The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 162 The Angry Train
On December 20, the Trail Blazers hosted the San Antonio Spurs. Paxson and Valentine returned from injury, and the entire Trail Blazers roster was available for the game.

Before the game, in the Trail Blazers' locker room, Gan Guoyang somehow got hold of a Boombox tape recorder and placed it in the locker room, playing George-Thorogood's famous song "Bad to the Bone." The atmosphere in the entire Trail Blazers' locker room was stirred up by the dazzling guitar music.

The song wasn't popular when it was released in 1982, but it began to become a hit as its music video was repeatedly played and it was used in various commercials and movies.

Black players like Cortés and Kenny Carr found themselves moving to the music unconsciously, as if their genes had been awakened.

Drexler asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, where did you get this tape recorder? You didn't steal it, did you?"

Now, everything Gan Guoyang brings into the locker room looks like it's stolen.

Gan Guoyang retorted angrily, "What do you mean by stealing? Can what I do be called stealing? That's called taking!"

"What's the difference between his mother and his mother?"

"Yes, I took it with permission."

This Boombox recorder was a gift from Wang Zhengmin when he was in Los Angeles.

The 70s and 80s were a period of great development for popular music. The invention of cassette tapes and tape recorders greatly promoted the spread of popular music in the streets and alleys.

In big cities, on streets, in communities, stadiums, overpasses, subways, and even parking lots, you can see young people carrying huge Boomboxes, adding background music to the world.

When Ramsey entered the locker room, just as he was about to start playing the saxophone, everyone stopped playing the tune as soon as they saw Dr. Jack.

Ramsey pointed to the tape recorder on the bench and asked, "Who brought this? Why are there things unrelated to basketball in my locker room?"

Gan Guoyang said, "I brought them. I think the locker room is a bit monotonous and needs some music to liven things up."

Ramsey said, "Yes, you're right. Listening to music is good for your mind and body."

This outcome was expected; Ramsey's favoritism towards Gan Guoyang was as obvious as that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Everyone was very convinced, because Gan Guoyang's performance on and off the field was impeccable. In just over a month, he had won over everyone and become the undisputed core of the team.

The music continued to blare in the Trail Blazers' locker room, and the next song was Chuck Berry's "No particular palce to go" from the B-side of the cassette album: ...With no particular palce to go, No palce to go particular...

Ramsey felt a little better after hearing a famous song by a contemporary singer, and muttered, "This fart smells a little better."

Before the game, veteran players Thompson and Kenny Carr made a bet, asking Addis Gilmore and Gan who was stronger.

Kenny Carr believes it must be Gilmore, the strongest player in professional basketball. "I've played against him, and I felt like a schoolboy. Remember his nickname? He's The Train."

Thompson often sparred with Gan Guoyang during training. He shook his head and said, "Gilmore is very strong, but I feel more hopeless when I spar with Gan. He's the kind of guy who can pick up Lambiel and throw him around."

“Gilmore is 7 feet 2 inches tall, which puts Gan at a disadvantage in terms of height and build.”

"That's why I think Gan is stronger. Just wait and see, I'll bet you a hundred dollars."

"How do you prove it? Are you suggesting that Gan is going to beat up Gilmore? That's terrible."

"You'll see the difference in the ring. Besides, it's not like no one has ever beaten Addis before. He got knocked out by Morris."

Kenny Karl hesitated. Although he instinctively believed that the veteran Lokomotiv, who had dominated the league for many years, was even stronger, as a teammate he knew that Ghan was a god-like figure in the gym.

In the 80s, when NBA players generally did not engage in fitness training, Gan Guoyang would do strength training every two days, for which the Trail Blazers specially updated the fitness equipment in their training facility.

Avia paid out of their own pocket to hire a professional strength trainer for Gan Guoyang, who would provide guidance twice a week to scientifically plan and improve Gan Guoyang's strength.

Kenny Karl and other interior players sometimes go to the gym to audit classes. Karl tried to train by himself once, but he couldn't handle it and thought, "Why would a 30-year-old role player risk his life?"

"Are you going to bet or not? It's time to go on stage, you idiot."

"You're the fool! I still believe in the train!"

Ever since Gan Guoyang threw dollars into a bucket and bet on who would be the first to dunk on Mark Eaton's head, these kinds of small bets have become one of the pre-game fun activities in the Trail Blazers' locker room.

The regular season is long and tedious. There are 23 teams in the NBA. Western and Eastern Conference teams play each other twice a season, and the rest of the time they play against teams in the same conference. They play each other five or six times a season. Sometimes the games can be really boring if there is no competition, after all, not every player is a winning fanatic.

Gan Guoyang was unaware that he had become a gambler. During the pre-match meeting, Adelman had specifically reminded him to be alert when facing Addis Gilmore.

A center like Gilmore, standing at 7'2", tall, strong, and mobile, is indeed a difficult opponent to deal with. Whether you try to overpower him with strength or use your speed to shake him off, it's extremely difficult. Theoretically, this is the kind of opponent Gan Guoyang fears most.

As the two stood in the center circle preparing for the jump ball, Gan Guoyang was already thinking about how to deal with the famous "Train".

Gilmore is 35 years old and is considered an older player. Last season, his performance declined significantly due to injuries.

However, after recovering from his injury in the summer, Train's form has improved significantly. He has not missed a game so far this season and is averaging 20+10 points per game, which is his best half-season since 1979. He is truly still going strong.

During the jump ball, both players jumped at the same time. Gilmore bumped into Gan Guoyang in mid-air, touched the ball first, and passed it to his teammate.

The impact hurt Gan Guoyang a bit. Physical collisions are normal during a jump ball, but he felt that Gilmore seemed to have done it on purpose.

In the very first possession, Gilmore established position in the low post, forcefully pushed Gan Guoyang aside, received the ball with his back to the basket, and immediately turned and dunked.

Trail Blazers' home commentator Bill Shawnley complained, "Was Gilmore fouled? He pushed Forrest and then boxed out, but the referee didn't blow the whistle. Looks like the veteran wanted to put some pressure on Forrest."

The game started with a goal conceded, and Gan Guoyang slapped the ball hard before serving it to Valentine from the baseline.

He gave Valentine a look, and Valentine understood what to do next. Gan Guoyang immediately dropped into a low position when he arrived at the frontcourt.

The Trail Blazers spread out and gave Gan Guoyang a one-on-one opportunity to take on Gilmore. Gan Guoyang positioned himself deep in the paint, and the two engaged in a battle under the basket.

Gilmore's strength is indeed much greater than that of the average inside player, and his resistance from behind should be second only to Mark Eaton.

But Gan Guoyang still held his position and dribbled inside after receiving a through ball from Valentine. When playing against other centers, Gan Guoyang would receive the ball and immediately start, rarely dribbling to adjust.

Fans near the sidelines in the Memorial Stadium could hear the sound of their muscles colliding. Gan Guoyang used his left arm to hold down Gilmore and then used a small hook shot with his right hand to score two points.

Gan Guoyang squeezed in very deep, and the final shot went in just above the rim, all to prevent Gilmore from having a chance to block it.

"Sonny Gan responded to Gilmore with a basket! An amazing power duel, and some exquisite footwork under the basket. I think Train will definitely bring out the best in Gan tonight."

Gilmore looked somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Forrest to start in such a powerful and skillful manner, taking the first point head-on.

He also recalled his first game against number one draft pick Ralph Sampson in 1983, when the kid always tried to use mid-range shots to deal with him at the start, but it wasn't very effective.

Later, when he got into his rhythm, he was able to make some nice shots, but Gilmore felt that this kind of game didn't look like a center.

Soon, Gilmore's surprised expression turned into anger, and he threw himself into the offensive and defensive battle, constantly pushing and shoving against Gan Guoyang under the basket.

Gan Guoyang is not afraid of confrontation. On the contrary, the more intense the confrontation with him, the more excited he becomes. He loves to fight in the paint and enjoys grabbing rebounds over taller players.

In the first quarter, Gan Guoyang grabbed four offensive rebounds over Gilmore's head, scoring 8 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. He also drew one defensive foul from the train and two turnovers under the basket, completely suppressing the old train.

Gilmore did indeed bring out the best in Gan Guoyang, who pushed his speed, strength, skill, and energy to the limit, focusing all his efforts on dealing with the enraged giant.

However, Gan Guoyang was unsure of the source of Gilmore's anger, so much so that in the middle of the second quarter, as the confrontation between the two intensified, Gilmore suddenly became enraged and shoved Gan Guoyang hard.

Gan Guoyang only took two steps back after being pushed, but he immediately stepped forward, and a conflict between the two was about to break out.

Thompson, who was standing nearby, immediately came over and stood in front of the two. He hugged Gan Guoyang and said, "Don't hit him, calm down, Gan, calm down!"

On the bench, Karl muttered, "Let him play, Mitchell. We'll see who's better after they play."

At this point, the Trail Blazers led the Spurs 37-43 by 6 points. If Gan Guoyang were to leave the court, the Trail Blazers would be at a disadvantage.

Gan Guoyang calmed down and just glared at Gilmore, thinking to himself, "You old player, you have no sportsmanship. I'm going to play and compete with you properly, but you're going to hit me, huh?"
The referee called a technical foul on Gilmore, and Spurs coach Fitzsimmons substituted Gilmore to let him calm down.

Fitzsimmons reminded Gilmore, "Hey Addis, it's good to be competitive, but you need to stay calm. Our goal is to win. Control your emotions; you seem a bit off today."

Gilmore plopped down on the bench and said, "It's alright. I just don't like that kid, and I don't like the whole Trail Blazers team."

Fitzsimmons knew that Gilmore had a grudge against the Trail Blazers, so he said nothing more.

But Gilmore thought to himself, "This number 11 Forrest Gump is really amazing in his fighting ability."

I owe one chapter, which will be posted this afternoon. I'll write an extra chapter this afternoon to make up for it. The pace might be a bit slow lately, but it's my rookie season, and I need to be a little more detailed with many opponents, especially since it's my first time playing them. The pace will pick up later.

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(End of this chapter)