The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 355 has problems.
Gan Guoyang's new celluloid perforated mask is a modified hockey mask.

The Trail Blazers could have offered a better, more elaborate mask, but Gan Guoyang thought this mask was cool and decided to wear it during the game.

This mask, resembling that of Jason, the serial killer from the movie "Friday the 13th," led to the following results in the subsequent matches:

First, during the Trail Blazers' second game in Salt Lake City, Gan Guoyang had a cozy dinner with the newlywed Stocktons, along with Karl Malone.

As a result, on the second day of the game, Karl Malone was intimidated by Gan Guoyang's killer look. He scored 27 points in the first game, but that night he was defended by Gan Guoyang and only made 2 of 15 shots, scoring only 8 points and 7 rebounds.

The Utah Jazz suffered a crushing defeat at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. After the game, Coach Layden complained at the press conference that Forrest Gump's new look was too terrifying, causing players to be too afraid to defend him and attack him, making it impossible for them to perform at their normal level.

"When I was directing from the sidelines, my first reaction when I saw Forrest Gump was to call the police, not to focus on the game. How am I supposed to play like that?"

Leiden's words elicited laughter from the press conference; this old rascal has always been a source of amusement for the media, always appearing in a clown-like manner.

Although the reporters laughed, Leiden didn't smile when he returned to the locker room; he was just using jokes to cover up his disappointment.

Especially disappointing was Karl Malone's performance tonight, where he was once again outmatched by Forrest Gump, and completely outmatched.

Leiden asked Malone, "Is it really because of the mask that you're afraid?"

Malone said somewhat helplessly, "There's... there's a reason for that."

Leiden shook his head and said, "Besides strengthening your body, you need to strengthen your mind even more."

Over the course of summer, Karl Malone had grown considerably stronger.

He became much more steady when running on the field, and no longer stumbled and fell down all the time.

His free throw percentage stabilized, and Leiden traded Dantley for him.

The entire Jazz team has high hopes for Malone.

But in the West, a dominant center has suffocated the other young power forwards and centers.

Stockton played well tonight; he's never intimidated by Gan Guoyang.

Malone must find a way to deal with Forrest Gump, but he still has plenty of time.

The second thing was that during the third game, when the Trail Blazers visited Oakland, Golden State, and played against the Warriors on the road, Gan Guoyang's mask made a little fan on the sidelines cry.

Gan Guoyang's popularity in San Francisco is undeniable. When the Trail Blazers come to Oakland Arena to play, it's no different from their home court.

A large number of Chinese fans of all ages gather here, especially a lot of children.

Many fans have been watching Beiqiao Middle School's games since Gan Guoyang's high school days, so they can be considered die-hard fans.

Avia's flagship store in California is located in San Francisco because there is a large Asian population there, and his sneakers sell very well there.

Halfway through the match, Gan Guoyang made a save from the sideline and fell face-first into the stands.

As Gan Guoyang got up, a young Chinese fan wearing a number 11 jersey stared at him with a terrified look.

Gan Guoyang thought that her save had frightened her, so he went up and touched her face to comfort her.

To his surprise, the little girl immediately burst into tears, and Gan Guoyang then realized that his mask was too terrifying.

Gan Guoyang quickly took off his mask and comforted the little girl for a while before she finally stopped crying.

The fans in the stadium cheered and applauded, but Gan Guoyang said in a post-match interview:

"I need to consider changing my mask."

The third thing was that after the game between the Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns, the local Phoenix newspaper compiled a list of the "ugliest masks in NBA history".

Among them, Curtis Perry's mask from 1976 was on the list, and Gan Guoyang, who was similar to him, naturally could not escape the fate.

Because of the recent series of away games, Gan Guoyang couldn't change his mask, and he couldn't find a suitable size in other places.

However, Gan Guoyang is not the ugliest or most terrifying. The top two are Tomjanovich, whose brains were splattered by Washington, and Oscar Robertson, who once suffered facial injuries.

Gan Guoyang was quite dissatisfied with the ranking, and coupled with the fact that he had frightened a little girl earlier, he, who valued his personal image, immediately decided to change to a new mask upon returning to Portland.

A local medical device company made a special transparent mask for Gan Guoyang. He will wear it for two more matches until his brow bone heals, at which point he will no longer need to wear a mask.

While some find it ugly, others find it cool and love it. A local investigation report published by Steve Kelly, a reporter for The Oregonian, shows that in Oregon, a region that loves rock music, Gan Guoyang's masked appearance, which is full of mystery and death, is very popular. Some rock band singers have followed suit and worn the mask, but no one has been able to achieve the same effect as Gan Guoyang.

After all, his 6-foot-10 height, strong physique, and solid muscles create a powerful presence that greatly enhances the mask's effect.

Avia seized the opportunity and launched a "Jason Mask Edition" of the Skyscraper. Like the Denver Rainbow Edition that Gan Guoyang wore when he scored 60 points in the playoffs, this shoe didn't make much of a splash.

After all, who would buy a pair of killer-themed sneakers to play basketball for no reason?

In short, a simple mask became a hot topic in the first week of the new NBA season.

Gan Guoyang's immense popularity is one reason why the topic is generating buzz, while another reason lies in the change in NBA media strategy.

Starting with the 1986-1987 season, David Stern introduced new media rules, requiring teams to have dedicated media open days, which were mandatory for coaches and players to attend.

After each game, players and coaches must attend a press conference to answer questions and be interviewed by the media.

This is completely different from the previous free and easy environment where reporters and fans could wander around outside the locker room at will, and players could talk to whomever they wanted and go back if they didn't want to talk.

Stern is using rules to make the NBA more professional, more disciplined, more influential, and more profitable.

Just this February, David Stern used a hardline approach to ban Brooklyn Nets star Michael Ray Richardson for life due to three positive cocaine tests.

Previously, NBA players who were banned for life were all involved in gambling, such as Baird and Grossa of the Rochester Royals in 1951, which ultimately led to the disbandment of the championship team.

There was also the infamous gambling kingpin, Molinas, who was considered the biggest cancer in both professional and college basketball in the United States. He died in 1975 from an assassination attempt by the Mafia.

Betting on sports is a red line for all professional athletes, and this is true in all sports fields. American professional baseball has been ravaged by betting scandals, and everyone regards betting on sports as a scourge.

Michael Ray Richardson was the first player to be suspended for doping, and he was very upset because there were so many drug users in the league, so why single him out?

In the mid-80s, the Black Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, and racial discrimination was becoming a red line in American society. Richardson believed that he was banned for life because he was Black. Why wasn't Chris Mullin banned for alcoholism because he was white?
The players' union lodged a protest, and longtime rival Larry Fleischer put pressure on Stern.

Stern withstood pressure from all sides and made a tough decision to demonstrate his determination to eradicate drugs.

After Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose during the 1986 NBA draft, the opposition within the league diminished.

Stern gradually established a tough image, so when he implemented mandatory media day, there was no opposition from the teams.

Although this sacrifices some of the freedom of players and coaches, forcing them to be exposed to the attention of the media and fans.

In the long run, however, this will undoubtedly increase the NBA's exposure, allowing more and more people to learn about this evolving basketball game.

As one of the league's top players, Gan Guoyang is naturally the focus of various topics. A mask, a pair of shoes, a gesture, or a word will be reported by the media and discussed by fans and other members of the public.

Of course, as the defending champions, people are most concerned about the performance of the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang on the court, and whether they can defend their title in the new season - this is the only sign of a champion's success, even if they make it to the finals and lose 3:4, it is still considered a failure.

In the first week of the season, Gan Guoyang, wearing a mask, led the Trail Blazers to a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, with their only loss being against the Golden State Warriors.

Of the three wins, there was a narrow victory against the SuperSonics, a big win against the Jazz, and another narrow victory against the Suns.

Gan Guoyang's performance remained consistent, but he failed to win the Player of the Week award.

This title was taken by Michael Jordan, whose performance in the first week after returning from a season-long absence was nothing short of perfect.

In the first game against the New York Knicks, he scored an astonishing 50 points, making headlines alongside Gan Guoyang's Rockets header.

Patrick Ewing, who also returned from injury, only managed 13 points and 5 rebounds, his brilliance completely overshadowed by Jordan.

Jordan then scored 41 points in the second game, followed by 34, 33, and 39 points. He led the team to a 4-1 record in the first week, averaging 39.4 points per game, and his offensive firepower was on full display.

Jordan's performance dispelled many people's doubts about him, proving that last year's injury had no impact on him, and that his strength was even greater than before, incomparably stronger.

In comparison, Gan Guoyang's performance was not inferior, averaging MVP-level numbers of 29.5 points and 15.7 rebounds per game in the first week. However, people's standards for Gan Guoyang have been raised.

Against their old rivals, the SuperSonics and the Suns, the Trail Blazers clearly didn't have the overwhelming dominance they had last season. In addition, they lost to the Warriors, while the Bulls lost to the Pistons.

In the second week, Gan Guoyang took off his mask, and the Trail Blazers, back in Portland, defeated the visiting Clippers and Spurs in succession, but both opponents were weak.

The Clippers are arguably the unluckiest team this year. They traded for a first-round pick from Boston and became the second overall pick, selecting the incredibly talented Bias. But then Bias disappeared without a trace, not even giving the Clippers a chance to squander his talent.

With Jamal Wilkes retiring, the Clippers are destined to have a disastrous year, and they'll have to strive for a better draft pick next year.

As for the Spurs, they are also on the road to rebuilding. The 37-year-old Train Gilmore is getting old and it is difficult for him to show his fire anymore.

These two victories have somewhat masked the Trail Blazers' current problems: a lack of depth in the frontcourt and a weak backcourt offense.

By November 14th, the Trail Blazers suffered a crushing defeat at home to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers. Everyone on the Trail Blazers team realized that the team did indeed have problems, and big problems at that.

(End of this chapter)