The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 106 Distribution
Fleischer presented Inman with a comprehensive solution he had prepared long ago, including inviting major media outlets to write feature articles showcasing the Trail Blazers' medical system, demonstrating the team's commitment to player health, replacing members of the previous medical team who had made mistakes, and adding new, reliable, and authoritative physicians.

Fleischer recommended a professional sports medicine organization in Oregon, hoping they could become the Portland Trail Blazers' health consultants and provide health advice to the players—the cost of which would, of course, be borne by the Blazers.

Inman nodded in agreement. These were all minor measures. Since the legal dispute with Bill Walton, the Trail Blazers have been working hard to improve their medical system and try to regain the players' approval. It should be said that they have done a good job in the past few years, but they lack publicity.

For Inman, Gan Guoyang's arrival gave the Trail Blazers a chance to promote themselves and clear their name, so he did not resist Fleischer's suggestion.

However, there is another major decision that Inman cannot make on his own; he needs to consult with team owner Larry Weinberg.

Fleischer wants the Trail Blazers to join an insurance program called the "Player Health Protection Program," launched by the American insurance giant BWD, which aims to provide injury protection for players.

The project involves the team purchasing health insurance for specific players. In the event of a player's injury, the insurance company will cover the player's salary and the cost of treatment.

The insurance premiums are paid in proportion to the players' salaries and are paid by the teams. The annual premiums amount to a considerable expense.

Inman flipped through the contents of the insurance plan repeatedly and asked, "Uh... Larry, are other teams in the league starting to buy this kind of insurance now?"

Fleischer said, "Not yet. This is a rollout, it's an inevitable trend. Just like providing players with pension insurance in the past, they also need their own workers' compensation insurance. If a player can't play due to injury, the team doesn't need to pay the player's salary, so this insurance is also a form of protection for the team."

"You should remember what happened to Tomjanovich in 1977. Kermit Washington's punch cost the Lakers $230 million, which was a season's profit, and Tomjanovich was bedridden for five months. If there had been insurance back then, the losses for all three parties could have been controlled. Since then, the entire league has been pushing for player insurance programs, but you stingy guys are unwilling to spend more money on that. How much did Walton make you lose? Learn from this and keep the risks within a manageable range."

Fleischer launched another round of brainwashing attacks, but his words were not unfounded; they reflected the prevailing trend of the 80s.

BWD is offering a comprehensive insurance solution not just for the NBA, but for the entire professional sports industry, aiming to help professional teams and players mitigate the enormous risks associated with health issues.

After all, in the era of live television media, the star effect of athletes has become increasingly significant. The commercial value of individual players has made them no longer just simple athletes, but important assets of the team, valuable commercial brands, and strong guarantees for box office revenue.

In the event of injuries or accidents, the losses suffered by the team are indeed enormous, making insurance a very good option.

However, it is not easy for any new project that increases spending to gain approval. Fleischer seized the opportunity of Gan Guoyang's negotiation and tried to find a breakthrough with the Trail Blazers.

Inman said he would have to consult his boss, Weinberg, to which Fleischer laughed and said, "I'll call Weinberg later and I'll convince him."

Inman genuinely believed Fleischer's words, because during the three-year labor negotiations, Fleischer had dealt extensively with Weinberger, and the two were very familiar with each other.

From the Oscar Robertson case in the 1960s, which helped players secure retirement and disability benefits, to the merger that promoted the unification of the NBA and ABA in the 1970s, Fleischer has always been a complex figure for many owners, sometimes a partner, and sometimes a nightmare.

This gave Fleischer a lot of influence, and Inman knew they would most likely have to compromise and pay a sum of money to participate in the insurance plan, becoming the first team in the league to take the plunge.

Two days later, Fleischer concluded his negotiations with the Trail Blazers' management, achieving the result he desired.

This not only secured sufficient benefits and preferential treatment for Gan Guoyang, but also successfully promoted the player health insurance program, which will be rolled out across the league in the coming years and play an important role.

The Trail Blazers immediately invited influential media outlets in Portland to hold a press conference and publish a feature article in the newspapers, announcing the team's comprehensive reforms in medical and health management.

The Trail Blazers' poor image in the medical field is gradually being reversed.

Successful negotiations don't always bring gains; there are also some losses. The biggest loss is that Gan Guoyang hasn't even joined the Trail Blazers yet, but he has already left Portland fans with the impression that he's difficult to deal with.

The Portland media has always been very protective of their own, and in the dispute between Walton and the Trail Blazers, they unanimously sided with the Trail Blazers, after all, the team is the permanent base, while the players come and go.

Newspapers like The Oregonian once touted Gan Guoyang's performance in college, but now they inevitably resort to veiled criticism in their reports, creating a negative image of him.

For example, dragging out the signing of a contract, demanding an exorbitantly high contract price, being dissatisfied with the team's medical care, or interfering in management affairs before even joining the team will undoubtedly leave a bad first impression on fans.

Gan Guoyang heard some rumors from Fleischer, but he said he didn't care, saying, "Sports media are like flexible dancers. When you keep winning, they will turn 360 degrees to approach you and defend you."

Fleischer greatly admires Gan Guoyang's confidence and open-mindedness. Most players would easily become sensitive to public opinion, hesitant and trying to please the media and fans, forgetting that in the world of sports, winning is the most important thing.

On July 8th, the NBA All-Stars and the U.S. Olympic Team played their third game at Carver Hawk-Eye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

As usual, the game was sold out, with tickets in high demand. This served as both a promotion for the US national team and the Olympics, and an advertisement for the NBA.

Tonight's NBA All-Star coach is Don Nelson. Bob Knight greeted him before the game, but Nelson was not going to listen to Knight.

He waved his hand and made Gan Guoyang a starter for the All-Star team!

The All-Star team members include Bill Walton, Danny Ainge, Drexler, Bob Hansen, Derek Harper, Buck Williams, and others.

Walton was a former Trail Blazers player, while Drexler is a current Trail Blazers player.

Before the game, in the locker room, Walton, with his head full of curly hair, grabbed Gan Guoyang's hand.

"Gan, you're fucking a genius, you're amazing! I'm a fan of yours from now on! Even if you're a Trail Blazers player! I'd be happy to give you my starting position tonight."

This center, who had become depressed due to injuries, revealed his lively and eccentric nature at this moment. The reason was that Gan Guoyang's insistence on the Trail Blazers' medical issues gave Walton a sigh of relief.

A few days ago, the Trail Blazers not only announced their healthcare reform plan, but also apologized to Walton in the newspaper to show their sincerity and build a good public image, hoping that the misunderstanding could be cleared up one day.

Although Walton did not respond, he was still pleased to see the Trail Blazers' statement. He has always been sensitive and cares a lot about these past conflicts and sad events.

Conversely, another Trail Blazers player, Clyde Drexler, who is about to become Gan Guoyang's teammate, was very cold towards Gan Guoyang. He sat at the other end of the locker room silently tying his shoelaces and did not communicate with Gan Guoyang at all.

The reasons are simple: first, Gan Guoyang defeated Drexler's alma mater, the University of Houston, in the NCAA finals, shattering their championship dreams; second, Gan Guoyang's rookie contract was revealed to be four years and four million dollars, with six hundred thousand dollars in the first year. In contrast, Drexler's rookie contract signed last year only offered sixteen hundred thousand dollars in the first year, seventeen hundred thousand in the second, and two hundred thousand dollars in the third—more than Gan Guoyang earned in his first year combined.

What Drexler felt resentful about wasn't the contract amount, since there was indeed a difference in their draft positions, with his good friend Hakeem Olajuwon earning more in his rookie year as the number one draft pick.

Drexler was saddened because when he negotiated with the Trail Blazers, his lack of experience and failure to choose a good agent resulted in the team making things difficult and delaying him.

The contract wasn't finalized throughout July. Drexler played in the Summer League for the team and then stayed in Houston for three months. It wasn't until October 21st, a week before the start of the NBA regular season, that the two sides reached an agreement and signed a three-year contract.

This incident has always bothered Drexler, since he had hoped that the Houston Rockets would draft him in 1983 so that he could play with Hakeem Olajuwon that year.

As a result, the Rockets skipped him, and he was picked up by the Trail Blazers without any warning. Then his contract was dragged on for four months, and I heard that Hakeem Olajuwon was also in a dispute with the Rockets.

Back then, teams were quite dominant and exploited rookie players, so the clueless newcomers were inevitably suppressed.

Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang, with the help of his powerful agent Fleischer, unleashed a series of blows to crush the Trail Blazers.

If you don't want to sign, then go ahead and trade with me. If you don't reform the healthcare system, I won't come. You also need to publish a statement in the newspaper, otherwise I won't believe you.

Drexler was dumbfounded by the series of moves, thinking to himself, "We're all rookies, how come there's such a big difference?"
Of course, Drexler had no ill intentions towards Gan Guoyang. He was just having trouble accepting the various discrepancies and things that made him unhappy, after all, he was a proud and arrogant young man.

During the match, Drexler watched Gan Guoyang's performance and couldn't help but admire him; the guy was indeed terrifyingly strong.

Gan Guoyang, who started the game, exuded energy from the beginning, targeting the Olympic team in every aspect, and controlling the situation with blocks, steals, and fast breaks.

Drexler had never seen a center play so dynamically, omnipresent on the court; even Hakeem Olajuwon didn't have such a wide defensive range.

"This guy, his defensive delay almost reached the three-point line, and the key is that he could still pull back... His lateral movement is really beautiful, and his stamina is really good."

Gan Guoyang's defensive performance is setting a benchmark for future big men; his defensive style is the most effective against the American team.

By creating obstacles for every movement and ball transfer they make, and slowing them down, although this will create open spaces under the basket, the center is not the primary scorer in Knight's system.

What truly makes this US national team deadly is their perimeter game: Jordan, Mullin, Robertson, and Alford. Their offense is fast and accurate, while their defense is solid inside and has exceptional perimeter pressure and steal capabilities.

Bob Knight's strategy laid the foundation for the basic style of the US national team for the next twenty years, and subsequent coaches followed Knight's path until it became unworkable.

Gan Guoyang saw this and kept creating obstacles for the American team. The game was extremely intense, and the All-Star team also had several shooting experts - Ainge, Kelly Tricap, and Harper.

Don Nelson gave them more playing time, as they were suited to FIBA ​​rules, while Drexler, who wasn't a good shooter, spent most of his time on the bench, watching Gan Guoyang wreak havoc on the court.

The match between the two sides not only used FIBA ​​rules, but also adopted a mode with no limit on the number of fouls. The original idea was that since it was an exhibition match, fouls shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Unexpectedly, as the game progressed, the two sides became more and more intense under Gan Guoyang's leadership. Because there was no limit to the number of fouls, the inside players on both sides began to play fierce defense regardless of the cost.

Ewing knocked Ainge away, Buck Williams viciously pulled Jordan down, Sam Perkins knocked Harper down, and Gan Guoyang was also elbowed by Klein during the offense.

When Gan Guoyang turned around to set a screen on offense, he knocked Klein away, drew a foul, and ran back to the backcourt to defend.

The situation was clearly out of control. Bob Knight called out to Don Nelson, telling everyone to be careful and control the fouls.

Nelson glared at Knight, then put his hands in his pockets and ignored him.

Before long, the two coaches started hurling insults at each other.

The referee finally stepped in to control the situation, issuing several technical fouls to eject players and regain control of the game.

He then kept shouting at the players to calm them down, and also to calm down Knight and Nelson, who both had short tempers.

The match ended smoothly, with the All-Star team, led by Gan Guoyang, defeating the Olympic team 100-96, a 4-point advantage.

Gan Guoyang contributed 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks in this game, as well as at least 7 fouls. Anyway, he had a great time.

Fans were thrilled, but their doubts about the Olympic team deepened. Could this team really perform well in the Olympics?
Bob Knight finally began to regret letting Gan Guoyang join the opposing team as a sparring partner; they couldn't keep losing like this.

The one who tied the knot must untie it; Knight didn't go to find the head coach for the next game, who was Oscar Robertson.

Knight went directly to Gan Guoyang after the game and said to him, "Gan, don't play in the next game. Just watch from the sidelines."

Gan Guoyang asked, "Coach, are you afraid of losing?"

Knight said, "You play too crazy, kid. This is an exhibition game!"

"Then should I tone it down a bit?"

"Just sit on the sidelines and keep a low profile. I'll talk to Robertson and get you an assistant position. You can just vent your frustrations. Remember to explain to Fleischer that your worn-out shoes have already given you enough exposure. Take a break."

After saying that, Knight stormed off in a huff, while Gan Guoyang wanted to have a chat with Knight and explain the problems with the Olympic team to him.

"Be an assistant? What the hell is the point of being an assistant? Just serving tea and water?" Gan Guoyang was thus relegated to the bench.

(End of this chapter)