The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 908 Forbearance
Phil Jackson couldn't help but feel frustrated when the game predictably went downhill again.

Deep down, Jackson always believed that the two seasons after Forrest Gump's retirement were the best time in the league.

One of the greatest charms of competitive sports lies in their unpredictability, especially in a game like basketball where multiple people chase a ball and try to get it into a small hoop.

The process and outcome of a competition are often beyond an individual's control and are influenced by many factors, especially luck, making them highly uncertain.

This inherent uncertainty and element of luck, in Jackson's view, is what makes basketball so interesting.

Just like in mahjong or cards, luck is closely related to winning or losing the moment the tiles are shuffled, arranged, and the order of drawing is determined.

Good luck often determines the outcome of a game, and even poor skills can be compensated for by luck to achieve unprecedented victory.

Conversely, in sports like chess and Go, luck plays a minimal role, except in cases where one player makes an unexpected mistake, which is actually a sign of poor technique.

Jackson has been the Bulls' head coach since the 1990 season, ten seasons in which he has won three championships, a remarkable achievement that many head coaches cannot reach in their entire careers.

The problem is that in those 10 years, Forrest played 7 seasons and won 6 championships. Jackson realized that when Forrest was in the league and when he was competing for championships, the unpredictable fun and luck of basketball were greatly reduced.

In every game against the Trail Blazers, Forrest Gump firmly controlled and relentlessly suppressed the team.

Losing games often follows a similar pattern, and it's hard to break free from it. Even when winning, it seems like there are only one or two ways to win.

I hope Forrest Gump's teammates are terrible and perform poorly, then wear him down in some series so he can barely win.

This extremely high "certainty" (a high probability of losing, a low probability of winning using the same method) has left many coaches, including Jackson, feeling desperate, with Jackson being particularly frustrated.

Although the series has only been played once and is not yet over, Jackson has a feeling that he can "see the end from the beginning and already knows how it will end".

This feeling led to some operational deviations in Jackson's coaching during the fourth quarter. He tried to gamble by changing his formation, turning a simple task into a much more complex one.

He briefly substituted O'Neal and used a fast-paced lineup, with Kidd leading the offense in an attempt to use speed to catch up and disrupt the Trail Blazers' offensive and defensive rhythm.

With O'Neal gone, the Lakers no longer faced the risk of being "hack-a-Shaq" by the Trail Blazers, but they also lost their absolute defensive appeal in the paint and their ability to protect the rim.

The Lakers did launch a fast break, but the Trail Blazers' offense under the basket became even more incisive, with Gan Guoyang, Kobe, and Charles Barkley attacking the rim one after another.

After several rounds, Jackson scored another 10-4 against the Lakers, further widening the gap. Jackson had no choice but to call another timeout and bring O'Neal back into the game.

But at this point, in the fourth quarter, time was ticking away, and O'Neal was finding it increasingly difficult to even receive the ball, let alone close the gap.

Assistant coaches Winter and Jackson said, "Phil, you're too hasty, too hasty. You shouldn't be rotating like this."

Jackson looked up at the ceiling. He knew he was indeed anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

If you've ever led your team to three Finals appearances against Forrest Gump's Portland Trail Blazers and lost all three, it's impossible not to feel anxious.

This season, Jackson knew that Forrest Gump was likely to retire, and this was his last chance to beat him. He didn't want to miss this golden opportunity.

But we've tried everything, used every idea, and experimented with every lineup. The Trail Blazers only need one move: trust Forrest Gump, give him the ball, and you're basically helpless.

In the end, it all comes down to internal strength and attrition. If you have more resources than the Trail Blazers this year, you have a chance to win. If you don't have as many resources as the Trail Blazers, or you're even, or the difference isn't significant, then it's your turn to go home and rest.

It was that cruel, that ruthless. When Phil Jackson realized this while sitting on the bench, he was almost scratching his head in distress, but he couldn't show it at all.

The Trail Blazers are indeed getting old and have been in decline this season, but they have plenty of resources. Their roster of veterans has enough fuel in the tank to last until June.

As Jackson watched the situation on the court deteriorate rapidly and the Trail Blazers' deficit widened, he had no choice but to give up the struggle to catch up and surrender.

In another disappointing night for Staples Center fans, the Trail Blazers won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals 108-98, taking a 10-0 lead in the series.

The Los Angeles team's home court was breached, the home-court advantage in the series changed hands, and the initiative was seized by the Trail Blazers.

However, the fans didn't seem too sad when they left the arena. They seemed to have gotten used to it. One fan even said in an interview, "Reaching the Western Conference Finals is already a mission accomplished and the highest honor. Our opponent is the Trail Blazers."

Jerry West's tolerance for this kind of pain is clearly much greater than Phil Jackson's.

He experienced the previous dark era, where the Boston Celtics dominated the Finals and he never won a single game.

It took them a full 10 years, from 1962 to 1972, to finally shake off the shadows and win the championship, during which they lost the finals 7 times.

The Lakers are currently in a very weak position, so West is in a good mood. In the locker room, he told the players that the series has only just begun.

"Don't expect to beat the Trail Blazers in four or five games to reach the Finals, but the Trail Blazers shouldn't expect to beat us easily either."

"Be prepared for a very tough series, six games, or even a seventh game. At that point, the initiative will be in our hands."

Jerry West has prepared the Lakers for a long battle, and judging from their performance in the first two rounds, it's impossible for the Lakers to win quickly.

Jackson pulled West into his office and poured out his pent-up frustrations. The pain of being suppressed by the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump for so many years left him incoherent.

West watched Jackson "go crazy" in silence, and he thought of the last coach who went crazy because of Forrest Gump: Pat Riley.

Perhaps madness is the fate of the Lakers' head coach for the past fifteen years. In the darkness where there is no prospect or way out, it's either madness or destruction.

After Jackson had vented his anger, Jerry West calmly said, "The series has only been going on for one game, and you're already breaking down like this? Are you that weak?"

Jackson shook his head and said, "Even though it's just one game, I can already see the ending. Can't you see it?"

"I can't see it. It's uncertain who will win. We have a great chance."

"Jerry, where is our opportunity? Tell me, where is our opportunity?"

"Our opportunity lies in the fact that we are younger, have more potential, and the NBA needs us more."

Jerry West's words startled Jack. He looked up and asked, "What do you mean?"

West said, "The league won't just stand by and watch us get eliminated and let the Trail Blazers make it back to the Finals. The East is probably a foregone conclusion; the Celtics are unstoppable. The Lakers and Celtics going to the Finals again would be the best scenario since Forrest Gump and Jordan left the league. The NBA should get back to its core principles."

Jackson had already stood up and said, "Jerry, you mean... the league will step in to help us?"

West smiled and said, "I didn't say that to Phil. I just said that the league hopes, it's just a hope."

Phil Jackson understood what West meant.

In fact, it's no secret that in the NBA, the league relies on referees to influence the course of a series.

However, over the years, the league has been taking care of Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers, since Forrest Gump and David Stern are closely linked.

But this season is different. Due to the spy case, Forrest Gump will most likely retire. He will become a totem and a stepping stone for the new king to ascend the throne.

He already has nine championships, which is enough. One more or one less doesn't matter. But other teams in the league need championships to prove themselves.

The Trail Blazers have rarely suffered from refereeing in the playoffs and finals over the years, and Gan Guoyang has a very good relationship with many referees, so it's hard to say whether he benefits from it.

Phil Jackson was much calmer. Although he believed he didn't need to rely on external forces to win the series, at this point, saying he could eliminate off-court influences would be self-deception.

Jerry West must have received some hints from the league that the Lakers are the team favored by the commissioner in this series, so the team must be bold and seize the advantage to turn it into a victory.

On May 24, the rematch between the two sides continued at the Staples Center.

Before the game started, David Stern came to the scene in person to present Shaquille O'Neal with the 2000 season regular season MVP trophy.

This season, O'Neal led the Lakers to a league-best record of 65 wins and 17 losses, averaging 29.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3 blocks per game, and he played 80 games, which can be described as a perfect attendance record.

Judging from the regular season alone, he undoubtedly had a perfect season, demonstrating his unparalleled dominance in the paint. He was good at both offense and defense and was the most powerful center in the paint after Gan Guoyang.

When Shaquille O'Neal received the MVP trophy from David Stern, Stern patted him on the shoulder and said, "You played brilliantly, Shaq. Hopefully, the next era will be yours."

Stern's encouragement gave O'Neal confidence, and subsequently, O'Neal started to dominate in the first quarter, repeatedly attacking the Trail Blazers' interior in the low post.

Just two minutes into the game, Sabonis committed two fouls while defending and had to leave the game early to rest.

Of the two fouls, only the first was uncontroversial; the second was a call that could have been made or not, but the referee made the call decisively. This disrupted the Trail Blazers' early rhythm, forcing Rick Carlisle to substitute Ben Wallace earlier than planned.

Although Wallace was a strong defender, his height was a natural disadvantage, and his offense was severely lacking.

Without Sabonis's support, Gan Guoyang's offense will be affected, and he will also have to devote more energy to the defensive end.

Subsequently, Gan Guoyang clearly realized that the referees were biased towards the Lakers, making calls that could have been made or not, but not against the Trail Blazers.

Looking at David Stern, who was all smiles in the stands, Gan Guoyang knew exactly what was going on. The league definitely didn't want the Lakers to lose two games in a row at home.

Just like in the 1988 season, the Trail Blazers faced the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers had the overall strength advantage, but they were defeated 0-2 by Gan Guoyang's outburst in the first two home games.

When the Lakers finally recovered and won two games, they couldn't make up for the disadvantage of losing the first two home games. In the end, the Lakers sent the Trail Blazers to the Finals to complete their first three-peat.

In 1988, the NBA's market and profits were not that large, and the league's involvement was not deep. By 2000, the NBA office had gained a strong ability to intervene.

In this game, the referee's goal was to help the Lakers retain a home-court advantage. The head referee was the experienced and qualified Dick Bavetta, whose balanced refereeing skills were always excellent.

With an early advantage, the Lakers began to feed O'Neal a steady stream of attacks, and Phil Jackson was no longer going to repeat the mistake of trying to get past O'Neal and launch a fast break in the previous game.

In the first half, O'Neal scored 25 points efficiently, dominating the Trail Blazers' interior and helping the Lakers take a 60-51 lead.

Rick Carlisle insisted on not letting Gan Guoyang go inside to trade blows with O'Neal, precisely to give Gan Guoyang the energy to turn the tide in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang was called for traveling on his first possession, which made Gan Guoyang laugh.

"Traveling? You're calling me traveling? The last time I was called traveling was back in the 80s, I think it was in Dick's!"

Bavita remained unmoved by Gan Guoyang's complaints and said nothing.

He knew this guy was a dangerous individual; years ago, he had used his dissatisfaction with the officiating as an excuse to crash into himself and end up in the hospital.

Gan Guoyang certainly wouldn't do that now. He knows the league is watching him, and it would be terrible if he were caught doing something wrong and suspended.

Three minutes later, Gan Guoyang was called for another offensive foul during an offensive play. Robert Horry deliberately fell down when Gan Guoyang received the ball and drove inside.

Actually, it was a flop, but the Lakers players all knew that the referees would be on their side tonight, so they could just go for it.

A traveling violation and an offensive foul, seemingly insignificant calls, disrupted Gan Guoyang's offensive rhythm and also disrupted the Trail Blazers' comeback attempt.

On the other side, O'Neal went to the free-throw line multiple times, and he performed admirably tonight, making a decent free-throw percentage and causing significant damage.

When Gan Guoyang enters the paint, the referee will not blow the whistle unless it is a very obvious foul.

The imbalance became so obvious that Carlisle and Bird kept protesting to the referees, and by the fourth quarter the referees finally sided with the Trail Blazers.

The Lakers gave Gan Guoyang and Kobe several opportunities to shoot free throws, but the Lakers had already built a lead of more than 10 points, putting the Trail Blazers in a very unfavorable position.

Gan Guoyang's offensive rhythm was disrupted, his three-pointers never came on, and by the fourth quarter he had accumulated five fouls, so Sabonis was ejected.

Ultimately, the Lakers secured a rather ugly victory at home, winning 99-94 and tying the series 1-1.

When the match ended, Gan Guoyang unusually did not shake hands or hug his opponent, and went straight back to the locker room.

In a post-match interview, Gan Guoyang bluntly stated, "This was a tough match, one that was difficult to win."

O'Neal scored a game-high 42 points, while Gan Guoyang only managed 28 points with a shooting percentage of just 45%, which was far too low for him.

However, all of this was within Gan Guoyang's expectations, because David Stern had not spoken to Gan Guoyang on the phone for half a season.

During his visit to Los Angeles to present the award, he didn't have much interaction with Gan Guoyang. This short Jewish man really turns on you quickly.

Just as Stern and Gan Guoyang discussed last summer, the league hopes that Gan Guoyang will retire to make room for younger players to take over.

It now seems that Stern may want Gan Guoyang to serve as a stepping stone for the new king's ascension to the throne, burning himself to warm others, and acting as a torch for the arrival of a new era for the alliance.

But Gan Guoyang absolutely does not want to be a torchbearer, absolutely not.

The game was over, and it was over quickly; the Trail Blazers turned their attention to what was to come.

The entire team is prepared for a protracted battle.

On the way back to Portland, Gan Guoyang said bluntly, "Get ready for Game 7, guys. The league won't let the series end in six."

Sure enough, on May 26th, the Trail Blazers hosted the Lakers at home, and the Trail Blazers, back in the Rose Garden, gave the Lakers no chance.

The veterans had another breakout performance, with both starting lineups trading baskets. However, the second unit, led by Barkley, Curry, Porter, and Mullin, unleashed a series of three-pointers, sparking an offensive surge.

Starting in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers gradually built up their lead and maintained it throughout the game, while the Lakers, without the help of the referees and the advantage of home court, played terribly.

The Trail Blazers swept the Lakers 107-77 at home, taking a 30-point lead and bringing the series to 2-1. Portland fans now see another NBA Finals on the horizon.

But just two days later, the situation on the court changed dramatically. The Lakers regained their form, while the Trail Blazers' veterans fell silent again—both teams showed signs of instability.

One team was too old, and the other was still young. The two teams fought fiercely until the very last moment of the game.

At this moment, a highly controversial call occurred: Gan Guoyang's crucial hook shot was blocked by O'Neal who came over to help defend.

The ball clearly fell, it was goaltending, but the referee didn't blow the whistle to call it a good ball.

While the Trail Blazers players were arguing with the referees, the Lakers took the opportunity to launch a fast break. Kidd passed the ball to McGrady, who dunked on the fast break, extending the lead to 3 points.

What was originally a shot that could have put them ahead turned into a 3-point deficit. This fatal missed call led to the Trail Blazers losing 89-92 to the Lakers at home, tying the series 2-2.

The series went from 3-1 to 2-2, meaning the Trail Blazers are destined for a long run, with the veterans facing a severe test of their physical condition, health, and willpower.

The pivotal Game 5 returned to Los Angeles, and the Lakers, playing at home, were in high spirits. However, to make matters worse for the Trail Blazers, Kobe Bryant had a heated argument with his parents over his engagement.

Pamela and her husband came to Los Angeles and confronted Vanessa, causing a huge uproar in the city and preventing Kobe from focusing on the game.

Kobe's importance to the Trail Blazers is self-evident. However, due to off-court factors, he only made 4 of 20 shots, delivering his worst performance in this playoff series.

This resulted in the Trail Blazers losing the crucial Game 5 in Los Angeles 94-96, putting the Los Angeles Lakers just one step away from winning the Western Conference Finals and advancing to the NBA Finals.

Phil Jackson, who was in a frenzy and frustrated before the first game was over, was beaming after the fifth game. It feels so good to have good luck; it makes all the difference.

It was now June, and on the other side, in the East, the Boston Celtics had already defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-2 and were waiting for the Western Conference winner in the Finals.

In Game 6, a do-or-die game at the Trail Blazers' home court, Kobe returned to Portland and adjusted his emotions and state. First, he strengthened his determination to marry Vanessa. Second, he reminded himself that he must win the game, win the championship, and complete a three-peat.

The Lakers failed to capitalize on their opportunity to sweep the Trail Blazers and advance to the Finals. They made the same mistake of suddenly going cold and losing momentum, allowing the Trail Blazers to sweep them 107-91 at home, a 16-point advantage.

The series ended in a 3-3 tie with six games played. The Lakers won hard-fought games and lost decisively, but no matter how many points they lost in a single game, the overall score was the same.

The decisive battle to determine the Western Conference champion will take place in Los Angeles.

Gan Guoyang was right; the decisive Game 7 is just around the corner.

Since Gan Guoyang's prediction came true, he had naturally prepared himself mentally long ago.

He knew that the league office wouldn't give up until the series went to a Game 7.

Sometimes, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be patient and preserve your strength.

If it really comes to a Game 7, it won't be so easy for the league to control the outcome.

For so many years, everyone only knew that Forrest Gump was sharp and outspoken, that he was as fiery as the sun and as tough as steel.

But few people know that his forbearance and resilience, like his outward toughness, are an integral part of his personality.

(End of this chapter)