The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 287 Disrespect
Barkley asked Gan Guoyang if he could cook African food because the Washington Bullets had acquired an African teammate—the 7-foot-7 giant, Manute Bol.

When Gan Guoyang drove to the airport to pick up Barkley and Ball, he discovered that his car was simply too small to fit the Spider-Man-like behemoth.

So he had no choice but to leave the car at the airport, call Avia, and get a Volkswagen van to take the three of them home for dinner.

With the arrival of Paul, Barkley, and Gan Guoyang, the once spacious van suddenly became very crowded.

Barkley introduced his good friend Gan Guoyang to his teammate Ball: "This is my good friend, the NBA's number one wrestler, the NBA's number one chef, the NBA's number two rebounder, Bill Laimbeer's gravedigger, Portland's playboy, Sonny Gan!"

Gan Guoyang felt Barkley's introduction was unreliable and said, "When the hell did I become Laimbeer's gravedigger? And how come I'm the second rebounder!"

“Every time that guy comes back to life, you end up sending him back to his grave. I’m the number one rebounder, of course, but I can’t focus all my energy on rebounding like you can.”

"You're talking nonsense, I'm averaging over 30 points per game."

"Your energy is already twice that of others!"

"By the way, this is my teammate, a prince from a Sudanese tribe, the chief's son, the tallest man in the NBA, the NBA's best shot blocker, a towering lion hunter, Charles Barkley's loyal bodyguard, the guardian of the Washington skies, Manute Bol!"

Gan Guoyang sighed and said, "Charles, you are probably the worst player in history when it comes to nicknames, without a doubt. Manute, I'm sorry to have to be dragged here by Charles as a guest."

Paul nodded and said, "Yes, he dragged me here."

Barkley was displeased and said, "Hey! I only brought you here because we're good friends! Forrest Gump is a really good cook, it's a pity he can't cook African food."

Gan Guoyang said, "I do know some of the Sudanese food, such as Maawiya, Hariri, and Doyatimi."

A look of surprise appeared on Paul's face. His previously furrowed brows relaxed, and upon closer inspection, several fine scars could be seen on them.

That was from when the priest cut his forehead during Paul's coming-of-age ceremony. Some of his teeth were also pulled out, but an American dentist helped him replace them.

"Can you make it?" Paul asked expectantly, having not eaten his hometown food since coming to America.

Maavia is a thick soup made with beef, mutton, and potatoes; hariri is a sweet drink; and doyatimi is a pudding-like dessert made with rice, milk, and sugar.

"will not."

Gan Guoyang was very honest, and Bo Er's bright eyes dimmed, and he turned his head away.

“He makes really good burgers, all kinds of fillings,” Barkley said.

Last time, Gan Guoyang made fish-flavored burgers and Kung Pao chicken burgers for Barkley in Washington.

It's basically just putting stir-fried vegetables in bread, adding some extra vegetables, and then wrapping it up to eat.

Surprisingly, what Gan Guoyang considered a completely absurd way of eating was actually great for Barkley, who couldn't stop thinking about it.

Just for this taste, he insisted on having dinner at Gan Guoyang's house during his trip to Portland for the competition.

Along the way, Barkley and Gan Guoyang talked a lot, discussing recent events and their views on the game.

The Washington Bullets are in good shape right now; the combination of Barkley, Malone, and Mahone is quite competitive in the East.

However, compared to strong teams like the Bucks and Celtics, there is a significant gap.

Barkley's scoring average has soared from 18 points per game last season to 24 points per game, putting him in the ranks of star players.

Barkley was quite proud of his progress, especially after winning the game against the Trail Blazers Bullets, where he scored 30 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, which he boasted about for quite some time.

Manute Bol also had an outstanding performance in that game, recording 6 blocks. His season average of 5 blocks per game is an astonishing 5, considering he only played 26 minutes.

There's no way around it, he's just too tall and his arms are too long. Many players never expect to be blocked when they shoot.

Gan Guoyang suffered losses twice, getting blocked twice.

Compared to Barkley's chatter, Ball was very quiet in the car.

Unlike Hakeem Olajuwon, Paul's English was poor. Before coming to the United States, he didn't know any English at all, and he was illiterate.

His agent brought him to the United States to learn the language, play basketball in college, compete in professional leagues, and then he was spotted by the NBA Bullets and entered the professional league.

So Paul's silence wasn't because he was introverted or shy, but because his English wasn't very good and he had a strange sense of superiority.

Gan Guoyang could sense this superiority. His eyes wandered, occasionally glancing into the distance. He always answered Barkley and Gan Guoyang's questions lightly, with a hint of laziness.

This feeling made Gan Guoyang uncomfortable. When the three arrived home, Gan Guoyang started preparing food for the three giants. Paul remained lazy and casual, as if he were still a prince of the Sultan, the grandson of a tribal chief, waiting to be served by servants. Barkley went to help in the kitchen, while Paul watched the birds in the yard. Gan Guoyang expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "This guy is a bit impolite. I don't cook for people who aren't friends. I didn't even cook for Patrick when he came last time. You're an exception, you know, Charles?"

Barkley said, "Manute is indeed a bit arrogant, probably because of his status and height, he might have a sense of superiority."

"No one should feel superior in front of me; we are all equal. Why would you want to be friends with someone like that? You're not the type to fawn over others."

Barkley rolled his eyes, leaned closer to Gan Guoyang and said, "I have no choice, I owe him money, so... please do me a favor, Gan, I beg you."

"Owe money? Are you kidding me? Why would you be short of money?"

“I bought too many cars before, and I have a lot of loans to pay off.”

"Also, I forgot to file my taxes last year and was fined, so... I'm a little short on cash."

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Just as I expected. I told you not to buy so many cars, now look what happened."

My annual salary of over 100,000 yuan isn't enough to cover my expenses. Before my salary even arrives in my account, I've already maxed out my loan limit.

It's like being in debt before you're even rich. Those cars are just sitting in the garage collecting dust. Even if they appreciate in value someday, that's a long way off.

"How much money did you borrow? Why don't you ask me for money?"

"I just asked him for some cash. You're too far away to help me in this situation. Don't worry, my endorsement fee will be arriving soon, and I'll make up for the shortfall."

Gan Guoyang shook his head and reminded Barkley, "You must manage your finances well. Don't buy any more cars. If someone is willing to take one or two, sell them. I've told you before, financial health is just as important as your physical health."

Barkley nodded repeatedly, knowing that Gan Guoyang's words made sense.

"By the way, I remember I told Avia to have them talk to you about an endorsement deal, how did that go?"

"The contract has already been signed, and I'm just waiting for the first payment to arrive..."

"..."

"Fuck, you need to live off signing bonuses? I suggest you lose some belly fat and get your muscles toned. Nobody wants to buy a fat guy's sneakers."

Using Gan Guoyang's connections, Avia took the initiative to approach Barkley to discuss cooperation. Barkley happened to be short of money, so the deal was easily reached, and Avia's player roster gained another formidable player.

Barkley nodded sheepishly. He knew that Gan Guoyang was right, and he now regretted spending so much money.

"Where did you spend all your money, besides buying a car?" Gan Guoyang asked again.

"No... it's just about eating and drinking, and buying some things," Barkley stammered, sounding embarrassed.

Looking at Barkley's expression, Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Men who spend so much money are probably only into gambling, drugs, and prostitution. Could it be from reading novels?"

Barkley definitely wouldn't touch drugs. Gambling and women probably cost him a lot of money, and with monthly loan payments and taxes, he'd be bankrupt and have to borrow money from Ball.

People are usually subservient before lending money, but become arrogant once they get the money.

Barkley is a proud guy; if he owes someone money, he becomes a complete jerk.

No wonder he made me cook African food; that fatso spoiled him rotten.

At dinner time, Gan Guoyang made various hamburgers, soups, pizzas, and fried chicken, all of which Barkley loves to eat.

Barkley praised Gan Guoyang's cooking skills, while Paul kept eating in silence, clearly enjoying the food.

Wang Fuxi stayed at school tonight and didn't come back. The three big eaters ate quite a lot in one go.

After the meal, Paul became much more lively and started talking, his English with a heavy African accent.

Many times, Gan Guoyang didn't understand what he was talking about; in short, it was topics that Gan Guoyang wasn't interested in.

Afterwards, Gan Guoyang prepared to go to training, and Avia's driver took Bol and Barkley back to the hotel.

Before parting, Barkley apologized to Gan Guoyang, saying, "I'm sorry, Sonny, I shouldn't have brought him. I made you unhappy."

Gan Guoyang was indeed unhappy. Boll wasn't to his liking. He said to Barkley, "It's okay, Charles, I still consider you a friend, but don't bring just anyone to my house for dinner anymore. It's alright if you're unhappy, you'll make me happy during tomorrow's game. Now get back to your place!"

(End of this chapter)