The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 338 Still Wants to Betray
After the championship celebration, Gan Guoyang went to Roger Valley in southern Oregon to attend the wedding of John Stockton and Nada.

The wedding was held in a church near Medford Lake. The night before the wedding, relatives and close friends from both sides gathered at a bar called "Sandpiper lounge" to drink and warm up for the wedding.

As soon as Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi arrived, they immediately became the center of attention, with everyone screaming and rushing towards this superstar who was currently at the peak of his popularity.

The bar owner got a photo and autograph from Gan Guoyang and gave everyone a 50% discount on their bill that night, after all, this was Oregon, Gan Guoyang's territory.

Gan Guoyang tried to keep a low profile. After greeting everyone, he found a corner with Stockton and Nada to sit down and have a quiet drink.

Nada quickly pulled Wang Fuxi to get something to eat and check out how the wedding dress looked, leaving Stockton and Gan Guoyang to chat.

"Sorry, I stole your thunder," Gan Guoyang said to Stockton.

“You didn’t do it on purpose. You always manage to steal the spotlight, no matter where you are.” Stockton was used to it.

He certainly didn't care that Gan Guoyang was the center of attention; in fact, Gan Guoyang's presence at his wedding brought honor to the Stockton family.

Americans also value social standing when it comes to marriage. In terms of social status, although Stockton is an NBA player, he is not considered a star.

Although Nada is an ordinary person, her father is a former governor and her mother's family is a prominent European family. Nada's family members came from all over the world, including London, Alaska, Washington, D.C., Croatia, and Slovenia. They were all people of great prestige and social standing.

Before the wedding, Stockton's father, Jack, gave a stern warning to the family's naughty boys, telling them to behave well before and on the wedding day and not to embarrass the family.

Gan Guoyang's attendance at the wedding as a VIP of the Stockton family made Jack Stockton feel very honored, as it allowed him to stand tall in front of the governor's in-laws.

"You're getting married soon, how's it going, John?" Gan Guoyang asked Stockton. "Is it too late to back out now?"

"I have no regrets. I've been waiting for this day for a long time... Sonny, how does it feel to win the championship?"

"It felt like I hadn't even taken any, I didn't have a chance to really savor it. So, one is too little, I need to take more to really appreciate the flavor."

"You're still so greedy. If I can win an NBA championship in my lifetime, I won't have any more extravagant desires."

"Why don't you come to Portland, and I'll lead you to a championship?" Gan Guoyang joked.

“No, what’s the point?” Stockton refused decisively, believing that only championships earned through hard work have meaning.

"Of course, if I get traded to the Trail Blazers, there's nothing I can do about it," Stockton added, not forgetting to add a caveat.

Most of the time, a player's destination is not something they can decide for themselves; many players will change teams after an offseason.

Steve Colter, for example, was sent to Utah.

Gan Guoyang said, "Cort has been traded to the Jazz, and I guess he'll be your backup. Keep an eye on him while you're in Utah. He's a good point guard, but his playing style doesn't quite fit the team's requirements and expectations. By the way, this kid has a history of using banned substances, so keep an eye on him and remind him often. He's a good guy."

Colter had some bright spots in his performance during the 1985-1986 season.

He was the team's first substitute at the beginning of the season, but was replaced by the taller and stronger Terry Porter later in the season and during the playoffs.

With the team having selected Hornacek and Dell Curry, Cortés no longer has a place on the Trail Blazers' roster.

Stockton nodded, took a sip of beer, and said, "Getting contraband in Salt Lake City isn't easy. And after that incident, the league will definitely be cracking down really hard. If you want to play in this league, you definitely can't touch that stuff anymore."

The "thing" Stockton was referring to was the tragedy that occurred after the draft.

Len Bias, the star small forward selected second overall in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers, was found dead the day after the draft.

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired their first-round draft pick from the Celtics in the Marquez Johnson trade.

The Celtics acquired this draft pick in 1984 when they traded Henderson to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Because the SuperSonics had a poor record in the 1985-1986 season, they entered the lottery and won the second overall pick, which ended up in the Clippers' hands.

With Brad Daugherty selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Clippers drafted Len Bias, a talented small forward from the University of Maryland. The day after the draft, Bias left New York for Los Angeles, signed a contract with the Clippers management, and immediately secured a $100 million endorsement deal.

After achieving his goal, Bias returned to the University of Maryland and immediately drove off-campus with his friends to celebrate. In the early hours of the morning, he returned to his dorm and spent more than four hours using cocaine with his teammates.

As a result, Bias suddenly had an epileptic seizure and lost consciousness. It was around 6:30 a.m. His teammates called 911, and the medical team came and performed emergency treatment, but it was unsuccessful. He was sent to the hospital, but resuscitation efforts failed, and he was pronounced dead at 8:55 a.m. The doctor stated that his death was related to cocaine consumption.

The news immediately shocked the entire United States, and the NBA was particularly impacted, once again bringing the issue of rampant drug use in the league to the forefront.

It was from this season onwards that Stern made up his mind to completely eradicate the scourge of drugs.

Previously, the league had kept a low profile regarding the drug issue, not wanting it to become public to avoid damaging the league's image.

Privately, everyone knows that the number of players using banned substances is staggering, but everyone just keeps it a secret.

The Trail Blazers and the Jazz are among the few clean teams in the league, and it's better for Cort to go to the Utah Jazz than to some of those toxic teams.

The evening party was a great success, and the next day, Gan Guoyang accompanied Stockton to the wedding rehearsal.

Gan Guoyang was originally supposed to be Stockton's best man, but Stockton's father wouldn't allow it. He said that Forrest Gump was a VIP, and how could a VIP be a best man? Best men are supposed to do the work.

The rehearsal preparations were complete, and they began to wait for the bride. They waited from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. before the bride, Nada, appeared with her sisters.

Nada's sisters demanded that Stockton loudly proclaim his wedding vows in the church so that everyone could hear them.

Gan Guoyang knew things were going to go wrong as soon as he saw Stockton's expression. The guy wrinkled his nose, turned his head away without saying a word, and acted as if he was ignoring everything.

Gan Guoyang knew Stockton well. He wasn't the lively type, and he was very stubborn. If you forced him to do something, he simply wouldn't.

Fortunately, with Nada's gentle persuasion, Stockton agreed to make a public commitment to marriage, while the long vows would remain between the two of them.

During rehearsals, Stockton cleared his throat and said in a trembling voice, "I promise, my love and my infidelity..."

Everyone went wild. Wow, this guy opened with a bombshell! He went straight for it: "I promise, my love and infidelity..."

Clearly, Stockton was too nervous and confused "infidelity" with "fidelity".

The best man and maid of honor were devastated. How could this guy get those two words wrong?

Gan Guoyang sighed, rubbing his forehead. This kid wasn't really reliable; he just seemed dependable.

When the wedding officially began that evening, Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi sat in the front row of the church and watched the entire wedding process. To be honest, Gan Guoyang was a little nervous.

Before Stockton took the stage, Gan Guoyang repeatedly reminded him not to mispronounce any words, or he would be in big trouble.

During the wedding ceremony, Wang Fuxi held Gan Guoyang's hand tightly the whole time. Her eyes were as clear and gentle as the water of a volcanic lake, glancing at Gan Guoyang from time to time, making Gan Guoyang's heart pound.

"Damn it, Fuxi isn't going to propose to me, is he? Should I say yes?" Gan Guoyang wondered to himself.

The wedding was successfully completed, and a grand celebration was held on the green field that night. More than 400 people attended the wedding banquet, including teammates from Gonzaga University such as Bellman and Fitz, as well as friends from the Stockton Jazz.

At the banquet, there was a dazzling array of delicious food. Nada's relatives and friends from Croatia brought a pig and a sheep, which were roasted on the grill. There was also Alaskan salmon, steak, shrimp, turkey, salad, and a whole table of Chinese food.

The Chinese food was prepared for Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi. There was no doubt that this was a very grand wedding, and Stockton and Nada were extremely busy.

Gan Guoyang met Mr. Bellman again. Everyone else brought their wives, girlfriends, and families, but Bellman was all alone. He had been all alone for the past few years without any female companions.

When the two met, they inevitably talked about basketball. As they talked, Berman asked, "Sonny, I think your team's defense needs to be improved in some areas."

Gan Guoyang gave Behrman a cold look and said, "Mr. Behrman, why are you still thinking about betraying us?"

(End of this chapter)