The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 958 Who is the Sun of Portland?

Gan Guoyang has lost count of how many times he has seen Portland fans welcoming him at the airport, lining the square and roadsides.

For the past 16 years, every time they returned from an away game in the Finals, enthusiastic fans would greet them near the airport.

Especially on the night they won the championship on the road, the area around the airport would be packed with people, as bright as day, celebrating all night long for the victory and the championship.

When Gan Guoyang won the championship in 1986 and 1987, he would rush into the crowd shirtless and celebrate the championship and victory with the crazy fans.

At that time, Gan Guoyang was still very young, only in his early twenties. He was handsome, dashing, and had endless energy. Women in Portland all loved him, including many married women who wanted to have an affair with him.

When he stripped naked and rushed into the crowd of fans, countless young girls and women took pride in squeezing past him to touch him. Some girls fainted on the spot after touching Gan Guoyang and were carried out by the crowd to the hospital for treatment.

More than ten years have passed. These girls have become young women, and the young women have become old women. They have children, and the children have children of their own.

Their feelings for Forrest Gump weren't that intense; they were long past that age, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten. No one will forget.

The bus was moving very slowly. Gan Guoyang stood in front of the windshield and waved to the fans in the rain. He felt he should get off, but his bodyguard reminded him that it was too dangerous. It was raining, dark, and there were many people. If it caused a stampede, it would be a big problem.

Gan Guoyang knew Quentin was right, so he decided to say something to everyone. There was a loudspeaker on the bus, and the driver turned it on and handed the microphone to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the microphone but remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say.

Since his second retirement in 2000, Gan Guoyang left Portland to participate in the Olympics, went to Las Vegas to establish a new business, applied for a franchise for a new team, and then announced his comeback, joining a new team.

More than a year has passed, and Gan Guoyang has not returned to Portland during this time. Gan Guoyang tells himself that he is too busy. He is indeed very busy, extremely busy, and has not had a single free day.

But deep down, Gan Guoyang knew he was afraid—afraid to return here, afraid to face the Portland fans again.

As an opponent.

When Gan Guoyang decided to make his second comeback, he heard some voices from Portland and Oregon.

Some people believe that Forrest Gump broke his promise by returning to the game after receiving such a grand and solemn farewell ceremony from local fans, and then no longer playing for the Trail Blazers.

Nobody called him a traitor, nobody burned his jersey; that would be too much.

But the dissatisfaction was real; Gan Guoyang could sense it when his son would occasionally mention bits and pieces of information when he called home.

Gan Guoyang cared, but he didn't want to ask too many questions, afraid of disappointing himself.

As people get older, their emotions become more sensitive.

When Gan Guoyang first arrived in Portland, he had a lot of unpleasantness with the Trail Blazers and Portland fans because of issues with the team doctor.

At that time, Gan Guoyang didn't care. He thought, "If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. It's a loss for you Portland fans if I leave."

He proved to be right; losing Gan Guoyang would have been a permanent and irreparable pain for Portland fans.

Now, the tables have turned, and Gan Guoyang has lost the support of Portland's fans, which is also making him feel terrible.

"Good morning, my dear friends in Portland," Gan Guoyang finally said after hesitating for a long time.

The rain was lessening, the sound carrying throughout the square, and people began to cheer—it was just a simple "good morning."

Although it's not morning at all, it's the early hours of the morning.

After a long pause, Gan Guoyang finally said, "I love you all, your sun has returned."

The cheers grew louder, and reporters and a live broadcast vehicle recorded the incident.

As the bus was about to leave the airport, it stopped, and Gan Guoyang opened the door, got off, and briefly met with the fans.

Chaos immediately erupted as people desperately pushed their way toward the bus, hoping to get up close to their Sun King once again.

Surprisingly, the rain stopped as soon as Gan Guoyang got out of the car. The torrential rain that had been accompanied by thunder and lightning just ten minutes earlier had now cleared up, the clouds and fog had dissipated, and the bright stars in the sky were revealed.

This situation was also recorded by the live broadcast vehicle on site, and later became one of the important pieces of evidence for the worship of Gan Guoyang by the Agan God Cult.

Gan Guoyang didn't stay at the scene for long; the fans were too crazy. Under the protection of bodyguards and police, he returned to the bus, which started up again and left the airport for the hotel.

This touching and exhilarating airport welcome marked the beginning of Gan Guoyang's return to Portland for the game.

There is no doubt that this game garnered unprecedented attention in Oregon.

Gan Guoyang will wear an away jersey for the first time at the Rose Garden Arena, becoming the Trail Blazers' opponent.

The Sun King, who once brought countless honors and victories to this city and won ten championships, has finally become an enemy.

Your Majesty, why have you betrayed us?

However, the Portlanders still showed their loyalty to Gan Guoyang.

The entire city was once again covered with posters and flags related to Gan Guoyang. Outside the Rose Garden Arena, a huge portrait of Gan Guoyang was hung, his gaze fixed on the Willamette River and the entire city.

The hotel where the players were staying was supposed to be kept secret, but the news of Gan Guoyang's return to Portland could not be kept quiet.

Many fans and citizens came to the hotel where the Guanghui team was staying and set up camp, hoping to get closer to Gan Guoyang.

Some people held up banners hoping Gan Guoyang would see them; one of them read, "Portland needs you."

Some of them read: "Come back and bring another championship."

Another one read: "Kobe is an idiot, come back and teach him a lesson."

Gan Guoyang looked at the banners and felt both amused and exasperated. He wanted to come back, but it was too late.

The Trail Blazers are now an asset of Nike, and after years of cooperation, Avia and Nike are now in full competition.

Kobe's contract with Adidas is about to expire, and if he stays with the Trail Blazers, he will inevitably sign with Nike.

Both Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace on the Trail Blazers are wearing Nike shoes, so it's impossible for Gan Guoyang to wear Nike or return to Portland.

As adults, we need to keep our feelings separate from reality and our interests separate.

On the afternoon of the day before the competition, which was a Friday, after lunch, Gan Guoyang went to Oswig Lake Park Elementary School as agreed to attend his son's school's parent day event.

Having attended his daughter's party, Gan Guoyang naturally couldn't miss his son's, and he could also visit his old friends.

The itinerary was kept secret, otherwise it would have caused a lot of trouble. Under the cover of hotel staff, Gan Guoyang evaded reporters and cameras, got into Mitchell Thompson's car, and went to Oswick Lake Mountain Park.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you, Thompson." Gan Guoyang was referring to Gan Wenshan, who had been living at Thompson's house for over a year. He was a young boy, the kind of person everyone disliked, so it goes without saying how troublesome it was to take care of him.

"Haha, Xiao Gan is great. He's very independent. And with him around, my three sons are much easier to manage."

Gan Wenshan inherited his father's domineering style, was energetic, righteous, fair, and didn't have much of his own selfish motives. As a result, he managed to keep the Thompson brothers, Curry brothers, and others under his command.

Therefore, if Thompson needs to instruct his three sons on anything, he doesn't need to give them individual instructions; he can simply discuss it with Gan Wenshan, who will handle it. "I'm not home most of the time, and he's already learned to take care of himself," Gan Guoyang said with a touch of heartache, realizing he really doesn't spend much time with his sons.

Now, in order to take his career to the next level and achieve a great breakthrough unprecedented in the basketball world, he has once again thrown himself into a busy professional game.

I finally managed to find some time today to check on my son at school. If things don't go well, I'll donate another building.

Gan Guoyang's arrival at the school as a special parent immediately caused a sensation, with all the teachers coming to get up close and personal with this Portland icon.

Most of the school's teachers are fans of Gan Guoyang, and even those who aren't fans certainly know his name.

The children, on the other hand, didn't really notice anything; they only knew that Gan Guoyang was very tall and looked very imposing.

Gan Guoyang also met Dell Curry, who has retired and stayed in Portland, working as a commentator for the team alongside Mitchell Thompson.

Bill Shawnley is getting old and will soon retire. Besides, there are many TV channels now, each with its own commentators, and Thompson and Curry work together very well.

Next, Gan Guoyang met his son Gan Wenshan, along with his cronies: the Thompson brothers, the Curry brothers, and Kevin Love, on the large playground.

These boys, when they're together, are completely lawless; they practically run rampant in Oswick Lake Mountain Park.

Gan Wenshan's father is the Oregon Suns, the Thompson brothers' father is the Portland Trail Blazers' number one draft pick, and the Curry brothers' father is the Portland sharpshooter. If you took out the rings on the three of them and put them together, they would weigh several pounds.

Kevin Love's father, Stan Love, was also an NBA player. He was a generation ahead of players like Gan Guoyang and Thompson, entering the league in 1971 and playing for the Bullets throughout his career. He was a relatively mediocre player.

But his brother Mike Love was a member of the famous American rock band The Beach Boys in the 1960s. The Beach Boys were a pivotal band in American music history, comparable to The Beatles, with global record sales of over 100 million. In 1988, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

They are all children of well-known figures in the arts and sports world. They live in comfortable conditions, are well-informed, and have exceptionally high energy and physical strength. If left unsupervised, they will cause trouble everywhere and are sure to get into serious trouble.

Fortunately, their parents are quite strict with them, and they are all set to pursue a career in sports.

One of the great benefits of sports is that they can expend a child's boundless energy and shift their focus to the team rather than just themselves, which is very beneficial for growing boys.

Upon seeing his father, Gan Wenshan showed no sadness. Instead, he rushed over and fired an Ultraman beam at Gan Guoyang. Then, with a backflip, he shot another Ultraman beam at Gan Guoyang, making a beeping sound effect, which made everyone laugh.

This is treating Gan Guoyang like a monster.

Gan Guoyang's face flushed red and then turned pale as he asked, "Who showed you Ultraman?"

"Wasn't it the disc you sent me?"

"Huh? Really... I'd forgotten."

"You gave me this as a birthday present! It's actually quite nice! Take this punch!"

Gan Wenshan punched Gan Guoyang in the leg, but Gan Guoyang did not react at all.

He asked, "Don't you even care about your sister and mother? Don't you even ask if they've come?"

"My mom is coming too?" A hint of fear flashed in Gan Wenshan's eyes.

"Come over tomorrow, I'll watch Dad's game tonight."

"Oh~ tomorrow, then it's fine... Growth has stopped! Haha, the little crab in your belly can't grow any bigger!"

Gan Guoyang squatted down and gently patted Gan Wenshan's head, saying in Chinese, "Don't force me to lift you up in front of so many people, it's embarrassing. Be good and keep quiet, OK?"

Gan Wenshan, a wise man who knows when to yield, made an OK sign and obediently stepped aside.

The activities for Parents' Day were all related to sports, including rugby clashes, 3 vs 5 basketball, and three-legged team running.

Gan Guoyang seized the opportunity and, in the rugby event, knocked his son into the air cushion.

Then, in the 3 vs 5 game, he made a series of powerful dunks and blocked shots from Thompson Jr., Curry, and his son.

In the final three-legged race, Gan Guoyang felt Gan Wenshan's tenacity, intelligence, and strong competitive spirit.

The father and son won first place. Gan Guoyang lifted Gan Wenshan high, and Gan Wenshan shouted, "Swallow-style flying kick!"

The next day, in the stands of the Rose Garden Stadium, Gan Wenshan was much more well-behaved in front of his mother and sister, appearing very quiet as he sat courtside waiting for the game to begin.

Before the match, Wang Fuxi warned him that tonight was his most important match, and if he dared to cause trouble, he would be sent back to Las Vegas after the match, transferred to any school, and then have to do his homework every day.

Gan Wenshan knew that his mother was a woman of her word, someone who always meant what she said and was prepared to carry it out.

More than a year later, Gan Guoyang returned to the Rose Garden Arena, but no longer wore the Trail Blazers' red, white and black tricolor jersey.

With the groundwork laid in the early hours of yesterday morning, Gan Guoyang's emotions had calmed down considerably. However, when he came out to warm up, a huge commotion still broke out at the scene.

Gan Guoyang smiled and waved to the fans. Before long, the crowd even rang out in unison chanting "Sonny Gan".

Many things in the stadium have changed, but many things remain the same.

After Nike took over the team, it modernized and renovated the Rose Garden, making it more information-driven.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers' logo has finally been changed. The logo, which had remained unchanged for 30 years since the team's founding, has been changed from vertical stripes to diagonal stripes resembling the eye of a typhoon.

From a design perspective, it is indeed more dynamic and modern, but it also breaks with old traditions.

The tradition of having won 11 championships has left Portland fans dissatisfied, leading to protests.

However, Nike Group wants to make changes and hopes to sever ties with the past and with Gan Guoyang.

Phil Knight clearly underestimated Gan Guoyang's influence in Portland.

As the match was about to begin and both sides introduced their players, the first four players of the Glory team's starting lineup were introduced rather unremarkable.

Just as Gan Guoyang was about to appear, all the lights went out and the music started. The opening sunrise of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" burst forth like a red sun. As in his past home games, Gan Guoyang appeared under the spotlight at the climax of the music.

The lights came on, and the audience erupted in prolonged applause and cheers that lasted for five minutes.

Five minutes in, Gan Guoyang realized that if he didn't say something, the applause would never stop, and the competition couldn't start.

He could only go to the technical desk, pick up the microphone, and say "thank you" first, which was met with even more enthusiastic applause.

More than a minute later, after Gan Guoyang calmed the fans down, it was finally the home team's turn to enter the field.

This little incident delayed the start of the game by several minutes. Gan Guoyang saw Bird sitting in the stands, Bill Shawnley in the commentary booth, greeted Carlisle on the bench, and wanted to shake hands and hug Kobe.

Unexpectedly, Kobe dodged the handshake. He glanced at Gan Guoyang and said, "Let's shake hands after we win the game. I don't like shaking hands with losers."

Gan Guoyang didn't expect Kobe to have such a temper. No wonder he didn't send a single text message or make a single phone call after returning to Portland. It seems he was holding back his anger.

Great, I'll give you a chat tonight and see who the real sun of Portland is.

(End of this chapter)