The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 968 Luck is also a part of strength
During the break between the third and fourth quarters, the TV station aired a Sprite commercial featuring Kobe Bryant.

Kobe is now a favorite of many advertisers, and his advertisements are featured in all NBA game broadcasts.

In the advertisements, Kobe trains extremely hard, practicing weightlifting, boxing, and bench press until he's drenched in sweat, and in reality, he was just like that.

In the 21st century, athletes have become increasingly influential, and NBA stars are appearing in more and more advertisements.

In the early days, when CBS and other television stations broadcast NBA games, many of the commercials were unrelated to basketball.

From fried chicken and hamburgers to cars, cigarettes, and alcohol, in just over a decade, sporting goods have become an enormous industry in the United States, with a vast market for sports merchandise such as sneakers, jerseys, and sports accessories.

As a pioneer in promoting sports-related products, Gan Guoyang now dresses and decorates much more simply and modestly.

Aside from the sneakers he endorses, Gan Guoyang no longer uses any of those things like straps, wristbands, finger guards, or leggings.

After all, he's past the age of being a product promoter; let the younger players take the lead in setting trends.

For example, Allen Iverson boosted the sales of long arm sleeves, and Tracy McGrady popularized calf sleeves.

Players like Kobe and Webber didn't start any related trends, but they were very popular among fans, for a simple reason: they were handsome.

Aside from his skin color, Kobe's appearance has deviated from the characteristics of most black people, such as his nose and face shape, which are very different from those of a typical African black.

Webber is actually more handsome than Kobe, with fewer black features, especially his appearance with hair and beard, which has a resemblance to old Hollywood movie stars.

This made Webber quite popular among female fans. He was a handsome player who became famous at a young age and had outstanding skills. He seemed perfect no matter how you looked at it.

However, God never makes things too perfect for anyone, unless you are Forrest Gump.

Webber is handsome, talented, and plays beautifully, but correspondingly, his mental strength is far inferior to that of many superstars, and by a significant margin.

In his daily life, Weber was also not disciplined or careful enough. He was stopped, fined, or even arrested by the police multiple times for speeding and carrying prohibited drugs.

In terms of offensive skills, he is a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. He can do a little bit of everything and is good at a little bit of everything, but he lacks a killer move that can deliver a fatal blow.

For example, his mid-range and long-range shots are very effective during the regular season, but his accuracy drops in crucial moments.

He can do drives, hook shots, behind-the-back dribbles, and fadeaway shots, but when it comes to putting in the effort, he's not as good at them.

In terms of offensive choices, he often encounters inexplicable situations at crucial moments.

Calling a pause without actually pausing is the most outrageous move, indicating that he's completely lost his mind in that situation.

Adelman saw this and knew that Webber couldn't compare to Forrest Gump in this aspect, so the Kings' key plays were often solved by Mike Bibby and Vlade Divac.

After the break, the fourth quarter began, and Webber immediately delivered a brilliant and dazzling pass.

He received the ball with his back to goal at a 45-degree angle on the left, and suddenly delivered a long, bounced back pass to Christie, who was cutting in from the middle.

Facing the defense, Christie passed the ball to Stojakovic, who was cutting in from the baseline.

Stojakovic received the ball and made a layup, also drawing a foul from the Glory team, earning him a free throw.

That was a truly beautiful shot; even Gan Guoyang, sitting on the sidelines, had to nod and applaud. It's definitely something worth learning from.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Kings fielded their strongest lineup, maintaining three key players on the court throughout.

Especially when Forrest Gump is not around, Webber needs to play more, and that's when his effectiveness is at its best.

The two sides have already tied. The substitutes from Glory are struggling offensively, unable to find good attacking opportunities after passing the ball around the perimeter.

Finally, Riddell's pass was intercepted by Christie, who rushed over and broke through. In the counterattack, Webber was at the forefront. After receiving the pass, he glided and dunked with one hand!
The Kings took the lead, and after scoring, Webber ran along the sideline, his hand to his ear, listening to the cheers from the crowd.

At this moment, he truly was the king of this city, deserving of cheers.

Gan Guoyang sat on the sidelines, slightly agitated, but Tomjanovich told him to be patient.

"Be patient, Forrest Gump. We have a chance. Trust your teammates and save your energy for last."

"I understand, I understand." Gan Guoyang nodded. The enthusiastic atmosphere on site excited him; he enjoyed making silencers.

Whenever the home team is going wild at these moments, Gan Guoyang is often not nervous or frustrated, but excited, and sometimes even trembles with excitement.

Because he knew that destroying the enthusiasm and excitement of the opposing fans, watching them go from hopeful to slowly disappointed or even desperate, was like hunting a live beast, awakening the deep-seated human desire for blood and slaughter.

He likes that feeling, he's liked it since he first started playing basketball, and it hasn't changed.

Brad Miller received the ball, turned and drove to the basket for a layup, but missed; this isn't his forte.

Webber repeatedly set screens with his teammates on the left side, spinning around to draw the attention of the defense. Then he made a diagonal pass to Christie in the left corner, who then passed the ball to Stojakovic at the left 45-degree angle, who took a three-point shot.

The ball arced beautifully and went in!
Stojakovic always makes very beautiful three-point shots.

The hand position and the arc of the shot were both perfect, and the feeling at the moment of scoring was also great.

The Kings are widening the gap, but Tomjanovich is still holding back. If a timeout is called, Forrest will come on, so he needs to rest a bit.

Eddie House missed a three-pointer, and the Glorious's offense was sluggish at the start of the fourth quarter.

Fortunately, the Kings' attack also failed to score, giving Glorious a counter-attack opportunity. He quickly made a long pass to the basket, where Miller received the ball and scored with a reverse layup, bringing the Kings back to within two points.

The Kings unleashed their trump card once again: a high pick-and-roll between Webber and Jackson. Webber received the ball, drove hard to the basket, and released a half-float, half-hook shot. The ball bounced twice on the rim before falling into the net.

The Glorious's offense stalled again. In desperation, Brad Miller forced a three-pointer from the outside and it went in!
The Glory's three-point shooting exploded tonight, an exceptional performance that truly saved them; otherwise, they would have fallen behind much earlier in the fourth quarter.

As time ticked away, the Kings maintained their lead but were unable to widen the gap significantly.

Everyone knew that Forrest Gump's appearance was just around the corner.

In their previous two victories against the Glory, the Kings took a double-digit lead in the first three quarters.

Even when Forrest Gump returned, it was too late to turn the tide, and the two victories were secured.

This team played with great resilience. Tomjanovich insisted on letting the young players handle the crucial moments, while the others would gradually develop.

Without Forrest Gump, although the fighting was chaotic, it didn't break down, and they were able to find their own solutions to the problems.

For example, drawing fouls on offense, slowing down the pace on defense, creating chaos for yourself, and causing chaos for the opponent as well.

If all else fails, develop your personal skills, and don't worry about anything else, just get in.

This reckless spirit was gradually cultivated, and that's the kind of spirit you need to have when playing ball.

Especially when one's overall strength is at a disadvantage, it does not mean that one should surrender and admit defeat.

There are many ways to play in a game. Princeton has its own style of brilliance, but it also needs the ability to get through tough times.

With a little over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Glorious team called a timeout. The score was 97-93, with the Glorious team trailing by four points.

The scores were very high, some matches don't even reach that level of score after the entire game.

Tomjanovich patted Gan Guoyang on the shoulder, signaling him to come on stage; Gan Guoyang was already itching to go.

On the Kings' side, Chris Webber went to the bench after playing for three minutes, but he will definitely be returning to the court now.

Divac, Bibby, and other key players returned to the field, and the two sides were about to enter the final battle.

“We will win tonight. We will not let the Kings win three games in a row against us, nor will we let them get a 13-game winning streak. 13 is an unlucky number, it's bad for them, we are doing this for their own good.”

Before taking the field, Gan Guoyang gave a brief pep talk, emphasizing that this battle was crucial for Glory.

Defeating the top team in the West will greatly boost the team's morale and confidence, becoming a valuable asset for the young players' development. Of course, it will also be one of Gan Guoyang's countless achievements, albeit an inconspicuous one, yet quite interesting.

Gan Guoyang directly matched up against Webber, whose expression and body were somewhat stiff.

This resulted in Webber being intercepted by Gan Guoyang the moment he received the ball in the low post. Fortunately, Webber regained possession and threw the ball back to Bibby to reorganize the offense.

The fans in the stadium were watching the players' every move closely. Sacramento fans believed that defeating Forrest Gump would be a great opportunity for Webber to challenge for the title of best power forward.

After Bibby set a screen, he went to the baseline, and Webber chose to cut to the outside.

Gan Guoyang contracted his defense to prevent Bibby from directly attacking the basket, and Bibby passed the ball back to Webber.

Webber took a mid-range shot from the left 45-degree angle with almost no defensive interference.

The ball hit the rim and missed, but Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound.

Glory launched a counter-attack. Gan Guoyang passed the ball and quickly went down the wing, moving to the low left side.

Porter passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who quickly turned with his heel, leaned forward, and shot the ball.

At this distance and position, Gan Guoyang's classic turnaround and leaning-forward shot is still incredibly fast.

Neither Divac nor Webber reacted in time, watching helplessly as the ball went in, leaving them just 2 points behind.

Both sides then missed two consecutive attacks. The back-and-forth running and the resulting physical exertion caused the players' shooting percentage to decline.

Webber took a mid-range shot from the right side at a 45-degree angle, but it was an airball!
Porter retrieved the ball right under the basket and launched a fast break, driving straight to the basket.

Attracting the defense, he delivered a high bounce pass to Gan Guoyang, who leaped up and slammed the ball home with both hands!
The TV commentators exclaimed, "Woh! This is a brilliant combination from two ten-time champions! Beautiful pass, beautiful dunk! The score is tied! My goodness, they're almost 80 years old combined, and they can still have such good teamwork."

That was a brilliant play, especially Porter's pass – a powerful bounce that sent the ball soaring high into the air, turning it into an alley-oop.

At 37 years old, Gan Guoyang can still keep up and even leap up to dunk with both hands.

The teamwork was flawless, and it's absolutely no problem for it to be the number one goal in CCTV5's sports news today.

Porter and Gan Guoyang, two old comrades, gave each other a high five. Gan Guoyang said, "Terry, with your form and creativity, you can play for another two years."

Potter looked at Gan Guoyang with disbelief, but said nothing. He really wanted to fake an injury and get off the field.

Compared to Gan Guoyang's brilliant performance, Webber's airball was simply awful.

Moreover, Webber does rely too much on mid-range jump shots on offense. His face-up and back-to-the-basket skills are not refined enough in detail. Once the defensive intensity comes up, he is easily overwhelmed because his height and wingspan are not particularly outstanding.

Therefore, he prefers to shoot from a mid-range distance at two 45-degree angles, hoping to get a feel for the shot, and sometimes he can make it.

So, back on the offensive end, it's still Bibby and Webber's pick-and-roll. Stepping back, Glorious's defense is still tight, and Gan Guoyang has to prevent the Kings' cuts and runs inside.

Webber took a mid-range jump shot, and this time it went in.

The cheers from the crowd grew louder, but Webber wasn't as smug as he had been at the start of the fourth quarter.

The game entered its final, cutthroat phase, and Gan Guoyang began to move to the low post, drawing the attention of three Kings players.

The ball was immediately passed to Porter at the top of the arc, who received the ball and made a three-pointer!

Porter Jr. really had a breakout game. After starting, he delivered some beautiful attacks and passes, and he was incredibly tough in crucial moments.

Porter wasn't happy after scoring, thinking to himself, "Oh no, I played so well, and now I can't retire."

The Glorious team took a 1-point lead, and the two sides engaged in a back-and-forth battle, with the Glorious team clearly having more morale.

On the defensive end, Paget drew an offensive foul on Christie, giving possession to Radiance.

Although Gan Guoyang missed his three-pointer from the top of the arc, he then suddenly attacked on defense, stole the ball from Bibby, and assisted Raja Bell to make a layup, widening the gap to 3 points.

Both teams then made consecutive shots, and the situation was not good for the Kings, with the point difference remaining at 3 points.

The Kings called a timeout with one minute remaining in the game.

It was a battle of wills between the two teams. The Kings still relied on the pick-and-roll between Bibby and Webber, but this time it was at the top of the key, beyond the three-point line.

Bibby drove to the basket, and the Wizards collapsed their defense. Bibby passed the ball back to Webber, who then launched a three-pointer from the top of the arc!

The ball traced a straight arc, hit the backboard, and bounced into the basket!

Webber hit a three-pointer, tying the game! The entire Arco Arena erupted!
Webber's three-pointer that tied the game prompted the Glorious to call a timeout and reorganize their offense.

Webber was ecstatic after scoring, as this was likely the first clutch shot he had made against Forrest Gump in his career.

Of course, the game wasn't over. After the timeout, Gan Guoyang immediately received the ball in the low post, turned around, and quickly launched a jump shot, which went in!
The Glory regained the lead, 117-115, and the Kings called another timeout.

The atmosphere on site had reached a fever pitch, and the last few dozen seconds might turn into 20 minutes of fighting.

Adelman set up a high-post play, Divac came out to receive the ball, Webber screened for Stojakovic, walked inside pretending to receive the ball, but actually passed the ball to Mike Bibby who had run along the baseline to the right corner.

Bibby received a precise pass from Divac, took a three-pointer, and made it!

117-118, the entire Arco Arena erupted. With 10 seconds left, the Kings hit a three-pointer to take the lead.

The Radiant team was pushed to the brink, and Tomjanovich used his last timeout.

During the timeout, Adelman repeatedly reminded the players of one thing: watch out for Forrest Gump's offensive rebounds.

The final attack, which would decide life or death, saw both sides arrange their formations.

Gan Guoyang was the primary target for defense, but the game against the Trail Blazers proved that simply guarding Gan Guoyang was not enough.

The other players on the Glory team also have the ability to take crucial shots.

The ball was inbounded, Porter and Gan Guoyang set a screen, and after receiving the ball, Porter drove one step forward, only to be triple-teamed by the Kings!

Gan Guoyang forced a shot from the top of the arc, but missed; the shot went too far.

There was a scramble under the basket, Miller tapped the ball, but the putback still missed.

Divac carefully followed the instructions, and with a flourish, swung his racket away from the basket.

As a result, the ball returned to Gan Guoyang's hands. Gan Guoyang got the ball and pulled up for a jump shot at the free throw line!

The distance is too close, and there's no one interfering; it's simply impossible for it to be lost.

The Kings players all went to grab rebounds, but who knew that Forrest Gump wasn't there; he was just drifting outside waiting for the ball.
The moment the buzzer sounded, the ball flew through the net, a game-winning shot!

After the ball went in, the entire Arco Arena fell silent, and the Kings players silently shed tears.

I looked up at the video replay and saw that the time hadn't expired when I made the shot; it was a perfect finishing move.

The players of Glory were already cheering as they followed Gan Guoyang back to the locker room to celebrate their victory.

In a post-match interview, Gan Guoyang admitted that luck played a big part in the final shot; if Divac had secured the ball, he wouldn't have had the chance to win the game.

"However, luck is also a part of ability."

As for why they ultimately chose to throw directly from the top of the arc, Gan Guoyang was quite straightforward, saying, "We had no other options, so let's try throwing it and see if we can still steal it."

(End of this chapter)