Returning to the team made Bird feel great.
On the flight to Boston, everyone wrapped themselves in blankets for a nap, conserving energy for tomorrow’s game.
Bird, however, couldn’t sleep, not only because he was going to see many old teammates tomorrow but also because his mind was occupied with thoughts and preparations for the game.
He kept flipping through data and reports from the past fifteen games, and Spoelstra, a video analyst, had noted and commented on each game.
Some data Bird couldn’t quite understand, as these were advanced data processing methods that Spoelstra originally learned from Bobby Berman.
As a former professional player and superstar, Bird trusted his game intuition more than these human-processed data.
However, adhering to the principle of listening more for clarity and less for bias, and the belief in continuous learning and improvement, Bird still tried to understand these symbols and their underlying meanings.
Spoelstra, sitting next to Bird, was responsible for explaining to him. The beauty of these data lies in being able to roughly understand a player’s performance in a game without watching the video.
They are not only scoring, rebounds, and assists but also more detailed and advanced analyses.
These numbers attempt to digitize a basketball game like baseball, building a mathematical model to reflect the basketball game.
Of course, basketball games are very different from baseball games. Baseball is turn-based and highly structured, while basketball is more dynamic and variable.
The possibility of depicting a basketball game solely through numbers might be hard to achieve, but coaches and analysts will continuously try to get close.
Little Spo was doing some video editing and data analysis work with the team during the Ramsay era, later went to college, and after graduation, his father asked him to go to Miami, but he insisted on staying in Portland to contribute to the Trail Blazers.
"Looking at the data, Sonny’s numbers in various aspects are declining this season, but his efficiency is improving, and his contribution to the team remains very stable."
"That’s right, when Sonny is on the court, our net score is quite impressive. Also, our defense efficiency, controlling the opponent’s score per possession is terrifying. Our defense in the Three Second Zone is impeccable."
"What about when Sonny is not on the court?"
"When he’s not on the court, our control is still good, it’s just..."
"Just what?"
"I found that if Kobe is on the court, our offensive efficiency drops. In fact, when he’s on the court, our offense isn’t as smooth."
Little Spo secretly complained to Bird, in his opinion, the Trail Blazers’ lineup and style of play were quite perfect.
But Kobe seemed like an abrupt ink spot on a perfect painting or an eye-catching nail on a marble sculpture; his presence slightly disrupted the overall harmony.
Both the data and on-court performance reflected this, and the coaching staff didn’t really like this guy.
However, Bird always insisted on using him, and both General Manager Buckwalter and owner Old Tang were also very supportive of giving Kobe more playtime.
This was a different mindset and perspective leading to different views on the same player, with Little Spo more inclined to look at things from a team basketball perspective.
Bird put the data log away and said to Little Spo, "Basketball can be datafied, but there’s a part of it that remains unpredictable. Keeping that part always is what makes basketball complete."
Little Spo seemed to understand somewhat, not entirely comprehending.
He never had the chance to play professional basketball and did not have a profound understanding of certain things.
Many truths, from knowing to understanding to execution, and finally to deeply comprehending the unity of knowledge and action, have many mountains and rivers apart at each step.
Spoelstra was just starting on this journey.
Upon arriving in Boston and checking into the hotel, Bird’s former therapist, now the head of the Celtics Medical Center, Dan Drake, came to visit his room.
Drake was very concerned about Bird’s heart issues and asked why he wouldn’t rest longer until he was completely stable before returning to work.
"The heart is no small issue, and the intensity of coaching is no less than that of being a player. You should be more cautious."
"Oh, I’m really fine, don’t worry. I need to come back to work and let my heart get some exercise; otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll lose my job."
Bird joked that the Trail Blazers’ outstanding performance and winning streak during this period put immense pressure on him.
As a former superstar, Bird liked pressure and challenges, and facing the Celtics in his comeback was a challenge for him.
After the new season started, the Celtics acquired Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, and Cliff Robinson, transforming from a 15-win underdog.
In the previous games, the Celtics achieved a 12-5 record, high atop the Eastern Conference.
Winning a few more games after December would surpass their wins from the previous season.
Duncan’s influence was significant, making this a battle of the top teams of the East and the West.
If the Trail Blazers lose, not only will their golden status be broken, but Bird will also bear the brunt of public criticism.
Winning well when you’re not here, but losing as soon as you come back, and losing to your old team as well.
Bird had already thought about the kind of attacks he’d face if he lost the game and how he would handle them.
But he didn’t care, for if a person fears failure and the responsibility of failure, they would rarely experience truly significant victories.