Chapter 878 - 50: Ending Early

[1991, Joe Bryant was preparing to play at least another season in Italy. He enjoyed it here.

Meanwhile, Kobe’s attention was completely drawn to the flames of the 1991 NBA playoffs. To prevent Kobe from tuning in too early to watch live broadcasts, his father chose to record the games with a VCR.

When later asked which game left the deepest impression on Kobe, he said it was Game 3 of the West Finals, when the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang lost, and Gan missed that final long three-pointer.

Kobe said: "In that game, I saw a basketball hero. No matter how many defenders surrounded him, he dared to take the shot and aim for the hoop."

"What’s more important is that most of them went in."

"Although the last one missed, the added sense of tragedy left me with a profound memory."

"I cried for that shot, so I always remember it, always."]

———— Excerpt from the 2017 biography "Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant" by Roland Lazenby.

Watching Gan miss that final game-tying long three-pointer, Jordan sighed, shook his head, and turned off the television.

At that moment, he was in a hotel room in Detroit, lying on the bed, resting while watching Game 3 of the West Finals between the Suns and the Trail Blazers.

The battle between Barkley and Gan Guoyang was electrifying. Gan Guoyang scored 46 points in this game, but still lost.

Jordan almost wanted to call Gan Guoyang and say: "Ah Gan, even you have days like this, days when playing one-on-one isn’t enough to secure a win."

But Jordan held back. Since the playoffs began, the two hadn’t spoken on the phone.

They had a tacit understanding to focus fully on their respective series, waiting in anticipation for June.

The gap between Games 2 and 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals was four days, and it wouldn’t resume until Saturday, May 25, Memorial Day.

The Palace of Auburn Hills wasn’t a favorite place for the Bulls to play. Since its opening, the Bulls’ record here was a dismal 2 wins and 13 losses.

An abysmal track record, making it tough for the Bulls to secure a victory here. Detroiters brimmed with confidence, hoping to regain control of the series on home turf.

This time, however, Jordan felt unusually confident. He was convinced he could win here, and maybe even eliminate the Detroit Pistons here.

The Bulls’ lineup was immensely strong—whether in the frontcourt or backcourt, they weren’t inferior to the Pistons.

The Pistons’ forward lineup remained as fierce and exceptional as ever, but Buck-Williams’ arrival had enabled the Bulls’ frontcourt to go head-to-head with the Pistons.

The four teams that made it to this year’s Conference Finals—besides the Trail Blazers—boasted frontcourts stacked with talent: the Suns, Bulls, and Pistons.

Everyone understood this was all meant to deal with Gan.

That evening, the entire Bulls team arrived at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Unlike other NBA arenas, the visitor locker rooms at Auburn Palace were split into two separate rooms.

Jordan sat in a small cubicle within the second room, savoring a rare moment of quiet before the game.

As the Bulls moved closer to the Finals, discussions about Jordan and Gan grew increasingly frequent.

Every interview Jordan gave recently seemed to mention Gan or the Portland Trail Blazers.

The rivalry between them, which began in 1984, seemed poised to finally reach a resolution.

At this moment, Jordan didn’t try to rein in his thoughts from drifting toward the Finals.

On the contrary, he kept thinking, imagining the scene of facing Gan in the Finals.

To be honest, after the first two games, Jordan could sense the Pistons’ frailty.

They were old, like wolves stripped of their fangs and claws, left with only snarling threats but devoid of real fighting power.

Not just Jordan—the entire Bulls roster no longer feared the Pistons.

You could tell from the flow of the games: Bulls players weren’t afraid to go head-to-head with the Pistons, nor did they rely exclusively on Jordan in critical moments.

They dared to solve problems themselves, dared to contest with the Pistons. Thus, Jordan’s performance in the first two games was not particularly outstanding, yet the Bulls still secured victories.

Jordan enjoyed seeing this scenario play out. Even though his relationship with teammates remained strained off the court, punctuated by friction and barriers.

But this didn’t prevent seamless collaboration during games, nor hinder their march toward greater heights.

"The best teams aren’t always about getting along. If everyone likes each other, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll win. Competition is just competition."

This was Jordan speaking candidly during a conversation with a trusted reporter.

Phil Jackson agreed with Jordan’s perspective, saying: "Only God achieves perfection. We aim for excellence."

Against this weakened Detroit Pistons team, excellence was more than enough.

The Bulls were no longer burdened by psychological or physical obstacles.

At the start of Game 3, the Bulls exploded with firepower, rapidly securing a 24–8 lead in the first quarter.

The Pistons’ offensive struggles became more pronounced against the Bulls’ defense—especially without Vinnie Johnson. Losing one ball-handling attack point in the backcourt meant Thomas and Dumars faced even greater pressure from the Bulls’ defense.

They were forced to rely more heavily on Melvin Turpin’s low-post offense in the paint and Bill Lambier’s long-range shooting from the perimeter—yes, the Pistons were now banking on Lambier’s perimeter shots to score.

This said it all: the Pistons’ offense was in dire crisis, lacking reliable scorers capable of disrupting the Bulls’ defensive structure. Chicago’s defense was practically impenetrable.

By the second quarter, the second-unit lineup took to the court, led by Mark Aguirre. Battling back with the aid of home-court energy and fierce defense, they managed to tie the score temporarily.