The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 341 Faith
Joe brought Kobe from Réti to Trieste, where they witnessed firsthand the epic clash between Forrest Gump and Jordan at the Paratriest Arena.

The backboard in the same position was shattered twice by the two players: Jordan shattered it in the first half and Forrest shattered it in the second half, causing the game to be interrupted and unable to continue.

After the two returned to the locker room, Joe found Larry Fleischer, who was watching the game from the sidelines. Joe had come to Italy to play basketball through Fleischer's connections.

The players' union president was generous, enthusiastic, and well-connected. When Joe said he wanted to introduce his son to Forrest Gump and Jordan, Fleischer readily agreed and took them to the backcourt locker room.

Kobe's recollection of this:
“There were so many spectators at that game, it was incredibly crowded. My dad held me in his arms while we watched. They each represented a team, one from Trieste and one from Juventus. They were in a completely different world from the other players. After five minutes, the game turned into a one-on-one duel between them.”

"Michael was faster, like a black panther, while Forrest Gump was incredibly strong. Every move he made was full of power, making him seem unstoppable. Their movements were full of elasticity, and watching them play was a pleasure. I still remember it vividly to this day."

"My dad took me to the backcourt locker room to meet them, and I got their autographs and photos. I was only 8 years old at the time. I was very excited to see Forrest Gump. When you see him up close, you feel like you are looking up at a statue of a god. He exudes a sacred aura, especially since he had just won the NBA championship. This sense of sacredness was even stronger."

"So I told Forrest Gump, I want to fight you one-on-one."

"Forrest Gump agreed, really. After the game, he made time to play one-on-one with me. I was very confident in myself, and I thought I could shake him off. At that time, I could imitate the moves of many star players, and I didn't think it was anything special."

"I got ripped off badly; he was really merciless. Then he told me I needed to practice more. When I got back, I threw away his autograph, hahaha~ But I regretted it later. After the trash was taken away, I went to the trash can and found the autograph. I've kept it ever since."

“I don’t remember some of the details, but I remember him telling me to always believe in myself and to act when the time is right.”

"Michael Jordan? Oh, I don't quite remember him, I don't have much of an impression, I was too young."

—Excerpt from "The Real Kobe," a Kobe biography by Roland Lazambi, published in 2017.

Gan Guoyang and Jordan's meeting was brief, and the two went their separate ways afterward.

Jordan went to Paris, France, to continue his European tour, while Gan Guoyang went to Milan, and then south to Italian cities such as Rome, Florence, and Naples.

Avia doesn't have the same resources as Nike, so this time they focused on Italy, Europe's most important basketball market, leveraging Gan Guoyang's championship win to boost Avia's international brand awareness.

Gan Guoyang travels around playing matches, meeting fans, and experiencing the beauty of the Apennine Peninsula and the Mediterranean.

During the trip, Gan Guohui took care of all the affairs. In just six months, Gan Guohui's situation improved significantly.

He's lost weight, his appearance is more refined, and he's become less slick and more serious in his speech and actions, giving people a more reliable impression.

Gan Guohui handled all the expenses along the way, as well as the contract with Avia, with Larry Fleischer providing guidance.

It's clear that under Fleischer's tutelage and guidance, Gan Guohui is becoming more and more like a professional in the industry.

Of course, in private, Gan Guohui is still the same little fanboy he was in high school in front of Gan Guoyang, and his admiration for his cousin is growing deeper and deeper.

Gan Guoyang, the older brother, was very concerned about his younger brother's private life and asked him if he had started a new life after the breakup and arriving in New York.

Gan Guohui sighed and said, "Don't even mention it. There are so many beautiful women in New York. I'm so busy every day, I'm exhausted."

Gan Guoyang rolled his eyes at him and said, "You're quite something, aren't you? You don't want to get married, you want to be a playboy?"

"A man should not start a family if he has not yet achieved anything! You have won the championship and you are not getting married, so why should I be in a hurry? But your uncle is anxious. I heard from your grandfather that your father is nagging about it every day at home."

"...I know, but I'm only 22, what's the rush? By the way, when we get back to America, go back to San Francisco and tidy up the house in Pacific Heights. If Grandpa and Uncle want to live there, they can move there."

Previously, when Gan Guoyang returned to San Francisco, he bought the apartment in Pacific Heights as a fixed asset investment.

Gan Guohui said, "I'm not getting married now, so I don't need that house anymore. Grandpa and Dad definitely won't live there. It's your house." "What do you know? A house will fall into disrepair if it's empty and no one lives in it. If you can live there, then live there. Why leave it empty? Do you think I'll go back to live in this house? Besides, if I go back, it'll be empty. What's the point of me living there?"

Gan Guohui scratched his head and thought his cousin made sense. The house was very close to Chinatown and the Tenderloin area, so it would be very convenient to live there.

"Also, could you take another trip to Los Angeles and keep an eye out for real estate there? I'm planning to buy one there too."

Upon hearing that his cousin was going to buy a house in Los Angeles, Gan Guohui became excited and asked, "Brother, do you want to play for the Lakers?"

Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "Going is a joke. It's just that California real estate has more investment value, and I need to think more about the future. When the amount of capital is not large enough, fixed asset investment is a more stable way of asset allocation. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland are the three places where my fixed assets are mainly concentrated. I will handle Portland myself, and I will leave California to you. Also, a number of technology companies will rise in San Francisco in the future, especially Silicon Valley. You should pay more attention to these companies, especially those related to computers and chips. These will be the new wealth hubs in the future. You should use San Francisco as your base and manage it well, laying a solid foundation. Owning fixed assets is just the first step, at least you have collateral with the bank and can leverage some funds. You still have a lot of work to do, so let's take it slow."

"Brother, how come you know everything?"

"Read more books and newspapers, eat fewer snacks and sleep more."

"Turns out it's because I haven't been sleeping enough..."
-
In mid-July, Gan Guoyang's week-long trip to Italy came to a successful end, and everyone returned home.

The plane first arrived in New York. Fleischer and others disembarked. Before parting, Fleischer reminded Gan Guoyang, "The new season will be full of difficulties and obstacles. No one has successfully defended their title for more than ten years. You need to prepare for the new season as soon as possible."

Gan Guoyang said he understood and then returned to Portland. Gan Guohui followed the instructions and returned to San Francisco, and then went to Los Angeles to investigate the local real estate market.

Gan Guoyang only rested for one day before starting to participate in various activities arranged by Avia and the Trail Blazers.

There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony by advertising partners, close interaction between fans from the Chinese community and the champions, a TV interview with the host family, and interactive activities with children from welfare homes.

Unlike many star athletes who dedicate their holidays to fishing, cruises, gambling, and pleasure-seeking, Gan Guoyang has devoted most of his time to public activities after becoming famous.

Although he keeps certain extremely private aspects of his life secret from others, such as his love life, his relationship with his father, and his childhood.

But he devoted a large part of his remaining life to the public sphere, to the news media, to camera lenses, and to interviews with newspapers.

He was so energetic that he hardly needed to rest after running all day. His followers were exhausted, but he was still full of energy and said he wanted to play ball.

Gan Guoyang is inseparable from basketball. Basketball is an essential element in every activity he participates in, and he takes every game very seriously, even using the opportunity to hone his technical skills.

For example, when playing against Kobe, he refined his technique for setting the landing point of his blocks and also used some psychological tactics on Kobe.

Wang Fuxi accompanied him to almost all of these activities, acting as his personal assistant, arranging various small matters in his life to ensure that Gan Guoyang's energy was allocated to where it was needed.

This went on for a week or two. Wang Fuxi felt a little tired. She thought to herself, if this continued for a year, two years, or even five or ten years, how much perseverance and patience would it take?
Lying in bed at night, when the two were being honest with each other, Wang Fuxi asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, I didn't expect being a celebrity to be so tiring. You have to live under the spotlight all the time, maintain your image, and keep doing what others want you to do."

Gan Guoyang asked, "What's wrong? Can't take it anymore?"

"No, not really, it's just... how can you accept this? You don't seem tired at all. And when you play basketball, throwing the ball into the hoop day after day, don't you get tired of it?"

"No, I never think about these things. When a person finds their own destiny, there will be no more confusion or hesitation; all that remains is how to move forward. Just like when you met me, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes, you are my life..."

In 1981, the year Gan Guoyang arrived in the United States, at the age of 16, he was certain of his future destiny and determined to walk that path firmly.

In Italy, Kobe Bryant made up his mind at the age of 8 that he would become the best basketball player in the world and dedicate his life to it.

(End of this chapter)