The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 461 Children
Wilt Chamberlain is known as the "Emperor of Basketball," but his personality, both on and off the court, gives the impression of being like a child.

He loves to play, has a temper, changes his mind frequently, is prone to making mistakes in crucial games, is weak-willed, likes to argue with coaches, and moves between different teams.

On the other hand, he is also a very shrewd businessman who is good at marketing and packaging himself.

His exceptional physical attributes and incredible on-court statistics easily attract and mislead a group of fans who haven't watched him play much or aren't very familiar with the early NBA.

His exaggerated off-field anecdotes and playboy behavior make it easier to attract media attention, generate news reports about him, and make more people interested in him.

Therefore, as his retirement time increased, Chamberlain was not forgotten, but rather mentioned more and more.

Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain are stark contrasts in this respect.

Bill Russell is a mature and determined man on the court, a leader who doesn't care about statistics, but only about winning and the team.

But after leaving the basketball court, other fields were not Russell's forte.

He went to work for a TV station as a commentator and a live reporter, but because he thought too much and could only say too little, and because he worked with people like Rick Barry, he ultimately did not achieve much success.

He also participated in the filming of some movies and TV series, but they were all unpopular and obscure films. You wouldn't even notice he was in them unless you specifically looked for them.

As the first Black coach in NBA history, he achieved no further success except for winning two championships while playing for the Celtics.

He achieved some success during his four seasons coaching the SuperSonics, but his anger and understanding of basketball were always at odds with the city.

This season, Russell has been hired as the coach of the Sacramento Kings.

As of Christmas, the Kings had a record of 6 wins and 18 losses, ranking last in the Western Conference.

Russell's overly resolute and ruthless personality doomed him to be an unsuitable coach, let alone a good commentator or a good businessman.

In the 70s, Russell's fighting spirit of valuing Black rights and pursuing Black liberation could still be understood by younger players.

By the 80s, Russell still had that angry Black style, often giving long lectures to young players, a tactic that no longer worked on them.

Not only did it not work, it also caused the players to feel annoyed and rebellious.

The cohesion that the Kings previously built on Russell's high prestige and accumulated honors is gradually dissipating.

Even years after his retirement, Chamberlain remains a hot topic in the media.

He also made movies, but Russell made some obscure films, while Chamberlain starred in blockbusters, such as "Conan the Barbarian" with Schwarzenegger.

The shows and interviews he participates in are guaranteed to have high viewership ratings; everyone loves listening to him talk on television.

He collaborated with comedians on a crossover boxing match, which was hilarious.

In short, on the basketball court, Chamberlain lost to Russell, and lost badly, only managing to win once.

But off the basketball court, Chamberlain was far more successful; he was a better entertainment star and a master at making money.

While having barbecue with Thurmond, Gan Guoyang roughly told Thurmond the contents of the letter.

Thurmond chuckled and said, "This guy's a business genius. Keep this letter safe; it'll be another gimmick later. Let me tell you, to win on the basketball court, you listen to Auerbach, but if you want to make money, you listen to Wilt. He knows how to make money."

Gan Guoyang ate a piece of pork chop, and the taste made him nostalgic.

He said, "I also make money; I invested in a funeral home."

"I know, my God, how did you find such a niche investment area?"

"I was introduced to this by Calvin Knight from the Nuggets. I also invested in a construction company and partnered with Kenny Carr. I'm also very interested in Kevin Willis's plus-size suit business."

"You little rascal, you always dabble in things that most people don't have access to. I thought you were going to open a restaurant."

"You've been saying you want to open a barbecue restaurant, but why haven't you taken any action yet?"

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon. We've already chosen a location and are preparing to open in January next year. If you can come, that would be the best... How about investing a little, Sonny? I think you can get involved in everything from clothing, food, housing, transportation to funerals."

Thurmond's words intrigued Gan Guoyang; his investment portfolio was indeed nearing full coverage of basic necessities like food, clothing, housing, and transportation. He'd heard that midwifery was also a very lucrative profession.

“If you only have one store, it’s too small. You have enough capital on your own, so there’s no need to bring me into the business. If you plan to make it a nationwide chain, I can consider investing and turning it into the McDonald’s of the barbecue industry.”

Nate Thurmond hasn't thought that far ahead yet.

His only reliance was his own reputation and the secret recipe he possessed.

Thurmond couldn't imagine the amount of effort required to build a nationwide chain, and he didn't believe he had the capability.

Gan Guoyang had a preliminary discussion with Thurmond, then ate meat and drank lemonade, played cards with his friends, and didn't go home until evening.

On the way back, it started snowing in San Francisco.

This greatly surprised Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi.

In Portland, snow is so common that it seems like it never stops falling in winter.

However, San Francisco has a warm climate, and over the past hundred years, there have only been a handful of snowfalls in the city, mostly in February and March.

The last time it snowed in December was in 1882, more than 100 years ago.

Although the snow was light, the white snowflakes fell with the moonlight, and many people who were spending Christmas at home came out to see this rare snowy day.

Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi got out of the car and decided to walk back through the snow.

"It's snowing in the Bay Area! It must be welcoming you!"

"Don't talk nonsense. How can you call it feudal superstition? Snow is just snow."

"No, I think it's to welcome you; snow symbolizes good news."

"I usually come to San Francisco to crush the Golden State Warriors, so what good news could it be?"

"Of course not. Haven't you noticed? You can make the people around you better and happier. Your playing style can also make your teammates better, can't it?"

Gan Guoyang really couldn't refute what Wang Fuxi said.

He held Wang Fuxi's hand tightly, pulled her into his arms, and said, "Why are you praising me like this? Tell me quickly."

Wang Fuxi shoved Gan Guoyang and said, "Do I have to have a ulterior motive when I praise you? Is it because everyone around you has an ulterior motive when they interact with you that you've gotten used to it and think your wife is the same way?"

Gan Guoyang said, "What are you talking about? When people reach a certain point, it's inevitable that they'll take what they need. Wilt and Nate are both good people. But they need to make money. Basketball players, especially those in their early years, are all young players whose careers are short-lived."

Wang Fuxi pulled Gan Guoyang aside and said, "I wasn't talking about them~ I was just joking with you, actually... I also had an ulterior motive~"

Gan Guoyang was taken aback and said, "You also have an ulterior motive? What do you want? I'm already married to you, what else can you do? Ask me to marry another woman and have her as your sister? I can't do that."

Wang Fuxi pinched Gan Guoyang hard and said, "You're dreaming! Why do you have to marry another one? Can't we... can't we just have one together?"

Gan Guoyang was startled and said, "You want to have a child? Are you that desperate?"

"I want to have a child with you, is that not allowed?"

"No, I'm still a child."

"You little brat! What kind of child are you that big?!"

"I'm still a child at heart."

"You don't feel the same way either... Anyway, I've already talked to Dad about it."

When Wang Fuxi brought out Gan Youwei, Gan Guoyang sensed that something was seriously wrong.

If his father puts pressure on him, he really won't be able to handle it. It seems that Wang Fuxi is not joking, but serious.

(End of this chapter)