In this way, once the outside line goes silent, with Jordan getting older and being targeted and limited, Yao Ming can still serve as a core backup, providing the team with extra insurance.
While Yao Ming’s position seems similar to Sabonis, his role is actually more akin to Petrović.
In the game against the Pistons, Yao Ming scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, edging closer to the 20-point milestone.
It’s foreseeable that Yao Ming will soon break the 19-point barrier, but Charles Barkley still insists that recent games have proven that Yao Ming cannot exceed 19 points, hovering around 15 points at most.
On November 19th, the Glory Team flew to Miami for a road game against the Heat—Yao Ming facing Shaquille O’Neal for the first time.
O’Neal had a rough summer, choosing to leave the Lakers for the Heat, escaping to the warm South Coast to avoid the Glory and Gan Guoyang.
Unexpectedly, after just a few days of enjoyment, Gan Guoyang and the Glory Team arrived in the Eastern Conference, a bolt from the blue and a disaster from the heavens. It’s said that O’Neal didn’t smile for an entire month.
However, the inherently optimistic Big Shark quickly found joy in the hot Miami, where the parties are even more sizzling than Los Angeles, and the sea breeze warmer and more alluring.
This season, the Heat have no demands for their performance. Riley knows that with the Glory moving to the East District and the Celtics flourishing, having one O’Neal doesn’t change much.
The only option is to wait, like a crocodile lurking beneath the water’s surface, waiting silently for the right moment to come.
Since arriving in Miami in 1988, Riley has learned patience above all else, mainly because Ah Gan’s long-term dominance is so strong.
After repeated hits, Riley has learned to be silent, no longer showing sharp edges, but instead being restrained, low-key, and quietly getting things done.
Before the night game started, Gan Guoyang shook hands and embraced Riley on the sidelines, watching Riley’s face aging with wrinkles, recalling his once dashing and handsome look in Los Angeles, now succumbing to the ravages of time.
Even so, he has never given up on revenge, never abandoned the idea of building a super team to compete for the championship—a quest Riley has always pursued.
"Sonny, when are you finally going to retire? I’ve waited fifteen years for that day! Why the hell are you still playing?" Riley asked half-jokingly, half-heartfelt.
Not to mention Riley, Jerry West thinks the same.
In 1998, he told O’Neal, "The future is yours," and once Ah Gan retires, it’ll be Shaq’s time.
That wasn’t wrong; once Gan Guoyang retired, O’Neal indeed won a championship. But why are you still coming back?
And bringing Jordan along, teaming up—isn’t that quite shameless?
Gan Guoyang didn’t directly answer Riley’s question; too many people have asked him recently, and he himself doesn’t really know.
To Gan Guoyang, this question doesn’t need forethought or planning. He is certain that when the time comes, a voice inside will clearly tell him, "You really should leave, retire."
Right now, that voice is deeply hidden, asleep, not ready to speak.
He asked Riley in return, "How long are you going to keep stealing other people’s centers? Learning from the Lakers?"
Riley laughed and said, "But I’ve never stolen the one I want most."
Saying this, he looked at Gan Guoyang, making Gan Guoyang feel quite embarrassed and ended the conversation.
During warm-ups, O’Neal proactively approached Gan Guoyang, greeting him, "Brother, I really appreciate your esteem, chasing me down like this, crossing regions just to find me—from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference—it’s truly rare."
Gan Guoyang called Yao Ming over for a meet-and-greet with O’Neal, shaking hands and having a brief exchange.
Of course, Gan Guoyang wouldn’t say anything like, "Show mercy, tonight Yao Ming’s going to score 20 points and make Barkley look foolish."
Saying such a thing on the court is disgraceful, since performance isn’t handed over.
Moreover, if Gan Guoyang did say this, O’Neal would definitely play hard against Yao Ming, not letting him perform well.
Before the game started, Yao Ming suddenly said to Gan Guoyang, "Boss, I’m feeling particularly good today, I sense something’s going to happen tonight."
"What’s going to happen? Are you going to score 40 points over O’Neal?"
"Oh no, no, I don’t have that ability, I’m not boasting."
Gan Guoyang thought, what are you hiding? Who taught you to say things like this?
But Yao Ming speaking this way shows he has confidence in his abilities.
Gan Guoyang feels pleased, knowing that facing O’Neal, instead of fearing or avoiding, he could express such confidence.
At seven in the evening, the game started on time, with Yao Ming remaining on the bench and Ewing starting.
Even at his peak, Ewing couldn’t stop a young O’Neal, let alone now that O’Neal is 30, the prime age for a center.
Ewing, now in his twilight years, is even less a match for O’Neal, in a one-on-one defense, getting dunked by O’Neal twice in a row.
Without any pressure for performance, O’Neal’s task this year is to maintain condition and accumulate stats, preparing for next season.
Although this squanders O’Neal’s peak, he suffered greatly in recent years chasing championships, needing a break.
Riley’s true plan starts next year; after the draft if Ah Gan and Jordan retire, that’s when the Heat will truly shine.
The Heat started off neck-to-neck with the Glory, with O’Neal wreaking havoc under the basket, while Gan Guoyang focused more on the perimeter, letting the Shark do his thing.