The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 414 - 32 Different from Others

Joe Bryant shook his head helplessly in the face of his son’s stubbornness.

Ever since playing basketball from the age of five or six, Kobe was known for not passing the ball.

In Italy, the skill level of people who played with him was far inferior to his, and he had almost no teammates worth trusting.

Moreover, most people participated in the matches for fun, to enjoy the pleasure of playing basketball, but Kobe had only one thought in mind, and that was to win.

Therefore, he chose to ignore those mediocre teammates and play on his own, especially during the crucial moments of a game, when he would shout at his teammates, "Give me the ball."

Kobe was an exceptional player and the only black kid on the court, which made him stand out. He grew accustomed to his uniqueness, knowing he was the one who was different from the rest.

At first, it was a source of anguish. He was the only black person in Italy, and when he returned to Philadelphia, he was different from the black people in America; his clothing and mannerisms were like that of white people.

However, after meeting Ah Gan, and seeing how a person with yellow skin could dominate the American basketball scene, Kobe knew these things were not issues; winning the game and the championship was all that mattered.

During halftime, Joe Bryant still tried to instill some "correct" basketball philosophy into his son.

But Kobe always rebutted with examples of Ah Gan, "Ah Gan didn’t pass the ball when he was in high school, relying on scoring, defense, and offensive rebounds to win the championship."

"Ah Gan didn’t pass the ball in college either, and he won all the awards."

"The Trail Blazers used to be a team that passed a lot, but now they play a lot of isolation."

Although young, Kobe already had a very clear logic, as well as a substantial understanding of basketball in America.

Joe Bryant was unable to refute and could only say helplessly in the end, "Ah Gan is a center, and you will be a guard in the future."

Kobe said, "So what if I’m a guard? You don’t pass the ball yourself."

Old Joe was rendered completely speechless. The Italian team had brought him over precisely for scoring, shooting, and to put on a one-man show, so, of course, he passed less.

In fact, Joe Bryant felt that the world of the NBA had changed. He played in the NBA for eight seasons, entering the league in 1975 and leaving for Italy in 1983.

He was an exceptionally gifted player, 6 feet 9 inches tall but with excellent ball-handling skills and the ability to soar and dunk. He once famously dunked over Jabbar, which was the most iconic score of his career.

In his second professional year, he made it to the finals with the Philadelphia 76ers but lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. He didn’t play much in the finals and contributed little.

After winning the first two games, the 76ers were defeated in four straight games by the smooth passing of the Trail Blazers, whose team play led the 76ers, who focused on individual offense, to crumble.

Ten years had passed, and the Trail Blazers had once again won the championship. Their coach was still Jack Ramsey, bald-headed as ever, with thick eyebrows that looked like caterpillars, and he still liked to kneel on one knee at the sidelines to direct the game. Their key player was still a tall center, and even Bill Walton was still sitting on the bench, nursing injuries.

However, their style of play had completely changed from ten years ago. Today, Joe Bryant and his son finished watching the first half together, remarking on how quickly the basketball world had changed.

When the third quarter began, it was already morning in Italy, the sun had risen, and the Lakers and the Trail Blazers had started the most intense third quarter of the competition.

Right at the start of the third quarter, Magic Johnson drove down the middle toward the basket, passed the ball to Worthy who caught it and made a jump shot, scoring two points.

After that, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, spun inside and moved up the lane, forcefully pushing past Jabbar, and hit a left-handed hook shot.

Jabbar could feel that Ah Gan had upped the intensity in the third quarter; the collision had been quite painful.

The kid’s strength was still unparalleled.

After bulking up over the summer, Jabbar had already played two games against the Rockets, and Olajuwon could no longer budge him at all.

Whether it was fighting for offensive rebounds or playing one-on-one in the low post, he could no longer bully the older Jabbar like in the previous season’s playoffs.

It has to be said that Jabbar’s physical fitness was truly great, in stark contrast to Walton.

Having been in the league for so many years and now at the age of 40, Jabbar had never suffered a major injury, never undergone surgery, and had not even worn a pair of kneepads.

The most he ever wore, and the most useful gear for him, were the protective goggles on his head.

But Gan Guoyang could still charge at him, if only a little harder than last season.

Jabbar was amazed at just how strong the kid was; his physical talent was truly terrifying.

And when Magic Johnson brought the ball past half-court, he immediately took a high jump shot and hit it again!

This was the difference between this year’s Magic Johnson and last season; his mid-range shot was very decisive, and his shooting percentage was high.

Drexler was already considered tall among guards, yet he still looked one size smaller when facing Johnson.

Johnson made an initial drive, and Drexler, playing defense, backed off a bit, so Johnson immediately took a shot.

Double team? Double-teaming the League’s assist king is like asking for trouble.

"Run! Run!"

Gan Guoyang signaled Terry Porter to speed up the advance and increase the pace of the game.

Porter didn’t understand why, but he knew he had to listen to the boss and immediately crossed the half court quickly.

Gan Guoyang quickly positioned himself in the low post and made a bounce pass to Drexler, who was cutting inside.

However, Drexler’s layup was disrupted by AC Green, and the Lakers grabbed the ball to launch a fast break.

Johnson advanced with the ball, making a classic bounce pass to Cooper, who caught the ball and scored with a dunk!

But the Trail Blazers quickly counterattacked; Gan Guoyang rushed to the frontcourt to catch Porter’s long pass, firmly holding onto the ball, and dunked with both hands to score.

Both sides were speeding up; the Trail Blazers didn’t try to slow the pace to grapple with the Lakers’ half-court game but instead sped up to play quick offense.

Because Gan Guoyang felt that tonight, there was a high chance they couldn’t outpace the Lakers, with a somewhat significant gap in the level and experience of guard play.

Rather than dragging things out, it was better to speed things up. The Trail Blazers’ fast breaks were already strong, and by finding a rhythm in their offense, they could keep the scores close.

If they slowed down, they wouldn’t be able to find their offensive rhythm, while the Lakers could still score. If the gap widened to 10 points, it would become very tough to play.

Amidst a string of offensive plays, the Lakers maintained a lead of around six points. Relying on aggressive counterattacks from Drexler, Vandeweghe, and Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers kept biting at the score.

However, the pace of the game was clearly controlled by "Magic" Johnson. On offense, he could play however he wanted, and the Trail Blazers defense didn’t have much of an answer for him.

A 6-foot-9 guard who could drive, shoot, and pass was just too difficult to counter.

This was unlike Larry Bird. Bird wasn’t as good at driving, and unlike Johnson, he couldn’t hold the ball for long periods. He needed to move without the ball and required passing, while from the moment Johnson took the ball in the backcourt, you found it hard to control him.

In the early years, you could target his weaknesses in shooting and frequent turnovers, but now, it had become increasingly difficult.

Gan Guoyang might be the most suitable candidate to defend Johnson, but the Trail Blazers had no Walton on the inside and Johnson played too much on the perimeter.

When defending Bird, Gan could still take care of the interior as Bird liked to operate near the three-second area.

Defending Johnson meant starting from mid-court, and with Jabbar in the paint, doing so was akin to leaving the inside wide open for the Lakers to ravage.

During the timeout in the third quarter, Jack Ramsey agreed with Gan Guoyang’s idea, "We need to speed up, increase the tempo. Don’t vie with the Lakers for pace; we can’t beat them at that. Let’s maximize our potential for fast breaks and try some bold offensive moves. The goal is to keep the score close!"

Keep it close in the third quarter, and there would be one last chance to strike in the fourth.

"The Lakers have the upper hand now; the Trail Blazers are at a disadvantage. The Lakers are really strong this year."

Joe Bryant pulled his son onto the sofa, and the two sat down to watch the game. As someone who always kept an eye on NBA developments, Joe could sense that this year’s Lakers were exceptionally strong, already overpowering the Trail Blazers on the court.

The most significant indication was that the Lakers had lured the Trail Blazers into their game pace.

Even though Gan could play one-on-one against Jabbar, his advantage wasn’t as great as when facing other centers.

His efficiency dipped slightly, failing to score coherently, which led to opportunities for the Lakers to counterattack—other Lakers were already positioned around the three-point line, ready to sprint for a sure fast break.

Thus, Gan decisively reduced his one-on-one plays, starting to screen for his teammates, moving the ball, then fighting for offensive rebounds, and drawing fouls to minimize chances for the Lakers’ fast breaks.

Pamela and her daughter Shaya were already up, seeing the father and son watching a basketball game early in the morning. She shook her head in resignation and went to make breakfast.

Kobe said, "I think the Trail Blazers are gathering strength."

"Gathering strength?"

"Yes, they’re gathering their energy for a comeback in the fourth quarter."

"Kobe, look, Ah Gan has started passing the ball to his teammates. He’s been serving his team throughout the third quarter, setting screens, grabbing rebounds. He trusts his teammates."

Kobe still shook his head, saying, "No, it’s his teammates who trust him. They trust that he will take care of the game in the final moments."

Joe Bryant sighed, thinking, why is this kid so stubborn? Who does he take after? Why is his understanding of basketball so different from everyone else’s?