[{"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-1295":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},1444662,1896,"Chapter 1295 - 11: An Offer That Cannot Be Refused","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1295",1295,"\u003Cp>All summer long, Bird has been contemplating what sort of playing style to bring to the current Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past decade, they have been very illustrious; in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the Trail Blazers have always been trendsetters in their style of play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were pioneers in utilizing the three-point shot and made the center three-point strategy a relatively standard tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, many of the Trail Blazers’ offensive concepts were innovative and counterintuitive, such as reducing passing to cut down on turnovers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, they initiated a slow tempo to play more half-court sets and fully utilized isolation plays instead of team coordination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These seemingly rebellious tactics allowed the Trail Blazers to lead the league in offensive efficiency for a long period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era when data analysis was not yet widespread, the Trail Blazers were an enigma, and coaches often felt puzzled when facing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how the game went, they just couldn’t beat them, especially during the playoffs when it seemed nearly impossible to find hope of winning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unnoticed, they fell behind; unnoticed, time slipped away, and eventually, they lost the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to score or defend; this was the most obvious feeling, but both players and coaches couldn’t quite understand why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the mid-’90s, with the rise of video analysis, computer processing, and data analysis, the Trail Blazers were under the microscope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Various programs, interviews, and books started to focus on uncovering the strong secrets of the Trail Blazers, and Gan Guoyang showcased his extraordinary physical talents on shows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the whole league understood how the Trail Blazers played: the efficiency brought by three-pointers, lower turnover rates due to less passing and more half-court play, and a top-tier superstar two levels above all other players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird played beautiful basketball with the Celtics then; they were a team of speed and talent, but at their peak in 1986, they were tripped up by Portland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird later learned that by 1986, the Trail Blazers had already figured out the Celtics’ weakness: slowing them down and dragging them into the mud of half-court play, then using their sharpest weapons to defeat the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This remained a perpetual regret in Bird’s heart; the five-star Celtics were enormously strong, their desire for the championship was intense, and they firmly believed that year’s championship was theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in the finals, they faced a strong blockade by the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang and never had a chance at the championship again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The influence of the Trail Blazers’ style and tactics on the NBA is profound, as more teams start using the three-point shot as a regular weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The philosophy of less passing, less fast break, more half-court play spread to every team, with the NBA’s average points per game diminishing, and defense becoming the main theme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The league shortened the three-point line in the 1994-1995 season from 23 feet 9 inches to 22 feet to continue encouraging players to shoot threes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This shortening led to an explosion of three-point shots in the ’94-’95 season, indirectly contributing to the Miami Heat’s championship win—they implemented the three-point, defense, and simple half-court offense strategy most thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on Olajuwon’s strong ball-handling ability, combined with a simple inside-out game plan and a lot of threes, they toppled the Chicago Bulls in the East.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pat Riley could be said to hate the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan while almost adopting everything from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The management, logistics, commentary, players, and tactical strategy all came from the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the 1995-1996 season, the Bulls came to realize, and Jordan even began to increase his three-point attempts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 1996 season, Jordan’s three-point shooting percentage reached a career-best 42%—already on par with rookie Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His output was also a career-high, averaging four attempts per game, becoming one of the league’s most efficient three-point shooters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Trail Blazers’ second dynasty period, they creatively incorporated the Princeton System.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers excellently blended the Princeton System with their previous strategies, combining this once grassroots tactic with superstar strategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the regular season, they could easily crush opponents with a steady mode, achieving great results year after year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the playoffs, the system, along with the superstars, pushed forward, and even death couldn’t stop them from winning the championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, some teams are also beginning to introduce Princeton-like philosophies to coach their teams, and the Trail Blazers are indeed one step ahead of the league at every turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coaching such a team naturally puts a lot of pressure on Larry Bird; it’s no wonder no coach dared to take over in the 1994 season, except for PJ Carlesimo, who ended up leaving unsatisfactorily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the process of thinking, Bird first needed to determine one question: in the past decade, what ultimately determined the Trail Blazers’ dominance, their system and strategies, or Ah Gan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result of discussing with Buckwalter was that it mainly depended on Ah Gan; without Ah Gan, everything was in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Bird had a deep appreciation for Ah Gan’s court prowess, as a head coach, he still needed to confirm it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before training camp began, Buckwalter suggested Bird call Beelman to inquire about some questions regarding the Trail Blazers’ system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird was a bit hesitant and said, \"Is it appropriate to ask Beelman these things now that he’s the head coach of the Lakers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buckwalter replied, \"Beelman may indeed be the coach of the Lakers, but he will always be Ah Gan’s coach. He will answer your questions about Ah Gan truthfully.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",924,"2026-06-06T01:41:52.558Z",1,"novelbin.me","4abfaf3e2c700a921c28d5dad892db7d2d1a8f7dab1c751a51b2849e19862909","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1296","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1294",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]