The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 934 No Gun Head

The couple spent the night in the hotel discussing their future plans and came up with a preliminary outline.

When Las Vegas is mentioned, Gan Guoyang can't help but think of the classic movies "The Godfather Part I" and "The Godfather Part II". In the movies, after Michael's business in New York came to an end, he decided to move the whole family to Las Vegas, seize the hotel and entertainment industry there, and start a new family business.

I never imagined that one day I would be planning to send half of my wealth to the city of sin.

Gan Guoyang had considered returning to China, and the country had frequently extended offers of employment. However, after much deliberation and repeated communication with his superiors, they all agreed that he should stay in the United States, where he would make the greatest contribution.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang's family and social connections are all here, and his hard-earned career and honors are all rooted here. If he returns to China, he will be famous and rich, but he will no longer have his own foundation.

He didn't want to be worshipped like a mascot; ultimately, people have to rely on themselves.

A Forrest Gump who struggles in America makes a greater contribution to the country than a Forrest Gump who returns to China to become a super-rich landowner.

In this respect, Gan Guoyang is very different from players like Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, and Hu Weidong, whose roots are in China.

"If you were to actually form a team in Las Vegas, would you be considering a comeback?" During the conversation, Wang Fuxi quickly saw through her husband's thoughts.

She knew that the reason this proposal was so appealing to Gan Guoyang was that if he had his own team, he could continue playing.

"That can't be right. According to the collective bargaining agreement, players are not allowed to own shares."

"There will always be a way."

"any solution?"

"So you really do want to make a comeback."

"Hey, I was just asking. It's still far from certain. David Stern won't easily agree to set up a team in Las Vegas. But after the Olympics, I'll go and meet Goodman in person, and see that deli guy."

Once an idea takes hold, it's like a seed, taking root and sprouting in your heart and mind, growing bigger and bigger.

However, when Gan Guoyang woke up the next day, he still devoted his energy to preparing for the quarterfinals.

The host nation, Australia, is clearly not an easy opponent. They not only have the advantage of home ground and will be favored by the referees, but their players are also quite strong.

The team includes former Bulls championship center Luke Longley, as well as top three-point shooter Andrew Gates and short but tough point guard Shawn Hill. Both of them had brief stints in the NBA and are very talented players.

Of course, Gan Guoyang is not afraid of Langley. He can beat Langley with ease. During his time with the Bulls, he could beat Langley at will. He is the white center that he is least afraid of.

Compared to tactics and lineup, the Chinese team may need to pay more attention to the issue of refereeing standards, especially Gan Guoyang.

Unlike other strong European teams, the Chinese team has one outstanding strength.

If we can find a way to neutralize this strength, Australia will be much easier to beat.

In the selection of the host city for the 1993 Olympics, Australia used some off-the-ground tactics to sabotage China.

Now that the men's basketball teams from these two countries have met at the Olympics, a fierce battle is inevitable.

Gan Guoyang's decision to move his residence out of the Olympic Village and secretly stay in a hotel was absolutely the right one.

Of course, he couldn't let his guard down, because the hotel's front desk and staff were all Australians.

Although most people are ordinary people who don't resort to tricks and schemes, if even one person has a wicked thought, it can have a significant negative impact.

Therefore, during the two days that Gan Guoyang rested at the hotel, all the food and drinks were purchased by Wang Fuxi and Quentin personally to ensure that there were no problems.

Wang Fuxi specifically registered three rooms: the one registered under Quentin's name for Gan Guoyang, the one registered under Gan Guoyang's name for Quentin and two other security guards, and one room left empty as a backup.

During the day, the remaining security personnel would secretly stake out the hotel lobby and surrounding area, providing full protection for Gan Guoyang when he went to the training hall for training.

This caution proved to be correct, as security personnel stopped three suspicious individuals and prevented two attacks by unidentified individuals on Gan Guoyang.

The Sydney Organizing Committee and local police said they would increase security and investigate the matter, but no additional personnel arrived and the investigation yielded no results by the end of the Olympics.

After learning the news, a Chinese community in Australia organized a security team to patrol the area near the hotel and escort the Chinese men's basketball team to the venue on the day of the game.

After two tense days, the quarterfinals officially began on September 28th, with the match between China and Australia scheduled as the third game.

The first two matches were between the first-place team in Group A and the fourth-place team in Group B, Russia. These two former superpowers are now down to just one.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the powerful Lithuania broke away from the union, taking a large number of basketball talents with it, which made it impossible for Russia to compete with the United States in basketball.

Not only in basketball, but a divided Soviet Union was no longer a match for the United States in any aspect.

Russia put up a brief resistance, but ultimately lost to the United States 70-85, a 15-point deficit, with little suspense.

Of course, the US team faced a barrage of criticism from domestic media after the game because they won by too little.

They only managed to beat Russia by 15 points, which would have been impossible in 1992 and 1996.

Meanwhile, in Russia, a young player named Andrei Kirilenko has attracted attention.

This 19-year-old, who came off the bench for 21 minutes, scored 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting and 5-of-7 free throws, along with 4 rebounds and 1 steal.

He has begun to attract the attention of the NBA.

Subsequently, in the match between Lithuania and Yugoslavia, Lithuania surprisingly defeated Yugoslavia.

It wasn't really an upset, because Yugoslavia was no longer the Yugoslavia it once was.

After 1991, Croatia and Slovenia, countries known for their many talented individuals, separated from this country.

By 1999, with the Kosovo War, Yugoslavia had been further dismembered.

Yugoslavia, which was once composed of six countries, now consists of only Serbia and Montenegro.

Before long, the name Yugoslavia will disappear from the annals of history.

Although Lithuania had a rough time in the group stage, luck played a part in all three of their losses; in reality, they are a very strong team.

On the Yugoslav side, NBA players like Divac and Stojakovic did not participate in this Olympics.

They played well in the group stage, but in the knockout stage they were no match for Lithuania, losing by a margin of 13 points without any suspense.

These two once powerful federal nations have seen their influence in sports plummet after experiencing political turmoil and national division.

However, this did not hinder the emergence of Slavic ball sports talents. In the decades to come, people often fantasized about how amazing it would be if they were still players from the same country.

In the afternoon, the third match of the knockout stage, China vs. Australia, began.

The Australian fans in the stadium were cheering wildly for their home team, and Luke Longley stood in the center circle to jump for the ball with Yao Ming.

After the Chicago Bulls disbanded in 1998, Luke Longley signed with the Phoenix Suns.

He's 31 this year, the prime of his career as a center, but seeing 36-year-old Forrest still makes him shudder.

I thought that after the 2000 season ended, I would never see Forrest Gump again, but who knew that we would have to fight again at the Olympics.

"Don't be nervous, Luke. I'm not going up against you. Yao is my little brother, so please take care of him."

"This is Sonny from the Olympics."

"Oh, really? You reminded me. Okay, I'll keep an eye on you."

"..."

Langli was inexplicably targeted, and he was even a beat too slow during the jump ball, giving possession to the Chinese team.

After receiving the ball, Gan Guoyang immediately launched an attack, receiving the ball and driving directly to the basket from the middle.

After pushing past Luke Longley, he easily scored a layup.

Before Australia could even set up their defensive formation, Gan Guoyang broke through their defense.

The Australian team was slow to get into the game, and their offense was ineffective. They had a three-point opportunity on the outside, but they missed.

Gan Guoyang launched another counterattack, dribbling past his opponent and using his strong physique to cut through the middle like butter with a hot knife. He pushed past Lang Li and made a move hook shot, scoring another two points.

The Australian team had already formed a tight defense, surrounding the basket, but Gan Guoyang still found an opening and scored with a skillful and difficult-to-defend hook shot, leaving Lang Li helpless.

Clearly, Gan Guoyang started the game very quickly, which completely surprised the Australian team's coach. During the pre-match preparations, they all thought that Gan Guoyang would continue to play passively in the first half and then exert himself in the second half.

After all, whether in the NBA or this Olympics, Gan Guoyang has always played at this pace.

However, as the saying goes, all's fair in war, and there's never a set pattern in knockout matches. Gan Guoyang is known for his cunning and skillful use of various deceptive tactics.

In this match, to prevent the referee from taking advantage, he took the initiative at the start, establishing a lead for his team and dominating the Australian team.

Moreover, Sydney is Australia's home ground. If you don't gain the upper hand in terms of momentum and fall into a disadvantageous position, the game will become increasingly difficult.

With Gan Guoyang hitting another three-pointer on a counterattack, the Chinese team started the game with an 11-2 run against Australia, taking a 9-point lead.

Australia had to call a timeout. Forrest Gump is playing unpredictably. What happened to the plan of playing conservatively in the first half and then going on a scoring spree in the second?

Of course, Gan Guoyang's approach was risky; it was 2000, not 1992.

In 1992, Gan Guoyang defeated Jordan twice in the Finals to win his second three-peat, truly making him invincible.

In Barcelona, ​​they were like a bulldozer, pushing whoever came first, until the Dream Team couldn't move them any further until the finals.

Now, after the timeout and back on the bench, Gan Guoyang felt he needed to calm down and catch his breath. He needed a teammate to step up and provide some firepower.

Tonight, Wang Zhizhi and Hu Weidong stepped up, and after the timeout, Australia launched a fierce counterattack.

They were more aggressive on defense and also made fierce attacks on offense, taking advantage of the home advantage and the referee's favor to act recklessly.

After Australia scored 4 consecutive points, Wang Zhizhi received the ball, turned around, and successfully scored with his footwork, drawing a foul and making the free throw.

Then Hu Weidong successfully stole the ball during the defense, took control of the fast break, and dunked!
The two players scored 5 points in a row, interrupting Australia's momentum to catch up.

After an initial surge, both sides entered a stalemate.

As shooting percentages dropped, the referee began to blow his whistle more frequently, controlling the actions of both teams.

The Australian fans on the sidelines, who were of low character, kept swearing and trying to disrupt the Chinese team's offense and defense.

However, professional players have seen this kind of scene many times and remain unmoved.

Gan Guoyang took a moment to adjust before launching another attack.

He first drove to the basket, drawing a foul from Longley, and then made both free throws.

Then, near the free-throw line at the top of the key, he made a series of mid-range jump shots.

All three jump shots were taken over the defender's line, who had already pushed their defense to the limit.

But it was no use. Gan Guoyang, having adjusted his feel and form, had an excellent touch.

China scored another 8 points, bringing their score to 37-25. With more than half the first half played, China led Australia by 12 points.

The Australian fans in the stadium tensed up; a 12-point deficit wouldn't be easy to overcome.

Gan Guoyang is also very good at waging this kind of protracted battle when he has a lead.

At this point, he can control the situation on the court. Whenever Australia tries to gain momentum, he will step up and strike back with a precise jump shot.

Unlike at the beginning of the game, Gan Guoyang no longer charged forward recklessly to draw fouls, knowing that the referee would not easily give the whistle at this point.

He might get called for a foul if he's not careful. Relying on his height, wingspan, and excellent shooting ability, he finishes the offense with mid-range shots and three-pointers from the outside.

If Australia's defense spreads out, he passes the ball inside, where Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi, with their height and wingspan, pose a significant finishing threat.

Of course, Yao Ming was still a bit inexperienced, and he failed to score on several attempts under the basket. His control and finishing ability were slightly lacking under the aggressive play of the Australians.

Otherwise, the Chinese team could have widened the gap further in the first half.

At halftime, China led Australia by 13 points, 48-35.

The knockout stage was fiercely contested, and when they returned to the locker room, Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi's arms were covered with red marks.

Gan Guoyang scored 21 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds in the first half, scoring more than half of the Australian team's total.

Other Chinese players, including Wang Zhizhi, scored 8 points in the first half, while Yao Ming scored 6 points; the two inside players were key offensive threats.

On the contrary, the three-point shooting of players like Hu Weidong and Sun Jun was not very effective, and they only made one shot.

The team's shooting percentage is entirely supported by Gan Guoyang alone.

However, in the locker room, Gan Guoyang remained cheerful and humorous, saying to everyone, "It's okay, it doesn't matter if we don't shoot well tonight. We're just accumulating good karma for the next game. This is called the law of conservation. We'll play the semifinals next game, and then we can explode with three-pointers and take down our opponents."

For most people, saying something like that would be arrogant. It's only halftime, and they're only leading by 13 points, yet they're already bragging about the next game?

But Gan Guoyang is different. His statement shows confidence and also demonstrates his strong control over the game.

As expected, at the start of the second half, Gan Guoyang followed the same tactic as at the beginning of the first half, launching a frantic attack.

The difference is that he changed his tactics again, receiving the ball in the low post and quickly turning to complete the attack.

There are no fancy pre-arranged movements or complicated footwork; he simply uses his wingspan and height advantage to catch the ball, turn around, and jump shoot directly.

They shoot within 3 seconds, and every shot draws blood. The Australians' defensive intensity is far inferior to the NBA's one-on-one defense.

Zone defense and double-teaming are not very effective; Gan Guoyang's shots are quick and high, making them difficult to interfere with.

To successfully double-team him, you must do so before he starts to shoot, and this window of time is very short.

Moreover, double-teaming is only effective when Gan Guoyang is poorly positioned, forcing him to pass the ball.

Gan Guoyang's more than ten years of experience in dealing with double-team defense has, if not perfect, reached a state of perfection in the details.

From the very beginning, Gan Guoyang would carefully select his positions, first observing his opponents and then seizing the right opportunity.

It's like he has a hologram in his mind; he knows which positions near the three-second zone are easy to double-team, and how to shoot from which positions to receive the ball. He's developed muscle memory for these positions.

This is the best strategy for dealing with defense that he has developed since he started learning Bernard King's secrets.

Therefore, despite facing numerous defensive obstacles, Gan Guoyang always managed to find gaps and avoid those defensive traps, preventing him from getting surrounded and ending up making awkward, haphazard passes.

These subtle skills are one of the reasons why he surpassed many superstars, and among the new generation of players, only Kobe learned some of them.

FIBA's defense is more compact, but Australian players are not as good at defense as NBA players, so Gan Guoyang had to force his way into many shots against the defense in the second half.

Seemingly forceful, but actually ignoring the opponent's moves, he hit the bullseye repeatedly, silencing the Australian fans in the stadium.

With excellent positioning, outstanding touch tonight, and the passion to fight for his country, Gan Guoyang entered an unstoppable state.

In seven minutes, he made seven of eight mid-range shots and had three free throws, unleashing a scoring spree of 17 points that silenced two-thirds of the people in the stadium.

More importantly, the Australian team's morale was destroyed. They couldn't defend, and then they couldn't keep up with the offense either.

They didn't launch a single counterattack, and every game was a positional battle. In the end, all they could do was haphazardly throw three-pointers from the outside, and the more they threw, the more the situation collapsed.

At this point, playing at home is no longer an advantage, but a source of pressure—the immense pressure of facing one's fellow countrymen on one's own turf.

No one could step up and turn the tide. Gates and Shane Hill tried to save the world with their individual abilities, but they were silenced after being blocked twice by Gan Guoyang.

At 36, Wang is still a king; the gap in skill between him and these non-NBA players is still too great.

Although Australia launched a comeback in the final stages of the second half, the referees also began to exert pressure, awarding many penalty opportunities.

However, the gap between the two sides was too large. If Australia failed to seize a few opportunities and the Chinese team slowed down the pace, the situation would be difficult to change.

Ultimately, the score was 91-83, with the Chinese team defeating Australia by 8 points in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals.

Gan Guoyang easily scored 41 points, Wang Zhizhi 14 points, Hu Weidong 12 points, and Yao Ming 9 points, maintaining the single superstar model.

Australia had anticipated that the Chinese team would play this way, but it was useless; Gan Guoyang pierced through them with a single shot.

Even if the Australians wanted to remove the gun barrel from him, it wouldn't matter; he could still kill people even without the gun barrel.

(End of this chapter)