The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 951 A Sword's Light Chills Fifty Provinces
Jackson disliked Forrest Gump ever since his time with the Bulls, and the two never clashed on or off the court.

On the court, they fought their way to the finals, while off the court, Gan Guoyang often liked to undermine Jackson.

Phil Jackson was always the one who came out on the losing end; all his knowledge, skills, and cunning were useless against Forrest Gump.

He's like a martial artist with a wide range of knowledge, collecting secret manuals from all over the place. Today it's Buddhism, tomorrow it's Native American witchcraft, the day after tomorrow it's inspirational movies, and the day after that it's the Bible. He knows a little bit about everything and can do it all quite well. Ordinary people really can't handle him.

But if you encounter Gan Guoyang, a straightforward and righteous master of the "Kanglong Youhui" technique, you'll shatter all your fancy moves.

What bothered Phil Jackson even more was that, as time went on, he discovered that Forrest Gump wasn't just incapable of fancy stuff; on the contrary, he knew more than he did, and he genuinely knew, not just pretending.

Take Eastern philosophy for example. Jackson talked about Zen and Taoism all the time. Once, during an All-Star game, the two had a brief chat. Forrest Gump used his extensive knowledge to make Jackson realize that all those things he was into were just superficial.

Gan Guoyang then defined Jackson as follows: "The so-called Zen you are familiar with is more of an aesthetic concept than a religious or philosophical one."

Basically, he was saying that what he was making was just for show, which made Jackson very ashamed.

Later, the 9/11 attacks elevated Gan Guoyang to the status of a religious superstitious figure.

A sect based on Forrest Gump's beliefs has been established in many parts of the United States, and his portrait is displayed in large numbers.

This achievement is beyond what a basketball player can reach. Some even say that Forrest Gump has become a god, just one shot to the head away from death and he will ascend to the ranks of immortals.

This led to Gan Guoyang having to strengthen security after 9/11. Now, when he goes out for a run in the morning, he has to bring a lot of bodyguards with him.

It's said that Porter, who accompanied Gan Guoyang on the run, was required to wear the same tracksuit as Gan, so that he might be able to take a bullet for him in the early morning light—of course, this is all just gossip from the media.

In short, such a complex and enigmatic character, who repeatedly defeats you head-on on the court with sheer strength, would be a nightmare for anyone.

Since joining the Lakers, Jerry West has said more than once, "Time is on our side. Once Forrest Gump retires, it will be our era."

At first, Jackson was unconvinced, but after being brutally beaten in the 2000 playoffs, he was completely convinced.

By the time Forrest Gump retired in the 2001 season, the Lakers had risen to the championship. As expected, Jerry Smith, the general manager who had helped the Trail Blazers win four consecutive championships in Portland, was truly a good judge of character.

But what West didn't realize was that Forrest Gump would actually come back.

Gan Guoyang had also invited West to Las Vegas to participate in the Glory's opening game.

But the gloomy and stubborn old man refused and stayed at his home in Los Angeles to sleep, waiting for his son to tell him the result of the game.

After Jackson called a timeout, he brought the starting players back into the game. With McGrady and Fisher out of the lineup, the Lakers struggled to keep up offensively during the transition periods.

He further emphasized defense, stressing the need to delay the distribution of the ball to the Radiant team and to remain in position.

As for Agan, Jackson decided to continue guarding him one-on-one. "You're 37 already, I don't believe you can score 50 points against me."
As long as Forrest Gump doesn't get his passing to ignite the entire Glorious team's offense, the Lakers still have a good chance of winning.

Robert Horry became the defender against Gan Guoyang, with Scottie Pippen as a backup, and Samaki Walker had to take a short break.

As an all-around player, Horry is good at both offense and defense, and has a big heart in crucial moments, making him a versatile player that every coach loves.

From the Rockets to the Lakers, Horry has always been on the front lines of the battle against Forrest Gump.

He is also one of the few players in the league who is not so afraid of Forrest Gump. Whether on offense or defense, he dares to go head-to-head and can cause trouble. He is an opponent that Gan Guoyang takes very seriously.

After Holly entered the game, he received the ball on the perimeter, drew Gan Guoyang's defense, and made a direct pass to O'Neal under the basket.

Tomjanovich shared Jackson's idea: to stick to one-on-one defense against O'Neal and not double-team him.

As a result, O'Neal received the ball deep in the box, turned around and overpowered Brad Miller, and slammed it home!
Another earth-shaking dunk, shaking the rim, and Miller was easily bounced away like a paper doll.

He had no way to deal with it. At this point, O'Neal had reached the peak of his weight and strength. As long as it wasn't Forrest Gump guarding him, he wasn't afraid of anyone.

Gan Guoyang was tightly marked by Robert Horry on offense, so he passed the ball to Arenas, who then broke through the Lakers' defense.

The pull-up jumper still missed, and Arenas remained scoreless for a long time. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Lakers regained the lead and established a 5-point advantage.

The Lakers controlled the pace of the game, especially after Pippen came on. He mainly took on the task of organizing the team's offense with the ball, while the point guards, whether Lindsey Hunter or Tyronn Lue, mainly played the role of spot-up shooters and transitional playmakers.

Brilliance couldn't put enough pressure on Pippen. Gerald Wallace was too young, full of energy but lacking skill and experience, and was no match for the seasoned Pippen.

A few slightly aggressive close marking defenses either resulted in fouls or him getting beaten, causing the entire defense to fall apart.

Gan Guoyang is even less likely to waste a lot of energy fighting Pippen; the power forward position is still counting on him to be the anchor in the paint.

Therefore, Pippen's organization was effortless, without much pressure, and he could easily handle the first pass.

The Lakers were able to execute smooth triangle offense every time, while the Glorious could only catch up with occasional bursts of scoring.

Whenever the score difference approaches 10 points, Gan Guoyang will step up and make consecutive one-on-one plays, either with a hook shot, a fadeaway, or by drawing fouls, to narrow the gap to within 5 points.

Then the Lakers made some adjustments and slowly widened the gap.

After this back-and-forth struggle, Gan Guoyang couldn't help but sigh, "This is how ordinary people compete."

To come back from a 3-0 deficit to win 2-3, or even a 3-3 deficit to win 3-3, the key is not to let the opponent pull too far ahead, but you really don't have the explosive power to overpower the opponent.

No longer young, he must wait, wait for a better opportunity in the second half, to unleash his full potential.

Just like a young tiger that doesn't need to lie in wait for long, it can charge in and attack directly, using speed, explosiveness, weight and strength to take down its prey. The stronger tiger can even break the prey's neck.

Once you get old and sick, you have to be more patient, spend more time lying in wait, get closer and closer to your prey, and only strike when you are very confident.

In his youth, Gan Guoyang sometimes acted like a tiger on the field, appearing lazy and distracted to confuse his opponents.

Now that he's older, this happens more and more often. Towards the end of the second quarter, you can occasionally see him strolling around the court.

He throws the ball to his teammates to handle, while he stands on the wing watching without moving.

Even though he's not moving, the Lakers still have to assign someone to keep a close eye on him.

Because Gan Guoyang's shooting is too accurate, especially his three-pointers from the 45-degree angle and the top of the arc.

Giving him an open shot would be giving away points, so we wouldn't dare let him have that opportunity.

This gave the young players more space, and Arenas finally pulled up for a three-pointer from the right 45-degree angle after using a screen!
Despite missing his previous shots, Arenas still dared to take a three-pointer, which showed unusual confidence.

The ball went in perfectly, and Arenas excitedly pumped his fist after scoring. This was his first point in the NBA, a three-pointer.

Thanks to Arenas' three-pointer, the Glorious team maintained a 6-point lead at the end of the first half.

With a score of 48-54, the Glory team scored the same number of points in the second quarter as in the first quarter, 24 points. Gan Guoyang had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in the first half, single-handedly carrying half of the team's offense.

An NBC commentator bluntly stated that he couldn't imagine how the Glory would play the game without Forrest Gump, and who would even watch it.
Teams like the Raptors and Timberwolves, which expanded their squads, initially had very poor ticket sales, and their sales departments racked their brains to promote season tickets and did all sorts of marketing.

Later, they relied on draft picks, trades, and developing new talent to gradually establish themselves locally. Those who couldn't establish themselves locally, like the Grizzlies, moved.

The Glorious Team doesn't need that. Gan Guoyang is the best advertisement and a box office guarantee. With him around, the Glorious Team will never lose money.

Moreover, this season, the Glory team's salary expenditure is only 70% of that of other teams, which is why their salary cap is so high.

As for the luxury tax in the new collective bargaining agreement, it will have absolutely nothing to do with the Glory. It is foreseeable that after they share the profits with the other teams in the league this season, they will definitely make a profit, and quite a lot of it.

Back in the locker room, Gan Guoyang encouraged the young players, saying that everyone played well and they were only 6 points behind the defending champions.

Arenas' three-pointer was decisive and beautiful, and Gan Guoyang didn't say anything about his previous missed shots.

This annoyed Terry Porter, who muttered to himself, "Back when we were young, you weren't like this."

At that time, Gan Guoyang could cover for his teammates, but he was also very demanding, especially in terms of details.

What he couldn't tolerate most was making mistakes and wasting opportunities. In short, anything related to "waste" would be met with a stern warning from Gan Guoyang in various ways.

Back then, young players like Porter, Kossie, Curry, and Hornacek all played under immense pressure and intimidation from Gan Guoyang.

He was cautious on the court, afraid of making mistakes, and careful in choosing his shots, afraid of wasting opportunities. Being targeted by Forrest Gump was not a pleasant experience.

Now look what's happened! They're getting old and acting like nice guys. How many mistakes and how many opportunities did these young players make in the first half?
You don't even criticize them, yet you praise them? But Porter kept these thoughts to himself and didn't dare to say them aloud.

After the start of the third quarter, the intensity of both sides' offense and defense increased to another level, posing a challenge to the young lineup of the Glory team.

Gan Guoyang decisively switched to a back-to-the-basket style, receiving the ball in the low post and repeatedly attacking Walker one-on-one, scoring twice out of three attacks.

But the Lakers were able to respond each time, with O'Neal hitting a turnaround hook shot and Pippen making a mid-range jumper.

The veterans' composure is especially important at this moment, while the young players seem a bit reckless.

Arenas lost possession of the ball after being fouled on offense by the experienced Lindsey Hunter.

Gan Guoyang was no longer as merciful as he had been in the first half. He gently nudged Arenas, signaling him to focus.

"Be decisive. Either beat your opponent and attack the basket, or pass the ball. If you don't know what you're going to do, think it through before you act. Don't dribble for the sake of dribbling, or try to get past someone just for the sake of getting past them."

Arenas nodded to indicate that he understood; Forrest Gump was intimidating when he got serious.

All the ease and nonchalance are merely a disguise, a cover for the desire for victory, built upon a foundation of formidable strength.

Gan Guoyang has moved past the days when he felt like he wanted to win every single one of the 82 matches. He now knows when to give up and treats winning and losing as part of daily life.

But he won't let go in important matches or crucial games, and this opening match in the team's history is undoubtedly one of them.

During the defense, Gan Guoyang successfully intercepted Pippen's pass to O'Neal. You've been passing the ball so easily for half the court, shouldn't you be getting a good beating?
The Lakers responded quickly to the Glory's counterattack, retreating on defense and denying Gerald Wallace another chance.

Gan Guoyang didn't attempt a solo run himself, but instead drew the defense and passed the ball to Arenas, who then drove straight to the basket.

This time he didn't hesitate at all, quickly got past Hunter, and drove to the basket for a dunk!
He used this intense way of scoring to tell everyone that he has a lot of energy inside him.

The crowd cheered; the young players on the Glory team were really playing with great energy.

Raja Bell then successfully intercepted Richmond's pass during a defensive play.

The Glory team's morale soared, and Bale, who had made a steal, immediately passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang dribbled to organize the offense, and Pippen closed in. Gan Guoyang immediately used his experience to draw a defensive foul from Pippen.

In this duel between seasoned veterans, after successfully drawing a foul, Gan Guoyang immediately called for the ball in the low post.

Pippen came over to double-team, then passed the ball to Wallace. Wallace took the ball and charged forward, but lost his way in the dense defense.

However, he made a mistake and threw the ball into Miller's hands inside. Miller caught the ball, raised his hand, and made a hook shot off the backboard.

While recklessness often comes at the cost of mistakes, courage can also yield unexpected rewards.

This relentless and fierce offensive attack left the Lakers struggling to cope. Without the young McGrady and Fisher, the Lakers appeared somewhat aged.

The situation reversed in the third quarter, with the Glory team catching up and even taking the lead thanks to Gan Guoyang's steady play and the fighting spirit of the younger players.

But the Lakers are indeed different from the Lakers of the past. After winning the championship in the 2001 season, they have made great progress in their mentality due to their championship experience.

O'Neal, in particular, played exceptionally well in the paint tonight, and Miller's one-on-one defense was basically a free win.

After the Glory took the lead, the Lakers stabilized and steadily relied on O'Neal's strong low-post attacks to score continuously and regain the lead.

The current Lakers are like the Trail Blazers of 2000, like a heavy tank. No matter how you attack from all sides, I will steadily advance and crush you. The Lakers' momentum is wave-like; after a peak, there will inevitably be a trough to transition.

This is a common problem for young teams; they rely on physicality and morale to play, but lack cohesion and consistency.

The Glorious are not without veterans, but whether it's Porter, Cole, or Willis, they are all a bit too old.

Isaiah Riddell, who had an outstanding performance in the first half, also lost his efficiency in the third quarter. After missing several shots after coming off the bench, he dared not take any more shots.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang still has to bear the pressure during the slump alone – it's another series of one-on-one dribbling.

In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang scored another 12 points with a one-on-one play, bringing his total to 34 points in three quarters, helping the Guanghui team close the gap to 74-77, just 3 points behind.

However, Gan Guoyang has always been known as the king of the third quarter, and 12 points is really not much for him. With a shooting percentage of 50%, his efficiency is already quite low.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang sat on the sidelines to rest, and this time he rested for a relatively long time.

For just over five minutes, without Gan Guoyang as their core player, the Glory team substituted in veteran guards Steve Cole and Terry Porter to take control of the game.

Anyway, the Lakers' guards are all veterans, so they're not afraid of driving to the basket.

Porter's mid-range jumper and Kerr's three-pointer did indeed help stabilize the situation.

However, the Lakers, with their superior strength and better teamwork, still managed to seize the opportunity and launch a 7-1 run.

Pippen made consecutive putbacks under the basket, while Lindsey Hunter hit a three-pointer from the outside. The Glory team only managed to get one free throw after the referee called a three-second foul, which Kerr made.

The Lakers built a 9-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, prompting Tomjanovich to call a timeout and bring Gan Guoyang back into the game.

On the Lakers' bench, Phil Jackson, who had played alongside Gan Guoyang throughout his career, nervously yelled at his players: "Sonny's coming back! Everyone knows he'll attack with the ball and launch a final counterattack. Double-team him! We have to double-team him no matter what!"

Jackson was also a lurking crocodile. He didn't double-team Gan Guoyang at all, just to prevent Gan Guoyang from getting his teammates' shooting touch.

Now that it's the fourth quarter, they're double-teaming you relentlessly. Do you shoot or pass?
If you pass the ball and your teammates are not in good form, your efficiency will definitely drop when you are double-teamed.

Phil Jackson's move was indeed ruthless. After the timeout, Gan Guoyang failed to score on either pass or shot when double-teamed.

His teammate missed the open shot, and Gan Guoyang's forced turnaround hook shot also failed to find the net; the difficulty level was indeed too high.

However, the battle-hardened Gan Guoyang did not panic. Just as the timeout occurred, Tomjanovich also had cards in his hand.

On the defensive end, the Glory team suddenly used a 3-2 zone defense, with Gan Guoyang coming to the top of the three-point arc to pressure the Lakers' perimeter.

Although this left the paint vulnerable, the Lakers couldn't get the ball to O'Neal at all, and he made mistakes under pressure.

This sudden defensive change disrupted the Lakers' rhythm, and the Glorious launched a fierce counterattack, with Gerald Wallace leading the charge.

But this time he made a beautiful back pass to Gan Guoyang, who caught the ball, jumped up, and slammed it in with both hands!

Next, the Lakers created a mismatch under the basket. Walker received the ball and went one-on-one with Bell, but Bell blocked him. Gan Guoyang came over from the side to help defend and blocked Walker's shot.

Another counter-attack opportunity! Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Arenas, who made a feint attack in the middle and then passed it back to Gan Guoyang. Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left and immediately launched a three-pointer, which went in!

In both counter-attacks, Gan Guoyang didn't try to attack on his own, but instead cooperated with his teammates, using their passes to complete the attack.

This surprised Jackson, but even more surprising was Glorious's zone defense; they really did a good job.

The Lakers, who were not yet well-trained in breaking the zone defense, quickly found themselves in trouble, trailing 2-3 in the first half and then 3-2 in the second half.

They might be able to crack the code if they play another quarter, but there's no time left now.

Pippen, facing Gan Guoyang's persistent help defense, actually made a mistake with his pass, which went out of bounds.

The atmosphere at the scene was gradually reaching a climax as the Radiant team made a fierce comeback, and everyone was extremely tense.

With just over three minutes remaining in the game, the Glorious team was only down by four points and had possession of the ball.

On the sideline, in a positional play, Gan Guoyang calls for the ball in a low post, in a very shallow position to avoid being double-teamed.

After receiving the ball, Gan Guoyang used his signature backheel turn to easily get past Holly.

He drove to the basket against O'Neal, made a leaning jump shot and scored two points, drawing a foul on O'Neal in the process!
A huge roar erupted in the MGM Arena. Gan Guoyang had already scored 7 points in a row, and if he made the free throw, he would be just 1 point away from victory.

Gan Guoyang wouldn't miss a free throw opportunity, and he made it, bringing the score to just one point.

Phil Jackson called a timeout and executed a beautiful inbound play, driving straight to the basket. Using O'Neal's presence and massive frame as a screen, Pippen was able to cut to the basket and easily dunk.

Pippen has lost his explosive power, and his playing style has become increasingly slippery.

He mainly scored from outside shots and by stealing points under the basket; his understanding of Jackson's tactics was the deepest.

Tonight, facing the inexperienced Gerald Wallace, Pippen repeatedly used his experience to outmaneuver his opponent.

Of course, he really couldn't keep up with Gerald Wallace's fast breaks on the defensive end, and he couldn't keep up with the fast breaks.

The Lakers regained a three-point lead, and then Gan Guoyang's turnaround jump shot in the low post was blocked by a double team and missed.

O'Neal grabbed the rebound and passed it to Pippen. Pippen dribbled continuously and drove to the basket for a layup, but Wallace blocked it from behind!

A clash between youth and experience, with Raja Bell following up to control possession of the ball and then passing it to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left side and, from his usual position, made a three-pointer!
The Radiant team's transition offense is their most powerful weapon, and the score was tied at 92-92.

Gan Guoyang has already scored 45 points, accounting for nearly half of the team's total points.

With one minute left in the game, in the decisive moment, Pippen dribbled the ball across half-court.

The final match of the first day of competition is about to reach its climax.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang finally stood in the three-second zone, directly facing off against O'Neal!
O'Neal still didn't have the courage to go head-to-head with Forrest in the low post, even though Forrest looked very thin.

Shaq chose to set a screen for Pippen on the perimeter, and after the screen, O'Neal quickly moved towards the basket.

But Pippen didn't dare pass the ball because Forrest Gump was in the path, and Pippen knew that passing it would likely result in a mistake.

Pippen chose to drive to the basket himself, taking a long stride to break through and lay up with his arms outstretched. O'Neal followed up to grab the rebound.

Wallace has been shaken off by the pick-and-roll. Once Gan Guoyang goes to help defend, O'Neal will be open under the basket and can put the ball in.

Gan Guoyang still went ahead and rushed forward to interfere with Pippen's layup, but O'Neal then scored on the putback dunk.

Gan Guoyang can no longer defend against two opponents; his explosive power no longer allows it.

Tomjanovich didn't call a timeout, but instead handed the game over to the players.

Since the Lakers would definitely double-team Gan Guoyang in a positional game, it's better to play a fast break.

Gan Guoyang immediately inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Arenas quickly crossed half-court, attacked the basket, and passed the ball to Miller, who was supporting from the high post.

Miller pulled O'Neal further out, then passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who was boxing out under the basket. Gan Guoyang received the ball and the Lakers immediately collapsed their defense, but Gan Guoyang made a hook shot in the middle of the crowd, dodging all the interference and scoring two points!
The score was tied at 94-94, and the two sides fought to the most intense and suffocating moment.

Phil Jackson also didn't call a timeout; he still had one in hand.

In the regular season, the players are left to handle the final moments of the game.

Pippen still had the ball, running down the clock until the last 7 seconds, when O'Neal came out to set a screen for him.

This time, the Radiant team opted for a double-team, with Raja Bell coming over to help defend from the wing.

Pippen passed the ball to Richmond on the wing, who dribbled inside and pulled up for a jump shot.

The ball bounced off the backboard and into the basket—score! The Glory team only has 4 seconds left.

Tomjanovic called a timeout, and the volume in the arena dropped to a subdued level.

There was no sound, only noise; everyone waited anxiously, hoping for a miraculous performance.

Everyone knew Forrest Gump would intervene, but no one was entirely certain; Forrest Gump would sometimes assist his teammates as well.

Phil Jackson's requirements were simple: keep a close eye on Forrest Gump, but don't double-team him or give him any opportunities to pass the ball or assist.

Tomjanovich substituted in all the players who could shoot three-pointers, completely widening the space and setting up a simple catch-and-shoot play.

"I'll leave it to you to handle. Is there a problem?" Tomjanovich asked Gan Guoyang, only to realize afterward that it was unnecessary.

Gan Guoyang is the player with the most game-winning shots and the highest shooting percentage in clutch moments in NBA history.

Even so, Gan Guoyang breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "No problem, Coach, leave it to me."

After the timeout ended and he returned to the court, Scottie Pippen came over and stuck to him tightly as soon as he stood near the center circle.

"You're here to be the background character again, Scotty? Phil really hates you."

"Don't try to bother me, Sonny."

"I should be telling you this: don't foul, or you'll get a free throw."

In the final moments, Pippen personally kept a close eye on Gan Guoyang, not even wanting him to receive the ball.

Not far from Gan Guoyang, the Lakers players were closing in, but they didn't dare to get too close.

The Glorious team fielded Porter and Cole, both veterans capable of delivering a decisive blow.

The throw-in was given to Brad Miller, who was tall enough and had a good passing technique.

The most exciting moment has arrived. The referee blows the whistle, and Gan Guoyang's running sprint pulls him past Pippen.

Pippen was marking him closely, but the ball still went to Gan Guoyang, and Miller made a timely pass.

Gan Guoyang received the ball and immediately turned to walk towards the middle. Pippen followed closely. Just as he reached the middle, Gan Guoyang suddenly stopped, causing Pippen to lose his balance and fall to one side.

Pippen is getting old.

Gan Guoyang immediately turned around, creating distance between himself and Pippen, and took a step forward at the same time.

He took a three-pointer from just one step away from the three-point line! The opportunity was absolutely there!
The ball drew a high arc, it was very beautiful, and Gan Guoyang knew as soon as he made the shot that it would go in.

He landed, and before the ball went in, Gan Guoyang raised his arms high, turned around, and faced the stands, ready to greet the cheers ahead of time.

The cheers were delayed by 0.5 seconds, and the fans' brief, suppressed shouts came crashing down like a heatwave in the desert.

Goal! Lights on! Game over.

The Glorious defeated the Lakers 97-96!
At this moment, Gan Guoyang had already reached the vicinity of the center circle, enjoying his cheers, and the MGM Stadium had descended into frenzy.

New season, new team, opening game, 50 points, a game-winning three-pointer!

It can truly be said that his sword aura has traversed eighteen years, and his sword light has chilled fifty provinces.

This is another classic match for Gan Guoyang, adding another glorious chapter to his career.

(End of this chapter)