The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 108 Quiz

Before going to Portland, Gan Guoyang returned to San Francisco to visit his father and cousin's family and have a few bites of his father's cooking.

He also took the opportunity to visit Thurmond and Cap LaVine, who were both amazed and surprised by Gan Guoyang's performance in the Olympic team vs. All-Star game.

Thurmond bluntly stated, "Your progress is too fast. I feel that I should no longer be able to beat you after our first one-on-one duel."

Karp LaVine invited Gan Guoyang to play a game at Rochambeau Stadium, and without informing anyone else, more and more residents and fans gathered to watch Gan Guoyang play from the sidelines.

The San Francisco basketball scene has been rather bleak these past two years. The University of San Francisco's basketball department was canceled, and Steve LaVine, the son of Capo LaVine, stayed for two years and is preparing to transfer to Chapman University.

The University of San Francisco's former elite players either graduated or transferred, and without new outstanding talents to fill the gaps, the school's basketball program has withered.

In the world of high school basketball, after the North-South Bridge team won the first California championship, the subsequent two Division 1 championships were won by Southern California teams.

In the 1984 CIF finals, St. Ignatius College of San Francisco won the Northern California championship and advanced to the finals, where they were defeated by Long Beach Polytechnic in Los Angeles.

In the words of Cap LaVine in his biography, "When Forrest Gump left San Francisco to go to college, the sun set on the Bay Area basketball sky and it went into darkness."

Even long afterward, Karp would say that if the University of San Francisco hadn't made that stupid mistake and shut down its basketball department, Forrest Gump would definitely have gone to the University of San Francisco, and the history of the NCAA would have been different.

As an important mentor to Gan Guoyang during his high school and college years, Cap LaVine still cares about Gan Guoyang's basketball career and provides him with valuable advice.

Gan Guoyang's recent signing with the Portland Trail Blazers, along with Avia's million-dollar contract and his performance in the Olympic All-Star Game, have made Gan Guoyang a hot topic in the media.

LaVine reminded Gan Guoyang, "Don't forget to improve your skills and physique. On the basketball court, skills and form are fundamental... Of course, I believe in your talent and hard work. You're going to Portland soon, and I don't have much to help you with in the professional basketball world. However, I know someone on the Trail Blazers, Dr. Bruce Ogilvy, who is an alumnus of our University of San Francisco. After you go to Portland, you might have a chance to meet him; perhaps he can offer you some assistance."

Gan Guoyang took the business card that LaVine handed him. It read "Dr. Ogilvy, sports psychologist" and included his phone number.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Karp, you have been a great help to me."

"Those who help themselves will be helped by others. Forrest Gump, you must remember that a person who is strict with himself and has a bright future will attract more people to help him."

Gan Guoyang kept Karp's words in mind, and he did receive a lot of help along the way.

Ultimately, however, it is because of his value in helping and investing that he has never forgotten to improve his core competencies.

After spending two days in San Francisco, Gan Guoyang flew to Portland.

California is sunny in July, but Portland is raining in July.

As Gan Guoyang emerged from the airport, everything was wet, from the sky to the ground, and his height drew a lot of attention.

Some people recognized Gan Guoyang, after all, his Chinese face was very distinctive.

On the way to the parking lot, the passersby didn't look at him very kindly, and only a few children ran over to ask Gan Guoyang for his autograph.

It seems that Gan Guoyang's negotiations with the Trail Blazers and his interference in the medical team's affairs have left a less than favorable impression on the people of Portland.

In the parking lot, Portland Trail Blazers' President of Operations, Harry Glickman, personally drove to pick up Gan Guoyang. The Blazers veteran gave Gan Guoyang a warm smile and a hug when he saw him, making the originally gloomy and rainy weather a little warmer and brighter.

"Welcome to Portland, Forrest Gump."

"Thank you, but the weather here doesn't seem very welcoming."

"Rain is the norm in Portland, and it may not welcome anyone."

Portland is a rainy city, with rain for nine months of the year, so the weather here is cold and damp, which is not very suitable for athletes' rehabilitation.

Glickman took Gan Guoyang directly to the Trail Blazers' headquarters, Memorial Arena, on the banks of the Willamette River. Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman, owner Larry Weinberg, Gan Guoyang's agent Fleischer, head coach Jack Ramsey, and others were all waiting for him in the office. This wasn't Gan Guoyang's first time meeting Stu Inman; the two were old acquaintances from training camp, although Inman couldn't have much private contact with him back then.

When Inman saw Gan Guoyang, she was quite excited and said, "It's been a long time waiting for you to come. Welcome to Portland!"

Inman seems to have forgotten that when they signed Drexler last year, they made the Glider wait four months.

The boss, Larry Weinberg, is a friendly-looking person. He doesn't talk much, and as the boss, he doesn't seem to want to be the center of attention. Instead, he stands quietly to the side with a smile, as if it's none of his business.

But those who know him know that Weinberg participated in World War II, was seriously wounded in France, made his fortune in real estate after the war, was once the chairman of a large conglomerate, and is a political lobbyist who travels around Washington. Beneath his unassuming appearance lies a wealth of life experience and strategic thinking.

Gan Guoyang shook hands with Weinberg, who said gently, "Welcome to the Trail Blazers, I look forward to our bright future."

On the other side of the desk stood head coach Ramsey and assistant coach Adelman, who looked much more serious, scrutinizing Gan Guoyang.

They didn't seem to trust this big, yellow-skinned guy very much, and the coaching staff's opinions weren't fully respected during the management's decision-making process.

In short, the atmosphere in the office was like the weather in Portland: sunny with occasional rain, pleasant but damp and chilly, and always on the verge of changing.

This kind of unpredictable mood swing is actually quite normal. After all, the Trail Blazers paid a heavy price to sign Gan Guoyang, and for the veterans on the team, it's understandable that they're not happy about it.

Especially for the coaching staff, in the 1984 NBA, there was a conflict between "star player first" and "team first". "Team first" was the principle followed by most coaches. The star player was just the most outstanding one in the team, but could not be above the team.

However, in recent years, players like Bird and Magic Johnson have emerged, wielding enormous influence both on and off the court, earning their teams and the league a lot of money, and attracting a large number of fans.

The trend of "star player first" is gradually overshadowing "team first". After the new commissioner Stern took office, the 1984 draft was regarded as a golden generation full of talents. The rookies signed big contracts and were warmly welcomed by fans. Rookies who had not played a single NBA game seemed to be more important than the team.

Old-school coaches, accustomed to prioritizing the team and centering their careers around the coach, are naturally unhappy. Strong coaches like Bill Fitch and Westhead have lost ground in their battles with star players.

The Lakers replaced former player Pat Riley, and the Celtics replaced their own player KC Jones. Their labels are no longer a certain tactic or style, but more like assistants to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, to complement and help the stars build the system and finish the game.

Jack Ramsey is facing the same problem. Last season, he and Drexler didn't get along. Ramsey felt that Drexler was too undisciplined and did not meet his team requirements.

But Portland fans love Clyde and Drexler's gliding dunks. They come to Memorial Arena to watch the game because of him, not to see an old man in a plaid suit shouting from the sidelines.

Now we have Gan Guoyang, the hottest and most controversial center in the US in 1984. His playing style and personality are so outstanding that Ramsey has already suffered a deep blow under Walton. He doesn't know what kind of result Gan Guoyang will bring.

Therefore, when Gan Guoyang shook hands with Ramsey, Ramsey had a long face, no smile, and moved his arm rather perfunctorily.

Gan Guoyang, however, was all smiles, thinking to himself, "I've met another coach who's not convinced."

After officially signing the contract, Gan Guoyang took a group photo with everyone, finally becoming a member of the Trail Blazers.

"By the way, I wanted to ask, where is Dr. Bruce Ogilvy?" Gan Guoyang thought of the psychologist that Karp had introduced to him.

"Do you know Bruce?" Inman asked.

"It was Professor Karp from San Francisco who introduced me. They are alumni of the University of San Francisco. Karp said that I could ask him for help when I came to the Trail Blazers."

Jack Ramsey and Stu Inman exchanged a glance. Ramsey said, "See? I told you we should do a test. This kid came to us himself."

Gan Guoyang couldn't understand what Ramsey was saying, but Inman said to Gan Guoyang, "Gan, would you like to take a psychological test? You know, a little quiz."

(P.S.: I noticed that some of Adelman's photos failed the review process; I guess the AI ​​identified him as the head of state.)

(End of this chapter)