The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1592 - 39: Survive

"Welcome to NBC’s broadcast of the first game of the 1998 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals. Hello, everyone, I’m Mike Breen.

The matchup is once again between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, a replay of last year’s Western Conference Finals. It’s also the Trail Blazers’ 12th appearance on this stage since 1985.

In recent years, they have appeared in the West Finals more times than most teams have appeared in Conference Finals in their entire history.

Joining me tonight for game commentary is former Trail Blazers player and MVP, Bill Walton. Hello, Walton."

NBC has dispatched Mike Breen and Bill Walton as the commentary duo for this game.

Since retiring, Walton has been actively involved in sports commentary. Since 1992, he has been working for CBS as a guest commentator for NBA and college basketball.

Up until the age of 28, Walton suffered from a stuttering problem.

At 28, with the help of legendary broadcaster Martin Glickman, he overcame this psychological barrier and corrected his stuttering.

Since then, he’s become a loquacious giant with a gift of gab, and he’s quite popular among sports commentary audiences.

"Hello, Mike, glad to be working with you. There’s nothing more enjoyable than chatting with you while watching a Trail Blazers game," Walton said relaxedly.

Walton is undoubtedly a die-hard Trail Blazers fan and a fan of Gan Guoyang.

Because his bias when commenting on Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang’s games is too obvious, NBC often arranges for him to comment on other games.

But with the Conference Finals, the Western and Eastern games are staggered, and the network had no choice. Walton returned to his beloved Portland, commentating at the Rose Garden.

"Do you feel relaxed because you think the Trail Blazers are going to win?"

"Oh, Mike, as a commentator, I should remain neutral. But you know, the Jazz don’t stand a chance."

"But the Jazz defeated the Portland Trail Blazers last season."

"It’s precisely because the Jazz beat the Blazers last season that they don’t stand a chance this time."

Walton said confidently, because he knows Ah Gan, knows the Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang never falls twice in the same place, nor is he consecutively defeated by the same opponent.

Losing the West Finals in 1997, while perhaps not unforgettable, was certainly regrettable, wasting one of Gan Guoyang’s most heroic seasons.

Many, including Bill Walton, felt it was a pity. That year was perhaps the most individualistic in Gan Guoyang’s career, a comeback with astonishing performances, leading the team back to the Conference Finals.

If they had reached the NBA Finals, even losing to the Chicago Bulls would have been more historic than falling in the West Finals.

The Jazz are laudable, but fans always yearn for talent and heroism more.

This season, the Trail Blazers are making a comeback, shifting from extreme individualism to extreme teamwork.

Gan Guoyang carried a strong sense of revenge from November to May, and into June.

Can the Jazz withstand the scorching sun? The expectations were quite pessimistic.

Before the game officially started, the NBA announced that Gan Guoyang won the 1997-1998 season’s regular-season MVP.

It was another MVP trophy after Gan Guoyang’s comeback, and after the opening ceremony, there was an MVP award presentation on site.

Gan Guoyang received the trophy from David Stern, lifting it high. This was his sixth MVP in his career.

Stern said in his award speech, "Ah Gan’s performance has shown everyone what a true MVP is. Congratulations, Sonny."

Gan Guoyang’s speech was quite simple, without much reflection. He had won this trophy too many times and was even tired of it.

The voters were also somewhat fatigued, but there was no alternative. You couldn’t really deny the MVP to the core player of a team with 77 wins.

Statistically, Gan Guoyang had 27 points, 15.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.9 blocks this season, significant drops from last season, yet still leading in the League. This MVP was well-deserved.

"This year’s Most Valuable Player belongs to every Trail Blazers player. I’m merely a small representative. In a few weeks, we’ll be taking home the MVP trophy that belongs to each and every one of us, the O’Brien Trophy."

Gan Guoyang finished speaking to the cheers of the entire Rose Garden, confidently promising a championship.

On the other side of the court, on the bench, the Jazz players watched the award ceremony without saying a word.

The fierce spirit from the plane seemed to dissipate. Being at the Rose Garden, feeling Ah Gan’s aura up close, was a completely different experience.

After years of grinding, coupled with the unparalleled fighting power of the Trail Blazers this season, it was commendable that the Jazz players hadn’t conceded already.

Especially for someone like Malone, who, since his rookie season, found himself continually at a disadvantage in matchups despite defeating the Blazers last season, causing a conditioned fear to settle in his mind.

Stockton could see that Malone was uncharacteristically nervous before the game.

For instance, he was unusually quiet, his gaze empty, and his eyes unfocused during the coach’s tactical instructions.

Stockton called Malone once, but he didn’t respond. It took a second call for Malone to snap out of it, indicating his unsettled state.