At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang was sitting on the bench resting.
Little O’Neal got a chance to play, and when he stepped onto the court, he became the youngest player in NBA history to participate in an official game.
He still looked youthful, wearing the No. 5 jersey. His arms had gotten a bit stronger since the draft in June, but only slightly.
He wasn’t wearing any protective gear, apart from his clothes, shoes, and socks, and he didn’t have any tattoos, so he looked very clean-cut.
Young players are mostly like this, like a blank slate. It’s not their first time touching a basketball; they’ve played many high school and college basketball games.
But the NBA is different, completely different. It is a big stage, a melting pot, where young people drift and experience rapid changes.
For Jermaine O’Neal, the greatest fortune of joining the League was having Ah Gan to guide him, guiding him comprehensively from life to basketball.
Little O’Neal is a good student; he has been diligently imitating and learning. Like Kobe, he’s always been observing his idol’s every move in detail.
The difference is that after observing, Kobe thinks about how to take down Ah Gan in the future, while Little O’Neal thinks, "I can become an inside presence like Ah Gan."
What Little O’Neal should observe and learn from the most is undoubtedly Gan Guoyang’s defense. From rookie training camp, to preseason, to regular season, Gan Guoyang’s defense amazed Little O’Neal.
Outstanding positioning, amazing anticipation, and always making the optimal choice even in disadvantageous situations. Little O’Neal didn’t know how Gan Guoyang did it.
Gan Guoyang would always tell Little O’Neal to use his brain to think, continuously summarize experiences, and slowly form his own judgment. Of course, talent is also very important.
Little O’Neal has talent. He was originally a guard in high school, then grew into a big man and switched to playing inside, determined to become an inside defensive wall like Bill Russell or Ah Gan.
In the state league of South Carolina, Little O’Neal averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 blocks per game. The talented players who make it to the NBA dominate high school like this.
But it’s naturally not the same in the NBA. He faces not mere high school enthusiasts who can’t even make it to college, but the best of the best, some of the world’s top basketball players.
Even a weak team like the Vancouver Grizzlies, if underestimated, can still cause an upset.
Among the 15 wins the Grizzlies claimed last season, two were from defeating the Trail Blazers, one of which was in the opening game.
The Trail Blazers became the only team last season that gave the Grizzlies warmth twice; you can’t say it’s a huge disgrace, but it was certainly unsightly.
Little O’Neal started making mistakes shortly after entering the court. He misjudged Rashim’s actions during defense, causing a defensive foul.
Rashim broke through with the ball, passed Little O’Neal, and scored a layup, narrowing the gap for the Grizzlies.
Having gotten used to playing against high school players whose height and bounce are far inferior to his, he habitually took a step back on defense or tried to predict what would happen on his own.
Because by showing a little gap and allowing some space, he could then block his opponent hard, the physical gap between them was too big.
This doesn’t work in the NBA unless your anticipation and defensive skills are as excellent as Gan Guoyang’s or Olajuwon’s.
"Get physical, kid! Get physical!" Gan Guoyang shouted from the sidelines.
This comeback, Gan Guoyang found playing basketball more mentally exhausting than before.
Previously, playing was just playing, with experienced teammates, high skills, and tacit cooperation.
His attention focused solely on the game and the opponents.
Now it’s different. He has to pay attention to the dynamics of the young players and give them pointers.
Bird said beside him: "Don’t shout randomly; the players will adapt themselves. They have brains."
Gan Guoyang replied: "You don’t shout, but you won’t let me shout? Jermaine needs pushing."
After a few rounds, Little O’Neal really started playing more decently, successfully defending against Rashim once.
However, on offense, he was hesitant, holding the ball, unsure of what to do, and made a passing error.
Bird didn’t rush to sub him out; he gave Little O’Neal time to make mistakes.
Both Bird and Gan Guoyang appreciated the talents of Little O’Neal and Kobe.
Before coming to the Trail Blazers, he was puzzled why the Trail Blazers selected two high schoolers.
But after a series of training camps and frequent training together, Bird realized that the Trail Blazers had a very keen eye.
Bird even wanted to say that the Trail Blazers had secured the best perimeter player and the best inside player of the 1996 draft.
The premise is to cultivate them correctly; both of them are semi-finished products.
Different from Gan Guoyang’s one-on-one personal coaching, Bird, as the team coach, can’t be too biased.
He had to consider the whole team, consider the overall picture, so his greatest help to Kobe and Little O’Neal was increasing their playing time, allowing them to refine themselves in the game.
Nothing hones a player’s skill better than playing high-level games.
Gan Guoyang also kept improving in high-level games back then. His learning ability was so strong that he could get taught a lesson in the first half and come back in the second half.
Little O’Neal does not yet have this ability. When he committed a foul during defense in the mid-second quarter and received his second foul of the game, Bird subbed him out.
In the few minutes on court, Little O’Neal contributed 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, with no other statistical achievements.