The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 929 Abstract First Release
The Chinese men's basketball team is staying at the Olympic Village in Homebush Bay, located west of Sydney, about 14 kilometers from the city center.

Unlike the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, this time Gan Guoyang and his teammates stayed in the village together, instead of staying in a hotel alone.

Since Gan Guoyang, who has retired from the NBA, is no longer the league's most important asset, where he lives and whether there are security issues are no longer concerns for the league.

Gan Guoyang was happy to live in an apartment with everyone in the Olympic Village because it was more lively and interesting, and he could meet and make friends with athletes from many countries.

However, Gan Guoyang encountered trouble as soon as he arrived at the Olympic Village: the enthusiasm of the Australians was no less than that of the New Zealanders, Japanese, and Brazilians.

After the rooms were assigned, staff members kept "wandering" around the Chinese men's basketball team's accommodation area. Their purpose was clear: to find Gan Guoyang.

Some wanted autographs, some wanted photos, some wanted handshakes, and some left their contact information; in short, the place was bustling with activity.

The frequent comings and goings disrupted the rest and normal lives of the other members of the men's basketball team, so Gan Guoyang had to contact the organizers to ask them to stop disturbing them.

The person in charge of security and management at the Olympic Village rushed over to take charge. After establishing rules and ensuring there would be no disturbance, the person in charge took out a basketball and asked Gan Guoyang to sign it.

Gan Guoyang had no choice but to agree. In the past month, Gan Guoyang signed autographs more times than he shot hoops.

Gan Guoyang rose to fame during a period of booming television media and globalization of sports, an era in which the arts and sports industry was most likely to produce superstars with enormous influence.

Gan Guoyang is the most dazzling of all the superstars. Wherever he goes, he is surrounded by admirers, and everyone wants to catch a glimpse of this basketball god.

After seeing his charm firsthand, people realized he truly was charismatic and went back to spread the word. Over the course of more than a decade, his reputation grew, making him a global icon.

During the five days they spent in Sydney awaiting the opening of the Olympics, in addition to training, Gan Guoyang took his teammates sightseeing around Sydney to relax and prepare for the competition.

To avoid being recognized and causing unnecessary trouble, Gan Guoyang had to wear a mask and hat, but the tall stature of the basketball team made it impossible for them to hide, and they attracted attention wherever they went.

Especially Yao Ming. Although people like Gan Guoyang, who are 6 feet 10 inches tall, are rare, there are still many tall men over 2 meters on the street in Europe and America. If Gan Guoyang is careful to disguise himself, he can indeed hide.

But a giant like Yao Ming, who is 2.26 meters tall and looks like a giraffe in a crowd, is truly impossible to hide. Wearing a mask is useless; his head is so big and square that he can be recognized at a glance.

Once Yao Ming is recognized, people will know that the Chinese men's basketball team is there, and with the Chinese men's basketball team there, Forrest Gump will definitely be there too. And with Forrest Gump there, he will attract more and more people like the sun through gravity.

After their whereabouts were exposed several times, what was originally a visit and tour turned into a "patrol" with a large group of people following them, and there was also a signing session, which gave Gan Guoyang's security team a big headache.

Quentin suggested that Gan Guoyang move out of the Olympic Village and stay in a hotel, as hotels offer better privacy protection.

However, Gan Guoyang refused. He just wanted to stay in the Olympic Village and be able to go out for a stroll from time to time. He told Quentin, "I'll give you more money."

“Okay, I will send more people and find a local security company to cooperate with.”

It has to be said that Gan Guoyang has become accustomed to and even somewhat enjoys this life of being the center of attention.

It's worth noting that not only do people from all over the world know him and ask for autographs and photos when they meet him, but many star athletes are also his fans at the Olympics.

Sprinter Maurice Greene, tennis star Serena Williams, and sprinter Marian Jones, among others, all regard Forrest Gump as their sports idol.

Needless to say, the vast majority of Chinese athletes grew up in the late 80s and 90s, and the most common sports information they were exposed to from a young age was "Gan Guoyang has won another championship!"

In an era when China highly values ​​champions, Gan Guoyang was, in a sense, no different from a "God of Wealth." He was the champion god whose image was plastered on the walls of various sports schools and training centers.

Everyone in the Olympic Village knows Gan Guoyang. Everyone greets him, asks for autographs, photos, hugs, and even kisses.

His influence reached its peak in 2000 when he won his third three-peat, retiring with great success and bringing his legendary story to a perfect close.

In Sydney, Gan Guoyang has become a spectacle, a unique sporting phenomenon belonging to the Olympic Games.

Australian local media even sourly remarked, "Forrest Gump's arrival stole the spotlight from the Olympics; people only cared about the basketball superstar's whereabouts and achievements, and weren't very interested in the Sydney Olympics itself."

Some media outlets also said, "Forrest Gump's influence has forced the IOC to reassess whether it was a mistake to let Sydney beat BJ to win the hosting rights."

As the 1993 Olympic bid process approached, numerous reports surfaced alleging that Sydney's victory over Bridget Jones was rigged. Some even admitted that Sydney did engage in bribery and that a vote of defection during the crucial voting phase led to Bridget Jones's defeat.

Of course, with the Olympics about to begin, the purpose of these leaks was clearly not to attack Sydney, but to raise the issue of the 2001 Olympic bid.

With these developments and Gan Guoyang's demonstration of influence in Sydney, it's practically a done deal that China will host the 2008 Olympics.

No country can compete with China for the right to host the event.

Five days passed quickly, and on September 15th, the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics was held in the main stadium.

Australian singer Tina Elena performed "The Flame" at the opening ceremony, which became another classic theme song of the Olympics.

During the much-anticipated Olympic torch lighting ceremony, Australian sprint star Freeman lit the flame in the water, and then the flame rose slowly from the water, announcing the official start of the Olympic Games.

During the athletes' entrance ceremony, Gan Guoyang represented the Chinese delegation for the second time, carrying the national flag at the front of the procession.

When the Chinese team entered the stadium, the entire stadium erupted in enthusiastic cheers. Gan Guoyang, holding the national flag, remained solemn throughout. At that moment, he was not a basketball superstar, but a qualified flag bearer.

The opening ceremony concluded successfully, and the Olympic Games commenced. The basketball tournament began on the third day of competition, and Gan Guoyang and the Chinese team were already eager for action.

Their first opponent in the group stage is the United States team. The two teams are in the same group and will fight for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The matches took place in the afternoon at Sydney's Superdome. In the previous two matches, France defeated New Zealand and Italy defeated Lithuania.

The match between China and the United States was considered the highlight, and all 18000 seats at the Dome Park were filled. Everyone wanted to see how Forrest Gump would continue to put up a tough fight against the Dream Team on the field, just like he did at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Before the match began, in the Chinese team's locker room, Gan Guoyang and his teammates chatted and laughed to help everyone relax.

"There's nothing to be afraid of with NBA players. They're just stronger and faster, that's all."

“Like that Mourning, he plays terribly stupidly. He can’t box out for rebounds and his rebounding is unreliable.”

"Kevin Garnett is just a skinny guy who can only shoot. He can't penetrate at all. He can be defended with just a little effort."

"Kidd and Payton, don't be afraid. They can't shoot. Let them shoot, they won't make a splash."

"Let's stick to the same strategy: stick to zone defense, stick to three-pointers, and don't overthink it, okay?"

Gan Guoyang deliberately denigrated the NBA Dream Team stars, aiming to shatter the public's preconceived notions and fears about NBA players. While their skills are undeniable, as a challenger, if you fear your opponents, the initial gap of 20 points could widen to 50 due to psychological factors.

This is a tactic Gan Guoyang often uses in the NBA. His opponents are not as good as him, but because they have been traumatized by him, the gap is widened to a huge extent.

Now, Gan Guoyang needs to ensure that his teammates are not affected by these negative emotions and can perform at a high level.

Actually, the Chinese team wasn't too concerned about winning or losing this match. After all, it was the United States, and even with Gan Guoyang, it would be difficult to beat them.

Instead of going to great lengths in the group stage against the United States, exhausting too much energy and using up too many tactics, it would be better to relax a bit and play to your full potential.

Winning is like winning the lottery; if you don't win, consider it a warm-up for the later games.

"Everyone, play freely. Do whatever you can, don't hold back. We're here to find our rhythm in this match."

Just before going on stage, Gan Guoyang gave everyone a heads-up and some psychological support.

But this doesn't mean Gan Guoyang doesn't want to win the gold medal. He knows in his heart that he should save his best for the final.

The primary task now is to advance from the group stage with a good ranking, and ideally avoid facing the American team before the final.

While Gan Guoyang was acting as a psychologist for his teammates, Rick Carlisle was doing the same thing in the locker room next door for the US team.

“Forrest Gump isn’t scary…” Carlisle said.

"Coach, don't you feel guilty saying that? Speak with your mouth shut, Rick." Payton interrupted Carlisle's spellcasting right from the start.

The locker room erupted in laughter. For Carlisle, the difficulty in controlling the Dream Team's locker room had always been a problem that plagued him.

"Okay, Forrest Gump is scary, but we have to face it. There are ways to deal with him. We have the best players, and this is a great opportunity to beat him."

Everyone remained silent for a while before Jason Kidd said, "Coach, you should talk about something practical, like how to beat him. You're his coach, you should know his weaknesses best."

Payton, standing nearby, added, "Don't let the coach tell you something that doesn't exist, man. Let's just stay away from it, isn't that a consensus?"

Everyone agreed that over the years, when facing the Trail Blazers, the consensus was to avoid Forrest Gump, as this would increase the chances of victory.

Then, everyone started talking and assigning tasks in the game: who would guard Agan, who would help guard, who would harass, who would trash talk, and so on.

Carlisle could only stand aside and listen to these bigwigs discuss among themselves, but he didn't have much say because he wasn't senior enough and his list of honors was too thin and shallow.

Although Dick Hart is a senior coach, he has always been an assistant coach and has little authority among the players; he is only respected because of his high moral standing.

Another assistant coach, Larry Brown, was assigned by the Basketball Association to be Carlisle's backup. He was experienced and had a strong presence, which allowed him to control the situation.

However, faced with the chaotic atmosphere in the locker room and the embarrassed head coach Carlisle, Larry Brown stood by and watched coldly, without saying a word to stop it or help the head coach maintain order.

Clearly, as the team's veteran coach, Larry Brown did not respect Carlisle and was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant in his daily work, saying he would cooperate but actually not putting in much effort.

Coaches who coach Gan Guoyang often face a problem: Gan controls the locker room so well that they don't have much experience in how to manage it.

Even Bobby Bellman spent several dark years with the Lakers before he truly shone when he joined the Boston Celtics.

Carlisle had only been the Trail Blazers' coach for a year and thought he had accumulated a lot of experience. Little did he know that while he had gained other experiences, he had almost no management experience, which was the most important one.

After watching the players discuss the game in a chaotic manner for a while, and as the noise gradually subsided, Carlisle finally spoke up and made some arrangements according to the pre-match plan.

Everyone was busy picking their ears or chewing gum; only they themselves knew how much they actually listened to.

For star players who dominate their respective regions, they still prefer to rely on their own strength to determine the course of the game; this is the basketball mindset of the NBA.

When the time came, both sides appeared on the field to warm up. Gan Guoyang came over to greet the American team players, shaking hands and hugging them one by one. No one dared not to come.

After all, if Forrest Gump finds a reason to get angry and vent, tonight's game will be in trouble.

Gan Guoyang finally found Rick Carlisle and saw that Carlisle's face was full of sorrow, even more painful than when he was coaching the Trail Blazers.

"So, Rick, is being the Dream Team coach not a good experience?"

“A nightmare,” Carlisle said bluntly.

“But we will still win,” Carlisle added.

Gan Guoyang didn't say much; he didn't want to say anything that might provoke Carlisle.

The two had always had a good relationship, but Gan Guoyang heard some rumors that many people in the Dream Team were ostracizing him.

Carlisle is a straightforward person, and when coaching a star-studded team like the Dream Team, emotional intelligence and management skills are more important than tactics.

He initially strongly advised against Carlisle becoming the head coach of the Dream Team, but due to his position, he couldn't say so and could only watch helplessly as Carlisle ended up on the hot seat.

Hart lacks credibility, and Larry Brown, that cunning old fox, might be up to something behind the scenes. This year's Dream Team journey is definitely not going to be smooth sailing.

Conversely, the average individual strength of the Chinese team is much weaker than that of the American team, but after a month of intensive training and a month of warm-up matches, the team is very united.

Gan Guoyang took his men's basketball teammates to participate in various activities, to have fun, and to witness the grand scenes of crowds everywhere, all in order to inspire them and unite everyone around him.

The game started quickly, with the starting lineup for Team USA consisting of Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, Vince Carter, and Kevin Garnett.

The starting lineup for the Chinese team consists of Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Gan Guoyang, Hu Weidong, and Li Xiaoyong. With three players having NBA experience and the greatest player in history, the Chinese team's strength should not be underestimated.

Gan Guoyang glanced at the US team's starting lineup and thought to himself, "What the hell is this starting lineup? There's no shooting in the backcourt and no height on the wings. This lineup will definitely struggle against strong European teams."

The true secret weapon of the United States must be the full-court and half-court press defense passed down from the Bobby Knight era, and this will not change no matter who is the head coach of the Dream Team.

So, before the jump ball, Gan Guoyang pulled Li Xiaoyong aside and said, "When you have the ball, if you get double-teamed, just give me the ball. Don't worry about losing possession."

Li Xiaoyong nodded, feeling a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

(End of this chapter)