The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 267 Breaking the Promise
Perhaps because he was too lonely staying at Chapel Hill, Jordan kept Gan Guoyang talking for more than two hours.

Eventually, Gan Guoyang got annoyed. How come he hadn't noticed before that this guy was such a chatterbox? He had to talk about everything, no matter how trivial.

But when he thought about how he had called Jordan late at night just to vent his feelings so he could go to sleep early, Jordan didn't say anything.

So, as a friend, Gan Guoyang put up with it and let Michael ramble on for once.

In contrast, Gan Guoyang's other Michael friend, Michael Jackson, was much quieter.

Gan Guoyang would contact him once a month. He always spoke so softly on the phone, and his careful manner made it impossible to tell that he was a pop superstar.

Michael Jackson is so popular now that if you turn on the TV and randomly select a few channels, you're almost guaranteed to see a program related to him.

Whether it's news, song and dance performances, or commercials, he is the undisputed superstar of the television era.

In the NBA, stars in their twenties and under thirty, such as Magic Johnson, are fans of Jackson, and Jackson's music is played most often during warm-ups at games.

Jordan finally vented all the resentment he had accumulated throughout the season, and he felt much better. Before hanging up the phone, he asked Gan Guoyang:
"Hey Sonny, thanks for listening to me ramble on. It's really tough being unable to play basketball due to injury."

"50 points."

"What? I said thank you."

"I know, I'll say 50 points."

"What do you mean 50 points?"

"I'm going to score 50 points against the Bulls tomorrow night."

"...Are you sick?"

"You've been nagging me about the Bulls for two hours straight, and now I really hate that team! So I'm going to score 50 points, you get it?"

"Fuck you, whatever. I'm not on the team anyway, so you can score as many points as you want."

The Bulls players were unaware that their leader, Jordan, had inexplicably stirred up a wave of hatred against them.

The following evening, in the old Chicago stadium, more than 10,000 spectators still showed up without Jordan.

The Trail Blazers have become the most popular team in the league right now, especially among young fans, and Gan Guoyang has gained a lot of fans.

Avia launched a new skyscraper sneaker this year, the Skyscraper 2 – Hills, an all-black sneaker that directly competes with the all-white Air Jordan 2.

The Sears Tower is a landmark building in Chicago and was once the tallest building in the world. This all-black building stands tall in Chicago's CBD, solemn and majestic, and is the most eye-catching building in the city.

Without Jordan to check him tonight, Gan Guoyang is like the Sears Tower, overlooking the entire city of Chicago; no one can stop him.

The league has now abandoned the regulations on shoe colors, so players can wear whatever they want, and Avia no longer needs to pay Gan Guoyang's fines.

Wearing a red and black jersey and sporting the new Avia jersey, Gan Guoyang stepped onto the floor of Chicago Stadium, bringing a New Year's gift to Chicago fans.

Another reason why Bulls home tickets are still selling well is that, although Jordan is no longer with them, the Bulls signed former superstar scorer George Gervin.

This was one of the moves made after Jerry Krause took over: trading forward Greenwood for the Spurs' veteran superstar.

Like Walter Davis, Gervin became increasingly addicted to drugs and missed the preseason training camp. The Spurs knew it was time to rebuild, so they simply sent the veteran to Chicago in exchange for younger players.

This move was also disliked by Jordan, because Greenwood and Jordan had a good relationship. He was traded away in exchange for an aging Greenwood, so Jordan was naturally unhappy.

However, Gervin did play a role after Jordan's injury. He was able to fill the scoring gap left by Jordan to some extent. At the same time, he was, after all, a former superstar. Although he had declined significantly, he still had popularity and could sell tickets.

Against the Dallas Mavericks, Gervin was in excellent form, still managing to score 45 points, a truly remarkable scoring talent.

But this night was destined to belong to Gan Guoyang. After being harassed by Jordan for two hours, he decided to use those two hours to defeat Jordan's Bulls.

Gan Guoyang, who has reduced his weight from 258 pounds to 248 pounds, is more agile and nimble. His jump shot after receiving the ball in a pick-and-roll and his attacks on the basket are very quick.

Bulls' starting center Javan Odham couldn't keep up with Gan Guoyang's pace and speed at all, and was completely outmaneuvered.

Although he stands 7 feet tall, he weighs only 230 pounds, a typical skinny center, yet he's not as fast as Gan Guoyang. His strength is even less impressive; when Gan Guoyang grabs an offensive rebound under the basket, he can easily push past Odham and dunk the ball with one hand.

Tonight, Ramsey didn't use the three tall players, but instead adopted a regular formation rotation. Dr. Jack noticed that Gan Guoyang was in a bad mood and that he was in good form, so he gave him plenty of opportunities to shoot.

The Bulls have had a very unlucky year. Not only was Jordan sidelined for the season, but their schedule was also incredibly unlucky, starting with a six-game road trip before Jordan was injured and out for the rest of the season.

In November, they were given an insane nine-game road trip, which meant the entire Bulls team didn't go home for more than half a month and were playing away games until they were questioning their existence.

Without Jordan, coach Albec had to adjust the team's tactics. With Gervin's outstanding performance in some games, the Bulls actually managed to get close to the playoffs and could be ranked in the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

Back then, there were 11 teams in the Eastern Conference, but only 8 playoff spots. As long as they didn't play terribly or intentionally tank, they could still barely make it into the top eight.

But they couldn't handle a rising star like the Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers, who had just lost to the Bucks, were focused and full of fighting spirit, and they crushed the Bulls in the first half.

Jordan watched the game live from his home in North Carolina—a game originally scheduled for a national broadcast because the entire league wanted to see "Jan vs. Jordan" season two.

Little did they expect that the expected duet would turn into a one-man show, with Gan Guoyang moving with impunity, scoring points at will on the bull's head.

"Shit, can't you even cover it up?"

"Fuck, I can't see through that feint, and you still want to block it?"

"Let him shoot...why let him drive to the basket!"

"Don't let him shoot. Doesn't he know that kid is a good shooter?"

Jordan sat on the sofa watching the live stream, and he had practically crumpled the sofa cushions to pieces.

Even through the not-so-clear footage of the live television broadcast, Jordan could clearly sense Gan Guoyang's progress.

He was faster, lighter, and the fight seemed completely unaffected.

He scores more easily than last season, especially in his shot selection near the three-second zone, using different attack methods in different areas, which is very precise.

Ordinary fans might not notice, but someone like Jordan, who has played basketball for many years, can tell at a glance that Gan Guoyang has undergone meticulous training, and his shots are full of details, which makes everything look effortless.

Gan Guoyang scored 31 points in the first half. Jordan knew that if this guy said he would score 50 points, he would definitely score 50 points. Jordan knew that the Bulls' interior defense was no match for Gan.

When Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, turned around and jumped to shoot, facing Oakley who came to help defend, he dodged in mid-air and then shot the ball into the basket while in the air, scoring two points. The fans in the arena exclaimed, "Isn't this just a bigger version of Michael Jordan?"
Jordan, who was watching TV at home, was both angry and amused when he saw the goal. This guy actually copied me!

Although his hang time is not as good as Jordan's, because Jordan can dodge two or three people, Gan Guoyang can only dodge one.

But this goal alone is enough to show how much effort Gan Guoyang has put into his body; that kind of core strength must have been developed through training.

Watching Gan Guoyang score points with ease, already approaching 50 points before the third quarter was over, Jordan couldn't sit still any longer.

He turned off the TV, called George Keller, and asked him to arrange a game and organize a match for that evening.

Keller said, "It's nighttime, who would be out playing ball?"

"NBA players all play at night. I'll pay you to find players for me!"

Keller knew that Jordan's basketball addiction was kicking in. It's like a drug addiction; once it hits, you have to play a couple of games, otherwise Jordan will be restless and unable to eat or sleep.

He could only hang up the phone, try to organize a gathering, and then drive to Jordan's house to pick him up.

Keller asked Jordan why he suddenly wanted to play so much, and Jordan said, "Because Forrest Gump is going to score 50 points against the Bulls, and there's nothing I can do. I need to play. Have you made arrangements?"

"It's all arranged. However..."

"But what? Don't worry about Nike, they won't know."

"No, I was listening to the radio while I was waiting for you, and Forrest Gump already got 60 points."

"What? This guy promised to get 50 points! Damn it, he broke his promise!"

(End of this chapter)