[{"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-1592":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},1445448,1896,"Chapter 1592 - 39: Survive","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1592",1592,"\u003Cp>\"Welcome to NBC’s broadcast of the first game of the 1998 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals. Hello, everyone, I’m Mike Breen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matchup is once again between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, a replay of last year’s Western Conference Finals. It’s also the Trail Blazers’ 12th appearance on this stage since 1985.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, they have appeared in the West Finals more times than most teams have appeared in Conference Finals in their entire history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joining me tonight for game commentary is former Trail Blazers player and MVP, Bill Walton. Hello, Walton.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>NBC has dispatched Mike Breen and Bill Walton as the commentary duo for this game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since retiring, Walton has been actively involved in sports commentary. Since 1992, he has been working for CBS as a guest commentator for NBA and college basketball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up until the age of 28, Walton suffered from a stuttering problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 28, with the help of legendary broadcaster Martin Glickman, he overcame this psychological barrier and corrected his stuttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, he’s become a loquacious giant with a gift of gab, and he’s quite popular among sports commentary audiences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Mike, glad to be working with you. There’s nothing more enjoyable than chatting with you while watching a Trail Blazers game,\" Walton said relaxedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walton is undoubtedly a die-hard Trail Blazers fan and a fan of Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because his bias when commenting on Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang’s games is too obvious, NBC often arranges for him to comment on other games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with the Conference Finals, the Western and Eastern games are staggered, and the network had no choice. Walton returned to his beloved Portland, commentating at the Rose Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you feel relaxed because you think the Trail Blazers are going to win?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, Mike, as a commentator, I should remain neutral. But you know, the Jazz don’t stand a chance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the Jazz defeated the Portland Trail Blazers last season.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s precisely because the Jazz beat the Blazers last season that they don’t stand a chance this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walton said confidently, because he knows Ah Gan, knows the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang never falls twice in the same place, nor is he consecutively defeated by the same opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing the West Finals in 1997, while perhaps not unforgettable, was certainly regrettable, wasting one of Gan Guoyang’s most heroic seasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many, including Bill Walton, felt it was a pity. That year was perhaps the most individualistic in Gan Guoyang’s career, a comeback with astonishing performances, leading the team back to the Conference Finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had reached the NBA Finals, even losing to the Chicago Bulls would have been more historic than falling in the West Finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jazz are laudable, but fans always yearn for talent and heroism more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, the Trail Blazers are making a comeback, shifting from extreme individualism to extreme teamwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang carried a strong sense of revenge from November to May, and into June.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can the Jazz withstand the scorching sun? The expectations were quite pessimistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the game officially started, the NBA announced that Gan Guoyang won the 1997-1998 season’s regular-season MVP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was another MVP trophy after Gan Guoyang’s comeback, and after the opening ceremony, there was an MVP award presentation on site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang received the trophy from David Stern, lifting it high. This was his sixth MVP in his career.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stern said in his award speech, \"Ah Gan’s performance has shown everyone what a true MVP is. Congratulations, Sonny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s speech was quite simple, without much reflection. He had won this trophy too many times and was even tired of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voters were also somewhat fatigued, but there was no alternative. You couldn’t really deny the MVP to the core player of a team with 77 wins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Statistically, Gan Guoyang had 27 points, 15.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.9 blocks this season, significant drops from last season, yet still leading in the League. This MVP was well-deserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This year’s Most Valuable Player belongs to every Trail Blazers player. I’m merely a small representative. In a few weeks, we’ll be taking home the MVP trophy that belongs to each and every one of us, the O’Brien Trophy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang finished speaking to the cheers of the entire Rose Garden, confidently promising a championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side of the court, on the bench, the Jazz players watched the award ceremony without saying a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fierce spirit from the plane seemed to dissipate. Being at the Rose Garden, feeling Ah Gan’s aura up close, was a completely different experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of grinding, coupled with the unparalleled fighting power of the Trail Blazers this season, it was commendable that the Jazz players hadn’t conceded already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially for someone like Malone, who, since his rookie season, found himself continually at a disadvantage in matchups despite defeating the Blazers last season, causing a conditioned fear to settle in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stockton could see that Malone was uncharacteristically nervous before the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, he was unusually quiet, his gaze empty, and his eyes unfocused during the coach’s tactical instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stockton called Malone once, but he didn’t respond. It took a second call for Malone to snap out of it, indicating his unsettled state.\u003C\u002Fp>",876,"2026-06-06T01:42:05.224Z",1,"novelbin.me","fc9dc10cb709d0211d80686b5187b66aff6396134a30521613ea1cd84d670f8c","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1732","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1731",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]