The sudden conflict between the two sides angered Gan Guoyang, who then charged into the basket on offense, pushed away Kaman, and delivered a powerful two-handed slam dunk, telling the young rocker, "When I was playing in the NBA, you were still playing in the mud!"
Kaman was born in 1982, and when Gan Guoyang was wreaking havoc in the NBA, Kaman was indeed still playing in the mud.
As for the younger Rondo, who stepped up for Gan Guoyang, he was born in 1986. When he was born, Gan Guoyang had already won his first NBA championship.
The morale-boosted Glory didn’t give the Clippers another chance, maintaining their pressure in the third and fourth quarters. Unable to provide a strong counterattack inside, the Clippers gave up resisting in the last two minutes. Deng Liwei substituted the main players, signaling surrender.
With a score of 94:86, Glory won the first battle by an 8-point advantage, marking a good start to the new season.
The loss cast a shadow over the Clippers, who were full of confidence, intending to achieve great things in the new season.
Carl only scored 11 points with a 40% shooting percentage. Brand, facing Ah Gan’s defense, only managed 8 points, which was too few.
The two crucial inside and outside cores performed abnormally. While Glory’s defense was part of it, it was mainly their lack of last season’s form.
In the NBA, there are too many teams and players like this, who can only play well for one season. Once they erupt one season, they face a sharp decline the next.
This dazzling NBA world makes maintaining long-term competitiveness really not easy.
Gan Guoyang comfortably scored 27 points with 12 rebounds for the entire match; most of his points came from mid-range shots.
He has become a "mid-range shooting guy," seldom using the varied and unique offensive means he once prided himself on.
After a brief interview by the sidelines, Gan Guoyang returned to the locker room for a shower and saw Rondo sitting on the bench dazed.
"Hey, don’t be so impulsive next time. I’ll cover the fine for this foul."
They bumped fists, Rondo said, "I wasn’t doing it for you; I was just protecting my teammates."
"I am your teammate. That’s the right thing, but next time your punch should be heavier. When you decide to swing your fist, you’re already deciding not to play further in the game, right? So, by all means, make sure to send at least one opponent off the field, otherwise, it’s a loss. Don’t you think so?" Gan Guoyang never forgets to teach the youngsters.
Rondo felt Gan Guoyang was making a lot of sense and nodded vigorously.
Porter overheard Gan Guoyang’s words and muttered, "The league’s young people are getting worse in behavior, you are responsible, Sonny."
"It’s because there are too few players like me that the behavior is getting worse. You forget, for a long time, the Portland Trail Blazers games were the most peaceful in the league?"
"I wasn’t talking about fighting, I meant shooting over defensive pressure with three or four people, yet still missing the shot in the end."
"Blame Kobe for that."
"But Kobe was trained by you."
"Kobe is now an entirely new player, wholly belonging to his own transformation, no longer my disciple."
Gan Guoyang and Porter always engage in debates after the match, just like Gan Guoyang once did with Jordan; it’s how old friends exchange views.
Gan Guoyang understood the message from Porter; he was not satisfied with the team’s offense. In the past few seasons, Glory has been unable to solve the offensive difficulty.
The regular season is not much, but once facing stagnation in the playoffs, all pressure falls on Gan Guoyang’s shoulders, facing a strong and dynamic team, wouldn’t that lead to losing?
Porter’s concern was not unwarranted. Two days later, Glory faced the season’s second opponent, the Phoenix Suns.
This season, with Stoudemire’s return, the Nash + Stoudemire combination once again launched an attack towards the championship.
Unquestionably, the Suns have emerged as a new powerhouse in the Western Conference these few seasons. Nash’s arrival invigorated Stoudemire with formidable energy and gave the declining Grant Hill a boost to the All-Star.
Since joining Phoenix, Hill only suffered one relatively severe injury and has remained healthy since the 02-03 season.
Though players like him, relying heavily on instinct, have not performed great in leading the team; his offensive force is robust, and assists are well-organized, but he can’t become the team’s brain, only fulfills his own duties.
Nash’s arrival activated this former super idol; his aggressive play type matched very well with Nash, leaving the Suns just a step from the finals.
Also, in the summer of ’05, the Suns traded Joe Johnson for Boris Diaw. During Stoudemire’s absence in the ’06 season, Diaw shone remarkably, earning the title "French Magician," adding another strong asset to the Suns.
Actually, the Suns chose not to re-sign Joe Johnson mainly due to stinginess. Diaw, before joining the Suns, was almost unheard of, with nobody optimistic about him.
Yet the error turned into a fortune, giving the Suns a treasure, thus extending their success for two more seasons.
Now Nash is already 32, and Grant Hill is 34, with little time left for both to strive for the championship together.
Of course, upon seeing Gan Guoyang before the game, Nash and Hill both felt very youthful.
Even at 42 years old, Ah Gan is still working hard for the championship dream, why should they worry when they’re only in their early 30s?
This match thoroughly exposed Glory’s shortage of offensive firepower, as it quickly fell into the Suns’ rhythm right from the start.