Besides, if I can’t beat Ah Gan, can’t I at least beat you, Kobe?
The jump ball happened, the game started, and Gan Guoyang easily won the tip-off.
In the following possessions, he continuously scored with one-on-one plays against Greg Anderson.
Using his footwork, strength, and hook shots, he easily tore through the Spurs’ interior, and the Trail Blazers quickly took the lead.
On the Spurs’ side, Dominique Wilkins, who had become their star, relied on one-on-one plays and shooting to help them catch up.
Don’t be fooled by Wilkins being a dunker; his mid-range shot is actually very precise.
This is why, even after suffering a major Achilles tendon injury, he has maintained a high scoring level over the years.
Shooting is such an important skill for a basketball player.
As the game reached the fifth minute of the first quarter, both sides entered an official timeout. Bird patted Kobe, who was sitting on the bench, indicating for him to get ready to play.
Kobe sprang to his feet as if he had a spring in his seat, took off his warm-up jacket, and did some light stretching to warm up, ready to get on the court.
The eyes of over twenty thousand spectators in the arena turned to this 18-year-old boy, anticipating his performance.
Kobe’s thoughts were simple; he wanted to dunk, to make a dunk in the Rose Garden, in a game broadcasted live across the country.
Being young, Kobe was strongly obsessed with dunking, so much so that he barely listened to Bird’s instructions and arrangements.
Soon, the timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court. As Kobe, wearing the number 8 jersey, stepped onto the court, the audience erupted in cheers.
In a Trail Blazers’ offensive play, PJ Brown threw in a sideline ball. Kobe tried to come out and receive the ball, but Wilkins closely guarded him.
Brown sent a high lob into the Three Second Zone, and Gan Guoyang leaped high, but the pass was slightly too high, and Gan Guoyang didn’t have a firm grasp of it.
As he landed, Greg Anderson and Gan Guoyang both grabbed for the ball, leading the referee to call for a jump ball, positioning them at the free-throw circle for the jump ball.
Gan Guoyang gave Kobe a look to signal; when it came to jump balls, Gan Guoyang was confident he could beat Anderson.
Kobe understood the signal; he knew this was a chance to catch the ball and attack the basket directly.
At the jump ball, Gan Guoyang beat Anderson, tipping the ball towards Kobe.
Kobe, quick with his eyes and hands, indeed caught the ball; this was an opportunity!
Gan Guoyang was getting ready to clear the interior, letting Kobe attack the Three Second Zone, giving him a chance to shine.
Then he saw Kobe land, turn, and sprint with the ball in the opposite direction...
The remaining nine players were all stunned, and the over twenty thousand spectators in the arena were also stunned.
Kobe had only the basket in his eyes, eager to complete a fast break dunk!
He had already reached the three-point line, about to jump, while cheers echoed around him.
"You’re going the wrong way!" someone shouted loudly from the sidelines.
When he looked back, no one had followed him.
Then, Kobe finally heard the referee’s whistle.
As he was about to jump, he hurriedly hit the brakes and looked back to see the other players standing still in the other half of the court.
It finally dawned on him; he messed up. They were on offense, not defense!
He almost completed a fast break and scored on his own basket, called for a backcourt violation by the referee.
Kobe’s first career point was almost an own goal, and the arena burst into laughter, filling the Rose Garden Arena with a joyful atmosphere.
One can imagine how many of the millions of fans watching on TV almost laughed to death at Kobe’s play; he’s surely making headlines tonight.
Kobe walked back with his head down, and Gan Guoyang came over, patted him on the head, and said, "Don’t go anywhere, just get back to defense, it’s the Spurs’ ball now."
"Sorry, I... was too anxious."
"It’s alright, actually you should have dunked, at least give us a great performance, right?"
"I’m sorry."
"Tonight, your task is to guard Dominique Wilkins. Stop thinking so much about dunking, got it?"
Kobe nodded vigorously; this mistake finally dislodged his obsession with dunking.
Making a fool of himself as soon as he appeared, Kobe’s rookie season doesn’t seem to be smooth sailing.
Bird sat on the sidelines with his face in his hands, trying to calm himself down. He was regretting why he had decided to become a coach.