The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 959 You Dare to Elbow Me
The longer the Portland fans cheered before the game started, the more unhappy Kobe felt.

This negative sentiment began to emerge and gradually accumulate after Gan Guoyang announced his comeback and joined a new team in Las Vegas.

Until Gan Guoyang's return night, the emotions accumulated to a peak, but Kobe could not find an outlet for them.

If he could celebrate like the Portland fans, he would celebrate the wildest; emotionally, his admiration for Forrest Gump surpasses that of anyone else.

He idolized Gan Guoyang when he was very young, and he followed in his idol's footsteps all the way until they became teammates and fought together on the same team.

In Kobe's eyes, everything was perfect. They won three consecutive championships, Forrest Gump chose to retire, and he inherited the position of the team's leader, continuing Portland's basketball legend.

The only downside was that the Trail Blazers were taken over by a consortium led by Nike, and Michael Jordan joined the management team, which made Kobe very unhappy.

Kobe and Portland fans once united to oppose Nike's series of actions to change the team logo, jersey designs, and attempt to erase Forrest Gump's legacy.

Nike has been trying to recruit Kobe Bryant, hoping that he will leave Adidas and join Nike in his next contract.

Kobe rejected Nike's offer and said that if Nike continued to "act recklessly" and insisted on severing ties with its glorious past, he would consider seeking a trade and leaving Portland.

Then, Kobe and Jordan fell out, which directly angered Jordan and drove him away, proving through his actions that Forrest Gump was the rightful owner of the place.

For Kobe at this point, Forrest Gump, whose career had "died," was the best Forrest Gump. He would be the totem here, the goal Kobe was chasing, and he was willing to pay a heavy price for it.

For example, he endured harsh criticism from Oregon fans, who believed that Kobe would never be as good as Forrest Gump.

In the 2000-2001 season, Kobe officially became a superstar of MVP caliber in the league.

He averaged 31 points per game, won the league scoring title, and led the Portland Trail Blazers to an outstanding record of 59 wins and 23 losses, aiming for a four-peat.

Unfortunately, they fell in the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs, being eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2, missing out on the NBA Finals and their chance for a four-peat.

Without Forrest Gump, Shaquille O'Neal was unstoppable in the paint; even Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace couldn't stop the Shaq's rampage.

Although Kobe outplayed McGrady in the perimeter battle, he was still defeated overall by the combination of Pippen, McGrady, and Horry.

His overly selfish playing style in some crucial games has drawn a lot of controversy. He would double-team without passing the ball, force shots, and yet he didn't have Forrest Gump's shooting percentage.

People criticize him for trying to emulate Forrest Gump in every way, but he doesn't actually have Forrest Gump's abilities; he'd be lucky to be as good as Jordan.

In terms of personality, Kobe only learned Forrest Gump's harshness, but not his magnanimity and tolerance. At a young age, he only knew how to be straightforward and did not understand how to unite his teammates or be a true leader.

Fortunately, Kobe didn't lose his ability to lead by example, which allowed him to maintain his dignity in the locker room.

And as Forrest Gump's successor, Kobe enjoys the richest political legacy with the Trail Blazers.

People criticize him because they have high expectations of him and compare him to Forrest Gump; it's a case of "the deeper the love, the harsher the criticism."

Take Jermaine O'Neal, for example. He played the same position as Forrest Gump, and no one criticized him. It's a miracle he even made it to the All-Star game.

Therefore, Kobe knew that if he wanted to wear the crown, he had to bear the weight, and he was willing to take on that weight.

Unexpectedly, the old emperor, who had already been buried in the ground, was able to climb out of his grave and run to Las Vegas to say that he was back.

Of course, the fans are very happy. Whether it's other teams, fans across the ocean, or fans in Portland, they all want to see Forrest Gump continue playing and deliver more exciting games.

But Kobe's mindset was different. He felt deceived and betrayed. His previous efforts to idolize Forrest Gump and persevere in continuing the Portland dynasty seemed to have become a joke.

Of course, Gan Guoyang didn't think it was a joke. "I've retired, not that I'm really dead."

Portland is your city now. Manage it well, play well, win a couple more championships, and you'll have your own legend.

When asked about his thoughts on the Trail Blazers' young players after his comeback, Gan Guoyang stated clearly: "They will create their own era. My time with the Trail Blazers is over, but the team and the fans will always be there. I believe they will win a championship one day, and my name will no longer be on the list, but only theirs."

The other Trail Blazers players, and the fans, all understand.

But Kobe couldn't understand, or rather, he didn't want to understand.

Therefore, he was filled with intense hatred at the very beginning of the season.

Until the start of the game, Gan Guoyang enjoyed the respect of the entire Portland. Their old emperor had been resurrected. Even though he led another army to attack the city, the citizens remained loyal to him, cheering and applauding for him.

All of this spurred Kobe on, and he vowed to destroy Vegas's glory tonight and bring Agnes down.

Therefore, his refusal to shake hands with Gan Guoyang and his boastful remarks were his true thoughts and reflections.

Gan Guoyang didn't understand, but he could sense Kobe's emotions, like a child eager to kill his "rebellious father" and complete a spiritual act of patricide.

This may be an important step in his growth, just like his resolute opposition to his parents on the Vanessa issue.

Ultimately, he married Vanessa, and they moved to Portland, buying a villa in Oswick Lake Hill Park to create their own life.

Now, Kobe also needs to take that step on the court, which has led to a tense atmosphere during the game.

The Trail Blazers have a pretty good roster this season, with starting power forward Jermaine O'Neal, shooting guard Kobe Bryant, center Ben Wallace, small forward Ruben Patterson, and starting point guard Derek Anderson.

With Gan Guoyang's retirement in 2000, a number of veteran players of the Trail Blazers retired or left, leaving the roster half empty.

In this situation, Larry Bird used his skills to re-fill the team's roster through a series of trades and drafts, and maintained a strong competitive edge.

This includes Gan Guoyang's designated legacy, Michael Reed, who was selected in the draft and is now an important backup guard for the team.

In the paint, Bird also signed Pacers' interior power forward Dale Davis, further strengthening the team's defense under the basket.

Since the start of the new season, the Trail Blazers have the best record in the Western Conference and the second-best in the league, second only to the Boston Celtics, showing a very strong momentum.

Rick Carlisle transformed the Trail Blazers from their previous fluid offensive system into a very tough and aggressive defensive team.

The game began with the Trail Blazers winning the jump ball. Amid cheers and anticipation from the fans, Kobe launched his first attack against the "traitors".

Kobe received the ball, made several crossovers in the middle, and drove straight to the basket, but was double-teamed by Gan Guoyang and Bellman.

Surrounded by defenders, Kobe forced a shot, the ball hit the backboard and bounced off the front edge of the rim, missing the shot.

Miller grabbed the rebound under the basket, and Kobe's first offensive attempt missed, making him a little anxious.

He didn't even bother to observe the Glorious team's defensive formation; they started with a zone defense, which was very effective at containing any breakthroughs.

Because the Glorious were a newly formed team, they had no tactical inertia, so they adapted to the new rules very quickly. They are the team that uses zone defense the most in the league.

They like to start with a zone defense to make the opponent uncomfortable, force them to shoot three-pointers, and disrupt their offensive rhythm.

Kobe clearly didn't observe properly and rushed in blindly; he got carried away too quickly.

"Observe the kid closely. If you're on a zone defense, just charge in," Gan Guoyang reminded Kobe as he launched his attack, just like when the two used to play together.

Kobe wanted to retort, but didn't know what to say. Forrest Gump was right; he had forgotten to observe carefully.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc and carefully observed the Trail Blazers' defense. They started with man-to-man defense but maintained an inward-clipping formation.

Clearly, they will do a good job of protecting the inside.

When watching video footage to prepare for the game, Gan Guoyang noticed that Ben Wallace and Jermaine O'Neal were very mobile on defense. They would often set up a pocket formation in the paint, lure the opponent into a trap, and then double-team and surround them to hinder their attack.

Gan Guoyang directed the low post to establish position and pass the ball to Brad Miller, who used his height to score against Ben Wallace at the start of the game.

Ben Wallace's weakness as a center is his short stature, which is a major drawback, while his great mobility is his advantage.

Therefore, when selecting perimeter players, Bird chose players with good height, strong mobility, and tough defense to form a powerful defensive duo with Ben Wallace.

Like Ruben Patterson, although he is 6 feet 5 inches tall, which is relatively short for a forward, he is very strong, can play inside, and is also a good defender.

There's also Derrick Anderson, who is 6'5" tall and played shooting guard. After joining the Trail Blazers, he switched to point guard and it worked very well.

Ben Wallace, as a center, is not particularly effective in one-on-one defense, but as a help defender, when he works with other players, the effect is greater than the sum of its parts.

He is a very good defensive collaborator, a point guard among defensive players, who needs to cooperate.

Gan Guoyang was well aware of this, of course. He had personally trained Da Ben, and he knew his weaknesses.

So at the start, Miller used his height and wingspan advantage to go one-on-one against Ben Wallace, and he scored on the first basket.

Subsequently, Jermaine O'Neal attempted to turn and shoot at Gan Guoyang in the low post, but Gan Guoyang poked the ball out of his hands.

"Why would you think of going one-on-one against me at the start, Jermaine?"

"Kobe told me to play like this." "Go back to defense."

"Ok."

Although wearing the gold jersey of the Portland Glory, Gan Guoyang still seemed like the king of Portland, able to command the Trail Blazers players.

The next play was another triangular combination. Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Miller from the high post. Miller turned around and hooked the ball past Ben Wallace, scoring two points.

Miller's low-post offense is so-so. He can bully smaller players at the start of the game, but his main scoring methods at other times are mid-range jump shots and some easy baskets under the basket.

He scored two quick goals from the low post at the start of the game, and his mission was accomplished.

It's clear that the Glorious team has made thorough preparations for the match.

It was much more intense than the previous game against the SuperSonics.

The Trail Blazers didn't score their first point until the fourth possession.

Kobe used a screen to get to the right baseline area, received a pass from Anderson, and made a mid-range jump shot.

At this point, the Glory team was leading 7-2, and Gan Guoyang also assisted Arenas to make a three-pointer.

The Trail Blazers' defensive strategy differs from the SuperSonics'; the SuperSonics' SOS system has always focused on outfield pressure.

So their defense looks aggressive, but it's actually weak inside, especially their persistent problem with defensive rebounding.

This means that when the opponent can grit their teeth and hold on, and not collapse under the SuperSonics' aggressive siege, dragging the game into a protracted battle and a battle for rebounds, the SuperSonics become increasingly ineffective.

That's why they were upset by the Nuggets in the eighth seed, and in the latter part of each playoff series, they always ran out of steam and were eliminated.

The Trail Blazers have a different defensive tradition. They have never been as aggressive, but rather focused on resilience and endurance, controlling the opponent's shooting percentage and offensive efficiency, and dominating the paint. They are typically loose on the outside and tight on the inside, a style that has continued from the Bellman era to the present.

Even after Forrest Gump retired, this tradition continued, making the Trail Blazers' defense very resilient and stronger as the game progressed.

So despite falling behind at the start, the Trail Blazers remained calm and composed, playing slowly and steadily, focusing on controlling the paint and rebounding, and not giving the Glory any easy opportunities to shoot.

Miller's low-post offense quickly faltered, and O'Neal's double-team was timely. Although Miller passed the ball out, Glorious missed both of his outside shots.

Even Gan Guoyang's mid-range attempt missed, and the fans in the stadium sighed in disappointment.

This used to be Gan Guoyang's basketball hoop, and now that he's an opponent, it would be a lie to say that he's not affected at all.

After the start of the game, Gan Guoyang focused on supporting and organizing the attack, rather than launching a full-scale attack.

Kobe, on the contrary, seized every opportunity to attack and focused on Gan Guoyang's defensive area.

Gan Guoyang blocked Kobe's drives to the basket twice in a row. Under the basket, the 37-year-old Gan Guoyang is still the best rim protector in the league.

"We need to move Agam to the perimeter; he's camping under the basket, he can't get in."

During the timeout, Rick Carlisle and the players discussed countermeasures, and Gan Guoyang's defense under the basket has always been solid.

However, now, due to limitations in explosive power and speed, his ability to defend against smaller enemies is no longer sufficient. If he can be pulled out of the enemy's range, the attack effect will be better.

After the timeout, Jermaine O'Neal stepped up, received the ball at a 45-degree angle, and made a mid-range jumper after two consecutive Hickma steps.

He tried to get the Glory to change their defensive strategy, assigning Gan Guoyang to guard Jermaine O'Neal instead of Ben Wallace, who lacked offensive firepower.

Gan Guoyang's defense against the main base is basically a free-range approach; his attention is not focused on the main base itself, but rather on assisting in defense.

Gan Guoyang knew Carlisle's intentions, but he remained unmoved. "How you fight is your business; I have my own rhythm."

The Trail Blazers have narrowed the gap, now trailing by only one point at 19-18.

Gan Guoyang took another shot. He received the ball at a 45-degree angle, faced the defense of Jermaine O'Neal, faked a shot, then lowered himself and drove from the baseline to the basket, turning past Ben Wallace who was helping to defend. Wallace was afraid that Gan Guoyang would pull up for a shot, so he stood too straight and became like a post.

Cut to the basket and Gan Guoyang slammed home a powerful two-handed dunk!
Gan Guoyang scored the first point of the game, and the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

Veteran fans watching this game will realize that Forrest Gump is still improving.

It's not the kind of improvement where you pretend to practice a few skills in the summer, but when it comes to the competition, you still only show the same old three things.

He's really improving. His fakes, the smoothness of his drives, and his flexibility are now indistinguishable from those of an outside player. He's a 6-foot-10 small forward.

Despite the cheers from the crowd, Kobe was extremely annoyed; this guy wasn't even a Trail Blazers player anymore.

During the counterattack, Kobe challenged Gan Guoyang's defense under the basket for the fourth time.

Kobe's footwork was actually excellent, and his ability to break through and adjust was also extremely strong.

But tonight, he was like a man possessed, determined to charge at Forrest Gump.

He must defeat the old king in a direct confrontation in order to rightfully ascend the throne.

However, Gan Guoyang's defense under the basket was still excellent, with impeccable help defense, and together with Raja Bell, he shut down Kobe.

Bell's focused one-on-one defense was also crucial; once the game started, he did nothing but keep a close eye on Kobe and create trouble for him.

Kobe was cornered and forced to hold the ball with both hands; the pressure from the two players left him with no space to shoot or pass.

Finally, Kobe got a little annoyed and propped his elbow up, slapping Gan Guoyang in the chest!
Gan Guoyang felt a sharp pain in his chest and shrank back slightly. This kid actually elbowed me?
After the elbow strike, Kobe was stunned. How dare he elbow Forrest Gump?!

For many years, no one in the league has dared to elbow Forrest Gump; those who did have been beaten into submission by him.

The "hitting" in this context refers to hitting someone, not hitting someone in basketball.

The referee immediately blew his whistle and stepped between Kobe and Gan Guoyang to prevent further conflict between the two.

Gan Guoyang's eyes were blazing with anger as he glared at Kobe and said, "You fucking dare to elbow me? Is this how I used to teach you to play basketball?"

Kobe didn't dare look Gan Guoyang in the eye, but said with a smirk, "I don't need you to teach me how to play. You're no longer a Trail Blazer."

Ten years ago, Gan Guoyang would definitely have given Kobe a taste of what it felt like to be punched until he was numb. Now he's much gentler.

After all, this is Portland, and wives and children are watching from the sidelines. More and more families are coming to watch NBA games with their families. Stern has issued a dress code, requiring players to wear suits when sitting on the sidelines and prohibiting them from wearing hip-hop clothing.

Before the game, Gan Guoyang only wanted to give Kobe a heads-up, win the game, and show him who the Suns of Portland are.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang played with considerable restraint, his goal being to win the game. Now it seems Kobe has a bit too much temper.

Gan Guoyang's temper was also aroused.

The referee called a technical foul on Kobe, and the fans in the arena gasped when they saw the replay.

"Fuck, how dare he elbow Forrest Gump?"

Everyone shares this view; who understands how terrifying Forrest Gump was better than Portland fans?
Gan Guoyang made the free throw after committing a technical foul, and possession was given to Guanghui, who then had the ball on the perimeter.

Facing Patterson, who was half a head shorter than him, Gan Guoyang pulled up for a three-pointer and made it!

The fans cheered again. No matter what, it's always right to side with Forrest Gump, who cares which team he's on?

Jermaine O'Neal missed his third mid-range shot, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and dribbled the ball across half-court.

Kobe came over to block and steal the ball, and Gan Guoyang immediately passed the ball to Bell and accelerated towards the basket. Bell understood and made a long pass to the basket.

Facing Ben Wallace's help defense, Gan Guoyang showed no mercy, caught the ball, jumped, and slammed a powerful dunk over Wallace in mid-air!

The atmosphere at the Rose Garden Arena was completely ignited, and the Glorious team scored 7 consecutive points, regaining an 8-point lead.

Kobe finally calmed down. He knew he couldn't play recklessly anymore; he needed to stay calm and focus on the game.

This is what Forrest Gump taught him: no matter what kind of predicament you face, you must think calmly and not lose your judgment.

Kobe started running, received the ball, smoothly broke through Bell, cut to the basket and drew Agan's defense, then passed the ball without looking to Anderson who was cutting into the middle, and Anderson received the ball and made a layup.

He then received the ball in the low post, isolated against Bell, dribbled past him, and hit a fadeaway jumper for two points, bringing the Trail Blazers closer to the score again. The two sides continued to compete fiercely.

"Yes, that's how he taught me to play basketball," Kobe thought, calming down.

(End of this chapter)