Only when you really become a coach do you realize that it’s so hard to hold back from mocking players for their mistakes.
No one dares to talk back, including Gan Guoyang himself, who never undermines Bird’s authority, as the head coach needs dignity.
Moreover, Gan Guoyang is also dissatisfied with his teammates’ mistakes, but since the season has just started, he can still endure.
After more than an hour of training in the morning, Gan Guoyang invited everyone to a seafood restaurant in Portland, and incidentally held a small debut ceremony for Kobe.
In the restaurant, everyone egged Kobe on to sing, and he wasn’t shy at all. He sang Brandy’s folk song "I wanna be down," and everyone clapped and cheered, promising to pass the ball to Kobe more tonight so he could perform well.
By around three in the afternoon, the entire team went to the Rose Garden Arena to prepare before the game.
The Trail Blazers specially organized a press conference for Kobe’s first game, allowing him to face the reporters’ questions.
The marketing department of the Trail Blazers is very astute, already sensing the hidden commercial potential in Kobe.
People are curious about high school players, and in the previous games, Little O’Neal received quite a bit of game time.
His playing time is almost equal to that of veterans like AC Green, indicating the team’s trust in him.
In the game against the Kings, Little O’Neal scored in double digits for the first time in his career, with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block.
Of course, Little O’Neal made some mistakes, which contributed to the team’s loss; this is a detour that young players must take.
Larry Bird was asked by reporters how he viewed high school players, and he said, "I put players on the court based on their performance in training and games, not their age. If a player at 50 can bring victory to the team, I would unhesitatingly put him on the court, as long as he doesn’t have a stroke and fall on the floor halfway through."
Bird said this, but he was actually full of distrust towards high school players before the season began.
Little O’Neal gained Bird’s favor through his hard training and visible improvement each game.
Of course, to punish him for his mistakes during critical moments in the last game, Bird told Little O’Neal before the game that his playing time would be reduced tonight.
Bird wanted to appropriately increase the playing time for veterans like AC Green, to balance the locker room’s mood.
During Kobe’s press conference, Bird was in his locker room office drinking coffee, casually chatting with Ah Gan.
He asked Gan Guoyang if the attention given to young people like Kobe was too much.
"I’m worried that too much pressure might make him crack. You know, even my son called saying Kobe would be playing tonight, asking me to give him more time on the court and not let him sit on the bench. He said his classmates all wanted to see Kobe play. God, are high school players this popular now?"
Gan Guoyang sat there tying his shoelaces; he refused interviews tonight so that the reporters could focus all their attention on Kobe.
"What’s to worry about? When I was in high school, I was even more popular than he is."
Gan Guoyang in high school was undoubtedly a ratings king, creating a viewership frenzy in California and even all over America.
It’s just that his achievements in the NCAA and NBA were so great that people have forgotten he was already in the spotlight during high school.
Bird resisted the urge to pour coffee on Gan Guoyang’s head, saying, "I’m worried about his pressure, not whether he’s popular or not!"
Gan Guoyang replied, "You should worry more about your own pressure. I remember you didn’t used to like coffee, right?"
Bird put down his cup; he indeed didn’t like coffee much before, but ever since becoming a coach, he can’t stop drinking it.
"Pressure can make people crack, but it can also forge a diamond-like character and quality. I see in this kid that the greater the pressure, the more it enhances him. He won’t crack."
Gan Guoyang was right; Kobe indeed didn’t crack under the immense pressure from all sides.
On the contrary, he was eager to perform before the game started, constantly shooting, dunking during warm-ups, showcasing his agility.
He occasionally showed smiles on his face, feeling excited to be officially part of the roster.
Gan Guoyang didn’t give Kobe any instructions or advice, which was completely different from how he treated Little O’Neal.
Gan Guoyang knew that now Kobe wouldn’t listen to anything; he was focused on performing in the game.
What the actual situation will be like, we’ll know once the game starts.
Tonight’s opponent is the San Antonio Spurs in black jerseys; pre-game, the Spurs sent some bad news.
Their core player David Robinson broke his leg in the sixth game against the Heat, announcing the end of his season.
The Spurs have been unlucky these past two years; in the 1994-1995 season, they signed Moses Malone and Chuck Person in the free market, with Robinson as the core to build a strong team.
They achieved the first place in the Western Conference and second place in the regular season, with David Robinson losing the MVP race to Hakeem Olajuwon.
In the playoffs, as West’s first seed, they lost 3-4 to the Phoenix Suns in the semifinals, missing the chance to advance to the West Finals again.
In the 96 season, they maintained their strong competitiveness, securing 59 wins in the regular season, but lost to the Utah Jazz in the semifinals, shattering their championship dreams.