The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 619: Old Man
You've been playing for 10 years, with more and more matches, travel, defeats, victories—everything is entangled in you, draining you.

What I'm trying to say is that after playing basketball for eight years, basketball started to have some negative effects on me, especially after you've played a lot of games, you'll feel it.

You'll continue playing, but you'll realize that you no longer have the passion and desire for basketball, and at the same time, you'll become more critical of everything around you.

You may no longer be able to focus on basketball for an entire season as much as you did when you were younger, in terms of your teammates, coaches, management, and the media.

Your mental state fluctuates, and everything around you seems to distract you.

I took a break that year and didn't watch any basketball games.

I play tennis and golf, and for the first time in 10 years I'm following my own schedule.

I have a problem with my knee, I'm not the same as before, and I can't dominate the game.

I have to say, after leaving, I will miss the days when I played 35 or 40 minutes in each game and scored 20 or 25 points.

After a year away, everything felt completely different to me.

I've started to realize what an honor it is to play in the NBA, and how great it is. I think I'll play for another three or four years now.

—An excerpt from an interview with Sidney Moncrief, who retired in the 1988-1989 season and made a comeback in the 1990-1991 season.

On the last night of 1990, Gan Guoyang hit one three-pointer after another in the basketball court in his own garden, completing the transition from 1990 to 1991.

This arena was just opened by him this summer in front of his home. He built this space of his own on an open space with a special glass curtain wall. According to the agreement, no one other than his wife and son can enter here without permission.

During the day, from the outside, it is a building that shines with a blue light, somewhat like a pyramid or a glass tent. Sunlight can shine in, but people outside cannot see what is inside, while people inside can observe everything outside.

At night, it hides in the darkness, and the lights inside don't shine through, like a mysterious postmodern building. Ordinary people can't even find its door.

In fact, it has no door. It is connected to the basement of Gan Guoyang's villa through a secret passage. When Gan Guoyang feels upset and his urge to play basketball kicks in, he will go into the basement to change his clothes and then come to this court through the secret passage to enjoy his basketball time alone.

Just like many, many years later.

Such time is precious to Gan Guoyang. As he wins more and more championships and becomes more and more famous, he has less and less time for himself.

A person only has 24 hours in a day. He has to give them to the team, to the sponsors, to the fans, to his family, to the training facility, to the media, and to many, many other people.

He had very little time for himself. Apart from closing his eyes to sleep, his life was filled with all sorts of people and all sorts of things whenever he opened his eyes.

Like Michael Jordan, he occasionally gets a little tired of his role.

He is the basketball god of Portland, the guarantee of victory, and the symbol of invincibility.

He always maintains a healthy, positive, and energetic image in front of the camera.

He is the nanny and patriarch of the Trail Blazers, capable of handling all conflicts within the team.

Forrest Gump would try his best to resolve his teammates' dissatisfaction with their playing time and their roles.

The Trail Blazers have so many talented players; they were all star players in their youth, so accepting the role of a role player isn't easy for them.

In fact, a significant number of players in the league believe they are not receiving the treatment they deserve and that they deserve to be All-Stars because they don't get enough playing time.

Bobby Berman did his best to balance the players' playing time, sometimes even having to sacrifice some of Gan Guoyang's playing time, or causing the team to lose games due to player rotation and development.

At this time, Gan Guoyang is the ballast, the stabilizer, ensuring a good team atmosphere. With him around, no one dares to cause trouble in the locker room.

However, when Forrest Gump himself is dissatisfied, he can only swallow it down. Who can he vent to?
No, he's always the first to take responsibility when a game is lost, instead of blaming his teammates.

Even if it is indeed the teammates' fault, such as poor defense, missing the game-winning shot, or making a fatal mistake.

Gan Guoyang will still take primary responsibility, instead of blaming himself for winning and blaming his teammates for losing.

Others can rely on him, but he can only rely on himself; that is the price of being number one.

Standing atop the mountains, there is no mountain higher than you, and no rock to lean on behind you.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and people certainly won't let Gan Guoyang off the hook, leaving him alone at home to spend 1990 in loneliness.

Tang Jianguo invited celebrities from the West Coast to a New Year's Eve party at Gan Guoyang's home. Everyone mingled and exchanged gifts, creating a vivid picture of high society.

Gan Guoyang didn't really like this.

His relationship with Tang Jianguo had always been delicate. He disliked this American from the bottom of his heart; Tang's high profile, flamboyance, and scheming were all tiresome.

But he was shrewd, had a passionate love for sports and the Portland Trail Blazers (or you could say for winning and money), listened to West's advice on team building, and was willing to invest heavily in building a championship team.

Unlike team owners who look at revenue and profit statements, he ties his business to championships. It's naturally best if the team can make money, but the fame and popularity brought by championships are even more important.

Even as other industries faced crises, Tang Jianguo continued to spend large sums of money to maintain the Portland Trail Blazers' roster, offering big contracts to players such as Sabonis, Petrovic, and Reggie Lewis.

It would be difficult for any other owner to maintain such a high-potential, high-salary roster, but with an actual lack of star players. It's an S+ player leading a group of A-level and B+ level players.

Most owners prefer to offer large contracts to S-level or A+ level players because they offer greater certainty, while the Trail Blazers haven't had any players who can come close to being a top contender since losing Drexler.

If there were a luxury tax in this era, the pioneers would definitely be paying taxes to the point of explosion.

Tang Jianguo did not suffer losses because of these contracts; on the contrary, his financial situation continued to improve.

He gradually shifted some of his business from the East Coast to the West Coast, and he built a new network of political and business connections in the Oregon region.

With the Trail Blazers' new arena breaking ground, banks were willing to lend him money again, allowing him to use several hundred million dollars to expand his business empire.

Gan Guoyang knew that he was being used by Tang Jianguo, and by many other people, including politicians and businessmen, all of whom were after his championship and strength.

It's normal. No matter which country or society you're in, when you're poor, no one cares even in the bustling city, but when you're rich, distant relatives come calling even in the deep mountains. This is especially true in a highly commercial society like the United States.

Gan Guoyang often has a voice in his heart that says, "I just want to play basketball," but there's no way around it, the NBA is more than just basketball.

As he was shooting three-pointers, his phone, which was placed on the sidelines, kept ringing. He didn't want to answer it; he knew it was someone from the party trying to reach him.

Actually, the party can still go on even if he's not there; he just needs to speak at the beginning and be there at the end.

He didn't put down the ball to answer the phone until it rang for a while, sensing it might be his wife or an important friend calling.

It was indeed Michael. They joked with each other on the phone and promised to meet again in the finals in June.

They didn't say much, exchanged New Year's greetings, and then hung up the phone.

Gan Guoyang could sense that Jordan was also dissatisfied with the current situation. He could hear the noise in the background; Jordan must be attending some New Year's event in Chicago.

They can understand each other's feelings. While they love basketball, they also hate it to some extent because it gives them too much and takes up too much of their time.

In 1984, Jordan and Gan Guoyang entered the league together, and at that time they both had "love of the game clauses" in their contracts.

This clause allows players to participate in any game they want at any time without the team's permission.

Including charity matches, warm-up matches, and even street games, if someone is injured, the team is responsible for their treatment and will pay their salary as usual.

The purpose of this clause is to satisfy the desire of these two basketball fanatics to play basketball. Even the high-intensity NBA games cannot satisfy them; any interesting basketball game will attract them to take on the challenge.

However, this clause was removed in the new collective bargaining agreement in 1988, and contracts between players and teams could no longer contain such a clause.

From that time on, Gan Guoyang and Jordan were unable to play in many games. All the games they participated in were arranged by the league or by AVIA and NIKE.

They play basketball not just for fun, but more to attract fans, generate buzz for their brand, and ultimately sell shoes—that's the most important thing. For them, basketball has become less pure, and there's nothing they can do about it.

Privately, Gan Guoyang and Jordan seriously discussed retiring together, and Jordan said he wanted to play for another five years.

Jordan believed he could only endure this kind of life for another five years at most. It wasn't that he didn't love basketball, but rather that he didn't love this kind of life.

Gan Guoyang said that he should be able to play until he is 50 years old, and he lamented that he wished he hadn't won so many championships.

"Fewer champions mean fewer worries."

Hearing Gan Guoyang say such things, Jordan really wanted to strangle him.

Although Gan Guoyang was speaking from the heart.

In fact, Jordan had already discussed with his agent, David Falk, in December of this year that he wanted to retire after the 1990-1991 season.

It wasn't a complete retirement, but a year of rest. Although he was only 27, almost 28, and hadn't won a championship yet, Jordan already felt somewhat tired.

Of course, this idea was quickly rejected; the sponsors wouldn't agree, the Chicago Bulls wouldn't agree, and the fans wouldn't agree.

The Bulls might even sue Jordan to force him to return to play in accordance with his contract.

Jordan quickly rejected the idea, because he worried that if he really retired, he might not want to come back.

What's more, he hasn't won the championship yet, and he hasn't defeated Forrest Gump in the Finals, which is a situation he simply cannot accept.

Gan Guoyang believes it's too early for him to retire. With his current form and the Trail Blazers' roster, they will be the strongest contenders for the championship for many years to come.

Moreover, regardless of the lineup, he will give it his all. There will always be troubles, but life goes on, and so does basketball.

Gan Guoyang stood on the court and hit another three-pointer.

At that moment, through the glass curtain wall, he saw beautiful fireworks blooming in the sky.

The Portland city government held a New Year's Eve fireworks display tonight to mark the beginning of 1991.

In the end, it was Wang Fuxi who found out where her husband had gone, and she rushed into the basketball court to bring him back home.

In the basement, she quickly wiped away Gan Guoyang's sweat with a towel and changed him into a new shirt and suit—ordered from Kevin Willis.

I put on a tie, tidied my hair a bit, and pulled him out of the basement into the lively living room.

Although they missed midnight, Gan Guoyang's return brought the party atmosphere to its peak, and everyone raised their glasses in celebration once again.

Gan Guoyang hugged his wife and asked her, "Where's our son?"

"Don't worry, he's fine now that he's asleep."

"Thank you, you are my support."

"Let me know next time you want to play ball, so everyone doesn't have to look for you everywhere."

A new year has begun again.
-
On January 3, 1991, the Trail Blazers soon faced their first opponent, their old rivals in the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Trail Blazers still face some injury problems. Sabonis has recovered from the knee effusion, while Petrovic is temporarily sidelined due to an elbow injury.

This is a challenge that European players all have to face. The intensity and schedule density of NBA games are far higher than those of European leagues, and they also have national team duties.

In the first season, they need to adapt. In the second season, as fatigue accumulates, various physical problems will follow one after another.

This is where the team's medical protection capabilities and the players' physical resilience are put to the test.

Compared to ordinary people, anyone who can stand on the stage of a professional basketball game is a superhuman in terms of physical fitness.

Gan Guoyang continues to maintain his high attendance rate, seemingly immune to injuries, and remains active on the court.

The game was very intense. After some unexpected fluctuations and injuries at the beginning of the season, the Lakers gradually got back on track in 1991.

In the summer of 1990, Lakers' key guard Michael Cooper left the team.

Prior to this, the sensitive guard had repeatedly thought he was going to be traded, which plunged him into a state of anxiety.

Now that day has finally come. The Lakers did not re-sign Cooper because he could no longer provide the high-quality defense and offense the team needed.

Cooper went to Italy and signed a three-year contract with the Messenger – the Messenger had just waived Brian Shaw and acquired Dino Raja.

In addition, the Lakers also traded Orlando Ulrich and Mark McNamara, which freed up cap space for them to sign Sam Perkins.

Clearly, Don Nelson's move to make them guards has failed; in the West, they are no longer a match for the Portland Trail Blazers, or even the San Antonio Spurs.

With players like Gan Guoyang, David Robinson, and Charles Barkley who just joined the Suns, the Western Conference's interior environment is becoming increasingly challenging, and the Lakers need a strong frontcourt.

As for the backcourt, Magic Johnson can do a lot. He is still in his prime, and the Lakers are wise to have faith in their 32-year-old superstar.

Although Johnson and Bird's brilliance is being overshadowed by Jordan and Forrest Gump, it doesn't mean they will easily drop out of the competition.

在去年12月26号开拓者客场挑战波士顿凯尔特人的比赛中，开拓者客场120:116，两个加时赛4分的优势艰难战胜绿军。

The Celtics displayed tremendous fighting spirit in the game, with Divac, McHale, and Bird's clever frontcourt combinations causing headaches for Gan Guoyang and Sabonis.

In the end, they relied on outlasting the Celtics' veterans in overtime, exhausting them and capitalizing on Celtics mistakes to win the game.

Now, at 32, Magic Johnson is playing more and more like Larry Bird; he's heavier, stronger, slower, and his style of play is becoming increasingly cunning and slippery.

Aside from Agan's mismatch defense, the rest of the Trail Blazers, including Reggie Lewis, had a hard time containing Johnson.

Like Gan Guoyang, Johnson basically doesn't need a coach to instruct him; he knows how to play and how to control the game once he gets the ball.

Johnson's close partner and Jordan's mentor, James Worthy, was arrested for soliciting prostitution before a game against the Houston Rockets in November last year.

Houston has a lot of strip clubs, and James Worthy was caught in a sting operation by the Texas police.

Worthy was at risk of charges, and if convicted, he would face 180 days in jail and a hefty fine, ruining his 1991 season.

Fortunately, the Lakers bailed him out, and he appeared in the second half of the game against the Rockets, but his life was already over.

He was with Worthy since college until his wife divorced him. The Lakers suffered a series of defeats at the start of the season and were once out of playoff contention.

However, they ultimately have a very good roster, great talent, an excellent coach, and a historically great core point guard.

The Lakers gradually regained their form, achieving a nine-game winning streak in late November and early December, and maintained strong competitiveness in subsequent games.

This season, Don Nelson has placed greater emphasis on defense. He has an excellent interior presence that he didn't have with the Bucks. He's not just a coach who relies on fast breaks.

The two teams went into overtime once again. Just like against the Celtics, the Trail Blazers maintained their advantage, but their defense seemed a bit sluggish, giving their opponents too many opportunities.

The score kept fluctuating, and it was impossible to determine a winner in regulation time. After the first overtime, the score was tied at 101-101, leading to a second overtime.

In the second overtime, the Lakers were starting to falter, and their offensive efficiency began to decline. Gan Guoyang once again outplayed the veterans, scoring 10 consecutive points in the second overtime to help the Trail Blazers secure the victory.

After a hard-fought victory, Bobby Bellman believes that Forrest Gump might actually be able to play until he's 50.

I'll be 50 years old by then, which will be in 2014. That feels so far away.

(End of this chapter)