The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 949 The Joy of Playing in the NBA

On October 30, 2001, the NBA ushered in its regular season opening day.

The league has scheduled 13 games, played from east to west, with the highlight being the final game, the Las Vegas Glory home court against the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the original schedule, today's last game was supposed to be the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Portland Trail Blazers, with the game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

The sudden arrival of the Radiant team, interfering in the Lakers' and Trail Blazers' highly anticipated season opener, forced the Lakers to move their first game from their home court in Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

As the start time drew closer, Wang Fuxi, the owner of the Glory team, was entertaining invited guests in the reception room of the MGM Grand Hotel.

She specially organized an opening party, inviting celebrities from the entertainment industry, well-known sponsors and business owners from Las Vegas, some fan representatives with season tickets, and ordinary tourists who were lucky enough to be selected.

The purpose of the party was not to specially entertain the wealthy, but to allow representatives of different groups who came to Las Vegas with different purposes and ideas to experience the fun and excitement of watching the game in Las Vegas.

However, the party got a little too wild, and with twenty minutes to go before the game started, people forgot they were supposed to leave for the stands.

Wang Fuxi had to find a way to remind them one by one that the competition was about to start and that they should go to their seats in the stands.

Out of politeness, she couldn't announce it over a loudspeaker or order people to leave, so she had to personally remind them.

Fortunately, by 7:30 p.m., just before the live performance was about to begin, most people were seated, filling the MGM Grand Stadium to capacity.

Team Glorious invited famous singer Mariah Carey to sing the national anthem as a big surprise for the opening game.

Initially, the management of the Glorious team wanted to invite Michael Jackson. If he had agreed, it would have been his third appearance on the NBA court. The first two times were in the Finals, both for Forrest Gump.

But Gan Guoyang was unwilling because he felt embarrassed. The previous two times, Jackson performed for him out of respect for Gan Guoyang: once for his first three-peat and once for his so-called final battle in 2000.

Especially the final battle, it was like Michael Jackson came to mourn you, giving you a grand funeral.

And you, the following year you come back from the dead and invite people to sing and dance. How can you live with yourself like that?

Gan Guoyang felt bad anyway. He knew that Jackson was happy about his comeback, but he really couldn't let anyone perform anymore, although it was fine for them to be audience members.

However, Michael Jackson now lives a very secluded life and does not like to attend large events. As a friend, Gan Guoyang does not want to constantly tarnish his fame.

Therefore, replacing the opening singer with Mariah Carey is also a very good choice.

At another secondary venue, Team Glory also invited the emerging band Linkin Park to perform live, which was broadcast live, bringing the atmosphere of the competition to a climax.

However, the highlight was when the players from the Glory team came out. When Gan Guoyang appeared last, the opening part of the symphony "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" - Sunrise - played as usual.

To the accompaniment of familiar and rousing music, Gan Guoyang stepped onto the field and waved to the fans.

Amidst applause from the clapping crowd, David Stern unsurprisingly chose to attend the opening game and participated in the pre-game party organized by the Glorious.

He wanted to conduct an on-site inspection of the Glory team's pre-match organization, publicity and sales capabilities, on-site control and coordination of the game, the situation of the cheerleading squad, the working status of the staff, the enthusiasm of the fans, merchandise sales, the fun factor of the activities, and a series of other details.

This can be considered a summary and review of the work done by the Glorious Team in the short period of one and a half months since its establishment.

So far, Stern is satisfied with everything. First, they were very well prepared; what seemed like a month had actually been a year of preparation. Second, Forrest Gump's wife is quite formidable; someone who dares to threaten death in front of the FBI is definitely a tough character.

Now, it all depends on how strong the Radiant team is. Stern hopes that the Radiant team won't be too weak, but also won't be too strong.

Forrest Gump, you already have ten championships. Come back and revitalize the market, serve as a stepping stone for young people, and help bosses make more money. That's the right way. Stop being so greedy. You've won so many championships that you can't even wear them all on both hands.

Stern thought that the best-case scenario would be for the Glory to become a mid-table team in the West.

It created some trouble for the Lakers' path to the championship, but in the end, the Lakers overcame it and advanced to the finals to face the Celtics – a perfect outcome.

Before the first game of the season even started, David Stern was already thinking about the script for the Finals next June. It can only be said that as the league commissioner, Stern is becoming more and more far-sighted.

On the field, Tomjanovich indeed fielded a very young lineup.

The starting lineup includes center Brad Miller, power forward Gan Guoyang, small forward Gerald Wallace, shooting guard Raja Bell, and point guard Gilbert Arenas.

As soon as the lineup was revealed, television commentators raised questions. Charles Barkley, who had already joined Turner Television, quipped: "Sonny is taking a bunch of kindergarteners on a picnic! Five starters, two rookies, two who have been in the league for less than three years. The total number of games these four have played is less than half of Forrest Gump's!"

Charles Barkley has consistently been critical of Gan Guoyang's return to the court and his plan to build his own team in Vegas.

He has pointed out on the show more than once that Forrest Gump's second comeback would be a failure in his career.

"Many years from now, people will hope that Forrest Gump's career will forever remain in the summer of June 2000, or September 2000, ending with championships and gold medals, frozen in time, rather than suddenly popping up a year later saying that he wants to make a comeback."

"What does the 9/11 oath have to do with you? It's America that has wronged you, you should be happy, you should go back to China and laugh at us for the rest of your life, instead of saying you want to make a comeback! This isn't like you, Forrest Gump, it's really not like you!"

Barkley's outspokenness, as always, has made Turner TV a hot topic in the media.

Gan Guoyang did not respond, because Barkley had already spoken with Gan Guoyang privately, saying, "Brother, don't mind, it's all for the show."

Now, in his commentary shows, Barkley partners with former Rockets guard Kenny Smith. Every time, he wears his championship ring from 2000, and when he loses a verbal battle, he takes out the ring and waves it at Kenny Smith.

"I have a fucking championship ring, what do you have, Kenny? What right do you have to talk to me like that?"

This allowed Barkley to win every debate.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers fielded a lineup they hadn't used in the preseason.

The starting lineup consists of Shaquille O'Neal, Samaki Walker, Scottie Pippen, Mitch Richmond, and Lindsey Hunter.

The roster is missing Derek Fisher and Tracy McGrady due to injury, while the bench features championship heroes such as Robert Horry and Brian Shaw.

Phil Jackson looked at the Glory's young starting lineup, recognizing three out of five players. He wondered if the Glory were deliberately overconfident or simply had no one else to rely on.

Logically speaking, the Glory team has several veteran players with strong skills, so they shouldn't be out of energy at the beginning of the season, right?
Porter, Cole, Willis, there should be some fuel in the tank.

If the Glorious team arranges its lineup like this, then most of the Lakers' pre-game preparations will be useless.

The only useful thing was his defense against Forrest Gump, but to be honest, Jackson wasn't really sure what Forrest Gump's current situation was, how much he had left, or what changes his style had undergone.

Forrest Gump is indeed the most unpredictable player in the league, too versatile, yet too resilient.

Throughout his long career, he was a completely different player in 2001 compared to 1984, but upon closer examination, it feels like some aspects of him have never changed.

Anyway, this is an encounter battle, let's fight and see.

After the jump ball at center court, Shaquille O'Neal won the ball first, and the two sides began their first offensive play.

This season, the league made a major change to its offensive and defensive rules, allowing zone defense, which has had a huge impact on all teams.

This could even be considered the biggest rule change in the history of the NBA.

Because when the league was founded in 1946, team owners established the basic rule of prohibiting zone defense and only allowing one-on-one defense to ensure the games were entertaining and to compete with the college league.

More than 50 years have passed, and the NBA has made changes to various rules, including major changes such as adding a three-point line. However, zone defense has remained a hindrance.

Regardless of how coaches in the 80s and 90s used underhanded tactics to implement zone defense, it was strictly prohibited and was a key characteristic that distinguished the NBA from other leagues.

However, the rapid development of international basketball and the failure of the 2000 Olympics made Americans realize that they could no longer be complacent.

If American basketball continues to cling to its arrogance and refuse to learn, it risks falling behind the rest of the world basketball community, ultimately becoming two completely unrelated systems. At that point, the NBA champions will be embarrassed to call themselves "world champions."

Therefore, zone defense is permitted, and all teams' tactics will undergo reform.

But the NBA is ultimately a business league, and the office was worried that if zone defense was introduced, all teams would use zone defense, making the games monotonous. So they added another rule: the defensive three-second rule.

Big men can't stay motionless under the basket for too long, and they can't be in the basket if their opponent isn't there.

This rule significantly reduces the effectiveness of zone defense and gives more room for one-on-one defense, which can be considered a compromise.

Stern's doctrine of the mean has been learned quite well.

As a new team, Glory has also learned a lot.

They immediately started with a 2-3 zone defense, collapsing their defense around the paint, with Gan Guoyang in the center disrupting the Lakers' offensive triangle and low-post offense.

These are the things Tomjanovich will focus on learning during training camp according to the new rules.

Anyway, the Glorious team is a blank slate right now, they can draw whatever they want, without any tactical baggage.

Moreover, rookies like Wallace and Arenas have just graduated from college, and they haven't forgotten the zone defense techniques, so they are quite effective in training.

As a result, the Lakers passed the ball around on the perimeter several times but couldn't find a good offensive opportunity.

O'Neal called for the ball in the low post but couldn't get it, and Pippen finally took a three-pointer from the top of the arc, but missed.

Gan Guoyang judged the landing point in the middle and secured the rebound, leaving O'Neal empty-handed.

"Welcome to Las Vegas, Shaq!"

"There's no water in the desert, it must be hard to swim, little shark!"

"There's a swimming pool in the hotel. I'll take you swimming after the competition."

On his way across the halfway line, Gan Guoyang chatted with his little brother O'Neal.

Seeing O'Neal's disgusted expression, Gan Guoyang felt a sense of satisfaction.

This is the fucking fun of playing in the NBA! It's something you can't experience after retirement.

Gan Guoyang's retirement in 2000 was somewhat against his will; he was forced into it.

Now that we've seized on the 9/11 attacks, I'm back!

Regardless of whether we win the championship or not, or whether we win the game, we must play the game to our heart's content.

In the attacking phase, the first attack for the Glory team was naturally to be scored by Gan Guoyang.

The Lakers used man-to-man defense, and Gan Guoyang successfully got to the low post, backing down Samaki Walker and calling for the ball.

The moment he received the ball, Gan Guoyang quickly turned around and got a body length away from Walker.

Then, with a smooth step and hook shot, the ball arced through the air and accurately hit the two-pointer!

The MGM Sports Centre erupted in cheers as the team scored their first point in an official match, thanks to Gan Guoyang's classic hook shot!

Cameras and video cameras along the perimeter frantically snapped photos, capturing this momentous occasion.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang calmly ran back, casually saying to Walker, "Is Phil crazy? Why would he let you guard me alone? Weren't you my fan before?"

Samaki Walker entered the league in 1996, in the same generation as Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson. He is 25 years old this year and is a typical, hardworking power forward.

Walker said to Gan Guoyang helplessly, "I'm your fan, but Phil wants me to hold on a little longer."

"Then just hold on a little longer. It's okay if you can't hold on, it's not shameful."

Gan Guoyang also comforted Walker, while the Glory team once again set up a zone defense to disrupt the Lakers' offense.

The Lakers slowly found a way to score in half-court sets. O'Neal tried a reverse cut to the basket, Pippen lobbed the ball in and attempted a dunk, but Gan Guoyang tipped it away from behind.

It was another classic block. O'Neal couldn't understand why Forrest Gump's judgment was always so accurate.

Or perhaps it was because Forrest Gump was there that he hesitated and slowed down; he himself couldn't figure it out.

However, Walker grabbed the offensive rebound, passed it to the outside, and Richmond received the ball at the right 45-degree angle and made a three-pointer.

The fatal weakness of zone defense is its poor defense against three-pointers.

Meanwhile, Gerald Wallace had just been at a loss on defense.

He tried to grab the rebound one minute and then tried to tackle someone the next, but in the end, he did neither of those things well.

It's perfectly normal for young people to be a bit clumsy and impulsive when playing their first competition.

Back on offense, Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle again, and the Lakers quickly double-teamed him.

Gan Guoyang immediately passed the ball to Bell on the outside, but the Lakers players simply didn't try to contest Bell, instead guarding Gan Guoyang, since there was no illegal defense now.

"Throw it!" Gan Guoyang shouted.

Bell then took a three-pointer, but the shot went wildly off target.

Gan Guoyang fought hard to grab the offensive rebound, and despite being surrounded by three Lakers players, he still managed to hook the ball in and score again!

The fans cheered again, but after a few rounds, the inexperience of the young players on the Glory team became glaringly obvious.

Especially against the Lakers, a group of seasoned champions, they were simply no match.

Five minutes later, the official timeout was called, with the Lakers leading 11-6.

On the Glory team's side, apart from Gan Guoyang scoring 6 points, no one else managed to score.

During the timeout, the young players were frustrated. They not only couldn't make shots or defend, but they also put increasing pressure on Gan Guoyang. The Lakers' defensive resources were all being tilted towards Gan Guoyang.

Tomjanovich was also getting anxious, wondering if it was too risky to start so many young players.

He plans to make a change and bring on another veteran player.

Gan Guoyang comforted his teammates and coach, saying casually, "It's okay, guys. I'll get 50 points in tonight's opening game and get off to a good start. Relax, relax. Of course, the rest of the games will depend on you guys. Good luck!"

Gan Guoyang's words of comfort are always so simple and unpretentious, yet inspiring. There are never any motivational quotes, only solid points of support.

Gan Guoyang played for half a quarter and felt that he was in good condition, with a good feel for the game, and his strength and reaction were good, but his explosiveness was declining more and more obviously.

He thought to himself, if I keep playing like this, I'll probably decline to the level of Larry Bird.

Time really flies.

(End of this chapter)