Chapter 900: Revised - 56 The Conviction of Certain Death

Losing the game is tough, but Jordan’s mood is surprisingly calm.

After the game, in the locker room interview, Jordan appeared very relaxed.

When asked about the Bulls’ issues in the game, Jordan frankly said, "The Trail Blazers disrupted our rhythm, and we didn’t play our game. Also, we’re struggling to adapt to the finals, which will take some time."

Jordan did not blame any teammates, although, in fairness, the performance of the other Bulls players wasn’t great.

Pippen was almost invisible in the second half, with 12 of his total 17 points scored in the first half. He couldn’t find his rhythm on offense and was heavily taxed on defense.

Bill Cartwright continued to carry the label of a phobia against Gan, scoring just 4 points with 5 rebounds and 5 fouls; he couldn’t lift his head in the paint.

Cartwright couldn’t budge Ah Gan in low post play and, due to Sabonis’s presence and Ah Gan’s exceptional reaction speed, he couldn’t even get the ball.

Unable to score or make low-post plays, Cartwright couldn’t find his offensive touch and was blocked twice under the basket.

The others—Grant, Williams, Parkson, Amster—also didn’t perform up to their potential.

But Jordan said nothing; he didn’t publicly complain to the reporters or criticize his teammates in the locker room.

As he packed his bags to leave Memorial Coliseum, a reporter asked Jordan, "Michael, if you lose this final and don’t win the championship, would you regret it?"

Jordan glanced at the reporter, pondered for a moment, and answered the question seriously:

"I would be very sad, but not regretful. Even if I never win a championship in my career, I wouldn’t regret it. I would feel disappointed for not winning, but my career won’t be disappointing because it has been successful, I’ve met many friends and experienced many things. Even if I never win a championship, basketball is still a lot of fun. Of course, I’ll strive to win, but if I can’t, when I look back on my career, I won’t see it as blemished; it was successful, great, very great."

With that, Jordan left the court, boarded the bus, and returned to the hotel to rest.

The Bulls have two days to rest and adjust, getting ready for the second game.

The day after the first game of the finals, the Trail Blazers practiced as usual in the morning to help the players maintain their form.

Outside the training facility, as usual, there were many reporters. Today was media open day, and players needed to be interviewed, with some parts of the training open to the public.

Gan Guoyang, of course, was the focus of the interviews. After securing the first win, the outside world was optimistic about the Trail Blazers, and Gan Guoyang’s astonishing performance drew much acclaim.

However, Gan Guoyang was used to this kind of situation. He calmly accepted the praises from the media, continuing his quiet training and conditioning his body.

To be honest, Gan Guoyang was also greatly exhausted in the first game; he didn’t rest at all in the third and fourth quarters, playing the entire second half and pushing his endurance to the limit.

Fortunately, during the regular season, Gan Guoyang had stored up plenty of stamina, enough to sustain him through the high intensity of the finals.

However, the intensity of the finals was really a bit too high. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have exhausted Jordan to the point of asking for a rest in the third quarter.

After the interviews, ESPN’s reporter, Gan Guoyang’s old classmate Wu Zhixiong, came to the sideline and told Ah Gan about the content of the interview with Jordan from last night.

Last night’s post-game interview with Jordan was conducted by him. Wu Zhixiong originally intended to challenge and provoke Jordan, but he was instead impressed by Jordan’s response.

After listening to Jordan’s words, Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "Michael is indeed like that. Truly competitive people always set a line for themselves that ensures they win beautifully but can also accept losing. Those without such a line are people who can’t afford to lose, and such people forget the true essence of victory and only pursue false strength."

"So Ah Gan, if you lose to Jordan and the Bulls this time, what would you think?"

Gan Guoyang glanced at Wu Zhixiong and said, "I certainly wouldn’t regret it; I’ve already got four rings."

"But you want more."

"Wanting more doesn’t mean I should get more. Winning a championship is a process, not a result. If you’re capable, you will naturally win it; if not, there must be a problem somewhere—you’re not strong enough, in bad form, or ill-prepared. Nothing is taken for granted, and a championship even less so. If you take the championship for granted, that’s self-deception, so if I lose, then I lose, and I’m not as skilled as others; what’s there to regret?"

Wu Zhixiong bowed his head, noting Gan Guoyang’s words in his notebook.

Gan Guoyang said, "Hey, interviewing Jordan and then me, getting both sides, how’s that feel?"

Wu Zhixiong laughed and said, "I’m too full~ But Ah Gan, I really admire both of you; your match-up is even more exciting than when Russell faced Chamberlain."

Gan Guoyang said, "Don’t worry, this is just the first game. There’s more to come."

The victory put the Trail Blazers in a relatively relaxed atmosphere, but Beelman remained tense.

The second game will continue in Portland, which is both good and bad for the Trail Blazers.

The Bulls will certainly launch a full counterattack in the second game. Having adapted to the finals’ rhythm, they will definitely make a strong comeback.

If the Trail Blazers lose the second home game, they will lose their home-court advantage and will have to spend an entire week in Chicago.