The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 985 Safe Journey

Opening his eyes, Yao Ming woke up from his sleep. He looked out the window at the sky, which was pitch black.

The digital clock by the bed shows it's 8 PM, but the wristwatch next to it also shows 8 PM, though it's actually 8 AM.

He hadn't yet adjusted to the time difference; the journey from Shanghai to New York was exactly 12 hours, with day and night reversed, because he had arrived in a country on the other side of the world.

This place is not unfamiliar to him. This is not his first time in the United States. Because of training and competition, he has come here every summer since he joined the national team, to this basketball nation.

He used to frequent Portland, which is the holy land of Chinese basketball and the home team of Chinese fans. Yao Ming and his friends grew up watching the Trail Blazers' games. After he started playing basketball, his dream was to play for the Trail Blazers in the NBA and wear a Portland jersey.

New York is my second most frequent destination. The national team has been training here since the 80s, playing against high-level teams. It used to have the best basketball resources in the United States. The NBA headquarters is here, Madison Square Garden is here, and Rucker Park is here.

As times change and the new century begins, the center of American basketball is gradually shifting towards the West Coast. Cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, and Las Vegas have built better and more advanced training venues and facilities. Players are also more willing to spend their summers in these places with pleasant climates, comfortable environments, and numerous entertainment venues, both to vacation and to improve themselves.

In New York, the facilities are becoming dilapidated, and resources such as coaches and trainers are dwindling; life in the big city is too difficult. The 9/11 attacks dealt a heavy blow, and for safety reasons, many people no longer consider it a vacation or training destination.

New York has become an ancient symbol and emblem, much like Madison Square Garden, which has stood for over 30 years but has a history of over 100 years. Everything will start here, a starting point: the NBA draft.

Yao Ming got up and drew the curtains wide open. In the darkness, he could see Madison Square Garden, a circular building located between 8th Avenue, 31st Street, and 33rd Street, which looked like a chocolate cake.

24 hours later, at 8 pm tomorrow, Yao Ming will personally go to the legendary lottery zone, the little green room, to take his first step toward the NBA.

He had prepared a lot for this day. He could have come to the NBA much earlier, in 2000 when he was 20 years old and the sun was setting, to inherit his mantle in America.

However, he was too young and was tied up in the agent contract signed by the team, unable to break free. His parent team also needed him to stay in the CBA and achieve some results, rather than leaving for the United States as soon as he showed some promise and a chance to compete for the championship.

In fact, in this era, the NBA did not have a strong aura for Chinese people, especially after China defeated the United States to win the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.

In the eyes of Chinese people, the NBA is just a very powerful basketball league. People have been watching it for more than ten years, and Chinese people have won the championship almost every year, so it's not very surprising.

The games are indeed exciting, and people are more willing to appreciate the game and the skills than to regard entering the NBA as an honor.

Therefore, everyone can understand why local teams want to achieve good results and are reluctant to release players. We have dominated the NBA for a long time, so let the Americans go.

Entering the NBA embodies the players' own ideals; it is the highest stage, the ultimate arena for basketball players, and who wouldn't want to try their luck there?

Now that he has helped the Shanghai Sharks win the CBA championship, he has no more worries in his heart.

He can finally come to the United States to challenge himself with a stronger basketball game, chase the sun, and follow in the footsteps of Wang Zhizhi, Hu Weidong, and others.

Wang Zhizhi joined the NBA in 1999 and is now entering his fourth season. He has established himself as a sharp offensive backup power forward who can score as soon as he steps onto the court and has a unique skill set.

Yao Ming's goal is not just to have a special skill.

Yao Ming lay back down on the extra-long and extra-wide bed, and the bed sank in immediately; American beds are so soft.

He tried to fall asleep to adjust to the time difference and prepare for tomorrow's draft.

Of course, he knew that he didn't need to make too many preparations; he only needed to be mentally prepared. Other preparations had already been taken care of perfectly by someone else.

But even in the country, it's too early to go to sleep at this time, let alone since he had just woken up.

He wanted to call home, but he picked up the receiver and put it down again. Before he came out, he didn't want his parents to come with him.

Yao Ming wants to experience the NBA and the draft on his own, and then have his parents come over once he's settled in.

But the thought of being separated from my parents and hometown by 12 time zones, half the globe, with my days and nights reversed, brings a sense of loneliness.

He had traveled abroad before, to the United States, Australia, and to various parts of the world to compete, but he always followed the national team and acted as a group, without having any particular thoughts.

This time, he's doing it for himself and for his basketball career. He'll be living here for a long time, and it feels really different.

Just as he was lost in thought and about to turn on the TV, there was a knock on the door. Yao Ming got up, thinking it was his agent, Gan Guohui.

"Who?"

"it's me."

A familiar voice rang out, and Yao Ming quickly opened the door, where he saw Gan Guoyang standing, holding a paper bag.

No matter how many times he sees him, Yao Ming is always at a loss. His huge body seems to have shrunk a lot at this moment, turning from a little giant into a little dwarf.

"You, you've arrived. Come in, come in." Yao Ming was a little nervous and stammered.

"Guohui said you were sleeping. I guess you should be waking up soon. You're still jet-lagged, aren't you?"

"No, I can't fall asleep even though I want to."

"Perfect timing, have a drink with me."

"I...don't drink much."

"It's okay, I don't drink much, I only have one drink occasionally during the off-season."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang took out a bottle of Sherry sparkling wine and two glasses from the paper bag, placed them on the coffee table, screwed on the caps, and poured two glasses.

The wine was slightly sweet and easy to drink. After two glasses, he felt a little tipsy and his energy level improved. Yao Ming felt his nervousness and stuttering disappear.

Gan Guoyang pulled the hotel curtains wide open and sat down in front of the large French windows, looking out at the bustling New York City, its lights gleaming.

“At this time tomorrow, New York will temporarily belong to you,” Gan Guoyang said.

"Hmm." Yao Ming was excited, but his expression and reaction remained calm. He added, "It'll only be about two minutes."

"That's right, just two minutes is enough. One of my regrets is not being able to attend the NBA draft in person, instead I went to that damn Olympic training camp. This time, no matter what, I should come and experience it."

Gan Guoyang's absence from the 1984 talent show has always been a small regret for him.

Yao Ming was originally unable to come because he had to participate in the national team training camp, and the Basketball Association was afraid that his trip to the United States would delay his training and games.

Gan Guoyang made a phone call to the General Administration of Sport, which demanded that Yao Ming participate in the draft, as this was a major event.

Meanwhile, the national team's training location has just been moved to Las Vegas, where Yao Ming will meet with the national team to participate in the Summer League, using the games as training.

The two chatted and drank, quickly finishing half a bottle of liquor. Tall basketball players have excellent alcohol tolerance; for them, a whole bottle was practically nothing, let alone half a bottle.

But Gan Guoyang wasn't a heavy drinker; he'd just have a little to create a lively atmosphere, then put the lid on and put the wine away.

He has a lot to do this offseason, though not as busy as the summer of 2001. The Glorious are on track, and their rise, like the city of Las Vegas, is nothing short of miraculous.

As the first team to achieve this feat, they not only made it to the playoffs but also successfully upset the eighth seed, eliminating the defending champion Lakers.

For three whole days, global media outlets reported on this incredible upset and dramatic game-winning shot, further boosting the Glory team's reputation.

However, in the semifinals, they battled the Sacramento Kings for six games, but ultimately lost to the Kings' superior overall strength and tactical prowess, and were eliminated.

This is the first time in Gan Guoyang's career that he has failed to lead his team to the Western Conference Finals. Even the king of the Western Conference Finals has his day of defeat.

Fans were not surprised, of course. It was already a miracle that 38-year-old Gan Guoyang led the team to such a good result. No one expected such a new team to win the championship. After all, the NBA is not a dinner party, and the Western Conference is full of fierce teams.

In the Western Conference Finals, the Kings defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in a seven-game series to advance to the NBA Finals.

The Trail Blazers eliminated the Seattle SuperSonics, featuring Jordan and Payton, in the first round, with Kobe leading the Portlanders to once again crush Jordan.

Then they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the semifinals. The Mavericks eliminated the Spurs 3-2 in the first round. The rivalry between the Mavericks and the Spurs began that year, and the comparison between Nowitzki and Pau Gasol has never stopped.

Kobe played exceptionally well in the Western Conference Finals, but the Kings were a better team overall, and this year's Western Conference belonged to them.

In the Finals, the reigning champions and big winners of the season, the Boston Celtics, had been waiting for a long time.

Compared to the Kings' arduous journey, the Celtics crushed their way into the Finals; they had been waiting for this championship for far too long.

After experiencing the setbacks of the 2000 NBA Finals and the season-ending injury in the 2001 playoffs, Tim Duncan finally reaped a bountiful harvest in the 2002 season.

In the regular season, he beat Shaquille O'Neal to win the regular season MVP, All-NBA Team, and All-Defensive First Team. In the playoffs, a healthy Celtics player led his team to a crushing victory. Under Bobby Bellman's leadership, the Celtics rallied a formidable fighting force.

The Finals, Duncan vs. Webber, was also a very exciting and engaging match, with quite good viewership ratings.

Ultimately, the Celtics proved superior, winning 4-2 in Game 6 in Boston to claim their sixteenth NBA championship.

This marks the first time the championship trophy has returned to the Eastern Conference since the 1997 season.

The 2001-2002 season has come to an end. Less than a month after the smoke of the finals cleared, the ambitions for the new season have already arrived.

Regardless of what others think, failure is failure. Gan Guoyang chose to make a comeback. At this age, he should be prepared to swallow the bitter pill of failure and then move forward.

This summer, he is ready to devote himself fully to training.

He no longer needs to worry about team operations; the team is already running smoothly.

The only two things he needs to worry about are Yao Ming's future in this draft.

Yao Ming was a very popular candidate in this draft.

NBA scouts are, arguably, only partially blind. They don't have a clear view of future potential, so every year there are overlooked talents and busts.

However, the scouts and management can still see the strength they are currently displaying.

At 22, Yao Ming was undoubtedly the strongest player in the 2002 class. During multiple tryouts, Yao Ming demonstrated his advantages and talent.

Gan Guoyang was well aware that Yao Ming had potential and was very hardworking and diligent.

He originally didn't want to get involved in Yao Ming's draft. Everyone has their own destiny, and he will have his own future. No matter which team he goes to, he can make a name for himself.

Moreover, Glory really didn't have many bargaining chips, and Gan Guoyang had spent all his energy persuading Jordan and Ewing to join them.

Jordan's time in Seattle was tough because the owner sold the team to Starbucks, and all the previous promises were broken, leaving him with nothing.

Ewing was preparing to retire, and his knees could no longer support his massive body; King Kong was tired.

However, Gan Guoyang, considering various factors, still hoped that everyone would join forces for the championship, for box office revenue, and to solidify the team's position in Las Vegas.

Just before the draft lottery, David Stern approached Gan Guoyang, expressing his hope that Yao Ming's potential could be realized and that the prosperity of the Chinese market could continue.

Gan Guoyang knew that Stern, that old fox, was up to something again.

Gan Guoyang's ability to make money is obvious to all. He has made a comeback and called on his friends, but frankly speaking, how many more years can these old men keep jumping around?

It is indeed necessary to extend its life and make preparations, otherwise how will this giant blood pack provide blood transfusions to the entire league in the future?
Financial crisis is something that major sports leagues fear most, and it's also something that fans rarely see and care about the least.

David Stern's approach to running the league has always been to let the wealthy get rich first and then help the less wealthy. He would develop a few major cities and large financial centers, and then give money, subsidies, and playing a supporting role to smaller teams. If a small team can develop into a team like the Kings or the Pacers, then you're great, but the real support won't be too much; it will still favor the core, popular teams.

The Glory's first-year revenue of $1.67 million was incredibly tempting, and it fueled the entire NBA's popularity. Even without the Glory, the 2002 NBA Finals still boasted impressive viewership ratings.

Stern hopes this trend will continue, and that the Radiant Team will shine brightly, illuminating the entire league.

Gan Guoyang hadn't really been interested in Yao Ming, but after Stern said that, he naturally started to make moves.

As expected, at the 2002 NBA Draft Lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the number one pick in the 2002 draft with a 5.9% probability.

Although Stern didn't say anything, Gan Guoyang immediately understood, because the Cavaliers' general manager was Gan Guoyang's former teammate, Jim Paxson.

At this time, Gan Guoyang already had a vast network of protégés and former players in the NBA. The players he had mentored all had championship rings and were able to find jobs with various teams after retirement.

Previously, the Cavaliers acquired Van Exel through a trade involving Vandeweghe. Now that Jim Paxson has the number one draft pick, the likelihood of a trade has greatly increased.

Of course, even though they are old teammates, Jim Paxson wouldn't just give you a number one draft pick for free; there will still be negotiations.

From May until June 26th, the day of the draft, Danny Ainge, representing the Glorious, repeatedly negotiated with the Cavaliers and finally secretly finalized the trade package.

Half an hour ago, Gan Guoyang received calls from Angie and Paxson, informing him that the trade had been finalized and that he should wait for the draft to begin.

That's why Gan Guoyang brought wine to Yao Ming's room and had a drink with him, but he didn't tell Yao Ming about the situation, because things are done in secret.

Gan Guoyang simply raised his glass, offering the last toast to Yao Ming, and said, "I wish you all the best in the NBA."

(End of this chapter)