The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 48 Purple Lightning
The schedule for the CIF Northern California Championship will be announced in February.

The CIF has six regions in Northern California. Based on the rankings determined by the regional competition system, plus the committee's evaluation of records and performance on the field, more than sixty teams enter the state championship.

The stronger teams were assigned to Division 1, with the competition taking place in San Jose; the second group was assigned to Division 2, with the competition taking place in Sacramento; and the rest were assigned to Division 3, with the competition taking place in Reading.

The tournament uses a single-elimination format. After each round, half of the teams are eliminated. The winners stay until the final, while the losers pack their bags and go home.

After the North and South California tournaments conclude, on March 1st, the North and South champions will compete in two California championship matches (Division 3 does not have a California championship match).

The California championship in Division 1 is the most anticipated, as it marks the first time in 60 years that the North and South have competed for the title, and the television network is expected to broadcast it live.

The Water Clock team departed from San Francisco by bus on the morning of February 10th and arrived at the competition venue—San Jose Civic Auditorium—in just over an hour.

In the 1980s, many modern sports stadiums had not yet been built, and many basketball games were played in these old-fashioned multi-purpose auditorium-style venues.

These venues are quite old, with poor ventilation and lighting, and terrible air conditioning. They are always cold in winter and hot in summer, making the competition experience very unpleasant.

The tournament schedule is also unfriendly, with four rounds of matches to be played in a week, which is a considerable test of the players' physical fitness and the team's rotation.

All the players were settled in the Sheraton Hotel, which is located across the street from the Civic Auditorium. The hotel is as old as the Civic Auditorium, a product of the urbanization period in the 1920s and 30s.

The other side of a long history is, of course, that the conditions are relatively poor, with small rooms, outdated facilities, and hygiene that can only be described as so-so.

The only advantage is that it's located in downtown San Jose, the food is pretty good, and it's convenient to walk around shopping or relaxing.

While having dinner at the hotel's buffet restaurant, Gan Guoyang met players from Washington High School and Fremont High School, both of whom had also made it to the Division 1 state championship.

When they saw Gan Guoyang, the players from both teams would unconsciously walk around him or try to avoid eye contact with him.

Gan Guoyang's dominance on the basketball court has carried over into his personal life. When these high school students encounter him, it's like herbivores on the savanna seeing a lion.

Gan Guoyang was initially quite happy to see old acquaintances, but why were they all avoiding him? I've always been a very easygoing person and a good friend.

Finally, he spotted Quentin Stephenson, with his round head and chubby face, in the dessert area and quickly went up to greet him.

Stephenson looked somewhat frightened, glancing around as if searching for his teammates.

"I...I got separated from my teammates, I...you...where are your teammates?"

“I just finished working out at the gym, and they’ve already finished eating. Why don’t we eat together?”

"Uh... I need... you to know... that person..."

Stephenson's eyes were practically popping out of his head, but he couldn't find his teammates to give him an excuse to leave.

Finally, having no other choice, Stephenson was pulled down to sit and eat with Gan Guoyang. Stephenson had no appetite at the moment, and he noticed that Gan Guoyang seemed to have some PTSD.

Athletes have big appetites, and Gan Guoyang ate heartily. Seeing that Stephenson hadn't touched much, he asked, "Quentin, eat up. What's wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell?"

Upon hearing Gan Guoyang's question, Quentin lost his appetite even more; he even felt a little nauseous.

"If you don't have a good appetite, I recommend you have a meal at my family's restaurant. My dad is a very good cook. Of course, the premise is that you are interested in Chinese food, the authentic kind."

Gan Guoyang tried to talk to Stephenson to help him relax, but it didn't seem to have any effect; his eyes were somewhat vacant.

Stephenson's eyes lit up when a group of people in purple tracksuits passed by the table, and he stared at them until they left the restaurant.

"Do you know them?" Gan Guoyang asked.

“Yes, from Sacramento High School. We played against them last year and lost.” “Are you afraid of them?”

"Oh no, I'm not afraid. But they play crazy, and you... well, anyway, it's just crazy offense."

Are they your primary targets?

"It doesn't matter. High school teams have players coming and going every year, and their strength changes a lot. But their point guard is very good; he's California's number one scorer."

Hearing Quentin say that, Gan Guoyang became interested. Who could be California's top scorer, who is also a point guard?
"What's his name."

“Kevin Johnson. He’s fast, incredibly fast. We’ll call him the Purple Lightning.”
-
Kevin Johnson, the Purple Lightning, quickly made a name for himself in San Jose.

In the first round of the tournament on February 11, Kevin Johnson led the Sacramento Dragons to a victory over Condco's Dela Sasbad.

He scored 37 points single-handedly, almost single-handedly breaking through the Spartans' defense, and the team successfully advanced to the next round.

In the second round, Kevin Johnson scored 35 points in a single game, leading his team to defeat St. Joseph's Notre Dame High School in Alameda and advance to the semifinals.

Their opponent in the semi-finals was Beiqiao Middle School.

Beiqiao Middle School did not win easily in the first two rounds of the competition.

Chen Xing and Wu Zhihao, two key players on the team, suffered from diarrhea due to poor living conditions and eating expired food, resulting in a loss of key players for the team.

The substitute player, Shui Zhong, made mistakes in defense, allowing opponents to score more than 70 points in two consecutive games.

Fortunately, Gan Guoyang held up the inside game and the offense, securing the rebounds.

The second-round match against Bishop Odowd High School in Auckland went into overtime.

In February, the highest temperature in San Jose is about 16 degrees Celsius, which is a relatively pleasant temperature.

However, the air circulation inside the Civic Auditorium was poor, and the humidity was high, so the players felt stuffy after a lot of exercise.

The sweltering heat caused the players' stamina to decline even faster, but Gan Guoyang was the only one who ran faster and faster in overtime, scoring on consecutive counterattacks and helping the team secure the victory.

After the race, Quentin, who had become Gan Guoyang's friend, asked him from the sidelines, "Why were you able to run faster and faster in overtime? Aren't you tired?"

Gan Guoyang replied, "I'm tired, but it's too hot. I need to run faster so that there will be a breeze to cool me down."

"...You're playing Sacramento next, and I heard Kevin Johnson wants to score 40 points on you."

"Who told you that? You didn't make it up, trying to sow discord and reap the benefits, did you?"

Washington High School also made it to the semifinals. They are actually very strong, but they didn't perform well in the finals.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I just heard it from someone that when everyone is staying in the same hotel, things can easily get out of hand."

"Then wish him good luck. 40 points. If he can't get it, I'll help him."

"...In my short life, there are three things I've strived to achieve, but haven't yet: first, to win an NBA championship; second, to score 40 points against Grimsoe; and third, to become the mayor of Sacramento. Of these, the second was the earliest ambition I set, but it seems the most difficult."

———————Excerpt from Kevin Johnson's 2008 Sacramento mayoral campaign speech.

(End of this chapter)