Chapter 78

In 1994, the NBA held its first Thanksgiving Day game under David Stern's leadership, with the Golden State Warriors facing the Indiana Pacers. This marked the NBA's first attempt to challenge the NFL, the top professional league in the United States, after its commercial maturity. However, this effort was not very successful, as the NFL was too strong. In recent years, the NBA has stopped scheduling games on Thanksgiving. I remember there were no NBA games on Thanksgiving last season, though I haven't checked in detail, but it should be mostly correct.

As the end of November approached, most NBA teams had played nine games. Although for an 82-game regular season, this was still just the beginning, it was clear who was performing well and who was not after all the teams had played a few games. This year's NBA was a particularly special season because of Michael Jordan's departure, which gave almost all the top teams hope of winning the NBA championship. Therefore, the teams considered favorites at the start of the season, such as the Houston Rockets, Seattle SuperSonics, and Phoenix Suns, were all highly motivated. The New York Knicks, for example, started the season with a seven-game winning streak, while the Houston Rockets had an impressive nine-game winning streak, remaining undefeated. The Seattle SuperSonics, who reached the Western Conference Finals last season, were 8-1, having lost only to the Utah Jazz.

These top contenders had a terrifying start, indicating their strong desire to win the championship this year. However, one team among these favorites stood out for its lack of competitiveness.

Although the Rockets, Knicks, and SuperSonics were considered favorites this year, these teams were not the ones that reached the Finals last season. After the Bulls, the only team to reach the Finals was the Phoenix Suns. The Suns did not weaken after losing to the Bulls in the Finals; their core players, including Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, and Dan Majerle, remained with the team. Dan Majerle, in particular, signed a big contract with the Suns for the new season, earning nearly $3 million annually, making him the second-highest paid player after Barkley. The Suns also signed former Lakers champion center AC Green in free agency, showing their determination to make a big push this year.

The Suns had the capability to do so, but their start was disappointing, suggesting a lack of mental preparation compared to other championship contenders.

The Suns, with a new MVP and a Finals appearance, were considered the top favorites for the championship. However, it seemed that the entire Suns team believed that the NBA championship would come to them without much effort, leading to a bizarre start to their season.

For example, despite a 6-2 start, the two losses were hard to understand. One loss was to the Rockets, a fellow favorite, but the other was to the Los Angeles Lakers, a team in the midst of a rebuild with many rookies and veterans, and without AC Green. Even the six wins were not convincing.

For instance, in a game against the Warriors, who were in the midst of an internal conflict, the Suns almost lost to this nearly collapsing team, and the game's process was laughable.

Due to their past in the 1992 Olympic Dream Team training camp, Barkley was eager to teach Chris Webber a lesson. Before the game, Barkley made all sorts of threats, but as the biggest star and regular season MVP, he had the right to do so. Jordan used to tease rookies, after all.

However, having the right and being able to do it are different. If Barkley succeeded, it would be a great story; if he failed, it would be a joke. Barkley almost became a laughingstock again in front of Webber. The Suns, who were clearly the better team, were outscored 39-27 in the first quarter. Despite the internal conflict in the Warriors, the tension between Chris Webber and Don Nelson could be temporarily set aside under external pressure.

So, the young and conflicted Webber seized the opportunity to face Barkley, just as he had in the Dream Team, and dominated Barkley again. Barkley, despite his skill, was only 6'6" and Webber shot 15 out of 20, a 75% field goal percentage. In a league dominated by small forwards, Webber used Barkley as a stepping stone to make the front page of all media. If not for the Suns' overall strength, Barkley, who scored 40 points, would have been humiliated again, even though he outscored Webber by one point. Everyone knew who was better in that game.

Therefore, while teams like the Knicks, Rockets, and SuperSonics were on a tear, the Suns, the top favorites, seemed untrustworthy. A championship team must be strong against strong opponents, which the Suns did well, but they must also not relax against weaker teams. No team can guarantee a perfect record, but they should at least minimize mistakes and not underestimate their opponents. The Suns, who almost lost to many weaker teams, were hard to trust.

Recently, the Suns have been under pressure. With Jordan's departure, Barkley became the league's top star and a media focus, which added to the team's frustration. Everyone compared the surprising start of the Jazz to the Suns, mocking Barkley and the Suns.

Undoubtedly, the Jazz were a dark horse this year. While no expert believed they could win the championship, they were considered capable of testing championship teams.

Especially against the Suns, the Jazz's weaknesses were not significant. For example, Karl Malone, the Jazz's center, could struggle against the top centers, but against Barkley and the Suns, he was not intimidated. Last season, the Suns and Jazz split their four games, with similar individual statistics for Barkley and Malone. In the two seasons before that, Barkley was consistently outperformed by Malone, who had a two-season winning streak and better statistics.

When these two met, the tension was palpable. In the 1987-88 season, Barkley reached a career peak, making the All-NBA First Team and winning the Monthly MVP, averaging 28 points and 11 rebounds. Barkley saw himself as the league's top power forward, and Malone, also aiming for that title, refused to be outdone. Malone's statistics were 27.7 points and 12 rebounds, and his team's record was better. Both were young and ambitious.

When they met, Malone told Barkley he was the best power forward in the league. Barkley responded by scoring 43 points and 14 rebounds, dominating Malone.

In the 1987-88 season, despite his team's poor record, Barkley became the top power forward, while Malone was second. Barkley's dominance made him feel superior, but he soon faced retribution. In the 1988-89 season, Malone scored 44 points and 13 rebounds against Barkley, and their performances were evenly matched.

When they were young, they genuinely disliked each other, but now, both in their thirties, they might be more restrained. However, it was unclear how they would interact at this critical moment. Lin Han knew that Malone was particularly upset about Barkley's regular season MVP and top power forward title.

The game on November 25th was not just a regular season game; it was the first NBA game on Thanksgiving. The NBA never scheduled games on Thanksgiving because the NFL dominated the day. This year, David Stern believed the time was right to challenge the NFL, so two games were scheduled: the Jazz vs. the Suns, and the Bulls vs. the Lakers. The latter was less significant due to Jordan's departure.

For players looking to make a name, this first NBA Thanksgiving game was the perfect stage!