Because Vancouver is very close to the Trail Blazers, the match between the two teams is always scheduled early in the season.
In the 1996-1997 season, when Gan Guoyang first returned, the initial game was against the Grizzlies in Vancouver.
At that time, the young Grizzlies were pathetically weak, not even up to NBA level, and seemed fragile as summer ice floes facing the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang.
Three seasons have passed, and the Grizzlies are still struggling in the mire, seemingly sinking even deeper—they never managed to get that superstar who could change the team’s fate, which is fatal for a young team.
In contrast, the Toronto Raptors, also in Canada, were lucky enough to get Vince Carter in 1998. This North Carolina "UFO" quickly ignited Toronto’s basketball market, the attendance rates soared, and Carter began to be known as the "Canadian Flyer."
With Carter’s influence and box office appeal, the Raptors have already secured their position in Toronto.
The Vancouver Grizzlies were quite envious, so they selected Steve Francis in the 1999 draft, hoping to replicate Carter’s impact.
However, the rebellious Francis didn’t want to report to Vancouver at all, dragging out the entire summer with the Grizzlies, unwilling to relent even before the training camp started.
Eventually, the Grizzlies’ management lacked enough moxie; facing Francis’ uncooperative attitude, they finally chose to compromise and traded Francis to the Houston Rockets before the season started.
The Rockets had just lost their top pick Chris Weber and needed a talented player who could act as the team’s core and attract fans; Francis’s willingness to come was exactly what they wanted, making it a win for them no matter what.
Thus, the Rockets sent away Sam Cassell, a few others, plus a 2003 first-round draft pick, bringing Francis from the remote Vancouver to Texas.
For Vancouver fans, it was bittersweet, as a player like Sam Cassell was the best guard the Grizzlies could have in recent years, and his arrival somewhat boosted the Grizzlies’ strength.
In the first game against the Trail Blazers without Ah Gan, Vancouver fans still showed enormous enthusiasm—the arena attendance rate reached 80%, because even without Ah Gan, at least they had Barkley.
Barkley always had a strong box office appeal in the NBA, and everyone was eager to see this bald fatty stir up a storm and wreak havoc on the court.
Tonight, Barkley replaced Gan Guoyang in the starting lineup, garnering the most spotlight and becoming the focus of the television broadcast.
Everyone was curious about his performance after joining the Trail Blazers and whether, with reports of having lost 30 pounds (actually just 25 pounds), he’d show any improvement in form.
In past few seasons, every time before the season began, Barkley would boast grandly, saying things like "This will be a great season" or "We will embark on a remarkable journey."
But the results often weren’t ideal, ending in disasters, like last year in New Jersey where he and Scottie Pippen ended up not speaking to each other, attacking each other on shows.
This season, Pippen remains in New Jersey. The combination of Olajuwon, Richmond, Pippen, and Fan Huo’en is still quite competitive.
After joining the Trail Blazers, Barkley learned to keep silent and low-key, not making any predictions for the new season.
After confirming this was his final season, he became more cautious and cherished in every aspect.
Because he knows this is the last chance, leaving no room for even the slightest mistake.
On the court, Barkley also changed his previous bold and unyielding style, playing smarter and more carefully.
After the game started, Barkley didn’t squat low requesting the ball continuously but instead held the ball more for playmaking at the high post.
During his time with the Phoenix Suns, Barkley already displayed his talents in high post plays; his average assists once reached 5.1 per game, mostly from passing at the high post.
Especially in feeding the ball inside from the top of the key, Barkley, even without height and view advantage, could deliver excellent assist passes, showcasing his awareness and technique.
Occasionally, in low post and fast-break situations, Barkley could amaze the audience with behind-the-back passes, so sometimes he boasted about being the third best in the 90s after Jordan and Ah Gan, which had some credibility. Offensively, he indeed was a versatile and talented player.
In this game, Barkley filled the huge offensive gap left by Gan Guoyang’s absence very well for the Trail Blazers.
Neither Little O’Neal nor Big Ben could fill this gap, just as Barkley could, preventing the Trail Blazers from severely hobbling.
After all, Barkley could be said to be an all-around weakened version of Ah Gan (except for weight).
During the summer, Bird decisively offered Barkley a contract, considering that Ah Gan might encounter off-court troubles in the new season.
Unexpectedly, troubles really came just as the season began.
In the first quarter, both sides were evenly matched, but in the latter half of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers began to exert strength, and the Grizzlies gradually failed to keep pace.
The Grizzlies, and maybe the entire Vancouver, haven’t recovered from the shadow of Francis’s "rebellion" over the summer.
The management spent a tremendous amount of time and effort in negotiations but ultimately did not obtain a satisfactory result.
The team’s future construction, roster building, and marketing plans all fell through, hastily entering the 1999-2000 season.