Kobe finally got the chance to attack, it’s his turn!
However, a whistle blew from the sidelines, pulling everyone’s attention away.
"Alright, alright guys, it’s time to wash up and get ready for today’s training."
It was Larry Bird, who had been standing off to the side watching for a while, but no one had noticed his presence.
As the new head coach of the Trail Blazers, Bird decided to personally participate in the team’s rookie training camp to observe the young players up close.
He also knew the Trail Blazers’ tradition, that Gan would undoubtedly torment the rookies with endurance and intensity training as the first threshold for joining the Trail Blazers.
Bird, dressed in a simple white polo shirt, was accompanied by Dick Hart and Rick Carlisle and signaled everyone to gather with a whistle.
Kobe’s expression looked displeased, he was just about to showcase his skills, why was he interrupted?
Why end the one-on-one right as I successfully defended and was about to enter the offensive phase?
Bird noticed Kobe’s displeasure, approached him, and said, "Gan intentionally left a flaw to end this meaningless duel, otherwise he could score a hundred points against you. Go gather, rookie!"
Kobe rolled his eyes, feeling frustrated inside, but ultimately didn’t talk back under Bird’s pressure, obediently going to gather.
One advantage when a superstar becomes a head coach is their aura of authority, which makes players, especially young ones, hesitant to challenge them.
Bird had observed Kobe during the summer league in August and quickly understood why they selected him after watching several of his games.
He’s indeed a rare talent; just watching him for two minutes in a game makes it hard to take your eyes off him, a common trait among all superstars in their youth.
Bird understood this well because people used to view and evaluate him the same way when he was young.
Gan Guoyang frequently mentioned Kobe in his conversations with Bird, and both acknowledged his talent, believing that if nurtured well, he had a bright future.
Although Bird only planned to coach for three years, what about after coaching? The position of the Trail Blazers’ General Manager could easily be his.
Buckwalter was nearing retirement, likely within the next couple of years, and by then Bird would seamlessly succeed him, holding great promise for Portland’s future.
So while Bird focused on becoming a championship coach, he gradually changed his initial goals and started paying attention to nurturing the rookies.
Youths like Kobe and Little O’Neal showed great potential during the summer league.
A few days ago, while visiting Gan’s home, they discussed Kobe and Little O’Neal, with Gan Guoyang providing accurate assessments of the two.
He considered Kobe confident and proud, with a sharp edge that, if well nurtured, could become an extraordinary weapon, but could also hurt others and himself.
So, it was essential to suppress him appropriately, letting him experience setbacks early on to polish his sharpness, calm his mind to focus more on basketball, and shrink his excessively inflated ego.
Conversely, Little O’Neal lacked confidence; he felt pressured by his high school status, actually wanting to attend college but was pushed to where he is today.
He’s younger than Kobe and doesn’t have an NBA-playing father to guide him in every aspect from a young age.
Little O’Neal had a classic start for Black kids, having a mom but no dad. His mom had many boyfriends, each offering some guidance and help, but it was far from enough.
He needed more encouragement and guidance, including how to play basketball, manage his emotions and life, and how to train and work seriously, taking responsibility like a man rather than a boy.
Bird fully agreed with Gan’s opinion, but he was curious and asked Gan Guoyang, "You’re also extremely confident, so who gave you setback education, who ever suppressed you?"
Gan Guoyang just smiled and said, "You don’t understand, and you won’t, Larry. I am who I am, others are others."
Bird liked to talk trash on the court, but off the court, he never engaged in long speeches and preferred direct communication.
He gave a brief and straightforward speech, telling everyone, "Some of you will stay, some will leave. Work hard, guys, and cherish the opportunity."
Afterward, Bird began the first training session, focusing solely on physical conditioning.
Stars like Bird, Jabbar, Gan, and Jordan have an almost pathological obsession with physically exhausting themselves through exercise.
They relied on extreme workouts and marathon-like training sessions to release enough dopamine and endorphins to reach a state of comfort and joy.
Although Bird didn’t appreciate Bill Fitch’s venomous mouth and overly harsh personality, he liked Fitch’s training methods.
Filled with confrontation from start to finish, coupled with exhaustive and thigh-weakening physical training, Bird loved that feeling.
During the off-season, he would run a dozen kilometers on the scalding pavement of Indiana under the harsh sun, his shoes sticking to the steaming ground.
This self-destructive training severely damaged Bird’s body and shortened his career, but it also built Bird’s iron will.
Although he lost in the finals to the Lakers and the Trail Blazers, he was defeated in terms of raw strength, not due to any collapse in willpower.
"If after today’s training, you still have the energy to do anything besides eating, sleeping, and shitting, then I have failed in my duty."