The Golden Age of Basketball

A 10-year age difference can still be considered rivalry, but a 20-year difference certainly spans generations; some players’ parents are even younger than Ah Gan.

Nowadays, when young players compete against Glory, it’s no longer "I used to be your fan," but "My dad was your fan, my parents grew up watching you play."

In such circumstances, Gan Guoyang really finds it hard to be ruthless anymore. He’s toned it down, from a towering mountain to a seemingly ordinary hill.

Only occasionally does he show his sharpness, like the game where he scored 50 to establish dominance over Allen Iverson, some major focus games, and future playoffs.

In the second quarter, Gan Guoyang sat on the sidelines resting, while Kobe continued fighting on the court. He was in great form, making a huge impact on both offense and defense.

One phenomenon is that the team Kobe is on hardly needs a second defensive key player in the backcourt; he alone can handle many tasks, allowing the team to boldly invest resources in the frontcourt.

Back in the day, Gan Guoyang needed a reliable center substitute, but Kobe doesn’t; he’s a player capable of doing many things.

Watching Kobe race around the court, Gan Guoyang, sitting at the sidelines, was filled with reflections of his past self.

"Just a bit lacking in talent, playing a bit clumsy, missing big-picture vision, and not accurate in shooting; otherwise, his achievements would be even greater." Gan Guoyang silently rated Kobe, the kind that would really infuriate Kobe if he heard it.

The first half was fiercely contested, ending at 51:50, with Glory still leading the Trail Blazers by one point.

The shorthanded Trail Blazers were constantly chasing from behind, whenever the gap widened a bit, Kobe would rely on his personal abilities to score consecutively.

But when the Trail Blazers tried to surpass, it was as if an invisible hand gently held the Trail Blazers and Kobe down, preventing them from fully overturning.

Allen Iverson and Kobe were fiercely battling on the court; at the start, they were relatively cordial, but halfway through, they were already trash-talking each other.

Kobe is good at messing with people’s mentality; in the second quarter, he repeatedly mismatched Allen Iverson during offensive plays, starting to use his physical advantage to continuously attack him.

"I know you can’t guard me."

"I’m going left now, watch out."

"You’re only left with gambling steals now, aren’t you, Allen, aren’t you?"

Kobe likes using these tactics to attack Allen Iverson; Allen’s defense already has weaknesses.

Porter initially wanted Beldo to protect Allen Iverson, but Allen Iverson indicated he didn’t need it; he wanted to duel Kobe on the court.

Kobe ultimately surpasses in personal ability and physical fitness; by halftime, he scored 23 points, got 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

Allen Iverson scored 13 points, only half of Kobe’s, but of course, Allen Iverson didn’t take as many shots as Kobe; he didn’t act recklessly and relied more on team play.

"You only have one option now, Allen! During halftime, go talk to old man Ah Gan, ask him to save you. Not sure if that old guy still has the ability."

"Forget it, Kobe, hasn’t old man Ah Gan helped you enough? Your four rings are all connected to him; I’m just walking the path of success you’ve treaded."

Allen Iverson’s rebuttal touched a nerve in Kobe; he shook his head, "You’re spouting nonsense, Allen, what a load of crap."

"First win an MVP, then let’s talk, Kobe, win an MVP!"

That really upset Kobe; the regular season MVP has always been a knot in his heart he couldn’t untangle.