The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 969 Not Allowing White Hair to Be Seen in the Mortal World

For a long time after his retirement, Charles Barkley's weight was a topic of conversation.

In order to seize his last chance at a championship, Barkley underwent an epic weight loss journey in Portland and succeeded.

But once he got the championship ring he had always dreamed of, his weight ballooned up like an inflating balloon, even after he became a commentator for Turner TV.

Charles was not ashamed of this; he even agreed to participate in a variety show about obesity and weighed himself in front of a large audience.

Charles said he hopes to get back to his competition physique of around 265 pounds, which is his ideal condition.

When the scale showed 337.5 pounds, Barkley was shocked and somewhat devastated.

Because the weight was 20 pounds heavier than he had expected.

His weight was almost the same as the combined weight of Albert and Fratero (a host on Turner TV).

Looking across the NBA, only Shaquille O'Neal was more significant than Charles Barkley. (At the time, no one knew that O'Neal would one day form the heaviest commentary duo in history with Barkley, weighing a combined 700 pounds).

Barkley's weight is often the subject of jokes, and Barkley himself also makes fun of his weight.

During the program, he asked the host why his photo wasn't on the cover of Time magazine, and the host replied: "Because the cover isn't big enough."

Barkley's grandmother joked that she hoped Johnson and Smith wouldn't put too much pressure on Barkley on the show, otherwise he would eat a lot of donuts under pressure and become even fatter.

But in reality, Barkley was the one who put pressure on people. He dared to say anything on the show; he was the core and the explosive element.

Johnson and Smith are the supporting characters; they have to keep Barkley in check and keep the conversation going, because sometimes this guy talks too much and rambles on.

Kenny Smith said, “At first I was a little worried, but after Charles arrived, we quickly bonded. Barkley was like Mike Tyson or George Forman, he was throwing punches all night. And I was like Roy Jones, dodging and jabs back. Occasionally I would get knocked down by a punch, but I would get up quickly, and after a lot of jabs, Barkley would get hurt too.”

"Of course, at this point every time, Charles would pull out his trump card. He would extend his right fist, flashing the middle finger with the championship ring on it at me. This usually meant a game-winning shot! Excellent entertainment."

Barkley thrived at Turner TV, significantly boosting the station's ratings. People subscribed to the channel's pay-TV service just to see his outspoken criticisms on screen.

His signature move is criticizing Forrest Gump and attacking the greatest basketball player. In a postmodern world where everything is deconstructed and criticized, nothing is immune to criticism and reinterpretation.

Of course, we all know that it was just for the sake of the show; Barkley's criticism was not malicious, but rather humorous and gentle.

After all, this job was provided to him by Forrest Gump, along with the precious ring on his hand.

Before the 2002 All-Star Game, Barkley started his clamor again, arguing that Forrest Gump and Michael Jordan should withdraw from the All-Star Game and give up their starting positions to younger players, instead of monopolizing the stage for young players to perform.

"Sonny, you should take off your jersey and sit next to me. We'll sing a song together. You could wear 10 championship rings, you could beat 10 Kenny Smiths. What a wonderful retirement! And bring Porter along, let's have a Trail Blazers championship ring exhibition. Why bother competing with young guys for a chance on the NBA court? You're already fighting for a playoff spot, my God, Sonny!"

"Retire! There's a place for you next to me!"

—Excerpt from "Barkley," a biography of Charles Barkley by Motiejunas, published in 2022.

February 8, 2002, Philadelphia, Marriott Hotel, where NBA players stay.

The NBA All-Star Game will be held at the United Center in Philadelphia in two days. This marks the first time the All-Star Game has been held in Philadelphia since 1976, a period of 26 years.

In a luxurious presidential suite, Gan Guoyang, Jordan, Ewing, and Barkley were playing mahjong around a small table.

The television was on, and Charles Barkley's outrageous remarks on Turner TV were being broadcast—a rerun of yesterday's program.

Barkley had a lot of notes stuck to his face. He lost badly today, not only losing money but also being punished with sticky notes.

The most stickers were on his mouth, five or six in total, but this didn't stop him from speaking because his mouth wasn't sealed.

"Damn it! What kind of cards did I get?! Oh my god, it's so hard to win... I hope my luck will improve!"

Of course, it was Gan Guoyang who taught them the game of mahjong.

In the old days, everyone played cards, but later they got tired of the different types of playing cards.

So, Gan Guoyang got a set of ox bone mahjong tiles and played them with Jordan, Barkley, and others during the offseason after playing golf or bowling.

As a result, I lost interest in golf and bowling; they weren't fun at all, and mahjong was much more enjoyable.

Later, the three of them would often invite Ewing, Payton, or Thorpe to play mahjong together to pass the time.

They certainly made money, and sometimes the stakes were quite high. There were wins and losses, but overall, Jordan won the most.

It's not that he's a skilled card player, but rather that he's prone to cheating, resorting to all sorts of tricks to win.

Gan Guoyang's mahjong skills are average. Luck won't work here; it still depends on luck and a bit of skill.

Barkley's game is unpredictable; he wins and loses all the time, it's hard to figure out his playing style. He seems like a pro, but he also seems like a complete novice.

He was really weak today because he knew he had said something he shouldn't have on TV and was willing to accept the punishment.

"Gojo!"

"I won!" Gan Guoyang threw out four and six of bamboo and won immediately, and it was a pure suit.

Jordan said, "Charles, are you crazy! You're attacking all five! Aren't you being too obvious?"

Barkley said, "Look at my cards, I don't have any suits at all, why would I keep them if I don't play them?"

Jordan was speechless, but Barkley wanted to give Forrest Gump money, so there was nothing he could do.

Who can blame them when Forrest Gump is Barkley's real father figure?

“Charles, you can’t keep selling your soul like this.”

"Do I still have a soul to sell? I thought I was already selling my body."

"Oh no no~" All three of them showed expressions of disgust.

Barkley, you should probably give up on your physical body.

The four of them reshuffled the deck, and Gan Guoyang ripped the paper strips off Barkley's face.

"Forget it, forget it. We all know you have it tough. You make money by spouting nonsense on TV and you still get ridiculed all the time. Go ahead and criticize me for getting high ratings, but there's a bottom line: don't bring your wife and kids along."

"Sonny, I still have my bottom line."

During Philadelphia All-Star Weekend, other stars try to increase their exposure by giving interviews, participating in street events, interacting closely with community fans, and engaging in streetwear and streetball activities at outdoor basketball courts.

Nike, Adidas, And-one, and other brands are all using new marketing methods to bring fans a different advertising experience.

Unlike basketball shoes in the 80s and 90s, which were mainly used in indoor basketball courts, by the late 90s and early 21s, streetwear elements were increasingly appearing in the NBA and on sporting goods. The signature hairstyles and outfits of the new generation of star players have profoundly influenced the sport of basketball.

Keep in mind, this is Philadelphia, Allen Iverson's territory.

Dreadlocks, wide-leg pants, thick gold chains, tattoos, the gleaming steel chain nets and wire mesh fences of a street basketball court, paired with a pair of cool street-style sneakers—this is the impression that contemporary young people have of basketball.

Even Gan Guoyang's Skyscraper has started releasing streetwear versions, and sales remain consistently stable.

However, it's impossible for Gan Guoyang to wear sneakers to the streets to endorse products and do events anymore. If he went and no one attended, wouldn't that be very embarrassing?

The old guys stayed in the hotel playing cards, mahjong, and smoking cigars, thinking about how to kill time during the All-Star game and get some rest.

After their game-winning shot against the Kings, the Glory team followed their pattern of one strong game followed by three weak ones. They went one win and two losses in the three games before the All-Star break, dropping to eighth place and hovering on the edge of the playoffs.

Fortunately, the All-Star Weekend has arrived, giving veterans and injured players a chance to recover and rest.

It is expected that Arenas and Gerald Wallace will both recover from their injuries and return to competition after the All-Star Game.

Before we knew it, the playoffs were just around the corner. The Glorious team had successfully made it through half a season without any major problems and their revenue had remained strong.

In comparison, the Seattle SuperSonics' situation is not as good as Michael Jordan had anticipated.

The dilapidated state of KeyArena has impacted the team's revenue. Although it can accommodate more than 18000 spectators, the problem is that the facilities are outdated, there are no VIP boxes, and the service is inadequate, which has prevented ticket prices from being raised. After all, the building was designed and constructed in 1962.

The MGM Grand Hotel Arena, which has fewer seats than KeyArena, generates twice or more revenue per home game than Seattle Arena due to its comprehensive facilities, diverse services, and VIP boxes.

The Glorious team wasn't satisfied with this, complaining that the MGM Grand Arena was too small and old, and that a new, large arena was already under construction.

Jordan thought that his influence would solidify the SuperSonics' position in Seattle, allowing the city to build a new arena for the team and generate greater revenue.

However, Jordan overestimated his influence on the West Coast. Tickets were sold out for every game, but when it came to getting the city to build a new arena, sorry, there wasn't enough money to invest. The team had to figure it out themselves.

There are now rumors circulating that the SuperSonics' owner may want to sell the team.

While the team has Jordan, Payton, and Ewing, they can sell them for a good price.

When Ewing and Jordan get too old and retire, the team's trade value will definitely decrease significantly.

The rumors created a climate of unease within the SuperSonics team, much like the rumors of the Trail Blazers being sold in 1988.

Such rumors often turn out to be true in the end, so Jordan wasn't in a good mood at this All-Star Game.

The SuperSonics' record is declining; although they still hold a playoff spot, they have fallen out of the top half of the bracket.

In terms of mentality, Jordan and Gan Guoyang are completely different. Jordan hopes to make a name for himself in the playoffs.

The SuperSonics are also centered around three veterans, with young and energetic players as their support, and they are determined to win a place in the Western Conference.

Gan Guoyang, on the other hand, appeared much more unassuming. He had a longer-term vision and was more concerned with the growth of young people.

When Jordan discovered that the SuperSonics might not honor their promise to give him a share of the team, he struggled to maintain his composure.

Once the supersonics are sold, the boss's previous verbal promises will be worthless, like a piece of paper. You don't even have paper to write down.

"Six loaves."

"Pong! I won! All suit, all pongs!"

Gan Guoyang hit Barkley's six of tiles and won again.

Jordan got angry and said, "Charles, you're not going to tell me you don't have any lobs!"

Barkley shrugged and said, "You guessed it, Michael, I just don't have any lobs!"

Ewing said, "Forget it, Michael, let those two play by themselves. We're not losing money anyway."

Jordan picked up his cigar, took a few deep drags, and said, "Charles, you've really gotten addicted to clinging to Sonny."

"You'll know once you try it, Michael."

Jordan scoffed. Gan Guoyang shuffled the cards and said, "Michael, maybe you really should consider coming to Las Vegas. Let me tell you, the Seattle owners are not going to give you any shares. I have definite information that they will sell the team this year."

"Where did you get the news?"

"What do you care where I got my information? Don't you trust me?"

Jordan remained silent. Forrest Gump's information network was indeed impressive; you never know where he got all that random stuff. Rumor had it that he knew al-Qaeda was behind the Twin Towers attacks before the CIA and the Department of Defense, and he'd accidentally let it slip.

Jordan shook his head and said, "I came back to beat you, not to join you. I don't want to become a joke."

"The world has changed, haven't you noticed? Now, it's not joining that makes you a laughing stock, but failing. Look, everyone laughs at Charles' weight, but does anyone laugh at his rings? He's only laughed at because he doesn't have any rings. Besides, you didn't join when you were in your prime and didn't have any championships, and you didn't join because you couldn't beat them. We're all getting old, you understand?"

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang got up from his chair, drew back the curtains, and looked out the window.

"The world has changed. We are no longer the popular protagonists, but the supporting characters that everyone wants to step on. Charles should know better than anyone whether it is more popular to criticize us or praise us on television."

Barkley pulled out a hamburger from somewhere and started eating it, saying, "You guys have reached the point where people are mourning your deaths, I mean your careers. Fans watch shows with expectations; if they meet those expectations, they like it, if they don't, they change the channel. Most fans want to see stories of young talents, and this isn't your era anymore, old man."

Gan Guoyang said, "Join me next season, and we'll fight the world together, instead of fighting amongst ourselves."

Jordan remained silent. The season wasn't over yet, and Forrest Gump was already trying to disrupt morale again.

Ewing said, "I'm too old. I'll retire after this season. I'm already 39."

"You're already 39, what's wrong with holding on for another year? Think about it. Don't let Charles trample you underfoot. Of course, if you guys win the championship this season, then never mind what I said."

Gan Guoyang took a puff of his cigar and exhaled a smoke ring. He was also deeply feeling the malice from the world. Even though he was once so popular, he still received a huge number of votes at this All-Star event.

But Gan Guoyang could sense that many votes were not based on liking, but on habit, or rather, respect.

Like a book that's about to end, people become quite impatient with it, even wanting it to end sooner, but they'll still vote on time and turn to read those freshly published new books whose protagonists are still on the road to hope.

Since ancient times, beauties and famous generals have not been allowed to grow old in this world.

Any struggle to combat aging inevitably appears ugly.

But Gan Guoyang believes he will be the exception, because he is Forrest Gump.

(End of this chapter)