The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 899 Teammate's MVP
The All-Star Game gave everyone a chance to rest and recharge.

While star players gather and perform in Golden State, ordinary players and coaches can relax a bit.

The busiest people are the management teams and team managers of each team. Before the trade deadline, each team makes adjustments based on the situation in the first half of the season.

The Western Conference is a complex landscape with many strong teams vying for dominance. The Los Angeles Lakers lead the standings, but the Trail Blazers, Jazz, Kings, and SuperSonics are close behind.

The overall strength of Western Conference teams is on the rise, and everyone wants to win the Western Conference championship in the post-Gan Guoyang era, a title that has been held by the Trail Blazers for too long.

In contrast, the Eastern Conference is a typical example of one dominant team and many strong contenders, with the Boston Celtics standing out from the crowd, and currently there is no team that can threaten the Celtics' position.

The Knicks, Pacers, and Heat are all very strong teams, but overall they are still somewhat behind the Celtics and many other strong teams in the West.

The head-to-head record between the two sides in the regular season shows that the top teams in the West have a clear advantage over the teams in the East, and a pattern of West dominance and East weakness is slowly taking shape.

There are many reasons for this. For a long time, the league has been dominated by the East and the West, with only the Lakers and Trail Blazers as the two top teams in the West.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference boasts a plethora of championship-caliber teams, including the Celtics, 76ers, Bucks, Pistons, and Bulls. Since the inception of the NBA, Eastern Conference teams have consistently outperformed those in the West.

This is certainly closely related to the economic level. In the early days, the NBA Eastern Conference teams were all from core East Coast cities such as New York, Boston, and Washington. Later, cities like Chicago and Detroit were also major industrial and trading cities in the Midwest. The level of economic development is the foundation for the prosperity of sports culture.

A developed economy has brought a higher quality and a larger number of basketball talents. Many teams in the East are founding teams of the NBA. The history of the NBA is similar to the development history of the United States.

First came the thirteen eastern states, then the westward expansion stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Some early teams initially belonged to the West, but later, as the NBA continued to expand westward, they were reassigned to the East.

Therefore, it is normal that Western teams are generally younger than Eastern teams, and their accumulated experience and foundation are not as deep as those of Eastern teams.

But as time went on, by 2000, youth began to become an advantage, experience began to become a burden, and heritage began to become a liability. The Western teams' complete overtaking of the Eastern teams had reached a critical point.

The younger Western Conference teams are more open and modern in their team building and more flexible and diverse in their important draft work—Western teams develop and utilize international players far more effectively than Eastern Conference teams.

Of course, the more important reason is still economic factors. The economy of eastern cities is slowly declining, while new economic forces, represented by the Internet, have been gradually rising since the mid-to-late 80s. Most of these forces are concentrated in western cities.

San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, and Phoenix are all vibrant, growing cities.

Conversely, once-prosperous old industrial cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, and Cleveland are gradually turning into the Rust Belt.

The disappearance of numerous jobs and the relocation of the middle class from cities to western regions with more job opportunities are causing depopulation to gradually erode the central and eastern regions, which in turn weakens the teams' ability to attract talent.

This process began in the 70s and 80s, and after decades of changes, the trend had already taken shape as the 21st century approached, making decline inevitable.

Cities like New York and Boston, once considered "old aristocratic" cities, fared relatively well, but the central region surrounding Lake Michigan, once the industrial heart of the United States, was in a much tougher time.

When Gan Guoyang and his teammates got off the plane and arrived at the baggage claim area of ​​Cleveland Airport, their first impression was, "This place is so damn old." It wasn't much different from when Gan Guoyang came to Cleveland in 1984 for an away game, except that it was even more dilapidated.

Cleveland, a city that did not benefit from the economic prosperity of the Midwest and East, became a laughing stock across the United States.

When the Midlands region began to decline, it suffered all the consequences it was supposed to, such as failing to attract any big-name free agents during the offseason, and not being favored by the league, thus failing to obtain any high draft picks.

Since Lenny Wilkens left the Cavaliers, the team has been in a slump and there is no hope of a comeback for the time being.

Danny Ferry has proven to be no match for Larry Bird, and all the Cavaliers' efforts for him have been in vain.

The team had no standout players, and attendance plummeted again, with only a few people sparsely populated in the stands.

Gan Guoyang still remembers when he went to Cleveland to play in the 80s. The stadium was like a submarine, with an empty interior like a church and a desolate exterior like farmland.

At that time, George Karl was the head coach of the Cavaliers, a terrible team. The Trail Blazers came to Cleveland as if they were on a vacation in the countryside.

There's no need for serious preparation before the game tonight; victory is easily secured. After the game, the veterans on the team can go out for drinks and fun.

More than a decade has passed, and Leyfield Stadium has been replaced by the more modern Gunder Stadium. At least the stadium is in the city center and hosted the 50th Anniversary All-Star Celebration in 1997.

But the Cavaliers' situation has not fundamentally changed. They remain weak and lack appeal outside of their home country. In other words, they have no appeal outside of Cleveland. They have no out-of-town fans and no overseas fans. They are just background figures.

Because this team lacks a representative star, a highly popular superstar like Vince Carter who can change the team's fate.

This is what team general manager Jim Paxson is most worried about. He has no hope for the current roster and his focus is entirely on future potential stars.

As a former player of the Trail Blazers and a part of the Trail Blazers' first dynasty, Paxson and Gan Guoyang have maintained contact, and Paxson hopes to obtain some resources through Gan Guoyang's connections.

For example, Paxson always wanted to trade for Jermaine O'Neal. He believed that with Forrest Gump on the team, O'Neal wouldn't have enough room to grow, and that the Cavaliers would develop him as a core player.

But Jermaine O'Neal was not swayed and stayed in Portland, hoping to learn from Forrest Gump and patiently wait.

Now it's finally time for him to take over; Jermaine O'Neal has secured his starting position on the team.

Like Riley, Paxson knew the value of being a "former Trail Blazers player," but unfortunately, the Cavaliers were never a match for the Heat in the free agent race.

Another important point is that once Larry Bird became the Trail Blazers' general manager, the door to communication between Jim Paxson and the Trail Blazers' management was essentially closed.

Because Bird and Jim Paxson had a very bad relationship, Bird completely ignored Paxson.

Before the game between the Trail Blazers and the Cavaliers, Paxson went over to the Trail Blazers' side to greet Gan Guoyang and Porter.

Bird, who had been standing to the side, immediately turned away, ignoring Paxson's arrival, which made Paxson somewhat embarrassed.

Later in his career, Paxson joined the Celtics, where he played with Bird for two years. However, this did not deepen their friendship; instead, it caused a rift between Bird and Paxson.

Paxson, who had an excellent performance with the Trail Blazers and was well-behaved in the locker room, changed completely after joining the Celtics.

Paxson was always injured in Boston, spending the last two years of his career recovering from injuries. His performance on the court was mediocre, and he did not bring any positive effects to the Celtics.

This led to Bird, who was still eager for the championship at the time, being quite dissatisfied with Paxson. Their relationship was lukewarm, but not bad.

What truly broke up their relationship was Kevin McHale. At the time, McHale and Paxson were very close, got along well, and were on good terms.

Bird didn't mind that Paxson and McHale were getting close, because Bird and McHale didn't get along in private.

But Bird couldn't stand Paxson teaming up with McHale to talk badly about him behind his back and even publish negative comments in the newspapers.

Although Paxson never admitted to criticizing Bird behind his back for being "selfish" and "wasting ball possession by occupying the center position," Bird looked around and realized that no one but Paxson would say such a thing.

Therefore, even after Bird and Kevin McHale reconciled and shook hands, he still refused to forgive Jim Paxson.

Bird always treated Paxson like a stranger whenever he met him, and this trip to Cleveland for an away game was no exception.

Paxson tried to get close to Bird but was met with a cold shoulder. Fortunately, Gan Guoyang still gave his old friend face, and the two chatted before the game.

Paxson asked Gan Guoyang if he had time after the game, as he wanted to invite him for a drink that evening to catch up.

Gan Guoyang said, "Forget it, Jim. You don't like drinking. Besides, I'm public enemy number one now. Don't get too close to me."

"You're the one who should give up. I don't believe in that stuff. If you really don't want to drink, could you spare some time for me tomorrow? I'd like to take you to see the game."

"Watch the game? What nonsense are you talking about? I'm going to Chicago the day after tomorrow for an away game, what game could I possibly want to skip to watch?"

"Hey Sonny, I know you have a good eye, but I want you to help me scout out a player, a high school student."

"A high school student? You're already thinking about talent shows?"

"Of course, I need to plan ahead and prepare for the future. You won't come to Cleveland, and nobody will, so I have to work on the draft. Help me out, Sonny. That kid is famous."

"What is your name?"

"LeBron James".

Upon hearing this distant yet familiar name, Gan Guoyang decided to ask the team for leave tomorrow to watch the game.

The game between the Trail Blazers and the Cavaliers that night wasn't very exciting; the Trail Blazers had a strong performance from all sides and easily secured a victory.

After the game, the Trail Blazers players boarded a bus and headed directly to Chicago to prepare for their game against the Bulls the day after tomorrow.

Gan Guoyang stayed in Cleveland and the next morning followed Jim Paxson to Ohio State University in Columbus, where the finals of the 2000 Ohio High School Basketball League would be held at the City Values ​​Center Gymnasium.

The final match was between St. Mary Vincent High School and Greenview High School, a highly anticipated game that drew statewide attention, even more so than the previous night's Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers game. Gan Guoyang's arrival undoubtedly caused a stir, further escalating the already high-profile game's popularity. Many well-prepared media outlets sent additional reporters and camera crews to the scene to gather information—all thanks to Paxson, of course.

This guy is a real blabbermouth; he leaked the news that Gan Guoyang was coming to watch the game to the media early on, as a form of exchange for benefits.

What he didn't know was that by doing this, he had almost completely destroyed the bond between him and Gan Guoyang as teammates.

Of course, Gan Guoyang came to watch the game not for Paxson, but for LeBron James, the rising star of high school basketball in Ohio.

There were more than 19000 seats available. Originally, more than 13000 tickets were sold, but due to Gan Guoyang's arrival, the remaining 6000 tickets were sold out immediately, and the stadium was completely full.

The pressure on both sides increased significantly, but LeBron James played steadily, scoring 25 points and helping St. Mary Vincent High School defeat their opponents by a large margin to win the state championship.

As a temporary VIP guest of the competition, Gan Guoyang watched the entire competition and was invited by the organizers to be the final award presenter.

Gan Guoyang readily agreed to present the trophy to the players of St. Mary Vincent High School, which excited them immensely, even more than winning the championship itself.

James shook hands with Gan Guoyang, his face beaming with smiles, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Gan, your autograph has been a great help to us."

Gan Guoyang nodded and said, "I remember you came to the locker room to ask me for an autograph, saying it was to raise funds for your competition. Congratulations on winning the championship, this is an important step."

James nodded, but he didn't know what to say; he was too excited.

Gan Guoyang added, "You played very well tonight, 25 points, and made many beautiful passes. However, the MVP tonight is not you, but your teammate."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang shook hands with a short man next to James, who was so excited he almost jumped up.

He is James's good friend, the coach's son, Drew III.

In this game, Drew III made all seven of his three-point attempts, scoring 21 points and becoming the team's biggest surprise weapon.

His performance was nothing short of miraculous, overshadowing LeBron James.

Although everyone knows that Drew Jr., who is only 160cm tall, has no chance of becoming an NBA player, his performance tonight was just a flash in the pan.

But this game belonged to Drew III; it was the most brilliant chapter of his basketball career, one that cannot be erased.

On the way out, Jim Paxson asked Gan Guoyang, "How was LeBron's performance?"

Gan Guoyang said, "Very good. He will definitely be an NBA superstar in the future. If we have the opportunity, we should try to sign him."

Paxson said excitedly, "I think so too. I'll keep an eye on him and keep a close eye on him."

Gan Guoyang muttered, "But he's not the team's leader..."

"What? What did you say, Sonny?"

"It's nothing, I'm going to Chicago now. See you again sometime, Jim. Bye-bye."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang got off the car at a certain place, and soon a car came to pick him up and drove towards Chicago.

I scored 25 points in that game, but my performance was far from my best.

Because on that day, we witnessed something I had never experienced before, the most wonderful moment I had ever seen on the basketball court.

The night before the match, Drew barely slept, filled with epic dreams about the final outcome.

When he woke up that morning, he had no particular thoughts, nor did he imagine that the event that would change his life was about to happen.

That season, he averaged 10 to 11 minutes per game, and the coach always brought him in for his first appearance with three or four minutes left in the first quarter.

Because of his small stature, the coach has always tried to reduce the pressure on him and let him take as many open shots as possible; that's how he's positioned.

The competition took place in the afternoon, and we were extremely excited, but at the same time, we didn't feel nervous at all.

What was truly nerve-wracking was that Forrest Gump actually showed up at the game before it started, appearing alongside Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson.

This sent the crowd into a frenzy. Many unsold tickets sold out immediately, and empty seats were quickly filled. We were all thinking, "Forrest Gump actually came to watch the game."

The atmosphere became tense, my palms were sweating, but Drew remained calm.

Drew Jr. came on midway through the first quarter and didn't seem to be having any trouble adjusting.

With 3 minutes and 26 seconds left in the quarter, he took his first three-pointer from the left corner. When he received the pass from his teammate, he stood firmly on his feet and quickly released the ball, which flew in a high arc.

Whoosh... Hit!
He's always been good at three-pointers, so it's not surprising that he made one in this game.

A minute later, he took another three-pointer from the left wing, more than five feet from the three-point line. Tactically, this shot was not a good choice, as it was so far from the basket.

His father was so shocked that he turned pale. At that moment, all he could think was, "Hold the ball steady, Drew, hold the ball steady. You're not Ray Allen."

Swish... Hit again!
With 5 minutes and 24 seconds left in the second quarter, he took his third three-point attempt.

Swish... The ball went in again!
With 4 minutes and 32 seconds left in the second quarter, the fourth three-pointer flew out. The opposing player guarding him was 6-foot-3 Josh Carter, who quickly moved closer, but just as his fingertips were about to touch the ball, Drew Jr. released the shot without a moment's delay, timing it perfectly.

Swish... The ball goes in again!

This three-pointer gave Saint Vincent-St. Mary a 27-25 lead.

He was substituted off the field and sat next to his father, while Coach Drew's gaze was elsewhere. Drew's shooting touch instilled a sense of dread in him, so he remained silent, unable even to utter a "Well done."

Even after Drew Jr. hit four consecutive three-pointers, the television commentators at the game still spoke dismissively to him, their words seemingly laced with sarcasm. One said, "He looks like he should be playing in seventh grade." Another said, "This is probably because the Greenview High School players can't find him on the court."

Then the halftime whistle blew, and when Drew Jr. returned to the court midway through the third quarter, no one dared to laugh at him anymore.

With 2 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Drew Jr. launched his fifth three-pointer from the right corner. Greenview High School's defender, Joe Paulley, ran to try and stop Drew Jr., but he quickly released the shot again.

Swish... the ball went in!

Then came the sixth three-pointer, coming from the same corner with 1 minute and 54 seconds left in the quarter. Paulie practically leaped into the air, trying to grab Drew, but…

Whoosh... Sixth hit!

The game reached a climax with a series of three-pointers, and the audience was stunned. Whenever Drew Jr. got a basket, the entire arena fell silent, as if the whole world had come to a standstill.

Every time the ball crossed the net, they erupted in thunderous cheers.

I have never seen an outside shooter like Drew Jr.

He scored 18 points in 6 minutes. I just stared at him, silently telling myself that if he could make another three-pointer, I would put him in the basket. I was so happy for him.

He made his seventh three-pointer from the left corner, with just two seconds left in the quarter.

Swish... The ball went into the net for the seventh time!
It was insane! The crowd went completely wild. I wanted to throw him up in the air and celebrate! I noticed even Forrest Gump, watching from the sidelines, was clapping for him!
When he returned to the court in the fourth quarter, he received another pass from his teammate and had an opportunity for his eighth shot. If he made it, he would tie the record in the state championship Division III.

The audience hopes he can achieve it, his teammates also hope he can accomplish this feat, and everyone is looking forward to his next move.

However, Drew Jr. felt he didn't have the best shot opportunity, so he didn't shoot again, because at that time he was also the kind of player who strictly adhered to tactical discipline.

In this game, Drew scored 21 points, making all 7 of 7 three-pointers, but otherwise all other stats were zero.

Thanks to Drew Jr.'s outstanding performance, we defeated Greenview High School 73-55 to win the state championship with an undefeated record, earning him the respect he deserved.

When the championship trophy was awarded, Forrest Gump personally handed it to us and shook hands and spoke with each of us, which was even more exciting than winning the championship.

When it was my turn, Forrest Gump said to me, "You played very well tonight, but the MVP tonight isn't you, it's your teammate Drew. I wish the MVP was you."

I know that Forrest Gump came to watch my game. I am grateful for his wishes and expectations, and I will do my best to live up to them in the future.

But this match belongs to my dearest brother, my daily companion, my best friend with whom I shop, Drew III.

—Excerpt from LeBron James' autobiography, "My Brother, My Basketball," published in 2009.

(End of this chapter)