[{"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-1589":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},1445435,1896,"Chapter 1589 - 37: Thriving Growth (3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1589",1589,"\u003Cp>This year, everyone knows how strong and at what level the Portland Trail Blazers are after playing against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>wins and 5 losses? The Lakers see no chance of winning the series; winning even a single game would be considered a victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as people predicted before the series, no team this year could withstand the crushing power of the Portland Iron Cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers stand no hope; their lineup is well-structured but far from mature, unable to put up any effective resistance against the astonishingly powerful Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the two games in Portland, the Lakers were defeated by large margins, being fully dominated by the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On defense, they could not stop the sharp offense of the Blazers; on offense, even their strongest point, O’Neal, was completely restricted by Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though O’Neal was guided in the first round, on the court, Gan Guoyang showed no mercy, guarding O’Neal one-on-one throughout the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal scored 19 points in one game and 15 in another, completely subdued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second game, the Lakers lost 78:119 to the Trail Blazers, returning to Los Angeles with a 0–2 deficit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With everyone expecting the Lakers to at least put up a strong fight in the crucial third game, at home in the Great Western Forum Arena, they collapsed again, losing 86:114 by a 28-point margin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal gave his all and scored 28 points, but it made no difference to the situation. The Lakers could not stop the Trail Blazers’ fierce and unmatched offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blazers have already adjusted their aim to the best; not a single off game or poor form since entering the playoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They not only have advanced playstyles but also ample logistical support, the best medical team, and the most relaxed and united team atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3-0, for the Lakers, the fourth game was just a battle to save face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game was quite intense; the Lakers finally found some rhythm, sticking with the Blazers through the first three quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the middle of the fourth quarter, with the Blazers trailing by 1 point, they suddenly resorted to the \"Hack-a-Shaq\" tactic, fouling O’Neal repeatedly to send him to the free-throw line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, O’Neal made only 1 out of 6 free throws, and the Blazers seized the opportunity, making consecutive shots to take the lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this predicament, Del Harris could only bench O’Neal, but with O’Neal off, the Lakers’ offense and defense fell apart even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers capitalized on the opportunity, building on their advantage to finally beat the Lakers 99:92, sweeping them 4-0 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s record of never missing a Western Conference Finals in his career was maintained as he once again continued his journey over the Lakers’ \"corpses,\" about to embark on his 12th Western Conference Finals journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, losing the fourth game in such a manner and being swept in the series, O’Neal’s mindset collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sweep, another sweep, at least win one game?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the locker room, O’Neal knew the kind of treatment he would receive from the media after the series ended, and he went berserk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What infuriated him more was that Tracy McGrady and Jide were already discussing going to Las Vegas after the season, which made O’Neal even angrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t understand why some players just didn’t care about victory. Why do they freeze up at crucial moments, unable to make shots?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you guys thinking? Do you have no competitive spirit? Don’t you want to win?\" O’Neal shouted at every teammate, which was rare for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he yanked the television off the wall and smashed it on the ground, shattering it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then went to his locker, pulled out all his belongings, ripped his clothes to shreds, threw away his shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked into the bathroom, yanked the doorknob off and threw it to the ground, and then tore the urinal off the wall, smashing it to pieces!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal, like a rampaging King Kong, wreaked havoc in the locker room, frightening his teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, someone suggested to have the veteran Jerome Kossie to stop O’Neal, as he was the locker room leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although his performance was not as good as before, his experience gave him a voice in the Lakers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kossie said, \"Let him vent. He’ll be back to normal in 30 seconds, believe me; it’s better to let it out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Jerry West heard the commotion and walked into the locker room, pulling O’Neal aside, angrily saying, \"What are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal said, \"I’m tired of losing, tired of getting swept. I work hard every night, but why does it always seem like it’s my fault!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West consoled O’Neal, saying, \"Does acting like this lead to victory? Before I won a championship, I reached the Finals 8 times without a single win. Think about that, what kind of feeling was that? 8 times, counting 1973, it was 9 times, losing the Finals. I was extremely frustrated, but I never acted like you because it doesn’t help. What you need to do is become a true leader, not throw stuff around. Go back to your seat, sit down, and listen to the coach’s summary of our season.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome Kossie was right; after 30 seconds, O’Neal calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took Jerry West’s advice, returned to his seat, and Del Harris gave a simple, uninspiring summary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers’ 1997-1998 season ended like this, and though O’Neal was usually the most carefree person in the team, at this moment, he was the saddest and most dejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone packed up to leave, O’Neal called out to Kossie, asking, \"Jerome, how did Gan become a leader in Portland?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kossie thought, why the hell are you asking me this after being eliminated? You should have asked earlier!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he answered, \"Ah Gan was a leader from day one of training camp, he’s a natural leader. He’s incredibly strong, and because of this, he allows his teammates not to be as strong. Therefore, we all admire him and want to follow him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal, deep in thought, said, \"You mean Ah Gan doesn’t blame his teammates after a loss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. He may be harsh on his teammates, but losing is never their fault. Also, he helps everyone solve problems and improve, rather than teasing them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Kossie said this, O’Neal felt a bit embarrassed, as some of his pranks were indeed too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kossie added, \"He’s the best boss, bar none. Without him, I’m nothing. You need to make your teammates unable to leave you, not want to stay away from you, Shaq.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal nodded, having understood a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, a person’s nature is hard to change, and O’Neal’s personality will not undergo a major change because of one series.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to the past, he eventually matured a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young centers in the West are all thriving under the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>",1159,"2026-06-06T01:42:05.224Z",1,"novelbin.me","38880deed9bff14fb0284d2a7c342d49d13a84062ebc1adfc3a6255f344988aa","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1726","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1588",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]