[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-golden-age-of-basketball":3,"chapter-the-golden-age-of-basketball-the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1147":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Golden Age of Basketball",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1444564,1896,"Chapter 1147 - 17: The Last Spot (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1147",1147,"\u003Cp>During the surgery, doctors discovered not only a cartilage tear but also issues with the capsule that encases the knee cartilage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, this 35-year-old veteran’s knee was already on its last legs, having suffered two major injuries, and his career was in decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having just been selected for the 1991 All-Star Game and averaging 28 points per game that season, Bernard King was not ready to leave just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the severe injury in 1985, King once again threw himself into a grueling rehabilitation process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a full two months, he had to lie in bed completely immobile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he was able to move, he began swimming, cycling, and using large therapy machines to strive to regain his athletic ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in 1985, Bernard King was 28 years old and at the peak of an athlete’s physical condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a strong ability to recover, excellent physical fitness, and condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By 1991, he was already 35, a turning point in a man’s physical condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let alone athletes, even ordinary people experience a significant physical decline at this age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ability to recover deteriorates, staying up late becomes difficult, fatigue sets in easily, and illnesses occur more frequently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For NBA professional players, this kind of decline is extremely detrimental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since it was Bernard King’s third knee surgery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His joints and cartilage were already fragile, and his recovery was very slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bullets knew that their partnership with Bernard King had come to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like in 1985, King returned to his home in New Jersey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While continuing his rehabilitation, he pondered his future at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered retirement; in fact, he was already semi-retired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All teams were focusing on nurturing new talents, and players like him with a significant injury history had difficulty attracting interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the All-Star period, when teams reach the peak of signing, filling gaps in their rosters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bernard King must have encountered some difficulties and problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang thought this when he visited Bernard King’s home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he could come to the Portland Trail Blazers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had invited King before, but King had refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was too proud, unwilling to lower himself for a championship ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would rather be a starting player on an average team than a bench player on a championship team providing residual contributions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One wonders if this year or more of inactivity has changed his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang arrived at Bernard King’s house at noon, the same villa visited by wild ducks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King greeted Gan Guoyang in the backyard, where a koi pond had been dug, housing golden and red koi fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Gan Guoyang made Bernard King very happy, and he hugged Ah Gan tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang squeezed Bernard King’s back and said, \"You’re maintaining well, can you still play?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King smiled and said, \"It’s alright, I can still score 20 points in a game.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only 20 points? Shouldn’t it be 40 points, man? When did you lose confidence in yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not about a lack of confidence, but about accepting reality. Some things have vanished from my body and can never come back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King looked melancholic, both in expression and tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they entered the house, Gan Guoyang found that he was the only person there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King’s wife wasn’t home, and there wasn’t even a servant or bodyguard around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stayed alone in this large house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang asked what he did every day, and he said he watched the fish or cried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang realized that this guy was definitely having psychological issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should find a job or play ball. With your current abilities, you can still contribute, you should play ball!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no one who wants me, I don’t fit into this era.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as you can score, you are valuable, trust me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang did want King to come to the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But currently, the Trail Blazers seemed not to have enough spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, the team roster was complete, so King’s arrival wouldn’t mean much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not like they could have him sit on the bench cheering for teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bernard King indeed had psychological issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his words, a massive void appeared inside his heart, extremely enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing could fill it, not money, women, alcohol, or gambling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The void was formed by basketball, the basketball that had been thumping inside his heart for over twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang thought he should see a psychologist first, to make his mindset more optimistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, try to contact teams, attend trials, play ball, and strive to join one, go compete.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Gan Guoyang’s encouragement, Bernard King called a psychology clinic in New York for treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he left Bernard’s home, Gan Guoyang spoke from his heart: \"Bernard, if you can accept it, why not come to Portland? I’ll do my best to secure a spot for you; the Trail Blazers do need wing players and some scoring talent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>King didn’t respond directly, but thanked Gan Guoyang, saying he felt much better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll start with some treatment first. You’ll see the results, Sonny, good luck to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good luck, Bernard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang kept this matter in mind, but he wasn’t very hopeful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West had always been very cautious about signing veterans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ core structure had remained intact and stable over the past few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After decisively acquiring Reggie Lewis in the summer of 1990, the Trail Blazers’ structure had no major issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This summer, they lost Cliff Robinson, and the addition of Mario Ely has been very effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His three-point shooting and defensive ability fit perfectly with the Trail Blazers’ system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teams constantly inquired about Dell Curry, but Jerry West refused to let him go.\u003C\u002Fp>",944,"2026-06-06T01:41:50.199Z",1,"novelbin.me","bfaa9051a82af7dbc10eed343cfbc6d9b551c3bcf133311c64412d75de897c21","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1148","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1146",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]