The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 936 Paper Money
Lithuanian assistant coach Donnie Nelson was taken aback by the course of this semifinal, as none of his players had ever attended an NBA training camp.

Logically speaking, they didn't even qualify for the NBA, yet they came together and almost defeated a team composed of some of the best players in the NBA.

As an American with close ties to basketball history, Nelson didn't know whether he should have hoped for success or failure when Jaskovic made that potentially game-winning shot.

Of course, for Americans, it was a victory that was worse than a defeat, and many years later, that's what everyone said.

In fact, winning or losing doesn't make much difference. It's an undeniable fact that American basketball was overtaken by the rest of the world at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

"The narrow victory against Lithuania only slightly delayed the onset of the poison," Ray Allen said in an interview after the game. "We're glad the ball didn't go in, but we all know what we're facing next."

Forrest Gump, a name that has haunted three generations of American basketball stars, lingers like a ghost in the air.

—Excerpt from "America Hoops" by Bob Reitz, published in 2009.

The performance of the American team was disappointing. Although they won, the ugly process tarnished the once sacred glory of the "Dream Team" title.

Soon someone stepped forward and said, "Okay, that person is Larry Bird. He made a guest appearance on a show, watching the Olympics live with everyone, and he did the commentary."

After the semi-final, he was asked by the host what he thought of the Dream Team's narrow two-point victory over Lithuania, almost being defeated by the opponent in the final moments.

Bird stated bluntly: "They are not the Dream Team at all. There has only been one Dream Team in Olympic basketball history, the 1992 Dream Team. All the teams after that are the US national teams, not Dream Teams. If you have to call it a dream, it's a nightmare, not a dream."

Bird's words were as sharp as ever, and his statement seemed to be defending the old Dream Team.

One important reason is that after watching the game, he realized that the American team would have a hard time dealing with Forrest Gump in the final.

The team's configuration, players' abilities and form were far from their best; they even almost lost to Lithuania.

"Let's pray that the French team can beat the Chinese team in the semi-finals," Bird thought to himself.

Given Forrest Gump's understanding of this group of American players and his psychological pressure, he is likely in grave danger.

Moreover, Rick Carlisle is likely to be controlled by Agan. So far, Carlisle has focused all his energy on controlling the players and locker room issues, and has not created any tactical innovations.

Bird was worried about Carlisle. When he returns to the NBA next season, Carlisle will have an even more difficult task: to carry the Trail Blazers in the post-Forrest era.

I thought the Olympics would be a chance to earn medals, but instead I'm going to be a scapegoat and take the fall. Carlisle is having a really tough time.

Just twenty minutes later, the Chinese team took to the field to begin their semi-final match against France. Wearing white jerseys, the Chinese team displayed excellent spirits.

It can be said that the poor performance of the US team just now gave the Chinese team a lot of confidence; the Dream Team is nothing special.

However, right now, defeating France is the goal. Gan Guoyang reminded each teammate to keep their eyes on today and on the ground.

Unlike the previous games, Gan Guoyang played in his familiar center position tonight, which clearly indicates a higher intensity game.

This was a change of tactics discussed by Jiang Xingquan and the coaching staff, because they had played against France before, and France would definitely have some strategies to target China's tall center.

Although theoretically, the closer to the final battle, the less one should arbitrarily change tactics or use unexpected moves, the semi-finals are not yet in the style of a final battle.

The Chinese team didn't use any unexpected tactics; instead, they switched to a more conventional approach, directly forcing Gan Guoyang into the center circle for the jump ball.

Yao Ming rested on the bench. Wang Zhizhi started at power forward, Sun Jun started at small forward, and the guards remained Hu Weidong and Guo Shiqiang.

This relatively small lineup is designed for man-to-man defense, targeting France's three-point shooting from multiple angles.

While Yao Ming is certainly a threat in the paint and can free up Gan Guoyang, the group stage proved that France has too many three-point shooters, making zone defense very vulnerable.

Of all the participating teams, France attempted the most three-pointers, and their accuracy improved with each game.

In their last game against Canada, the French team attempted 24 three-pointers, twice as many as their opponents, and made three times as many.

Judging from the final score, France won by making more three-pointers.

Three-pointers have always been a powerful weapon for underdog teams to win.

Therefore, the Chinese team was neither overconfident nor conservative enough to hesitate to change its lineup and tactics.

In the knockout stage, each match determines the winner, and every stage and every ball is crucial.

The coaching staff is now very confident. After studying the video, they decisively changed their formation to face France.

Anyway, having Gan Guoyang play center forward wasn't a surprising move; it was the most standard move imaginable.

The situation was worse for the French team, as they hadn't expected Gan Guoyang to return to the center forward position.

This will require many changes to their pre-game plans, especially on the defensive end. Should they double-team the inside players?

Gan Guoyang's dominance in the low post is unmatched in FIBA.

Because the paint in FIBA ​​is trapezoidal, the center position is more outward, making it less easy for the center to initiate offense compared to the NBA.

In addition, the court is small and the three-point line is short, making it very easy for the inside players to be double-teamed. Therefore, in FIBA ​​games, strong attacks in the low post are easily targeted.

Gan Guoyang is an exception. He is fast and powerful, and is proficient in hook shots and jump shots. His hook shot is especially powerful in FIBA, and no one can effectively interfere with him.

With his hook shot being a fundamental skill, Gan Guoyang is already very strong against double teams. Coupled with the fact that FIBA ​​players generally have average physical attributes, he is even more comfortable in the low post.

At the start of the game, Gan Guoyang called for the ball in the low post. After receiving the ball, he faced Weiss, dribbled past him, turned around, and made an elegant hook shot to score the first point of the game.

Weiss's height of 218cm was completely ignored by Gan Guoyang. "You don't have enough strength and jumping ability to get close enough to interfere with me. What's the use of being tall?"

Subsequently, the Chinese team started with tight man-to-man defense, preventing the French team from finding good shooting opportunities, and their strong outside shots missed.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, and Hu Weidong immediately launched a counterattack instead of waiting for Gan Guoyang to get into position as the French team had planned.

A layup straight to the basket secured the two points, giving the Chinese team a strong start.

France then missed another three-pointer, and China launched another counterattack, forcing France to foul to stop them.

Hu Weidong played several seasons in the NBA, and his personal abilities improved significantly.

His dribbling, ball control, and power are already quite strong in FIBA.

Compared to him in 1992, he was more agile then, but overall he seemed a bit ethereal.

Now 30 years old, he has lost the agility of his youth, but he is more solid and steady, and every move he makes is standard.

These skills were honed in the world's most challenging leagues.

In positional play, it was time for Gan Guoyang to shine again, as he received the ball, turned, and executed a hook shot.

The French team's double-teaming was ineffective; this kind of side-back, one-armed hook shot is what allows him to score through the gaps in the double-team.

A 6-0 start forced the French team to call an early timeout to resolve the issue, and the initiative in the game was now in the hands of the Chinese team.

Once you enter the knockout stage, Gan Guoyang won't play any fancy tricks. Now that he's in the center position, he's determined to dominate his opponents.

After the timeout, France clearly couldn't solve the problem with Gan Guoyang. With continuous low-post attacks and inside-outside connections, the Chinese team continued to extend their lead.

However, when the rotation began, the French team finally seized the opportunity and narrowed the gap with three-pointers.

For the Chinese team, Yao Ming replaced Gan Guoyang, giving Gan Guoyang some time to rest.

Yao Ming doesn't have the same power in the paint as Gan Guoyang; his low-post offense is still too immature.

However, Yao Ming's height allowed the Chinese team to maintain an advantage in offensive rebounds, forcing the French team to commit resources to fight for defensive rebounds.

France struggles to execute fast breaks – a weapon typically used by underdog teams to win.

After China suppressed France's three-point shooting and fast breaks, France had a very difficult time playing.

In the first half, the Chinese team led the French team 48-38 by 10 points. Neither team scored much, and the Chinese team controlled the pace of the game.

The US team's coaching staff watched the game from the sidelines, and by halftime they knew that France was likely doomed.

This kind of game rhythm and format is all too familiar to Carlisle, Brown, and Dick Hart.

In the first half, Forrest Gump only exerted a little effort, starting with a high-flying shot, and then letting his teammates follow the rhythm, which allowed him to take control of the game.

In the second half, Agam delivered a powerful finish, leaving no possibility for the French team to turn the game around.

This is a typical Forrest Gump-style game, complete control, with teammates and opponents all under his control.

In the NBA, Gan Guoyang's control declined for various reasons, but in the FIBA ​​knockout stage, he was still the same master puppeteer.

Unless Rigado has another breakout performance and hits every three-pointer, a comeback miracle might be possible. But miracles don't always happen, and Rigado, who already had a breakout performance in the group stage, is now facing tight man-to-man defense from the Chinese team.

When the Chinese team has Gan Guoyang in the paint, they can play man-to-man defense to their heart's content. Even if they occasionally fail to keep up, Gan Guoyang can clean up the mess. Yao Ming's ability in this regard is far inferior to Gan Guoyang's, which makes Yao Ming rely more on zone defense in FIBA ​​games.

If he goes to the NBA, the reliance on strong defensive power forwards at the power forward position will become even more pronounced.

As expected by the US coaching staff, Forrest Gump began to explode after the start of the second half.

He can take on multiple one-on-one situations without any discrimination, and he can take on any one-on-one situation as long as he receives the ball inside the three-point line, and he will be a mismatch against anyone.

This unstoppable offensive capability caused the French team's defense to completely lose its resilience and flexibility, because a single point of attack was too strong.

After Gan Guoyang scored 9 consecutive points, he forced the French team to call a timeout and adjust their defense to a zone defense with double teams.

All of this was in the Chinese team's plan. Shooters such as Hu Weidong and Li Nan took to the court and began a barrage of three-pointers from the wings.

The Chinese team's three-point shooting was mediocre in the last game against Australia, but they shot very well in the second half of this game.

Li Nan, nicknamed "Little Li Flying Dagger," hit two consecutive three-pointers, while Hu Weidong followed up with a pull-up three-pointer on the counterattack.

In the second half, the Chinese team launched an 18-7 offensive surge, widening the gap between the two sides to as much as 19 points.

Chinese fans at the scene waved the five-star red flag and cheered loudly. At that moment, people felt that the Chinese team was truly incredibly strong.

With a 19-point lead established, the French team had no chance of turning the tide.

In FIBA ​​competitions, this point difference is extremely difficult to overcome.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang was clearly holding back; if you managed to get even a little closer, he would have knocked you down with a hammer.

FIBA games are very fast-paced. A 40-minute game, divided into two halves, ends very quickly when there is not much suspense.

With a score of 90-73, the Chinese team easily defeated the French team by a decisive 17 points, successfully advancing to the men's basketball final of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

This marks the first time the Chinese team has reached the finals to compete for the gold medal since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and their opponent is once again the United States.

Gan Guoyang only scored 25 points in this game, but he was extremely efficient, missing only 2 shots.

He consistently broke through his opponent's defense at the start of each half, forcing them to make changes.

Once the French team made a change, the Chinese team immediately responded, putting the French team in a difficult position.

The French team simply couldn't find a match for Forrest Gump; they lacked a superstar and relied heavily on tactical setups.

If the tactical configuration is not advantageous and the initiative is not seized, the battle will be too difficult.

In a post-match interview, the French coach bluntly stated, "Give me Forrest Gump, and we can reach the final too!"

Everyone has witnessed Forrest Gump's strength; whether in the NBA or FIBA, he is a leader by a wide margin.

Chinese media were delighted, and everyone was discussing after the game that if Forrest Gump hadn't retired in 1996 and had joined the national team to compete in the Atlanta Olympics, the Dream Team II might have suffered a crushing defeat on home soil.

Gan Guoyang in 1996 was at the peak of his career.

However, Gan Guoyang didn't think so. On the contrary, he felt that he was at his best right now.

After enduring the torment of the 2000 season and retiring to shed all the burdens, he underwent two months of systematic training and felt great in every aspect, much better than at the beginning of the 1999 season.

After easily defeating France, the Chinese team now only has the American team left to face.

The Sydney Olympics are drawing to a close, and the Chinese team continues to win gold and silver medals in its strong events such as table tennis, diving, and gymnastics.

China has won more than 20 gold medals, more than in any previous Olympic Games.

China's sports industry is also flourishing along with the country's development.

Of course, the team gold medal in basketball is the most significant and receives the most attention.

It can be said that apart from the men's 100-meter sprint gold medal and the FIFA World Cup title, other world championship titles are hard to compare with this Olympic men's basketball gold medal.

In the foreseeable future, winning the gold medal in the men's 100-meter sprint is still a possibility. Gan Guoyang has proven that the explosive power of people of Asian descent is not bad; they just lack scientific training and a breakout genius.

As for the World Cup football championship, it's a bit far off. After all, football relies more on teamwork than basketball, and one or two geniuses are not enough.

On the eve of the men's basketball final, Gan Guoyang was protected at the highest level. Local police patrolled around the hotel, and security inside the hotel was also raised to the highest level.

However, Gan Guoyang didn't stay idle in his room. Instead, he went over to the American team's side and played cards with Garnett, Payton, and others.

Rick Carlisle had initially forbidden the players from contacting Agam before the final, but he couldn't restrict their freedom, and they ended up putting together two poker games in the room.

Gan Guoyang was quite generous in the card game, losing money hand over hand, which made Payton, Kidd, Mourning and others very happy to win.

That night, Gan Guoyang spent at least several hundred thousand US dollars, just like giving out pocket money.

Although NBA players are paid very high salaries, in reality, the amount they actually receive from a multi-million dollar contract is not as much as one might imagine.

After taxes, brokerage fees, insurance premiums, and other miscellaneous expenses, there's not much left.

Furthermore, Black players generally enjoy gambling, buying luxury goods, and supporting their friends, resulting in very high expenses.

So if you can win several thousand or tens of thousands of dollars in a poker game without paying taxes or taking a cut, everyone is very happy.

The game went on until 10 p.m., and Gan Guoyang went back to rest. Peyton and the others were reluctant to leave. It was rare for Gan to be the God of Wealth again, and they didn't want him to go.

Young Garnett asked Payton and the others, "Why did Forrest Gump come to play cards and lose money to us? Was he trying to bribe us so we'd lose the game tomorrow?"

Payton said, "What are you dreaming about, kid? You think you'd lose to the Chinese team just because you won Forrest Gump's money?"

Garnett shook his head repeatedly, saying it was impossible; playing cards was playing cards, and playing a game was playing a game.

Kidd suggested an idea, saying, "He's probably going to go on a killing spree tomorrow, so he might come over to ease his guilt."

Kidd's words silenced the entire room.

Everyone went back to their rooms to rest and prepare for tomorrow's competition.

After returning to his room, Gan Guoyang told his wife that he had lost several hundred thousand dollars to the Dream Team players.

Wang Fuxi said, "What are you doing? Aren't hundreds of thousands of dollars a lot of money? You're just going to throw it away like that? If you lose money to them, will they lose the competition to you?"

Gan Guoyang said, "Of course not, they're not stupid."

"Then why are you doing this? You're quite good at gambling."

"Giving money to the dead makes you feel better."

"..."
-
October 1st marks the 51st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and is also the last day of the Olympic Games.

With most other seasons already over, the men's basketball final will be held on this day, bringing the Sydney Olympics to a perfect close.

Some Chinese players were nervous before the match, while others were not.

The young players were very nervous; Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi were even trembling with nervousness.

It's not fear, but the release of adrenaline that makes the muscles move uncontrollably.

The veteran players are great, especially Hu Weidong and Sun Jun, who played in the 1992 finals.

They've already been nervous enough, and they know exactly how to play the game.

Gan Guoyang has been excited since he woke up in the morning. The final is on October 1st, and the timing is just perfect.

The competition was scheduled for 2 p.m., and the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games would be held in the evening after the competition.

It can be said that this gold medal game in men's basketball was the grand finale of the entire Sydney Olympics.

The world's attention is once again focused on the basketball court, and the viewership ratings for this game are set to reach a new high.

Another entry will be added to the record book of the god of ratings.

But this time, Gan Guoyang only wanted the gold medal; he didn't care about anything else.

(End of this chapter)