The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 392 Changes in the sky
By winning the dunk contest, Gan Guoyang became an unprecedented and unparalleled double champion in both three-point shooting and dunking.

No player in the NBA will ever achieve such a feat again, especially since Gan Guoyang did so in the same competition.

He became the biggest winner of this All-Star Weekend.

The biggest loser, needless to say, is Michael Jordan.

He not only lost to Gan Guoyang in his specialty, the dunk contest, but also made history in the three-point contest, setting a record low of 5 points.

No player has ever been forced to participate in the Three-Point Contest like Jordan, and naturally, no player scored lower.

However, Jordan was very magnanimous. After Gan Guoyang won the championship, the two shook hands and took a photo together under the backboard.

"Sorry Michael, I stole one of your dunk contest titles." If Gan Guoyang remembered correctly, the 1987 dunk contest title should have belonged to Jordan.

The way he fastened the umbrella at the end was indeed too ahead of its time. Audiences and judges in the 80s had never seen such an incredibly entertaining and creative way of fastening the umbrella.

Back then, the NBA still had a somewhat rustic feel to it, and the players were rather shy and reserved. Very few players had tattoos, and most players wore impeccable high socks, sneakers, and shorts, which didn't look cool at all.

Wearing a big gold chain and flashy sneakers like Jordan is already very flamboyant and unconventional, belonging to the forefront of the times.

But he can't compare to Gan Guoyang, who has at least five more creative ideas in his head that could get him full marks in the final dunk.

Against the backdrop of the unassuming and simple lighting at the venue, Gan Guoyang shone like lightning across the sky; it would be hard for fans to accept that he didn't win the championship.

"What do you mean by stealing? What's yours is yours, and I'll get it back next year."

"I believe that, so I won't participate next year."

"Why? You have to participate next year."

"I've already won a championship, why would I participate again?"

"So, now that you've won the championship, you don't want to win it again?"

"The championship is different; it's a team honor. Our team has so many people; shouldn't we win more?"

The two joked around and went back to the locker room together, ending the three-point contest and dunk contest.

When it came to the All-Star Game on Sunday, Gan Guoyang, who had already won the All-Star MVP last year, did not steal the spotlight from others.

He proactively told Pat Riley, "Let me sit on the bench more often. I want to rest more and save my energy to play against the Lakers."

Hearing him say that, Riley wished he could play the full 48 minutes and torture the guy.

This is Riley's fifth time serving as head coach of the Western Conference All-Stars. He believes he knows every Western Conference All-Star player inside and out, except for Gan Guoyang, whom he finds increasingly difficult to understand.

During the 87 season, Riley lived in a state of anxiety. He was much thinner than the previous year and looked more stern.

In his early years, he would wear glasses to improve his appearance, making him look more gentle.

This season, he has abandoned his decorative gold-rimmed glasses and his clothing style has become increasingly darker.

Driven by a thirst for revenge, the Lakers dominated the regular season.

The Rockets' twin towers have fallen, and Ralph Sampson was injured again before the All-Star Game, missing this year's Seattle All-Star Game.

The league replaced the All-Star player with SuperSonics star Tom Chambers, hoping to boost All-Star sales with a local star.

The Dallas Mavericks were built entirely to resemble the Lakers, and they repeatedly caused trouble for the Lakers in the regular season. Mark Aguirre wanted to prove to his friend Magic Johnson that he was better than James Worthy.

But Riley knew that as long as Sam Bowie couldn't grow to the point of being able to suppress Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers wouldn't be afraid of the Mavericks.

There is only one team that the Lakers are afraid of, and that is the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers have already lost to the Blazers twice this season, and the one win they had was a narrow victory.

Riley, as a coach, couldn't find a way to contain Gan Guoyang, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being completely outplayed in the low post was the Lakers' most unacceptable problem.

Management's Jerry West fears that Gan Guoyang will become the next Bill Russell, and he doesn't want the Lakers to return to the nightmare of the 60s.

Gan Guoyang's arrival has led West to change his recruitment strategy. In the past, he preferred a well-rounded veteran power forward to partner with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but now he prefers a young center who can somewhat stop Gan's isolation plays on the defensive end.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss appeared calm, saying that as long as they played beautiful basketball, victory would come naturally. However, he secretly lobbied New York and pressured the NBA headquarters, arguing that they could no longer allow Gan Guoyang and Jordan to play one-on-one like this.

With this anxiety, Riley didn't enjoy the All-Star Weekend at all. He rarely smiled and felt helpless about the job of All-Star head coach. He didn't want to do it and would rather give it to someone else, but he had no choice.

The game, held in the massive Kingdom Arena, was unexpectedly intense, going all the way into overtime. In the final moments, Blackman's free throws sealed the victory for the Western Conference All-Stars, while Tom Chambers, replacing Ralph Sampson, scored 34 points and won the All-Star MVP award.

A SuperSonics player winning the Star of Stars award in Seattle—there couldn't be a better script.

The 1987 All-Star Game concluded successfully, and David Stern was very satisfied with the Seattle All-Star Game.

The Three-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest garnered tremendous attention, and the underdog's comeback in the All-Star Game was equally satisfying.

The success of the All-Star Game further enhanced Stern's prestige within the league, giving the league confidence to cope with a series of difficulties that followed.

The development of the NBA was clearly not smooth sailing. Behind the glitz and glamour, crises always existed and persisted throughout the 70s and 80s.

Stern solidified his position in just three seasons, quickly pulling the NBA out of its slump and putting it on an upward trend.

However, the challenge was far from over; in fact, it had only just begun. Starting in the fall of 1987, the league was about to enter a new round of labor negotiations, and Stern would once again face challenges from Larry Fleischer and the players' union.

Judging from the statements made by Larry Fleischer and the players' union, the situation is not optimistic.

Because Fleischer wants to abolish the newly implemented salary cap, remove restrictions on player transfers, and even eventually abolish the NBA draft system, so that the NBA, like European football, can enter a market state where players are almost completely free.

Larry Fleischer's enormous ambitions have overwhelmed Stern and many owners, because these three systems are the foundation for the normal operation of the NBA and the basic cornerstone that Stern built for the future of the NBA. Fleischer's attempt to undermine this foundation is tantamount to destroying the NBA.

Of course, Stern and the owners knew that Fleischer's goal was not to destroy the NBA, but to use this method to fight for more benefits for the players and labor unions, which is also the meaning of the existence of the players' union.

The battle will officially begin in the summer of 1988. Both sides are currently in the preparation stage, sharpening their weapons and seeking support from multiple aspects, including theory, law, and public opinion, in order to grab the largest share of the pie in this struggle for interests.

The Seattle All-Star Game undoubtedly boosted Stern and the NBA office's reputation. Successful publicity will bring players more exposure, and as league revenue increases and broadcast contracts grow, players' salaries will rise further.

Which player or owner wouldn't like such a decisive and marketing-savvy CEO and management team?
Fleischer's side is equally formidable. A group of key league stars and retired veterans, led by Gan Guoyang, have firmly stood by Fleischer's side, greatly increasing the pressure on the league's negotiations.

There are undercurrents among the 23 teams, but the NBA regular season continues as scheduled.

After the All-Star Game, the season entered its second half. With the trade deadline approaching, teams are working hard to strengthen their rosters and make a final push for the playoffs.

With two key players suspended and Ralph Sampson injured, the Houston Rockets traded two draft picks to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Maxwell in order to remain competitive.

The Clippers' attempt to acquire Maxwell in exchange for Marquez Johnson was a complete failure.

Marquez failed to win a championship with Boston and also lost his beloved son, which disheartened him, leading him to retire from basketball.

Maxwell was heartbroken by the Boston trade and spent his 30s with the Clippers. Now he's going to the Rockets to see if he can still make a difference.

The Clippers' acquisition of the second overall pick in 1986 was an unexpected bonus, as Len Bias could perfectly replace Marquez and Maxwell and become the Clippers' star player. Unfortunately, he died from a drug overdose.

This is a deal with no winners.

The Clippers' rebuilding efforts have failed, their playoff hopes are completely dashed, and they've entered a clearance sale mode.

This team was absolutely terrible. They suffered a 12-game losing streak in December, followed by a 16-game losing streak in January.

If it weren't for the Seattle SuperSonics' unexpected victory, the losing streak would have been 29 games.

As the season draws to a close, they will face more defeats, making a single victory extremely difficult.

On February 13, the Los Angeles Clippers traded their center James Donaldson to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for two first-round draft picks and one second-round draft pick.

This trade has greatly displeased both the Los Angeles Lakers, who live in the same city, and the Boston Celtics, who live far away.

The Lakers were unhappy because they had already communicated with the Clippers to try and trade for Donaldson as a backup for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in order to counter Gan Guoyang.

As a result, Sterling had no interest in the Lakers' offer and did not want to make a trade with their crosstown rivals, so he sent Donaldson to the Eastern Conference.

Jerry West's plans to strengthen the team before the trade deadline fell through, leaving him with no choice but to use rookie Duckworth to compete against Forrest Gump.

The Celtics are unhappy because the Clippers' trade further strengthens the Detroit Pistons, making their frontcourt roster terrifyingly deep.

The Clippers have already traded Melvin Tuppin to the Pistons, so why would they give a great center like Donaldson to the Detroit Pistons?

With injuries, injuries, and retirements, the Celtics only have their starting five available. Can they hold their own against the rapidly rising Detroit Wolves?

The sky over the east and west is becoming increasingly clear.

(End of this chapter)