The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 987 Gan Jiaqiao

It was late at night when we arrived in Atlantic City, but the nightlife here was just beginning.

Atlantic City, a two-hour drive from New York City, is located on the Atlantic coast of southern New Jersey, adjacent to Philadelphia and close to major eastern cities such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It is the Las Vegas of the East, a famous gambling and tourist destination.

Yao Ming sat in the back seat of the car, feeling both excited and bewildered. He had just become an NBA player, and a member of the Glorious Las Vegas team, fighting alongside Forrest Gump.

Everything felt like a dream, not real.

Although Gan Guoyang did not reveal any trade plans to Yao Ming before the draft, Yao Ming knew that he would most likely be traded to Guanghui, but he did not know what the trade assets would be.

Yao Ming felt quite pressured after learning that the trade assets he received were Brad Miller and Arenas.

He knew that the two players performed very well for Glory last season, especially Arenas, who had great potential.

This is why the Cavaliers insisted on Arenas. Ainge's original idea was to trade Raja Bell, but Bell's potential was far inferior to Arenas'.

Considering Van Exel's presence and the fact that the team-building plan for the new season was not conducive to Arenas' development, Glorious decided to do him a favor and let him go to the Cavaliers.

Jim Paxson gave face and was willing to trade for the number one draft pick, so Gan Guoyang couldn't keep taking advantage of him forever; he had to give Paxson something good in return.

The Cavaliers' plan for next season is still to tank, which will be a good time for Arenas to develop and maybe even become the Cavaliers' leader.

That's how trades work in the NBA. If you always try to get something for nothing, you'll lose the favor once you've used it, and no one will want to play with you next time.

Conversely, if you leverage personal relationships while striving for win-win or even multi-win outcomes, people will be more willing to do business with you in the future.

Often, when it comes to talented players, especially young, promising ones, trying to do too much at once can lead to problems. Holding onto too many players at once not only hinders their development but also jeopardizes their future prospects.

Enabling resources to flow rationally and effectively, and ensuring that one takes what is rightfully theirs, requires a trader's vision and strategic thinking.

The darkness along the highway gradually faded, the lights grew brighter, and Atlantic City was ablaze with lights at night.

This is the largest casino cluster in the East, the birthplace of wealth and gang legends, and Yao Ming felt unfamiliar with everything here.

"How do you feel?" Gan Guoyang asked Yao Ming, asking about his impressions of the legendary Atlantic City.

"Hmm...it seems a bit worn and old."

"Haha, you're right. Atlantic City is indeed a bit run-down and old. The wooden walkways here are over a hundred years old, and many casinos are decades old. In terms of splendor and magnificence, it's far inferior to Las Vegas, and it will never be as impressive as our major Chinese cities."

Yao Ming has been to many places and is very knowledgeable. Besides, this is no longer the 70s or 80s.

If Chinese people came to America and Atlantic City back then, they would have felt like they had entered another world, to heaven.

It's so spectacular, so beautiful, so dazzling.

Now it is the 21st century, and China is changing rapidly, while Atlantic City has passed its most glorious phase and entered a period of decline.

Hotels and real estate have lost their expansion potential; with no new hotels and casinos being built, they can only rely on their existing assets.

Many gamblers and tourists prefer to go to Las Vegas, especially after the formation of the Glory team, the tourist siphon effect is even more terrifying.

The East Coast as a whole is in decline, a process accelerated by the 9/11 attacks. Atlantic City, once the gambling capital, is now showing signs of decay.

Gan Guoyang brought Yao Ming here, of course, not for gambling. The car was parked in the huge parking lot of the largest casino, "Taj Mahal," and a team of security personnel quickly came to pick up the car.

These security guards were all tall, but as soon as Yao Ming got out of the car, they all looked like dwarfs.

At 2.26 meters tall, Yao Ming is incredibly tall, and he might still be growing taller, perhaps even a few centimeters after entering the league.

Wearing a brown suit, Yao Ming looked very young and inexperienced as he entered the luxurious Taj Mahal Casino under the protection of others.

This most luxurious and largest hotel and casino in all of Atlantic City was once owned by Tang Jianguo.

However, due to mismanagement, he almost went bankrupt because of the casino. Fortunately, the Portland Trail Blazers provided financial support, which helped him survive.

The casino's shareholders have now changed, and the shareholding structure is complex. Old Tang once encouraged Gan Guoyang to invest, but Gan Guoyang was unwilling to get involved in the gambling industry.

Even though the team is based in Las Vegas and its home stadium is next to a casino, Gan Guoyang still doesn't get involved in the American gambling industry. Instead, he has related businesses in Macau.

Taking the elevator up to the 50th floor, you can see that the decorations here were once magnificent, but everything is no longer dazzling and instead looks a bit old.

There are VIP rooms on the 50th floor. Gan Guoyang led Yao Ming to one of them, where there were guards at the door.

I recognized him by his eyes. It's that damn Forrest Gump. No need for a body search, just go inside.

As the two entered, Yao Ming saw a large table where several Black and White people were gambling.

Leading the group was none other than Bulls legend Michael Jordan, accompanied by Patrick Ewing, draft commentator Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, Jordan's early friend Charles Oakley, and a host of other followers and agents.

They're all old guys.

As soon as Gan Guoyang and Yao Ming entered, everyone stood up, except for Jordan, who remained seated watching his cards.

"Michael, I'll bet you." With that, Gan Guoyang found a seat and gestured for the dealer to deal the cards.

They're playing Texas Hold'em, and judging from the chips, it must be a big game.

The dealer dealt Gan Guoyang several cards in a row, but Gan Guoyang didn't even look at them, leaving them all face down on the table.

Then, without thinking twice, go all in with all the chips in front of you!

Charles Barkley couldn't help but say, "Sonny, this chip is mine."

Gan Guoyang said, "If I win, I'll share the winnings with you; if I lose, I'll compensate you."

Barkley stopped talking and stole some from Ewing to add to the mixture.

Jordan, puffing on his cigar, saw Gan Guoyang looking at his cards without looking at them and threw them down, saying, "I'm not playing anymore! You're the biggest spoilsport, always clearing the table as soon as you arrive. That's how you are in golf and bowling, reckless and just throwing the balls around. And the worst part is you still manage to win! I don't want to play with you!"

Gan Guoyang smiled. He was a man of extraordinary luck, and his fate could not be explained by common sense.

Seeing that Jordan wasn't playing, Gan Guoyang called Yao Ming over and introduced him to the NBA legends present.

"This is Yao Ming. He's a star player in Las Vegas now, so please take good care of him."

Yao Ming stood with his hands behind his back, looking quite shy. Apart from Gan Guoyang, the room was filled with five of the top 50 superstars and well-known veteran players, enough to form a championship lineup.

The premise is that they are all still young. Gan Guoyang is an old guy now, and his friends are all old guys too.

“Sonny, we’re retiring now, how can we take care of him? If Yao had come to the NBA earlier, I could have given him some pointers,” Barkley said.

"You'd be doing me a favor by not farting twice on TV. Did you talk bad about me again during the talent show tonight?"

"I didn't! I was just giving a fair assessment! Do you dare say that your decision to send Yao to Guanghui wasn't a shady operation?"

"It's just an equivalent exchange, Charles. You can eat whatever you want, but don't say whatever you want."

For the next hour or so, Gan Guoyang played cards with Yao Ming in the VIP room. He told Yao Ming that this was a relaxing game, to play as much as he wanted, and that any wins were his own, while any losses would be on Gan's tab.

At first, Yao Ming was a little reserved, because gambling is not a good thing.

Many athletes enjoy gambling as a way to relieve stress and stimulate their nerves.

Yao Ming played a few rounds of Texas Hold'em with Payton, Pippen, and others, and even won some money, discovering some of the fun in it.

Gan Guoyang told him to have fun, "This is for relaxation. When we go to Las Vegas, gambling is prohibited on the team, so you need to control yourself."

"Don't worry, I'll control it."

"Also, know when to stop, and don't be greedy."

"Then why do you like to go all in?" Yao Ming asked. He had heard Pippen say that Forrest Gump often went all in without looking at the cards.

"Can you compare to me? I am a man of great luck."

Next, Gan Guoyang played mahjong with Barkley, Jordan, Ewing, and a few others.

While playing, they naturally discussed business, specifically the same thing: Gan Guoyang hoped that Jordan and Ewing would consider joining Glory.

Both players' contracts with the SuperSonics have expired. Ewing originally planned to retire, but Gan Guoyang insisted that he play one more season.

"You'll leave with a ring, won't you, Patrick?"

For NBA players, the championship ring is like a magic ring, possessing a powerful and fatal attraction.

Ewing came close to the championship twice but fell short both times. He had already accepted it, but when the opportunity came again, he was tempted.

However, Ewing wanted to see Jordan's attitude. If Jordan was willing, Ewing would definitely be willing too. If Jordan didn't want to go, Ewing wouldn't be so eager.

Because relying solely on Forrest Gump, and with everyone being a year older next season, winning the championship might not be so easy.

Don't let it end up like this: if you don't win the championship, and a few old guys are losing and embarrassing themselves all over the league, it'll be like an old folks' circus, ruining their lifelong reputation.

Jordan knew why Forrest Gump had come; he puffed on his cigar and furrowed his brow as he arranged the cards.

During this period, he was in a lot of turmoil and frustration. The supersonic engine was sold to a coffee shop owner, and all the promises he had made were null and void.

Capitalists' promises are all bullshit. Without a written contract, without a signature, you can't believe a word they say.

In his personal life, his relationship with Juanita has come to an end. They are currently separated and preparing for a property lawsuit.

If the marriage is officially dissolved, Jordan will receive half of his assets. He currently has total assets of 300 million, which means 150 million will be taken away.

All of this money can be said to have been earned by Jordan through hard work playing basketball, endorsements, and leveraging his fame.

As a result, a marriage contract could take away half of his savings. It's impossible for him not to feel resentful.

Even without Juanita, it's still Michael Jordan, and he can still make so much money.

Juanita, without Jordan, would never have earned $1.5 million.

Such a legal system makes wealthy people increasingly reluctant to get married, or they need to have strict prenuptial agreements and prepare for the division of property.

Jordan was young when he got married, and being a passionate person, he quickly married Juanita in Las Vegas, without ever thinking about the possibility of divorce in the future.

It can be said that Jordan suffered a major blow in both his career and personal life.

In the playoffs, his SuperSonics were defeated by the Portland Trail Blazers, and he was outmatched in his matchup against Kobe.

This was something Jordan found unbearable, and many people said he would retire, but Jordan never wanted to retire.

If we don't make the playoffs, then so be it. I'm getting old. I've come all this way, and I've played pretty well. That's enough.

But if you make it to the playoffs and get crushed by your opponent, losing the series, Jordan must be feeling resentful.

At this moment, he really wanted to agree to Gan Guoyang's request to join Guanghui next season, so that his old buddies could make one last push together.

But he found it hard to get over that hurdle; the former Gan vs. Joe had now become Gan and Joe.

He said he was coming back to beat Forrest Gump, but now he's joined Forrest Gump.

Fortunately, after the upset by the eighth seed, Forrest Gump also lost to the Kings in the semifinals. If he had won the championship again, Jordan would definitely have retired.

What's the point of playing anymore? I give up, okay?

Now that everyone has failed, Jordan feels a little better.

But for two players who once vied for the title of greatest of all time, Jordan still didn't feel comfortable playing together on a team.

"Bang!" Jordan was on a winning streak tonight, winning several hands in a row.

This touch means I'll win the hand right away.

Gan Guoyang then played a card that Jordan could win with.

Jordan looked at the results, but he didn't win. He was determined to win by drawing the winning tile himself.

“Hey Michael, if we’re talking about lifespan, we’re both going to die soon. What’s on your mind? This is the last dance, man. We’ve been fighting our whole lives. If we don’t work together this time, I won’t be able to sleep at night. Don’t worry about what other people think.”

Gan Guoyang knew what Jordan was thinking; the guy just couldn't bring himself to say no.

If Gan Guoyang were to join Jordan's team, Jordan would definitely agree without hesitation.

But he was very unhappy about being asked to join Forrest Gump's team.

"I don't care about other people's opinions; what I truly care about is my own heart. I'm asking myself if I'm willing to do this. If I am, I'll still do it no matter what others say. If I'm not willing, no matter how much they urge me, I will refuse. East Wind."

Old-school players do have some old-school principles, like Stockton, who was unwilling to play for the Glory no matter what.

It wasn't that he didn't want to work with Gan Guoyang, but rather that he couldn't bear to part with the fans in Salt Lake City and didn't want to betray Larry Miller's trust.

“Michael, you’re different from John. He’s been in Salt Lake City for almost 20 years. If you were still in Chicago, you could just not come. Seattle has already sold you out, so what are you hesitating for? Besides, you’re almost 40, not 25 and running off to hang out with your best friends. Nobody will blame you. Look at Charles, right, Charles?”

"Oh yeah, that's so true! If I weren't so fat, I'd love to play for another two years. Six!"

Despite Barkley's play of cards that could have been won, Gan Guoyang remained unmoved and continued to draw and play cards.

Finally, Jordan drew the tile he needed, pushed it aside, and won!

"Yes! Looks like I'm in luck. Okay, okay Sonny, I promise you, let's finish the 2002-2003 season together and try to win another championship. To be honest, I'm also a bit disgusted with the young guys in the league these days; they have so little respect for each other."

Gan Guoyang pushed over the cards in front of him, reached out and shook hands tightly with Jordan. In fact, he could have won the hand long ago.

(End of this chapter)