Larry Bird could tell from Kobe’s last-minute performance that Kobe is definitely a clutch player.
Leaving him on the court at the final moment was the right decision.
For Kobe, this thrilling battle was a turning point in his rookie season.
From being injured at the start of the season and unable to play, to making mistakes in his first appearance and then having unstable performances in later games.
On January 4th against the Bulls, Kobe finally began to make a name for himself in the NBA with his performance.
The footage of his steal, layup, and final pass repeatedly appeared on TV programs.
Discussion about him increased, and Sports Illustrated wrote a short piece specifically on Kobe’s achievements so far in his rookie season.
Advertisers and book publishers were excited, and promotions and packaging for Kobe were put on the agenda.
Kobe’s parents were also satisfied with his performance, and that night they experienced the thrill of excitement at the Rose Garden.
It can be foreseen that in future games, he will have more and more opportunities to play.
It was this battle that firmly established Kobe’s confidence to forge ahead in the NBA.
He believes he can do many things—attack, defend, and decide the outcome of the game.
Besides Kobe, this battle also affected many others’ destinies.
Shortly after the game ended, Gan Guoyang received a call from Hu Weidong.
The two chatted, and Hu Weidong said he had decided to stay in the NBA.
He wants to heal his injury first, then rejoin training and games, and first strive to secure a position with the Lakers.
"I’m also number 8, I feel like I’ll play well."
Hu Weidong’s words have always been straightforward, without grandiose statements.
A simple sentence, yet it conveys his determination.
Gan Guoyang encouraged Old Hu to heal his injury well, reminding him not to forget self-improvement while recuperating.
He needs to train upper body strength, maintain his shooting feel, and watch plenty of game footage.
Hu Weidong kept all of this in mind, and occasionally called to ask for advice and report his situation.
Once, Gan Guoyang asked if he had been in contact with Zhang Weiping, to which Hu Weidong replied, "Old Zhang went back to China, he stopped selling beer, and went back to doing commentary."
"Really, he stopped selling beer and went back to commentary?"
"Of course, really, we had a meal before he left. He said he still loves basketball and can’t be without it. He also said that having a favorite player gives him motivation to watch."
"Really, that player wouldn’t be me, would it?"
"I don’t know about that; if he liked you, he should have liked you earlier."
When someone finds and accepts what they truly love, they will wholeheartedly invest in it.
Both Hu Weidong and Zhang Weiping found their answers in basketball.
The Trail Blazers’ victory was just a prelude; the ultimate answer was already in their hearts.
Another big event was Michael Jackson.
On January 4th, at a concert in Hawaii, Jackson announced he would be getting married.
This news shocked all of America even more than Gan Guoyang’s sixty-foot game-winner against the Bulls.
Immediately some die-hard fans chose to commit suicide, causing a frenzy in the press for a while.
Especially when the public learned that Jackson’s intended spouse was an ordinary white nurse, rumors flew everywhere.
But Jackson didn’t care; he had simply made his choice and accepted the corresponding consequences for it.
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Entering 1997, the Trail Blazers’ schedule became somewhat milder.
Throughout January, the vast majority of their games were at home.
This included five consecutive home games, giving the Trail Blazers ample time to adjust.
After the games, players didn’t have to immediately board the bus to the airport to rush to the next city.
They could comfortably take a shower, go home, or hit the nightclubs and bars for a good time.
As long as they could arrive at the training facility on time at 7:30 the next morning to start their training.
Larry Bird was becoming more adept in the head coach position.
In the game against the Bulls, his matchup with Phil Jackson was essentially a victory.
His three crucial timeouts in the second half all worked wonders, leading to a turnaround in the score.
The final shot was no longer within the coach’s control, and even if it didn’t go in, Bird had done his best.
Especially in the third quarter, when he insisted on not calling a timeout, letting Rick Carlisle and Dick Hart realize where they and Larry Bird differed.
Bird had an extraordinary composure and precise intuition of the game situation, sensing they would reach a critical moment when timeouts would be exceptionally valuable.
He withstood pressure from assistant coaches and the game situation, believing in his players to handle it, and saved the timeouts for the most crucial moment.
The use and control of timeouts are something many professional coaches don’t do well, and many victories are lost due to incorrect timeout usage.
Particularly in the high-pressure playoffs, calling timeouts too early or late can lead to disastrous consequences.
Knowing when and how to call a timeout reflects a coach’s understanding of the game and ability to handle pressure.
Thus, through this battle, Carlisle and Hart became more respectful of Bird, and as assistant coaches, they worked even harder.
Of course, there were surely people who disagreed, like Gan Guoyang.
Over the matter of not calling a timeout in the third quarter, he argued with Bird for three days.
"I bet you were so engrossed in watching the game that you forgot you’re a coach and not a spectator."