[{"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-674":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},1444091,1896,"Chapter 674 - 55 Misfortune Curse_2","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-674",674,"\u003Cp>No choice, Drexler, who no longer wanted to participate in the dunk contest, chose the three-point contest instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with no surprises, he was out in the first round with 6 points, one point higher than Jordan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan wasn’t very happy about this result, and Guoyang almost died laughing on the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the contest, Guoyang praised Drexler: \"Clyde, you finally have something you’re better at than Jordan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler didn’t really care, it was all in good fun anyway, and he told Guoyang that he would participate again next season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, Guoyang consoled Jordan: \"You still hold the record for the three-point contest, 50 years from now people might forget the champion of the three-point contest, but someone will definitely remember your 5 points.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This three-point contest champion was Jordan’s teammate, the Bulls’ point guard, Hodges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hodges was quite the veteran of the three-point contest, having participated every year since its inception in the 1985-1986 season, always putting in good performances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his fifth participation, and he finally claimed the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once king Larry Bird had a mediocre performance this time, scoring only 13 points and was eliminated early on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final showdown in the contest was between Hodges and Reggie Miller, and the veteran Hodges won with a score of 19:18 against Miller, claiming the title of three-point king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Drexler was a laughing stock in the three-point contest, he was well respected during the All-Star Game itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Team eventually won with a narrow margin of 121:119, defeating the Western Conference, and Drexler won the All-Star Game MVP with a performance of 23 points and 7 assists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the AMVP trophy, Drexler felt the glory of being the team’s leader and center of attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since suffering a defeat to the Trail Blazers, Drexler returned to the right flying track - waking up early for training and putting a lot of effort into defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Miami Heat’s performance was still not greatly improved, Drexler’s individual performance was getting better and more comprehensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he couldn’t compare with Michael Jordan, he began to accept Riley’s training methods and coaching style, listening to Pat Riley’s guidance, striving to improve himself and waiting for an opportunity to overtake on the curve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler began climbing his own mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there are climbers, there are those descending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larry Bird appeared somewhat tired in this All-Star game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the three-point contest, he no longer had the dominance of the past with the \"everyone else is fighting for second place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the regular season, 33-year-old Bird still performed like a superstar, playing an average of 39 minutes per game despite back injuries, scoring 24 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.4 steals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the All-Star game, Guoyang accompanied the Trail Blazers to Boston to challenge the Boston Celtics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boston Garden was as dilapidated and stuffy as ever, with no change in the poor conditions of the visitor’s locker room. The noise and rudeness of the local fans were almost no different from the 1980s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guoyang went from initially disliking playing here to slowly liking it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because here he could satisfy his nostalgia, unlike other arenas that were becoming more modern, Boston Garden reminded Guoyang of his early NBA days and the feelings of his first championship in 1986.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing is more memorable and unforgettable than winning the first championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After four years, the champagne scent in the visitor’s locker room could still be smelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boston Garden’s attendance was still good, especially when the opponents were the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to 1986, the core lineup of the Boston Celtics remained largely unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The front line trio of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale were still going strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the backyard, Dennis Johnson remained in Boston; in the 1988 expansion draft, Auerbach gave up a draft pick to keep Johnson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only member of the usually stable starting five who had left was Danny Ainge, a clever man. Seeing that troubles were looming, he requested a trade in advance, fled to the Phoenix Suns for a bigger contract and greater achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Ainge’s departure, the Celtics’ fresh blood was Reggie Lewis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This 22nd pick of the 1987 draft was gradually flourishing, becoming the hope and new strength for the Celtics’ future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Guoyang stood on the court ready to start the game, he joked with Larry Bird: \"Your starting lineup must be two hundred years old combined, did you guys buy insurance? I’m worried I can’t afford the compensation if anything happens.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird didn’t banter much with Ah Gan, just straightforwardly dismissed him with a salty comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Gan was someone Bird couldn’t handle, and later in many of his books, Bird admitted that through Ah Gan, he deeply reflected on himself, realizing his past behavior was so unsuccessful and unpleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both teams had grown accustomed to the tense pre-game atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guoyang was also accustomed to the Boston Garden fans booing him relentlessly throughout the years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because you are the Celtics’ opponent, Celtics fans must oppose and even insult you; this is the basketball logic of this city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Respect and mutual admiration are rarely seen here, and Guoyang thought there’s no need for it, regarding it as an excuse losers find for their failures, a way to claim \"a noble defeat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something Guoyang didn’t care for; in his view, the appreciation from victors was nothing more than alms from a passerby to a beggar.\u003C\u002Fp>",911,"2026-06-06T01:41:36.635Z",1,"novelbin.me","f98d77ef3d419a22d6dc92024b3f553d210ffc715474fbb555dc6182c31559d9","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-675","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-673",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]