The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 275 Caesar
Although Jordan and Ewing were unable to play in the All-Star Game due to injuries, they still came to Dallas to participate in this grand event.

Incidentally, I witnessed Gan Guoyang snatching the All-Star MVP award from Isaiah Thomas and receiving the trophy from Stern, earning him the title of "Star of Stars".

Jordan clapped loudly in the stands, his mouth almost twisted with a grin, because Gan Guoyang had avenged him.

Regardless of whether the All-Star Game suspension last year was true or not, the feud between Jordan and Thomas has already begun.

Every time the Bulls and Pistons met, sparks flew and they fought fiercely, destined to become enemies.

Jordan has a competitive personality. Even though he couldn't play, he was very unhappy to see Thomas scoring repeatedly and the Eastern Conference team leading the way and winning the MVP.

Who knew that his good friend would suddenly appear and steal the trophy that Thomas was about to win? How could Jordan not be happy?
In comparison, Ewing was more restrained. After all, it was his first year, he was a rookie, and he was still a nobody. It was better not to get involved in the feuds of these big shots.

During the awards ceremony, Isaiah Thomas maintained a sullen expression throughout, clearly unhappy, and his gaze towards Gan Guoyang was filled with resentment.

But thinking about it, there's not much that can be done. Even the team's number one villain, Laimbeer, can't beat him. If you want to trip him up, you should first consider your own strength.

Of course, there must be some grudges between them; the Trail Blazers haven't played the Pistons yet this season.

Considering that Gan Guoyang scored 50 points for Laimbeer last season and that Laimbeer was brutally tackled, the old and new grudges combined mean that the next time the two sides meet, it will definitely be a clash of titans.

After the All-Star Game ended, Gan Guoyang, Ewing, and Jordan left Dallas Reunion Arena together in an old Lincoln and returned to their hotel.

The old Lincoln had a spacious back seat. Gan Guoyang and Ewing flanked Jordan on either side, and Gan Guoyang tossed the trophy he had just won to Jordan and Ewing to play with.

"Do you like it? If you like it, I'll give it to you." Gan Guoyang looked at Jordan holding the trophy, his eyes shining.

"I like it, but I'll take it myself. Besides, what's so great about an All-Star Game MVP? It's not a real honor."

“But it’s still better than letting Isaiah Thomas get it, right?” Gan Guoyang said.

When Thomas was mentioned, Jordan couldn't help but laugh, saying that he felt happy just thinking about Thomas's constipated expression.

It's clear that Jordan harbored deep resentment towards Thomas, and Gan Guoyang really helped him get revenge this time.

Jordan told Gan Guoyang that if he needed any help next time, he should just let him know, and he would do his best unless the game was lost intentionally.

Gan Guoyang took Jordan's words to heart and said, "Don't go back on your word later."

Ewing was worried about the two guys, saying, "Thomas isn't so easy to bully. The Detroit guys are playing increasingly rough. They acquired Tppin in December, and that kid's been playing really well lately. Forrest, you'd better watch out."

Ewing played a game against the Detroit Pistons this year, right after the Detroit trade in December, in which the Knicks narrowly lost to the Pistons by 2 points at home.

那场比赛兰比尔拿下了29分，特平拿下11分，尤因被防的17中7只拿到15分。

During the match, Ewing inevitably clashed with Laimbeer, and the two almost came to blows.

"What's there to be afraid of about Lambiel? Beat him up! A beating will teach that kind of person a lesson." Gan Guoyang was speaking without any sense of the situation.

"Not everyone is Forrest Gump. We go out there to play basketball, not to fight," Jordan said.

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "You people just don't understand the principle that fighting is not fighting, and not fighting is fighting."

Of course, Jordan had his own principles for dealing with on-court conflicts. He was never afraid, but he never resorted to violence. Instead, he responded with basketball.

In this respect, he differs from Gan Guoyang, reflecting different approaches to survival and struggle on the court. Gan Guoyang respects Jordan's methods.

After his impulsive and reckless behavior at the beginning of the season, Ewing has gradually matured. He knows he can't be a wrestler like Forrest Gump, so he is learning to control himself.

“Turpin going to Detroit is indeed a threat, but with that kid’s personality, how will he survive with the Pistons?” Gan Guoyang mentioned Turpin.

This gluttonous guy is weak-willed, but he is indeed very talented, especially on offense, where he can provide the Pistons with a much-needed inside game. In the game against the 76ers on January 11, Turpin contributed a putback to win the game, helping the Pistons defeat the 76ers 111-112 at home and end their five-game losing streak.

The Pistons are a disciplined and rising team; playing there is much better than playing for the rotten Los Angeles Clippers.

“Maybe he will become the next Bill Laimbeer,” Ewing said.

"I don't remember him much. People who are gluttonous are unlikely to achieve great things," Jordan said.

“Everyone has their own destiny. However, destiny is not determined by the stars in the sky, but by oneself,” Gan Guoyang said.

The three returned to their hotel and spent their last night of the Dallas All-Star Weekend.

The next morning, Ewing flew back to New York, while Gan Guoyang, Drexler, and Ramsey went directly to San Francisco to join the team. The Trail Blazers had a game against the Warriors on February 11.

Instead of returning to his hometown of North Carolina, Jordan decided to go back to Chicago to have doctors examine his foot to determine his recovery status and when he could return to the court.

Jerry Krause was surprised by Jordan's return. He went to the team doctor immediately to find out what was going on. In his opinion, no matter what the condition of Jordan's foot injury was, he did not want Jordan to return.

The reason is simple: the Bulls are currently on the edge of the playoffs. If they lose a few more games and fall out of the top eight in the East, they will become one of the seven teams to participate in the 1986 lottery.

That would give the Bulls a chance to get the number one draft pick, or at least a top-seven pick, which would be crucial for the Bulls' rebuilding process.

Once Jordan returns, the Bulls' record will definitely improve, and if they accidentally make the playoffs, they will lose their chance to participate in the draft lottery!
Of course, Krause wouldn't say that to Jordan directly. Instead, he used the pretext of caring about Jordan's health to say that Jordan absolutely could not return to the court.

Jordan looked at his CT scan and the doctor's report. The doctor told him that his recovery was going very well and that if everything went smoothly, he could be back in time for the regular season and even the playoffs in March.

Klaus immediately objected: "No, no, no, Michael's season is over. What we need is 100%, 100% health! We can't take any risks, not even 0.01%!"

Jordan said, "Even if the team loses miserably, it doesn't matter if the fans don't want to come to the stadium to watch the game?"

"It's okay, we still have next season. We need to take a long-term view. Besides..."

"What else? What else? If we keep losing, we'll get a high draft pick, right?"

Klaus didn't respond directly, only saying, "I just don't want you to get hurt, and I don't want to be remembered for making you a laughingstock by bringing you out of the game too early."

Jordan disliked Krause's roundabout way of talking, and he said directly: "Deliberately losing reflects what kind of person you are. If the team is weak and can't win, there's nothing that can be done. That's different from deliberately losing."

"We didn't intentionally lose! I just didn't want you to get injured!"

Krause was annoyed by Jordan's statement. He couldn't understand why Jordan wouldn't understand such a simple principle.
"Whether I'm injured or not, the doctor will give a proper assessment. I can return to play in March."

“I can’t be completely at ease, so I will limit your playing time,” Klaus insisted.

Jordan was also furious. He was convinced Krause was deliberately trying to lose, saying, "Nobody should try to get something good by losing. You should focus on making the most of what you have. If the team really wants to make the playoffs, I'll step up whenever there's a chance to win a game!"

Klaus snorted and said, "How great! Who doesn't want to make the playoffs? Who doesn't want to win the championship? Sometimes you have to go with the flow. If you're injured, you should rest and wait until next year!"

Jordan remained steadfast, shook his head, and said, "It is not the stars in the sky that control destiny, but people themselves."

Klaus looked at Jordan in silence for a long while. He understood that the guy's will was unshakable, so he could only compromise and say, "Okay, we'll follow the doctor's advice. If the doctor thinks you can come back, then you can come back!"

Jordan finally got the answer he wanted. No matter what, he wanted to stand on the court and fight, especially after seeing Gan Guoyang's amazing performance this year, he was itching to get back on the court.

After reaching an agreement, Klaus patted Jordan on the shoulder and said, "It's not the stars in the sky that control destiny, but man himself. Julius Caesar, a good line from Shakespeare. I hope you'll be like Caesar."

Jordan looked at Krause, shook his head, and said, "No, Forrest Gump said that."

(End of this chapter)