The Golden Age of Basketball

"Ever since I met Michael Jackson, we've been friends because we're alike.

We both had lonely childhoods, liking to hide in caves like groundhogs, viewing the world with unease.

But Michael differs from me in one major way: When I emerged from this cave, I used my reason and strength to protect myself and kept those I recognized close.

I've always believed love is very private, fragile, and needs protection. The more you love, the more you need to guard it, being cunning and strong like a fox and a lion.

Michael is different. He chooses to embrace this dangerous, unfamiliar world, being too good to many people, exceeding limits, thus getting caught in many dangerous relationships, exploited by some terrible people, and hurt by the evil in human nature.

So Michael is a fool. Many times, I have to act as his 'guardian,' telling him who can be friends and who should stay away, what words can be said, and what actions should not be done.

Most of the time, Michael nods, agreeing with me, but once we're apart, he does as he pleases, making weird "vampire" friends and letting rumors fly.

I solve his troubles, then he creates more troubles, continuously, and when I get angry, I complain to him. He always says, 'Why don't we dance to relax.'

The thing I fear most in my life is dancing—the second is riding roller coasters.

One day, I suddenly realized that this is Michael; this is who he is. This is his way of doing things. Not doing this would make him collapse; without this, he wouldn't be Michael Jackson.

Many have hurt him, but more people love him. He has received many things I haven't, is more popular, and more great than me. That's who he is.

He deserves it."

———— Excerpt from Wu Zhixiong's biography "The Story of Ah Gan" published in 2025.

On May 6, the Trail Blazers faced the Lakers in the fourth game.

The Trail Blazers, who had been pushed back by the Lakers, didn't want to give the opponents another chance.

The Lakers, inspired by the third game, had six players scoring in double digits.

The Trail Blazers had noticeable defensive flaws, especially on the perimeter.

In the playoffs, defense is decisive, an important indicator distinguishing strong teams from mid-tier teams.

Because offense can easily be affected by various factors, while defense remains more stable.

In the unpredictable nights of the NBA, solid defense is the greatest assurance.

Thus, in the fourth game, the Trail Blazers adjusted their defense—Gan Guoyang was moved to the power forward position.

For the past few seasons, Gan Guoyang has oscillated between center and power forward positions.

Last season, Gan Guoyang primarily played as a center, allowing Sabonis to roam as power forward.

Gan Guoyang's defense in the three-second zone was solid, his ability to protect the basket undeniable.

Meanwhile, Sabonis, though large, had good mobility and effectively patched up gaps.

This season, things have changed significantly.

Ah Gan remains Ah Gan, but Sabonis's mobility has declined due to injuries.

When an inside defender's mobility decreases, their efficiency in defending perimeter players drops significantly.

Moreover, Sabonis wasn't solely responsible for defending the perimeter at power forward.

Working with him in hunting down opponents were Jerome Kossie, Lewis, and Cliff-Robinson.

They were all tall, long-limbed, strong small forwards, so defensive results were naturally good.

However, this season, Jerome Kossie's performance decreased severely due to injuries and off-court incidents after signing a big contract.

Cliff-Robinson was directly poached, replaced by Mario Ely.

Ely is fairly balanced in various aspects, but at 6'5", he's a bit small.

His effectiveness in assisting with inside defense is slightly less.

Also, Lewis has heavier duties on both offense and defense, reducing his defensive efforts.

Porter aged; Petrović was never good at defense, and they were still counting on Lewis for help.

Thus, the Trail Blazers' previously strong wing barrier started to leak everywhere, problems persisted.

In the regular season, the Trail Blazers could still barely maintain, Beelman insisted on keeping Ah Gan as center.

This protected the crucial basket and backcourt rebounds, counting on offense to outscore the opponents.

But in the targeted playoffs, things are different, as opponents continuously attack your weaknesses.

Lakers' forwards and guards utilize diverse offensive means to attack, from low post, mid-range, to the top of the arc.

The third game saw Lakers multiple players scoring over 15 points, creating a major defensive pressure on the Trail Blazers.

In the latter part of the season, Lakers coach Fender placed James Worthy on the bench, letting him play as the sixth man.

The 31-year-old Worthy is one of the few old-time forwards in the league, poor at long shots but skilled in the low post.

His average scoring in the regular season had dropped to 15 points, but his playoff performance improved significantly.

Worthy has always been a key figure in playoffs, performing better in crucial games.

This also relates to his tendency to play inside.

In the third game, Worthy came off the bench scoring 21 points, a crucial character in Lakers' victory over the Trail Blazers.

By the fourth game, the Trail Blazers made significant adjustments to their lineup.