Chapter 988: Chapter 26 Higher_2
As time gradually passed, the Trail Blazers completed their transition from a frontcourt team of the 1980s to a backcourt team.
This fits the major trend in basketball development, with inside defense and outside offense, each maximizing their value. This trend will continue.
In the second game, Gan Guoyang scored 24 points, grabbed 22 rebounds, and dished out 12 assists, a super triple-double. His influence on the court remained unmatched, with astonishing efficiency.
The Oregon media praised Gan Guoyang, "He has become a superstar who perfectly combines individualism and team spirit, an unprecedented inside giant."
Gan Guoyang looked at the same old admiration and thought to himself, is this the higher breakthrough? To be a star perfectly combining team and individual prowess?
Able to pass, play one-on-one, defend, doing everything on the court, handling everything, wanting data, victory, and championship— is this the ultimate? Is this the higher and further scene?
Gan Guoyang was not sure, but his intuition told him something was wrong, this wasn’t it. "All-round" is just a skill, a label indicating you can do many things well.
There are many all-round players in the league. Even if Gan Guoyang achieves the ultimate all-around ability with average triple-doubles, it’s just a skill, not a realm.
All-round isn’t a realm; you can if you can, don’t force it if you can’t, ultimately for the sake of victory.
It’s not something worth pursuing unless you want an all-round reputation to cover your weaknesses.
After dining at Stockton’s house, Gan Guoyang left for the hotel with his wife and child.
Before leaving, Gan Guoyang told Stockton, "John, tell Karl to play with courage tomorrow, don’t be so timid."
Stockton looked troubled and said, "Sonny, that’s not very good."
"Nothing wrong with it, let him have the courage to elbow me, see if he’s got the guts."
"That doesn’t sound very good..."
Stockton said it wasn’t good, yet during the Jazz team’s practice the next morning, Stockton told Malone, "Ah Gan wants you to elbow him."
"What?"
"I had dinner with Ah Gan yesterday, he said you have the ability to elbow him."
"..."
Malone was silent for a moment and said, "Is he crazy?"
"Yes, so please elbow him, like you did to Robinson."
"..."
Malone was silent again, thinking that John might also be crazy.
Malone didn’t agree, nor did he refuse, he was hesitating.
Maybe he really should do something, use some strong measures to dispel his fear of Ah Gan.
Almost all the inside players in the league have some fear, more or less, when battling Ah Gan.
He’s like a cloud hanging over everyone’s heads. If you want to see the blue sky and sunshine, you need to break through this cloud.
Malone always insisted on doing his own thing, knowing his talent wasn’t enough, knowing he wasn’t a natural genius like Ah Gan.
He just worked silently, making a little progress, slowly getting closer.
In the first and second games, Malone’s performance was decent, scoring 20-plus points in both.
It’s just that his presence seemed low, as if he had become a mid-range spot-up shooter.
No impact on the inside, no crucial shots at key moments, no difficult shots at critical points.
Hence, these average 20-plus points didn’t hold much weight; they were quite watered down.
The media’s criticism of Malone never stopped; he wasn’t very bothered, his mind was all on basketball and trucks.
Over the past two years, he built a trucking team for transport business, passed a truck driving exam, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
He also likes hunting, fishing, Harley motorcycles, and everything that showcases male hormones.
Part of the reason is he genuinely likes them, another part may be his desire to showcase his masculinity.
His father’s suicide cast a long shadow on Malone.
To the outside world, Malone claimed his father died of cancer when he was three, unwilling to let others know his father ended his own life.
To him, it was a form of weakness, an inability to face life’s difficulties and fate’s harshness.
But the more Malone hid and resisted this weakness, the more it haunted him, creeping out occasionally like maggots on a bone.
In his youth, he tried to rid himself of it through various unruly acts; after basketball came into his life, he armed himself with arduous training and daily strength exercises.
Now, he’s an All-America basketball star, known as one of the strongest men in the basketball circle, boasting flaming biceps. According to TV network surveys, Karl Malone’s appeal to female fans is second only to Ah Gan and Jordan.
Yet, even so, that weak little boy within Malone still hasn’t disappeared, and when facing Ah Gan, he always comes out to control him.
The TV network kept playing clips of Malone being blocked by Gan Guoyang, when he could have made a face-up dunk to sweep away his decline, but tried a floater and layup, only to be blocked.
Talk shows ridiculed Malone, "Are those muscles just for display?"
"Do you forget you can dunk when facing Ah Gan?"
American media folks are always vicious, bringing Malone great pressure.
What Stockton said to him today added even more stress on Malone.
The two are great friends, great partners, collaborating seamlessly on and off the court.
But Malone knows Stockton’s true closest friend, lifelong brother can only be Ah Gan.
The college championship-winning experience in the NCAA they shared can’t be replaced by anyone.
After entering the league, they constantly looked after each other, their families often gathered, and this bond couldn’t be surpassed by others.
