[{"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-1420":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},1444987,1896,"Chapter 1420 - 41: Thank You for Your Cooperation (4)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1420",1420,"\u003Cp>In the late 90s, NBA jersey aesthetics indeed reached a peak. Whether it was the use of colors or logo designs, they were elegant, appealing, and eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teams boldly adopted cartoon designs, gradient colors, stripes, and high-saturation color blocks, making this batch of jerseys a classic in the hearts of fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year’s rookie game coaches are very interesting. To match the atmosphere of the 50th-anniversary celebration, the league invited two renowned old coaches for the rookie teams — two redheaded coaches, Redhead The Godfather Auerbach from the Celtics, and Redhead Holzman, former championship coach of the Knicks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This put a lot of pressure on the young players of the Eastern and Western rookie teams, as these two old coaches were more experienced and prestigious than their own team coaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the two old coaches appeared quite calm. When the on-site DJ introduced the players, Redhead Auerbach took out his reading glasses from his pocket, squinting at the court like an old man reading a newspaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holzman, on the other hand, looked calm, and although he was already white-haired, he was full of energy, easily commanding these young players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rookie game’s rules differ from regular NBA games, resembling NCAA rules, with two halves of 15 minutes each, and no foul limits, meaning no one gets fouled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the game ends in a tie, it goes into overtime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overtime rule is that whoever gains a three-point lead first wins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike other nervous rookies, Kobe was very excited, knowing this was his chance to shine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Representing the West Team, he finally had the opportunity to freely showcase himself in a game without systems, veterans, and coaches suppressing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for who Redhead was? Who cares, no one could stop me from scoring!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, Kobe scored 31 points, the highest in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the West Team still lost the game 91:103, with MVP going to Allen Iverson, who scored 19 points, seizing the opportunity before Kobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iverson not only claimed the Most Valuable Player award, but he also sported the iconic cornrow hairstyle, which, like Gan Guoyang’s gum-chewing and Jordan’s undershorts, became a new NBA fashion trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All this made Kobe a bit frustrated, as he not only lacked in honors but also in fashion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Iverson had cornrows, Kobe’s afro was already an outdated 70s hairstyle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dunk contest held an hour later, Kobe showcased his skills, defeating opponents like Fenli to win his first NBA honor: the Dunk Contest Champion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result was good, but the process wasn’t exactly smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the league planned for this to be the last dunk contest, they invited heavyweight judges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legendary figures like Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Walt Frazier were on the judging panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After losing the rookie challenge, Kobe was eager to perform and almost didn’t make it past the first round, but luckily, he adjusted and narrowly advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the finals, he started from the left side of the basket, switched hands between the legs, and then dunked powerfully, igniting the entire arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this stunning dunk, Kobe claimed the championship, running to the center and flaunting his not-so-bulging muscles to the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Kobe tasted the sweetness of victory, honor, and applause as his parents and Ah Gan on the stands clapped for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Kobe, who had been suppressed for half a season, mostly sitting on the bench with mediocre performances, this dunk contest championship was as valuable as a home win against the Bulls, fueling him with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the meanwhile, in the three-point contest, Bulls guard Steve Kerr won with an excellent 22-point performance, concluding the first day’s showcase of the All-Star weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On February 10th, the All-Star Game’s main event took place at 7 PM, with stars from both conferences gathering at the Gund Arena to celebrate the League’s 50th anniversary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the game, Gan Guoyang received a red leather jacket from the league, prepared for the players to be \"crowned\" during the halftime 50 greatest players ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Stern personally delivered the jacket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, \"Damn, why do we have to wear leather jackets? Can’t we wear suits and tuxedos? And why am I the same red as Michael? I should have my own special gold!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The League didn’t plan to be special, treating everyone equally. Of course, they wouldn’t make a special gold leather jacket just for Gan Guoyang, even Magic Johnson only got a purple one instead of gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stern reassured Gan Guoyang, \"Tonight we’ll have you come on stage last to enjoy the most cheers, how about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forget it, David, I’m just kidding. These formalities don’t matter to me, just don’t suppress the Portland Trail Blazers in the future, let us play normally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sonny, how could I suppress you? I’ve always supported you and hoped to cooperate with you to ensure NBA’s stability and prosperity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang pondered for a moment and shook hands with Stern, who then smiled, saying, \"Thank you for cooperating, Sonny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",835,"2026-06-06T01:41:56.049Z",1,"novelbin.me","9b5a357dca00bdc5ec1822f2d624a858bcecb720b27103dd46d58b6fb06201e7","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1421","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1419",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]