The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 247 is postponed.
Regarding the accident that occurred in the game against the Clippers in October 1985, there are rumors that it was Gan Guoyang's way of avenging Walton, because after Walton returned to the Trail Blazers, he still faced endless lawsuits from Sterling, which was a means for the greedy Sterling to squeeze profits.

Furthermore, Sterling's move of the Clippers from San Diego to Los Angeles made Walton, who was originally from San Diego, feel guilty. In short, this notorious owner had conflicts with many players, and Walton was just one of them.

However, Forrest denied this, stating in the post-race press conference that he simply slipped, saying, "I never collide with anyone, I just play an aggressive game," and that it was Melvin Tppin, not Forrest, who ultimately knocked down Sterling.

With a combined weight of over 500 pounds, equivalent to an adult North American grizzly bear, Turpin and Forrest Gump crushed the metal folding stool, causing Sterling to faint on the spot. However, after a hospital examination, apart from some contusions and soft tissue injuries, he was found to be unharmed.

This may be related to Turpin's large, soft buttocks, where the thick layer of fat acted as a cushion, preventing Sterling from suffering fatal injuries in this unfortunate incident.

The most profound impact of this accident was not that it gave the audience and some Clippers players a good time (Sterling has always been unpopular in Los Angeles), nor that it led to Los Angeles residents creating a "Sterling Bench Day" to mock Sterling every few years, nor that it contributed a classic annual cover to Sports Illustrated—a human sandwich featuring Sterling, Melvin, and Forrest Gump.

The most profound impact was that Sterling quickly decided to trade Turpin. He had lost patience with the fat guy with the big butt and could not tolerate such a guy who could reopen old wounds remaining in the team.

This trade changed Turpin's fate, allowing him to fight on a higher stage, and this experience turned him into a true fighter.

—Excerpt from "Melvin's Dinner," written by Alexander Wolff in the June 1989 issue of Sports Illustrated, No. 6.

The impact caused chaos at the scene, with screams erupting around the seats. Sterling's wife, Shelly Sterling, slapped her husband's face, trying to wake him, but to no avail.

Medical staff arrived and lifted Sterling onto a stretcher. His arms dangled from the stretcher, making him look as if he were dead, which worried some of the fans in the stadium.

But many others were secretly pleased, even watching with a sense of anticipation. Many felt the match was well worth watching, believing that buying tickets to any game featuring Forrest Gump was a sure bet.

After all, Sterling's reputation in Los Angeles is really not good. He has offended too many people, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and suppliers. His lawsuits have caused many people to suffer heavy losses.

As the owner, he didn't value the fans. After arriving in Los Angeles, there were basically no fan appreciation activities. The souvenirs he gave away were cheap and inexplicable, and he would even renege on some of the prize money from raffles, which made many people feel cheated.

So when the DJ informed the audience during intermission that Mr. Sterling had woken up and was alright, everyone breathed a sigh of relief (after all, no one wanted to see Sterling actually get crushed to death), but they were still very disappointed that he had only fainted and hadn't suffered any fractures or severe bleeding. Some boos even rang out.

Turpin was relieved, and throughout the second quarter he was trembling with fear. As he got up from Sterling, he asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, is he dead?"

Gan Guoyang told him that this kind of scourge wouldn't die easily; at most, it would just faint. And since your buttocks are so fat, you probably wouldn't even get hurt.

Gan Guoyang didn't tell Teping that he had control over his hand. Although the blow was heavy, Gan Guoyang grabbed Teping to reduce the impact, and Teping's big buttocks did indeed provide good cushioning.

During halftime in the locker room, Bill Walton couldn't contain his joy. He and Gan Guoyang sat in a corner of the locker room whispering to each other, occasionally bursting into hearty laughter.

Ramsey couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Why don't you go back to the hotel now, get a room, and have a good talk? The match isn't over yet."

The two then stopped whispering. In fact, everyone could tell that Gan Guoyang was probably doing this on purpose, just to vent his anger for Walton.

It's just that Gan Guoyang's acting skills are too good, and the events happened very coincidentally, so no one could see any flaws, and no one pointed it out. It's a real pity that Gan Guoyang didn't go to WWE.

However, Sterling being knocked unconscious did not impair the Clippers' fighting power. On the contrary, after sacrificing their unfortunate owner, the Clippers launched a beautiful offensive in the second quarter.

Derek Smith regained his shooting touch, and Maxwell found his rhythm, taking a lot of shots and holding down the Clippers' offense.

So at halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Clippers 56-50, a mere 6 points. If they don't play well in the third quarter, there's a possibility they could upset the Clippers on the road.

The Trail Blazers emphasized defense during training camp, adding layers to their defense and no longer relying solely on Gan Guoyang as their shield.

However, it will take time for this system to function properly. Players are prone to losing focus, making mistakes, and making poor choices in defense.

These all require repeated testing and adjustments in real-world scenarios to continuously accumulate experience.

Moreover, a more complex defensive approach means that players need to communicate and cooperate more.

Poor communication, problems with rotations, or overly obvious illegal defenses can create significant weaknesses in the defense.

This is why many coaches are unwilling to devote too much energy to defense, as the cost-effectiveness is indeed relatively low.

However, this step is necessary to advance to become a top-tier team and a championship team.

In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang began to display his prowess as the king of the third quarter. He launched even more ferocious attacks, with excellent turnaround jump shots and sudden hook shots.

Turpin, Donaldson, and Benjamin were all unable to stop Agan, who scored consecutive points, leading the team to extend the lead to 15 points.

Walton, sitting on the bench, said to Ramsey, "I couldn't play like Forrest Gump back in the day."

Ramsey said, "You can't right now either."

Wharton thought to himself, "Why is this old man's speech getting more and more unpleasant to hear?"

Walton's contribution tonight was primarily his high-post playmaking, which the Trail Blazers desperately needed and could enrich the team's playing style.

Moreover, he was very familiar with Ramsey's tactics and played very well in these three games, making it easy for him.

Secondly, as an inside rotation player, it gave Gan Guoyang more rest time.

Gan Guoyang barely rested in some games last season, averaging 41 minutes of playing time, which is like using livestock.

Walton's presence provides a tall and reliable sixth man in the paint, allowing Gan Guoyang to play under 40 minutes and be more relaxed.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers won relatively easily on the road, 109-100, a 9-point advantage, with the Clippers never tied or leading throughout the game.

Gan Guoyang scored 31 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots.

After the match, Gan Guoyang went to the hospital to visit Sterling, but Sterling and his wife refused to let him in.

Now that things have fallen apart, Gan Guoyang won't have to deal with Sterling's harassment anymore. He's not afraid of offending this stingy boss. If Sterling is still not satisfied, he won't need to use Teping in future matches; he'll come and challenge him personally. Then Sterling won't have it so easy.

Surprisingly, a week later Sterling withdrew his lawsuit against Walton and the Trail Blazers, and did not sue Gan Guoyang to hold him accountable.

It seems Sterling understands that if you mess with Forrest Gump, he'll really find a way to get back at you. Sterling doesn't want to be stuck in the back row when the Trail Blazers come to Los Angeles for games.

Evil people really need to be toughened up so they can restrain themselves.

After finishing their game against the Clippers, the Trail Blazers headed to their next stop, Salt Lake City, with a three-game winning streak.

Gan Guoyang could then visit his old friend Stockton and take the opportunity to tour the apartment that Stockton had "given away for free."

After Gan Guoyang toured Stockton's apartment and found it satisfactory, he asked, "John, you're not moving again next year, are you? If you get married, you can't live in an apartment with Nada; you should buy a house in Salt Lake City."

John nodded and said, "That's for sure. I plan to buy a two-bedroom apartment after we get married..."

"Wait, what? A two-bedroom apartment? Are you waiting for the government to give you poverty alleviation assistance? Don't you want to hire a nanny or think about the children?"

"Um... I think a two-bedroom apartment is enough for now. The property keeps appreciating in value. I'll sell the apartment and buy a bigger one when I need it."

That makes some sense. Stockton is indeed shrewd and calculating; no wonder his offensive organization is so well-organized.

"So when are you planning to propose? How about tomorrow? Nada's coming to watch our match tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I plan to propose tomorrow, but there's a condition: we have to win the game tomorrow, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be in the mood."

Gan Guoyang's face darkened, and he said, "John, although we are best friends, don't expect me to lose the game and help you propose."

Stockton quickly replied, "How could that be? I want to help the team win the game with my own abilities, and then happily propose to Nada."

Gan Guoyang sighed and said, "Then the day you propose to Nada will definitely have to be postponed."

(End of this chapter)