Sabonis! The entire Air Canada Centre erupted in cheers; so many people had bought tickets just to see this.

The unlucky one tonight is Sabonis; his help defense and speed of movement are definitely no match for Carter.

Kobe then missed a mid-range shot, giving the Raptors a chance to counterattack, and Carter once again took the lead.

He charged ahead at lightning speed, and the Trail Blazers retreated quickly, but Carter received the ball and drove to the basket, dodging Gan Guoyang's block in mid-air and scoring with a reverse layup.

A series of spectacular goals ignited the atmosphere at the Air Canada Centre and fueled the competitive spirit of the Trail Blazers players.

Gan Guoyang and Kobe Bryant set a screen at the high post, a pick-and-roll play that rarely occurs between the two.

The Raptors seemed unsure how to respond, and then Gan Guoyang drove deep into the paint. Kobe made a high lob pass, and Gan Guoyang leaped up and slammed the ball down with both hands in an alley-oop dunk!
Toronto fans, no matter what, absolutely enjoyed the dunks; this was a true basketball performance, not just a game.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Raptors 59-55, a 4-point advantage. Both teams delivered excellent performances, making the game worth watching for both spectators and fans at home.

Carter scored 15 points in the first half, while Kobe scored 17. This matchup between young shooting guards after Jordan's retirement is exceptionally eye-catching.

Gan Guoyang, as always, played a relaxed style of basketball for most of the first half, creating more opportunities for his teammates and mainly guarding Antonio Davis on the defensive end—which was basically like taking a break.

However, in the third quarter, Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers suddenly ripped off the circus mask of basketball performance and engaged in a real battle with the Raptors.

At this point, the Raptors' youth and lack of experience became glaringly obvious. They made a series of mistakes in a high-intensity offensive and defensive battle, and the Trail Blazers took advantage of their numerous basic errors.

Backcourt turnovers, fast break passes going out of bounds, traveling, offensive three-second violations, blocking fouls, etc., significantly reduced the Raptors' effective offensive possessions, giving the Trail Blazers many offensive opportunities.

With his abundant energy, Gan Guoyang was not about to let such an opportunity slip by. He used his simple yet accurate mid-range shots to launch a 14-2 offensive surge, crushing the Raptors in one fell swoop.

Back when he played against Dr. J and Kyrie Irving, Gan Guoyang had the energy to challenge Irving to a dunk contest, trying to recreate Dr. J's classic "rock the baby".

Nowadays, Gan Guoyang no longer has the energy to compete with Carter in dunking; mid-range shots are his only option and the best way to win.

Isaiah Thomas watched from the sidelines, shaking his head. Carter's performance was too soft when it really mattered.

But he couldn't say anything, because his opponent was Forrest Gump, and he himself couldn't handle Forrest Gump back in the Pistons, so how could he criticize Carter?
With the outcome of the game becoming increasingly predictable, Carter seized a fast break opportunity. Facing Ben Wallace, who was guarding him, he replicated Gan Guoyang's classic rookie season turnaround dunk over Tom Chambers, dunking over Wallace with both hands, paying tribute to the great predecessor Gan Guoyang.

After the goal, the crowd went wild. Winning or losing was no longer important to Raptors fans; what mattered was seeing a spectacular performance.

Gan Guoyang readily gave Carter a high-five, once again contributing to NBA viewership and buzz.

Perhaps in many people's eyes, the NBA is indeed becoming more and more like a performance than a game, especially the regular season.

(End of this chapter)