The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 257 Provocation
AC Green's dream team is the Portland Trail Blazers. He grew up in Oregon and is a die-hard Blazers fan.

He was captivated by the pioneers' spirit and style; it was the perfect place for him.

But the NBA draft is like being reborn; things don't always go as planned, making many players experience the fickleness of fate.

AC Green, a man determined to remain chaste until marriage, was sent to the notorious brothel of Los Angeles, surrounded by countless playboys and watching the dazzling array of women, while he himself had to remain a virgin—a truly ironic situation.

The Lakers players, of course, didn't believe Green's words. They thought he was just naive and stubborn because he had never experienced the pleasures of women. They believed that once he experienced the goodness of women, he would immediately become addicted and join the others in their depravity.

Magic Johnson put up a $300 bet that he would definitely have sex with a woman within two months.

“I don’t care about those three hundred dollars. Magic is too arrogant. He thinks everyone should be like him.” Green was able to vent his frustrations when facing Gan Guoyang.

In the Lakers, Magic Johnson was the true king. No one dared to disobey him, and everyone obeyed him. Especially after defeating the Celtics to win the championship last year, Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's prestige in Los Angeles reached its peak.

He was a man of immense influence with the Lakers, and Buss's doting on him was boundless; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him Jerry Buss's own son.

Gan Guoyang could also sense some of this; for example, when he came to Los Angeles before, Johnson would always give him a warm welcome.

But ever since the Lakers felt that Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers were a huge threat, Johnson has rarely paid any attention to him.

Even the Great Western Forum arena imposed a daytime ban on Gan Guoyang, prohibiting him from going to warm up and train in the morning.

Gan Guoyang is not interested in women and is ultimately not a true match for Magic Johnson. According to AC Green, Johnson's appetite for women has been growing.

He was no longer satisfied with the boner players who came to him after the game; he found it boring and not interesting at all.

He now enjoys actively seeking out beautiful women from all walks of life for dates.

There are lawyers, secretaries, teachers, accountants, and even entrepreneurs. Most of them are highly educated and are not just pretty faces without brains.

Johnson would date them seriously, using his smile, humor, fame, and money to win over these women, just as he conquered the NBA court.

These women included Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian women, and of course, they all inevitably ended up sleeping in the same bed with Johnson and engaging in sexual relations.

Of course, AC-Green said that, according to his observation, Magic Johnson never dates teenage girls. He would seriously research their backgrounds, and high school girls were out of the question.

In this respect, Johnson is quite decent, with a higher moral standard than some people in Salt Lake City.

Listening to AC Green's rare complaint, Gan Guoyang knew that Green was not a person who liked to complain. He adhered to Christian moral values: patience, steadfastness, and hard work.

However, asking him to play for the Los Angeles Lakers is a really big joke.

Gan Guoyang and Green said, "Actually, this is God's test for you. When you made a vow in front of everyone to remain a virgin before marriage, God decided to send you to Sodom, to the place that tests a man's willpower the most, to test you and see if you can keep your promise. You must believe in your willpower and believe in God's arrangement."

Green wholeheartedly agreed, thinking that Forrest Gump was absolutely right; this was indeed God's test for him. He stopped complaining and chatted with Gan Guoyang about basketball.

The Lakers underwent many changes this summer. After winning the championship, Jerry West "ruthlessly" cut former championship heroes Bob McAdoo and Jamal Wilkes.

Similar to the Celtics' trade away of Maxwell, the Lakers players were also unhappy. McAdoo was very popular on the team, while Wilkes was a true veteran and a crucial forward.

As replacements, A.C. Green and Maurice Lucas came to the Lakers. Green was ridiculed for being a virgin, while "enforcer" Lucas was not respected or liked by the young players on the Lakers.

Coincidentally, both men bear a deep Portland imprint: one is a key player in Portland's championship victory, and the other is a Portland native and a die-hard Trail Blazers fan.

“Nobody likes me and Lucas, just like nobody likes the Trail Blazers, or you,” Green said.

"Don't like me? Are they out of their minds? I'm very popular," Gan Guoyang joked.

“It’s different. Pat Riley always creates… how should I put it? Hatred? Or panic? Anyway, it’s not a good atmosphere. You caused them a lot of trouble last season…”

"It's us, not those kids. Don't forget you're a Laker too."

Gan Guoyang reminded Green not to forget his Lakers identity, but he didn't mind getting more information about the Lakers from Green.

For example, what is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's current form? How is the Lakers' frontcourt arranged for offense and defense? Has Magic Johnson's womanizing affected his performance?

Green tried to avoid discussing the core issues, but overall, the Lakers are still very strong, although the team atmosphere is a bit relaxed. This is actually quite normal; last season, the Lakers were tense all season in pursuit of revenge, and now that they've achieved their goal, they're bound to relax.

As they were leaving after dinner, Green's sister, Vanessa Green, stared at Gan Guoyang with her big, bright eyes. She was a very pretty Black girl.

When the Lakers players saw her with Green, they thought Green was about to break his act, but they didn't expect that she was Green's younger sister.

Seeing his sister looking like she was in the throes of first love and wanted to go back to the hotel with Gan Guoyang, Green grabbed her and said, "Come on, Gan has a girlfriend, come back with me!"

Vanessa looked at her brother with a resentful expression, while Gan Guoyang made no attempt to stop them or exchange contact information, simply waving goodbye to the two of them.

On the evening of the 15th, the Trail Blazers will face the Lakers at the familiar Great Western Forum arena. It will be a showdown between the top teams in the West, and CBS has thoughtfully arranged to broadcast it live across the United States tonight.

They also sent Rick Barry and Bill Russell to the Great Western Forum for interviews and reporting, which is a Finals-level treatment.

As AC Green said, when Gan Guoyang arrived in Los Angeles, the whole city felt like it was facing a formidable enemy, just like during the playoffs.

The hotel staff's indifference, the Great Western Forum stadium not being open to him, and even the cheerleaders not being as enthusiastic towards Gan Guoyang as before.

Riley got along well with Gan Guoyang during the All-Star Game, but since the playoffs last year, Riley has maintained a cold attitude towards Gan Guoyang.

He even asked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and others to keep their distance from Gan Guoyang in order to put immense pressure on this potential young rival.

Riley knew that for a young man, a hot-and-cold attitude was the most likely to make him restless, just like in a romantic relationship, and that this was the best way to keep the other person hooked.

But what Riley didn't know was that Gan Guoyang was a master of psychological manipulation. Riley's tricks were nothing to Gan Guoyang; they were tricks that Riley had already exhausted and no longer wanted to use.

During the warm-up before the game, Rick Barry interviewed Gan Guoyang, the two of whom had met at Nate Thurmond's Christmas party.

"It's great to see you again, Forrest Gump. Please do an interview and say a few words."

"Yes, can we be on TV?"

"Of course, tonight's game will be broadcast live across the United States, and the interviews will be aired during the game."

"Okay, ask away, but give me some time to think about it. Also, you'd better make sure the footage is broadcast, otherwise all my words will have been for nothing."

"Don't worry, don't worry, how could your interview footage not be broadcast? Is there something... special you want to say?"

"No, everything is normal."

The two communicated before the interview, and when the camera was turned on, Gan Guoyang stood next to Rick Barry, facing the dark lens.

When asked about his feelings about tonight's game against the Lakers and his thoughts on the team, Gan Guoyang said: "The Lakers are an amazing team. They are the defending champions. We lost to them in the playoffs. They are very strong and talented. They were the strongest opponent I faced in my rookie season. The person who impressed me the most was Coach Pat Riley. I think he was the key to containing me. His ideas, his image, and his experience are all very representative. He is destined to be a legend."

"Besides Coach Riley?"

"Besides Riley? I don't have many other impressions besides Riley... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deserves my respect and is someone I should learn from. He is truly remarkable."

"anything else?"

"And another thing is the Great Western Forum. I love it here. I always win here. It's my lucky place."

"Any more?"

"Jack Nicholson is a good actor, but he's too noisy as a fan. I hope he can be quieter."

Barry knew he wouldn't get any more information, so he turned off the microphone, looked at Gan Guoyang, and said, "Aren't you going to mention Magic Johnson and Worthy at all? They really beat you guys badly in the playoffs."

Gan Guoyang said, "Not this year. Besides, Magic hasn't even invited me to dinner, so why would I mention him?"

"Did Riley invite you to dinner?"

Gan Guoyang didn't speak, but revealed an evil smile. Barry thought to himself that if he sent this kid to the United Nations, he would definitely be able to start World War III.

(End of this chapter)