This year, everyone knows how strong and at what level the Portland Trail Blazers are after playing against them.
wins and 5 losses? The Lakers see no chance of winning the series; winning even a single game would be considered a victory.
However, as people predicted before the series, no team this year could withstand the crushing power of the Portland Iron Cavalry.
The Lakers stand no hope; their lineup is well-structured but far from mature, unable to put up any effective resistance against the astonishingly powerful Trail Blazers.
In the two games in Portland, the Lakers were defeated by large margins, being fully dominated by the Trail Blazers.
On defense, they could not stop the sharp offense of the Blazers; on offense, even their strongest point, O’Neal, was completely restricted by Ah Gan.
Though O’Neal was guided in the first round, on the court, Gan Guoyang showed no mercy, guarding O’Neal one-on-one throughout the game.
O’Neal scored 19 points in one game and 15 in another, completely subdued.
In the second game, the Lakers lost 78:119 to the Trail Blazers, returning to Los Angeles with a 0–2 deficit.
With everyone expecting the Lakers to at least put up a strong fight in the crucial third game, at home in the Great Western Forum Arena, they collapsed again, losing 86:114 by a 28-point margin.
O’Neal gave his all and scored 28 points, but it made no difference to the situation. The Lakers could not stop the Trail Blazers’ fierce and unmatched offense.
The Blazers have already adjusted their aim to the best; not a single off game or poor form since entering the playoffs.
They not only have advanced playstyles but also ample logistical support, the best medical team, and the most relaxed and united team atmosphere.
3-0, for the Lakers, the fourth game was just a battle to save face.
This game was quite intense; the Lakers finally found some rhythm, sticking with the Blazers through the first three quarters.
But in the middle of the fourth quarter, with the Blazers trailing by 1 point, they suddenly resorted to the "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic, fouling O’Neal repeatedly to send him to the free-throw line.
As a result, O’Neal made only 1 out of 6 free throws, and the Blazers seized the opportunity, making consecutive shots to take the lead.
Faced with this predicament, Del Harris could only bench O’Neal, but with O’Neal off, the Lakers’ offense and defense fell apart even more.
The Trail Blazers capitalized on the opportunity, building on their advantage to finally beat the Lakers 99:92, sweeping them 4-0 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Gan Guoyang’s record of never missing a Western Conference Finals in his career was maintained as he once again continued his journey over the Lakers’ "corpses," about to embark on his 12th Western Conference Finals journey.
On the other side, losing the fourth game in such a manner and being swept in the series, O’Neal’s mindset collapsed.
Sweep, another sweep, at least win one game?
Returning to the locker room, O’Neal knew the kind of treatment he would receive from the media after the series ended, and he went berserk.
What infuriated him more was that Tracy McGrady and Jide were already discussing going to Las Vegas after the season, which made O’Neal even angrier.
He couldn’t understand why some players just didn’t care about victory. Why do they freeze up at crucial moments, unable to make shots?
"What are you guys thinking? Do you have no competitive spirit? Don’t you want to win?" O’Neal shouted at every teammate, which was rare for him.
Then, he yanked the television off the wall and smashed it on the ground, shattering it.
He then went to his locker, pulled out all his belongings, ripped his clothes to shreds, threw away his shoes.
He walked into the bathroom, yanked the doorknob off and threw it to the ground, and then tore the urinal off the wall, smashing it to pieces!
O’Neal, like a rampaging King Kong, wreaked havoc in the locker room, frightening his teammates.
At this time, someone suggested to have the veteran Jerome Kossie to stop O’Neal, as he was the locker room leader.
Although his performance was not as good as before, his experience gave him a voice in the Lakers.
But Kossie said, "Let him vent. He’ll be back to normal in 30 seconds, believe me; it’s better to let it out."
At this moment, Jerry West heard the commotion and walked into the locker room, pulling O’Neal aside, angrily saying, "What are you doing?"
O’Neal said, "I’m tired of losing, tired of getting swept. I work hard every night, but why does it always seem like it’s my fault!"
Jerry West consoled O’Neal, saying, "Does acting like this lead to victory? Before I won a championship, I reached the Finals 8 times without a single win. Think about that, what kind of feeling was that? 8 times, counting 1973, it was 9 times, losing the Finals. I was extremely frustrated, but I never acted like you because it doesn’t help. What you need to do is become a true leader, not throw stuff around. Go back to your seat, sit down, and listen to the coach’s summary of our season."
Jerome Kossie was right; after 30 seconds, O’Neal calmed down.
He took Jerry West’s advice, returned to his seat, and Del Harris gave a simple, uninspiring summary.
The Lakers’ 1997-1998 season ended like this, and though O’Neal was usually the most carefree person in the team, at this moment, he was the saddest and most dejected.
As everyone packed up to leave, O’Neal called out to Kossie, asking, "Jerome, how did Gan become a leader in Portland?"
Kossie thought, why the hell are you asking me this after being eliminated? You should have asked earlier!
But he answered, "Ah Gan was a leader from day one of training camp, he’s a natural leader. He’s incredibly strong, and because of this, he allows his teammates not to be as strong. Therefore, we all admire him and want to follow him."
O’Neal, deep in thought, said, "You mean Ah Gan doesn’t blame his teammates after a loss."
"Exactly. He may be harsh on his teammates, but losing is never their fault. Also, he helps everyone solve problems and improve, rather than teasing them."
After Kossie said this, O’Neal felt a bit embarrassed, as some of his pranks were indeed too much.
Kossie added, "He’s the best boss, bar none. Without him, I’m nothing. You need to make your teammates unable to leave you, not want to stay away from you, Shaq."
O’Neal nodded, having understood a lot.
Of course, a person’s nature is hard to change, and O’Neal’s personality will not undergo a major change because of one series.
But compared to the past, he eventually matured a little.
The young centers in the West are all thriving under the sunlight.