The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 277 New Life

Gan Guoyang has always believed that good relationships need to be restrained by firm rationality.

Whether it's love, family affection, or friendship, once rationality is lost and it runs rampant, it will become uncontrollable and lead to destruction.

The more precious the emotion, the more it needs to be protected with a strong shell of rationality, just like soft and delicious crab meat is always guarded by a hard crab shell.

Gan Guoyang values ​​this younger brother highly. At this important juncture in his life, Gan Guoyang wants to help him, but more importantly, he wants him to be able to be independent and self-reliant.

Gan Guohui was speechless after being asked by Gan Guoyang. He really hadn't figured out what he could do.

Gan Guoyang's words hit the nail on the head; he was just trying to escape for the time being because he wasn't ready to embrace adult life.

When asked what he could do by following his cousin, he had no idea; he simply thought that the world of fame and fortune, like the NBA, would be a lot of fun.

My brother is doing really well in the league now; if you follow him, you're sure to have a good life.

Seeing Gan Guohui stammering, Gan Guoyang guessed that his cousin was just having a sudden inspiration, so he asked Gan Guohui, "Guohui, do you like basketball?"

Gan Guohui nodded repeatedly and said, "I like it!"

"It's been so long since I've gone to watch a game."

"...It's been a year, I just haven't had the time."

Back in high school and college, Gan Guohui often went to watch Gonzaga's matches.

After Gan Guoyang joined the Trail Blazers, he went to Portland to watch several games.

However, after graduating from community college, Gan Guohui started working and dating, and watched football less and less.

"How many girlfriends have you had, Lisa?"

"The third."

Do you love her very much?

"I...I don't know either."

"Are you lusting after her body?"

"I didn't... I didn't..."

Despite saying this, Gan Guohui's voice lacked confidence.

Gan Guoyang had met this Lisa before; she was a hot girl of mixed Chinese and Thai descent.

Just look at Ahui's increasingly thin appearance, and you'll know how charming the girl is.

Gan Guoyang said, "You said you wanted to open a restaurant in San Francisco. What, you've changed your mind now? Don't you want to be a restaurant manager anymore?"

"The restaurant manager... isn't very successful... that's why Ami broke up with me. She wanted to marry a doctor or a lawyer. She already married a foreign doctor last year."

Gan Guohui had a very stable girlfriend back then, who was the first girl he dated at Beiqiao Middle School.

The two dated for more than two years, but when it came time to discuss marriage, the woman looked down on Gan Guohui because his family owned a restaurant.

"So you think you'll be successful if you follow me to the NBA? You can't even play basketball. If you follow me, you'll only be able to do odd jobs, or I can arrange a job for you in Portland. Would that satisfy you?"

"I...I don't know either."

In the past, Gan Guohui was naturally optimistic and cheerful, but in just a few years, he became dull-eyed from being tormented by the troubles of adulthood.

Gan Guoyang patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said, "I don't know what your plans are for the future, or how your relationship with Lisa is. In short, you need to figure out what you want and what kind of life you want to live. If you're still unsure, you might as well give yourself some more time to think it over carefully and thoroughly."

"Here's the thing, I have an agent in New York, Larry Fleischer, a big shot in the NBA industry, who started as a tax lawyer. Although he's my agent, he's very busy and can't be around much. I'll have a lot of financial, tax, and endorsement matters to handle in the future, and I need someone trustworthy and reliable. If you're willing, I can introduce you to him for a while, let him mentor you. Once you've mastered the skills, you can work for me."

“Hey! Don’t rush to agree. Think it over carefully. This path won’t be easy. You’ll be leaving your comfortable environment for New York, and you’ll have to solve all the problems and difficulties yourself. I’m busy playing basketball, and Fleischer is busy too, so we won’t be able to look after you. You’ll suffer a lot. Also, you’ll have to deal with Lisa, your dad, your mom, and your grandpa yourself. If they don’t agree, there’s nothing I can do. I won’t plead for them. You have to rely on yourself.”

Gan Guohui nodded vigorously after hearing Gan Guoyang's words and said, "Okay, I will definitely think it through and figure out what I want to do."

"Okay, give me your answer after the competition tomorrow."

Gan Guoyang suddenly asked again, "By the way, what happened to the game cards you collected before?"

Gan Guohui sighed and said, "Oh, don't even mention it. The games Atari made later were absolutely terrible, and the company went bankrupt in less than a year. All the game cartridges I had stockpiled are now useless, and I can't even sell them. Now everyone plays Nintendo... But I haven't played games in a long time."

"Take some time to play games. How can life be complete without games?"

The following evening, Gan Guohui, his girlfriend, and a few friends went to the Oakland Arena to watch the Warriors play against the Trail Blazers.

The Auckland Stadium, which is usually deserted, was packed with people because of Gan Guoyang's arrival.

It's no exaggeration to say that every time Gan Guoyang returns to San Francisco to play, almost all the young Chinese people in the city come to watch the game.

With Thurmond's help, Gan Guoyang managed to get some tickets for Guohui and the others, allowing them to enjoy Gan Guoyang's performance from a seat near the stadium.

Gan Guohui hadn't been to the stadium to watch a game for a while, but he still remembered the passion he had when he stood on the sidelines waving the "Gan Family Restaurant" banner and cheering for Gan Guoyang.

How could he lose his passion for basketball and even for life in just over a year? His girlfriend, Lisa, is a beautiful girl with a cheerful and enthusiastic personality. She is also very open-minded and dares to try all sorts of romantic actions with Guohui, making him infatuated with her.

However, Lisa doesn't have any clear ideas about the future of the two of them. She's fine with getting married or not getting married, but if they do get married, they must buy a house in Pacific Heights.

Gan Guohui had worried a lot about this, but tonight he was fully focused on the game between the Trail Blazers and the Warriors.

After the All-Star break, both teams were in good form, especially the Warriors, who did not put up a passive resistance despite the strength of their opponents.

Tonight, Joe Barry Carroll, Floyd, and Larry Smith all had outstanding performances, leading the Warriors in a fierce battle against the Trail Blazers.

The Warriors took a 27-33 lead in the first quarter and maintained that lead until the end of the first half.

Gan Guohui was incredibly excited watching the game. Although he was a Warriors fan as a San Francisco native, he naturally became a Trail Blazers fan when the Blazers came.

More than half of the fans in the arena were supporting the Trail Blazers, all because of Gan Guoyang; this place was practically half of the Trail Blazers' home court.

However, Lisa and her friends weren't very interested in the game; they were just there for the fun of it. Lisa even thought the stadium was too noisy.

Back then, there were no selfie phones, otherwise they would have had plenty to do in the stadium. Lisa and her friends wanted to go to the backcourt after the game to meet the professional players.

After all, Gan Guoyang was Gan Guohui's older brother. At that time, stadium security was not strict, and fans and reporters could come and go in the backfield relatively freely.

Although star athletes are household names, they are not idols to be worshipped, and it is still common for them to have close contact with fans.

"Hey, make sure to take my friend to the backcourt after the game, otherwise it'll be a waste of your trip."

"Oh, by the way, could you buy us some drinks during the break? Thank you so much!"

"It would be best to bring some food along as well!"

In the third quarter, the Warriors grew stronger and stronger, withstanding the Trail Blazers' usual third-quarter offensive surge and instead responding with their own offensive run.

Before the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors extended their lead to 10 points, putting the Trail Blazers at a disadvantage. The Warriors were indeed in excellent form tonight.

The Trail Blazers launched a major counterattack in the fourth quarter, with Vandeweghe and Steve Cort hitting consecutive jump shots from beyond the arc. Combined with Gan Guoyang drawing the defense in the low post, the Trail Blazers narrowed the gap to 2 points at one point.

But tonight the Warriors are determined to win – they've lost their previous three matchups against the Trail Blazers, with Barry Carroll even losing to Gan Guoyang for 50 points. Tonight they have to win no matter what.

Those two points were like an insurmountable mountain; the Trail Blazers just couldn't catch up. Instead, their impatience led to two turnovers, which the Warriors capitalized on to launch a counterattack, further widening the gap.

With one minute left in the game, the Trail Blazers were still down by 5 points to the Warriors, and the situation looked very favorable for the Warriors, so the Trail Blazers called a timeout.

After returning, the Trail Blazers ran a double screen play on the perimeter, and Vandeweghe used the screen to receive the pass at the right 45-degree angle and hit a three-pointer!
The Trail Blazers' first three-pointer of the game was, more importantly, a three-point play personally orchestrated by Jack Ramsey, which was unprecedented.

The score difference narrowed to 2 points, and the Trail Blazers rekindled their hopes of victory.

In a crucial offensive play, the Warriors faltered when Drexler intercepted a pass from the perimeter.

The Warriors immediately fouled, but before they could even get to the free throw line, Ramsey used his last timeout.

The atmosphere at the Oakland Arena was suffocating; Gan Guohui covered his face, unable to watch the final attack.

He silently vowed to himself, "If the Trail Blazers make the game-winning shot, I'll go to New York! If they make the game-winning shot, I'll go to New York!"

He heard the referee blow the whistle, the timeout ended, and the Trail Blazers were about to inbound the ball. Gan Guohui dared not look any further.

If the people around him are cheering, it must be a shot, because Gan Guohui is surrounded by Chinese fans who support the Trail Blazers.

If people in the distance are cheering, then the shot definitely didn't go in, and the Trail Blazers have lost.

5, 4, 3, 2... Gan Guohui counted silently in his mind. Suddenly, a deafening roar of cheers almost knocked Gan Guohui over.

He quickly opened his eyes and saw that the score had become 121-120, and the Portland Trail Blazers had taken the lead!

It was a game-winning shot! And it was a three-pointer! Who, who made that game-winning shot!
"Who? Who made the game-winning shot! Who was it?!" Gan Guohui kept asking his girlfriend.

"Oh dear, it's your brother, number 11, your brother made the shot!" Lisa said impatiently. "Hey, take us to the backcourt later."

"Wow! My brother hit the game-winning shot again! Another game-winning shot! Why did I say 'again'..." Gan Guohui shouted while hugging Lisa, then suddenly calmed down and shouted at Lisa, "Lisa, let's break up!"

Lisa clearly didn't hear what Gan Guohui said; it was too noisy. She leaned over and asked, "What did you say?"

"I say let's break up!"

Lisa looked shocked and asked, "What did you say? Why?"

"There's no reason why! I just want to break up!"

"You're crazy!" Lisa threw the drink bottle at Gan Guohui and left with her friends.

Gan Guohui didn't care at all. The Trail Blazers won, the game was over, and many things were over.

An ending signifies a new beginning, and he decided to start a new life.

(End of this chapter)